BIRRONG BULLETIN

The Newsletter of Birrong Girls High School Cooper Road, Birrong 2143 Telephone: 9644 5057 Fax: 9644 8157

Issue No. 2 March 2016

‘Ad astra’ – Reaching for the Stars

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT Outstanding Results I am delighted to report that our school has been acknowledged by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) as having demonstrated substantially above average gain in NAPLAN results. This is indeed an outstanding achievement and evidence of teachers and students working together to achieve the highest outcomes. My sincere congratulations to our dedicated teachers and hardworking students who well deserve this acknowledgement of success. Tell Them from Me - Student Survey Over the next couple of weeks every student in the school will be asked to participate in the online Tell Them From Me survey. Student responses to the survey are completely anonymous and will provide general information about student engagement, wellbeing, aspirations, and effective teaching practices. The results from the survey will inform school planning and in this way ensure that we have the best teaching and learning practices to support your daughters as active and resilient learners. Please support the school in this initiative by encouraging your daughters to respond to the survey with care and honesty. Harmony Day This year the SRC and Amnesty team will be organising our Harmony Day activities. This year’s theme is strength in diversity. I encourage all students to participate as we celebrate our school value of understanding, tolerance and inclusion on 21 March. Swimming Carnival

Congratulations to all the competitors and their enthusiastic supporters at the school’s swimming carnival held on Wednesday 24 February at Birrong Leisure Centre. Despite the intense heat, it was a very successful carnival with enthusiastic competitors and great attendance. Congratulations also to Year 12 who contributed to the carnival atmosphere with their original and engaging costumes and sense of school spirit. Special congratulations to the following talented swimmers who will progress to the regional carnival to be held on Monday 14 March: Nadine Johnston Araujo, Monique Steel, Joanna Hutabarat, Kathleen Logie and Ceydan Yorulmaz. Unapproved leave Parents please note that I am not permitted to approve leave to students for family holidays. In the event that parents do plan a holiday during term, it is vital that the school is informed at least two weeks in advance and that the student attends the office with a note from home clearly explaining the reasons for leave. Please be aware that unapproved leave will generate warning letters for students who miss assessment tasks or examinations in Years 10, 11 and 12. Inside this issue: Page/s

Principal’s Report 1-2

Report from the Deputy Principals 2-3

Year 7 Welcome BBQ 3

Careers News 4

Silver Goblet Recipients 4

Chess Club 4

Women in Engineering Camp 4

School Swimming Carnival 5

Open Girls Touch Team 6

Go4Fun Program 6

CAPA Report 6

Extra-curricular Activities 7

Next P&C Meeting 7

School Calendar 7

Trilogy Schools MEGA Fete 8

Australian Bureau of Statistics - hiring for Census night

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School Communities Working Together – Fact Sheet for Parents and Carers

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Safe driving Parents please take care to follow the rules of the road when dropping off and picking up your child and ensure the safety of all our students. The safety of our students is of paramount concern to us all; however, reckless and bad driving at the front of the school continues to put our students at risk. Remember that the car parks on the school grounds are for teachers only. Congratulations to:

Our Prefects who were great ambassadors for our school at the International Women’s Day breakfast at Parliament House on Tuesday 8 March and to our SRC leaders who represented our school admirably at the Zonta International Women’s Day breakfast on the same day.

The students studying Japanese from Years 9-12 who warmly welcomed our visitors from Chikushi Jogakuen Junior High School in Japan on Monday 7 March, and carried out their duties with great dedication.

Chikushi Jogakuen Junior High School students

Special congratulations to Sharon Kaihau-Nimo who was once again selected for the SSW Regional Volleyball squad. She will be representing the region at the state championships in Bathurst in Term 2. We wish her well.

All those students who are showing leadership in learning by making great use of the Homework Centre in the library on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. Thank you to: All the parents who made time to meet with the teachers on Tuesday 8 March for the parent/ teacher interviews; our teachers greatly appreciate your interest and involvement. Taking an active interest in your daughter’s education and developing a positive home-school relationship greatly assists your daughter achieve to the best of her ability. Coming Events: I extend a warm invitation to all our parents to attend the next P&C meeting which will be held on Wednesday 16 March at 5pm in the

Common Room. The first half hour of the meeting will focus on the School Plan 2015-2017. I invite you to contact the school to make an appointment with me (Tel: 9644 5057) if you have any issues that you wish to discuss about your daughter’s education.

I hope you enjoy reading about the achievements and activities of the school in the following pages.

