PARKES HIGH SCHOOL

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I S S U E 3 - W E E K 6 T E R M 1 2 0 2 0

Phone : 6862 1844 Fax : 6862 5046 Email : parkes-h.admin@det.nsw.edu.au

Parkes High School, Proud to be a member of the

Henry Parkes Learning Community, “Leading In Education”

Jade Miller Amber Rimmer Charlie Skinner

Sophy Jones Noah Mathews Ava Quade

Charlotte Gould Joshua Ball

Mincarlie Lovett

Year 7 Language

Some of the Year 7 Language students are pictured with their artworks as part of their recent language classes. Some more of the artworks are pictured on page 8.

Thomas Ball

Elsie Orr

Luka Parkin

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Parkes High Open Day A Huge Success !!!

Thank you to all the Year 5 and 6 students, families and friends who came to our Open Day. Everyone went on a tour of the school, met our great teachers and saw our fantastic facilities. A big thank you to our wonderful P&C for cooking the BBQ, our SRC kids for leading the tours and Miss Nicole Mee Year 7 Year advisor 2021 for organising the night. We can’t wait to see all the students when they are in Year 7 in 2021 and 2022 !!!

ALL STUDENTS PLEASE RETURN YOUR PHS EMERGENCY CARD 2020

All students received a PHS emergency card recently. Could parents and carers please fill out this important note which will ensure we have all the details we need to care for your child.

All notes are to be returned to the students roll call teacher.

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Central West AFL Visit

Recently, Year 7 had the awesome opportunity to play AFL with the Central West AFL development officers, Casey and Erin. Everyone had a fun time and you never know, there might be some future GWS or Swan players at Parkes High.

Year 7,8,9 and 10 boys and girls will have the opportunity to play in an AFL Gala day in Cowra in Week 11. Please see Miss Welsh if you would like to try out for AFL.

FROM THE LIBRARY

PREMIER’S READING CHALLENGE: PHS students have the opportunity to participate in the 2020 Premiers' Reading Challenge (PRC). All students are encouraged to sign up. See Ms Mitchell for more information.

MARCH MADNESS: Every time you borrow and return a library book during the month of March, Ms Mitchell will put a "Like" into the raffle bin for you. At the end of March the winner will be able to select a book of their choice from Booktopia ($30 limit). All the "Likes" will then go into the PBL Barrel for the end of term draw.

Good attendance supports making good choices: For students, making the best choices involves: • knowing yourself - what you

like (your interests), what you are good at (your skills and abilities), what is important to you (values)

• getting to understand the world of work - what’s out there

• learning how to make decisions

• finding out how to achieve objectives.

Attending every day is

critical in learning the skills and knowledge needed for

making good choices in life.

Parkes High School Mission Statement

Our school community enjoys a proud history. In a safe, stimulating and diverse environment we are

passionately committed to providing each student with the opportunities to acquire the skills and values to

fulfil their potential and become successful participants in our changing world.

Uniform Pool Needs Clothes

Have your children grown out of their uniforms? Consider making a donation to the Parkes High clothing pool!

We have helped over 50 students with donations of jumpers, skirts, shirts and pants.

Please launder, fold and drop into the office in a plastic bag. We welcome any donations. Thank you!

IMPORTANT DATES Wednesday 11 March

School Photos

Friday 20 March SRC Bushfire Trivia Night

Tuesday 24 March AGM and P&C meeting

7.30pm Conference Room

Thursday 26 March Cross Country and Colour Run

Monday 30 March Year 10 Combined Vocation Awareness and

Minimum Standards Night

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Payments To The Office

Due to changes in school banking procedures all receipting for school fees, excursions etc are

unable to be processed after 3.00pm.

Payments for uniform remain unchanged.

