5 Malvina Street Email: [email protected] Ryde NSW 2112 Phone: 02 9809 4894 Subscribe: https://rydesc.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe Fax: 02 9808 2642

22 August 2019

From the Principal College News It’s NEON Fever! Last night (21 August) we were treated to a fabulous smorgasbord of talents, in music, art and dance - Neon Fever! The neon lights were flashing all night long, right down to the violin bows of the string ensemble. It’s an improvement! Traffic safety changes for our It is hard to pick a highlight, but I wish all of you could have seen students the Stage 4 Massed choir singing- it was just sensational. Following ongoing efforts from the RSC P&C and staff of Ryde There were many outstanding performances last night, Secondary College, improvements in pedestrian safety have particularly the Jazz ensemble with Lucas Teng on Clarinet and been undertaken. With increasing student enrolments, ongoing Hannah Song's flute solo. efforts to ensure pedestrian safety are essential. Ms Dameska deserves a special mention for achieving so much We are grateful to Ryde Council for its investigation of the with the Dance ensemble in such a short time - they really made issues, consultation with local residents and the College, in us proud last night. Well done! order to plan for improved traffic and pedestrian safety. The recent installation of speed check signs by the Council, enables Thank you CAPA, led by Alison Shaw. motorists to check their speed and slow down on Buffalo Road It’s amazing! Outstanding Geography results from near Malvina Street. the Australian Geography Competition 2019. Ryde Council supports a range of traffic safety initiatives and Of the 96 students entered: 9 students achieved in the top is seeking approval from the State Government to extend a 1% of Australia (in 2018 we had 3 students, in 2017 2 school zone into Buffalo road. students, and in 2016 1 student). Ryde Secondary College looks forward to improved signage on We also had 22 High Distinctions and 13 Distinctions. These Buffalo Road informing drivers that they are approaching Ryde results reflect well upon our knowledgeable students and the Secondary College. dedication, enthusiasm, and passion for Geography of our staff who seek to inspire our students every day. In 2020 we hope to see more girls in the top 1%.

1 We are seeking your assistance with uniform On the second day, we had various workshops with poets, principals and news reporters about a range of topics such The cool weather has seen a number of students consistently as mental health, core values that the DoE is working on and wearing “hoodies”. how we can express our own voices. I even got to ask the We support our students in remaining warm in winter by Secretary of the department, Mark Scott, a hard question. The providing a wide range of uniform options, including a thick and third and final day was when we got to collaborate with our warm zip jacket for junior students, and two forms of jumpers. chosen business units. I had chosen to work with the Higher Navy pants are also an option for girls. A very warm navy jacket Performance Unit which was concerned with participation rates was provided by Lowes until recently but low demand will see in the Selective test and how low SES students can achieve this phased out soon. better results in it. We worked in small teams of about 12 people where I got directly to the people trying to incite change. Hoodies are not part of the school uniform and do little to We ended the three day program with a cyber leaders enhance the reputation of the college and its students. We workshop that showed us how to become great cyber leaders are always willing to assist families who are unable to provide online. uniform for financial reasons and have a second hand uniform shop with options available. Our P&C supports our existing Overall, it was a great event which provided insight not only into uniform. We would be grateful if you could ensure your child what the department believes, but the beliefs of students from does not wear a hoodie or take one in their bag to school. Black all across . jumpers, pants and jackets are also not part of our uniform. Rohan Patil – Year 10 A reminder regarding our code of behaviour for students and parents Our students are generally well behaved, respectful and kind, and provide mutual support to those in need. Student interviews in the newsletter regularly affirm this. At times, conflicts arise, and all our welfare programs and assembly discussions focus on resolving matters peacefully and respectfully, or referral to a teacher for mediation or action. Students are all aware, and our Code of Behaviour clearly states, that violent behaviour is not acceptable at any time. This includes situations where another student may have behaved poorly or made negative comments. Students have been Northern Science Hub's ARTSCI reminded that Ryde Secondary College is always a “hands off” Competition environment, anyone who does not comply with this policy can On Saturday the 17th of August, Abhinu Srivastava and myself, expect that the Department of Education’s suspension policy Jordan Lau, attended the exhibition for the Northern Sydney will apply. Student safety is essential. Science Hub's ARTSCI Competition, hosted by CSIRO Thank you Lindfield. The competition dictated that competitors express Cassy Norris a message relating to the moon through any artistic medium. Principal Abhinu painted an image on canvas while I used a photograph; editing it with Photoshop. Secretary for a Day My artwork is intended to reflect the topic of 'The Moon, more Secretary for a Day is a two and a half day event held every missions, more science', and provide the audience with a sense year by the Department of Education and is an opportunity for of wonder. students from public schools in NSW to learn the ins-and-outs It was an amazing experience to see our art displayed in a of the department. This year, I was fortunate enough to be gallery as well as hearing generous feedback from other people chosen to go to the Department of Education HQ and discuss looking at it. the theme of student voice. Below is my artwork 'Looking to A Bright Future'. This artwork We arrived at the Park Royal hotel in Parramatta on the 4th of won 1st Prize and People's Choice. August and were greeted by members of the staff. We then travelled to the HQ to do a welcome to country with Uncle Lex. He then sang some songs with us and showed us some tools and how to make rope that was used by the First Australians. He also told us a story about why bats hang upside down. This was a great opportunity for all the students to make friends as making the rope was difficult, and by asking other people we created our own icebreakers while also laughing at Uncle Lex's jokes.

