Newslink No 17 30.10.2014 - Wanganui Park Secondary College

Wanganui Park Secondary College
30th October 2014
No. 17
P.O. Box 4010
SHEPPARTON
3632
Principal:
Ken Murray
Assistant Principals:
Xavier Tanner
Gerry Vecchio
Nancy Harcourt
Telephone: 58209900
Absence: 58209977
Excursion: 58209988
Fax:
58209900
Website: www.wanganuipsc.vic.edu.au
Email:
wanganui.park.sc@edumail.vic.gov.au
“Boat” – Kurtis Dixon Year 9 Continuing Photography
The Principal Report – 30th October 2014
YEAR 12 GRADUATION
Once again, the events surrounding the Year 12 Graduation have been a highlight of the school
year. Approximately 670 people attended the Valedictory dinner where parents, guardians,
grandparents and siblings joined the students in celebrating their achievements. On Thursday, a full
School Assembly was held to farewell the students and this was once again an emotional time for
all involved. Thank you to the many families who now end their formal connection with the school,
and we look forward to hearing of the successes and achievements of these young people in the
years ahead.
COLLEGE CAPTAINS 2015
We had 6 girls and 4 boys nominate for the positions of College Captain next year, and staff and
students have participated in the voting process. The leaders were announced at the Assembly on
Thursday morning.
School Captains for 2015 are Maddy Holness and Travis Sleeth and the Vice Captains are Alicia
Flegeltaub and Andy Burkitt. I am confident that they will continue to do the good work carried out
by previous leaders. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our 2014 leaders in Lucy
Marino, Bronson Giuca, Freya Short and Bailey Opie for the terrific example they set for others to
follow.
STAFFING FOR 2015
We are in the process of completing our staffing for next year, and we have recently appointed three
new teachers to the school. Our anticipated student enrolment is once again approximately 1250.
MONDAY 4th NOVEMBER
Just a reminder for parents that Monday 3rd November is a normal school day. If your child is
absent on that day, the usual procedure of phoning the absence line is required.
SPA 5 Cycle Reports
These reports were placed on Xuno last week and are available for parents to access and
download. Parents should have received an SMS message to this effect. (If you didn’t, our records
of your mobile number may not be correct). SPA gives an important snapshot of student progress
and identifies areas for improvement for the final reporting cycle of the year.
If you were unable to access these reports, please contact the Main Office so that these problems
can be resolved. We will be using this same method to distribute the end of semester reports as
PDF files on Xuno.
Ken Murray
Principal
Xavier Tanner
Assistant Principal
Gerry Vecchio
Assistant Principal
Nancy Harcourt
Assistant Principal
CALENDAR
OCTOBER
30th
Newslink
November
4th
10TH
MELBOURNE CUP – STUDENT FREE DAY
Year 11 Examinations
VCAL Work Placement (1st year) – 2 weeks through to 21/11/2014
11th
Solo’s Night – Theatrette 6.00pm
13th
Newslink
Canteen Roster
rd
th
th
th
th
Monday 3 Nov
Tuesday 4 Nov
Wednesday 5 Nov
Thursday 6 Nov
Friday 7 Nov
Jo Klein
Jenny Mallamaci
STUDENT FREE DAY
MELBOURNE CUP
Vicki Findlay
Rachel Howden
Mary Macgill
Therese Nicholson
Viv Jefferey
Ros Cullen
th
th
Monday 10 Nov
Tuesday 11 Nov
Carol Neave
Deanne Palmer
Donna McNab
Ros McPherson
th
Wednesday 12
Nov
th
th
Thursday 13 Nov
Friday 14 Nov
Denise Smith
Jo Wild
Jenny O’Neill
Sharon Wright
Julieanne Gee
Jo Watters
XUNO Parent Portal
Recently we sent home a letter with details on how to log into XUNO, the new communication portal that
we have implemented at Wanganui Park Secondary College.
XUNO is the place to go for lots of information about your child including,





Attendance
Learning
Achievements
Reporting- SPA, semester and end of year reports, current and past
Classwork, Assignments and Assessment
If you have lost your password please contact the office on 58209900 or email the school at
wanganui.park.sc@edumail.vic.gov.au and a new password will be sent home by mail to your address.
Congratulations to the following students who participated in the 3rd Shepparton Young
Instrumentalists Award held during the holidays at Eastbank:
Amelia Lucattini, Meg Nicholls, Gautham Santhakumar, Pradeep Santhakumar, Kareena Meyer, Hayden
Exton, Shannon Mawson-Cannon, Daly Wilson, Andy Burkitt and Chris Revell.
