9764 3611 Mr Elgood with One of the Year 7 2019 Student Teams on Their

Mr Elgood with one of the Year 7 2019 student teams on their camp

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611

Message from the Principal - Mr Kevin Elgood

Welcome all parents and students to the 2019 academic year. I would like to welcome our new parents who have boys commencing at Homebush Boys High School for the first time this year, especially our Year 7 parents. We look forward to a long and mutually productive relationship over the next six years.

We have finished 5 weeks already, what a busy start to the year. In this Newsletter you will find articles on the some of the amazing activities that we have experienced so far. There are also reports from a number of Faculties. I hope you enjoy this edition.

Staff Changes 2019 There have been a number of staff changes this year We have had three new staff permanent appointments for 2019 to date: • Mr Thomas Lee, who has been with us for a number of years in the English Faculty has been permanently appointed to HBHS. • Mr Ellie Kisso, who has been with us for a number of years in the Social Sciences Faculty has been permanently appointed to HBHS. • Mrs Katherine Gudgeon, School Counsellor. We also welcomed new teachers who are filling vacancies: • Mrs Beverly Desgrand in the English faculty; • Mr Joshua Boyd in the History Faculty; • Ms Yemen Kassem in the Social Sciences faculty; • Ms Kathy Huang in the Languages Faculty; • Mr Aaron Bugo in the CAPA faculty replacing Mr Albertson who is travelling in 2019. We farewelled the following teachers at the end of 2018: • Mrs Ginette Ball from English, who has moved to Cammeraygal High School; • Mrs Edan Caramancian from History, who has moved to The Ponds High School; • Mr Lakshmi Puran from Science, who has moved to Baulkham Hills High School; • Mrs Jinping Blunden from Languages; • Mrs Rita Zammit from Languages; • Mrs Lipi Mathur from Science; • Mr Adrian Hryce from TAS; • Mrs Paddy Sarker from Computing; • Mr Tim Fulton one of our School Counsellors. I wish all of these teachers continued success in the future and thank them for the amazing contribution they have provided for the students at Homebush Boys High School.

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 HSC results 2018 The school is immensely proud of the excellent academic performance of our boys in the 2018 Higher School Certificate. Homebush Boys High School was ranked in the top 200 schools in NSW. We congratulate not only the boys who achieved at the highest level but all the boys who did their personal best across so many courses.

Year 7 Starting in a new school is always challenging but I am pleased to see that our new Year 7 boys are settling in well. I have not found one who would prefer to be back in their old Primary School. I was fortunate to visit the Year 7 camp recently and participate in some of the activities with the boys, including trying out Bush Tucker and taking the challenge to complete the Flying Fox and High Swing upside down.

I look forward to working with all students, staff and parents to ensure a great, inspiring and successful year ahead.

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 From the Deputy’s Desk Mrs Anna Paleothodoros - Deputy Principal, Years 8 and 11

Welcome back to the school It was great to welcome back the whole school in Week 1, seeing students in full school uniform, excited to start school again and with smiles on their faces. Unfortunately, we couldn’t have a full school assembly due to scaffolding around the school. Mr Elgood and I, had made a number of visits to school during the holidays to inspect the building works around the school. Our General Assistant, Mr Mani, had been very busy refurbishing the new print room amongst a number of other projects and had been flat chat all January. The EALD/Learning Support faculty moved into their new staffrooms as well as the Science faculty. The hall floor and stage had also been sanded down and polished. We also received new furniture delivery which included teacher’s desk for the Learning Support Staffroom and classroom desks and chairs. The TAS staffroom has also been refurbished and the CAPA area that has been repainted and revamped with new art works. Mr Achmad and I have also moved into our wonderful new offices in the old Room 5 and another three offices and boardroom have also been created. It is great to see that the school is getting a face lift!

Invictus Games Volunteers A large number of Year 11 students with the guidance of Mr Wilson attended the Invictus Games as volunteers last year. This year they all received a congratulatory letter and certificate for their efforts. The school also received a large number of office furniture which was delivered to the school as an appreciation of their efforts. I would like to thank these wonderful students for representing our school in such a positive way.

