congratulations - Fairfield High School
Transcription
congratulations - Fairfield High School
The Horsley Drive FAIRFIELD 2165 Email: fairfield-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au Phone: 9727 2111 Facsimile: 9724 3496 Web Address: www.fairfield-h.school.nsw.edu.au Principal: Mr. R. Mulas B.A. Dip Ed Deputy: Mr. M. Sargeant Relieving Deputy: Mrs. A. Conray Volume 2 June 2013 CONGRATULATIONS Housing NSW Youth Scholarship Bring It On Winners IEC Graduates 1 Contents Diary Dates 3 Careers – Try A Trade 31 - 32 Bell Times 4 Welfare Team 33 From the Principals desk 5-6 National Partnerships 34 - 47 Year 7 report 7-9 Wood Fired Oven 48 - 49 24 Hour Parent Counselling 9 Anzac Day 51 - 54 Year 8 report 10 - 12 Earth Hour 54 Year 9 report 13 Rachel Cowmeadow 10 Years On 55 Year 10 report 14 - 15 New Scheme Teacher – Mr Lieu 56 Year 11 report 16 - 17 Student Teachers – UWS 57 - 59 Year 12 report 18 Year 8 2013 60 - 67 Support Unit report 19 - 20 Fun with Science at home 68 - 69 International Students report 21 Year 12 Physics 70 Intensive English Centre report 22 - 23 Luna Park Science Excursion 71 - 73 Kip McGrath 24 Sport Report 74 - 76 Students of Term 2 25 - 29 Athletics Carnival Photos 77 - 80 Water Tanks 28 IEC Sport 81 Blast from the Past 30 Change of Student Details 82 2 DIARY DATES 2013 TERM 2 2013 Last Day of Term 2 28th June TERM 3 2013 School Development Day All Students Return Ramadan Refugee Celebrations CHS Cross Country National Tree Planting Day Year 12 HSC Trials exams Regional Athletics Carnival P & C Meeting Year 8 & 10 Subject Night Multicultural Day Year 10 Work Experience Year 11 Exams Year 8 Gala Day Year 7 Gala Day Last Day Term 3 Clean up the World 15th July 16th July 15th July – 8th August 18th July 19th July 26th July 29th July - 12th August 30 – 31st July 6th August 13th August 16th August 26th Aug – 6th Sept 9 20th September 11th September 12th September 20th September 21 – 22nd September TERM 4 2013 Students & Staff return HSC Exams Year 10 Exams Zone Blues Award Day Years 7 – 11 Report Assemblies IEC Graduation Last Day for students HSC Results Released Staff Development Days 8th October 14th October – 8th November 11th – 13th November 22nd November 13th December 17th 18th 18th 19th December December December & 20th December 3 Change Bell Times and Timetable Organisation ~ 2013 The school timetable is organised around six periods each day in a ten day cycle, with Week A and Week B. Subjects studied in particular periods may vary each of the two weeks. A morning assembly is held each Monday at 8:45 with Roll Call taking place on the assembly. On Mondays school will finish at 2:40 pm for students with staff attending meetings and professional learning activities. PERIOD MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY Roll Call Assembly/Roll 8:45 – 9:05 8:45 – 9:00 8:45 – 9:00 8:45 – 9:00 8:45 – 9:00 1 9:05 – 9:50 9:00 – 9.50 9:00 – 9.50 9:00 – 9.50 9:00 – 9.50 2 9:50 – 10:35 9:50 – 10:40 9:50 – 10:40 9:50 – 10:40 9:50 – 10:40 Recess 10:35 – 11:00 10:40 – 11:00 10:40 – 11:00 10:40 – 11:00 10:40 – 11:00 3 11:00 – 11:45 11:00 – 11:50 11:00 – 11:50 11:00 – 11:50 11:00 – 11:50 4 11:45 – 12:30 11:50 – 12:40 11:50 – 12:40 11:50 – 12:40 11:50 – 12:40 Lunch 1 12:30 – 12:50 12:40 – 1:00 12:40 – 1:00 12:40 – 1:00 12:40 – 1:00 Lunch 2 12:50 – 1:10 1:00 – 1:20 1:00 – 1:20 1:00 – 1:20 1:00 – 1:20 5 1:10 – 1:55 1:20 – 2:10 1:20 – 2:10 1:20 – 2:10 1:20 – 2:10 6 1:55 – 2:40 2:10 – 3:00 2:10 – 3:00 2:10 – 3:00 2:10 – 3:00 Warning Bells – Evacuation and Lockdown A continuous bell is the warning bell for evacuations. Students are to proceed under the direction of the class teacher to the football field (Evacuation Area). You must line up in ROLL GROUPS. Ten short bells indicate “Lock Down”. All students are to remain in the classroom or make their way to a supervised building and remain there until the all clear is given. Following this an assembly will take place. 4 Welcome to our Term Two, 2013 newsletter. This term has been particularly busy as we have worked towards the end of the Semester with reports being handed out on the evening of Tuesday 25 June, 2013. We look forward to having deep conversations with parents and students at the Parent Teacher evening. Year 12 in particular have been working hard as they received their results from the Half Yearly exams and also expanded their pathway planning through the Individual Education Plan as well as the My Exit Planning meeting at Fairfield RSL held late during the term. This is a particularly successful program for our Year 12 students. Our National Partnership Technology agenda continued with the purchase of a set of iPads (and trolley) to be used as class sets across the school. This particular purchase was shared with our parents at this terms Parents and Citizens evening during Week 4. Parents were able to experience a major presentation by Sugata Mitra in a special ―TED Talk‖ which was also used during our Staff Conference later during the term. Our parents were led through many of the applications which will be used by our students and teachers in future lessons using their iPads. This set of iPads is currently being used across the school in various lessons. Our teachers were led through three sessions of Professional Learning over Friday evening and Saturday (May 24 and 25). This Staff Conference had an IT focus – using different forms of technology in the classroom. We were linked through Adobe Captivate with other presenters across the internet. Saturday saw two guest speakers lead us through different ideas of what teaching and learning is like in the 21st Century. This is a particularly challenging issue for schools as we prepare to provide equipment and resources to support our new methods of teaching and the new methods of learning by our students. The final year of Digital Education Revolution (DER) laptops have been provided to our Year 9 students. As a school we are looking at how we will respond to the future needs of our students with regards to technology equipment. The new idea of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is currently being investigated by our Technology Team. Important sporting events such as our annual Athletics Carnival, Junior Boys Rugby (Buckley Shield) and Football United Gala Day have been great opportunities for our students. Sebastian Acosta has continued to be successful in his athletic pursuits and we look forward to his success continuing. Our PE Faculty has been active in promoting our students across the school and Zone. Our refugee students and the many initiatives that are part of the ESL faculty across our school were profiled at the Refugee Week Conference on Tuesday 18 June 2013. Educational leadership and management across Our School 5 As well our Parents‘ Café was featured as an example of community engagement. The work of our ESL teachers and those in the Intensive English Centre is acknowledged by our Region and the many successes as our students leave Fairfield High School is a credit to the work done by those teachers. Credit especially to Mr. Cameron Jackson (in his role as Relieving Head Teacher ESL) and Mrs. Cheryl Weber for her continued support of our students across the school. I would like to thank James Stanley who represented our school through delivering the ―Welcome to Country‖ at the Refugee Week Conference. They are great representatives of our school. As well 4 students presented their refugee stories at the Conference. Our students have provided much valuable input to this Regional Conference, Mena Samoel, Mariam Mathias, Martain Marookey and Rawaz Tahir. I would like to thank them for their openness in sharing their stories. News of the changes in funding for our current National Partnerships Program with the federal government is currently under review after 2013. We are waiting for the new guidelines that will be part of future funding arrangements to schools. Our National Partnerships team continues to drive teacher learning agendas across the school. In particular, the Focus on Reading program in Years 7 and 8 has been studied by Fairvale High School and Lurnea High School as they look at this innovative program to be introduced to their schools. Fairfield High School is again leading in our Region in this program with two other high schools. Term Two also saw an exciting development of University of Melbourne coming to our school to research the different changes we have made to our school. In particular we have discussed the many pathways we are providing for our exiting students (Yr.12 in particular with their plans for University, TAFE or other academic pathways). This was the original focus for the University of Melbourne study but their research will be expanded to include organisational and systems changes at the school. The National Partnerships Team is to be congratulated for their work at making this a successful program to be studied. I would like to thank Mrs Rebecca Goldsmith and Ms Helen Bryce for their demonstration of Focus on Reading teaching strategies in their lessons with the research team. A number of changes have occurred at the systems level in the Department of Education and Communities. Our new Executive Director for our Region is Mr Murat Dizdar. In his previous role as Regional Director he was a great supporter of Fairfield High School. As well, our School Education Director, Mr James Coleborne is also involved in a realignment of our system. I look forward to being able to tell you about his new role in Term Three. I would like to thank Mr Coleborne for all his support of our school while in his current position. I would like to take this opportunity of reminding all our community that Fairfield High School strives to present a healthy approach in all areas of our operation. Our teachers encourage a healthy lifestyle – in particular our PE Faculty not only teaches a curriculum that features a healthy lifestyle but demonstrates healthy lifestyles with their wide range of involvement in sport. Our canteen also provides the basis for a healthy eating regime and offers healthy food. To this end it has been made obvious that our community is currently experiencing the influx of ―portable hookah‖ smoking devices or electronic cigarettes. I would like to remind all parents (and students) that use of these devices within the school is against school policy. Students have been reminded of this. These devices are banned from the school at all times. Please ensure this rule is followed by your children. The DEC non-smoking policy will be fully implemented. I would like to thank all staff for their work with great teaching this Semester and working to complete all reports for all our students. Please use these reports to inform great discussion in your homes. Have a great holiday and come back ready for Semester Two. Educational leadership and management across Our School 6 YEAR 7 REPORT WITH MR Dominicos Once again our Year 7 students have been busy little beavers in Term Two 2013! Just some of the activities that many (if not all) have been involved in are: The NAPLAN examinations The 2013 Premier‘s Reading Challenge The Debating Workshops and Challenges The Focus on Reading Program Welcoming Parent Visits to our Classrooms Welcoming Primary School Teachers to our Classrooms The POW – 500 Schools Tree Planting Day Vaccination Day Year Group Assemblies The Year 7 Compass University Experience Day (upcoming) Naplan Test Phew! That‘s quite a list! Well, just to give you a little bit more detail about each of the above initiatives, allow me to begin with NAPLAN. As we may all be aware, NAPLAN is an annual national assessment for all students in Years 3, 5, 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. This year the tests took place between the 14th and 16th of May and they were, as they always are, conducted within our school classrooms. You may be wondering why students do NAPLAN tests. NAPLAN is the measure through which governments, education authorities, schools, teachers and parents can determine whether or not younger students are meeting important educational outcomes in literacy and numeracy. The tests provide an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests. They also provide schools with information about how education programs are working and which areas need to be prioritised for improvement. It is important to note that 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. For more information on NAPLAN you may like to contact our school or alternatively visit www.nap.edu.au and click the link entitled: ‗Information‘. May I add that all of our students who sat these tests really put in the effort and did their best. I am sure that some have exceeded our expectations. Results will be distributed to students to take home very soon. Naplan Test Supporting Our students through pastoral care 7 Also this term Year 7 and 8 students undertook the 2013 Premier‘s Reading Challenge, which aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more and to read more widely. Partakers of the challenge ultimately receive certificates and medals but really it is not about rewards and awards it is about fostering and instilling in students the important activity and skill of reading and its connection to learning not just during school years but beyond and throughout students‘ lifetimes as well. Congratulations to all students that are taking up the challenge this year and I encourage others to get involved. On behalf of our own school, our Year 8 Adviser Ms Molina is organising and overseeing this important initiative – so a big thank-you to her! Another important Ms Bajic member of our welfare team is Ms Bajic, not just because she is our Year 7 Assistant Adviser for this year but also because she organises the Debating Workshops and Challenges at the school. A great number of Year 7 students (40+) have shown interest in and participated in debating both because of the skill itself but also because some have been afforded the opportunity to debate ―big idea‖ issues with debating teams from other schools. Debating assists students to reflect on a wide range of social issues and concepts and to become actively involved in improving situations connected to such issues. Well done Ms Bajic and well done debaters! I am sure that one aspect that helped our debaters articulate issues put to them during debates was the Focus on Reading Program that continues to be an important initiative at the school. As I mentioned in my Term One newsletter report, all Year 7 students are learning and actively using explicit reading comprehension strategies across a growing number of their subjects. Further to this, parents and Fairfield Primary School staff were invited into our classrooms to experience firsthand the difference focus on reading was making to our students‘ reading comprehension skills. Both students and staff involved did the school proud as they directly showcased the learning taking place in Year 7 and other year group classrooms. Just the other day I popped into the Social Science Staffroom to find out about an exciting little venture teachers had going on there called: POW – 500 Schools Tree Planting Day. As I was informed by Ms Elmir and other staff, this day is always greatly looked forward to by students and the Social Science teachers alike. As the name implies, 500 schools (in fact over 500) across NSW visit specific areas within their own regions to regenerate and make a Primary School Teachers Visit Primary School Teachers Visit contribution to Australia‘s natural environment. I found out that our students went