The competition was held during the day of Sunday 21st September in four categories – Piano, Strings,
Woodwind and Brass. Some winners and place getters were then invited to perform during the evening.
From Wanganui these included Kareena, Daly, Andy and Chris, all VCE students. Well done to all
students for their participation!
VCE Music Performance:
Our VCE students are currently completing their performance exams, the Year 12s travelling to
Melbourne for these exams. During the next few weeks the Technical Work SACS and Aural and Written
exams for both Year 11 and 12 will occur.
Good luck to all of you!
Music Count Us In:
Later in the month music students in Years 7 and 8 will be participating in the national initiative, 'Music
Count Us In', which promotes music education in schools.
Upcoming Events:
Solos Night: Tuesday 11th November 6pm Theatrette
Year 11 VCE Music Performance Written exam: Wednesday 12th November. 8.50 – 10.40 am
Year 12 VCE Music Performance Written exam: Friday 14th November. 11.45 – 1.30pm
AMEB Piano exams: Monday 24th November.
Junior Strings, Piano and Training Band BBQ and Concert: Wednesday 3rd December, 5.30pm
Discover Your Own Backyard
Greater Shepparton is bursting with fantastic food, wine & farmgate offerings and is home to an amazing array of
home-grown fruits, vegetables, meats, food markets, wineries and more! It’s time for local residents to enjoy –
view the "Discover Your Own Backyard" video and visit www.discovershepparton.com.au/pages/dyob/ for more
information on how you can enjoy the world’s best produce with your family and friends in your own backyard.
The Greater Shepparton City Council is embarking on a new promotion entitled “Discover your own backyard”.
This promotion is designed to encourage our local residents to discover what the region has to offer, as well as
become ambassadors, and be proud of our region whilst promoting it to our visiting friends and relatives. Visit
the website and watch the short video on the fabulous produce available in our very own back yards!
Hume Athletics Report
Congratulations to the following students who won events at the Hume Athletic Championships and will now go on to
compete at the State Schools Athletics finals.
Connor Cudmore
- 17Yrs Age Group Champion
-
Rhys Damon
Jayden Blum
Kyle Murphy
- Javelin
- Long Jump
- 400m
- Relay
- 13 Yrs Age Group Champion
- 100m
- Relay
- 1500m
- 3000m
- Long Jump
-
Gerard Perona
110m Hurdles (New Record)
Nathan Cole
Brooke Barr
Jack Parker
Jakob Butcher
Riley Kittlety
Tristan Racioppo
Trent Herbert-Greening -
Triple Jump
Triple Jump
Relay
1500m - 2nd
1500m - 2nd
Relay
Relay
Relay
Relay
Relay
Congratulations to all of our competitors At the Hume Championships as we finished a very respectable fourth overall.
YEAR 7 & 8 CRICKET
On Wednesday the 8th of October the Year 7 & 8 students completed in the summer sports day. We all had a great
day playing Super 8's cricket, and fun with the football during games.
Design & Technology
Year 11 students have been busy constructing their Design and Technology projects. They have worked in a group to
compile a folio, allocate specific roles and produce a product that reflects a design brief. This semester we have
focused on stools that are well suited in a man cave. Design and Technology enables students to problem solve, redesign, construct, and value add to an existing product. The subject is offered in both Metal and Wood based
methods and is proving to be increasingly popular with students who have an interest in practical based subjects.
Next year the students will be responding to a client’s needs, some of which are as follows: front end protection unit
for a pre-1990 vehicle which includes vehicle specific operating systems, a portable rifle calibrating system, special
needs bicycle system and a workshop-themed ornamental reading lamp. Regular updates on these projects and
many more in the weeks to come.
Alexander Ring has designed and constructed an outdoor stool that focuses on a theme. He has utilised a plough
disc, galvanised fence post and an old steel tractor seat.
Matthew Varapodio and Mitchell Sizeland are checking that their stool reflects their ergonomics research. This stool
incorporates an old swing saw blade as the base and aluminium tractor seat.
Lachlan McKenzie is cutting the legs for his group’s stool while Jacob Coverdale ensures he is doing it safely.
Janlee Luzuriaga has combined a broken pneumatic stool with a plough disc to construct the core of his stool. He is
currently working on the seat.
Lovely day at state athletics in Melbourne on Friday 17 October
Results:
Connor Cudmore - 17 years: 2nd hurdles, 3rd javelin, 4th long jump, 5th 400m.