Year 8 and Year 11 classroom visits This year the Senior Executive have been visiting classrooms to observe the wonderful teaching and learning practices that occur around the school. I managed to visit Mrs Houvardas’ Year 11 Hospitality class that was gaining valuable skills on food preparation in the newly built Hospitality Kitchen and a number of Year 8 classrooms.

What a great start of the year!

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 From the Deputy’s Desk Mrs Matina Shadwick - Deputy Principal, Years 9 and 12

Welcome to the start of the 2019 school year at Homebush Boys High School. I hope you enjoyed a wonderful summer break and you have returned back re-energised and ready to start the new academic year. A very warm welcome to all members of our school community, particularly to our Year 7 students and their families and also to a number of new students who have commenced in Years 8, 9, 10 and 11. The new school year promises to be successful and positive. As Relieving Deputy Principal for 2019, I am thrilled with the positive start made by our students. My emphasis has been on transitioning our boys into the demands of a new school year and working through the complexities of a new timetable, new staff members, new faces in senior executive roles, and new assessment schedules. In all this, some things do NOT change, namely our Safety, Learning and Respect framework which underlines all our behaviours. Homebush Boys High school prides itself on being an SLR school. What does this mean? S is for SAFETY

• Move sensibly around the School. • Use all items and equipment appropriately. • Behave in a safe manner in the wider community.

L is for LEARNING

• Be prepared to learn and do your best in all endeavours. • Follow teacher instructions in and out of the classroom. • Take responsibility for your own actions.

R is for RESPECT

• Treat others the way you wish to be treated. • Treat school property with pride and respect the property of others. • Always use appropriate behaviours, language and manners.

As teachers we want the best for the students in our class and as educators we want to provide opportunities that allow our students to grow, develop, lead and prosper beyond school in their chosen fields and the community. As a parent of a 17 year old in Year 12, naturally I want what is best for my son. As parents, how do we guide our kids through their schooling experiences? The older they get, the more anxious we become about their academic progress, especially as they approach the HSC. This also coincides with their growing independence and desire to keep parents at arm’s length. As parents we need to tread that fine line between interest, involvement and letting them grow in maturity by learning from their own mistakes or lack of organisation.

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 As we start the year let’s each take stock of how much we do for our children and allow them to face their own challenges and learn from them rather than seeking to be the white knight who fixes everything for them. Do we want to be their parent who gives advice in a timely fashion but leaves them to reap the rewards and consequences or their action/inaction or their friend who goes in to ‘bat’ for them at every turn? I think we need to be the former and not the latter! It is in their best interests (and ours) that they become the independent learners we all know they should be. A colleague of mine recently asked me to sum up what HBHS is all about. I chose to answer this question by reciting what I believe my school is all about. Below is the motto I used to describe what I believe sums up all our practices. “Through quality teaching and learning programs and initiatives HBHS strives to inspire our students to become life long learners, upright and strong citizens of our community and future leaders.”

The next question presented to me was, “What makes a great school?” This one made me think for a while. In teaching terms, this question is an excellent one because there is not necessarily one right answer. This question evokes other questions such as ‘what do you mean by great?’, ‘Is there such a thing as a great school?’, ‘is great for me the same as great for you?’ and so on. From a teaching perspective the question has the potential to stimulate rich discussions and debate. It is certainly a question that explores peoples’ values and beliefs. Schools are places that respond to the educational needs of children and young people, and as such this question can stir great passion and emotion. In exploring what makes a great school, I envisage responses such as great teachers, strong academic results, pastoral care support, co-curricular opportunities and a caring community. Certainly these features are all trumpeted on websites of many independent and private schools and are important components of schooling. However, in considering these as criteria for answering our question, they seem somewhat sterile and limited in their scope for the lives of our young people. Yes we could broaden the statement to include references to preparing students for life after school and what that means in the 21st Century. However, HBHS has a strong and proud history of producing fine young men that pursue many different goals either while at school or after they leave our gates. Our purpose extends far beyond this scope. As a school we are committed to engaging our students with a much broader curriculum that seeks to challenge students to think deeply about the world and their place in it. So far this term, the School calendar has been full and many major events have kept staff and students busy.

