ENDEAVOUR LOG Term 4 2019
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ENDEAVOUR SPORTS HIGH SCHOOL Taren Point Rd & The Boulevarde Caringbah NSW 2229 + 61 2 9524 0615 www.endeavour-h.schools.nsw.edu.au ENDEAVOUR LOG Term 4 2019 TERM 4 PART A Principal Deputy Principal James Kozlowski Jocelyn Gooch Nagla Jebeile iSTEM Principal Deputy Principal Deputy Principal Library Extension FEATURED ARTICLES Classes SKWAD Clontarf Performing Arts Showcase School Community Service Farewell Chris Bradley STEM Challenge Day Award DATES for 2019/2020 Term 4 2019 Friday 13 December Presentation Day Wednesday 18 December Last day of school Term 1 2020 Wednesday 29 January Yr 7,11,12 Students return Thursday 30 January Yr 8,9,10 Students return Clontarf Awards Extension Class Expo Dharawal Cultural Fieldtrip Click for ESHS CALENDAR – Principal Message from James Kozlowski I’ve got to confess that I was a bit worried about 2019. This time last year I was reflecting on 2018, the year in which we won the Australian Government Secondary School of the Year, and I couldn’t help but think that it would be a great challenge to better 2018. Well, I needn’t have been concerned and I’m sure you will see why as I take you on a bit of a journey through the last 11 months - we’ve had another stellar year. I’m going to start with our academic success because that is unashamedly our No.1 priority. Perhaps the highlight was our 3rd consecutive year of best-ever NAPLAN results; in every category these were record results for both Years 7&9. Our academic extension program continues to produce student excellence across all years. Those who attended our G&T Showcase last Thursday were left in no doubt about the quality of work from our high achieving academic students. Our STEM program is in its fourth iteration and continues to reveal that the future of science, technology, engineering and maths is in good hands with Endeavour students. Two highlights of the program were being crowned Champions of the University of Wollongong and Newcastle’s Illawarra & South East Science & Engineering Challenge; and, more recently, our Year 8 STEM Challenge that showcased our students’ abilities across a range of activities. We continue to excel in debating and public speaking with students achieving outstanding results in competitions. Of particular note was the success of Damien Murphy who made the Sydney Regional Final of the NSW Plain English Speaking Award, and Brae Ovens who was selected to deliver a speech at the Children’s Week Parliament in Parliament House. I could go on, but you get the picture that our students are excelling academically both inside and outside of the classroom. Everybody is aware of our High Expectations policy which has enhanced our culture of achievement. Recipients of Gold Flags at the end of each term are issued to students whose attendance, behaviour and academic work have been of a consistently high standard. Each term we recognise these students and thank them for setting the standard for others. We have built a culture of success, one that allows a diverse range of talents to thrive. Nowhere is this more evident than with our creative and performing arts program, with its pinnacle being our annual Performing Arts Showcase. On Tuesday night we saw 21 acts of drama, dance, music, rhythmic gymnastics and cheerleading. There were student performances from first timers to stars on the rise to our very own professional dancer Asha Rostron who is currently appearing in School of Rock at the Capitol Theatre. For me, and I'm sure for many others, this has become the highlight of our school year. A chance for all of us to come together to witness the depth and breadth of talent, celebrate what we are all a part of, and leave with a sense of pride that we are Endeavour. Our community spirit and commitment to worthy causes was on full display with participation in Movember, the White Ribbon March, Drought Aid and through performances at local nursing homes. We are instilling in our students the desire to make positive contributions to society. Once again, we have demonstrated our commitment to providing enriching extra-curricular activities: our school camps, field trips, cultural awareness activities and academic challenges provide students with additional skills and memorable experiences. The most exciting development in this space in 2019 has been the addition of the Duke of Edinburgh Award led by the amazing Jane Scarsbrook. It didn’t take long for us to be noticed as we were invited as guests of the Earl of Wessex at Government House for the Award’s 60th anniversary. Student leadership at Endeavour is highly sought after and we have been fortunate to have exceptional captains in 2019 with Steve Gamu and Ella Robinson and their successors are the equally respected Akash Biradar and Hannah Higgins. Our