2 genuine interest the students have in the subject. Quite frankly the faculty was blown away! The Australian Geography Competition is a contest for Australian secondary school students, assessing their geographical knowledge and skills. The Competition aims to encourage student interest in geography and to reward student excellence. The Competition is open to students studying geography (or an integrated social science that includes geography) in all years of secondary school. It consists of multiple-choice questions testing geographical knowledge and skills. The Competition is a joint initiative of the Royal Geographical Society of Queensland and the Australian Jordan Lau – Year 10 Geography Teachers' Association. My artwork, The Legacy of the Rhinos was inspired by a few Year 11 Economics Excursion things. My passion for animals runs deep. When I saw the eyepopping statistics about the South African Rhinos, it To complement Topic Five - Financial Markets in the Year 11 showed that over 8000 Rhinos have perished in between just Economics course, students participated in a Monetary Policy 2006-17 due to poaching activities. I wanted to bring up the workshop at Riverside Girls High School, with their students, on problem and how I feel about this crisis in a visually expressive Friday August 9. way. My artwork achieved 2nd Prize in the ArtSci Competition. In the morning students heard from a Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) economist on the conduct of Monetary Policy, and Australia’s current economic climate. The presentation unpacked the August Monetary Policy decision, where the RBA left the cash rate unchanged at 1.00%, due to an uncertain global economy, low household consumption, strong employment (though slow wage growth), and subdued inflation pressures. Students were eager to ask questions, including a discussion of the cash rate’s ability to adjust to shocks, and the feasibility of negative cash rates on the Australian economy. Following the presentation, students worked in pairs on activities designed to prepare students for the Final Examinations, with a specific focus on both multiple-choice and Abhinu Srivastava - Year 10 extended response techniques. Later this year, Riverside Girls High School students will come to the College to hear a presentation from From the Faculties on China’s economic growth over the past 30 years. From the Social Science Faculty Australian Geography Competition In early April this year, 96 students participated in the Australian Geography Competition. The College received outstanding results for this competition: • 9 students achieved in the Top 1% of Australia, • 22 students achieved a High Distinction, • 13 students achieved a Distinction, • 22 students achieved a Credit, and • 30 students achieved a Participation. The number of students achieving in the Top 1% of Australia is Mr. Ward marvellous, and is a significant increase from the previous years Rel. Head Teacher Social Science (2018 3 students, 2017 2 students, and 2016 1 student). There has also been a significant increase in the number of students who achieved a High Distinction and Distinction from previous years. These strong results reflect the dedication, enthusiasm and passion of the geography teachers at the College, and the