Rhys Damon- 12-13 years: 4th 1000
Gerard Perona - 17 years: 4th long jump
Kyle Murphy- 15 years: 2nd long jump, 1st triple jump.
Boys relay teams- 13 years boys: Rhys Damon, Jakob Butcher, Jack Parker, Riley Kittlety, came 4th ;17
years boys: Connor Cudmore, Tristan Racoppio, Gerard Perona, Lyle Murphy, came 6th.
Others students who performed well were Jayden Blum, Brooke Barr and Nathan Cole.
VCAL COMMUNITY PROJECT WORK
Some students from Ms. Molloy’s VCAL class designed and created fused glass panels
representing the Arts subjects in D Block. This was part of their VCAL studies this year,
specifically their Community Project work. Working with Ms. Gartlan and Mrs. Mackenzie
the students came up with some design ideas, which were presented to the Arts Domain for
feedback and approval. Working Tuesday mornings in the new covered courtyard in D
Block, the students cut and stuck individual pieces of coloured glass onto sheets of clear
glass. They also used glass in frit and stringer form to create the design. These panels were
then fused in the kiln to a temperature that maintained the shape of the individual pieces, but
rounded slightly to give a wonderfully tactile texture. The end result looks (and feels)
fantastic!
Pictured below - Tom Diamond, Angela Voulinos, and Jade Sheen in front of the panels
installed in the entrance of D Block.
Absent participants - current students Courtney Gardner and Mahsun Sakir, and past students
Omar Chkaidem and Mohammed Ansari.
Photo by Taylah Crossley
Latest from the Library
2014 Inky award winners announced!
The Inky Awards are a choice award for teenagers (12-20 year olds) for fictional novels, poetry, anthologies and/or graphic novels
available to the Australian public. To be eligible for the Gold Inky Award, authors must be an Australian citizen or permanent
resident of Australia.
The winner of the Gold Inky:
The First Third is Will Kostakis’ second novel and is set in Sydney. It’s the story of
seventeen year old Bill Tsiolkas and his family.
Life is made up of three parts: in the first third, you're embarrassed by your family; in the second, you make a family
of your own; and in the end, you just embarrass the family you've made.
That's how Billy's grandmother explains it, anyway. She's given him her bucket list (cue embarrassment), and now,
it's his job to glue their family back together.
No pressure or anything.
Fixing his family's not going to be easy and Billy's not ready for change. But as he soon discovers, the first third has to
end some time. And then what?
It's a Greek tragedy waiting to happen.
The winner of the Silver Inky:
Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years later, only Judith
returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by her friends and family.
Unable to speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to her childhood friend, Lucas. He is
the boy who has owned her heart for as long as she can remember - even if he doesn′t know it.
But when Roswell Station is attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose - to continue living in
silence, or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever.
ROBOTICS
Students in Robotics applied their knowlege of gear ratios, weight distribution and programming to compete in a
drag race. The competition was very close with most robots covering 4 meters in under 3 seconds. The difference in
results came down to reaction times at the start.
(Nicholas Mansur,
(Christopher Hawtin
Bryce O'Dwyer-Steen) Ethan Almond)
2nd
1st
(Thomas Tennent, Brayden Clark,
Manu Multani)
3rd
Intermediate Boys Basketball Team Runner-Up at Hume Region Championship
The Wanganui boys got off to a great start by defeating Galen College Wangaratta by 1 point after trailing all game.
Some great rebounding by Kyle Murphy and clutch foul shooting by Aaron Egan in the last minute of play saw
Wanganui grab a victory from the jaws of defeat. A crushing 40 point win over Sacred Heart Yarrawonga followed
where all players contributed. Matt Collins was on fire and Aaron Egan scored at will. That then meant we would play
Euroa SC in the Grand Final. A sluggish start meant we were 10 down before we knew it. Some great offence from
Aaron Egan kept us in the game and we were able to go in at half time 2 points down. Again a slow start meant we
were chasing for the rest of the game. With 2 minutes to go we were 10 down and not looking great. A full court
defence and some huge 3’s from Jai Rodaughan got us back to 1 down with plenty of time left. Unfortunately missed
throws and a couple of turnovers meant we lost by 3 points. It was a great fighting effort by the boys who
represented the school with distinction. All players played a significant part throughout the day. Well done to Matt
Collins, Aaron Egan, Liam Thompson, Jai Rodaughan, Kyle Gerada, Kyle Murphy, Billy Cooper and Jayden Garner.