exceptional student leadership extends to our vice captains, prefects and SRC representatives who lead by example and are proud to wear the Endeavour leadership badge. Our Targeted Sports Program has produced more regional, state and Australian representatives - across a greater variety of sports - than ever before. Individuals and teams have reached a record number of semi-finals and finals of state and national competitions across hockey, football, rugby league, cricket, netball, cheerleading, rugby union, athletics, tennis, dance and swimming. A team sport highlight was finishing runners-up in the National Bill Turner Cup for soccer, and on an individual level Tomysha Clark won gold for Australia at the Oceania Championships. Next year we can look forward to at least two former Endeavour students competing at the Tokyo Olympics. I must also make special mention of our third inductee to our Sporting Hall of Fame – Alex Johnston. Alex not only plays professional rugby league for Souths, won a grand final and represented his country, but he was also dux of Endeavour. And I am looking forward to announcing, shortly, our second inductee to our Distinguished Achiever Hall of Fame. We continue to add to our impressive state-of-the art facilities. This year we installed a five net high performance cricket facility that is the best in Southern Sydney, undertook significant upgrade works both in classrooms and externally, now have professional lighting and sound for our hall, and work has already begun on a complete library refurbishment. This refurb will expand the space, provide two additional technology rooms and include flexible learning spaces. This will enhance the already significant role that this area plays as a hub of learning. We continue to be recognised for our excellence by the NSW Department of Education and the wider community. Four of our staff members were acknowledged at the Principal Network Awards for outstanding performance in their roles. We were also chosen as the backdrop for the NSW Public Education Foundation’s 2020 video promotion of public education. And HSIE teacher Madi Jessop was a finalist for the ‘Rising Star of the Year’ at the Australian Education Awards. Perhaps our most high profile advocate is the Prime Minister. It's not often that a sitting PM appears in a video describing a school’s success, but this - and the several visits the PM has made to us - indicate his pride in Endeavour. It was another year of Endeavour in the media. Our schoolwide success featured in the international education magazine ‘The Knowledge Review’, and there were several articles published in the Leader and Canterbury Bankstown Torch. In addition, as of today, we have over 5,700 followers on Facebook, 2,200 on Instagram and have had over 29,000 people visit our Website. We are irrefutably the most followed school on social media in the Shire and beyond. I have an amazing team of school leaders, teachers, support teachers and administration staff. It takes a highly skilled and dedicated team to achieve the results I have just described. They inspire me every day with their dedication to their roles and commitment to the needs of our students. They give me enormous confidence that Endeavour’s future success is assured. Unfortunately, as is often the case at the end of the school year, we have to say goodbye to special people: Mr Bradley certainly fits into that category as he enters retirement. Beginning at Endeavour in 2002, Chris has given almost two decades of dedicated service to our school as a teacher, head teacher, football coach and leader of extra-curricular pursuits. Chris loves Endeavour and this has been obvious in everything he does. He has many admirable qualities, but the one most salient in my eyes is his strong advocacy for the students; he has always put them first. The good news is that Chris will continue to have a strong association with the school as he retains a football coaching role. Every day our wonderful team of professionals delivers an educational environment that provides opportunities for our students to achieve great things and set themselves on a path for long term future success. I would like to thank our young people for embracing those opportunities. You make what we give to Endeavour so worthwhile! James Kozlowski Principal Message from Jocelyn Gooch – Deputy Principal This year Term 4 is ending with unprecedented speed. This serves to highlight the busy nature of the year and all that the school community has accomplished. At present Year 11 are working hard, having nearly completed a term’s work of the HSC course and Years 7 and 9 have finished their yearly examinations. Wherever you look something exciting, challenging and new is occurring around the school. The talent that our students display in the classroom and in the sporting arena is staggering.