PRINCIPAL’S REPORT If an accident occurs at School which is not caused by negligence of the Department then parents are required to have their own insurance. The Department of Education and Training does not provide accident or medical insurance for students. The Department is however insured to cover the financial impact of any legal liabilities that it faces arising from its activities. If the Department or one of its staff is negligent and this causes a student to be injured, then the student will be able to legally recover damages from the Department (and the Department‟s insurance will cover the cost). However, if an accident occurs at a school which is not caused by any wrongdoing or omission by the Department, then the Department is not legally liable. Should parents wish to cover their children, there are various forms of insurance available, irrespective of whether fault can be assessable. These include:

Student Accident Insurance – available through the Federation of Parents and Citizens‟ Associations of NSW and from commercial insurance suppliers;

Sporting Injuries Insurance Scheme – covering catastrophic injuries;

The Supplementary Sporting Injuries Benefits Scheme; and

Private health funds.

Some recent student and school successes include;

The boys‟ water polo team defeated Woonona High School and now qualify for NSW CHS State championship finals.

Sean Nagle and Michael McLellan were awarded a Sydney South West Sporting Blue

Tim Easterbrook has been accepted in to the Symphony Orchestra Arts Unit.

Our students again performed beautifully at the Schools spectacular. Many thanks to our talented students and the dance teachers and in particular Ms Shlom.

Leadership camp was fantastic and the students showed perfect behaviour and outstanding leadership qualities. A big thank you to the leadership/camp teachers; Ms Peterson, Ms Marquis and Ms Stavros. It has

been a highly successful program culminating in an excellent camp.

Year 12 Entertainment Students Shelby Blissett and Daniel Cvetkovski received awards from the “Creating Brighter Career Connections” in recognition of their outstanding achievements at Work Placement. The recommendations are made by the students‟ host employers who gave excellent feedback about students.

With the 2010 academic year ending it is a time to reflect on a very successful year and thank and celebrate the enthusiasm, talent, hard work, and successes of our students, the teaching and support staff and our parents and families.

At PPHS we continue to support an environment that brings together diverse social, learning and cultural backgrounds into a school whereby we all learn together, accept each other and embrace all that is special and unique about Public Education.

In conclusion I extend a very warm and sincere best wishes to all students, staff and parents and thank you for your commitment to learning at Picnic Point High School. We all look forward to the successes and opportunities that 2011 will bring to all members of our school community.

PICNIC POINT HIGH SCHOOL 61 Kennedy Street Picnic Point

Phone 9772 1700 Fax 9792 3960 Principal Email picnicpt-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au Mr Wolly Negroh

Web site www.picnicpt-h.schools.nsw.edu.au B Ed, Dip Teach

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CONTENTS Principal’s Report Page 1 Deputy Principal’s Reports Page 2 What’s on Page 3 Students of the Month Page 3 P&C News Page 5 Industrial Arts Page 6 Schools Spectacular Page 7 The garden project Page 8 Water Polo Report Page 8 IO Inaugural Camp Page 9 Peer Reading Program Page 10 Science News Page 10 Debating News Page 12 LOTE Report Page 14 Home Economics Page 15 Year 12 textiles Page 16

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Deputy’s Report – Mr Baczynskyj

As we approach the end of 2010, our HSC candidates for 2011 are well and truly in work mode. The first assessment tasks in each of their subjects are being completed and all of these tasks count towards a student‟s HSC result. This was clearly communicated during our information evening for students and parents. I would like to acknowledge the wonderful attendance of so many parents with their children to this event, it certainly confirms the value of education and reinforces the relationship between the student, home and the school. I would also like to acknowledge the mature and responsible way in which all of the Senior students have commenced their HSC study. When we come back, there will be just 3 terms of school before they sit for their HSC examinations so there will be little time for anything other than a well-organised school and home study routine. I know the teachers have been working extremely hard on the quality of the assessment tasks and their teaching programs to ensure that each student has every chance of being as successful as possible. The rest of the students will be receiving their end of year reports in the near future. These reports not only provide information on the learning progress of students but also advice on ways to address improvement for next year. Reports should be seen as a means of communication and feedback, and I encourage parents to read the teachers‟ comments and assist their children to put in place any advice which is given. It is quite likely that during the holiday period students will grow and need some new aspects of their uniform for the new year. Can I remind parents to check the general information booklet (available on the school‟s website) to ensure that any purchases are in line with the uniform policy. It is disappointing for us to have to make contact with parents early in the year because they have bought new school or sport shoes for their children which are not appropriate as part of our uniform. We enjoy and appreciate the tremendous support we get from parents in relation to uniform and the maintenance of our school‟s high regard and reputation in the wider community. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all members of our school community a wonderful, peaceful, loving and refreshing holiday period. We value the contribution everyone makes to the schooling experiences of the students at Picnic Point High School. It is truly an incredibly successful school on all levels; academic, sporting, leadership, community connections and social development. I am honoured to have the privilege of working with such a professional staff, active P&C and supportive parent body as we provide one of the highest quality and most rewarding of all public services – the comprehensive public education of children – our leaders of tomorrow. Adam Baczynskyj