SCHOOL UNIFORM Now Available At Parkes High School Cash or Cheque to the School Office

Please note that uniform CANNOT be paid through POP online

Trackpants $30.00

School Jumper $50.00

School Jackets $50.00

Beanies $10.00

Scarves $10.00

School Hats $15.00

School Tie $15.00

School Sport Socks $15.00

Polar Fleece Jacket $60.00

Blue Shirt $22.00

White Shirt $22.00

Long Sleeved Shirts $22.00

Girls Skirt $60.00

Girls Dress Pants $40.00

Sport Shorts $15.00

Sport Shirts $25.00

NSW School Vaccination Program 2020

Each year NSW Health works with schools to offer the vaccines recommended and funded for adolescents by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

In 2020, the following vaccines will be offered:

YEARS VACCINE NUMBER OF DOSES DATES

Year 7

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine

2-doses at least 6 months apart

3 March 2020 8 September 2020

Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine Single dose 3 March 2020

Year 10 Meningococcal ACWY vaccine Single dose 12 May 2020

SRC Bushfire Trivia Friday 20 March

6.00pm LP Johnston $3 per person

Free entry for RFS Volunteers Tables can be booked on the

PHS SRC Facebook page

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ACES Airport Visit

Parkes High School is now a licensed award unit and can guide students who choose to accept the challenge and strive toward a Duke of Edinburgh Bronze, Silver or Gold award.

Students who are 14 or over can take part in the Duke of Ed which requires students to spend at least 6 months working on four areas: developing a skill, Physical Recreation, Service and The Adventurous Journey.

Expressions of interest or any questions should be emailed to Mrs Helen Vere at helen.vere3@det.nsw.edu.au

Pictured right are students on the Adventurous Journey hike in the National Park South of Sydney.

Another big week with great progress on many fronts, during the week we brought a tractor out to the museum to test whether it would tow aircraft around our site and we were able to move the AP3C Orion, a 30 tonne aircraft out of the hole it had created, with the aircraft back on it's steel plates the students got buckets and brooms and washed the aircraft down removing months of dirt and dust.

During the week we fitted the two reciprocating engines and the tail assembly to Neptune 302 and the students replaced more fuselage bolts to all the reassembled sections, the students helped unload our truck of components that will be fitted to the air frame in the next few weeks.

The Convair technical crew carried out some work on the aircraft and the students sat in the cabin while the engines were running and had a look at the cockpit instruments at the same time. While the students were onboard we outlined the scope of works planned for the interior and that is to remove the cargo configuration from half the cabin and replace with passenger seats and overhead lockers.

The photos below shows the students in front of the Convair after the runs and washing the AP3C Orion.

Mike De La Hunty - HARS Parkes Aviation Museum a div. of the HISTORICAL AIRCRAFT RESTORATION SOCIETY

Duke of Edinburgh Information Evening Any students and their families wishing to learn more about the Duke of Edinburgh award are encouraged to attend an information session at the high school on Thursday 19th March at 5pm. Further information can be obtained by ringing Helen Vere on 68621844, or by email helen.vere3@det.nsw.edu.au.

Principal’s Report

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Year 12 interviews: Thank you to our wonderful Year 12 teachers who met with the parents and carers of our Year 12 students for our parent teacher interviews. I have had very positive feedback from parents that the discussions centered on their child and strategies they could use to encourage their child to strive to not only reach but exceed their potential. The post school destination survey that our Careers Advisor, Mr Kieran Duncan, conducts each year has continually shown that our school has between five and six times the percentage of Year 12 students entering university than the average for schools outside the metropolitan areas. This term we have already had two visits for Years 11 and 12 students with infor-mation on university study. SRC activities: Our Student Representative Council (SRC) students attend a day of activity in Orange where they worked together to develop a plan for 2020. Thank you Miss Abby Bookless for coordinating the day. The first activity will be the Trivia Night to support our local Bushfire Brigades and organisations for the rescue wildlife. The Trivia night will be on Friday 20

th March in the Hall. A quick trial of some questions found I am not likely to win on the night! I will keep trying!

