PARENT & COMMUNITY

NEWSLETTER

T | 4274 0621 F | 4276 2835 A | Military Road Port Kembla NSW

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

This newsletter is a great opportunity to officially welcome Michelle and her team to FISC

as new canteen operators. Michelle has bought in her own style of cooking and revamped the

menu. I can assure you the food is excellent and the students are thoroughly enjoying the wide

variety of goodies she has on offer.

Next term will see our first cohort of HSC Permaculture students complete the HSC in

this course. In fact, they will be the first group of students in the state to perform this feat! The

garden itself is a major drawcard with students often congregating in the area at break time to

socialise and taste some of the products coming directly from the garden. This is extremely

encouraging, as one of the prime objectives of the garden was to generate a space for people to interact and

communicate. This is a direct reflection of the philosophy the permaculture crew has developed. With this in

mind, our sincere thanks to Aaron Sorenson and his team for creating such a positive sharing entity. Finally, a huge

thank you to Lara and Cheyne for their drive, energy and commitment over the past 3 years to make this program

a success.

Our Big Picture students continue to prosper under the alternative learning model. This time last year we

had 2 Big Picture classes and early signs indicated we had installed a successful program. We now have 4 classes

and are considering a 5th class for 2020. It’s great to see more students engage in education as they learn by stud-

ying about their passions. We now have 3 in 5 Big Picture students with an attendance rate above 90%, which is 3

times higher than upon enrolment. Again our thanks to the staff involved in the Big Picture program for the count-

less extra hours they invest in their students to ensure they gain the maximum benefit possible.

Upgrading college facilities continues to take place to ensure it’s a great environment for students to come

and learn. This time last year, external hall renovations were completed along with the interior surface being re-

coated. The hall looks fabulous and often receives positive comments from visitors to FISC. Over the course of

Term 3, the exterior of the main building and some class rooms will be painted in an effort to continue to provide a

great learning area for our students.

Congratulations to all those students offered a place to attend our incentive excursion in the form of a

movie and pizza day this term. Students who have a suitable attendance record and positive behaviour are invited

to attend incentive excursions. These types of excursions are a great opportunity for the college to reward students

who meet college expectations and acknowledge they are taking on the ‘FISC culture’.

Thank you to all parents and carers for your support of the College, and especially to those who attended

Parent Teacher Evening on 21st of May. This was a very successful event with parents meeting staff in our new ga-

zebo situated in the permaculture garden for a BBQ before moving to the library. Research shows parental involve-

ment in their children’s education is a key component for student success. The college is always looking for ways to

incorporate parents in school events and their child’s education. Please contact us any time you wish to receive an

update on your child’s education or consult with the college.

I would like to acknowledge the efforts of all the College staff that work tirelessly to make FISC a great

place for our students to learn. Finally, to all staff and students a have a very happy and safe holiday. Term 3 com-

mences for students on Tuesday 23rd July.

TERM 2, 2019

Aaron Jones

Relieving Principal

FORMER SCHOOL CAPTAIN DAVID HURLEY

The College is delighted to extend its congratulations to General David Hurley on his appointment as Governor General of Australia, after a distinguished term as Governor of NSW. General Hurley is a graduate of Port Kembla High School, the predecessor of Five Islands Secondary College, where the was the School Captain and gained his HSC h in 1971. We hope that in the coming years General Hurley may be able to find time in his busy schedule to visit his alma mater. He can be assured of a very warm welcome.

Student Representative Council Our SRC students have been busy learning about

fundraising, finance, and communication as part of

their leadership development. We welcome stu-

dents to join the SRC and be a part of unique expe-

rience by providing a student voice to the pro-

grams available at FISC. Our weekly SRC announce-

ments have given the students opportunities to

develop communication skills. The Bake sale was a

success with funds going to an environmental

cause. Well done! Calling for SRC representative

from Yr 10, Yr 11 and Big Picture from Andy and

Gordana, SRC Mentors.

PARENT TEACHER NIGHT

Thank you to all the parents that attended the par-ent teacher night. It was an informative evening and great way to work together in providing the best support network for your children’s educa-tion. At FISC we value parent input and recognise the

impact of a positive relationship between staff,

parents and the community. Our permaculture

garden is our welcome space and we encourage

parents that have an interest in contributing to the

garden to come along and meet Aaron Sorensen

our permaculture specialty teacher, Cheyne, Lara

and the crew.

BACK OF THE NET “Back of the Net” an Australian Movie. included screen shots of FISC’s very own Science Lab! Super Disney star, Sofia Wylie, stars as 'Cory Bailey' as a new student at a soccer

academy who is determined to beat her team in the national tournament. Some our students were lucky enough to be part of the action, an exciting opportunity to work with actors and film producers for Nina Bruce and some Big Picture students. A Red carpet opening night hosted by Shellharbour Greater Union Cinema was a sell out!

CONGRATULATIONS General Interest Photography student, Kelly Lewer, is a finalist in the "Wild About Shellharbour" photographic competition with her photograph titled

"Ahead of the Storm". Everyone at FISC wishes Kerry the best of luck in the finals.

MARINE STUDIES

STUDENT SEMINAR In Week 9, the Com-

monwealth Bank pre-

sented their Smart Start

program to some of our

Year 10, 11 and 12 stu-

dents. They learnt

about various aspects of

money including how to save, how to find out how

much you should be paid if you're a casual , tax,

superannuation, investments in shares , property

and term deposits and many more topics dealing

with money.