3 From CAPA Faculty chandelier. It was such a sight. We rehearsed on stage with the concert director and were so ecstatic to be on stage. The piano rsc creative Arts Festival had such a resonant sound and the overall acoustics of the Mid-August 2019 on Wednesday 21st August the CAPA hall were excellent. After our rehearsal we went to take a quick Faculty Arts Festival, rsc creative, will be presented to the dinner/study break and went back to the hall to perform. As Ryde wider school community. It will open with a Music Night we performed our solos we could see the large audience filling starting at 6.30pm. All are welcome to attend the concert with almost every seat of the hall. It was an amazing experience and our “Neon Fever” theme. Please also attend the Art Exhibition we wish to have another experience like this again! presented across 3 days of the festival. The main components Also on a final note, a great thanks to Ms Kinley for her time of the festival being: and helping us in preparation for our performance recordings. 1. Opening Night Concert - Wednesday 21st August Without her work we would have not had this opportunity! 6.30pm MPC Joseph Koo, Year 12 2. Art Exhibition - 3 days HMS, starting Wednesday 21st August 3. Piano Recitals will be performed amongst the art works 4. Photo Booth HSC CAPA Practical Examinations will begin very soon: Drama Showcase Evening • Drama – is on Tuesday 27th August so please On Thursday 16th of August, Elective Drama students at Ryde ensure quiet around the HMS. Secondary College presented a series of performances • Visual Arts - Bodies of Works submitted week 6 showcasing their work from Semester One. • Music – Performances and Compositions submitted Year 12 opened the show with ‘Guilty’, a HSC group devised or performed during week 8/9 performance that explores physical theatre and comedy. The quality of work continued throughout the evening with Year Spring Concert – Wed 4th September 9, new to Elective Drama, exploring character work through Concert Band and Year 9 musicians will be performing at our self-devised monologues and playbuilding work. Year 10 Spring Concert on Wednesday 4th September 6.30pm, $5 experimented with scenes from iconic Australian Drama and a tickets at door. series of monologues utilising the practices of the Stanislavski Jazz Band at a local school Fundraiser System to create believe characters for stage. Acts of Absurdist and Expressionistic theatre were performed by Year 11 Jazz Band will be guest performers at the Eastwood Heights students. Outlandish characters and vibrant costumes stole Primary School Fireworks Fundraiser afternoon - Saturday 14th the show, with ‘The Lesson’ revealing its eccentric cast of September from 5.10pm. RSC Jazz Band has performed for characters. After the concluding acts, excited chatter from them for many years now establishing a collaborative audience members and performers alike could be heard as they performing relationship with this local Primary School. left the warm stage lights of the HMS. Ryde Eisteddfod Thank you to all who were able to attend and a special thank you to our Year Elective Drama students for their creative The solid Ryde Eisteddfod results for 2019 are: efforts.

Concert Band Second Place and Trophy Kevin Li, Year 11

String Highly Commended Ensemble

Jazz Band Participation

Choir Second Place, Trophy and Edna Wilde $500 scholarship

Vocal Highly Commended Ensemble

Arts Alive State Concert – Sydney Town Hall Recently Hannah Song (flute) and I (piano) were selected and perform solo works at the Arts Alive Concert in the Sydney Town Hall. The Town Hall was enormous. We admired the freshly painted golden ornate ceiling and the glowing