BATYR sessions: Our Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 students have had wellbeing sessions with the BATYR group as part of our whole school focus on student health and wellbeing. Feedback from these sessions has found that students found the information useful and are now more likely to seek help for themselves and support their friends to seek help. Thanks to our local businesses: Thank you to all the local businesses who supported our Vocational Education and Training (VET) students in their requirement for a week of work placement. We had students from both our Construction and Hospitality classes working in our community this week. We are very appreciative of the time and effort that our local businesses give to our students as they develop work ready skills. Mr Warren Murray, our Construction teacher and Mrs Gloria Haywood, our Hospitality teacher, have had very positive feedback from the businesses and the students. School attendance: One of our school goals this year is to improve the overall rate of attendance of our students. We understand that sometimes students are unwell and appointments with specialists are difficult to obtain. Please remember to write a letter explaining absences from school within seven days of the absence. Each day a student is absent from school affects the continuity of learning for the student. One day absence per week for a term adds up to 2 weeks of non-attendance. Over the year, this is almost an entire term missed within the year. Year 7 vaccinations: Our vaccinations went very smoothly this week. Thank you to Mrs Bec James and her team of senior students who were very supportive to the Year 7 students. P&C meeting: At the P&C meeting last week, we had a lengthy discussion on our school uniform. It was decided there was no need to change the uniform. If you are having any difficulty with the uniform, please call me at school to discuss. We have student assistance for anyone with financial hardship. Our P&C meeting on 24

th March will be the AGM and the P&C

are looking for parents to fill executive positions. Please come along and support our school. International Women’s Day Luncheon: On Sunday I accompanied our captains, Faith Hanstock and Josephine Bayliss to the QUE Club International Women’s Day luncheon. The QUE club, previously Quota, have supported our deaf and hard of hearing students for many years and have donated sound systems for us in classrooms and assemblies to all the schools in Parkes. COVID-19 (formerly referred to as Novel Coronavirus): The NSW Department of Education is working closely with the NSW Ministry of Health in response to the unfolding international COVID-19 (formerly referred to as Novel Coronavirus) situation. Maintaining good hygiene standards is an important way to reduce the risk of acquiring and spreading respiratory infections. Parents and caregivers are asked to promote good hygiene, including handwashing with soap as handwashing is the single most effective way to reduce the spread of germs that cause respiratory disease. Busy Term Ahead: This term continues to be busy with the School Photos Wednesday 11

th March, Year 10 Minimum

Standards Information Night and Year 10 Vocational Awareness Night Monday 30th March in Hall, Recognition Assembly

3rd

April. In term 2 we will have the Years 7-11 Parent Teacher interviews on Tuesday 5th May 4 – 7pm in Hall.

P&C Meeting and AGM: Our first P&C Meeting for 2020 will be held in the Conference Room (just along the corridor from the front office) on Tuesday 24

th March at 7.30 pm. I look forward to seeing all our new and continuing parents.

Please contact the school (6862 1844) or make an appointment if you need to discuss any aspect of your child’s education or if you need clarification on any issues or events your child may be involved in. Please be aware that all visitors to the school, including parents, must report to the office in Albert Street. At Parkes High School we are safe, respectful and responsible. Mrs Sandra Carter Principal

Careers - Let Your Journey Begin Here By Mr Kieran Duncan

Please 'like' the

PHS Careers noticeboard Facebook page for access to Further Careers information.

