from the principal’s desk...nhulunbuy high school’s over the top tour 2015 thursday, june 19,...
TRANSCRIPT
T: (08) 8987 0844 E: [email protected] PO Box 1096
W: http://web.ntschools.net/w/nhs/Pages/Home.aspx Nhulunbuy NT 0881
Newsletter 12 June 2014 Issue 16
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S
DESK As Semester 1 finishes, and we take a well-deserved break, it is a good opportunity to stop and reflect on what we have achieved. Despite numerous public holidays in Term 2, we have packed in a good deal of learning and the student’s achieve-
ment reports will reflect the progress they have made. Staff at school are taking stock, looking at our student outcomes and teaching programs, and questioning what’s worked or not and why? How can we do it better? Last night the School Council hosted a very successful information sharing session with over 50 current and pro-spective Nhulunbuy High School parents. Following a presentation of information regarding our current and fu-ture programs at our school, we used a café- style format to share and collect many ideas, questions, concerns and opportunities, from parents, regarding how we currently do business, we want your ideas on how we can respond to the changes impacting in our community and school. Also in attendance was the Director for Schools in the Arnhem Region, Bryan Hughes, and Joanne Schilling, representative from the Council of Government Schools Organisations (COGSO). We will be collating the infor-mation and will provide a report for the next school coun-cil, and follow up with an article for the Arafura Times. A key message I was able to convey is that we will con-tinue to offer very strong, high quality, academic pro-grams in both the Middle and Senior Schools in 2015. This is based on our current and predicted enrolments and the best knowledge we have (provided by you) re-garding families planning to leave Nhulunbuy over the next six months. Some parents were very surprised, and reassured to see that our predicted enrolment indicates that we will have a larger Yr 12 class in 2015 than this year. You will receive a report on your child’s achievement across all learning at school over Semester 1. Please consider the achievement grades and comments from your child’s teachers, based on the evidence of your child's efforts and learning. Make contact with the teach-er, Assistant Principal or myself, if there are any aspects you want to clarify, question or comment on. It would be
good to hear your thoughts. For students it is especially important to reflect on the habits of mind that lead to success. Are they coming to classes well organized? Are they ready to have a go at learning (problem solving creativity and critical thinking takes effort as well as inspiration!) and be prepared to complete work to the best of their ability? When students return after the school holidays we are hoping to see many well rested students ready to do just that! There has been an increase in the number of students bringing energy drinks to school, including Red Bull and other similar products. Please read the information pro-vided in this newsletter regarding the health risks. For this reason they are banned from school. Students failing to respect our school rules must accept the consequenc-es. As this is the last newsletter for the term, I would like to acknowledge a number of staff who are leaving us. Den-ise Marrable will be taking extended leave, and moving to Queensland. Denise has made a great contribution as classroom teacher, Senior Teacher and Assistant Princi-pal. We will miss her tremendously but wish her the very best in her new life beyond Nhulunbuy! Naomi Brennan is also leaving Nhulunbuy, taking a transfer to relocate with her family to Groote Eylandt. The students there are very lucky to be getting as fine a teacher as Naomi is! Naomi has also made a very significant contribution in various leadership roles. Thanks Naomi and best of luck on Groote! A number of Administration and support staff are also saying goodbye. Paige Porrett and Len Britton have made a huge difference to the lives of many students in our school, working as Inclusion Support Assistants, in many classrooms across the school, and now it’s time for both of them to move on. We thank them sincerely for all they have done, and wish them both good luck! In the Front Office we farewell Alix Betts (School Secretary) and Sarah Mitchell (SAMS Operator) both of whom have tak-en up new career opportunities here in Nhulunbuy. Thanks so much for all your efforts and best wishes to you both!!
Sabina Smith
Meeting the Royal Couple Being chosen as one of the nine Territory students to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was a huge honor for me. I had never been to Alice Springs, nor Uluru before this trip, which made the experience much more exciting. I arrived in Alice Springs at about 2 o’clock in the afternoon, and about two hours after that I was in jeans and a jumper; freezing cold. The first night was an early one, because we all had to be up at 5AM for the long six hour drive to Yulara. Just before arriving in Yulara, we saw Uluru from miles away, which was an amazing sight. We had two hours to freshen up and have a quick lunch before going to the Cultural Centre near the base of Ulu-ru. Once we arrived, we walked past many awaiting fans into the centre to watch a traditional dance from the traditional landowners of Uluru with both Will and Kate who were seated three rows in front of
the other students and myself. Once the dancing was finished, we were escorted to the top level of the Cultural Centre by Adam Giles to meet the Royal Couple. At first I was really nervous to meet the couple, but once we all started talking it was obvious how lovely and kind they are. There were many other important people standing in the same room, though Kate and Will stood and talked to the group of students for about 30 minutes before they were chaperoned to the base of Uluru for a tour walk. After the couple left, it was to our understanding that we (the group of stu-dents) were going to watch the sunset at Uluru by ourselves, to our surprise we were joined by Kate and Will for another hour. They watched the sunset with us, and engaged us in more conversation. It was such a privilege to stand within centimetres of the Royal Couple and have a conversation. Definitely something I will never forget, and some-
thing I could never thank the school and Northern Territo-ry Government enough for.