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 SRC and Sports Captains Induction ceremony On Tuesday 19 February 2019, parents and family members had the chance to visit the school and share in the suceeses of our 2019 SRC and Sports Captains and the hopes we have to build their leadeship capacity through participation in school and community iniatiatives. Many parents commented that the ceremony was a unique chance for them to pin their son’s badge and remember this shared exeperience. Congratulations to the following student leaders. I am looking forward to working with the boys to ensure that student voice is heard in decision making at HBHS.

SRC 2019

Year 8 Zane HAMMAD Jaden LUU Ayman CHAABOU Aidan ELASSAD Year 9 Anargyros KALLOS Vasanth KUMARALINGAM Diluxan RAMANAN Avi CARLETON Year 10 Ishu RAWAT David KADAMANI Jayden CHAN Haren KUMARALINGAM Ashfeen FERDOUSE Year 11 Tom NIESER Zain OUSMAND Adam FARROUKH Bassam MAALIKI Year 12 Pritiv Raj Deepak RAJ Zhangtao DENG Akash MUBARIK Patrick LENG Secretary Ahmad ALAMEDDINE Vice- President Dimitri KALLOS President Benjamin JORGENSEN Teacher Mr Lee Coordinator

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 Sports Captains 2019

House Captain Vice-Captain

Greening Patrick Loklan Duong Anderson Hayes Joshua James Oh Mansfield Howe Sean Mansfield Debashih Kumar Vaughan Ben Suwal Nathan Cheng Sports Mr Madyski Coordinator

Chalmers Road School Community Mural Painting

Homebush Boys is fortunate to be part of the Chalmers Rd School Community Mural painting project. A joint school project that will involve students from Homebush Boys, Strathfield Girls and Strathfield South HS putting their artistic skills into practice. The aim is to brighten up the learning environment at the Chalmers Rd School by the painting of a mural at the school. This community program will hopefully be the first of many in our local schools and one that will give students a chance to give back to others less fortunate than themselves and add “colour” to their day. A group of Year 9 Visual Arts students began the planning phase on Thursday 21 February 2019. The students were excited to know that they had full artistic freedom and the theme of amusement park- fun, bright, rides, happy faces etc seems to be the current theme of choice. The next planning workshop is scheduled for Friday 29 March at Strathfield Girls High School. It was enlightening to hear that the boys were truly appreciative of this opportunity to work on a space that will improve the physical environment of Chalmers Rd School and one student said to me, “If it puts a smile on one kid’s face each day, it will all be worth it”.

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 Feeder School Transition Program

Again in 2019, we welcome the opportunity to link in with both Homebush Public School and Marie Bashir Public School and open our doors to Year 5 and 6 boys to regularly visit HBHS as part of our Transition Program. Already this year, we have

showcased our wonderful English and Library programs to Homebush Public and Marie Bashir Public students respectively. Evaluations of the Transition Programs at the end of 2018 revealed unanimous support for a successful program that is valued by the students. Our community of schools is invested in providing visible links between Stage 3 and 4 programs.

Community Volunteer Buddy Programs

Homebush Public School Reading Buddies

The interest for Friday’s Reading Buddy program at Homebush Public School continues to grow. The program will again continue every Friday morning on a 5 week rotational basis for the whole year. Interested readers are encouraged to participate in this volunteer program that ensures our students play a small part in the reading development of Stage 1 students from our biggest feeder school. I love walking the students to and from this local public school and listening to them talk about the “little cute kids” and how they love to ask questions like, “how tall are you?” and “can you be my friend? ”. As the weeks progress, friendships are formed and the “little” versus ‘big” debate seems irrelevant

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 Chalmers Rd School Buddy Program We are excited to announce a new community volunteer buddy program that commenced on Thursday 21 February 2019. Mrs Anton and I took a group of Year 10 students to Chalmers Rd School to take part in the first round of buddy program activities. After an initial induction and walk around, the boys were part of sensory playground and classroom experiences in the middle School (Years 5-8). The aim of Day 1 was to start bonding with the students at Chalmers Rd and just say hi. Many of our boys started conversations with their new friends and many new friends were excited to meet new buddies. The aim of the program is to