to Abbotsbury and had lots of fun getting their hands dirty and generally ―digging in‖. I wonder if they will remember which trees they helped plant 20 years from now? In any case, they ought to be proud of their efforts. Supporting Our students through pastoral care 8 Ouch! I don‘t want to harp on too much about it but our second round of vaccinations for the Year 7‘s occurred earlier this term. For those that ―felt the pinch‖ most would testify that it is the thought of having the vaccination that is scarier than having the actual vaccination itself. Now that I think of it, what may be even scarier are the diseases that the vaccinations help guard against. So Year 7 students, I will sign off on the vaccinations issue with this couplet: ―There may have been a tear/ but in the end you conquered your fear! At last I had the chance to take centre stage and to speak to my Year 7 students during a Formal Assembly! (Show off right?). No but on a serious note, assemblies are dynamic occasions that demand a wide range of issues to be discussed and conveyed to students – often within a limited time period. At times we have special guests and presentations that take precedence over other matters. During the Term Two assembly however, with no guests booked I took the opportunity to address students regarding their rights and responsibilities within the school. I informed them that you cannot have one without the other and that if students live up to their responsibilities then rights and rewards will surely follow. An upcoming excursion that could be considered a reward of sorts is the Compass University Experience Day that is to occur on Thursday June 19th. Judging from the permission slips that are being consistently returned and by the enthusiasm I can see and hear in our students faces and voices they are really looking forward to this day. I must admit that I too am looking forward to it not just because I believe that it will be an invaluable and insightful experience for students to witness the workings of Australia‘s oldest and perhaps most renowned university (we are off to Sydney Uni) but also I myself am an ex student of Sydney University and thus an alumni of its wide reaching community. Who knows, I may perhaps bump into an old teacher of my own on the day? Enjoy the Break! Mr Domenicos - Year 7 Adviser. FREE 24 HOUR TELEPHONE COUNSELLING FOR PARENTS Starting the school year can present parents and families with a multitude of unique challenges to family life and new experiences for children. Parents face issues such as helping children adapt to new teachers and class environments and routines, work through issues with peers as well as help children to manage out of school activities, homework, chores and spare time. Children are often tired at the beginning of the school year as they adjust to their new environment. Behaviour difficulties, irritability and emotional outbursts are just some of the symptoms of children dealing with new and exhausting experiences. Parent Line provides professional help by experienced and qualified counsellors on a wide range of issues from step pare4nting, to managing difficult behaviours, to dealing with at risk adolescents and anything in between. Our counsellors can talk through issues and help parents come up with new strategies that suit their parenting style and family, send out information as well as refer them to services and resources in their local community. Parent Line is a DOCS funded service that can provide confidential, professional, free counselling, information and referral to parents of children aged 0 – 18 across NSW. Parent Line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. PHONE: 132055 Supporting Our students through pastoral care 9 YEAR 8 REPORT WITH Ms Molina Term 2 has been a pleasant and productive term for Year 8. This term I have set Year 8 a challenge, to read for 10 minutes a night. This challenge is part of the FoR (Focus on Reading) program that continues to be taught this year at Fairfield High School. I feel it is important for our student‘s development to engage widely with text. This not only helps to expand their vocabulary but also it helps build their general knowledge. Overall, I want our students to feel comfortable with texts in a variety of contexts. As Year 8 Advisor, I still have ongoing concerns with student interaction, bullying an anti-social behaviour. These are issues we as a school continue to deal with. I would like to remind all of Year 8 of our school CARE Code and each students role to actively follow and respect this code of conduct. This term, Year 8 have been invited to participate in the Premier‘s Reading Challenge. I hope to see many of our Year 8 students taking part in this activity. 2013 Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) The Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure in students, and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more and to read widely. The Premier‘s Reading Challenge is a NSW Government initiative. The Challenge runs from 1 March to 1 September 2013. Please visit the Web site for the list of books available for students to read. A Reminder: Students can read books above their level but not below. Each student must read 15 books from the Premier‘s Reading List (Year 8 level). Students can select 5 books from their own choosing as part of the total 20 books they are required to read to meet the Challenge successfully. Students can include books they have read after September 2012 – 2013 as part of their 20 books. It is a condition of entry that all students entering and successfully completing the Premier's Reading Challenge will receive an official PRC certificate and their names will appear on the PRC Honour Roll. To successfully complete the Challenge the student must have an online reading record entered and validated by 1 September 2013. Supporting Our students through pastoral care 10 2013 A reading log can be used to keep a personal ongoing record of books read (ID number, title and author). On the 7-9 booklist, books marked are for mature readers or denote books with more mature themes or language. These books are "usually read by students in Years 9, 10 or above". On the 7-9 list, easier reads are marked . Students who require special support may listen to unabridged audio versions of the books as they read along to them. Congratulations, to the four SRC students who participated in the Nursing Home beautification program with Ms.Medroni. Luke Lovero Arta Rufati Paige Taylor Raniya Hadi I would like to acknowledge and give a big ―thanks‖ to Luke Lovero and Paige Taylor for being our M.C‘s at our formal assembly this term. I would like to encourage other students to volunteer at running our assemblies. I take this opportunity to provide parents with information about the KIDS HELPLINE. I have delivered two presentations on this great organisation to our Year 8 students this year. But it is important for our parents and guardians to acknowledge this community resource. Online safety When you meet people on the internet, it‟s not like meeting them in real life. This is because you can't see them, and you don't know if they really are who they say they are. You should treat them as strangers, even if you talk to them every day. Remember, never give away any of these details to someone on the internet: * Home Address * Phone Numbers * Email Address * Passwords If someone keeps asking you for any of these details, tell your parents or a teacher straight away. Kids Helpline is a free 24 hour counselling service for Australian kids and young people aged 5-25 years. You can get help over the phone, email or web. Our counsellors talk with more than 6,000 kids each week, and help with all sorts of problems, big and small. If you need to talk to someone now, call us on 1800 55 1800, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you are 5-25 years old and need someone to talk to, you can call us at anytime - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our trained counsellors will: * listen to you * believe you * help you with your problems * help you to sort things out in your own way * talk to you about who else might be able to help You can call about anything - no problem is too big or too small. Supporting Our students through pastoral care 11 I am very excited to have taught 8.1A Technology in the kitchen this term. They have prepared some very simple but tasty treats this term. All students have demonstrated outstanding levels of interest and skill in the kitchen :) Well done guys! Emily, Alice, Arjoane and Fatimeh Meke, Hassan, Sifa, Gershom, Matteo and Mahmoud Reading for fun in the sun. Supporting Our students through pastoral care 12 YEAR 9 REPORT WITH Mr Jackson Year 9 have once again have shown themselves to be well behaved members of the school community. After a test run, in which they sat a mock version of NAPLAN under exam conditions, they sat for the ‗real McCoy‘ several weeks later and behaved with admirable levels of concentration and quiet discipline. This level of academically inclined behaviour bodes well for the future. Unfortunately, the behaviour shown under exam conditions has not been matched by a proper understanding of plagiarism. When you copy and paste from the website or copy your friend‘s assignment, then claim it as your own work, this is known as plagiarism and results in a mark of zero for that assignment. Sometimes when learning how to research information on the net, you ‗accidently‘ plagiarise rather than summarise. If you have any doubts, see your respective subject teachers before submitting assessments. At the last Year Adviser meeting it was also brought to my attention that the uniform standards of some students are slipping. Wearing the uniform is part of showing that you are a proud member of the Fairfield High School community. This is a school to be very proud of and our year group has so far been a fantastic part of the community, so let‘s continue demonstrating that through the wearing of full school uniform. Finally, after chatting to staff around the school, the common remark was made that their respective Year 9 classes have been ‗ploughing‘ through the work to the best of their abilities – so carry on and well done so far! Supporting Our students through pastoral care 13 YEAR 10 REPORT WITH Ms. Lykourezos 2013 is a year of perseverance, as Edward Hickson once quoted, ―If at first you don‘t succeed, try, try again‖. It has been a positive transition for students moving from Year 9 to Year 10. The year has started off steady, with Year 10 being a part of several events. We had our annual Swimming Carnival held on February 22nd. Our Cross Country held on March 23rd and our Athletics Carnival held on May 9th and 10th. All carnivals were successful. Congratulations to Prospect for winning all three carnivals! Also congratulations to Joshua Suli-Ruka who is representing Sydney Gold Combined High Schools! Last year Mr Ferguson and I took a group of Year 10 students on an excursion to Jamberoo to reward them for their hard work throughout the year. It was a great success, everyone had a wonderful time. This year I plan to take Year 10 on another excursion, though the location is yet to be finalised. If Year 10 would like to participate then they are required to continue following the CARE code and keep up their good grades. Also students are to come and see me regarding any ideas for the excursion. POW is up and running again this year and we now have Year 10 representatives. POW is an acronym for ‗Protect Our World‘, and is run by Ms Elmir in the Social Science faculty. It is a school group dedicated to looking after our environment and community. It is very important for our future generations to uphold, understand and appreciate our world. I would like to thank Cassandra Gabrijan, Isabella Kim, Deveena Kumar and Amy Tran for taking on these important roles and congratulate them on their great Earth Hour 2013 video! This term marks the end of the first semester, with Year 10 recently completing their half yearly exams. I would like to thank and congratulate them on their behaviour during the examination period and hope they all receive the marks that they deserve. Individual Education Plans were held after the examination period. Year 10 students discussed which electives they wish to select for Years 11 and 12 and what career path they would like to pursue. Students were required to think about their future and what they hope to achieve. Supporting Our students through pastoral care 14 Debating has also commenced this term, with our Year 10 team representing the school in the Premier‘s Debating Challenge. Congratulations to Deveena Kumar, Christina Carol, Tara Rowley, Amy Tran and their debating coach Ms Bajic for their efforts. This year is a year for students to become proactive. I expect Year 10 students to maintain their good grades at a steady pace and to attend all classes with punctuality. They should be treating their teachers and fellow classmates with respect and they should also be treating their school environment with respect. This all leads back to the school‘s CARE code: Community, Achievement, Respect, and Environment. I hope you enjoy the upcoming school holidays, keep up the great work. Joshua Suli-Ruka Cassandra Gabrijan Isabella Kim Deveena Kumar Amy Tran Christina Carol Tara Rowley Ms Bajic Supporting Our students through pastoral care 15 YEAR 11 REPORT WITH Mrs Wilkinson Year 11 has been very busy in various programs this term and they have been working hard in school preparing for Year 12 which begins in Term 4. They have also been working hard towards organising their school formal, school jackets and starting their fundraising. Many students have been participating in a number of programs and activities which have been beneficial to the students who have acquired many new skills which I am certain will be used additionally in their schooling years. Debating is one of those great activities that provide students with improving their public speaking skills. The students involved are Agnes Fifita, Natasa Djukic, Rania Matti and Adriana Cortellazzi. Year 11 ESL English students were involved in the Microsoft program. They paired up with a mentor from Microsoft and were educated about technological items and their relationship to this current business world. Two students were involved in the Woman‘s Leadership Seminar held at the State Parliament House. They were lectured on the changing role of women in our society. This seminar focused on persuading women to get into leadership roles and politics. A number of Year 11 summer school students were invited back to UTS for a reunion about subject selections. They were involved in various discussions and one of the main discussions was the difficulties of acquiring a career after completing a university degree. The Year 11 English Advanced students went on an excursion to watch the play ‗Othello‘, written by William Shakespeare in order to help them to understand the next topic in English. The play allowed students to familiarise and visualise themselves with the plot. This viewing will have a positive outcome for our English Advanced students. Women‟s Leadership Seminar Natasa Agnes Adriana Rania Supporting Our students through pastoral care 16 From the beginning of the year, the Year 11 Physics class worked intensively. They completed half of their preliminary course and also achieved great results in their studies. As a reward they were taken an excursion to Luna Park to relax after the hard work they have put into this subject. As