Hoxton Park High Care Respect Participation Excellence Newsletter - June 2012 Phone: 9607 4222 Fax: 9607 4836 Email: [email protected] Web Address: [email protected]/ hard to ensure success and a smooth transition to year Principal’s Report 12. Year 12 Years 7-10 The HSC is only a term away! There is no reason for a Students both in Term One and Term Two have been student at Hoxton Park High School not to achieve their completing assessment tasks, classroom challenges personal best. Achieving a personal best result in the and examinations to conclude the evaluation process HSC requires discipline and hard work and the ability to for the first semester. Staff are busy reviewing and balance the many aspects of life. Study, work, sport, consolidating students‟ thinking and skills in the pattern family and friends all have a place, but sometimes they of courses they are completing and writing reports that create conflicting pressures. As parents and educators reflect their students‟ achievements. Reports and we struggle at times to steer our children back to the parent interview evenings are great opportunities for right path and priority. The school supports year 12 further communication between the school and parents students by providing valuable teaching and revision about the learning effort and progress of the student. right up until the last day, so it is vital that students Our Parent Teacher Night is on 24th July, and I look continue to attend all lessons. As parents we can forward to meeting parents to share the successes of support our children by keeping them focused and their children. motivated towards their goal. The education of our children is a partnership between the school and Year 10 parents, and the children who succeed have the best Year 10 this year does not have any external combination of this partnership in their lives. examinations and they stay at school until the end of the year. Students will still be given grades of A to E in Leny Wallace each of their subjects. If they pass (that is, do not receive any N Awards in a subject), they qualify for a ROSA (Record of School Achievement). Deputy Principal’s Report A student only receives a Record of School Subject Selection Events Achievement when they leave school. A student who Recently, year 10 students were involved in a range of leaves at the end of year 10 will receive their ROSA, Subject Selection events to assist them in making whilst students who continue on to year 11 will not informed choices for 2013. Often, students feel that receive their ROSA until they leave school. they don‟t have enough information to make suitable selections of courses for study and, as a result, we see Year 11 students attempt to re-choose or become disengaged It is incredible how so much happens in such a short as they continue studying the wrong course. space of time. At this stage year 11 have finished two- thirds of their preliminary course. There is still much to This year, we scheduled our Taste of Stage 6 Days, do and many challenges to face as they complete their which were run over two days on Wednesday, 6th June, Preliminary HSC Certificate. I would like to reinforce to and Thursday, 7th June. Students were given the all the students the importance of attendance, opportunity to select which courses or groups of especially in senior years, and the great impact this can courses that they would like to taste prior to the two have on their final results. The senior courses are very days. demanding and any missed work can have an impact on their development of knowledge and skills. The Faculties ran informative and engaging taster lessons students must ensure that they are also aware of their and all of year 10 attended to discover which course responsibilities to understand and comply with the best suited them for studying in year 11, 2013. senior assessment policy and procedures. Our taster days were followed up with our Head The guidelines and advice for assessments are clearly Teacher Mentoring Day on Friday, 8th June, where each explained and all students have been informed of their Head Teacher worked closely with one year 10 class to responsibilities by me, Head Teachers and their consolidate their understanding of the subject selection classroom teachers. Students need to keep working process and assist them to make the selections that best suited each student‟s strengths and interests. Our uniform shop is open on Mondays between the To complete the process, year 10 students and parents hours of 1.00pm and 2.00pm and on Wednesdays attended the Year 10-11 Subject Selection Evening on between the hours of 8.00am and 9.00am. Tuesday, 12th June, where students, with their parents, Leave were able to visit faculty displays to discuss their I am on leave for the last two weeks of Term Two. choices and ask last minute questions from faculty Thank you to Mrs Fitzgerald, who has agreed to fill my experts. position for this time and to Ms McIntyre, who is relieving for Mrs Fitzgerald as Head Teacher PDHPE. A huge thank you is extended to all staff who assisted, developed and implemented taster lessons, developed Paul Lawrence resources and gave up time to run classes or cover teachers during this busy week. Thanks to Ms Gerace, who worked closely with me to timetable the taster lessons, place students into classes and ensure all events ran smoothly. While the calendar was packed with events, it was clearly designed to assist our students to make the right choices for their HSC and we hope to see the benefits of this in 2013-14, when this group of students undertakes their HSC. It’s not OK to be away! Self Select Laptops What is my responsibility as a parent/caregiver? By now, our year 7 and year 8 Self Select students have received their school laptops. This laptop remains with the student whilst his/her position is maintained in the Self Select class. It is important to remember that if Make sure your child: a student is not performing at an appropriate level, the position in the class can be lost. Attends school on ALL school days. This is a pilot program to support these students in their learning. Parents are asked to ensure that students are Is on time every day. using the laptops as a component of their study and are maintaining and caring for this importance resource. Make sure you: It is crucial that students bring their charged laptop to school each day unless directed otherwise. Provide the school with an explanation if Assessment Booklets your child is away. Some students have indicated difficulties encountered in having their Assessment Booklets emailed to their Contact the school if your child does not DET Portal email address. To assist students in their learning, printed copies of the booklets have been want to go to school. distributed to each student to take home in addition to the emailed booklets. Arrange doctor and dentist appointments out of school hours. Students are encouraged to plan ahead and plot their tasks for the year in their school diary and on the calendar provided. Arrange personal shopping trips with your son/daughter or birthday celebrations out If you have any concerns about assessments or the of school hours. assessment booklet, please contact the Deputy Principal responsible for that year group. Do not allow your child to stay at home for Uniform minor reasons. How great it is to see students wearing our uniform with pride. As I move around to classes and through the playground, I am impressed to see our students wearing the uniform well. Together, they look good and contribute to how well the community regards our school. The new changes to the uniform have been so well received by the students and the community and it shows when so many of our students have taken up the new elements of the uniform so readily including the school shirts and winter jacket. Quota International 2012 Student of TAFE or will you try seeking employment? What are you capable of? What do you enjoy? There is a lot of the Year Competition information out there and it can seem overwhelming. However, I want to urge you all to take this time to th On 16 May 2012, I headed towards Casula reflect, talk to your parents, talk to your teachers and Powerhouse in order to participate in the Quota talk to older students. It may seem confusing to many International 2012 Student of the Year Competition. A of you now but in time it will all start to make sense. total of seven students from all over the Liverpool area attended: Holsworthy High School, Miller Technology You are all capable of greatness! You can achieve High School, All Saints Boys‟ High School, Good whatever you set your mind to but you will have to work Samaritan College, Ashcroft High School and, of for it. Nothing comes for free. The most valuable course, Hoxton Park High School. We were required to things in your life…well they are never free but every sit through an interview with a panel of three judges and one of you can get there. So take this time seriously, were quizzed on various topics, including sport, current think about what you want from your life, even down to affairs, politics and the arts. We were also asked to what standard of living you are hoping to achieve.