4 Further your musicianship and work with others students in the state: 1. 2019 Schools Spectacular Orchestra and Stage Band Available to public school students in years 7-12. Applications are now open for Schools Spectacular Instrumental Music Ensembles. Apply online now to be a part of the Orchestra or Stage Band for Schools Spectacular - STARS! Tuesday morning our team attended a presentation with Inside How to Apply: HR - ‘Finding your Ikigai’ or searching for a clear and driving purpose in our lives. Applications will close on Monday 16 September 2019. For more information about Schools Spectacular music ensembles https://www.insidehr.com.au/ikigai-organisational-purpose-en and to apply visit our website gagement/ https://www.artsunit.nsw.edu.au/2019-schools-spectacular-in strumental-music-ensembles-application-form 2. 2020 Sydney Youth Orchestra (SYO) Applications to audition for SYO in 2020 are now open! Whether you play bassoon, violin, French Horn or double bass, you can make your sound with SYO! With 14 different orchestras, the opportunity to develop your musical ability with like-minded musicians is one that should not be missed! So what are you waiting for? Fill in an application and get rehearsing! Student Achievements - Music, Art and/or Drama Congratulations to: Wednesday we learnt about the range of 3M products; from abrasive, dental, films, health care, stationary and many more. Lucas Teng, Year 12 Second Place Clarinet Solo Under 19 In the afternoon students visited Macquarie University in Sydney Eisteddfod preparation for the Year 9 excursion. CAPA students in all years please advise CAPA staff of your https://www.3m.com.au/3M/en_AU/careers-au/ successes in the arts area Thursday the team visited TEVA Pharmaceutical and Top Thank you for supporting our CAPA program. Ryde Learning Centre. Both employers provided a tour and Alison Shaw explained the opportunities available in their industry. Head Teacher CAPA https://toprydeearlylearning.com.au/ From the Careers Faculty TAFE Vocational Education and Training Courses – Students who plan to study a TAFE course as part of their HSC please visit Mrs Van Es. Course applications close 6 September. https://www.tafensw.edu.au/documents/60140/76288/TVE T-Brochure.pdf Post School Interviews - Year 12 students are invited to book into an appointment to check UAC/TAFE course preferences and the different options available for 2020. https://calendly.com/rscschooltowork/2019-yr-12-career-inter view?month=2019-08 Highlights from our Workplace Engagement Team. During Friday we drove to the Frenches Forest Australian Post the industry week students connected with nine different delivery facility that services the Northern Beaches. Students employers to prepare them for the ‘world of work’. Our week heard about different job opportunities and the history of an commenced at the CSIRO Lindfield campus with a talk about iconic organisation. Our final employer visit was Hyundai, the STEM careers. Congratulations to Jordan Lau and Abhinu amazing talk focused on the product life cycle, marketing, Srivastava who received first and second place in the Science Australian automotive industry and the Training Apprenticeship and Art Competition with Northern Sydney Science Hub. In the Academy. afternoon we explored the Optus buildings and listened to a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzTfiDpdR0g marketing talk. https://www.hyundai.com.au/hyundai-info/careers https://northernsydneysciencehub.org/

5 School Zone Traffic Offences Reinforcing safety in school zones, Seven new school zone offences enforced from 1 February 2018. To help schools keep the school zone safer for all pedestrians and drivers there are seven new traffic offences with new fines. None of the seven offences attract demerit points when committed elsewhere on the road but now in a school zone they each come with two points. The changes are: Current Job Opportunity – Trainee Educator. Goodstart Early Learning are currently looking for a Trainee Educator at 1. Stopping in intersection - Under the changes if a the West Ryde Centre. driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a penalty of $439 and 2 demerit points. https://career10.successfactors.com/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jo bId=94746&company=Goodstart&username= 2. Stop within 20m of intersection (traffic lights) - Under the changes if a driver commits this offence in a Students and parents are encouraged to register with school zone they will receive a penalty of $439 and 2 ‘Jobjump’ to access career building tools and resources. demerit points. https://www.jobjump.com.au/ 3. Stop within 10m of intersection (no traffic lights) - school code: rsc Under the changes if a driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a penalty of $439 and Please visit Mrs Van Es in the Careers Room for more 2 demerit points. information regarding employment, TAFE, university, work experience, scholarships and career events. 4. Stop near bicycle crossing lights - Under the changes if a driver commits this offence in a school Karen Van Es zone they will receive a penalty of $439 and 2 Careers Adviser demerit points. From the Wellbeing Faculty 5. Obstruct access to ramp/path/passageway - Under the changes if a driver commits this offence in a Year 10 Vaccinations school zone they will receive a penalty of $330 and 2 NSW Health will be offering the following free vaccination to demerit points. all Year 10 students on Wednesday 28 August 2019: 6. Not parallel park in the direction of travel - Under the Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine – 1 Dose will be offered to changes if a driver commits this offence in a school all students. zone they will receive a $330 fine and 2 demerit Consent Forms: points. Please read the information contained in the letter and consent 7. Parallel park close to dividing line - Under the pack that was recently handed out to students at school. changes if a driver commits this offence in a school zone they will receive a $330 fine and 2 demerit If you would like your child to receive this vaccination, please points. return the completed consent card before Wednesday 28 August 2019. Also kindly attach a record of vaccines your child THE IMPACT OF PRIVACY LAW ON THE has received in the past 12 months. A copy of the vaccination INFORMATION PARENTS CAN record may be attached to the immunisation consent form or BE PROVIDED ABOUT OTHER PARENT'S as a separate sheet. This could be a report from your GP, or a CHILDREN letter from you including the name of the vaccine and the date given. Our school holds information about our students. Some of this information is highly sensitive. The nurses will be unable to vaccinate your child if the consent card is not signed The way this information is collected, used, disclosed and secured by our school is subject to NSW legislation including the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998, Health Records and Information Protection Act 2002 and the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998. These laws limit the circumstances in which your child's information can be disclosed to other parents. They also limit the circumstances in which you can be provided with

