Newsletter Term 2, 2015

Hoxton Park High Newsletter Term 2, 2015 Phone: 9607 4222 Fax: 9607 4836 Principal’s Report Term 2 is underway and, of course, culminates in the issue of Half-Yearly Reports. These reports are certainly the most reliable indication of student progress for the year to date and, in some ways, even more important than the end-year reports. Please read the reports carefully and make every effort to attend the advertised Parent/Teacher Evening. Students both in Term 1 and Term 2 have been completing assessment tasks, classroom challenges and examinations to conclude the evaluation process for the first Semester. Staff are busy reviewing and consolidating student thinking and skills in the pattern of course they are completing and writing reports that reflect their students’ achievements. Reports and Parent Interview Evenings are great opportunities for further communication between the school and parents about the learning effort and progress of the student. Our Parent/Teacher Night is on Wednesday, 24th June, and I look forward to meeting parents to share the successes of their children. I am pleased to be able to inform you that our 2014 Annual School Report is now available on our website for your perusal as well as the School Plan for the next three years. Thank you to the parents and students of Year 10 who attended the Subject Selection Information Evening. This is an important process which allows students to really drive their learning into Year 11 by choosing subjects of interest and subjects where they can showcase their talents. The interviews with students are continuing to ensure that appropriate and informed choices are made. Year 7 and Year 9 students sat for their NAPLAN tests this term. I am very impressed with the way the students conducted themselves during the tests. I would like to impress upon students that these tests are a simple measure of a limited range of abilities – NAPLAN does not measure their 21st Century learning skills: To cope with the demands of the 21st Century, people need to know more than core subjects. They need to know how to use their knowledge and skills by thinking critically, applying knowledge to new situations, analysing information, comprehending new ideas, communicating, collaborating, solving problems and asking questions. As the weather becomes cooler and we enter the winter months, I ask that families ensure their child is well prepared with the correct uniform. We are a uniform wearing school and have a school jumper or varsity jacket in the school colours, which are the only acceptable winter wear during the cold season. We ask for parent support in this matter as having our students in correct school uniform is important in the development of our identity and pride in themselves and the school. Our students have been complimented at excursions and special events on the new school uniform and for their courteous manner. If, on the odd occasion, your child is unable to be in school uniform, please provide him/her with a note and he/she will be given a uniform pass for the day. Not having a note will require your son/daughter to complete a detention. May I also clarify that on Tuesdays students who do not have their sport uniform for whatever reason must wear their normal school uniform instead. Leny Wallace VET/TAS/Agriculture Faculty Report At the beginning of Term 1 a number of areas were brought together under one faculty as follows: Industrial Arts, Home Economics, Agriculture and VET, with the responsibility of thirteen subjects under this new faculty. The faculty is now fully staffed and the staff are qualified to teach various subjects, which are highlighted above. Class Chef In early March our Year 11 and Year 12 Hospitality students participated in a Class Chef event at Cucina 105 Restaurant. Many of our staff and a number of parents and friends attended this function. Students prepared and served a three course meal. Students gained numerous employability skills during this event and it was a resounding success. I would like to acknowledge Angelo from Cucina 105 Restaurant for his excellent support and advice. Thank you to Ms Halley for supervising students and also gaining good insight to commercial kitchen operation as part of her industry currency. Café Hoxton Café Hoxton offers staff coffee and various lunch menus. This is the result of ideas and suggestions from students and Mrs Kempton to tryout different menus using our Farm produce. The Café Hoxton is now offering a rostered program to a number of Year 9 and Year 10 students. These students have a personalised learning plan developed by Mrs Kempton. Five Year 10 students are now trained in the basic Barista Course and these students are now taking the role of mentoring Year 9 students. In