PARENT BULLETIN DECEMBER 2010 PARENT BULLETIN AUGUST 2015 PRINCIPAL’S REPORT Education Week Highlights Upcoming Events Education Week was another great success with students being 24 August P & C Meeting acknowledged for achievements, 4 Sept Dance Spectacular commitment and cooperation at our Recognition Assemblies. This year we Expanding Horizons – Opera 9-11 Sept PASS Camp Yr 9 House Event celebrated Education Week by 15 Sept CAPA Evening Yr7&8 recognising our “local heroes” with On Monday 17 August 2015, Georgia acknowledgement of our alumni and Cunnion was invited to compere at 17 Sept Yr 12 Graduation the gala performance of Expanding the centenary of our ANZACs. I would 18 Sept Yr 12 Picnic Day like to thank all the parents and Horizons held at the Sydney Opera family members who could attend the House. Georgia was selected to 12 Oct HSC Commences compere at this prestigious event assemblies during the day and hope 13 Oct CAPA HSC Information that you can continue to attend in the following her successful role as co- future. compere at the Ultimo Drama 13-16 Oct PASS Surf Camp Yr10 Festival. Georgia is a Year 8 student 20 Oct P & C Meeting and being asked to compere at this event is an acknowledgement of her See back page for more details outstanding public speaking talent. Expanding Horizons is an initiative of the New South Wales Department of Education and schools from the cities of Nanjing, Shenzhen and Zhengzhou During Education Week this year China. three of our Year 11 students were selected to shadow a Director, Public Ultimo Vocational Education Inside This Issue Schools NSW. Michael Stapleton and Training Awards 2015 shadowed Mr Murat Dizdar, Execuitve Principal’s Report 1-2 On Wednesday 19 August 2015 I had Director Public Schools NSW (Ultimo) the pleasure of attending the Ultimo Deputies’ Reports 2-3 and Mai O’Reagan and Braedan Dunn Vocational Education and Training Recognition Awards 3 shadowed Ms Christine Tasker Awards to watch Laura Killen, Year 12, Director Public Schools NSW, receive her award for Hospitaility – Yr 12 News 3-5 Macarthur Network. The students Commercial Cookery. Laura is an experienced a very busy schedule. exceptional student and was Science & Agriculture 5-6 Michael attended the official launch nominated for this award by her of Education Week that was held at Sports 7-8 Macarthur Trade Training Centre Jannali High School and Mai and teacher. This event was held as our Public Speaking, Debating 8 Braedan attended a Battle for the Arts Parent Bulletin was going to print so CAPA & Gifted & Talented 8-9 function at Sarah Redfern HS. This more information and a photo will be was followed by a number of school inlcuded in our next edition. Catching up with Alumni 10 visits and other administrative routines of the Directors. All three Year 12 and the HSC Bring Your Own Device 11-13 students valued the experience and Believe it or not, this is the final appreciated the opportunity to delve Parent Bulletin before Year 12 Proposed Calendar 14 into the roles of Executive Director complete their HSC studies at the end and Director, Public Schools NSW for of this term. the day. Elderslie High School Educating all students to achieve their personal best Page 1 PARENT BULLETIN AUGUST 2015 On behalf of the school I would like to wish Year 12 all the and some sensible strategies for supporting children in best in their preparation for the HSC examinations and also what is most certainly a very difficult time. I strongly acknowledge the outstanding leadership of our captains recommend these to you. Emily Burden and Alex O’Flynn, and our Vice Captains http://headspace.org.au/family/information-for-parents- Brooke Murray, Sophie Lindsay, Emma Creasey, Lachlan and-carers MacDonald, Andrew Loomes and Mitchell Dawson. Well http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/brain_development_ done and all the best! teenagers.html/context/1152 The advantages of having a good night’s sleep Aerosols Banned At School I have included in this edition an article on “student sleep” I would like to take this opportunity to remind all students provided by the Study Skills group that we subscribe to and their families that aerosols cans such as deodorants each year. It is an interesting read and may provide some are banned at school. This is due to the impact they have hints on how to improve student sleep patterns. on our asthmatic students. We ask that all students use a roll-on instead if they feel the need to reapply deodorant Skoolbag App at school. If you haven’t already downloaded the app then please do so as it is a crucial communication channel to our school Natalie Martin (DP Years 8, 10, & 12) community. If you go to the play store or apple store and Think U Know type in Elderslie High School you should find it. Also if you On Tuesday 11 August Miss Keily (Year 8 Year Adviser) downloaded