Margaret Fletcher Principal

REPORT FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPALS

Student success at Birrong Girls High is closely linked to attendance and involvement in the range of experiences that the school offers, as well as home study and revision. Many students have already signed up for a range of extra-curricular activities across the school. Term 1 so far: All of Year 12 has participated in the Study Skills program, which reinforced the valuable study tools required that will continue to support their preparation for future assessments and examinations. Year 12 Half Yearly examinations will commence in Week 10 of this term. The Year 12 Drama class had an evening excursion to the Australian Theatre for Young People. The Voices Project is an annual festival that brings together young Australian playwrights and actors. The performances provided our students with some insight to the range of methods used to deliver a good quality monologue. The excursion was a valuable experience which supplemented the work students do in class. Year 11 students have commented on how much work they are doing to begin their journey towards the HSC in 2017. The Year 11 VET (Vocational Education Training) students completed their Work Ready day to prepare themselves for the 70 hours of mandatory work placement that will begin later in the year. The Work Ready day included guest speakers from the community covering a range of topics such as WH&S (Work, Health and Safety) and What your Employer will Expect of You, advice from Natalie Johnston, a young woman who has worked her way up to the position of Manager in a very large recreational facility. The day was successful and Year 11 students reported that they gained meaningful insights into the world of work. Year 11 examinations are due to commence Term 2, Week 1.

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A group of our Year 10 students attended peer tutor training at Bankstown TAFE on 22 February. This training will enable the tutors to help younger students develop skills and confidence in reading fluency and comprehension. Year 9 girls are enjoying their elective courses and displaying a mature application and a serious approach towards their learning. We hope that Year 9 students will begin to take on some of the leadership roles in the extra-curricular clubs and teams of the school. Year 9 students are working hard in their classes in preparation for the NAPLAN tests next term. Students in Year 8 are settling back into the school routine, many of them receiving achievement awards from their teachers and then claiming their Certificates of Merit. Well done girls! Don’t forget swim school in Week 9 (21/22 March). Year 7 students have settled in well and have been mentored by selected Year 11 students through the Peer Support program. The Peer Support sessions organised by Ms Ratnayake aim to increase the awareness, support and connectedness Year 7 students have with their new surroundings, and to ensure that they understand the expectations we have of students at Birrong Girls High. The Tell Them from Me student feedback survey This term, our school, like many others in the state, will once again participate in a Department of Education initiative: the Tell Them from Me student feedback survey. The survey aims to help improve student learning outcomes and will measure factors that are known to affect academic achievement and other student outcomes. The NSW wide survey will focus on student wellbeing, engagement and effective teaching practices. The survey is a great opportunity for students to provide our school with valuable and effective feedback about their thoughts on school life, how engaged they feel at school and the different ways that teachers interact with them. Schools in Australia and around the world have used the Tell Them from Me survey to help improve school systems and student satisfaction. To clarify, the survey information is confidential and school staff will not be able to identify individual students from their responses. The survey is conducted online and will take 30 minutes to complete. It will be administered during school hours between 14 March and 1 April. Participation in the survey is entirely voluntary. If you do not wish your daughter to take part in the survey you need to have returned the ‘Parent

Information Sheet’ that was sent home via your daughter. Homework and Revision All students are expected to complete homework. This includes formal work set by teachers as well as revision and wide reading. The following guidelines indicate the number of hours students in various years should set aside for homework:

- Years 7 and 8 – one hour each night - Years 9 and 10 – a minimum of two hours

each night

- Years 11 and 12 – at least three hours each night

Ms Cross and Ms George Deputy Principals

YEAR 7 WELCOME BBQ On Wednesday 10 February a BBQ was held in the school’s garden area to welcome the Year 7 students and their families to Birrong Girls High School. A variety of food was shared and a sausage sizzle was held by the prefects. During that evening, parents got the chance to meet and converse with the teachers of the school. It was an evening full of joy and laughter as everyone had a great time. The chess club joined in and students tested their wits and problem solving skills in a number of games. The SRC set up the BBQ and welcomed the Year 7’s and their families. By: Media Team

Year 7 Welcome BBQ

The Chess Club at the BBQ

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CAREERS NEWS Year 10 All students have now completed their Work Experience lesson and have received the important information and forms required to organise their Work Experience. Parents and carers are strongly encouraged to discuss this program with their daughters and read through the green ‘Workplace Learning Guide for Parents/Carers’. Work Experience is fast approaching in Term 2, Week 5, Monday 23 May to Friday 27 May. To avoid disappointment and missing out on particular workplaces, students need to organise their Work Experience as soon as possible and return all completed forms to me by the end of Term 1. If parents or carers have any further questions about this compulsory program please ring the school or visit the following website: www.det.nsw.edu.au/vetinschools/documents/work_learn/2016/Additional-info_Parents_March2016.pdf

Ms Wailes Careers Adviser

SILVER GOBLET RECIPIENTS

Congratulations to Aleyna Celik, Fatima Al-Helfy and Sandra Dang (not pictured) who received their silver goblets for the 230 small merit certificates which each student has managed to collect since Year 7, including attendance awards and no late arrival certificates. (It has been an outstanding achievement for Sandra Dang who received her

third silver goblet.)