Deputy’s Report – Mr Schomberg With the holidays fast approaching it is often a good time to take a step back and reflect on the year that was, which is quickly coming to an end. This is my first full year as Deputy Principal and even though it has been an unbelievably busy year, it has been a very rewarding one both personally and professionally for me. Some of the highlights for me have revolved around students, their welfare and their successes. I really never expected to be in a position where I have influenced and had such a positive impact on so many young lives. The teamwork, dedication and sheer hard work that has been put in by the staff who I work with on a daily basis at Picnic Point High School, has ensured that students in all years, but in particular Year 12 and Year 10, have achieved at their best possible level and obtained a credential that will serve them well in future years. I have worked very closely with many families this year and I have enjoyed the interaction immensely, especially with the many positive outcomes that have resulted. It is reassuring to know that families and staff are all working so hard to achieve the best for the students at Picnic Point High School. I have also enjoyed the role of working more closely with many more colleagues across the school. The many activities and opportunities they provide for the children of Picnic Point High are really first class and add to the quality education we already provide. After the initial settling in period, I have observed the new facilities being used to their maximum capacity resulting in positive outcomes for staff and students alike. The Golden Boot was resurrected this year and a very close competition over three consecutive days saw the students retain the coveted trophy. This proved to be a highlight during the last few days of Year 12 and involved almost the entire school as spectators or participants. I wish the school leavers every success in their future and am looking forward to getting to know the new Year 7 students and their families next year. I would like to wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday and look forward to seeing everyone next year when school resumes. Remember, lessons will commence for each student on their first day back next year. Dates for your diaries Staff return Friday 28th January 2011 (School Development Day) Years 7, 11 and 12 return on Monday 31st January 2011 The rest of the school returns on Tuesday 1st February. Mr Schomberg

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WHAT’S ON DECEMBER – 2010 Tues 14/12 Big Day Out Thurs 16/12 School Development Day 4 (no students) Fri 17/12 School Development Day 5 (no students) Term 4 ends

Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute School Science Award 2010 Vinh Nguyen was nominated this year for the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute School Science Award. Vinh received his award along with 54 other Year 11 students representing each High School in the South Western Sydney Region at the University of Western Sydney, Campbelltown. Vinh was chosen for the award due to his outstanding results and achievement of 1st place in both Physics and Chemistry in the Preliminary course. He is a student of exceptional calibre who has shown raw ability in understanding complex scientific theories. He thrives in challenging himself and enjoys working

through complex scientific problems. Congratulations to Vinh on achieving this award. SRC Report What a busy term! Term 4 has been a very full-on (yet enjoyable) time for the SRC and Student Leadership Group. Not only did we travel down to Stanwell Tops for an amazing three day Leadership Camp but we are well on our way to completing the design for the School Mural. Our top 3 designs were chosen by Mr Negroh and the SRC has started collaborating the various applicants' designs. A big thank you to all applicants! Your designs were excellent! The next step will be to have a completed sketch of the Mural by the end of this term as well as marking the design on the canteen wall that we will hopefully start painting in first term next year. In other news, the Leadership Camp held at Stanwell Tops last week was incredible. Everybody had fun and I think overall, we bonded very nicely. Coming home with so many more friends than when we left was a great feeling. Thank you to all the fantastic staff that came; Ms Peterson, Ms Stavros

and Miss Marquis and to our visitors; Mr Negroh, Mr Burgess, Mr Schomberg, Douglas Walther, Laura Judd and Shenai Kuhle. We have recently sent our sponsor child, Wendy a Christmas card with well-wishes from all the SRC members and look forward to continuing our support for her with fundraisers next year. We still have a few more plans for the rest of the year but are keen to team up again next year. I would like to thank each SRC member, you have been an amazing team to work with and I believe we have grown to be a close and terrific group. Also I would like to thank Ms Peterson for all her help and support for the SRC this year, you are a great help and we couldn't do it without you! Have a safe and happy holidays and make sure to rest well for our big plans for PPHS next year! by Rebecca Marsh

