School Events 14-16 May NAPLAN tests Years 7 & 9 15 May P&C Meeting 16 May Year 7 Scripture 29-31 May Year 7 Camp 30 May Year 8 Scripture 4 June Science Competition 5 June Athletics Carnival

Erina High

Erina News

13 May 2013

Issue 4

Welcome back to term 2. I hope students and staff have had a wonderful holiday and enjoyed time with family and friends. Term 2 is always a busy time with the culmination of the semester one assessment and reporting period. Year 11 have just completed their half yearly examinations and I encourage students to seek feedback from their Teachers to identify areas of improvement. Year 12 are getting closer to their trial HSC exams and should be setting aside time each night to study and prepare for these very important exams that form a significant component of their assessment mark. I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new Head Teacher Ms Lena Jansons who will be responsible for the HSIE KLA (Human Society and Its Environment, Key Learning Area). The courses in this KLA include History, Geography, Commerce, Legal Studies, Business Studies, Ancient and Modern History. Ms Jansons joins us from Galston High School and is a welcome addition to Erina, congratulations on your appointment. Our new timetable is now operational and I would like to thank staff, students and parents for being so accommodating with these changes. It was a difficult process to make such significant staffing reductions and ensure minimal impact and I am very appreciative of staff, parents’ and students’ understanding and support as we worked through this process. This week all students in years 7 and 9 will sit the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy and will participate in tests in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy over the next three days. Staff have been providing opportunities for students to practice their literacy and numeracy skills in preparation for the tests and students are expected to make a genuine and serious attempt during each test so an accurate measure of their ability at this point in time can be determined. The data from these tests is vital to our school to identify the success of programs implemented to improve our students’ skill level in literacy and numeracy as well as guide future teaching and learning programs. Further information regarding NAPLAN can be found at: www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au The Erina High School leadership team as well as students from the junior school proudly supported the community by attending local ANZAC services. I was very pleased to see our students participate in these commemorations and show their deep respect for our men and women in the armed forces who fought for their country with so many making the ultimate sacrifice with their lives.

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Congratulations and thank you to Charlotte Levi, Leigh Hughes, Dean Santi, Alicia Scott, Jayne Upston, Charlie Fraser, Christine Bootes, Cassidy Creevey, Claudia McNaught, Tim Morris, Bayhan Baydar, Abbey Douglas, Amelia and Harley Lynch. Erina High School also commemorated ANZAC day in a very moving ceremony facilitated by our Vice Captain Alicia Scott. Thank you to Ms Johnson for her organisational skills in ensuring the ANZAC tradition is highly valued at our school. Congratulations to Aaron Dudman in year 7 who recently achieved state level of Little Athletics competition for his high jump and 100m. Aaron finished 9th in the state for high jump (145cms) and 4th in the state for under 12 100metres (12.69 seconds). Well done Aaron!! Congratulations to Lindsay Pike - Year 9 who has recently changed his braces to a lovely shade of pink to raise money for breast cancer awareness and research. He will be accepting donations for the next couple of months but hopes to raise $200 before Mother's Day. See EHS Facebook page for further information on Lindsay's cause and let’s get behind this very worthy cause. Staff have recently participated in two professional learning days to prepare for the introduction of the Australian curriculum. Our focus has been on developing a scope and sequence for the courses to commence next year in English, Mathematics, Science and History. The other curriculum areas were refining stage 4 teaching and learning programs to ensure a strong focus on literacy and adjustments to cater for the broad range of learners. Erina High School is committed to making teaching and learning our main focus and ensure we are providing every opportunity for students to be successful. One of our sessions was a presentation by Marj Kong and Pam McAlister (recently retired secondary Principals - Mrs Kong well known at Erina!!) who presented research from a local high school about student engagement and identified areas that we can adopt to better motivate and support 21st century learners to achieve their full learning potential. This was a most valuable session for our staff. At a recent conference I attended I enjoyed a presentation by Michael McQueen, social researcher and author who provided valuable insight into how generation Y learn. I have attached some articles that may be of interest to parents when managing and working with this generation of young people. Further information can be located at the following website www.TheNexgenGroup.com I am pleased to advise that our new trade training centre is nearing completion. This facility meets industry standards for the Vocational and training course in construction and is a fantastic resource for our school. We are looking to move in to the space before the end of the term. Looking forward to another successful term of teaching and learning at Erina High School. Yours Sincerely, Mrs Karen Nicol Principal