CHESS CLUB

Birrong’s Chess Club continues during lunch in the library in 2016 with Mr Sarna on each Tuesday of Week B and Mr Dimassi on each Tuesday of Week A. Chess teaches thinking strategies like no other game and is well worth a try. All are welcome to come along for a social play or to hone their skills ready for future competitions.

WOMEN IN ENGINEERING – A CAMP TO

REMEMBER!

Last year, I was encouraged to participate in the Women in Engineering Camp held at UNSW. This camp was held from 11-15 January (during the school holidays). I wanted to investigate engineering as a possible career in the future. The participants, all girls, came from 90 different senior high schools. I enjoyed meeting so many different people with similar interests. So what did I get out of the camp? It provided me with insights into various fields in engineering. During the 5 days, we had the privilege to visit companies to see how engineering fits in society. These included Google (unbelievable), TransUrban (amazing), Sydney Water (who would think water could be so interesting?) and ResMed (you will hear about this company if you get sick). We also had an evening to network with current engineers from major companies, learning more about their daily lives as engineers and why they chose engineering as a career. We had challenge activities to complete within various engineering fields, such as biomedical, aerospace, electrical and many more. One of my favourites was going into a virtual mine where we saw how underground coal mining occurs. The main highlight of the camp was the civil engineering’s practical task: climbing the Harbour Bridge. As a new resident of Sydney, the opportunity to climb the iconic landmark at night was amazing! The climb took just over an hour and it was a thrilling experience despite the rain.

I would like to thank UNSW and Women in Engineering for organising such an amazing camp and also Mr Saule for encouraging me to participate in the camp. The main thing I learnt is that engineering is not just about how well you perform in Mathematics or Science; it is mostly about how you go about solving problems to make the world better! By: Rachel Hwang (Year 12)

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SCHOOL SWIMMING CARNIVAL

The annual swimming carnival was held on Wednesday 24 February at Birrong Leisure Centre. The carnival was a success with high attendance, passionate competitors and warm weather.

Congratulations to all the competitors who participated during the 2016 swimming carnival. Through their dedicated effort we had a successful swimming carnival with fantastic results. Most of our swimmers progressed to the Zone carnival and competed against East Hills, Bankstown and Liverpool Girls students.

Congratulations to our Regional competitors: Ceydan Yorulmaz, Skye Casacchia and 13 and 16 years relay teams.

Thank you to all students for their fantastic attendance, behaviour and enthusiasm throughout the day.

2016 Swimming Age Champions:

12 Years - Ceydan Yorulmaz

13 Years - Hillary Pao

14 Years - Skye Casacchia

15 Years - Monique Steel

16 Years - Kathleen Logie

17 Years - Rachel Hwang

Thank you to all house captains who encouraged students to support their competitors and ensured each house had a unique cheer. After many races, loud cheers and a lot of excitement the house points were calculated with a small margin of victory for the hard working team of Yurong.

4th Place Bundarra

3rd

Place Inga

2nd

Place Miga

1st Place Yurong

Well done to all students that participated to the best of their ability on the day and thank you to Ms Shinas for a wonderful job in coordinating and managing the school swimming carnival and the zone swimming carnival at Birrong Leisure Centre.

Ms Lord Head Teacher PDHPE

Year 12 Parade

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OPEN GIRLS TOUCH TEAM

On Friday 26 February the Open Girls Touch team played Bossley Park High School in round one of the Sydney South West knockout. We started strongly with an excellent first half. Ana Tohi-Hiku showcased her exceptional skill, speed and game play. Unfortunately, Bossley Park pulled away in the second half and we ended up losing 10-3. The whole team played exceptionally well, displaying outstanding sportsmanship and teamwork. Congratulations girls! Keep up the enthusiasm for next year. Ms Sirris Coach

CAPA REPORT

Visual Arts

Plans are well underway for an exciting year in Visual Arts.