• To build positive community school connections between Chalmers Rd School and Homebush Boys High School

• To ensure a program of community support with students at Homebush Boys High School and students at Chalmers Road School

• To establish ongoing educational and wellbeing programs between Homebush Boys High School and Chalmers Rd School. Year 10 students will visit Chalmers Rd School every Thursday afternoon to participate in a 5 week program focussing on

 Building friendships  Sport  Art  Music  Social Skills

Year 9 and 12 This year, I will be assisting staff with wellbeing, academic and discipline matters pertaining to our Year 9 and 12 students. Please direct all wellbeing concerns to the either Ms Cuneen (Year 9 Adviser- PDHPE Faculty) or Mrs Lakshmipathy (Year 12 Adviser- Mathematics Faculty) and any academic concerns to the Faculty Head Teacher.

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 Additionally, please refer to the school website and Community Calendar for events or key dates for Year 9 and 12 throughout the year

From the Deputy’s Desk

Mr Syarief Achmad - Deputy Principal, Years 7 and 10

I’d like to start by welcoming our new Year 7 cohort to Homebush Boys High School. The transition to high school is never easy, but I would like to congratulate all students for their efforts so far in Term 1. This year I will be supporting the wellbeing and academic needs of Year 7 and 10 students. This will include regular visits to classrooms to ensure that students are engaged in their learning and maintaining the School’s SLR expectations. Concerns relating to student wellbeing can be referred in the first instance to the Year Adviser and any academic queries should be referred to the faculty Head Teacher. Year 7 To assist Year 7 in their transition to high school, teachers met their class under the Fig Tree at the beginning of each lesson for the first two weeks. This helped students find their way around such a large school and also encouraged them to identify their classroom teacher. Year 7 students have been encouraged to remain on the Southern Grass during recess and lunch to help build friendships and develop new friendship groups. It has been great seeing students engage in a range of activities in the space provided. I also had the pleasure of attending the Year 7 Camp and was able to visit each group and get to know many of our new students.

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611

Year 10 During the Year 10 Assembly on Tuesday, 19th February I reminded the cohort of the expectations, both academic and behaviourally, of the students as they enter Senior High School. I am pleased with the commitment levels demonstrated by Year 10 during my class visits and hope to see this continue throughout the year. It is vital that all students are attending all lessons and complete set tasks to the best of their ability in order to satisfactorily meet the requirements of attaining a Record of School Achievement (ROSA) and progress to Stage 6 and the HSC. Mr Bawden explained to Year 10 that they will need to demonstrate minimum literacy/numeracy standards in order to be awarded a HSC. Each parent/guardian should have also received a letter outlining the online testing approach that will be undertaken in 2019. Parents & Citizens’ (P&C) Association

On Tuesday, 19th February our P&C held their first meeting for the year. It was great to see such a great turnout and several new members. P&C members and school staff work in partnership to advance the best interests of a school. I encourage any new or existing parent to become a member of the HBHS School P&C and contribute towards strengthening the partnership between parents, teachers and citizens. Our next meeting will be held on the 19th of March, from 7pm in the School’s Staff Common Room.

General Reminders

• Students are required by law to attend school regularly for public instruction. It is vital that students attend school by 8:50am each morning and remain at school for the duration of the school day. Any absence must be explained within seven (7) days. • Early leave passes can be obtained from the HT Administration Office. Students must bring in a note from their parent or guardian to request a pass be issued and this must be submitted before school. Parents are reminded that non urgent medical and leave for family reasons should not be scheduled during normal school hours. • All contact between parent/guardian and students should be through the front office and mobile phones should not be used during class time for phone calls/messages. All messages can be relayed through the front office staff.