Senior School News This is a busy time of year for our Senior School students as assessment folios are finalised with many exams, in-vestigations and assignment work being completed. Students should be prioritising their time, using their study plan-ners and seeking additional help from their teachers. Consistent and regular attendance at all classes is vital at this time. Assistance is available for any students needing help with time management, study plans or concerns – ask Mrs Beauchamp, Ms. Hill or Kasey at any time. Stage 1 students have had interviews regarding subject selections for Semester 2. Parents and guardians will re-ceive a letter highlighting these choices. These choices include current subject offerings with additional options such as Certificate in ICT, Workplace Practices and Community Studies, in addition to a range of correspondence sub-jects. Please feel free to call to discuss any aspect of this information. A number of Year 10 and 11 students will be completing Work Experience in Week 10. This is a key component of the PLP subject – Personal Learning Plans and successful completion of this subject is a requirement for NTCET completion. We hope the students enjoy the experiences in their chosen workplaces. Congratulations to Year 11 students – Tayla Benn and Emily Hughes – on their VET Award nominations –Well done Girls! The final round of Senior School merits is this week. Those students able to consistently demonstrate a focused effort and positive attitude across all subjects alongside of regular attendance and respectful behaviour will be awarded a merit. Students who have received a merit in every round to date will receive a Principal’s Award for out-standing and sustained effort and cooperation. For some of our Senior Students this will be their final semester at Nhulunbuy High School. We wish them well in their new endeavours and hope that they take with them many fond memories of their time at Nhulunbuy High. Please feel free to contact me at any time to discuss any aspect of the Senior School. Jodie Beauchamp
KINGS AT NHULUNBUY HIGH SCHOOL!
On Wednesday 14 May, Hayden Rickard, who is the Healthy Lifestyle Co-ordinator for Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation brought the Kings to Nhulunbuy High School. Timothy Hudson, the Sydney Kings assistant coach put our students through their paces on the basketball court and James Trustum, an up-and-coming Kings player spoke to students about the road to becoming an elite athlete and some of the lifestyle choices that he has had to make to make it as a big time basketball player. Matthew Sonter, a former Australian Rugby 7s representative, and Ziggy Fatnowna, the Gapuwiyak Healthy Lifestyle Worker, were also on hand to make it an interesting and valuable learning experience for our students.
VET Training Awards Tayla Benn and Emily Hughes have both been successful in becoming finalists in the
Vet in School Student of the Year category for the 2014 Northern Territory Training Awards. This event celebrates excellence and achievement in Vocational Education and Training. Both students completed an application where they had to address crite-
ria; Tayla’s was focused around Hospitality and Emily’s was focused around Business. Both students will attend a finalist’s weekend in Darwin 21 – 23 June, where they will be involved in a number of activities including team build-ing, and public speaking. They will also be interviewed by the judging panel. They then attend the gala event which is held in Darwin on the 13 September where runners-up and winners are announced. We wish both girls all the best and look forward to the results.
The last round of School Based Immunisation Program will occur at Nhulunbuy High School on 22 September.
If you would like a copy of your child’s record of immunisations given in the Northern Territory, contact Tracy 89870826 and she may be able to get it from the NT registry.
Immunisation Records
Emily Hughes
Tayla Benn
Message from the Health Promoting School Nurse..
Please be reminded that high energy/caffeine drinks are NOT allowed in Northern Territory schools.
These are classified as RED as per the school policy. They contain excess energy (kilojoules) and / or saturat-ed fat and / or salt and / or sugar and are low in nutrition-al value. Examples are soft drinks, confectionery and any fruit juice item less than 99% juice. Including RED BULL, V, Monster & Mother.
http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/sites/default/files/Caffeine%20and%20Energy%20Drinks.pdf
OVER THE TOP TOUR 2015!
INFORMATION EVENING
for
Nhulunbuy High School’s
Over the Top Tour 2015
THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014
Community Library 7:30pm
Students currently in Year 9, 10 and 11, their
parents and interested community members
are invited to a end this mee ng.
NHS VEGGIE GARDEN
Students of Nhulunbuy High School have been working very hard to establish their very own veggie garden. Materials have been donat-ed, sourced and supplied by many generous community organisa-tions. Students from Middle School Science have been sifting dirt to re-move the rocks and wheel-barrowing it to the garden beds. Year 7 have been examining the soil content as the unit of work for Term 2 has been on the rock cycle. They correctly located many sedimen-tary, igneous and metamorphic rocks in the soil. Year 8 students have been working on the unit of cells. They will be extending some of this unit into Term 3 when they start planting seeds. Year 10 stu-dents have been working on area and volume and will be investigat-
ing the cubic metres of dirt involved. This will count towards their final mark for Numeracy. The VET Hospitality students can’t wait to have fresh produce to use in the café!! The Annex students need the most praise for their enormous ef-fort in gathering the matting, constructing the garden beds, shov-eling soil and fertilising the beds ready for planting. The next stage involves the roof going up, the watering system being cre-ated and the hydroponics unit being built. Keep watching this space!