TAFE FOR A DAY In Week 7 this term, many of our students got to

visit TAFE Wollongong for a Try a Trade Day. Stu-

dents got to try a myriad of Careers including

Barista , Electro technology, Construction, Plumb-

ing, Welding & Fabrication, Bricklaying, Community

Services (Youth Worker) Nursing & Ageing, Animal

Studies, Health, Fitness, Massage, Dental Nursing,

Early Childhood, Automotive Mechanical, Automo-

tive Paint, Panel Beating, Signs & Graphics, Mari-

time, Architectural Drawing, Salon ,Beauty, Floris-

try/Retail jobs, IT, Business, Photography, Hospital-

ity, Tourism and Events, Commercial Cookery, Mu-

sic and Production and Graphic Design.

Year 12 Marine Studies students did their bit for conservation, removing some invasive carp from Coomaditchie Lagoon.

BLACK BOX PARENTING PROGRAM

What Does the Program Cover?

This is not a general parenting program but one specially designed for the challenges of parenting after family disruption or trauma. It is designed for parents who have their own experiences of trauma. It does cover the usual things like setting rules and how to manage behaviour, and it also covers topics such as how things like guilt make it hard to parent. This program uses group discussion to help make sense of relating to and parenting your child. The Black Box format allows us to talk about how things from the past might be affecting our parenting without having to go into detail about what actually happened. About the Program: Black Box Parenting has 5 x 2-hr sessions (with a tea break in the middle). Sessions are every 2 weeks – on the week in between, facilitators touch base with participants individually by phone. When and Where? Location: The Orana Centre (Illawarra Drug & Alcohol Service) at 2 Rawson St, Wollongong. It will commence Wednesday 31st July at 12noon until 2:45pm. How Do I apply? Please contact David St Quintin on 4254 2700 or Kerry Searle on 4254 1600 if you want to apply or have any questions. This group is being run jointly by the Illawarra Drug & Alcohol Service and the Illawarra Mental Health Service.

MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT BUILDING A THINKING CLASSROOM In the Mathematics department we are al-

ways looking to create innovative, sup-

portive learning environments. We wel-

come Daisy, our therapy dog, to join in

some of our lessons. Daisy helped students

“ruffise” their measurement skills while

providing a calm and relaxed learning envi-

ronment.

We use building blocks to explore special

skills and in Spatial thinking. Research has

shown: 'Spatial thinking is critical to mathe-

matical thinking and achievement' At FISC,

we adapt this technique through exploring

the Skyscraper Puzzles.

VERTICAL NON-PERMANENT SURFACES! In recent years, student engagement has become a priority in the classroom. In fact, nothing is cooler than seeing stu-dents engaged in solving problems and fig-uring things out. And it's all about letting students: Make Mistakes, Collaborate and Work Mathe-matically.

FISC PERMACULTURE NEWS

Winter is well and truly here now, but that hasn’t stopped our awesome students and community volunteers from getting out and about in the garden. They have been busy rebuilding the no-dig beds and planting our winter crop of broccoli, cauliflower, beet-

root and plenty of greens. Lunch with Aaron in the garden has become a major draw card on Wednesdays now, with plenty of good food and lots of laughs. Staff and students are welcome to come

along and join in, Lunch 2 every Wednesday in the outdoor kitchen area. The garden is looking fantastic at the moment so if you have some spare time or just

want to clear your mind, come down and take a walk around.

CAREERS On Tuesday 7th May, over 55 FISC students took the opportunity to attend the

Illawarra Schools Careers Expo. Students had the opportunity to explore post school options and over 100 service

Providers, including UOW and TAFE Illawarra, were there to answer all questions. FISC students said that the day was overwhelmingly positive.

On Tuesday 11th June, Big Picture students and staff went on an excursion to the Shoalhaven Zoo and Treetops Adventure Park.

Students with a love and passion for animals were given the opportunity to walk around the zoo, to look at the animals, and participate in the wildlife walks. Students were also treated to an 'Animal Experience' where a zoo keeper gave a private show. During this time students were able to get up

close and personal with a wombat, crocodile, alligator, and several snakes. Students with a passion for the outdoors and the thrill of adrenalin experi-enced the Trees Adventure. During this time students participated in climb-

ing, ropes courses, and flying foxes amongst the trees and cliffs. Students tested their will on courses from 2m to 40m high and all had a great time.

Overall, the excursion was a tremendous day and the staff and students had a great time in and amongst the cliff faces of the Shoalhaven River. Definite-

ly one we will continue in future years in Big Picture.

eSMART

Technology, the associated risks and ways to identify them are continually c hanging, particularly as students progress through their school years.

The eSmart Digital Licence education program teaches students about current and changing online risks, as well as how to best manage them. It embraces the best

of technology, while reducing its associated risks. Five Islands Secondary College is working towards becoming an eSMART school.

Student have now began the process of qualifying for their eSMART licences.

SCHOOL INCENTIVE EXCURSION

MOVIE MARATHON AND PIZZA FISC incentivises students with a fantastic reward program that sees eligible students

enjoy an end of term excursion. Students are rewarded for great attendance and

exemplary behaviour.

This term students enjoyed a day out at Movie Marathon and Pizza.