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611

Mr Cheiban Elaro – Head Teacher

A warm welcome, from all the English staff, to all students for another productive year at Homebush Boys. And a special welcome to our Year 7 students and all new enrolments. It is a busy time of the year for all students, particularly the senior students. The Year 12 Standard and Advanced students have assessment tasks coming up soon as they begin work on the new modules. The students need to communicate with their teachers about the requirements, continue to read as much as possible and draft their written responses. Continuous effort and application will be rewarded in the end. As for Year 11, students have been reminded to do the best they can in every task so that they are ready when the HSC course begins in Term 4. There are ample opportunities for students to be involved in extra-curricular activities which are both rewarding and stimulating. Ms Sahay is currently organising the John Symonds Public Speaking competition at school. This is open to all students. More competitions will be held during the year. Debating teams are being formed as well. There are six teams that will be contesting the various Premier’s Debating competitions. Can I remind you about the online literacy programme called WordFlyers. This is our fifth year being involved in this excellent literacy resource. All students in Years 7, 8 and 9 were issued with information notes during Week 4 this term. All the students in these years have been registered. They will receive a log in and password to start working on WordFlyers lessons. The programme will assess each student and the lessons in reading, grammar, spelling and writing will then be at the appropriate level for each student. Please ensure your son spends at least 30 minutes on the lessons every night. Each student’s classroom teacher will be able to track his progress over time. The new literacy support classes have started for all students in Years 7, 8 and 9. Each student will be receiving extra support to improve their literacy skills in lessons which are part of the curriculum structure. These lessons are crucial and students need to make the most of the opportunities. If you have any queries about anything related to English or literacy please contact me at school.

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 OnStage Was Spot-On!

On the 9th of February, the Year 12 Drama class travelled to the Seymour Centre and attended Onstage, a production of nine specially selected 2018 HSC individual and group Drama performances.

At Onstage, we also saw some individual costume designs which were on exhibition. These costumes were well-crafted though it was the performances that would teach us the most about what we ourselves will need to do for our own HSC performances.

We saw numerous performances, both comedic and dramatic, that were of a high standard. The performers entertained us thoroughly. Some highlights included the gold medal-obsessed Russian Curling Team, the hilarious monologue of a Chinese mother’s dedication to her child’s success and the eerie development of Man’s descent to slavery at the hands of Television. Epping Boys, regrettably, also featured a humorous group play on the Subjectivity of Art.

Overall, the performances, apart from being thoroughly enjoyable, were also a great learning opportunity for us as we begin our journey towards our HSC performances later this year.

By the end of the night, we had observed the requirements for both an individual and group performance and made our own critiques on the performances. This experience and the knowledge we gained from it will be invaluable to us as we develop our own performances for the HSC.

Thank you to Mr Elaro for organising the trip to attend Onstage, it was a worthwhile experience.

By Dimitri Kallos and Calvin Iturra (Year 12 students)

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 Ms Lidia Budanovic– Relieving Head Teacher At the end of last year the History faculty bid farewell to Edan Caramancion after 12 years of teaching at Homebush Boys High School. Edan was an outstanding teacher who engaged her students and encouraged them to excel. She will be missed by students and staff. Edan has taken up a position at The Pond’s High School and we wish her all the best. The Head Teacher of History Peter Wilson is currently in the role of Relieving Deputy Principal at Marsden High School. He started his position in Term I 2018 and will be in the role until the end of Term II 2019. Ms Budanovic is relieving Head Teacher History until Mr Wilson’s return. We welcome two new faculty members this year: Lucy Napoli and Joshua Boyd who bring a youthful energy, commitment and enthusiasm for teaching history and for boys’ education. The history faculty congratulates our 2018 Year 12 students of Modern History, Ancient History and History Extension. All the courses achieved above state average results with some outstanding individual results of over 95% in Modern and Ancient History and a 47/50 result in History Extension. The history faculty will continue to deliver explicit and differentiated teaching of content and skills of essay planning and writing essays for our senior students. History classes for Years 7 and 8 are semesterised this year. This means that each student will study history or geography for two terms and then swap to the other subject for the next two terms. Our Year 7 students are currently immersed in the world of archaeology. They have learned the importance of evidence such as artefacts and other primary sources in building a picture of the past and the use of scientific methods to solve historical mysteries. Their archaeological introduction began with “The king in the car park” case study in which students learned about the extraordinary discovery of the body of the king and the methods used by archaeologists to locate and identify the skeleton of Richard III. They are working on a research task on a historical mystery of their choice and are exploring the methods historians and archaeologists have used in their investigation of the mystery. Students will present their findings in a report. Throughout the year, Year 7 will be delving into the ancient worlds of Egypt, Rome and China, learning important information about these societies and the legacies they have left behind. Year 8 is learning about the medieval worlds of Europe and the Middle East. Through this comparative study their fascination with knights and castles will be indulged, all the while building on their written and oral communication skills. For their first assessment task, Year 8 will be researching an aspect of the Middle Ages and creating a model of it, with a written report. We expect to be inundated with swords, shields, castles and armour, amongst other medieval items, which will be put on display in the school. Years 9 and 10 have begun their study on Australian social, political and cultural history. Students will learn about the various forces that shaped Modern Australia within the global context, from