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BILL TURNER CUP 15 YEARS BOYS Erina High's 15 years Boys soccer team had a convincing win over Henry Kendall High School 9-3 in the Qualifying round. Jameson Flynn was devastating in front of goal scoring 7. Blake Storm was rewarded for his consistency with 2 impressive goals. The highlight of the team’s win was undoubtedly the high level of teamwork and commitment shown by all players. Well done Boys - it was a fantastic effort and one you should be well proud of. Next game will be round 1 against Gosford High School. B Huntington Co-ordinator

CROSS COUNTRY AGE CHAMPIONS

Special Mention to Peta Gillon from the 14 years age group and Jameson Flynn from the 15 years age group who had the fastest times over 3km for all of the age divisions. Well done to all of our excellent runners. The Zone carnival is to be held at Adcock Park on Friday the 24th of May.

Grant Keyes Sports Organiser

AGE MALE FEMALE

12 years Jack Smith Tahlia Nugent

13 years Lachlan Walter Bronte Fenech

14 years Shane Annabel Peta Gillon

15 years Jameson Flynn Olivia Mostaert

16 years Zac Cox Emma Lowe

17+ years Nathan Lovegrove Beth Lowe

WARNING Police have advised a young male is approaching and harassing young girls at Erina Fair, please ensure girls are safe and always with a group of people.

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OPEN BOYS LAWN BOWLS Well done to our Lawn Bowls side who competed in the CHS knockout competition. Our team consisted of Ethan Brown, Eamon Snow and Eric Furlonger. The boys won their first round match against Tuggerah Lakes 12-6 at Mingara. Unfortunately the boys were narrowly defeated by Kincumber in round 2, but the boys never gave up and were always in the match.

UNDER 14'S RUGBY LEAGUE Well done to the under 14's rugby league side who recently competed in the annual Buckley Shield which was held at Erina oval. The boys tried extremely hard all day against much larger sides and managed a great win against Kariong High School. A special mention to Josh Towler and Zac Cox who volunteered their time to be trainers for the day. All the boys represented Erina with pride. Well done boys.

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ANZAC DAY Anzac Day is acknowledged nationwide every year to commemorate the tremendous efforts and sacrifices our Australian servicemen and servicewomen have made in previous wars, and ongoing conflicts, in order to maintain our safe and civil lifestyle we are granted with in this great country. On the 25th of April Erina High School was proudly represented at four Anzac Day services in our local community by members of the Senior Leadership Team accompanied by Mrs Nicol, Mr Sweeney and Mr Jackson. Dean Santi, Claudia McNaught and I represented our school at the Terrigal dawn service right on the beachside where we were called upon to lay a wreath underneath the war monument to pay our respects to the soldiers and civilians who have made the ultimate sacrifice at war. Although it was rather early and brisk on the water’s edge, the turn out from the general public attending the dawn service was incredible which made it even more of an honour to be a part of such a respectful and meaningful service in our local community. Alicia Scott on behalf of the Senior Leadership Team

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SCIENCE HOMEWORK Year 7 and 8 students will be bringing home a homework task each second week. Students will have one week to complete the task and hand it in for marking. Your teacher will mark and provide written feedback on the homework task returning it in the second week. Each task will then have a two week turn around. We encourage active parent participation to assist students with their homework and also to monitor their efforts. Your involvement may simply be a case of asking what the task is and showing you when it is completed. We are aware of the busy schedules we all have and have designed each individual task to be a support to what is happening in the classroom, developing literacy, numeracy and Science method skills. Homework tasks are not meant to detract from normal study time but to enhance it. Homework tasks will be placed on the school website for student access. If you have any concerns please contact me. Regards, Brian Huntington Head Teacher Science