you are approaching the end of the preliminary course with only one term to go before the HSC course commences and the workload increases I would like to offer some study tips for my Year 11 students: Listen in class Take notes in class Be organised Complete all assessment tasks on time Plan your study time and use it well Communicate with your teachers about any problems you may be experiencing If you get into these good habits then Year 12 may not seem so daunting. Remember it is never too late to implement the above practices. Lastly I would like to thank the jacket and formal committee members for their input and hard work. They have been actively assisting in all matters concerning. Your contribution is invaluable. Mr Singh will be returning in Term 3 and we all missed you. Year 11 planning their study Year 11 IEP‟s Year 11 Assembly Supporting Our students through pastoral care 17 YEAR 12 REPOrt WITH Mr. honyak Well it‘s a busy term. Students have settled into the term and HSC preparations are well underway! Students have taken on board the requirements for all subjects and are working towards their goal of an HSC. Students have been utilizing the senior study room to great effect. Thanks to the National Partnership Team for assisting the Year 12‘s with any issues they might have had. Students are looking very smart in their 2013 jackets. Thanks to Mrs Brown for organising the final jackets and her incredible patience with all the last minute additions. Thanks to the Formal Committee for their tireless work on school fundraising. Va, Sindy, Caitlyn and Zorana have done the year proud with their relentless pursuit of making money for the year. We had a mufti day in the rain and made quite a sizable amount of money. Thanks to all who contributed. Thanks to Karoline for organising the ‗guess how many lollies there are in lolly jar‘ competition. Karoline is also organising a cake day for next term. Thanks to Jade and the yearbook team for getting the yearbook started. Make sure you get your profiles in to her asap. The school debating team performed at the Premiers Debating Challenge this term. Well done to Leanne, Trish, Caitlyn and Zorana for representing Fairfield High. During the Term 1 Holidays, the band ‗It‘s Not A Problem‘ consisting of Caitlyn, Daniel, Anthony, Andy and Nic represented Fairfield High in the ‗Bring It On‘ Fairfield City Council Festival and won! They WON $2000 FOR THE SCHOOL! A fantastic result all round. With the money I bought a sensational Fender American Stratocaster and a five string Cort Bass! I‘m so impressed with their work ethic over the semester. They regularly came at lunch time and rehearsed. Congratulations guys! Year 12 students attended the Cross Country. It was a tough day on all involved but we got through it Thanks for attending. It‟s Not A Problem Supporting Our students through pastoral care 18 SUPPORT UNIT REPORT WITH MS San Juan What a busy time Term Two has been for the Support Unit! This term, the SEU has crammed a lot of fun filled, educational activities into our short nine weeks. From athletics carnivals to excursions, the Support Unit is really thriving! The Life Skills Community Access program (LSCA) has hit full swing during Term two. The program which runs fortnightly and gives students the Westfields opportunity to venture students had a great time cooking with their parents, and the SEU would like to extend thanks to the parents who could make our event. Parents also enjoyed a day of bowling with students last term. Later this year, parents are invited to attend our upcoming ‗Storm Boy‘ theatre excursion in September and a Parent Café scheduled for later in the year. Campbelltown Athletics Westfields out into the local area and develop relevant and necessary life skills has had students highly engaged and enthusiastic. This term students have had the experience of organising their own day out to Westfield Parramatta, planning their transportation, preparing shopping lists and purchasing lunch. Later on this term students will apply this knowledge on a broader scale and attend the Sydney Aquarium, applying knowledge from their current science topic ―Living Things‖. The SEU‘s Parent Engagement program also continues. At the end of Term 1, parents of the students from S1 came along to ‗P Day‘ and prepared Pizza and Pancakes together. The The SEU has been filled with carnivals and sporting excursions. Earlier this term, Mr Ozturk and Mrs George attended Secondary Students with Disabilities Athletics Carnival in Campbelltown with six of our students. Our students all participated in 100m and 200m sprints, and Discus and Long Jump events. The Support Unit teachers congratulate the students for putting in their best effort during these events and would like to acknowledge their respectful behaviour during travelling and at the venue. Students also participated in the Fairfield Athletics carnival over the 9th and 10th May. Participating in a variety of events, our students tried their best and had an enjoyable couple of days. Again we would like to acknowledge their good behaviour and their enthusiasm in participation. Supporting Our students through pastoral care 19 Last term our students from S3 and S4 had the exciting opportunity to attend Cabramatta PCYC, attending weekly aerobic classes. This term, our students from S1 and S2 have their chance and are enjoying it immensely. The program, which aims to promote lifelong physical activity to students in a non-traditional context, has the SEU students participating in different routines each week, touching on elements of boxing or circuit training. Each week our students rise to the challenge that our instructor Jeanette sets, and continuously demonstrate a positive attitude and open mind to the activities, on which they deserve to be congratulated. Also, a special mention must be made to the way the students conduct themselves in public, as they make their way to Cabramatta PCYC. Students are displaying excellent conduct, listening to all instructions and behaving very courteous towards other travellers. Well done S1 and S2! Cabramatta PCYC Cabramatta PCYC Students have continued their ‗Focus on Reading‘ program, spending Monday afternoon in the library reading books. Students have drawn from the information they have learnt during term one on how to use the Dewey borrowing system and continue to search for their own books during lessons. Our students are continuing to demonstrate an interest in books that they may not normally read and use their time in roll call to continue reading these books. Calling all READERS in Support In May, Fairfield High School launched the NSW Premier‘s Reading Challenge. The program aims to encourage young adult‘s interest in reading. It includes students from Year 7 to Year 9. Students are challenged to read 15 books in one year, some of which must come from a special Premier‘s Reading Challenge List. The Premier‘s Reading Challenge is NOT a competition! Students are simply encouraged to try their best and read the number of books for the target set for their age group. Students who complete the challenge are rewarded with a special AWARD from the Premier of NSW. There are also HEAPS of FUN events scheduled to help students reach their reading targets, such as an outdoor reading party and a ‗Reader of the Month Award‘. If you would like to take the CHALLENGE, please contact your teacher for further details. Finally, the SEU staff would like to commend all students on a great term! We hope that the positive attitudes and commitment to homework can move into this next semester. Cabramatta PCYC Supporting Our students through pastoral care 20 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS report WITH Mr flood Meet the new International students: New International Students Tran Duc Dien (Ben) is a Year 9 student who comes from Vietnam. He likes playing baseball, basketball and singing. His favourite subjects is Math. Siengnorar Prum (Norar) is a Year 10 student from Cambodia. He likes to play soccer, and his favourite subject is sport. Mai Nhi Pham (Mai) is a Year 11 student who comes from Vietnam. She likes reading and Current International Students swimming. Her favourite subjects are Maths and English. Tanh Nhu Lam (Alice) is a Year 8 student who comes from Vietnam. She likes playing piano and drawing. Her favourite subjects are Music and English. Thuy Trang Ngo (Jane) is a Year 10 student from Vietnam. She lives watching English programs on television. Her favourite subjects are Maths, English and Photography. Siyuan He (Shawn) is a Year 10 student who comes from China. He enjoys playing video games and cooking. His favourite subjects are History, Math and English. Bingyi Su is a Year 10 student who comes from China. She enjoys listening to music and travelling. Her favourite subjects are Maths and Commerce. With favourite teacher Supporting Our students through pastoral care 21 Intensive English Centre WITH Ms durney Students come into the IEC (Intensive English Centre) from many different countries, these students come with very little English and sometimes very little formal education. Students stay in the IEC for up to three terms before graduating. Once students graduate from the IEC depending on where they live they may enroll at Fairfield High or another High School. After spending three terms in the IEC the students have made many new friends and are beginning to grasp the English language. Our recent graduation saw 28 students graduate, with family and friends there to witness the event. We welcome those that have stayed here with us at Fairfield High School. The following is an address made to the audience by one of our graduates. Good morning parents and guests, teachers and students. My name is Linh Dang and today I would like to share with you some of my thoughts during my time at Fairfield IEC after three terms as a student here. I am sure many of these thoughts will reflect the thoughts of the other students who are leaving the IEC for the high school or TAFE. On the first day I came to the IEC, through the office window, I could see many students from different countries. Little did I know then that these students were soon to be very good friends of mine. That first day, I was excited but also nervous at the same time. However, I still remember when I first stepped into class, everybody was so welcoming and joyful. They asked me to sit next to them. Although I couldn‘t understand everything in class, the teachers and my new friends were always there, ready to help me. Thanks to them, now I can speak English more fluently and more confidently and I can do what I thought I couldn‘t. Learning a new language is not an easy job to everyone, especially me. When I was in my country, I used to think English is the most difficult subject to do well at. I felt learning English was very hard and I encountered great difficulties learning English Grammar. Present tense, past tense, future tense etc. But since I came to Fairfield IEC I started to love learning English and found it much easier ti study as a subject and to learn things through using English school. Also, the teachers at our IEC tried their best to lay the foundation for further learning at high school. They have equipped us with the knowledge that we will need for continued success at high school. Their inspiring teaching makes us feel that learning is a wonderful thing. In my mind, the most unforgettable memories are the excursions. We spent time together chatting, walking, playing, taking photos… and we formed closer relationships with each other. Those excursions also showed us beautiful sights of the city, the culture and the people here. Excursions are such an enriching experience. Today, our journey in the IEC has come to an end. However, this is just the warming up before we start high school. Personally, I feel ready and confident to step into high school now, when before I would have been nervous. Supporting Our students through pastoral care 22 I know it‘s hard to say goodbye but I believe wherever we go, we will always remember the good times we have had and get in touch with each other in the future. On behalf of the exiting students, I would like to take this time to thank Miss Durney, all the teachers, counselors and the office staff for all their amazing help. For the students who are staying in the IEC, do learn as much as you can and enjoy your time here because you would never find somewhere else as special as this IEC Thank you for your attention and we wish you all the best. Linh Dang – IEC Student 2013 Supporting Our students through pastoral care 23 A Brighter Future When you start with Kip McGrath Education Centres. We offer professional tutoring programs for primary through to high school students. We help build the foundations for academic success. 24 YEAR 7 STUDENT OF TERM Adrian Correa I would like to commend Adrian not because he is a high achieving student who as far as I can tell always does his best to produce quality work. Not because he excels in Maths having achieved over 85% in the initial class placement Numeracy tests. Not because he contributed to our first formal assembly in term one, playing the guitar beautifully and with gusto. And not because he is a gifted athlete who was one of the top competitors at our recent School Athletics Carnival – and who as a result will be a part of the Lansdowne Zone Cross Country team to compete at the Sydney South West Championships next Thursday 13th June 2013. The reason that Adrian is Year 7 Student of the Term is because each time I see Adrian in the corridor, playground or classroom he is always polite, respectful to everyone and he is encouraging of his peers. Congratulations Adrian and keep it up! Mr Dominicos Year 7 Advisor YEAR 8 STUDENT OF TERM Mareta Joseph Mareta is a beautifully mannered student. She is a hardworking and diligent student. Mareta has achieved excellent results across all of her classes. She has consistently demonstrated a keen interest to excel in her schooling. Her honesty and value for education are a real credit to her. Mareta is a well respected and liked member of the Year 8 cohort. She has consistently provided care and support for members of her peer group, which have made her a leader not only within her friendship group but in our cohort. Mareta is a well rounded student who has engaged in academic, sporting and creative activities with a high level of enthusiasm. Congratulations, on the fantastic results and progress you have worked very hard to achieve this term. You are truly a role model for your peers. Ms Molina Year 8 Advisor Acknowledging academic success of all Students 25 YEAR 9 STUDENT OF TERM Suzanne Sultani & Lillian Florian As we reach the halfway point of the adventure that is being a Year 9 student, it appears we have a combined student of the term once again! Suzanne Sultani and Lillian Florian have set the examples as outstanding role models for the year group. They have been hardworking and diligent throughout the term. For behaviour in and outside the classroom, the word that comes to mind is mature. They have consistently set an example of good behaviour for others to follow, by being responsible members of the Fairfield High School community. Both Suzanne and Lillian have shown good aspects of leadership by being helpful to other class mates and by following teacher directions. On top of this they do it all with a good sense of humour and great smiles. Well done girls! Mr Jackson Year 9 Advisor YEAR 10 STUDENT OF TERM Joshua Suli-Ruka Congratulations to Joshua Suli Ruka for his