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 Federation to the present day. Their writing skills will be strengthened through tasks that involve higher-order thinking skills such as essays. Our senior students have settled in well. We encourage all of our Year 12 students to complete all of their study notes before their assessment tasks and to complete practice essays. History students will participate in a number of incursions this year. James Adams will be back with his medieval show and authentic replica medieval weapons and armour for Year 8. Year 9 and 10 will be watching a one-man drama about World War One, the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. We wish all our history students a successful and enjoyable 2019. Scientific analysis of Richard III’s skeleton

Year 7 with the king in the carpark, Richard III

Year 9 Military Historians research Roman Battles for their News Article

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 PEER SUPPORT

Ms Annabel Chapman– Head Teacher

The Peer Support Program provides opportunities and an environment for students to develop skills for building positive relationships and encouraging participation. It is about enhancing of peer relationships, vertical connections and teacher/student interactions which may assist in creating and maintaining a positive school culture.

During Term 1 students will be involved in the Peer Support Program. Each week, groups of 8-10 students will meet with two Peer Leaders and work through a range of activities that focus on building connections and addressing a range of behaviours including the prevention of bullying. Meeting in small groups allows meaningful connections to form, assisting students with the transition to secondary school. Over a period of eight weeks students will acknowledge their strengths and learn skills to build resilience, identify how to develop, maintain and repair friendships, develop understanding of a range of behaviours including bullying and learn strategies in order to respond appropriately in a variety of situations.

Year 7 had their first Peer Support session on Thursday 21st February. We arrived in the hall so the Year 10 Peer Support Leaders could meet their Year 7 groups. Eventually everyone was in the right place and the first session was underway.

Thank you to our Year 10 Peer Support Leaders for showing care for our Year 7 students and being part of the ongoing peer support program.

Congratulations to our Peer Support Leaders for 2019.

PEER SUPPORT LEADERS 2019

Seokhee Lee Mingyuan Jing Aakash Iyengar

Garish Kugathasan Theeshan Neshabalan Emad Fayad

Dustyn Tomas Jackson Cooney Yusuf Shand

Kapiele Fusi Rahim Kamara Sayeed Ali Khan

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 Sudharshan Sundaramurthy Mark (Jae Won) Seo Ayden Pachos

Siddhant Jethaliya Issa Issa Stephen Wilcox

Justin Lam Manavpreet Singh Ben Casey

James Wark Ashfeen Ferdouse Ashwin Alagendran

Haren Kumaralingam Ishu Rawat Prashanna KC

Dave Chua Danny Li Nikhith Pagadala

Simon Ayoub Zayd Ayish Yoshua Tsang

Leo Singh Vigesh Pradeepan Luan Thai

David Kadamani Shreedevan Maheswaran Benjamin Huang

Si Kun Rong Stephen Hua Nitish Sareen

Jayden Chan Enze (Joseph) Wang Edmund Wong

Joshua Chong Jonathan Devaraj Scott Sun

Lakshaya Kaushik Matthew Jackson Samuel Livingston

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 Mr Martyn Bawden– Head Teacher