YEAR 12 FUNDRAISER – EASTER EGG RAFFLE As a fellow student of Year 12, my year is busy finishing our final year of high school and completing our HSC, so I personally know that the last thing we want to be worrying about is the cost of our Year 12 Formal ticket! Fundraising is essential in our final year as we try and reduce the cost of our formal and also to purchase a worthy gift for the school as a thank you for a fulfilling and prosperous education. Mrs Scott of the Arts Faculty came up with the simple yet effective idea of holding an Easter egg raffle in order to raise money for our Year 12 Formal. The majority of year 12 students donated a chocolate Easter bunny or Easter egg which made up the five prizes to be won by students and staff at Erina High School. The response was astonishing; the amount of tickets sold raised $455.65 which will go directly to cutting down our formal tickets. Congratulations to the winners of the Easter egg raffle: 1st Veronika Lawson – Year 9 2nd Mrs Serrano – English Department 3rd Caitlin Booker – Year 7 4th Nick Patsianas – Year 10 5th Lauren Connor – Year 11 I’d like to say a huge thank you to Mrs Scott for coming up with the fantastic idea for a raffle and putting together all five bundles. Also, thanks to Shelley McRohan, Tiana McRohan, Telisha Kelso, Dean Santi, Angela Redden, Olivia Rowe, Jayne Upston, Elise Boland, Grace Felsch and myself for giving time to the school and selling all those raffle tickets. Alicia Scott, Vice Captain

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The World of Maths Roadshow will be at Erina High School this Term on Thursday 13th June. This show will give the students the opportunity to participate in a presentation of fun and educational, hands-on, problem solving activities. Students from Year 7 & Year 8 will have the first opportunity to pay and thereby allow them to attend. Students have been given a handout outlining the necessary information. It is hoped that there will be an opportunity for Year 9 to

attend also, but this will depend on the number of Year 7 & 8 students participating. This is a commercial enterprise and students will need to pay $6 to take part on the day. Students who do not choose to be involved will remain in normal lessons on a modified timetable. This Roadshow comes highly recommended and gives students the chance to work with real life mathematics.

Australian Maths Competition This competition is open to students from across Australia and is run in 3 levels (Junior – Years 7 & 8, Intermediate – Years 9 & 10 and Senior – Years 11 & 12). This is a very prestigious competition and a good way to gauge how good at Maths students are performing. The date (1st August) for this competition is rapidly approaching and students need to pay their money ($5) at the office and let Mr Knight know they wish to participate. It is critical that these nominations are done as soon as possible.

After-school Maths Assistance Each Wednesday afternoon till 4:30pm Mr Wellham is available in F6 to assist students with problem questions. This is NOT a private tutoring one on one session but a chance to get help with questions that the students are struggling with in class or at home. Students need to arrive with questions that they want help with and NOT turn up saying I can't do Maths!!! Mr Wellham Head Teacher Mathematics

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8MA TRIGONOMETRY 8MA late last term were given a Trigonometry Assignment. Many students were initially apprehensive and confused about the work. However, their engagement and determination to complete the task has been a delight to see. The effort this class have put into understanding and completing the task has been outstanding. Many students have been asking Mrs Chand for assistance and using computers during break time to complete the task. Erina High is very proud of students who strive to excel as these year 8 students are doing. Well done! Mr Wellham Head Teacher, Mathematics

EHS MATHS PROBLEMS OF THE MONTH

Problem 1 In an athletics carnival, 10 packets of chocolates were placed on the ground 3 metres apart, the first being 3 metres from a basket. If the basket and all the chocolates are in a straight line, how far does an athlete travel that starts from the basket and brings all the chocolates to the basket one by one? Problem 2 One day in the past, the following statements were true: Today Moses was 18 years old. The day before yesterday, he was 17 Next year, he will turn 20. He was not born on the 29th of February, and his age is given in human and Earthly years. He does not age at a different pace from anyone else like what might be the case with someone who travels to Mars. How can you explain these contradictions?

This contest is open to all students from year 7 to 12. Bring your solutions to the mathematics staffroom, see Mr Wellham or Mr Bangura. The first student to bring a correct solution to any of the two problems will receive a prize. The name of the winner will be printed in the next Newsletter.