Michel's (Revesby)

Student of the Month

November 2010

Name REASON FOR THE AWARD

7 Mitchell Gray Exceptional classroom behaviour throughout the year, a fantastic role model for his peers.

8 Helen Bui For applied effort in each of her subjects.

9 Taylor Pritchard

Positive contribution to Peer Support Training.

10 Tim Morgan His excellent and hard working approach toward his learning.

11 Alec Christofides

Very good final report and contribution to the leadership program.

Michel's (Revesby)

Student of the Month

October 2010

Name REASON FOR THE AWARD

7 Brady Halbert For his friendly, inclusive and caring approach to his peers

8 Anastasia Konitopoulos

For improved effort and attitude.

9 Gabriella Kousoulas

For her consistent effort in all subject areas.

10 Apurva Shahapurkar

For his excellent work in all subjects this semester.

11 Angeliena Stojanovska

Excellent Yearly report

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Michel's (Revesby) are

proud sponsors

of the PPHS

'student of the

month' award.

SPORT A MONTH FOR DECEMBER

Council, in partnership with Revesby Workers Swimming Club and 'Learn to Swim', is inviting residents to come and try swimming in December 2010. Revesby Workers Swimming Club meet on Fridays from 6.30 - 7.30pm at Revesby Swim Centre, Marco Avenue, Revesby and they are inviting people from the ages of 7 - 18 years old to join them on the 3rd, 10th and 17th December, FREE of charge, as part of Sport A Month. Please call 0408 282 745 for more information or download the December Sport A Month brochure Learn to Swim is holding sessions for people aged from 18 months to adults who want to learn how to swim, at The Wran Leisure Centre, Gundaroo Street, Villawood on 1st December and 10th December from 4.00pm - 6.00pm. Bookings are essential; please call 9726 2283 to reserve a place. Download December Sport A Month brochure

Why not visit your local community club

28 Childs Street Panania

Proud sponsors of the

Leonard W. Eickenloff Scholarship

to Students of Picnic Point High School

M cQ SM A SH R EPA IR S

17 9 R iv e r R o a d R e v e s b y ( co r n e r U r a n u s R d )

2 4 H o u r To w in g - 9 7 7 1 58 26 O b liga t io n Fre e Q u o t e s - 9 7 7 1 2335

Co u r t e s y Ca r s A v a ila b le CLO SE TO R EV ESB Y STA TIO N GIO R e co m m e n d e d R e p a ir e r

A u t o R o b o t B o d y A lig n e r Sp r a y B o o t h B a k in g O v e n

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P&C News I can‟t believe the year is almost over and Christmas is upon us again. The P & C met for the final time this year on the 22nd November and there was a great turnout of parents in attendance. We also had the company of Mr Negroh, Mr Baczynskyj and Mr Schomberg for our meeting. There were no major items discussed at this meeting, however it gave me great pleasure to be able to formally thank Mrs Patricia Waskiw and present her with a gift and flowers from the P & C. This was Patricia‟s last P & C meeting as a parent at the school as her son Joe has completed Year 12. Patricia has made a large contribution to the school and to the activities of the P & C, noticeably with fundraising bbq‟s, welcoming bbq‟s, Year 7 orientation nights where she has been the “water pourer” as all our prospective families explore the school and to any other fundraising events we have held. Patricia has also been an active contributor to P & C meetings and has held various roles of office during her time at the school. Being a keen community minded person she has also nominated to be the Community representative on the School Council, a position she will hold for the next two years. We wish Patricia well in the next phase of her life and to Joe also as he pursues his future path. It was noted at both the school council and P & C meetings that there are still a large number of families with outstanding school contributions, subject fees and P & C levies and I again strongly encourage you to pay these before the end of term. Without these contributions the resources provided to our students are limited by the budget given by the Education Department. In early November the P & C held a uniform sale and were able to assist many families with the purchase of preloved uniforms. As always we gratefully accept donations of uniforms and are especially now seeking smaller sized items and junior girl‟s tunics. Any donations can be left at the office. Following on from the uniform sale we had a working bee to put together the equipment packages for the incoming Year 7 students. My thanks must go to Jennie Lee, Michele McGregor, Kim Leggo, Alia Evans, Kerry Stevenson, Adele Wardrop and Elizabeth Symons for their assistance throughout the day. We made up approximately 170 packages! At the end of the P & C meeting those present were invited to enjoy some Christmas supper and a chat which was a lovely way to finish off a very busy year. On the 24th of November the annual Canteen volunteers‟ dinner was held at Revesby Heights Ex-Servicemen‟s Club with at least 40 volunteers in attendance. A lovely meal was provided and again the chance for a chat and catch-up away from the rigours of the canteen schedule. There were some new Year 7 canteen mums present as well as many of our more seasoned volunteers and the feeling in the room was terrific. It gave me great pleasure to present bunches of flowers to five very special ladies – to Margaret Vidler and Corinne O‟Connor our two canteen supervisors who work so hard all year to make the canteen the great place it is, to Melinda Favorito our canteen casual who comes in when we are short of volunteers, to Julie Williams a wonderfully enthusiastic mum who has volunteered at the canteen for the