Parents - welcome back to the 2019 school year! Year 7 students: The Accelerated Reader program has commenced. As the Term progresses, please make sure your son is completing his at-home reading. At least 20 minutes per evening is needed. Letters will be sent out at the end of each Term, to inform parents of their sons’ reading progress. Year 7 & 9 students: Year 7 & 9 students have a Term of readiness for the upcoming NAPLAN tests (14th – 24th May) - especially Year 9, who will also be attempting Minimum Standards Literacy & Numeracy tests early the following year. This year, for the first time at this school, all NAPLAN tests will be online, so it is important that students be prepared for this. Year 9 students should be especially diligent this Term in completing weekly Moodle literacy/numeracy homework. Year 10 students: The NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA) has stated that, from now on, students need to achieve minimum literacy & numeracy standards in order to gain an HSC. Year 10 students will all need to sit for three on-line tests this year (in reading, writing and numeracy), in order to demonstrate these standards. A letter is on the way, to provide more details to parents. All students: Homework Help commenced in Week 2 of this Term, on Mondays and Tuesdays, after school for one hour in the library. Assistance, especially in literacy, is available through Ms Lea at these times. Make use of this valuable time!

If there are further enquiries, please ring Mr Bawden (Literacy/Numeracy Support Person) at the school (Tuesdays/Thursdays).

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 Mr Stephan Madyski – Rel Sports Co ordinator Welcome back to another big year of sport at Homebush Boys High School. With the Summer Season at its conclusion we had 22out of 29 teams make the semi-finals with three of those teams taking out the Minor Premiership. Ten teams have been successful in moving on to the Grand Final and we wish them the best of luck next week. Winter sports 2019 will run for 18 weeks from the 1/3/19 till the 31/07/19 and selections are currently being offered on Moodle. I implore all students to represent the school and participate in grade sports no matter what your level of skill. The enjoyment and comradery you will develop with your peers is unmeasurable and a stepping stone to bigger things. Remember when you choose a sport you are agreeing to all cost incurred in the participated sport and are prepared to travel to the chosen venue safely and respectfully. Congratulations to the Open Basketball Knockout team who have won through to Round 2 against The Forrest High School and a reminder that all knockout team draws are attached to the notice board outside the new gym. Regional sporting trials are coming up and I ask that all students check the calendar for when their sport is trailing so I can enter you in the selection process. The 74th annual HBHS swimming carnival was held on Friday 8th of February and the running of the day went smoothly and without incident. A big thankyou to Ms Chapman and Ms Cuneen for the organisation on the day which saw the initiation of the first Year 12 all age relay as the final race to conclude the carnival. Unfortunately participation rates in the school carnival have dropped to the lowest rates seen and with only 101 swimming competitors out of 1100 students and the relays on the day moving from each of the seven age groups to junior, middle school and senior relays. The skills of swimming are important survival skill and this issue may need to be addressed in the younger years at HBHS to protect our students in the future from aquatic dangers. 2018 saw the revamping of the school house points system and 2019 will only get better for sports at HBHS. All you need to do is take part and put your best foot forward Gentlemen, you can be successful at anything “just try it!”

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 Miss Michelle Coutinho – Year Adviser In Week 3, Year 7 students travelled to Fitzroy Falls for their first camp as Bushy Boys. The boys were randomly placed into ten tribes with students from several primary schools in each. Changing schools is a big step that can be challenging for any child, so camp is a great opportunity for the boys to come together and create new friendships and experiences. By 6am, students were beginning to fill up the school hall quite quickly. A mix of nerves and excitement filled the room by both parents and students. By about 7am, we were all on the road and ready for the two-hour drive ahead.

Once we arrived at Fitzroy Falls, the students gathered at the front of the camp in excitement, awaiting instructions from their new camp instructors. Students were greeted and placed into their tribes, where they then began their activities for the day. Each tribe had about 15 Year 7 boys, two senior mentors, a teacher and a camp instructor.