outstanding efforts this term. Joshua has displayed true dedication towards his studies and future goals. He is to be commended for his excellent character and commitment to his schooling. Well done Joshua keep up the amazing work. Ms Lykourezos Year 10 Advisor Acknowledging academic success of all Students 26 YEAR 11 STUDENT OF TERM Ronya Gilani Ronya is a pleasant and cooperative student who has actively participated in various activities within the school community such as SRC and library monitoring. She has been settling very well into her senior schooling and has been achieving great results in her courses. Ronya has also been studying the accelerated Swedish Continuers course at Saturday school and will proceed to do her HSC this year in October. She is also a member of the jacket committee and has been actively designing and liaising with various companies and making a valuable contribution in the decision making process. Ronya has been chosen as the student of Term 2 because she is an optimistic student who helps her peers. She works hard and always works to the best of her ability in order to achieve great results and she is hoping to become one of the highest achievers in 2014. Mr Singh Year 11 Advisor YEAR 12 STUDENT OF TERM Caitlyn Acosta Caitlyn has a strong work ethic that transfers to all areas of school life. She is respected by teachers and students and is a natural leader. She is always willing to push herself to achieve her gaols. Caitlyn always shows kindness and respect to her fellow students and goes out of her way to help them in anyway she can. She recently was part of the band ‗It‘s Not A Problem‘ who won the Bring It On Festival and won $2000 for the school. Mr Honyak Year 12 Advisor Acknowledging academic success of all Students 27 SUPPORT UNIT STUDENT OF TERM Matthew Cowley Matthew deserves to be recognised for his excellent efforts academically this past term. Matthew has excelled across his classes, placing first in science. Also, Matthew has played a large role in helping our new students settle into the Support Unit over Term 1 and 2, always lending a helping hand to those who need it and always abiding by Fairfield High School‘s CARE code. A positive start to his year, and we wish you all the best as you take on the Preliminary HSC. Excellent work Matthew! Ms San Juan Support We are an Australian owned and operated company conveniently located at Wallacia. Order today and receive free delivery with every installation. Phone: (02) 4773 9044 www.abovealltanksandpumps.com.au Australian Made Water Tanks & Pumps Multi purpose water tanks & pumps Very competitive prices Better products and personalized service Quality assured products and materials Acknowledging academic success of all Students 28 ATHLETE STUDENT OF TERM Joshua Suli Ruka Joshua Suli Ruka is an all-round athlete who has achieved outstanding results in the field of Rugby League this year. During the Christmas holidays between 2012 and 2013, Joshua spent time at the University of New England, Armidale Campus as part of an educational and Rugby League course for Parramatta Eels Development Programs. At school Josh has been an integral part of the Opens Rugby League side. Joshua was also selected as part of the Lansdowne Zone U15s Rugby League side, where from this he was selected in the Sydney South West U15s Rugby League side. At the Combined High Schools Championships, Joshua was selected as part of the Sydney Gold to compete at trials for NSW CHS side. Mr Johnson HT PDHPE BASKETBALL STUDENT OF TERM Hussain Al-Jaber Hussain has been an active participant in our lunch time basketball competition since Year 7, now in Year 10 he is leading by example volunteering to referee games as well as being a regular scorer and timekeeper for games. Hussain attends training sessions regularly helping whenever he can and continues to work hard to improve his ball skills. Hussain has also been a valued member of both the school‘s under 15 and open basketball teams. Ms Hudson Coach Acknowledging academic success of all Students 29 Convincing young people to take up a trade, any trade, I was extremely happy to be asked to return to my old school to do a trade experience for younger students. In my experience in having a trade, more doors will open for young people when they hold a trade certificate. Also more money and a better quality of life is a positive. I achieved a trade as a boilermaker/ journeyman. I have worked for BHP, Centrepoint Tower and many other big companies. I encourage your students to be positive in taking up a trade if that's their path in life. Mathematics, English and Science play a big part. Thank you once more and I encourage the students of Fairfield High School to take a trade in mind when making their career decisions in Year 10 or 12. I would like to thank the staff and all who made it possible for my revisit. Regards, Frank Seraglio Linking our school with past students and teachers 30 Try a Trade happened over three days at Fairfield High School, with over 800 students from different schools attending as well as students and parents from Fairfield High. There were 35 different trade exhibitions ranging from childcare, butchers, electrician, ADF, SES, sign-writing to plumbing just to name a few. On the carpentry stall students made wooden candle holders and they decorated them with tiles on the tiling and pavement stall. There were makeovers happening on the hair and beauty stall, pancakes were on the menu at the hospitality stall. Yamaha brought along a jet ski and the latest model trailbike and demonstrated the high level of electronics that are found in modern motorbikes. On the horticulture stall students potted plants which they took home. The ADF was popular dressed in their camoflage. Many students asked intelligent questions about what the Australian military‘s role. The skills event proved to be an outstanding success and Fairfield High hopes to have the honour of hosting this event again. Developing work based skills in our students 31 Developing work based skills in our students 32 Relieving Deputy Amanda Conray Deputy Mark Sargeant HT Nat Part Ekbal Sayed-Rich HT Welfare Daniel Brown Year 7 Year Advisor Nick Domenicos Year 8 Assistant Ajla Bajic Year Advisor Lilian Molina Year 9 Year Advisor Cameron Jackson Year Advisor Ellena Lykourezos Year 11 Student Support Mohsen El Drehi Assistant Lee Ferguson sistant Year 12 Assistant Aurelia Wilkinson Counsellor Simon Tam Assistant Eric Lieu Year 10 Assistant Stephanie Sullivan Year Advisor Ajendra Singh HT Student Support Tony Petrakis Counsellor Sue Bicanic Year Advisor Patrick Honyak Year 6 Transition Megan Hayes Assistant Raphael Brown Careers Advisor Karen Tyler Careers Advisor Pam Dunn Our Welfare team supporting learning for all students 33 Welcome to the Term 2 newsletter. It has been an exciting and highly productive term with much to share! Literacy and Numeracy across the school with Focus on Reading is an important program. The program Focus on Reading continues to be a key whole school strategy for increasing school literacy levels at Fairfield High School and strategically targeting improved practice in the teaching of comprehension strategies across the curriculum. Staff training continues at three levels: Phase 1 for teachers beginning their first year of training, Phase 2 for the those teachers in their second year of training Facilitator Training for teachers training to teach other staff in Focus on Reading My thanks go to Ms Erika Kardasis, Ms Cheryl Weber, Ms Rebecca Goldsmith, Ms Kathleen Hannigan and Ms Amanda Conray for their commitment and dedication in training teachers in the next phase of the Focus on Reading Journey in 2013. Our core texts for the Focus on Reading training include-: Guided Comprehension by Maureen Mc Laughlin & Mary Beth Allen Revisit, Reflect, Retell by Linda Hoyt As more teachers become trained in the Focus on Reading Program the greater impact on students‘ comprehension levels. Our primary partnerships with Fairfield Primary Public school gave us great insight into how Focus on Reading works at the primary school level and students commencing Year 7 in 2013 possess a strong understanding of the Focus on Reading Program which is hugely advantageous to the continuation of teaching the program in the high school. Year 7 classes in 2013 are benefitting from the additional support with the teaming structure in place again in 2013. This approach supports transition in the middle years as students find that having a core teacher in Year 7 provides a settled learning environment in the first year at high school. Staff FoR Training session The National Partnerships Team – supporting student learning and success 34 During Term 2, the National Partnerships faculty hosted a combined visit by Fairvale HS & Lurnea HS teachers who are also coming on board the Focus on Reading Journey. The group of 20 teachers observed a variety of lessons from Key Learning areas across the school including our Special Education and Intensive English Centre classes. I thank the teachers who shared their Focus on Reading teaching practice with the visiting teachers. The feedback was extremely positive and a greater level of professional discussion was had on the day and through the Focus on Reading Edmodo group recently created for all staff training in the program to professionally engage with ongoing discussions around the implementation of the Focus on Reading program at their school. Visiting teachers in IEC class Visiting teachers in Special Education class Visiting teachers group Visiting teachers in mainstream class Focus on Reading-Action Research project- Flash Mob As part of the Phase 2 training in the Focus on Reading program the action research project explores strategies to increase reading volume across the school. Every Tuesday at lunch the school community is invited to grab a book to read and enjoy reading on the school grass area outside of H Block. We are not actively advertising the flash mob to the school however, are currently observing trends where more students and staff are coming on board and joining the flash mob and demonstrating their love of reading. Students and staff enjoying a quiet read The National Partnerships Team – supporting student learning and success 35 The teachers trained so far in the Focus on Reading program continue to showcase to the whole staff Focus on Reading Comprehension strategies and teaching ideas at Staff Development Days and this trend will continue at the next Staff Development Day in Term 3, 2013. Please see the Focus on Reading Implementation Flow chart following this report Staff Conference-Smart Technologies Our 5th successful staff conference was held at Fairfield High School and Fairfield RSL on the 24th & 25th May, 2013. The conference was well attended with staff, parents Staff Conference and students engaged in professional learning which aimed to increase their knowledge and skills in new technologies and engage staff and the community on the best ways to prepare for the changes of the 21st century classroom and how students today best learn. Our Principal Mr Mulas set the context for 21st Century Learning with Sugatra Mitra‘s ―school in the cloud‖ concept which led to the deep discussions that followed throughout the conference. I would like to congratulate Ms K. Hannigan Head Teacher Technology and the National Partnerships team for their hard work in organising this important whole school event. I would also like to thank the student leaders and parents who attended the Bring Your Own Technology discussions on day two of the conference. Your input was extremely valuable for the next stage of development of the BYOT strategy at Fairfield High School. I would further like to acknowledge the teachers who lead the last session of the conference and shared their teaching practice by showcasing the iPad applications most relevant to their subject areas to the staff and parents. This session was rated as one of the best of the whole conference and staff and parents indicated they wanted to see more of these activities in the future. Thank you to the following teachers-: Ms R. Goldsmith - Creative and Performing Arts Ms N. Midroni – Creative and Performing Arts Mr P. Honyak – Creative and Performing Arts Mr S. Conlan- Head Teacher Student Engagement Mr L. Ferguson- Technology and Applied Science Ms A. Ayoubi- Special Education Unit Ms K. Hannigan –Head Teacher Technology Mr Martin Levins Ms Myf Powell Mr M. Kusmerieski- Maths Faculty Thanks to Mr Mark Sargeant, Mr Kon Kriticos and Ms Sue Smyth for their delivery of the sessions to SASS during the conference. Thanks also to Ms Leah Rix for presenting a session on the Dell Projector in the classroom and to Mr Lawrence Derks for leading a professional learning session on working with Adobe connect. Staff Conference The National Partnerships Team – supporting student learning and success 36 We were extremely lucky to have a high calibre of presenters and we thank the following key note speakers on their outstanding presentations to staff, parents and students at the conference. Ms Myf Powell-“Leading a transformative ICT Strategy” Mr Martin Levins “Bring Your Own Technology” – A community consultation Staff showcasing educational apps Staff showcasing educational apps Parents attending school conference Students attending school conference Welcome Dr Teresa Angelic- Melbourne University On June, 13 Dr Teresa Angelic from Melbourne University visited National Partnerships to conduct a case study on Fairfield High School and the National Partnership program at our school. During her visit she will be visiting some of the Focus on Reading classes, our Parent Café, Community Kitchen and Garden as well as the great facilities around the school such as the Trade Training Centre and Senior Learning space. Dr Teresa Angelic visiting our school The National Partnerships Team – supporting student learning and success 37 Tertiary Partnerships affiliated with Future Directions Network- BIG NEWS!! Our students attended the Future Directions Information Night at Revesby Workers Club and heard all about the benefits of going to University and the surprise appearance by the Hon. Ms Julia Gillard plus the great news about a $500,000 commitment by the Hon. Julia Gillard to scholarships for South Western Sydney students aspiring to go to University. Our student ambassadors were also recognised when they met the PM last term and shared their stories about their university pathways with her. Well done to Elaine Yeo and Paulo Greaves. Also Natasa Djukic, Caroline Loka and Hannah Salah in Year 11 for attending the evening‘s proceedings. More information on how to apply can be found at www.fdn.net.au See the full article from the FDN website below. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced $500,000 of assistance by the Federal Government to Future Direction Network, in front of five hundred people at the joint FDNUniversity of Sydney information evening at the Revesby Workers Club last night. In her speech announcing the funding, the Prime Minister said she ―was so blown away‖ when she first met FDN Chairman Corey Payne and first heard those stories from students like Elaine Yeo and Paulo Greaves from Fairfield High, that ―…I Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the FDN Board knew that I wanted to help and I knew I wanted and supporters to see him have the resources to take his vision and his dream even further.