6 information about action the school has taken in relation to or Apprehended Violence Orders. Parents can also reach other people's children. agreement about issues such as contact in a parenting plan. This means, for example, you may not be provided with If this happens it is important that you provide the school with complete details of the action the school has taken in relation a copy of any court orders or plan that could impact on your to a student who has engaged in unacceptable behaviour that child’s education. has impacted on your child. In the absence of any notification to the contrary, the school will You should not assume that no action has been taken because assume that both parents continue to retain a shared and equal you cannot be provided with information about what the school parental responsibility for their children and should be involved has done to deal with an issue relating to your child's interaction in making any decisions regarding their children’s education. with another student. This means that the school will recognise that each parent has Our school takes inappropriate behaviour from students very equal duties, obligations, responsibilities and opportunities in seriously and responds to that behaviour consistent with the relation to matters involving the school. school's student discipline and welfare procedures. If any changes occur in your family relationships which have the If you would like further information about the school's general potential to impact on the relationship between the school and approach to inappropriate behaviour from students please your family, please advise the school immediately and provide a contact 9809-4894 copy of any court orders that may be obtained. APPROACHING OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN These orders will be stored securely and only accessed by staff who need to see them in order to plan for your children’s Our school is committed to building a safe and happy learning and support and related issues. environment for students, staff, parents and the broader community. We encourage parents and carers to advocate strongly on their College Events child’s behalf and, as part of this, expect them to raise concerns about their child. Aug Sometimes these concerns may relate to the way a child may 20-23 Ski Trip 21 College Information have been treated by another student at this school. Tour 9.30-11.00am It is natural for parents and carers to feel protective of their 28 Yr 10 children. Meningococcal However you must not raise any concerns you have about the Vaccination behaviour of another child directly with that child (or his or her Sept parents while they are at school) but should instead report your concerns to the principal or a member of the executive team. 4 Spring Concert – 18 College Information Concert Band Tour 3.30-5.00pm Your concerns will be taken seriously and responded to promptly. 26 Graduation Assembly – Year 12 If a parent, carer or other community member raises their concerns directly with a child (or their parents while they are at school) this may result in the access that person has to the school site being restricted or withdrawn. From the Office We greatly value the contribution parents, carers and other RSC Leavers Procedures community members make to the school community and do not wish to take any action that impacts on their participation in If you are intending to leave Ryde Secondary school activities. College, here are the procedures: Please let us know if you have concerns about the Step 1. Please bring a letter, from your parent/guardian, to the behaviour of another person’s child while they are at office as soon as you know you are leaving. The letter must school or on school related activities. state: Raising your concerns directly with the child (or his or • Why you are leaving her parents while they are at school) could result in your • When you will be leaving access to the school site being restricted or withdrawn. • Which school you will be transferring to – if FAMILY LAW applicable. Sadly sometimes relationships break down and the court For more information click on button for Leavers Procedures makes orders that change the contact parents can have with Letter. their children or the role they play in making decisions about their children’s education. These can be Family Court Orders

