NSW Department of Education and Communities Cessnock High School News Find us on Facebook Find us on The Web Semester 1 - 2015 CessnockHighSchoolOfficial cessnock-h.schools.nsw.edu.au Issue 2 What’s On At CHS 26th June Last day term 2 PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE 13th July Staff Development Day 14th July Students return term 3 This term has been a very was difficult due to the busy time for the staff and limited access to power. 15th July Burrulaa Yarran Art Festival students of Cessnock High Phone coverage was also (CCGPS) School. The effects of the very limited. Thankfully we 22nd July Regional Athletics storm front that struck were able to get some 12th Aug MADD (matinee and evening) Newcastle and the Hunter messages out through 17-21 Aug National Science Week Valley at the beginning of Facebook and by word of 26th Aug College Opera House Excursion the term certainly added mouth. It was very an extra dimension to our encouraging to experience 2nd Sept ACE parent info session return to school. The the real sense of http://www.cessnock- 3rd Sept Immunisation Year 7 school sustained minimal community that developed h.schools.nsw.edu.au/ . The 9&16 Sep RSA and RCG College structural damage and as a as a result of our exposure plan highlights the school’s 18th Sept College 2 farewell assembly result I was able to open as to this natural disaster. major focus areas for the soon as power was next three years. 18th Sept Last day term 3 Thank you to the students restored so that the 6th Oct Staff and Students Return term 4 and staff that marched in During next term we will be children whose families had the Cessnock Anzac Day looking to improve the suffered losses as a result march this year. Our standard of uniform at of the extreme weather students looked great in Cessnock High School. I conditions could access a their uniforms and seek your support to ensure safe and warm Inside this represented the school in that your child leaves home environment while their issue: Page an outstanding fashion. I’d each morning in the correct families went about the like to make special uniform so they are easily business of “cleaning up”. mention of Adam Robinson identifiable as a member of I recognise that Deputy Notes 2 who visited Gallipoli to our school community. communication was recognise the hundredth Please ensure that if your difficult during these times year anniversary of child is unable to wear but would like to assure Australia’s involvement in uniform for any reason they you that in events like this Debating News 4 the First World War. have a note explaining why. the safety of students and Adam is an exceptional Parents experiencing staff must be paramount. I young man and a great financial difficulty in meeting was arriving at school each ambassador for Cessnock school expenses including SRC Action morning at around 6.30 am 5 High School and the wider uniform and subject to conduct a site region. selection fees are invited to inspection before making a contact me confidentially to decision on whether to Cessnock High School’s discuss assistance. TAS happenings 8 open the school. Getting Plan for 2015–17 has been this information out to the published on the CHS Chris Bice website wider school community Principal The Back Page, SPORT. 13 & More Cessnock High School News DEPUTY—MS HAYLEY MACDONALD Although Cessnock High School Staff Professional began the term with a very wild Learning: weather event, the school was lucky Cessnock High School staff enough not to sustain serious damage regularly undertake and we were able to get on with the professional learning both in business of teaching and learning and out of the school. This faster than some of our neighbours. year alone has seen staff Term 2 has been very full and all complete training in Focus on students have been successful in their Reading, leadership courses, learning. VET training, assessment and feedback and many others. Aim High Mentoring: One of our major school focus Focus on Reading: At the start of the term The University areas for 2015-2017 is Focus on Reading is a of Newcastle offered our Year 10 differentiating the curriculum Department of Education students a great opportunity with a and staff will be involved in initiative that many schools “Term 2 has mentoring program. Each Thursday learning centred around this around the Hunter are employing morning for five weeks a group of important focus over the next in their programming and day to university students came to CHS and few months. day teaching strategies. It focuses been very full led 22 Year 10 students through a on six major strategies that help Staff Development Day: mentoring program aimed to students make meaning from a Last Friday Cessnock High familiarise students with university life text. These strategies are called School Staff were lucky enough and all students and requirements. This program was the “SUPER SIX” and many of our to have a guest speaker Scott designed to give Year 10 students an teachers are using them to help Sleap, deliver some ideas understanding of university life. our students comprehend what around assessment and using have been The Aim High co-ordinator was very they are reading. We have 10 data for improvement. Many impressed with the level of Focus on Reading School Based staff have commented on his commitment and enthusiasm that our Trainers in our school and these presentation and its successful in their Year 10 students displayed and Year teachers are beginning to lead effectiveness. Term Three’s 10 gained a great deal from the other staff members in the Staff Development Day follows experience. strategies. Over the next 18 on from this presentation learning.” months we plan to make Year 10 Subject Selections: highlighting assessment, with connections to our Partner Last Monday we held a subject workshops being delivered by Primary Schools and form strong selection evening for Year 10 and the senior executive around Ms Macdonald networks in our local area to their parents to gain information data analysis, consistent ensure that students transitioning about their subject choices for The teacher judgement and planning from Year 6 into Year 7 have a College. The night was well attended for improvement. Research Deputy Principal common language when reading and most of Year 10 has now made demonstrates that when staff and comprehending texts. their initial choices for Year 11 and participate regularly in 12. If your Year 10 student has not professional learning within the Ms Macdonald yet selected his or her choices they school environment that Deputy Principal Years 8, 10, will need to see Mrs Walker or Ms student outcomes improve College 2 Macdonald as soon as possible. significantly. OUT OF UNIFORM DAY—FUNDRAISER Friday 12th June saw Cessnock High strength in her body. School come out in force, dressed in The support for this fundraiser our best ‘soccer colours’ to support was amazing, students and staff former student Sophie Stapleford. really put their hand in their Sophie, our vice captain from 2011, pocket to support Sophie. We was recently diagnosed with a brain raised $700 on this out of tumor. She has been through surgery uniform fundraiser. and now faces the long journey of post-op treatments to regain Page 2 Semester 1 - 2015 ENGLISH—MISS PAYNE Issue 2 It has been a busy term in Payne’s class donated $30 to English! the charity ‘Open World Cause’ which promotes Our classes have been loving education in countries our Focus on Reading struggling economically. The program, which aims to class donated to the building of strengthen students’ Debating a school in Nepal as they comprehension and ability to recover from the devastating A huge congratulations to make meaning from texts. Our earthquake, including the the Year 11 Effie O’Neill kids have been very creative in purchase of materials such as Debating team of Adam their engagement with all sorts laptops and textbooks. Robinson, Samantha Fleming, of texts. The photo is an Students gave up pocket money Montana Power and Racquel example of a Stage 5 activity and canteen funds to ensure Marshall who debated against aimed at questioning the text kids their age receive an Mt View High School. and making connections education across the globe- a Despite narrowly losing the between the text and very worthwhile cause! We are debate, the team students’ own world and also looking into giving regular represented our school with experiences. Our classrooms loans to people in need pride and argued with are becoming very colourful! through the website ‘Kiva’, empathy and maturity on a Year 7 have been working on which facilitates giving people in very difficult topic. their ‘Other Places, Other need the opportunity to We have also been Times’ unit, which support their businesses, participating in the NSW encompasses the concept of education or humanitarian Premier’s Debating context as they explore texts programs overseas and pay the Challenge. Our Year 11 that portray different places loan back gradually. We have teams of Adam, Samantha, around the world through moved onto Dystopian fiction Montana and Racquel, as well history or in the future. and looking at how texts can as Shane Rodger-Wilson, Students have been enjoying be a caution for what the Eliza Paynter, Faith Price and their film study of ‘Hugo’ and future might hold. Next term Madison Clarke won one will move onto a novel study students will write their own debate against Maitland High next term.