‖ Dropping in from a community cabinet meeting in nearby Regents Park, the Prime Minister was introduced by Revesby Workers Club President and Federal Member for Banks Daryl Melham. In his speech, Mr Melham on behalf of Revesby Workers Club also announced an $18,000 commitment to FDN. Mr Melham said ―…she didn‘t hesitate to make herself available to come here tonight. Her commitment to education is second to none, it‘s well known.‖ In her speech to the audience, the Prime Minister expressed solidarity with the aims of FDN and that of her Government. ―A big part of what we‘re trying to achieve as a Government is to make it possible for people to be the first in their family to go to University. Why is that so important? It literally changes lives. ―If I can leave one message with you tonight — if you‘re thinking about it (University), then please strive to do it. It can seem big; it can seem scary, particularly if there‘s no one in your family who can show you the path, who can shine the light for you if you‘re going to be the first to go. But having the courage to take those steps is so important, because it will be the foundation for the rest of your life,‖ Ms Gillard said. The National Partnerships Team – supporting student learning and success 38 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Experience Day Sydney University‟s Compass Program- May 29th, 2013 Fifteen of our ATSI students in Year 7 and 8 says Angela Saad, Learning for Life Team attended this great day at Sydney University. Leader at The Smith Family. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students All areas of interest were catered for the year Experience Day is a partnership between the seven and eight students in a day of hands-on University's Compass Program, Student activities, with students able to make their own Recruitment Unit and The Smith Family. ice cream using liquid nitrogen, express the "Through providing a range of interactive and emotion of pride through poetry, find out more fun activities with great educational value, about the man on the $50 note, and compete students can get a taste for higher education," to build the tallest tower out of spaghetti. The National Partnerships Team – supporting student learning and success 39 „Education Matters‟, a lecture by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Compass partner high schools are invited to select thirteen Year 11 or 12 students with a keen interest in ethics and morality to attend a very special event with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Date: Thursday 13 June 2013 Venue: York Theatre, Seymour Centre Our Students attended this wonderful event- thanks to Sydney University Compass program for allowing us the opportunity to learn from a revered international figure. Thanks to the staff and students who attended this special event. FHS Student Success! Congratulations to the FHS winners of the Bring it On Festival and to Mr Honyak for his support of our talented students. Thanks to Mr Peter Hope for encouraging our students to participate! Congratulations to Paulo Greaves Year 12 who was awarded the NSW Department of Housing Scholarship 2013 Natasa Djukic and Ronya Giliani Year 11 attended the Women‘s Parliament Day at Government House, Macquarie Street, Sydney Have a safe and relaxing mid-year break. I look forward to a fantastic Term 3 with more student success stories to share! Ms Ekbal Sayed-Rich Head Teacher National Partnerships The National Partnerships Team – supporting student learning and success 40 Focus on Reading Implementation under National Partnerships 2012/13 • • • Purpose • • • • • Links with primary school Transition Common language of instruction Welfare Discipline mechanism Teacher mentoring Team building/cross faculty Schools targets • • Whole school • • • BOS supervisors employed to supervise formal examination periods to free up TPL time FoR staff timetabled 4 periods/cycle to liaise/observe/share resources FoR meeting timetabled once/fortnight Home rooms allocated for core teachers Folders, texts, support materials purchased under NP FoR teachers issued with ipads to record their class and utilise in class as a teaching/learning tool Collaboration by key personnel • • • • Fairfield PS • FPS NP teamed spoke of the successes with FoR Term 4 2011 all staff from FHS mainstream observed FoR in action at FPS Term 2 2012 Stage 5 teachers from FPS observe FoR in action in our Year 7 classrooms Term 4 2012 all FoR staff plus IEC & Support teachers observe FoR in action in Stage 3 FPS classrooms • Structure • • NP staff co teach/mentor Phase 1 Trainees in Year 7/8 classes Core teachers are also roll call teachers for Year 7 class, supplying welfare support Consultants/outside facilitators booked as required Staff Development Day - FoR teachers deliver sample lesson to all staff, by way of a taster • • • OVERVIEW OF ACHIEVEMENTS • • • • • • • • 2012-2013 EOI to all staff to train in FoR and be a year 7 core teacher (Term 4) Trainees include key personnel such as Year 7 Advisor & Assistant, librarian, STLA/LST, ESL staff, HT Mentor, IEC & Support staff Expertise in indigenous, ESL & learning difficulty brought into the school Working towards school targets 2012 - 12 staff trained in Phase 1 2013 - 17 staff to be trained in Phase 1, 10 in Phase 2. 2013- 4 staff undertaking FoR Facilitator Training. Employment of FoR/ESL consultant to join NP team to build expert knowledge FoR books record our journey and provide a staff resource 41 Conference at Fairfield RSL Teachers, office staff, parents and students participated in a school conference on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th May, 2013. The entire conference was focussed around technology. On Friday, we had two special presenters. The first was Leah Rix from Dell Australia, who in serviced the teachers on using the interactive Dell data projectors as we now have fifty of those installed in the school. The second presenter was Laurens Derks, the Project Officer, Technology for Learning and the Digital Education Revolution. Laurens in serviced staff on the use of Adobe Connect which is a fantastic video conferencing tool. Through Adobe Connect, Laurens introduced us to Kerry from Taronga Zoo who was feeding nectar to two beautiful sugar glider possums. This was to demonstrate that teachers can invite outside providers and/or experts into their classrooms to meet with students and share knowledge and ideas. The third presenter was Myf Powell, from Civica in Melbourne, who discussed learning in the 21st Century and global patterns of education and pedagogy. This presentation opened the way for the last guest presenter: Martin Levins, Director of Information Technology, The Armidale School. Martin explored the huge concept of ‗Bring Your Own Device‘ (BYOD), which is the name for the current dilemma facing school for 2014 when the Digital Education Revolution (DER) ends. 2013 is the last year that students will be issued DER laptops. The school community needs to explore the best option to enable students‘ continued access to technology. Martin explained the social, economic, political, technological and pedagogical issues which effect the BYOD debate. iPADS The Learning and Support Team, The Education Support Unit and National Partnerships have all purchased class sets of iPads for students use. The National Partnerships iPads have had 88 apps installed Parents at P&C meeting using iPads on them for educational use and the use of these iPads is that they will be a mobile technology device. Teachers are able to book the iPads and use with their classes. The students, prior to use, sign an online communications device charter, agreeing to the appropriate use of the iPads at all time. The students in the attached images are using iMovie and mydeco apps on the iPads. Before these iPads went into classrooms and into student‘s hands, the parents attending the P & C had the opportunity to use the iPads, and to experience what a powerful learning tool these devices can be. The iPad is been trialled as a device for the BOYD debate. Student‘s families will need to actually purchase the device their student uses, so we need to find the most economical, efficient learning device which connects easily to the school‘s wifi and network set up. The iPads are proving to be extremely successful so far. The BYOD debate will be continued to be explored through the school community over the next few months, with as much consultation with all parts of our school community as possible. Students using iPads The National Partnerships Team – supporting student learning and success 42 Students using iPads Students using iPads Kathleen Hannigan - Head Teacher Technology NAPLAN TESTING Students in Years 7 and 9 sat for the National Assessment Program - Literacy & Numeracy (NAPLAN) in May, in line with students throughout Australia, over a 3 day period. This testing builds upon results from Years 3 & 5 in the areas of Language/Grammar, Writing, Reading & Numeracy. Overall the attendance was excellent during this week. Year 9 testing was held in the auditorium, while Year 7 students were supervised by their core teachers over the 3 days of testing. The students were excellent during this period & are to be commended for their general demeanour. Year 9 students were focused and utilised strategies during the testing, that we had tackled in the practice session held in Term 1. The school looks forward to some excellent results in September when the report to parents & schools is released. Each parent will receive a full report from EMSAD (Educational Measurement and School Accountability Directorate) reporting on the progress of their child, in relation to the results of the school, the region & the state. When the results are released the school will be hosting an explanation session to explain feedback supplied to parents of these students. Inter-school Debating/Public Speaking Debating and Public Speaking Competitions have commenced this term. We have six teams entered in the Premier‘s Debating Competition, from Years 7 through to 12. Thanks to Ms Ajla Bagic in ESL for taking on the mentoring and organisation of the debating teams from Years 9, 10 & 11; also to Ms Alamira Ayoubi from the SEU for volunteering to work with Year 7. Senior teams from Years 11 & 12 have now completed their debates It is always challenging for Year 12 to find time to engage with debating given their busy schedule and study commitments. Congratualtions to Caitlyn Acosta, Leanne Trinh, Zorana Alavanja and Trish Tran. Year 12 Debating team I‘m also happy to note that Selma Tursunovic from Year 12 2012, who debated for 6 years while a student at Fairfield HS is now an adjudicator in the Premier‘s Debating Challenge. She will be adjudicating Belmore Boys and Beverly Hills Girls High Schools. Congratulations to Christina Carol for representing the school in the Senior Public Speaking Competition – a daunting experience for a Year 10 student. The National Partnerships Team – supporting student learning and success 43 Recently a debating workshop was held for students from 8Y and interested Year 7 students, where they learnt the importance of powerful argument, speaking confidently and organisational skills. The participants are to be commended for their confidence and eagerness to present their arguments. They are an extremely diligent and involved cohort. Years 7 & 8 Debating Workshop Years 7 & 8 Debating Workshop Years 7 & 8 Debating Workshop Ms Ajla Bagic, Ms Alamira Ayoubi & I heartily enjoyed facilitating this session with such interested students. Mrs Weber Head Teacher Teaching & Learning Christina Carol Years 7 & 8 Debating Workshop Years 7 & 8 Debating Workshop The National Partnerships Team – supporting student learning and success 44 Term Two has seen further progress in the area of student support. New initiatives and the strengthening of established programs with our university partners aim at enriching the educational experience at Fairfield High School. Compass Firstly a big thank you to Ms Elmir for all of her organisation with the Sydney University visits. Mr Dominicos and his crew of teachers armed with panadol are set to visit the uni midway through this term with Year 7 so they can all get a good understanding of what it is that you do at university. Congratulations to Mr Rasko for volunteering to undertake the coordination of the Compass program whilst Ms Elimir takes time to focus on Social Science initiatives. Through the Compass program our school has had the opportunity to run two ―Multilit‖ programs. One is a literacy program which has been facilitated by Ms Bryce and Mr Chau and the other is a numeracy program facilitated by Ms Ayoub and Ms Kaklamanis. Both programs are designed to assist students who need support in these areas and feedback from students and staff is suggesting that there is a great deal of progress being made. Beacon Program UWS Fast Forward This term it was Year 10 to attend UWS Parramatta to work with students from local schools on a number of activities in order to UWS Fast Forward engage in problem solving and positive thinking strategies. Fairfield High School students also listened to methods to study and feasted on Subway at lunchtime. Food for thought. PCYC As with last term, the SEU have engaged in a rigorous physical regime with their select dozen students at the PCYC Cabramatta. More leg warmers, music that is too loud and the smell of sweat keep Mr Ozturk alive and well. Beacon Program You‘ll be seeing a lot more of Joe Tau, the big character who runs the Beacon Program. He has been appointed as a temporary CLO at our school and will be working with our Islander students every Monday. Seniors will have the opportunity to visit Joe during periods 1 and 2, whilst the juniors will spend time with him during periods 3 and 4. PCYC Cabramatta The National Partnerships Team – supporting student learning and success 45 UTS Tutoring UTS Tutoring UTS The UTS tutorials with Year 12 have been a great success. Thank you to Ms Santangelo for her organisation in facilitating this initiative. There are a number of tutorials running in various KLA‘s where UTS undergraduates come to our school, during Year 12 study periods, and explain and revise information and skills related to subject specific areas. We are looking at sustaining this program over the long term, and have been recognised by the university and other local schools as a model facilitator. Remote Lab Remote Labs How would you like to control a scientific experiment using the internet as your interface? It‘s all about to happen shortly with the engineering and electronics classes and thanks to UTS. Take a look at the pictures and then have a chat with Mr Singh and Mr Sullen. Wind Turbine Meetings and plans are taking place with UTS to install a wind turbine near the frog pond. The concept is to generate electricity and store this electricity in batteries which can then power lights, possibly a fountain or waterfall or anything else that you might be able to suggest. An exciting project to learn about green power. UTS Tutoring Wind Turbine The National Partnerships Team – supporting student learning and success 46 Boot Camp An exciting initiative taking place in the upcoming holidays is the FHS Boot Camp. Year 12 will have the opportunity to come to school and be lectured and receive notes from teachers who are highly experienced in subjects such as Advanced English, Business Studies and Advanced Maths. It‘s free of charge and gives students the opportunity to hear the same message, but from a different perspective. My Exit Plan What am I going to do after Year 12? A common question that the speakers at ―My Exit Plan‖ will try to address. Ranking, ATAR, job matching, study skills and post HSC options are some of the areas that were covered by a panel of experts at a seminar at Fairfield RSL. My Exit Plan Engineering Studies Finally I had the opportunity to speak to Mr Sullen‘s Engineering Class about aerodynamics. My cameo appearance included some board work theory, a model held by string with a fan in front of it to demonstrate the effects of control surfaces, and then in just over half an hour we built a plane and flew it out at the back oval. Ms Hudson spotted us and took too many happy snaps. A great double period of learning indeed. Cheers. Mr Tony Petrakis – Student Support Engineering Studies The National Partnerships Team – supporting student learning and success 47 FHS Fundraising Opportunity AT NEETA CITY Will donate $10 to Fairfield High School for every eye test. If you, a friend, family member, aunt, uncle have their eyes tested by Specsavers at Neeta City and mention Fairfield High School, Specsavers will donate $10.00 back to the school. Look after your eyesight – have your eyes checked. The cost is bulk billed to Medicare, so it won’t cost you anything, mention FHS, and the school will be given valuable money towards sports equipment, computers or other worthwhile necessities for our school. 