NEWSLETTER Teaching, learning and achieving in a safe and caring community

Principal: P Carroll BA.Dip.Ed M.Ed (Admin) Deputy Principal: H McRae BA.Dip.Ed

Tocumwal Street FINLEY NSW 2713 Phone: 03 5883 1344 Fax: 03 5883 2396 www.finley-h.schools.nsw.edu.au 5th November 2009

KEY DATES • Information About The School Leaving Age November • New Opportunities In High School 2-6 Boys Tennis – Armidale • Canteen Roster 2-3 TAFE trip to Ouyen • Community Announcements 9-11 School Certificate Exams 13 HSC Concludes Principal’s Report 16-27 Year Ten Work Experience 29-30 Year Ten Excursion – Gold Coast Swan Shield

December Congratulations to the Swan Shield Team who won 1-4 Year Ten Excursion – Gold Coast the State Under 15 AFL Final recently. This is a great 3 P&C Meeting, 7:30pm in the Library achievement and returns the shield to the school for Year Six Orientation Day the first time since 2003. The team had a good win 4 Goulburn and Murray Secondary Schools over James Fallon High School in the final. Thanks to Fashion Extravaganza – Cobram Mr Tooke and Mr Oddie for coaching the team and 10 Presentation Night, 7pm in the school hall to all the parents who travelled to support the team 14 O’Donnell Shield Final in the finals.

CONTENTS: NSW Combined High School Sporting Blues • Key Dates • Principal’s Report In a first for Finley High School two students have o Swan Shield been awarded a NSW Combined High School o NSW Combined High School Sport Blues Sporting Blue for their achievements in AFL this year. o School Certificate Exams Congratulations go to Jordan Taylor and Kial Crowe. o Building Update These boys will receive their awards at a formal presentation in in early December. Jordan o Solar Car Challenge th th o Year Eleven Reports and Kial will become the 7 and 8 students from o P & C Meeting Finley High School to be recognised at the highest level. This is an outstanding achievement. • Year Ten to Eleven VET Subjects Information Afternoon School Certificate Exams • Year Twelve – Careers Advisory Service

• Year Ten Work Experience I would like to wish Year Ten all the best in their • Year Twelve School Certificate exams that take place next week. • 2009 Horseland Equestrian Australia Interschool Over 88,000 students will be involved across New Championships South Wales. The exams are compulsory and if a • Website for Parents

1 student is ill they must have a doctors certificate to design. I would like to thank Mr Muller for co- cover the absence. ordinating the project and to Ian Tulley and Joe Cottam (Cottam Engineering - Berrigan) for their Monday 9 th November great support and mentoring during this program. English – Literacy The students involved were: Jesse Price, Shane Science Rands, Lachlan Calder, Mitchell Eagle, Reece Bickley, Chad Muller and Tyler Pyle. Tuesday 10 th November Mathematics History Geography

Wednesday 11 th November All My Own Work

Thursday 12 th November Computing Studies

Friday 13 th November Computing Studies (catch up day if necessary) Above: Students who participated in the Solar Car

Challenge prior to their race. Building Update

Work on the upgrade of the Science labs continues to Year Eleven Reports be on time with the handover hopefully taking place Year Eleven have been issued with their reports this during the last week of this term. week. It is an excellent opportunity to assess how

they went in their Preliminary studies and to refocus Tenders are currently being called for the air- as they have now commenced their HSC studies. conditioning of the hall. Hopefully this work will be They have also assumed the mantle of school leaders completed by the end of the Christmas Holidays. and I have confidence that they will lead the school

by example. Work under the Building the Education Revolution is well under way. New blinds have gone into a large P & C Meeting number of rooms, the pottery shed has been doubled in size, the kiln enclosure is under The next P & C Meeting will be held this Thursday at construction, a toilet is currently being installed in 8pm in the school library. Due to holidays it has the Ag Plot and we are awaiting an installation date been a while between meetings and we would like as for three new interactive whiteboards that have many parents as possible to be in attendance. been purchased with these funds. P Carroll Solar Car Challenge Principal

The Solar Car Team competed against many other schools last Friday in for the Solar Car

Challenge. The team was doing well until mechanical problems ended the race for them early. However, they did receive an award for the most innovative

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Year Ten to Eleven VET Subjects Information their Work Experience envelopes containing all Afternoon necessary information for their placements.

