Warilla High School Newsletter Keross Avenue Barrack Heights NSW 2528 9 May 2016 T: 02 42963055 F: 02 42972817 E: [email protected] FB: /WarillaHigh Issue 1 – Term 2 – Week 3 W: http://www.warilla-h.schools.nsw.edu.au Principal’s Message Welcome back to what will no doubt be another very hectic term which will include the annual NAPLAN Assessment on 10,11 and 12 May; a debriefing between Year 12 and their respective teachers on the basis of their half yearly results from the end of term 1, NAIDOC Week festivities and the plethora of learning opportunities that will be made available both within and beyond the classroom. Again, the holiday period has seen some significant infrastructure upgrades occur, including sandstone seating adjacent to the sail-covered outdoor area; the completion of the B Block Café; a Video Conferencing facility in the seminar room of the library and the upgrading of the section backing onto this to accommodate collaborative classroom teaching styles; a clean out of the D Block courtyard and the freshening up of the gardens around the school. I would be most appreciative if you could impress upon your child that these new learning spaces need to be appreciated and that this is best done by keeping them clean and graffiti free! Indeed, the school has embarked on an ambitious and exciting project being named as 1 of only 15 schools across NSW to be involved in the Schools of the Future project. This will see schools trial new learning spaces and configurations; set up access to technology which is reliable and user-friendly; explicitly address the 21st learning skills employers now demand, but most importantly, jettison outmoded teaching strategies and resources in favour of those that engage students, challenge their capacity to learn and to be able to apply this learning in a range of new and complex settings. These outcomes were the main focus of our recent School Development Day, held on Tuesday 26 April, which saw all staff involved in a range of Curriculum Network Illawarra events. Staff feedback was overwhelmingly positive as they participated with staff from the same KLA from 17 other local high schools to exchange programs, resources and ideas about curriculum differentiation and effective student engagement. Indeed, some faculties, such as our CAPA staff, had the unique opportunity to work at Bundanon- Arthur Boyd’s Shoalhaven retreat- where they honed their skills and developed their capacities in the tranquil and inspiring settings of one of Australia’s best known artists. On more mundane matters, the school was audited by the Auditor General’s Department late last term and received a very positive Audit Report. I acknowledge the tireless efforts of our School Administrative Manager, Mrs Cindy Souter, whose attention to detail and government policy ensured the positive result that was achieved. We have also been advised that the school will be required to undertake an External Validation process this term. This will see an independent validation panel examine the school’s data to benchmark us against the criteria set in the School Excellence Framework document….and in case this wasn’t enough, we will also undergo a Vocational Education and Training Internal Audit conducted by regional staff to ensure we are compliant with the Registered Training Organisation requirements the DET must adhere to as the registered provider for VET courses in the network! Although these external assessments of our operation are time consuming, I welcome them as an independent corroboration of the outstanding results the school has achieved over an extended period of time. I would urge you to take the time to view our Annual Report for 2015. This compulsory Federal Government requirement chronicles every aspect of our operation for last year and can be accessed on our website. If you would prefer a hard copy, please enquire at the counter in the Administrative area of the school. You have the opportunity to comment on this document- and any other aspect of our operation- at our P&C meetings, held on the second Tuesday of each month, commencing at 7pm in the library. Finally, I would like to reiterate our zero tolerance policy towards violence, and to thank parents who stand with us in support of this position. Likewise, I seek your help to eradicate the scourge of bullying and harassment, especially when manifested in social media commentaries that are demeaning, embarrassing and designed to denigrate individuals and groups. This is unacceptable and I have no doubt I can rely on your support as we ramp up of efforts in this area. With my kind regards, John Hambly Our School’s Core Values: Care for your environment Page 1 Embrace honesty Respect others and value yourself Seek knowledge W: http://www.warilla-h.schools.nsw.edu.au FB: /WarillaHigh Issue 1 – Term 2 – Week 3 9 May 2016 Deputies Report It is hard to believe that Term 2 is already well underway. Year 12 finished their Half Yearly exams at the end of last term, and at this point in time Year 11 are pretty much done with theirs. Getting marks back from exams is not a finishing point, but rather a place to start from to continue improvement. If a student is disappointed with their results they should see this as challenge to work harder and it need not be the final indicator of their ability. On the other hand, really solid results should be celebrated and used as reassurance that what they are doing is being effective and that they should continue along this line. This is the term when all of our students really need to apply themselves to their work, both in class and at home. There are a number of things that you can do to support your students and help them achieve their best personal results. The most obvious thing you can do as a family supporter is to ensure that your student has a workplace that they can use. While the family dining table might be a good place to spread out, it is not the ideal long term situation. It is important for a student to have a desk which they can work from, and not need to pack their work away every time the family wants to have dinner. A desk in a quiet place, that has a good source of light is one of the best things that family can give to a student to set them up for success. While snuggling on the bed, with the laptop keeping them warm, might sound appealing on a cold autumn evening, it is not the way to work effectively, and it is more likely they might doze off to sleep rather than stay alert and complete the task at hand. The other thing that family members can provide to their students to support them is a kind, listening ear. Sometimes students just need a sounding board for their concerns and worries. Other times a supportive listener can allow students to read their work and allow them to think about what they have written. Your role can simply be to listen and maybe even ask the obvious questions. Providing such support is highly effective and allows the family members to feel that they are contributing and assisting their student in their studies. Students grapple with many issues in their lives, and because of all of the competing things for their attention, it’s often hard for them to concentrate on studying. Too many students look at studying as a necessary and unenjoyable task, not as an opportunity to learn. That’s fine, but researchers have found that how you approach something matters almost as much as what you do. Being in the right mindset is important in order to study smarter. So how can you help your student to approach their work with the right attitude? The best thing is to remind them of their many skills and abilities. Be your child's advocate!!! Use these great traits to replace negative thinking. If you hear them voicing concerns such as “I’m hopeless, I’ll never have enough time to study for this exam or finish this work,” help them to change their approach to be more like, “I may be a little late to study as much as I’d like, but since I’m doing it now, I’ll get most of it done.” It is amazing what this can do to help them settle down and really give it a shot. Because so many students view studying as a chore, it’s human nature to avoid it. If, however, they find rewards to help reinforce what they’re doing, they may be pleasantly surprised by their change in attitude over time. No matter what you do it is important that your student knows that you are trying to support them to do their very best, and this is sometimes the most important thing you can do all day. Being a family member for a person under stress is not easy, and the school experience is not easy for many children, and this is especially so when they are in the senior school. However, start with a good work space, give them lots of positive reinforcement about their worth and listen carefully, and you will be well on your way to a very successful and rewarding term!!! From the start of Week 3 this term the toilets will be closed during class time. Any student needing to access the toilet during classes will need to report to one of the Deputy Principal's with a signed note from their teacher.