48 49 50 On the 8th April 2013, Fairfield High School came together for our ANZAC Day assembly. Our assembly was held prior to ANZAC Day as ANZAC Day fell during the term break. The assembly is run by Year 9 History students with the help of History teacher Mr Curtis. Students Read the ANZAC Day Speech as well as a Poem by Damian (Dib) Morgan 1998. Guest speaker Mr Paul Bryant from Fairfield RSL then addressed the assembly with a very moving and inspirational address. ANZAC Day speech We meet here today, not to glorify war or praise victors, but to remember those who have served our country during times of conflict and crisis, and to reflect upon their selfless sacrifice. To all Australians, ANZAC day is a tradition, paid for in blood and celebrated in our freedom. It is a day in which not only do we salute the ANZACs, but in paying tribute to them, we also take the opportunity to invigorate our national spirit and pride. On this day, in 1915, a group of volunteer Australian and New Zealand soldiers found themselves wading ashore before dawn at a small beach on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. Many of these men were only teenagers, some as young as 16. All were anxious to prove their courage and national identity. Over the eight months following the landing, those young ANZACs underwent a ―trial by ordeal‖. In total 36,000 Australian and New Zealand soldiers were killed or wounded at Gallipoli. But in those terrible battles, young Australians earned a reputation for courage, self-reliance and mateship. The experience drew Australians together as a nation and established the national character. The standards that they set and the ANZAC spirit, have been handed down ever since to all the Australian soldiers, sailors and airmen who followed them. From WW2 to Korea, Malaya, Borneo, Vietnam, the gulf and many peacekeeping operations in the middle east, Pakistan, Southeast Asia, and Africa. We pause today to acknowledge all current and former members of our defence forces – the brave men and women who represent our country on a daily basis. No Australian is left untouched when a member of our defence force is killed in action. It is difficult to comprehend the grief associated with the loss at war of a parent, partner, child or sibling, let us also ensure that we remember the families. We must not forget today‘s veterans‘, many of them ex-students of our school – Fairfield High. Young men and women who are returning from duty in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Solomon Islands and Timor Leste. ANZAC Day is a day to remember all men and women of the Australian Defence Force, regardless of the time they served. On ANZAC Day we pay tribute to all current and former members of the Australian Defence Force, those lost in training, on operations, the wounded, injured and ill. Celebrating our important historical events 51 The ANZAC spirit forged at Gallipoli will never be forgotten. This is why Australians come together every ANZAC Day. We di it to remember the ANZACs and their achievements; and we should remember them not as old soldiers from a distant war, but as the young Australians they were in 1915. Our vast country with its harsh beauty and open skies, help to shape healthy, confident,competitive, innovative and freedom loving individuals, who with good leadership and high motivation, can more than match the best in the world; in whatever they do. The ANZACs showed us these same qualities. We have the ability to face challenges together and overcome them, to put community before self, to be courageous, determined, self-reliant and strong. We should be proud of our heritage. This is the spirit of ANZAC; the spirit that must be understood by us so that we can pass it on to the next generation and beyond. Poem Sir Sir – would it help if I shed a tear I swear it‘s the first time since this time last year My spine is a tingle – my throat is all dry As I stand to attention for all those who died I watch the flag dancing half way down the pole That damn bugle player sends chills to my soul I feel the pride and the sorrow – there‘s nothing the same As standing to attention on ANZAC Day So sir – on behalf of the young and the free Will you take a message when you finally do leave To your mates that are lying from Tobruk to the Somme The legend of your bravery will always live on I‘ve welcomed Olympians back to oue shore I‘ve cheered baggy green caps and watched Wallabies score But when I watch you marching (Sir) in that parade I know these are the memories that never will fade So Sir – on behalf of the young and the free Will you take a message when you finally do leave It‘s the least we can do (Sir) to repay the debt We‘ll always remember you – Lest We Forget by: Damian (Dib) Morgan Celebrating our important historical events 52 Mr Paul Bryant‟s address Principal Mulas, Teachers, Staff and most importantly you, the young people of Fairfield. It is with pleasure that I am again the representative from Fairfield RSL Club to my old High School, and I wish to thank Tony Petrakis for that invitation. I was asked to prepare a short address to ANZAC for this morning, and I would like to speak about two main things, namely the concept of the Spirit of ANZAC and our current troops serving overseas, and one local Fairfield resident who, during the Vietnam War, was awarded a Military Medal for his bravery under fire. The Spirit Of ANZAC is summarized by four words, Mateship, Courage, Sacrifice and Endurance. These qualities are not unknown in most Armies around the world, but exemplify the typical Australian Soldier. The most common reason given by any Australian Soldier who has ever received a Bravery Award is ―…that I didn‘t want to let my mates down…‖ It was generally not a case of intentionally doing an extraordinary thing, rather than helping out your mates because he was in a better position. Hence, Mateship throughout the Australian Services is probably the strongest bond of service men and women, and is foremost of the ANZAC Spirit held by Australians. Courage is something that everyone hopes that they have. Courage to say ―No‖ to something that is wrong. Courage to stand by your convictions when many others are trying to sway your opinions. Courage to stand up for people unable to protect themselves. Courage to face an enemy or foe, and not give an inch. Soldiers do not know if they have those particular forms of courage until they are put into a situation to test their mettle, but combined with Mateship will generally prevail, and Aussies demonstrate their courage daily in Afghanistan and other areas. Sacrifice is not uncommon in soldiers from any country. Nor is it ignored in scriptures of various Faiths. However, Australian service men and women have demonstrated their capacity to sacrifice their own liberty, or lives, for their mates, as well as the people that they have been protecting. It is a very strong quality which is reinforced by the concepts of Mateship and Courage. Endurance is something that is instilled into every Australian schoolchild from an early age. Give it your best, never say die, strive to be the best that you can be. You are not taught to give up because something seems to be a bit hard. So too with Australian Troops. A very good example is our current troops in Afghanistan when several soldiers were killed by ‗friendly fire‖ from an Afghani Soldier they were training, who was, in fact, a rebel operative. Our troops may well have been fully understood to have given up on their role of training the local soldiers, but no, they have the Endurance to see their task to the end. The second part of this address concerns Private Frank Fitch of D Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, on 4th April 1969. His Company had come under intense fire from the enemy with the lead scout only ten metres from the enemy position, and ―…Private Fitch, discarding his own personal weapon and carrying only his medical stores went forward under heavy fire to assist the leading scout. He returned to the remainder of the leading platoon and moved fifty metres to the flank to assist another critically wounded soldier. At this time Private Fitch was himself wounded in the stomach by rocket fire. Celebrating our important historical events 53 Throughout the remainder of the action (over still treating others and refusing any help to one hour), Fitch, although always under himself. He displayed a complete disregard for accurate enemy fire continued to move around his own safety and despite his own wounds the platoon treating the other twelve wounded placed the care of other wounded as his only soldiers. Over two hours later, during the concern…‖ (Extract from 5th Battalion The evacuation of the wounded, Private Fitch was Royal Australian Association Website). Private Frank Fitch was a local Fairfield young comrades, and trying to treat 2 others who had man, not much older than many of you, who been Killed In Action, he was awarded a demonstrated those ANZAC Spirit qualities that Military Medal, one of the highest awards I have just mentioned, and for his service as a immediately below a Victoria Cross. Stretcher Bearer/Medic, treating 12 wounded ______________________________________________________________________ Hey guys! How are you all doing today? We are part of the POW team, which is an acronym for Protect Our World. POW is an environmental program which is run by Ms Elmir in the Social Science faculty. We at POW take care of the school environment, by volunteering to help plant vegetation around the school! We also help environmental groups outside of school, by planting trees for our future generations to live sustainably. At POW just like our name, we aim to protect our world by making the school a cleaner more sustainable learning environment. Right now we‘re looking for some keen Year 10‘s who are willing to help keep our school eco-friendly, so if you‘re interested then please see Ms Elmir in R block! Now, today we are here to talk to you about Earth Hour 2013. What is Earth Hour you may ask? Well, Earth Hour is a worldwide event organized by the WWF, it encourages households and businesses, in our case schools to switch off their lights for an hour to raise awareness and the need to take action on climate change. It was first introduced in Sydney, Australia in 2007, with many countries soon after in 2008. It is now a worldwide hit, with 152 countries in all 7 continents now taking part. Earth Hour has had many celebrity endorsements in the past, some of which are very well known to us. There‘s the support of Nelson Mandela, Miranda Kerr, Sachin Tendulkar, the band Coldplay and many others. This year the Earth Hour 2013 global ambassador is Jessica Alba. So Earth Hour was originally on Saturday the 23rd of March this year, but Fairfield High School, participated in Earth Hour on the 26th March. During period 6, all the classrooms around the school turned off their lights to show support for Earth Hour 2013. Supporting environmental initiatives that benefit our world 54 Have you ever wondered what that big block of stone is between the English/History and Social Science blocks? You know, the one with pretty shrubs and Kangaroo Paws, the one you sometimes look at when you‘re sitting down on Monday morning‘s assembly and you‘re trying desperately to fight the fuzzies. Well ten years ago, last December, I decided to build, with the help of a few teachers, a tribute to a very special teacher. Her name was Rachel Cowmeadow, and she was a great English teacher. I met her in my first year at Fairfield High School when I was also teaching English. Rachel was a very quiet, but confident teacher who was well respected by all of the staff, and loved by the students she taught. She had a passion for literature and cherished the opportunity to help students gain a confidence in their reading, in their writing and in themselves. It was with a great sadness that we met the news of Rachel falling victim to cancer. Fate would have it that Fairfield was her first and also her last school as a teacher. She rests in Goondiwindi, Queensland, where on her headstone there is the Fairfield High School logo, and the motto, ―To live is to learn‖ is inscribed. It was a humble experience for Ms Hudson, Ms Butcher, Mr Ali and myself to go to to the funeral and represent FHS. Many students back at school also felt the sorrow and needed to express their feelings. Students lit candles and wrote messages for the memorial service held at school and this gives you an idea of the sense of loss felt across the school community. So the next time you pass by Rachel‘s garden, have a read of the plaque, and now that we don‘t have daylight savings, and if you know your Roman Numerals, check to see if the sun dial is telling you the truth… Year 12 formal The obituary that featured in The Chronicle – Toowoomba, 2002 COWMEADOW, Rachel Ann, late of Sydney, and formerly of Goondiwindi, Queensland, passed away on the 12th December, 2002, aged 31 years. Dearly loved daughter of Joe and Joan Cowmeadow Loved sister of Brendan and Kate. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend RACHEL'S funeral to be held at St Mary's Catholic Church, Callandoon Street, Goondiwindi, Requiem Mass commencing at 12 noon WEDNESDAY (18th December, 2002), followed by interment at the Goondiwindi Lawn Cemetery. Publication Date: 14/12/02 (Now you know what the Rachel Cowmeadow Memorial Award from Presentation Day is all about). Remembering our past teachers and colleagues 55 From high school to university and now coming back to where I started... in a high school not as a student, but as a passionate facilitator moulding the minds of the future generations of Australians. I am a New Scheme Teacher commonly referred to as Mr. Lieu. I have been blessed to be the recipient of a permanent position at Fairfield High School, in the Science faculty where my passion and interests will be able to inspire the young minds sitting in front of me or surrounding me. As a Science teacher, I am required to assist a range of students from different years with differing abilities and interest levels towards Science. In Year 8, I have been working with 8 Green. The students in 8 Green have been learning and performing experiments in relation to the different body systems and different chemical reactions, which are present in our everyday lives. In Year 9, students have been learning about electricity and the importance of general knowledge in all areas of Science, as they are applicable to real life. Year 9 have been busily building electrical circuits and investigating the effects of placing different components into these electrical circuits. In Year 10, students have been challenged to design their own experiments in order to find out the answers to their own questions (this makes my job a lot easier and enjoyable). Year 11 Physics students have been learning about the Physics involved in car crashes and the safety devices and technologies developed by Scientist to assist in preventing accidents and saving lives. Year 11 Physics Year 11 Access students are learning about Genetics. They are focusing on the different parts and processes involved in the transmission of physical traits and discovering why we all look unique. I am so lucky to be surrounded by the awesome Science staff and colleagues in the school who have supported me throughout my journey as a beginning teacher and provided me with great insight into the profession. I am definitely looking forward to this year ahead, working with all the great staff and students at Fairfield High School. Developing Quality Teachers through our Teacher Professional learning activities 56 Krishneel Maharaj – UWS University Eight weeks into my postgraduate degree I was faced with the opportunity to participate in my first hands on practical lasting a duration of 4 weeks. I opened up the email sent by my course tutor to see what school I had received, adrenalin and excitement causing my hands to shake ―Your first professional experience school is Fairfield High School .‖ Having lived all my life in the western Sydney area I was relieved to hear that it was in a familiar region of Sydney, however even then I had never heard of the school. Year 7 Science Before the four week teaching block, I was allowed to attend the school for, five observation days in which I sat in class and observed teachers of the Science Department. After the first observation day I had written two pages of useful notes on how to manage a class and how to engage students in the learning process. I realised that I had tapped into a wealth of knowledge and I quickly became eager to start my actual teaching practical at the school alongside these teachers. The first day of my four week journey had arrived In preparation I had created lesson plans and worksheets for the students to do. After my first lesson my supervising teacher Ms Galagher helped identify my strengths, weakness and techniques to overcome challenges faced in the classroom From that first lesson and performance evaluation I had learnt more about teaching than what I had learnt at uni in my postgraduate classes. Throughout the next few days and lessons I would try to incorporate the advice Ms Galagher would give into my teaching and I found that my classes became more interactive, easier to manage and in general the students became more attentive and eager to learn. Other members of the Science staff eased the transition to the teaching profession and in creating lessons and activities to engage students. In the Science staff room I would hear teachers collaborate on how students react to different activities, which activities work well and which activities don‘t, constantly building on each other‘s knowledge to better facilitate student learning. This desire to better each other is evident in the entire school, with numerous academic and non academic pathways being provided to students to cater for all abilities and interests. Such school initiative as the Try a Trade for students held in the school auditorium in which students had a hands on approach to different career pathways is an example of the schools proactive approach with students. Supporting our future teachers with a practical experience 57 Year 7 Science During my short four weeks at this school I have accumulated an immeasurable amount of knowledge; knowledge which cannot be taught by books but rather knowledge which you have to experience. The friendly and experienced Science teachers I had the pleasure of working beside have helped me and most importantly my supervising teacher Mrs Gallagher for taking me under her wing and introducing me to a wide array of teaching techniques and behavioural management issues. I hope to return to Fairfield High in a few years‘ time as a fully qualified teacher. __________________________________ ____________________________________ Miss Karim - UWS University Amazing Race ―On Monday the 27th of May 2013, Miss Karim had kindly taken the time to organise and prepare an event called ‗The Amazing Race - Fairfield Edition‘. The amazing race was a class task that consisted of team work and strategic thinking from each individual within my Year 11 community and family studies class. The main goal of the task was to observe and distinguish the different roles played within our allocated groups (including our own roles) in relation to the amount of contribution and consideration taken within the group‘s efficiency/effectiveness. This task also helped us acknowledge the different types of characteristics conveyed within each group member and what influenced these characteristics.‖ – Marina Nuth Quotes from the students ―The amazing race was a very good opportunity for the students to apply and understand all the concepts of wellbeing that were studied in the classroom. We learnt how to communicate, give ideas, respect each other, accept our peers, express our personalities and control our reactions when we were under pressure.‖ - Mena Samoel ―A positive thing about this activity was making new friends and working as a team to achieve our goal.‖ – Andrina Shemoon ―The amazing race helped us understand and recognise the different characteristics of our group members which included taskorientated, socio-emotional and destructive.‖ – Tania Younan ―My group and I were all determined to win. We needed to get the quickest time possible which was good because it made us work as team.‖ – Diana El Zeyat ―The amazing race gave all the teams that were involved a clear view on how being organised and having confidence can be the key to winning.‖ - Strahiuja Dokic ―My group defined the word ‗teamwork‘. We all worked together and also used each other‘s strengths and weaknesses.‖ – Rania Matti ―My effect on the group was very positive. I tried to keep their mood optimistic and I helped them find many mysteries. I kept telling them where and how to solve the clues and that staying together would help us succeed.‖ – Mathias Mathias Supporting our future teachers with a practical experience 58 ―I would like to say a big thank you to my beautiful year 11 CAFS class. I am glad that you had a fantastic learning experience, enjoyed the race and created many memories. Thank you to all the staff and students involved in the race. Your help was greatly appreciated. Lastly, a warm thank you to Ms Williamson for her on-going support and encouragement. This race would not have been the same without you‖. Miss Karim – Student Teacher UWS You are to take a group photo at this wall Remember to smile and stand tall You are almost half way there But before you go on I thought I would make things fair Find Ms Williamson and grab a treat She has your next clue and a brand new sheet There is a hidden secret near the land Where the kids hide toys and play with sand Though there is no beach or shells You are expected to find this yourself Between O and Q there is a block, Here is where you will find the clock. Be sure to take note of the time Before you make your way to the finishing line Year 11 Amazing Race Some clues You will find him with a metal key, Teaching a class or building a tree. Though he can buy but cannot SELL He is however in the block called L To get to station three, It is a short walk from building B Filled with colours like blue and yellow It is here where they play the guitar and cello Miss Karim loves playing sport, But her favourite by far is AFL. So at this field you will find a gift Take with you, this treasure for Miss I hope you‘ve had fun and you‘ll remember this for a while I hope it has brought you memories and a much needed smile. It is now time to make your way to the end, It is then you will realise that you may have made a new friend. I will be waiting for a smile and cheer, Find me outside of block T Year 11 Amazing Race Year 11 Amazing Race Developing student skills at competitive group work 59 The Self Select class of Year 8 is a great privilege and a great start on your future dreams. Our class is going really well and by the looks of it everyone looks like they really like this class. Despite the fact that our class is being pushed a bit more than the other Year 8‘s. All our teachers are nice and very supportive. Although our class may feel that there may be a bit of competition, we still go past that and help each other in need. This class is a great learning environment and I look forward to what the rest of the year has to offer. Good Luck! By: Luke Lovero - 8 Yellow Year 8 Group & Year Advisors Ms Molina & Mr Lieu 8 Yellow – German – Mr Waesch For 8 Yellow, the language that we are studying is German we all think that it is a privilege to learn German especially with a wonderful teacher, Mr Waesch. I think that my class is really enjoying this, as there is always something fun to do in class. A few days ago . Mr Waesch organized a game called Jeopardy, it was really fun and enjoyable. My class had a really good time. Simple things like this can make a great teacher. Danke (thanks) Mr Waesch. By: Luke Lovero Supporting our students development through pastoral care 60 German - Jeopardy 8 Yellow Science - Mrs Dmitrieff Pressure and Density-The can experiment Our topic on density has allowed us to do many experiments in science. We performed an experiment on an aluminium can. We heated the can with a little water in it on a tripod, until it boiled. Then we grabbed the can with a pair of tongs and flipped it over and put it in a trough of cold water. The can imploded and made a loud crushing sound. People jumped. The experiment makes science fun and relevant to everyday life By: Dennis Dinh Science – crushing cans The egg experiment Another experiment we performed was the egg in the bottle experiment. We placed a burning piece of paper inside a conical flask. Then placed a boiled egg on top of the opening. The egg was slowly sucked into the flask due to the low pressure inside and the higher pressure outside. Science makes impossible things possible. By: Andy Lam This Term 8 Yellow has been learning about ‗Pressure and Density‘ in Science with our teacher Mrs Dmitrieff. A few weeks ago we did a crushing a can experimenmt where we boil a bit of water in an empty can using a Bunsen burner. When the water is boiled and we can see a bit of steam coming out of the can, we then use a tong and hold the can and flip the can over in a bowl of cold water. The can is crushed by the force of air on the outside of the can which is pushing inwards. That is how the empty can is crushed. By: Lisa Chan 8 Yellow – Cooking – Ms Karim On the 16th of May, 8 Yellow in cooking class made coconut ice. We all got out ingredients and started making it. When we finished, we put them into the fridge for it to cool. After it finished cooling in the fridge we could eat them. It was so FUN and YUM! Miss Karim showed us a demonstration the day before so we know how to do it. Cooking is one of 8 yellow‘s favourite classes. By: Paige Taylor Cooking – Coconut Ice Supporting our students development through pastoral care 61 In consultation with Fairfield Nursing Home On the 17/5/13, Paige Taylor, Mareta Joseph, Arta Rufati and Luke Lovero went to Fairfield Nursing home to paint an insect mural. The nursing home had contacted us and asked if we could help them out in brightening a wall that the residents look out on. Before we went, we as a class 8 Yellow, started to make stencils of insects and plants. It was a very hard and long process to go through. We had many different insects and plants with creative challenges. Our day at the nursing home was very pleasant, despite the fact that the weather was very windy and cold. Despite the weather we got there in the end and we would like to thank our teacher Mrs. Midroni for all the support, the ideas and the transport. We would also like to thank the nursing home for the nice lunch and service. Staff from the Nursing home who looked after us during our long day of painting Luke Lovero and Mareta Joseph placing one of the first stencils onto the wall, created by one of their classmates Fairfield Nursing Home completed Mural Supporting our community through special art projects 62 8 Green – Science – Mr Lieu What do you like about Science? 8 Green Science It is very important - Ahmed Practical work – Ane Doing experiments – Yousif When we learn about a lot of things – Patrick Experiments are fun! – Tim I like Science because our teacher (Mr. Lieu) is cool and makes us do fun things – Korkis Doing experiments because you learn something – Rita Science is fully sick! – Allen and Kenny Learning about something we didn‘t know before – Dunya Learning about something new, important and interesting things – Petra Learning about animals – Fatema Learning about humans and animals - Hilda 8 Green Science 8 Green English - Miss Bajic Since the beginning of Term 2, we started the topic ‗Drama‘. Our teacher Miss Bajic gave us the opportunity to act out a play called ‗Dracula‘ to give us the courage to perform in front of the class and to learn how to express our emotions for Drama acting. Our class is very special because we have a teacher like Miss Bajic to teach us about many different aspects of Drama and English. Our teacher gives us a spelling test each week which relates to the topic that we are doing, in order to improve our spelling and our literacy skills. Each week everyone in our class improves in spelling because of the spelling tests, we have gotten much better at pronouncing words. 8 Green English In our class everyone is trying their best in succeeding in acting skills and improving our performances in front of an audience. We have done a great deal of practical work on acting. Our classmates are very helpful and we learn from each other. Miss Bajic helps us learn lots of important things, last term we were doing Poetry. We learnt about all the different poetic techniques and their effects in different poems. We learnt how to analyse each poem that we were given and we also made our own Onomatopoeia poems! Our first practical work this term for Drama was ‗The blind Men and the Elephant‘. Our entire class participated in this practical work which made it interesting because everyone showed emotions, it was really fun. Supporting our students development through pastoral care 63 8 Green English We have also been looking at facts about Vampires and different kinds of superstitions, we discussed the different types and whether we believe them or not. We have done this so that we can be in character for the play 'Dracula'. We've also been learning about stage techniques used in a play and other kinds of dramatic techniques such as lighting, costume and music. We love our class and teacher because we help each other in our learning. By: Perta Mamic and Ane Polutele 8 Blue – PDHPE – Mr Haythornthwaite This term 8 Blue are learning about relationships and bullying. Also we have learnt how to protect yourself and help others when needed. This term 8 Blue and 8 Red are playing Basketball and we are also learning how to pass and other activities that are like Basketball. By: Jennifer Tran rights and how people abuse other people, as well as the different kinds of abuse. In PE we have been doing Basketball and some other games of Basketball and netball and other different kinds of throwing balls. By: Sara Al-Kissa 8 Red – English – Mr Georges 8 Red is a class of more than 20 students. Basically this term we are learning about Drama. 