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CSU VIST: Recently representatives from Charles Sturt University visited the school to speak to Year 12 students. They provided valuable information about the university giving the students a better insight into undertaking tertiary study. There will be further opportunities for students to attend university information sessions throughout the year. Experience UNSW Engineering Day: 21 May 2020, 8:30 am - 3:15 pm, UNSW Sydney. Are you interested in experiencing the range of different engineering disciplines and careers available to you? At UNSW Experience Engineering Day, you’ll have the chance to explore the innovative and creative ways that engineers solve real-world challenges. High school students in Year 10 and 11 are invited to choose an engineering theme which includes three interactive hands-on workshops at our UNSW Kensington campus. Find out more: https://www.events.unsw.edu.au/event/experience-unsw-engineering-day-1 UTS | Galuwa Engineering and IT Experience: 13 July 2020, 8:30 am - 17 July 2020, 3:30 pm University of Technology Sydney. Galuwa means ‘to climb’ in the Gadigal language, and that’s exactly what we want Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students to do. The 5-day program attracts students who are interested in the fields of engineering or IT, as well as those who have an aptitude for maths, creative thinking and problem solving and are unsure of which career path to follow. Applications for the 2020. Experience are open from 20 January until 1 June 2020. Find out more: https://www.uts.edu.au/about/faculty-engineering-and-information-technology/what-we-do/galuwa-engineering-and-it WJ & LM Sinclair Scholarship in Engineering: Value: AUD$100,000. Open/Closing Dates: January 16, 2020 – March 9, 2020. The WJ & LM Sinclair Scholarship in Engineering aims to support applicants who have the personal potential and commitment to study engineering, are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent and/or are from financially disadvantaged background. https://www.uts.edu.au/scholarship/wj-lm-sinclair-scholarship-engineering The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition: The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition is an opportunity for all young Commonwealth citizens and residents, regardless of region, education or background, to share ideas, celebrate their story and have their voice heard – all whilst developing key skills. The theme for 2020 is “Climate Action and the Commonwealth”. Young people are called upon to consider their position and power in bringing about change, and how the Commonwealth can be used as a tool for positive action. Entries are open until Tuesday 30 June. Find out more and enter here: https://thercs.org/youth-and-education/the-queens-commonwealth-essay-competition/ What Can You Learn as an Australian Border Force Officer?: If you’ve ever been to the airport, you’ve probably seen a Border Force Officer at work. You might have even wondered what it would be like to work as one. Lifehacker has written an article on some of the unexpected skills you might learn as a Border Force Officer. You can read it here: https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2020/02/3-unexpected-upskilling-opportunities-you-could-encounter-as-a-border-force-officer/ What is a career in Art Therapy?: Becoming an Art Therapist or Expressive Therapist seems like a bit of an out there job – but it’s definitely a viable career choice. Art Therapists help their clients work through problems (often to do with mental health or trauma) with the use of art, including visual arts, dance, music and more. Find out how Kimberly forged her career as an Art Therapist: https://www.ethicaljobs.com.au/blog/yes-you-can-get-a-job-doing-art-therapy-how-kimberly-ryan-landed-her-dream-job-in-the-field Support for Apprentices affected by Bushfires & Drought in NSW: If you are an apprentice and you have recently lost your job due to the bushfires or drought across New South Wales, the State Government has created an initiative to help. You can still access the training component of your apprenticeship for free for up to 12 months while seeking a new employer. The initiative was set up in the hope that rural and regional apprentices will not have to move away to continue their training. Find out more here: https://nsw.liberal.org.au/NSW-GOVERNMENT-HELPING-RURAL-APPRENTICES UNSW@ADFA 2021 Undergraduate Course Guide: Wanting to combine your studies with training and work in the Defence Force? UNSW@ADFA have released their undergraduate course guide for 2021. Find out more here: https://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/sites/default/files/uploads/UNSW_Canberra_2021_Undergraduate_Guide.pdf The Best Jobs for School Leavers: If you’re finishing year 12 this year and aren’t sure what to do next, you might be considering getting a job. Whether it’s casual or full-time, a job can help you earn some money and learn skills that will last a lifetime. TAFE NSW has put together a blog with some great job ideas for students just finishing up. You can check it out here: https://www.tafensw.edu.au/career-advice/start-my-career/blog/-/blogs/the-best-jobs-for-school-leavers

KOORI NEWS

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If you are sitting your HSC exams in or after 2020 you will need to meet a minimum standard of literacy and numeracy to receive your Higher School Certificate.

Literacy and numeracy skills are key for success in everyday life. Achieving the HSC minimum standard means you will have a level of skills necessary for success after school.

Students show they have met the HSC minimum standard by passing online tests of basic reading, writing and numeracy skills needed for everyday tasks. The minimum standard online tests are not based on NAPLAN.

Students master basic skills at different stages so there are multiple opportunities available for students to understand what to expect and pass the minimum standard online tests, from Year 10 until a few years after Year 12.

Some students will be eligible for disability provisions for the minimum standard tests, or an exemption from the HSC minimum standard requirement.