past eight years and completes her time with us as her son Ben moves out into the adult world, and lastly to Louise Smith our fantastic canteen treasurer who puts in much time behind the scenes, paying the bills and the wages, the tax and the long-service leave and keeping everything up to date and in order for the auditor. Margaret and Corinne will be seeking expressions of interest for canteen volunteering for next year, so if you have a spare day once a month, please give them a call through the school office and they will gladly take your name for the roster. This completes my final P & C report for 2010, may I finish by wishing all the families at PPHS a very happy Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year. Our first meeting for 2011 will be Monday 21st February and I look forward to welcoming many of you to this forum. Kind regards Christine Butters P & C President Email: bjcmbutters@yahoo.com.au

2010 Final Note from Year 7 Adviser Year 7 students of 2010 have made a fantastic effort that resulted in very good academic and social outcomes. I am pleased to see many of our Year 7 students being committed to their learning and achieving their goals. You have proved that anything is possible as long as you are focused and motivated. With the same mature approach next year you all will continue making good progress. I would like to wish everyone in Year 7 all the best and I look forward to seeing you back here at PPHS well rested and ready for more learning endeavours. Have a safe and happy holiday break. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Monika Andrzejewska – Year 7 Adviser

Reminder To Parents - Pic News Picnic Point High School would like all Parents and Carers to have regular access to PIC NEWS. To assist in the distribution of the electronic copy of PIC NEWS we ask that Parent and Carers please provide the school with an updated E-Mail address(es) so the school can include you in our PICNEWS distribution list. The school calendar can also be accessed from the school website. You can update the school with your details via the school e-mail address of picnicpt-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au , 02 9772 1700 or via letter.

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Vocational Education and Training. Picnic Point High school hosted the Rotary Vocational Education and training awards night. The awards night is a chance to recognise student achievement in VET subjects across the region. The school has nominated 3 students to receive awards across the three frameworks that we offer at the school. This awards night is also an excellent opportunity to show case the exceptional talent that we have here at Picnic Point High School. Below are some pictures of our students, working hard in class. Our students have been very busy fulfilling the mandatory component of the VET curriculum attending the mandatory work placement. We have had many excellent reports of our students performing very well out in the workforce. It is pleasing to see our students transfer the knowledge learned in the classroom into effective practice within the workforce.

With the information from final exams it will be time for students to revise course content and practice for improvement. I encourage all students to speak with their teacher to clarify any aspects of the course they have found challenging. Should you require any further information please feel free to contact me. P. Burgess VET Coordinator Industrial Arts I would firstly like to take the opportunity to formally farewell Mr Topping from PPHS and wish him every success in his new position as Head Teacher Industrial Arts at JJ Cahill Memorial High School. I know that the staff and students will miss him greatly. Our loss is their gain. At this time of year we reflect and look back at the year that has just past and we celebrate all the student successes. I congratulate not only those students who have achieved 1st place in a course but also those students who have constantly strived to achieve their own personal best. There have been many excellent projects constructed throughout the year. Below are some examples of just a few of the high quality projects that have been produced.

Storage Box Constructed by Andrew Loizou Year 7 Some Rings from Mr Monger’s Metal class.

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Year 11 VET Construction Carry All And who could forget the PPHS Techno Push Team. In Week 9 we welcomed our new Year 7 students for 2011 into the Industrial Arts department. This was an opportunity for them to be introduced to our department and receive a little taster of the type of skills and experiences they will have at PPHS.