Cassie Duykers
Middle School News
NAPLAN During Week 5, students in Years 7 and 9 took part in National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) testing. It was great to see all students trying their hardest on the tests and following test conditions. The school will re-ceive data from the tests in September/October, and it will be used by the school to identify areas on which to focus on in class, in terms of knowledge and skills. Schools are now able to look at student progress data across multiple levels of schooling to help identify students with specific learning needs. Focus on the ‘Four Bs’ Nhulunbuy High School prides itself on a school-wide positive behaviour approach, and as part of this, students are sur-rounded by messages of the ‘Four Bs’: Be Kind, Be Ready, Be Respectful and Be Safe. Signs are placed around the school as a reminder for students, and teachers to regularly talk to students about what the Four Bs look like in their classroom. When teachers identify students as having followed one of the Four Bs particularly well, they give students house tokens (kindly prepared by students from the Special Education Annex) that give them valuable points for their house as well as a ticket in the draw for an iTunes voucher at assembly. In addition, during Weeks 5 and 10, students are presented with Merit Awards if they have been consistently following the Four Bs in all of their classes. Each teacher determines whether their students are following the Four Bs, and the infor-mation is collated. Students who receive merit awards should be congratulated on their positive behaviour in all of their classes. As an additional reward, students who have received merit awards at all four occasions this semester will re-ceive a Principal’s Award in assembly during Week 10. Reports During Week 10, parents of Middle School students will receive a report on their progress in all subjects they have taken in Semester 2. Students receive A-E grades based on the achievement standard from the Australian Curriculum or Northern Territory Curriculum Framework. For Mathematics, English, Science, PE and History, students have been learn-ing topics based on the Australian Curriculum which means that their learning is equivalent to anywhere in Australia. Par-ents/guardians are invited to organise interviews in person, over the phone or by email if they wish to discuss their child’s progress. Teachers can be contacted through the school office, or by email:
[email protected] Alternatively, I am happy to meet with parents if there are concerns in more than one subject. New Staff In Term 2, Nhulunbuy High School has welcomed two new teaching staff in the middle school. Sophie Grambeau comes from Kyneton in Victoria, and she is passionate about teaching Psychology and Social Scienc-es. She loves travelling, and an interesting fact about Sophie is that she can’t roll her tongue! Tim Richards comes from Belgrave which is in the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria. He loves the fact that teaching ena-bles him to help people ignite their passion for learning and life. He has a maths and physics background, and one of his hobbies is making chainmaille armour! A number of teaching and support staff will be leaving at the end of Semester 1, and we wish them luck in their new en-deavours. Upcoming events:
Cross Country – Wednesday 18 June Garma Festival – Friday 1 – Monday 4 August Motivational Media – Monday 25 August Careers Expo (Town Hall – Year 9 students only) – Monday 25 August
Heather McGee (Senior Teacher Middle School) [email protected]
If you have changed your contact details, phone numbers,
address or emails, please advise the school administra on
staff. Phone 8987 0844 .
Email: [email protected]
Important Dates to Remember Parent Contact Details
Mid-year semester break June 23—July 18
SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETINGS FOR 2014
Wednesday 13 August
Wednesday 10 August
Wednesday 29 October
Attendance and Learning
The table below outlines the impact of regular non-attendance on a child’s education and progress. It provides very in-teresting food for thought. We’re asking for your help in making sure that your child attends everyday and is ready to learn.
Holidays
Increasingly, we receive requests from parents to take students on holidays during the school term. This is a problem for all students, but especially for those in the Senior Years (Yrs10-12). We ask that you restrict your family’s travel to holiday periods. We understand that there are sometimes family situations that require some variation to this but we urge you to look at your child’s assessment schedule before making any bookings, and seek advice from the school. Any absence from school for an extended period requires a formal request to school.
Staff Contacts
Sabina Smith [email protected]
Karen Hill [email protected]
Rhoda Shine [email protected]
Damian Alahakoon [email protected]
Jodie Beauchamp [email protected]
David Brumby [email protected]
Tara Canobie [email protected]
Sarah Carlile [email protected]
Cassandra Duykers [email protected]
Jason Dyson [email protected]
Sophie Grambeau [email protected]
Olivia Johansson [email protected]
Denise Marrable [email protected]
Leeshay Marsh [email protected]
Heather McGee [email protected]
Don McKinnon [email protected]
Chis Middleton [email protected]
Kyle Middleton [email protected]
Jodie Nunn [email protected]
Marlene Organ [email protected]
Christine Parfitt [email protected]
Timothy Richards [email protected]
Eliza Skinner [email protected]
Wendy Troe [email protected]
Lawrence Walker [email protected]