7 PARENT ONLINE PAYMENTS: Student Travel – Opal Card Please ensure when making ONLINE payments, you indicate Students who need to apply for an Opal Card please go online exactly what you are paying for: to: i.e., Name of Excursion / Incursion / Itemised Fees if not https://transportnsw.info/tickets-opal/ticket-eligibility-concessi paying the full amount on the statement ons/child-student-concessions There are often several excursions and payments due at the Note: If you change your address, school or any other details, same time. Should you not specify your payment details, it will you will need to update it online at the above link. not be included in your child’s record of payment. Office Medication Your assistance with this information will make processing of payments much clearer/easier. Thank you to those Parents who have provided children’s Thank You epi-pen, asthma or allergy medications to the school office. It Ms Denlow is essential that updated management plans signed by your Finance Officer doctor are kept current. Please hand in any new medication to the office staff as soon as possible. ACCESSING THE PARENT PORTAL Local Community News Please access the Parent Portal at the link below. All new families have been sent a key to access the Parent Portal on Sentral. The key was sent to your nominated email address (given to the office on enrolment). As this was a bulk email, it may end up in your junk folder, please check if you are new to the school and have not received this email. Please ensure that the school has your current email address. If you have recently changed your email address, please contact the office. Are you Feeling Sick or Injured? Students MUST report to the office with a note from their teacher. In serious cases, have someone else notify the Office immediately. Only enter or leave the Clinic with permission of the Office staff. No medication can be given to students without prior parental authority. Please be advised that the School can no longer administer headache tablets. It is the students responsibility to have one tablet in their bag if they suffer from headaches, otherwise Parents will be called to collect the student from school Office staff will make contact with a family member so that arrangements for collection can be organised. Parents are required to come to the office to collect their child from the Admin Office. Does your child need to leave school early? Students who need to leave school early, MUST come to school with a parent written and signed NOTE. This note must be handed into the Admin Office prior to Co-curricular Activities available at RSC 8:30am. The student will then be instructed to come back to the office at recess to collect their pass. Students may then Join In! See the teachers or students below, a Deputy Principal leave when the note has been shown to the teacher and they or your Year Adviser. will be dismissed from class. College Tour Information Phone calls requesting Student Early Leave should only be Ryde Secondary College welcomes you to our information done when there is an urgent reason for your child to leave session tours for prospective students and their parents. school. Parents are required to come to the office to complete an “Early Leave Notification Form” and to collect their child from Please assemble at our administration office prior to starting the Admin Office. times

8 • Wednesday, 18 September – Important Phone Numbers Parent Information Tour will be held from 3.30-5.00pm SCHOOL SECURITY 1300 880 021 RYDE POLICE 9808 7401 • Wednesday, 23 October – POLICE /AMBULANCE /FIRE 000 GLADESVILLE Parent Information Tour will be held from POLICE 9879 9699 9.30-11.00am POISONS INFORMATION CENTRE 131 126 • Wednesday, 20 November – GLADESVILLE VET 9817 5758 Parent Information Tour will be held from QUARRY RYDE VET 9809 4788 3.30-5.00pm Please ring our office on 9809 4894 to book a place. Bookings are essential for all information tours. We appreciate advice of cancellation should you be unable to attend.

The College Crest

The dark blue main shape of the logo represents the shape of each of the classroom blocks in the college. The pale blue line running down the left side of the logo represents the natural feature of Buffalo Creek as it flows through the site. The line also represents the timeline of a student moving through the college. The maroon and white circular shape creates a natural image of warmth and light as well as representing the circle of friendships that develop within the college and extend beyond.

School Contact Ryde Secondary College 5 Malvina Street Ryde NSW 2112 Phone: 02 9809 4894 Fax: 02 9808 2642 Email: [email protected] Enrolment Email: [email protected] Website: Parent Portal –Create an account Using Internet Explorer: https://rydesecondarycollege.sentral.com.au/portal/login Using Chrome: https://rydesecondarycollege.sentral.com.au/portal/login Parent Portal – login https://rydesecondarycollege.sentral.com.au/portal/login Notice and Disclaimer This newsletter is intended solely for the person to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential or privileged information. If you have received it in error please notify Ryde Secondary College immediately by return email or ph. (02) 9809 4894 and destroy this email and any attachments. In addition, if you are not the intended recipient you must not disclose, copy, or distribute this email or any attachments.

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