Below are some examples of the jobs that they will be producing on the orientation day. I would like to thank everyone who has supported the Industrial Arts faculty throughout the year and look forward to your continued support.

I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and safe holiday. See you all in 2011. Mr P Burgess Head Teacher Industrial Arts. Schools Spectacular 2010. Congratulations to the 12 dancers who performed at the Schools Spectacular 2010. The theme „Colour my world‟ featured 3000 of the state‟s most talented singers, dancers and musicians. The Schools Spectacular is a brilliantly choreographed and costumed production on an epic scale. Audiences packed the Sydney Entertainment Centre and gained an insight into the wealth of talent in public schools, and saw the dedication, commitment and creativity of the teachers who nurture that talent.

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The dancers from Picnic Point High School opened the show in the first segment and danced with passion and enthusiasm. Well done! Miss Shlom

Miss Andrzejewska’s Class Garden Project ‘Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration’. ~Lou Erickson The students have undertaken a gardening project between A & B Blocks. The garden is starting to take shape and looking very nice. Students have been working very hard in order to make this a pleasant place for all the students of Picnic Point High School. This project is likely to last into the next year.

We would like to thank those who have donated products to help in the gardening project:

Fiskars & Seasol – wonderful donation of large and

small spades, rakes and fertilizers.

Bankstown Council – donation of many plants

‘Materials in the Raw’ at Chullora – a great

donation of mulch, soil and sleepers

Flower power at Bass Hill – donation of bloomers

Mr Negroh for providing finances to purchase

products and Mr Clay for his ideas and time to assist

with our project.

Thanks to your generosity our gardening is fun and educational! Miss Andrzejewska

Water Polo Report On Friday the 26th November the U15‟s Boys and Girls Water Polo team eagerly boarded the school bus. We were off to Engadine pools to participate in the play offs. The play offs were between the winners of the South Coast Region Team and the Sydney South West Region team. The winner of this play off goes to Raymond Terrace to participate in the U15‟s State Water Polo Knockout. We arrived at the pool full of anticipation. This was going to be a serious game. The girls team were up first and we had some tough competition against Woonona High School. They were a tough team, who clearly had spent most of their schooling life training in the pool. It was a tough match but the girls kept up and put up a good defence against the other team. Our training had finally paid off and we were in the lead for the first half of the game. Woonona got the better of us, it was a really close game with the score 4-6. Only two points behind we came pretty close to the finals. The boys‟ team was up next. The other team looked pretty looming at first but once we were in the water the odds were in our favour. Our boys swam through the pool like a well

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oiled machine. The ball didn‟t stop moving for the whole game, at times bouncing back and forth between the goalies, we thought this would never end. We scored goal after goal, swiftly defending against the other team and we came out on top with the score being 9 nil. What an effort! The girls and boys are to be congratulated on all of their hard work, enthusiasm and determination during this competition. The boys team is off to Raymond Terrace in Week 9 for the State Knockout so fingers crossed for another good game from the team. A big thank you to our coach Mr. Sparks who has supported us through the training and has been an expert bus driver, getting us to training each week and to all of the competitions. Mr. Cottell - Assistant Coach Ms Todd-McInerney’s Inaugural Camp On 23rd and 24th November our class headed off for our first class camp. This was an excellent opportunity to spend time together and farewell the five Year 12 students leaving our class this year. The venue was Wooglemai Environmental Education centre at Oakdale. This centre is run by the Dept of Education and provides great educational programs as well as recreational activities.

We travelled by the school Variety bus to camp in time for our first activity. The group was taken into the bush for a mini beast study. The students collected all sorts of interesting

bugs that the teacher then identified for us. We learnt a lot about food chains and how they work and where the insects we had caught fitted into the food chain.

Our next activity was a pond dip; we collected all sorts of interesting water creatures and the biggest tadpoles we had ever seen. This session also included a lesson in the classroom looking at lifecycles and a chance to look at and handle many different animals. In the afternoon we took to the bike track and rode bikes, Peter and Lee (and sometimes Wayne) raced around the track passing other older female cyclists. The students enjoyed the free time, there were great areas to sit and walk around and a playground where Kerrie-Anne spent every free minute. While some prepared dinner, others collected firewood for the camp fire. After dinner the fire was lit and everyone enjoyed sitting around having a chat before bed. Day 2 was archery and boomerang throwing. Some were better than others at this. Ms Todd-McInerney was a star at the archery but Lee was an absolute champion with one of the highest scores the instructor had ever seen. Boomerang was a different story with Ms Todd-McInerney and Ms Goovan- a very dismal effort! We headed off after lunch, everyone packed up and was ready to go.