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ENGLISH/DRAMA NEWS The English/Drama Department welcomes back everybody to Term 2, 2013 and appreciates the smooth transition of the students to their new timetables. Term 2 is a very busy time so students should be rereading their Course Booklets (issued at the beginning of the year), making a note of the due dates for all upcoming Assessment Tasks and giving themselves enough time to revise their work. In English, Years 7 to 10 have all started their new Unit of Work – Film Study. All students are preparing for their in-class Viewing and Listening Assessment Task which involves the close study of visual literacy and film techniques. A range of films are being studied. Year 7 are studying Animation and viewing The Lost Thing; Year 8 are viewing Remember The Titans; Year 9 are viewing the documentary 30 Days; and, Year 10 are studying The Blind Side. Years 8, 9 and 10 are scheduled to have their in-class Assessment Task in Week 4, whilst Year 7 will complete theirs in Week 5. Year 11 Advanced students are studying Ted Hughes’ poetry while Standard students have commenced their new Unit of Work which is Image-Looking at Visual Texts and will have as their Assessment Task, a Visual Representation due in Week 5. Year 12 Advanced students are studying Hamlet while Standard students have started their Close Study of Text which is the novel Briar Rose by Jane Yolen. Both are working towards their Assessment Task which will be preparing and presenting a Speech. In Drama, Year 9 have started their Unit of Work on Physical Theatre and have an Assessment Task due in Week 5 which will be a written Essay on various Dramatic Practitioners and associated concepts; they are also working towards their Practical Assessment Task due in Week 9. Year 10 are preparing for their Political Theatre Assessment Task at the end of the term (Week 9). Year 11 students are working on their Director’s Portfolios – Summer of the Aliens by Louis Nowra. Year 12 students are working on the HSC Practical Component. All of the Term 1 English and Drama Assessment Tasks have been finalised and the results are presently being returned to the students. On Monday, 2 May, 2013, thirty senior students from Year 11 and 12 Drama travelled by train to Central Station with Ms Johnson and Miss Kearney to see Tom Holloway’s play Forget Me Not at the Belvoir Street Theatre, Surry Hills. By all accounts, the play was a very moving performance and the audience responded well. Ms Johnson and Miss Kearney were extremely impressed with the maturity and excellent behaviour displayed by all of the students who attended. At the beginning of the year, all Year 7 – 10 students were issued with a Literacy Booklet which they complete in class for one lesson per week. The exercises are based on building grammatical skills and include spelling lists. These lessons are integral to the study of English at Erina High School and will strengthen and further develop students’ skills across all subjects studied at school. It is also very important that students develop their literacy skills as wide readers. We would encourage all students to participate in at least 30 minutes of reading per night. The school library has numerous books available to borrow, to suit all tastes.

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There is currently a University of New South Wales English competition running called ICAS. It is based on writing and comprehension skills. Please check the English/Drama noticeboard which is outside the Faculty Staffroom for details or see Mr Riley. Good luck! If you would like to discuss any matter, please do not hesitate to contact me, Mr Mark Chapman, Head Teacher, English/Drama, or your child’s classroom teacher, on 4367 7353.

ICAS The International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) is providing an opportunity for all students in Years 7 to 12 to gain a measure of their own achievement in an external testing situation. It provides teachers, parents and students with comprehensive reporting of results in the areas of English. All students receive a certificate and an individual student report indicating which questions they answered correctly and their score compared with the rest of the students tested. The tests are an excellent preparation for national tests and the student report is useful for highlighting your child’s strengths and weaknesses. The certificate and individual student report are also suitable for your child to include in a portfolio. Certificates are awarded for each year level as follows: High Distinction to the top 1% of entrants Distinction to the next 10% of entrants Credit to the next 25% of entrants Participation to all other participating students.

All students who are interested should contact Mr Riley in the English staffroom during the school recess and lunch breaks. The cost to undertake the test is $8.80 per student, and can be paid at the front office. The date of the exam is July 31st and all entries must be in before the 3rd of July. Mr Riley, Coordinator

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NAPLAN – YEARS 7 and 9

The NAPLAN tests will be conducted in Week 3 – Tuesday May 14 – Thursday May 16. What is NAPLAN? The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual national assessment for all students in Years 7 and 9. All students in these year levels are expected to participate in tests in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. All government and non-government education authorities have contributed to the development of NAPLAN materials. Why do students do NAPLAN tests? NAPLAN is the measure through which governments, education authorities, schools, teachers and parents can determine whether or not young Australians are meeting important educational outcomes in literacy and numeracy. The tests provide parents and schools with an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests. They also provide schools, states and territories with information about how education programs are working and which areas need to be prioritised for improvement. NAPLAN tests are one aspect of the school’s assessment and reporting process, and do not replace the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about each student’s performance.

Students will be undertaking NAPLAN preparation in English and Maths classes. They will also be given time to practice NAPLAN style questions in roll call classes. What happens if my child is absent from school on test days? Wherever possible, schools will organise for individual students who are absent at the time of testing to complete missed tests at another time during testing week. Individual students are not permitted to sit tests on Friday 17 May.