the android app before August then I would coordinated a parent information evening ‘Think U Know’ recommend that you reinstall as an important update was which was an internet safety initiative sponsored by the provided when we realised that alerts were not being Australian Federal Police and Microsoft Australia. The recognised on android phones. parents that attended indicated that they found the Mrs Fawcett, Principal evening extremely informative and discovered new information that they were previously unaware of. Parents From the Deputy Principal were given an information booklet which contained Jennifer Lawrence (DP Years 7, 9 & 11) valuable information to help them with topics such as how Year 11 Student Success young people are using technology to have fun, online I have been honoured in recent weeks to be able to attend grooming, cyber-bullying, inappropriate content and e- some evening functions to celebrate our amazing Year 11 security. students and their successes. On July 20, I attended the Students are often technologically ahead of many parents Camden Civic Centre to watch Mara Aplin and Emily and this information evening provided parents with McCarthy compete in the Macarthur Quota Club Student avenues of support whilst improving their awareness of of the Year event. Both girls presented prepared as well as how to monitor their child’s internet and mobile phone impromptu speeches to the audience as well as a panel of usage. During the evening the volunteer presenters local business people to demonstrate their knowledge of referred the audience to the following website current affairs and global issues. The standard of all www.thinkuknow.org.au for further information. competitors was excellent and the girls did us proud! I will ADFA (Australian Defence Force Academy) Education also be attending the Max Potential Showcase next week Award to see Michael Stapleton acknowledged for the On Wednesday 12 August a representative from the Royal development of his leadership project amongst other local Australian Navy presented Mitchell Dawson (Year 12) with students. I look forward to sharing more about this with an ADFA Education Award at the Year 12 year assembly. you in the next Parent Bulletin. Mitchell attended ADFA in the July school holidays, Mind Matters narrowly missing out on early entry into Engineering. At the present time, the Elderslie High School Welfare Mitchell was presented with an iPad in recognition of his Team is busily participating in professional learning on high academic achievement, commitment to education mental health support strategies for teenagers. The and his passion for a profession in the Armed Forces. The Welfare team is comprised of Year Advisers, School Navy representative encouraged Counsellors, the Head Teacher Welfare and Deputy Mitchell to continue with his studies Principals. The focus of our work has recently been focused along with maintenance of a high level around the development of improved resilience for our of fitness in order to gain entry into students which we have been studying through the Mind ADFA in 2016. She also acknowledged Matters website. the positive relationship the school Mind Matters is an excellent resource containing had with the Armed Forces, in information for schools and teachers. Of note are several particular Mrs Rouen who encouraged websites that would be useful to parents to help Mitchell to apply for the award. understand the developing nature of a teenager’s brain Elderslie High School Educating all students to achieve their personal best Page 2 PARENT BULLETIN AUGUST 2015 Tell Them From Me Parent Survey Adam Talbot Ethan Wilson I would like to encourage parents to complete the Tell Year 8 Them From Me survey which will give the school valuable Gold Award Recipients information on student wellbeing and engagement. Over Alyssa Heywood Keziah Holderness 700 students have already completed the survey this year Ella Wooldridge which will help the school in terms of future planning by identifying and addressing student needs. Parents can Silver Award Recipients access the survey through the school website Ahmad Alfani Handoyo Aliyah Okamura-Joy www.elderslie-h.schools.nsw.edu.au or through the link in Serena Proctor-Jones the Skoolbag App. Bronze Award Recipients Tony Hoang- Guest Speaker Emma Carmichael Tayla Churchin On Monday 17 August Tony Hoang presented his powerful Leiah Colless Sidney Day message to Year 9 and 10 students. Tony shared his Benjamin Inglis Aaliyah Mascarenas experience growing up in the drug capital of Australia as an Hannah Morecroft Brooke Morphett ex-gang member and drug dealer for almost a decade Madison Nasko Harrison Robinson which shocked and inspired our students and staff. Tony Brianna Smith shares his story in hope of inspiring young people to stay off the path of destruction that he was once on.