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The students were fantastic with Steve the instructor congratulating the students on their behaviour and attitude to camp and the activities. All the staff had a great time too! Our student teacher Holly Clark was such a fantastic help. We hope she enjoyed camp as much as we did, but we also hope the experience will help her in her very promising future in teaching. We would like to thank Wayne for a great camp, his help with transport and his involvement in everything the students did was fantastic, it would not have been nearly as much fun without him. Mrs Goovan

Peer Reading Program In Term 4, 2010 some of our Year 7 students were involved in a Peer Reading Program with Special Education students from grades 7, 8, 9 and 10. This required Year 7 students to dedicate their time to others and start their mornings at 8.30 am twice a week.

The altruistic and friendly attitude of Year 7 students has been acknowledged and is much appreciated. I would like to thank all of the following students for their wonderful contribution to our reading sessions and on behalf of Special Education students express our gratitude for being fantastic helpers.

Alisha Cole Samantha Charlton-Jeffs

Toni Cooper Justine Childs

Josie Strachan Alexandra Adam

Kyla King Emma Jackson

Maddison Zanoni Kate Cremasco

Lauren Cogo Kyle Lloyd

Madeleine Buckley Jayden Zangari

Sarah Lord Jarrod Robson

Monika Andrzejewska – Special Education Teacher.

Science News Recently we were lucky enough to have a Science incursion that was quite creepy! After learning about Australian ecosystems in Science, students in some of our Year 8 classes had the opportunity to learn about Australian invertebrates with Jacqui Love, an entomologist from Travelbugs Mobile Mini-beasts. Our students participated maturely and with awe as they learnt about and held a range of live mini-beasts that included

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large and colourful stick insects, centipedes, millipedes, giant burrowing cockroaches, preying mantis, spiders, scorpions, beetles, caterpillars and more. The most popular on the day, the king of the Phasmids – Goliath Stick Insect.

Environment Group Update The Opening Ceremony for the Morgan’s Creek Rehabilitation Project was a day that was enjoyed by the school and wider community. Tania Mihaluk, the Mayor of Bankstown was present and spoke about the current working relationship between Bankstown Council and PPHS and her support of the project. Ruby-Leigh Tonks as well as Lenore Gurney presented a fantastic speech portraying their passion for the project fluently and confidently. Well done Ruby and Lenore – the environment will be in good hands if these girls have anything to do with it! The drama production by Leapfish was entertaining with students being involved in the show in costume and through performance. The Torch was also there and photographed the students at the ribbon cutting ceremony down near the actual creek. Drama production by Leapfish

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A special thanks to PPHS staff Science Faculty and Mr Clay for their support behind the scenes. A special recognition to Ashleigh Gardner, Cameron Gonano and Jade McKinnon. Without your help the day could not have run so smoothly. The environmentalists of the future A big thanks to all the rest of the PPHS staff and wider community who were involved in the day‟s events it was great to share the day‟s success in raising awareness for the Morgan‟s Creek Rehabilitation with you. Kirsty Elwell – Science Faculty.

Debating News 2010 Picnic Point High School entered five teams in The Premier‟s Debating Challenge this year. All teams debated well and demonstrated more engagement with the topics as the year progressed. Debating has become more relaxed in its format and as such allows the students to present a more personal approach in their speaking styles. Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 represented the school with enthusiasm, courtesy and a co-operative spirit. All teams had varying degrees of success with the Year 9 team becoming Zone champions. Congratulations to all debaters on the manner in which they approached their debates and the way in which they conducted themselves as representatives of their school. Special thanks to Ms Hespe-Poulos and Mr McAinsh for assisting with the Year 7 and 8 teams. Mrs L. McGrath - Debating Co-ordinator. Year 7 Debating Report Our first debate was against Cecil Hills High on their home turf. The topic was learning a second language at school should be compulsory. We were the negative team and after our stressful hour we won! Too bad Kellie didn‟t know until we left one hour later… Our next debate was against Picnic Point High School, Year 8. After a great debate we celebrated Ellie‟s 13th birthday. After stuffing our faces with cake and Doritos the adjudicator announced that we had won the debate. The Year 8s put up a good fight but in the end the Year 7s came through. Our last debate saw us defeated by East Hills Girls. Our debate topic was about politicians being good role models and we were the negative side. Year 7 debaters: Riley Karssemeyer Kellie Pritchard Emma Jackson Ellie Ormsby Maddie Buckley Sarah Lord A very special thanks to Miss H-P, Mrs McGrath and Mr McAinsh. Year 8 Debating Report This year a team of seven Year 8‟s and Mr McAinsh constructed a pretty awesome debating team.