Over the next three days, the boys engaged in various activities such as hiking, the flying fox, low and high rope activities and a night in both a cabin and a tent. There was also plenty of opportunities for team building through both physical and strategic problem solving. It was great to see the students working together as a team to achieve common goals and encouraging those who were a little more reluctant. School camp teaches the boys to have the courage to try new things and resilience in difficult situations. As teachers, it was also a great opportunity to get to know the boys, their personalities, and watch them conquer fears and grow over the three days.

Overall, camp was a huge success! Year 7 students can be most proud of the way in which they embraced all activities while on camp. A special mention to the weather gods for also giving us such blue skies for the three days.

A huge thank you to the senior mentors from Years 10, 11 and 12 and our staff members for the positive attitude and support they displayed throughout the camp. This amazing experience wouldn’t have been possible without each and every one of you.

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 Mrs Manjula Lakshmipathy – Year Adviser

Year 12, on the first day back to School. As a Year Adviser for Year 12, I am thrilled with the positive start made by our students. They were welcomed by the Principal, Deputy Principal and the Year Adviser. The students were then issued with their timetables and informed about the new bell timings. The students were also reminded about the Senior Attendance Policy and SLR matrix

Year 12 students were very excited to get their new Jerseys and were proud to wear them around the school.

Year 12s had a humorous and engaging swimming carnival in their final year of high school. They made many fun memories and were outstanding role models to their younger peers. We had numerous Year 12s participating this year in both individual and relays, upholding the spirit of ‘Bushy Boys’.

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 TERM 1 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Feb 18 Week 4 Year 12 Studies of Religion Task 1 Period 3 B Year 7 ID card photos Feb 19 SRC & Sports Captain Induction Ceremony Period 1-2 Feb 21 Chalmers Rd School Buddy Program Year 11 Chemistry Depth Study ANSTO Linkages Program with MBPS Feb 22 Reading Program at HPS Feb 26 Week 5 Year 7 2020 Information Afternoon 5-7pm A Feb 27 Peer Support Year 7 – Period 2 Feb 28 Chalmers Rd School Buddy Program Transition Program with HPS Mar 1 Reading Program at HPS Mar 4 Week 6 Year 7 Meet the Teacher afternoon 4-6pm B Mar 5 Work Readiness Program for Year 11 VET Students School Council Meeting – 6pm Mar 6 Year 8 Assembly – Period 3 Mar 7 Chalmers Rd School Buddy Program Peer Support Year 7 – Period 4 Year 11 Study Skills – Period 1 Year 7 Study Skills – Period 2 Year 11 Ancient History Task – Period 2 and 5 Mar 8 Reading Program at HPS Year 12 Modern History Task – Period 3 and 5 Year 11 Legal Studies Excursion – Downing Centre Mar 11 Week 7 Peer Support Year A Mar 14 Chalmers Rd School Buddy Program Selective High School Placement Test Mar 15 Reading Program at HPS Mar 18 Week 8 Year 12 Biology Human Disease Museum B Year 11 Economics – Period 4 Mar 19 P&C Meeting – 7pm Mar 20 Peer Support Year 7 – Period 2 Mar 21 Chalmers Rd School Buddy Program Year 7 Vaccination First Visit Transition Program with HPS Mar 22 Reading Program at HPS Mar 25 Week 9 Year 11 Business Studies – Period 1 A Mar 26 Year 12 Geography Task 2 Mar 28 Chalmers Rd School Buddy Program Year 12 Business Studies Task 2 Year 12 Studies of Religion II Task 2 Peer Support Year 7 – Period 4

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611 Mar 29 Reading Program at HPS Year 12 Legal Studies Task 2 Apr 1 Week 10 Year 11 – Life Ready Program B Apr 4 Chalmers Rd School Buddy Program Year 12 Economics Year 8 Assembly – Period 2 Peer Support Year 7 – Period 4 Apr 5 Reading Program at HPS Year 10 History Incursion Periods 1-4 Apr 8 Week 11 Year 12 Parent Information Meeting A Apr 9 Peer Support Year 7 – Period 3 Apr 11 Chalmers Rd School Buddy Program Apr 12 Reading Program at HPS

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 1 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611