Semester 2 another group of students will be trained in Barista. I would like to acknowledge Angelo from Cucina 105 Restaurant for visiting us from time to time and guiding our students in coffee making and providing a few tricks in coffee grinding and mixing. Thank you to Mrs Kempton for her hard work balancing the Head Teacher PDHPE role and Events Coordinator in making Café Hoxton sustainable. Also, I would like to thank the staff for their support. Hoxton Farm A number of activities have been introduced in the Farm. We have a Farm Management Plan that guides us on sustainable farm management operation. Year 7 and Year 8 are now participating in the subject Agriculture, where they are involved in small garden projects. Year 9 students have planted a series of vegetable crops – a program designed to produce vegetables throughout the year. Year 10 students have completed a Citrus Grove. They have planted 30 trees with a variety of lemons, oranges, limes and mandarins. In two years we expect to see excellent harvest. Our Year 10 students also raised egg chickens and meat chickens for the Sydney Royal Easter Show Competition. Our VET Primary Industries students have been busy keeping track of ploughing the fields and getting it prepared for crop planting. We have a new calf in the Farm and it is keeping our students from Year 10 and Year 12 busy feeding it. Fundraising I would like to acknowledge a number of students who came on Saturday, 28th March (Election Polling Day) to run the BBQ, Café and cake stall. They were excellent and hardworking throughout the day and they made the whole school proud. I would also like to thank the following staff who offered their personal time to support this worthy cause: April Fonseca, Carol Campbell, Tony Bradford, Raghib Istifan, Di Jones, Manu Lal, Paul Lawrence, Leny Wallace, Bal Mudliar, Talah Sabih, Quyen Nguyen, Franca Oselli and Ethan Williams. Also, thank you to Marguerite Dodge, Melvy Connell, Hollie Kempton and Rebecca Murray for donating cakes, scones and cookies. Students had their photos in the local newspaper – a great positive school promotion. Mr M. Ali Head Teacher VET/TAS/Agriculture HSIE Faculty Report We have had an extremely busy but fantastic term in HSIE throughout Term 2 and we congratulate the majority of our students for their positive approach to their class work as well as assessment tasks and examinations. We appreciate your effort and cooperation. Term 2 began with the celebration of the Centenary of ANZAC as we commemorated 100 years since the landing at Gallipoli. We had a number of students enter competitions where we had great success and it should be noted that these students did our school and themselves proud. Congratulations and well done to Soma Yaseen, Bryson McMartin and Hannah Read from Year 11 and 2014 HSC student, Erick Luu, who were fantastic representatives of Hoxton Park High School, all achieving placings in these competitions. Celebrations and commemorations did not end there. Our school community commemorated the ANZAC Centenary in a mammoth ceremony in the school hall. As part of the commemoration, all students placed a poppy on the edge of the stage as a sign of respect for fallen soldiers. We thank the students for their sincerity throughout the ceremony and congratulate them on their behaviour. Congratulations and thank you must go to Miss Campbell for an outstanding effort in organising the ceremony and to the Captains, Prefects and staff members who assisted her. Years 7 and 8 have come to the end of their Geography lessons for 2015 and when we return in Term 3, they will begin the History component of their HSIE course. It would be great if all students could return after the break with a new work book of approximately 148 pages to get History off to a great start. Years 9 and 10 have worked consistently this semester in their History, Geography and Commerce classes. In each course, a great deal of work has been covered and students are encouraged to keep up the great work as we head into Semester 2. On the last day of Term 1, Year 10 History students attended an excursion to the Jewish Museum in Sydney. All students were engaged in the stories told and participated fully by contributing to the discussions, asking relevant questions to clarify their understanding and deepen their knowledge of the Holocaust. Students found the excursion to be interesting and worthwhile. Their behaviour was exemplary and they were all outstanding representatives of Hoxton Park High School on the day. The teachers in attendance on the day, Miss Campbell, Miss Smith, Ms Cinque, Mr Kishore and Mrs Jones, sincerely thank Year 10 for their outstanding behaviour. It was an absolute pleasure to escort them on this day.

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