Lake Illawarra High School Information Booklet 2019
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Lake Illawarra High School Information Booklet 2019 Respect, Responsibilty and Safety Our Mission Statement Reflections of the Lake Our aspiration is to develop students into effective life-long learners. We emphasise the importance of social skills and teach respect and tolerance for others. We make our teaching relevant to the students’ real life experiences and in respecting and valuing students’ experiences teachers help to build students’ self-esteem and their belief that they can reach their potential. The school provides a visually appealing learning environment: colourful and modern; creative and stimulating. The exceptional staff has vast expertise, willing to try new ideas and share these openly. They are enthusiastic and passionate about their subject areas and subsequently are sources of inspiration for their students. They teach using a variety of strategies, catering for all learners and individual learning styles and using the latest technology and resources, with proven success in academic, cultural and sporting fields. They are friendly, open and supportive of each other and their students and provide positive role models for the students. The students themselves are genuinely friendly and straightforward in their dealings with each other and staff. The school is a safe place in which to be. All students have the right to learn, with no student being allowed to disrupt the learning of others. At Lake, there are clearly defined behaviour expectations with consistent consequences for appropriate and inappropriate behaviour. Appropriate and acceptable behaviour is acknowledged and rewarded; inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour is effectively and efficiently dealt with. The processes in place are consistently applied at both teacher and executive levels. Lake’s positive image and good reputation makes it the school that is the preferred choice of the community. This positive image is strengthened through the enforcement of a strict uniform policy, publicity and promotion of the school in the local media. Students and staff feel a sense of pride and belonging and desire to be at school every day. Students are able to create and maintain aspects of the school environment, establishing in them a sense of ownership. The curriculum of Lake Illawarra High School provides positive pathways for students of all abilities. This ensures equality of opportunities including many practical experiences. Evaluation of students is ongoing and the monitoring of their progress gives students and their parent’s consistent, ongoing feedback, which enables them to make any changes and improvements. Staff beliefs and values are commonly held across the school. We have common goals and are heading in the same direction – to make Lake High the best school it can be. Mr Tony Hicks Principal Information Booklet – 2019 Page 2 of 44 Principals Message For Year 7 Students Welcome to all of our wonderful year 7 students and their families to Lake Illawarra High School. For those of you are new to the Lake Illawarra High School Community, you will no doubt find quite a few differences between your present primary school environment and that which exists at a secondary school. Those with older family members will already have an idea of how the school is organised and some of the great opportunities that are available. During your first few weeks, the new surroundings and the large number of students may at times seem quite intimidating. It is important that during this time you make sure you ask for assistance and get any queries you have answered. There are many people who are here to help you have a safe and happy start to your high school life. Some of the key people who will be a great help in high school are your Year Advisers, Mr Gillespie, the Head Teacher of Attendance and Engagement Mrs O’Malley, the School Counsellors Mr Brian McKinnon and Mrs Jane Schmid, as well as the Deputy Principal Mr Tim Wilson. In addition, your Peer Support Leaders in Year 10 are all there to assist with your introduction to high school. Every one of your classroom teachers believes that each one of you is an important member of our school community and is there to help you. I am sure that once you settle into high school that you will become a wonderful group of year 7 students who will take advantage of everything that Lake Illawarra High School has to offer. It is very important that you make the most of every opportunity that presents itself, whether it be academically, on the sporting fields or in the areas of music, dance or leadership. To all parents and caregivers, I encourage you to maintain close contact with the school. By working together, we can make your child’s time at Lake Illawarra High a great one. Kind Regards, Tony Hicks Principal Information Booklet – 2019 Page 3 of 44 Year 7 and 8 Curriculum All Year 7 and 8 students study the following subjects: Periods per Subjects Fortnight English 8 Periods Mathematics 8 Periods Science 8 Periods Geography 3 Periods History 3 Periods LOTE 6 Periods Music 3 Periods Personal Development Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) and Sport 9 Periods Design and Technology 6 Periods Visual Arts 3 Periods Guidance 1 Period Sport 4 Periods Note: Technology is utilised across all curriculum areas, although Design and Technology incorporates a specific computing component. Information Booklet – 2019 Page 4 of 44 LAKE ILLAWARRA HIGH SCHOOL BEHAVIOUR MATRIX Respect Responsibility Safety All Settings Be tolerant and accept Right place right time Follow instructions everyone Be on time Follow ‘hands off’ policy Be polite Stay on task School is a smoke free Be considerate of others Do your best zone Care for yourself, others and Be prepared to learn Put rubbish in the bin the school surroundings Follow procedures and Allow people to pass Use appropriate language instructions and volume Care for yourself, others Wear school uniform with and the school pride surroundings To and From Be polite to all members of Right place right time Obey road rules School the community Know your timetable Stranger danger beware Use appropriate language Represent the school Walk all bikes, scooters and and volume positively skateboards on school grounds Front Office Be polite Sign in and out as Wait your turn Use appropriate language required Sit quietly when waiting for and volume the Principal One person at a time at the counter Keep walkways clear Corridors Walk quietly Right place right time Walk Balconies Let people pass Keep to the left Stairs Keep walkways clear Allow people to pass Canteen Be polite to all members of Wait your turn Enter and exit by canteen the community Make healthy choices procedures Use appropriate language Have money and volume Western Fields Be a good sportsman Right place right time Use equipment properly Tennis Courts Respect personal space Keep food and rubbish Participate only in school off playing areas approved activities Front of school Be polite Right place right time Stay in bounds Main Quad Use appropriate language Respect personal space Science Quad and volume Quiet Quad Be calm and walk quietly Assembly Sit facing the front Sit in designated position Sit with legs tucked in Be an active listener Right place right time Applaud appropriately Toilets Allow for the privacy of Right place right time Be hygienic others Look after the facilities Report any damage Extra – Be polite to all members of Be an active listener Follow the safety guidelines curricular the community Be on time with notes of the activity activities and Represent the school and money positively excursions I AM RESPECTFUL * I AM RESPONSIBLE * I AM SAFE WE ARE LEARNING Information Booklet – 2019 Page 5 of 44 The Education Act 1990 requires your child to attend school each day that instruction is provided unless prevent for doing so by sickness or another approved reason. The Principal will only grant leave for the following instances: Sickness where the absence is satisfactorily explained as being due to illness Misadventure or unforeseen event Domestic necessity such as serious illness of an immediate family member Attendance at funerals Recognise religious festivals or ceremonial occasions If a student is absent, a note explaining the absence should be handed in to the roll call teacher on the first day of their return. The explanation should contain: 1. Date that the note was written; 2. Student’s name 3. Days/dates the student was absent from school 4. The reason why the student was absent 5. The signature of the student’s parent or caregiver. Students can collect an absence notebook from their roll call teacher or the Front Office Staff. This makes absence note writing easy as it ensures all relevant information is given to the school. Parent/s and caregivers are required by law to provide a written or verbal explanation to the Principal within seven days of any absence as to why their child was not at school. It is important that the school receives a written or verbal explanation because: 1. It is the parent’s legal obligation to explain their child’s absence within seven days 2. It is a requirement that the school investigate all unexplained absences 3. It is the way the school knows your child was legitimately absent and not truanting from school. Failure to explain your child’s absences within seven days of their occurrence will result in an unjustified absence being recorded. This will be displayed on your child’s report. It is important for parents to make attending school a priority. Allowing children days off for birthdays, to look after younger children, to go shopping, to keep you company or because they were tired from a late night, not only send the wrong message to your child, it is against the law.