Tuesday14 May Wednesday15 May Thursday16 May

Year 7 Language Conventions 45 minutes  

Writing 40 minutes

Reading 65 minutes

Numeracy Calculator 40 minutes  

Non-calculator 40 minutes

Year 9 Language Conventions 45 minutes  

Writing 40 minutes

Reading 65 minutes

Numeracy Calculator 40 minutes  

Non-calculator 40 minutes

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Will I receive a report on my child’s performance? A NAPLAN report will be issued by your school later in the year. The same report format is used for every student in Australia. The school will notify you when the reports are being sent home. If you do not receive a report, you should contact the school. Individual student results are strictly confidential. How are NAPLAN test results used? • Schools use results to identify strengths and weaknesses in teaching programs and to set

goals in literacy and numeracy; • School systems use results to review programs and support offered to schools; • Students and parents may use individual results to discuss progress with teachers; • Teachers use results to help them better identify students who require greater challenges

or additional support; and • The community can see average school NAPLAN results on the My School website. Where can I get more information? For more information about NAPLAN: • visit www.nap.edu.au • contact Mr Mark Chapman on 43677353.

LOOKING FOR HELP? Managing depression One in four kids over 12 has symptoms of depression. Would you know what to look for and how to help? Don't be afraid, ask your child how they are feeling and keep communicating with them. Find out more: http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/wellbeing/health/managing-depression-in-children Financial literacy Does your child need help with business and economics? Here’s info on credit cards, how to be responsible spenders and savers, and make consumer choices. Find out more: http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/homework-and-study/other-subjects-and-projects/business-and-economics/credit-cards Technology-savvy girls We know our girls are just as techno-savvy as boys - so why do you think they're not pursuing careers in technology? Read how Silicon Valley is opening the gate for girls and making them consider technology studies. http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/opening-a-gateway-for-girls-to-enter-the-computer-field/?hp Help with ratios Homework is full of tricky maths questions. Brush up on some of the maths terms your child uses in the classroom. This glossary gives straightforward explanations and illustrated examples. Find out more: http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/homework-and-study/maths/maths-a-to-z

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ADVERTISING/COMMUNITY NOTICES

ADD/ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome and Learning Disorders Seminar Venue: Niagara Park Community Centre, 16 Washington Ave, Niagara Park Date: Saturday, 18 May 2013 Time: 9.00am for 9.30am - 4.30pm Cost: $30 parents/$50 professionals Morning and afternoon tea are included. For more information: Phone: 0412 003 283 or 0488 724 554 Email: addvanceinc@gmail.com

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SOUTHERN CROSS CULTURAL EXCHANGE is seeking volunteer host families to host international exchange students arriving in July 2013. For more information phone 1800 500 501 or email robert.l@scce.com.au or visit www.scce.com.au

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AUTISM ASPERGER’S SYNDROME Teaching Strategies & Behaviour Support Workshop For Teachers / Assistants, Parents, Carers, Service Providers, and Therapists Venue: Gosford RSL, West Gosford Date: Saturday 1st June 2013 Time: 9:30am – 3:30pm Doors open at 9:00am Enquiries: For further information and registration contact: Peta Mattocks - rptd@bigpond.com

WORLD EDUCATION PROGRAM AUSTRALIA (WEP) is a non-profit student exchange organisation and is conducting a number of student exchange information sessions and open days. For more information regarding the program phone 1300 884 733 or email info@wep.org.au

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E r i n a H i g h S c h o o l A caring community committed to excellence in education

152 The Entrance Road ERINA NSW 2260 http://www.erina-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/

Phone: 4367 7353 or 4367 7246 F: 4365 3086 E-mail: erina-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

MUNA 2013 – ERINA EXCELS Once again Erina High has excelled in the Model United Nations Assembly. MUNA is a debating/public speaking competition in which teams of three students debate resolutions from the perspective of their chosen country. The competition is fierce with 21 student teams from Central Coast schools including Gosford Selective School and local private schools competing. Our brilliant senior team: Alicia Scott, Dean Santi and Leigh Hughes put in a spectacular performance representing India and won second place. Our junior team: Leticia Lihou, Veronika Lawson and Nischala McDonnell performed equally as well representing Egypt, they received special mention for their excellent team work and passionate delivery. Congratulations to these fine ambassadors for our great school.