On Friday 13 May, Week 3, Term 2, the elective Visual Arts students in Years 10, 11 and 12 will be visiting the 2016 ARTEXPRESS exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW. ARTEXPRESS is an annual exhibition featuring a selection of outstanding student artworks developed for the artmaking component of the HSC examination in Visual Arts in NSW. It includes a broad range of approaches and expressive forms, including ceramics, collection of works, documented forms, drawing, graphic design, painting, photomedia, printmaking, sculpture, textiles and fibre, and time-based forms. This is a wonderful opportunity for these students to view an exemplary selection of works produced by students who undertook HSC Visual Arts in 2015.

Excursions for all Visual Arts and Photography classes are being organised throughout the year and students will be notified closer to the dates.

There are many ways Visual Arts and Photography students can enhance what they are learning in class and these include: attending excursions, visiting exhibitions on the weekend, practising drawing techniques, taking photographs, entering competitions, and reading about art and artists.

Music

The start of the year has seen the start of the Birrong Girls Vocal Ensemble, a girls’ choir that is now rehearsing every Wednesday at lunchtime in the Music rooms. The first auditions were held in Week 3 and a number of young, talented girls were successful and are now the inaugural members of the group. The ensemble is a fantastic opportunity for students to grow in their confidence and ability, sing some fabulous songs while interacting and learning with others. Run by Mrs Weir and Mr Eveleigh, the group is rehearsing and preparing for future performances at school assemblies and special events. The opportunity is still open for any students hoping to join the Birrong Girls Vocal Ensemble. Any interested students can speak to Mr Eveleigh to arrange an audition. By: CAPA Faculty

FREE fun program to help kids become fitter, healthier and happier!

Do you have children 7-13 years old? Are you worried about their weight?

The Go4Fun program is a free healthy lifestyle program to improve health, fitness, self-esteem and confidence in children above a healthy weight. Go4Fun runs for 10 weeks over the school term for children and their parents. Sessions include games, activities, tips on healthy food, label reading, portion sizes plus much more! To find out more and register visit www.go4fun.com.au or contact 1800 780 900 or Claire Southwood-Jones Tel: (02) 9780 2811.

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EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

There are lots of activities to join at BGHS!

Year 7 Curriculum Activities:

Mathletics DEAR QuickSmart

Leadership opportunities for Year 7:

SRC Battle of the Brains

Clubs, Teams, Groups and Activities include:

Premier’s Reading Challenge Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) Music, Vocal and Instrumental Groups The Chess Club The Games Club (focusing on problem solving and creative solutions) Debating Public Speaking The Environmental Team Amnesty Team Writers Club Gifted and Talented Writing Club Maths Competition English Competition Science Competition History competitions Creative Arts Extravaganza Dance Spectacular Wrap with Love Visual Arts Camp Jump Rope for Heart The Little Theatre Company (Drama Club) Drama productions Australian Business, Community Network Year 10 Leadership mentoring

Sport Activities and Teams include:

Swimming and Athletics carnivals Field Days with other schools

Knock Out Competitions include:

Volleyball Touch football Lawn Bowls Soccer Softball Tennis Netball Basketball Table Tennis Oztag

Additional Activities for senior students:

Taster Days at university Media Team School Magazine Team Sound Room Team STELLAR Editors Numeracy Week Organising Team Sport House Captains Student of the Month Finance Team Representatives Prefects School Captain, Vice Captain and Sports Captain

BIRRONG GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL PARENTS & CITIZENS ASSOCIATION

Parents are invited to attend the

P & C MEETING on Wednesday 16 March 2016 at 5pm in the Common Room

BIRRONG GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL CALENDAR For your diary / noticeboard

March: Monday, 14

th Regional Swimming Carnival

Wednesday, 16

th School Photo Catch up Day

P&C Meeting, Common Room, 5pm

Friday, 18

th Year 7 excursion to Sydney

Royal Agricultural Show Monday, 21

st to Year 8 Swim School

Tuesday, 22nd

Friday, 25

th Good Friday Public Holiday

Monday, 28

th Easter Monday Public Holiday

Tuesday, 29

th to Year 12 Exams

Thursday, 31st

Thursday, 31

st Yr7&8 School Cross Country, p2&3

(Yr9&10 by invitation) April: Friday, 1

st to Year 12 Exams

Friday, 8th

_________________________________________________________ Enjoy the School Holidays!

_________________________________________________________ April: Monday, 25

th ANZAC Day Public Holiday

Tuesday, 26

th School Development Day – for

staff only Wednesday, 27

th All students return to school

Wednesday, 27

th to Year 11 Exams

Friday, 29th

May: Monday, 2

nd to Year 11 Exams

Friday, 6th

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