8 Red is a great class and are extremely focused during each English lesson. All students are focused on work and try their best to get good results in English. In this topic we are learning about how drama and performance is linked on stage and how it is different to a typical narrative. We also aim to understand the meaning of the play itself. We have recently been learning about the orientation, complication and resolution of the text and what needs to go into each particular section. The orientation is the introduction, complication is the middle part of the story and the resolution is the ending. Then we moved on to the script, how to control dialogues and the importance of stage directions. 8 Red English 8 Blue PDHPE In health we have been learning about relationships and how to stand up for your Our English teacher/sir, Mr Georges, is a great teacher. Mr Georges is very good at explaining our work and giving us very useful information. Mr Georges gets the class attention quickly, gets them to do work correctly and helps. After all, Mr Georges is a great teacher and no-one has trouble with him. Sir is kind hearted and the whole class loves him. By: Narjis Najefi Supporting our students development through pastoral care 64 Mr Campbell Reading group Mr Pelka Reading group Support Unit S2 Year 8 Reading Group – Mr Campbell Mr. Campbell has been working with Vu, Estephan, Wesam and Abdulkarim in the boys Reading Group. The boys have been reading Convict Gold by Daniel J Ogilvie. The story follows a husband and wife who have been transported from England to Australia as indentured workers. The couple works under a kind and gentle landowner who later grants them freedom. The boys have learned much about Australia‘s rich history and have advanced their reading and writing skills. Year 8 Reading Group – Mr Pelka Mr. Pelka has been working with Hajir, Fatema, Rita, Hilda and Dunya in the girls Reading Group. The group has studied Dempsey, a novel that highlights the problems of deforestation and the effects it has on wild animals. The girls have also read The TreeHouse Money, a crime tale involving a large sack of money mysteriously appearing in the backyard of two siblings. Currently, the girls are reading Toy Story via their new ipads. All five girls have embraced the focused learning group and have been enjoying improving their literacy. Support Unit S2 – Mr Ozturk In our Math class we are learning about shapes and 3D shapes, we draw them in our books and it‘s a fun thing to do. By: Ben Luong S2 Year 10 Hello this is S2 and we are doing about 2D shapes and 3D shapes. Some of the shapes are called Cube, Cone and Sphere. By: Jonathan Nguyen S2 Year 8 In this lesson I will do the Geometry. I drew the 2D and 3D shapes. Name some shapes are Circle, Square and Triangle. 3D shapes are Cone Triangular and Prism Cylinder. By: Adrian Leung S2 Year 7 Shapes drawn by Jonathan Nguyen S2 Supporting our students development through pastoral care 65 8 Blue - Geography 8 Yellow - German 8 Blue - Maths 8 Green - English 8 Yellow - Science 8 Red - English 8 Yellow - Science 8 Yellow - Music 8 Red/Blue - Sewing Science 8 Blue/Red Cooking Supporting our students development through pastoral care 66 8 Yellow - Music 8 Green - Science 8 Red - History 8 Red/Blue – Cooking 8 Red/Blue – Sewing 8 Yellow - Music 8 Green - Science 8 Yellow - Maths 8 Yellow - Music 8 Yellow - History Supporting our students development through pastoral care 67 Below are a few simple but fun Science tricks which you can dazzle your family and friends with at home. Be sure to get permission from your parents first. Make sure you know the safety precautions before you start. 1.Crushing a Can Using Air Pressure FACT You will need some empty soft drink cans. ( Don‘t forget to recycle them when Ocean tides are you are finished), Tongs or oven mitts. Saucepan or sink. caused by the rotation of the Safety Precautions Earth and the 1. Don‘t touch the hot can with your fingers. Use tongs, heat gloves, mitts or a gravitational pull thick rag. of the Moon and 2. Turn off the heat before trying to remove the can. Sun acting on 3. As the can is crushed, it makes a loud noise. ocean water. 4. Do not drop the can, as hot water may splash out. Procedure 1. Place 1cm of water in a ‗empty‘ soft drink can. Boil the water until lots of steam is seen. 2. Using tongs, remove the can from the heat and turn it upside down into saucepan or sink of water. This cools the water vapour, and stops air from getting into the can. There is a shortage of air inside the can. The can is crushed by the force of air on the outside of the can, which is pushing inwards. We say that the can has imploded. 2.Bouncing Egg FACT – The only thing that has three different states, liquid, solid and gas is water. You will need a clear plastic container (at least double the size of an egg) with an air tight lid. One raw egg. Vinegar to cover the egg. Safety Precautions FACT Eggs age more in one day at room 1. DO NOT eat the egg. temperature than in one week in the 2. DO NOT drink the vinegar. refrigerator Procedure 1. Place the egg in the container. 2. Pour vinegar into the container until the egg is covered. 3. Change the vinegar daily. The shell will dissolve in the following couple of days. 4. Wash the egg, then see how it bounces, NOT in the house and NOT from to high or you will have a mess to clean up. FACT Hens with white feathers and ear lobes produce white shelled eggs. Hens with red or brown feathers and red ear lobes produce brown shelled eggs. FACT A pullet is a ‗young‘ hen (like a heifer is a ‗young‘ cow). Developing student knowledge and skills through experiences 68 3.Egg in a Bottle You will need a glass bottle with the opening a little smaller than an egg (like a Conical Flask). One boiled egg, paper and matches. Safety Precautions 1. When boiling your egg take care as the water will be extremely hot. 2. When lighting the match, strike the match away from your body. 3. DO NOT wear dangling clothing or jewelry. 4. Tie your hair back. Procedure 1. Hard boil an egg. 2. Shell egg and leave to cool. 3. Light paper and place in the bottle while still alight. 4. Quickly place boiled egg on top of the bottle sealing the opening. The oxygen will be removed from the bottle as the paper burns, once there is no oxygen left in the bottle the egg will be sucked into the bottle like a vacuum. JOKE Two eggs walk into a bar. The first egg says I‘ll have some H2O the other egg says that sounds good, I‘ll have some H2O too (H2O2 = Hydrogen peroxide). The second egg died. FACT Water from a sea or ocean is known as seawater. On average, every kilogram of seawater contains around 35 grams of dissolved salt. FACT The eggshell may have as many as 17,000 tiny pores over its surface. Through them, the egg can absorb flavours and odours. FACT If an egg is accidentally dropped, sprinkle heavily with salt for easy clean up Developing student knowledge and skills through experiences 69 In the Year 12 exam block, the HSC Physics class undertook two examinations; the theory exam and the practical exam. Year 12 attacked both papers with gusto and achieved excellent results. The practical exam tested a range of skills from the topics of ‗Space‘, ‗Motors and Generators‘ and from ‗Ideas to Implementation‘. Students rolled metal marbles down a ramp to produce projectile motion as the marbles left the ramp and flew to the floor. Students calculated the velocity of the ball throughout its trajectory. In another part of the exam, students changed the electrical current passing through a solenoid and measured the result that force had on a permanent magnet to investigate the Motor Effect. The third part of the exam involved the identification of metal ions passing through a mass spectrometer. The effort made and the skills demonstrated by the Year 12 Physics class abode well for their Higher School Certificate. By: Mrs Galagher Developing skills in our Senior Science stage 5 through experiments 70 On a very cold and windy day three staff and fifty students made their way to Luna Park to put their Physics skills to the test. Students from 7 Lansdowne, Year 10, Year 11 and Year 12 Physics attended. Students from 7 Lansdowne many of whom have come to the high school through the IEC had never been across the Harbour Bridge before, so as the train crossed the bridge the squeals of excitement could be heard throughout the carriage. After the compulsory group photo at the mouths entrance the students collected their wrist bands and were off to discover the joys of potential and kinetic energy and centripetal force, or simply have fun on the rides (The quiz to come back at school). After going on the Rotor Ride to conduct a series of experiments a Year 12 Physics student came to the conclusion that ―Centripetal force gives you a wedgie‖. While another Year 12 Physics student tested the giant slides in Coney Island and announced that ‗We‘ve been fighting Physics‖. After watching some of our students in the dodgem cars we sincerely hope not to meet them anytime soon on our roads. Year 7 used the mirrors to see what they would look like in Year 12, taller and hopefully wiser, while the Physics students explained the optical properties of the mirrors. Mr Lieu led by example going on every ride at least once, some two or three times. By the end of the day Mr Lieu stated ―He had had enough forces on his body for one day‖. Students from Fairfield High School impressed people both on the train and at Luna Park with their exemplary behaviour. A great day had by all! By: Mrs Galagher, Mr Lieu and Ms Hudson Developing our student skills and knowledge through excursions 71 Developing our student skills and knowledge through excursions 72 Developing our student skills and knowledge through excursions 73 22nd March saw the second major carnival for the year, the Fairfield High School Cross Country carnival. The carnival saw some outstanding results by students from the High School, Intensive English Centre and in particular some of the Support Unit students. Particular mention to Chrysi Vlachou (from the Intensive English Centre) who was crowned the 14 Year Old Female Age Champion, but was the fastest female to complete the course. Prospect were again crowned Champion House, winning by over 300 points. The following students were awarded Age Champion: 12 Years Female - Paw Paw Soe 12 Year Male – Omari Wakilongo 13 Year Female – Manal Mohammad 13 Year Male – Emmanuel Winpea 14 Year Female – Chrysi Vlachou 14 Year Male – Marvin Danha 15 Year Female – Kyra Donnelly 15 Year Male – Hassan Samaha 16 Year Female – Diana El Zeyat 16 Year Male – Brendan Warda 17 Year Female – Wafa Obeid 17 Year Male – Mouris Biterdawood 18+ Year Female - Sena Aslani 18+ Year Male – Paulo Greaves Good luck to all students competing at the Zone Carnival on the 23rd May 2013 at Fairfield Showground. Week 2 was a busy week for the PE faculty with a number of events occurring. Tuesday 7th May 2013, Joshua Suli- Ruka competing at the Combined High School Championships at Cronulla. Joshua competed well and was fortunate Joshua Suli-Ruka enough to be selected in the Sydney Gold CHS Rugby League side to compete at Myuna Bay Sport and Recreation, Toronto. Good luck at this championship. Thursday 9th and Friday 10th May 2013 saw the Fairfield High School Athletics Carnival. Prospect were again crowned Champion House, winning all three of the Fairfield high School major carnivals. The following students were award Age Champions: 12 Years Female - Krystal Oeti 12 Year Male – Omari Wakilongo 13 Year Female – Temukisa Ioane 13 Year Male – Olympius Mose 14 Year Female – Jamie Lee Ladewig 14 Year Male – Pulonga Kavaefiafi 15 Year Female – Dianne Sengmany 15 Year Male – Joshua Suli Ruka 16 Year Female – Simaima Sila 16 Year Male – Al Al Saady 17+ Year Female – Bingyi Su 17+ Year Male – Alfred Mose Developing Our students sporting skills through competition 74 Good luck to all students competing at the Zone Carnival on the 18th and 19th June at Blacktown Athletics Centre. Thursday 9th May also saw the Buckley Shield Rugby League compete at the Central Venue Rugby League Championship. The boys won both rounds 3 and 4 and will proceed to the 5th round of the Sydney South West Buckley Shield U15s competition. The U15s soccer team has also had a great result to proceed through to the 3rd round of this competition. Week 4 saw the Lansdowne Zone Cross Country carnival. The weather resulted in a muddy wet track but this did not deter a number of our students with the following students to compete at the Sydney South West Championships on the 13th June at Hurlstone Agricultural High School. 12 Years Male – Adrian Correa 15 Years Male – Po Da Da 17 Years Male – Ahmed Cehic 18 Years Male – Paulo Greaves 15 Years Female – Dianne Sengmany, Kyra Donnelly, Reanne El Zeyat 16 Years Female – Diana El Zeyat. Adrian Correa Po Da Da Ahmed Cehic Paulo Greaves Dianne Sengmany Kyra Donnelly Reanne El Zeyat Diana El Zeyat Developing Our students sporting skills through competition 75 BUCKLEY SHIELD Developing Our students sporting skills through competition 76 ATHLETICS CARNIVAL Developing Our students sporting skills through competition 77 Developing Our students sporting skills through competition 78 Developing Our students sporting skills through competition 79 Developing Our students sporting skills through competition 80 AFL Auskick Program The AFL has been running a free AFL Auskick program this term in the IEC. Students have been learning a variety of skills and implementing these into a game situation. The workshops run for 6 weeks and at the conclusion of the program the students will be representing Fairfield IEC at the Australia Post AFL IEC CUP, which will be held on the 25th June at Blacktown International Sports Park. They will compete against other IECs and get a chance to meet some of the GWS Giants AFL players. By: Mr O'Connell Netball Program Netball NSW have been running a 4 week program on Friday afternoons for girls in the IEC. The program is targeting students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, encouraging participation at a grassroots level. It has been run by elite netball star Kristy Guthrie, who also works for Netball NSW. The girls have been learning the basic skills and rules of netball and have really enjoyed participating in a new sport. I think there may be a few netball stars in the making! By: Mr O'Connell IEC Netball Program IEC AFL Program Developing Our students sporting skills through competition 81 THIS INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD NEEDS TO BE ACCURATE To assist in contacting parents/carers, it is required that student details be updated on a regular basis. Please complete the following form and return to the front office as soon as possible. If a student has changed address, they may be entitled to a bus pass. If they currently have a bus pass and the address has changed, a new bus pass application must be completed (this is free of charge). The applications are available from the front office. 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