Important changes to the HSC minimum standard

From last year, Year 9 NAPLAN tests will no longer be available as an early way for students to demonstrate the standard. This change has been made to ensure NAPLAN remains focussed on its diagnostic purpose and to reduce unnecessary stress on young people. PLEASE REFER TO THE LINK BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/hsc-minimum-standard

HSC Minimum Standards – Year 10 Students

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The Townsend Memorial Scholarship

The Townsend Memorial Scholarship is available to students attending Parkes High

School to assist students to complete a degree course of study at the University

of NSW or University of Sydney in the faculty of Medicine, Law, Dentistry, Architecture,

Agriculture, Veterinary Science or Engineering.

Please see Mrs Carter to discuss your application.

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Changes To Our School Internet Access

Recently a new internet service has been installed at our school. This will impact the way Bring Your own Device (BYOD) computers and non-Windows will access the Internet.

Why is DoE introducing this new internet service? This new internet service will:

• boost schools’ internet capacity and performance

• better cater to schools’ constantly evolving IT-enabled learning initia-tives

• help protect schools from cyber threats.

The information below will explain how you will be affected:

P&C Meetings 2020

Tuesday 25 February

Tuesday 24 March - AGM Meeting

Tuesday 26 May

Tuesday 23 June

Tuesday 25 August

Tuesday 27 October

Tuesday 24 November

Meetings are held in the Conference Room at 7.30pm.

All welcome to attend.

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ALLERGY AWARENESS IMPORTANT REMINDER Due to the increasing number of students with severe allergies and anaphylaxis we ask students, parents and all staff to not bring the following items to school:

• All nuts, including; peanuts, cashews, pistachios, nut mixes, peanut butter, products including peanut / nut or extract or oil. These include nutella, muesli bars, satay, various sweets, chocolate and biscuits.

• Raw egg

Also, students should not share or exchange food

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Signing Your Child Out Of School

If you send a note to the school in the morning we can have your child waiting at the office for you to collect.

This will save you time waiting for us to get them from their class.

Please make sure you include your child’s full name on the note.

CLEANERS REQUIRED IN PARKES AREA

Training and uniform provided Award Wages

Please email your résumé to: careers@jossgroup.com.au

Or for more information contact Geoff

Ph: 0400 468 430 between 8:00am – 4:30pm Monday to Friday

A Working with Children Check is required

20 20 REGISTRATION / GALA DAY

21ST

MARCH 2020 Come along, have fun, learn skills and be part of our great club

PLACE: McGlynn Park Parkes Netball Courts TIME: 10 am TO 12noon COST: $100 (Active Kids Vouchers accepted)

DIVISIONS: NET- Kindy to Year 2 (skills and fun) SET- Years 3 and 4 (team based skills and games)

GO (division2) – Years 5 and 6 DIVISION 1 (Junior) – High School

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WE NEED YOUR HELP

Canteen Volunteers Needed If you have a spare hour at either

11.00 am or 1.30pm it would be greatly appreciated if you could.

Please call Canteen on 68 622 805

Maths and English Caring, qualified tutors

Year 1 to Year 10 Call 0418253045

Health and Safety Risk Aerosol Spray Deodorants

Aerosol Spray Deodorants are BANNED from school as they pose a health risk to students and staff through the potential for asthma attacks and

allergic reactions. These will be confiscated if brought to school.

If students need deodorant at school they are encouraged to use roll on deodorants.

Parkes High School ‘Bring Your Own Device’

Specifications

Please refer to our Parkes High School website for specifications before purchasing any new

“Bring Your Own Device” computers or tablets.

Health and Safety Changes

ALL visitors to the school MUST report to the office and sign in.

ALL visitors attending assemblies or events will be required to SIGN IN either at the office or

at the LP Johnston Hall.

REMINDER - Energy Drinks are not consumed at Parkes High School

Long term effects of Energy Drinks include cardiovascular problems, heartburn, ulcers, difficulty sleeping (insomnia) and anxiety.

Please make good choices for your health. Staff will confiscate and discard Energy Drinks

to support your health and wellbeing.

Regional Orchestra Welcomes new members

Full range of ages and musical abilities catered for Fun, friendly and inclusive atmosphere

Fortnightly rehearsals during school term Wednesdays 4:30pm to 6:00pm

Location: Assemblies of God Church hall 7 Rees Ave, Parkes

Contact Pam 0418 166 580 Or Mitchell Conservatorium 6331 6622