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Sadly we only had two debates instead of three but that didn‟t phase us. We competed against our own school (Year 7 team) and East Hills Girls‟ Year 8 team. Both teams put up good debates and lots of memorable moments. Each time we had 1 hour to write four speeches and about 10-20 minutes actually presenting them. The best part was afterwards because we were able to talk to the adjudicator and eat lots of yummy food. Although we lost both debates we weren‟t too sad, we just got back on our feet and had a good time. Both debates had different topics; the first one was „whether or not celebrities should keep their private lives private‟ and the second one was „whether or not the drinking age should be raised to 20 years of age‟ .Year 8 debaters: Juanita Halls Jack Ismay Jacqueline Le Katelyn Middlemiss Jamie Romcke Emily Rotziokos Jasmine Ziher We had a great time enjoying every moment of our debating journey and we thank everyone for this opportunity. Jamie Romcke 8R Year 9 Debating Report The Year 9 Team had another successful year in debating. They convincingly won all of their Zone debates and were again Zone Champions. The team approached their debates with enthusiasm and are always entertaining to watch. Unfortunately, we were defeated by Bankstown Girls High School in the Interzone Final. Year 9 debaters: Georgina Brady Stephanie Deering Brendan Lambert Julia Panovski The team is keen to go one step further next year and be regional champions. Well done Year 9! Year 10 Debating Report Year 10 debaters were only in their second year of debating. They showed great improvement through the series, winning their last two debates convincingly. They are keen to debate again next year and their experience this year will hold them in good stead for the Year 11 competition. Year 10 debaters: Tara Goder Kodi Graham Savannah Peake Brooke Reynolds Ebony Steep A good effort from all Year 10 debaters. Year 11 Debating Report Year 11 debated with expertise as usual. They are an excellent team who won their first two debates but were

unfortunate to come up against last year‟s overall winners, Macquarie Fields High School, in their last debate. They put up a good fight but were unable to match the quality of the other team. Nevertheless, they conducted themselves with grace and determination and are to be congratulated on their efforts. Year 11 debaters: Taylor Farrell Laura Hilleard Olivia Howell Nicolette Klap Well done girls! English Report English Competition Winners Students from Picnic Point High School achieved outstanding results when they participated in the ICAS English Competition this year. Congratulations to all our award winners. Year 7 Michael Howe Credit Year 8 Aaron Haddon Credit Katelyn Middlemiss Credit Emily Rotziokos Distinction Year 9 Tayla Allison Credit Mathew Cash Distinction John Georgiou Credit Brendan Lambert Credit Victoria Moggs Credit Joel Mosely Credit Deena Odeh Credit Year 10 Ashleigh Judge Credit Kieran Pirie Distinction Apurva Shahapurkar Credit Ashlee Smith Distinction Ruby-Leigh Tonks Credit Overall, 31 Participation awards

Premier’s Reading Challenge Congratulations to the many students who participated in the Premier‟s Reading Challenge this year. Student involvement in this program is very important. Their participation will assist in their learning and understanding across all subject areas. Gold Awards Participation Awards Manisha Banga 33 Participation Awards Tayla Kelly Library News Thirty-five students from Years 7, 8 and 9 completed this year‟s Premier‟s Reading Challenge and will be receiving a