th On Friday 6 November at 2:15pm in the school hall Students are reminded to complete their red OH&S we will conduct an information afternoon for Year work booklets and to complete the online tests. Ten students electing to study VET (Vocational They are then to return both the booklets and the Education and Training) subjects in 2010. These certificates to the Careers staffroom. This is subjects are Hospitality, Metals and Engineering, compulsory in order to go on placement. Primary Industries and Automotive (TAFE delivered). Year Twelve Year Ten VET students will bring home an information letter and invitation to parents/carers to A reminder to Year Twelve students that information attend this session. All students are expected to for 2010 courses is still arriving at the Careers attend this mandatory meeting. The meeting will staffroom. Please touch base with Careers staff finish at 3:10pm. regularly to see if any relevant information has arrived. Information on the courses will be provided by Phyllis Ball regarding student Traineeships and 2009 Horseland Equestrian Australia Interschool Apprenticeships and Marg Bull regarding student Championships workplacements in 2010. It is mandatory for all VET students to work 70 hours in their chosen industry Earlier in the year Gabrielle Thompson qualified for area. Kim Sandford, TAFE liaison officer will also be the Equestrian eventing team. She present to talk about the TAFE courses. At this placed 1 st in the Novice section at Sydney meeting we will give out information to the students International Equestrian Centre. The National regarding course requirements. Should championships were held during the last week of parents/carers not be able to attend please ask your Term Three at Werribee. Hundreds of school child for the information from the meeting or contact students from every state and territory competed at me at the school for such. the championships.

We look forward to meeting with you on this day.

Mrs M Rowe VET Co-ordinator

Year Twelve – Careers Advisory Service

Open 17 th December 2009 to 8 th January 2010, phone and email services available. Free for students and parents. Phone 1300 300 687 or visit www.cas.det.nsw.edu.au

Year Ten Work Experience

Work Experience for Year Ten will take place in th th Weeks Five and Six (16 November to 27 November). Next week students will be receiving Above: Gabby riding Magnum Royale in the Cross County warm up course.

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Website for Parents

A new website is available to help you better understand the reports about your child’s and their school’s performance in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests.

Students in Years Three, Five, Seven and Nine sat these tests in May. We urge you to read your child’s report and access the website and if you would like to know more about how your child is performing, make an appointment to meet with your child’s teacher. For more information go to www.naplanforparentsnsw.com.au

Information About The School Leaving Age

From the start of next year, all students in New South Wales schools are required to remain at school until the end of Year Ten and, must be in full time study, work or a combination of both until 17 years of age.

Our school is developing school implementation plans with school careers and transition teams to assess each student and give individual support, so that students can actively engage in a program of study, and planning the best pathway for them. Above: Gabby riding Magnum Royale on the cross country course. To find out more and to help your teenager plan their future, go to There were twenty five riders in the Introductory www.schools.nsw.edu.au/leavingschool/schoolleave Eventing class. There were three elements to age/index.php or call the school to make an eventing section: dressage, show jumping and cross appointment with the school principal, year adviser, country riding. Each rider strives to get a clear round or careers adviser. on the show jumping and cross country elements. This means they finish on their dressage score. Gaby New Opportunities In High School and Magnum Royale were placed after dressage but had two penalties in the show jumping to finish over The law regarding the school leaving age is changing. all 13 th . This was a great achievement considering all From 2010, all students will need to complete Year the riders were highly skilled and had some very Ten. After finishing Year Ten, students can choose to talented horses. participate in education, training or full-time employment until at least 17 years of age.

Schools now offer more flexibility in what and how students learn. School-based apprenticeships and traineeships exist for all sorts of careers. Watch the vodcast at

4 www.schools.nsw.edu.au/news/ezine/yr2009/issue0 know about options and resources. For more 5/watch_leaving/index.php information www.schools.nsw.edu.au/leavingschool/schoolleave Students in Years Nine and Ten will soon be receiving age/index.php a magazine-style publication called the buzz on the new school leaving age, for students and parents to

CANTEEN ROSTER Canteen Contact and Number YEAR 12 Visual Arts Mrs Kaylene Dawe 5883 1105 ….LADIES, Please note 10am start….

Students November invite 6 D Williams, K McDonald

Family, friends and 9 D McLean, C Moloney 10 G Smith, D Pyke students 11 Jeanette Barlow, P van Beek 12 V Bosher, C Shaw To view their Major Works 13 J Walliss, K Babington

16 J Colwell, F Aull th 17 N Foulds, K Johnson On Wednesday, November 11 18 L Bright, J Conn in the MPR from 5pm-7pm 19 J McAllister, T Clarke 20 K Saines, R Sharp See you there

Community Announcements

Finley Public School – Pirate and Fairy Fete

Finley Public School is holding a ‘Pirate and Fairy’ fete on Friday 13 th November starting at 5pm. There will be lots of stalls, a BBQ dinner, a café and a talent quest at 7pm. Everyone is welcome.

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