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certificate from the Premier. Congratulations to all participants. For those of you in Years 7 and 8, reading for 2011‟s Challenge has started. Read lots of books during the holidays and keep a list of titles for entering on-line next year. Google “NSW Premier‟s Reading Challenge” to find authors and titles for your age group and check out the new additions. The local libraries have lots of books for you to borrow over the holidays, as well as their own summer reading scheme – a token of achievement for every five books you read and a lucky ticket for a chance to win a prize. Hope Santa brings you something great to read! Marion Aranjo - Teacher Librarian LOTE Report Preparing for 2011 The Japanese teaching and learning programs for 2011 are now being finalised. All students in Year 8 next year will complete their mandatory 100 hours of Japanese through a single period of Japanese per week. Students who have elected to study Japanese in Years 9 & 10 should keep all of their Japanese Workbooks as we will continue to use them throughout the School Certificate courses. Students in Years 11 and 12 will purchase new workbooks at the beginning of 2011, but should keep all of their previously used workbooks as materials for revision. Japan Trip 2010 Photo Night On Thursday the 2nd of December, all students who attended the Japan trip in October this year attended the world famous Japan Trip photo night! Everyone enjoyed sushi, Japanese lollies and drinks whilst reliving their memories of our fantastic Japan trip. A big thank you to Keiran Pirie, Jess Zanoni, Andrew Lee and Adrian Tolhurst who organised the photos into an amazing presentation! Presentation Day Presentation Day is the 10th of December and we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the LOTE award winners. All students are to be commended on their fine achievements in 2010! We would like to thank our students for their hard work during 2010 – we have enjoyed watching you make progress in Japanese! We wish all students and their families a safe and happy holiday, and look forward to working with everyone in 2011.

メリークリスマス!

Ms Marquis and Ms Mitchell

Picnic Point High Master Cook Challenge In week 5 this term Picnic Point High‟s Home Economics faculty held its second Master Cook challenge.

We had 12 students competing in the challenge which went over 2 hours. Students were selected via a submission of application outlining what they were going to make and why they should be selected in the Master Cook challenge. A number of students decided to make their signature dish a dessert which meant they had to strive to prepare a better looking and tasting dessert compared to the student next to them. Who would have thought PPHS had so many sweet toothed students? Maybe we have a few future dessert and pastry chefs on the horizon. Ms Mackay judged the preparation and cooking of the dish and the cleaning up procedures. Mr Baczynskyj and Ms

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Stavros judged the appearance of the plated dish and the taste. The competition was very close and it was hard to separate the desserts as there were many similar signature dishes. First prize of an IPod Nano 8GB was awarded to Emma Godbier who prepared a tomato lentil pie with brown rice pastry. Well done Emma!

Second prize of an IPod Shuffle 2GB was awarded to Maddison Zanoni who prepared an amazing dessert of a four tier chocolate layer cake which was performed on the Channel Ten Junior Master Chef 2010 series. Third prize of a $20 ITunes voucher was awarded to Kate Cremasco who prepared a lemon and berry tart. A special mention needs to be made regarding all the participating students as they all produced scrumptious dishes.

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Alaina Mackay – Home Economics Faculty. Year 12 Textiles. The girls travelled into Surry Hills on the train to the Textile workshop and exhibition of 2010 HSC Textile major works. The excursion was extremely beneficial to the students, as HSC markers and professionals outlined the specific requirements for the portfolio and major projects for the Textile major work. Students were shown first hand some of the examples achieved by Band 6 students in 2010. The standard of work achieved by this year‟s candidates was outstanding. The techniques used by the students were amazing and truly beyond their years of experience. The workmanship and creative designs were extremely professional.

Our students also participated in a fashion drawing workshop during the afternoon session with a professional fashion designer and lecturer from the Whitehouse school of design. We hope the students were inspired to design and create an innovative design of their own for their major textile assignment which is due in August next year. Good luck girls, hope to see your designs in the 2011 Textile exhibition! Lucy Angelone – Home Economics Faculty. Our Talented Staff Gary Grant is not only one of the most hard working Careers Advisers in the universe, he is also a very talented sculptor. This sculpture was a gift to the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council during NAIDOC Week. Here it is photographed at dawn at Solander Point, the headland where Lieutenant James Cook decided to make a left-hand turn into Botany Bay and from there, set foot for the first time on Australian land. The sculpture is constructed of 8500 plastic vials filled with sand, taken from the exact spot where Cook landed at Kurnell. Each vile has a yellow, red, black or white cap, which replicates the Aboriginal Flag. The vials were then placed into a clear perspex map of Australia. These vials are able to be removed by any Aboriginal person and a new vial put in its place. This is a truly spectacular sculpture. In recognition of the traditional ownership. Photograph supplied by Bryan Marden

Have a

Merry Christmas

and a Safe and

Happy New Year Years 7, 11, 12 return Term 1 on Monday 31st

January 2011

Years 8, 9, 10 return Term 1 on Tuesday

1st February 2011