Humanities News
History Teaching Award
At a recent conference of the History Teachers’ Association of
Victoria, Kate Jeffery (née Doyle) received the award for
Outstanding Contribution to the Teaching and Learning of History
by an Early Career Educator. The award is given to a Victorian
teacher within their first five years of teaching who has shown
interest, enthusiasm and inspiration in History teaching,
demonstrated innovation in curriculum design and contributed to
professional learning within the History teachers’ network.
Congratulations on this excellent achievement, Kate!
LEAP into Law
Last Tuesday, interested students in Years 8-10 attended a LEAP into
Law event. The LEAP Program aims to “demystify the links between school, university and professions” for
secondary school students. During the session, students were asked to consider the qualities needed by a
judge, analyse evidence about the cause of a fictitious car accident and think about different types of
criminal laws.
We would like to thank Scott Murray and Vaughan Patullock from the LEAP team for their engaging
presentation!
Above: Harrison Westwick, Simone Milsom, Zawad Karim and Phoebe Gale at the event.
Below is a photo of the Year 8 Boys basketball team who came third at the Hume Championship level
Enrich your home with a WEP exchange student arriving in
January 2015!
World Education Program (WEP) is looking for caring families
who wish to experience another culture in their own home by
becoming a volunteer host family. Browse through student
profiles, and select a student who you think will fit best into your
family and lifestyle!
Who are the students? Read over their profiles below:
Nine (15) from Thailand enjoys playing basketball, golf, swimming, going camping, reading Japanese
manga, drawing and playing the piano. At home he helps with the gardening and takes care of his dog
Benjy. He is very excited to learn all about Australian lifestyles and to meet new people. He wants to
share some Thai greetings and food with his host family.
Andrea (17) from Italy is looking forward to making his dream come true when he comes to Australia.
He enjoys trekking in nature as well as swimming for pleasure and is equally happy reading a book or
spending time with his friends and family. His parents say he is helpful at home and as they both work
he sometimes helps with the cooking. Andrea also likes to take photographs and can't wait to
experience Aussie culture, nature and the beautiful landscapes.
Gabriel (16) from France was born in Spain and moved to France when he was four years old.
Therefore he is fluent in both French and Spanish. He enjoys swimming, surfing, soccer, bike riding and
watching movies with his friends. He and his father enjoy cooking together or watching sports on TV.
Gabriel is very excited to experience Australian life, by living as a family member in his host family.
For further information, please contact Sylvia Kelly
Manager) on 1300 884 733, by email on
visiting our website www.wep.org.au.
(WEP
Inbound
info@wep.org.au or by
Take part in the 2014 Regional Wellbeing Survey
The Regional Wellbeing Survey’s mission is to support research that improves the wellbeing and quality of
life of people living in rural and regional Australia. To achieve this, we need to hear the views of all people
living in rural and regional Australia.
Our 2014 survey is now open. Please consider participating, and forward this email to others who might be
interested in the survey. Everyone aged 18 or over who takes part in the survey can enter the draw to win one
of nine prizes worth a total of $7,000.
Do the survey online at www.regionalwellbeing.org.au
Call 1800 981 499 if you’d like us to post you a paper survey, or for help with the survey.
This year, you can choose to do a short, regular or long version of the survey. People who choose to do a
longer survey receive additional entries into the prize draw.
Your participation helps us produce data your community can use, as we produce results for every
community from which we receive more than 100 responses. Many communities are now using the Regional
Wellbeing Survey’s results as a key resource. To see last year’s results, click here.
The survey is voluntary, confidential and anonymous, and closes on 30 November 2014, at midnight.
Thank you for taking the time to participate in this important study and sharing your valuable insights.
Scholarship Applications:
The information below provides background for young people planning to undertake post-secondary education and
considering applying for the Goulburn Valley Education Scholarship – Lift Off scholarships.
This document should be read before attempting to complete the on-line application form – the link for which can be
found at the end of this document.
If after reading the information below, you have further queries, please email info@thecommunityfund.com.au or
phone 1300 651 224.
Scholarship Introduction:
The aim of the Goulburn Valley Education Scholarship – Lift Off is to help overcome financial and other barriers to
higher education and increase the numbers of young people from the designated GV area, achieving their potential.
The Goulburn Valley Education Scholarship – Lift Off is an initiative of The Community Fund GV in collaboration
with the Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project. It is targeted at Victorian based students who have attended
secondary schooling in the following communities: Kyabram, Nathalia, Numurkah, Cobram, Mooroopna, Shepparton,
Euroa and Rushworth.
Overview:
 Financial support is valued at up to $5,000 over three years
 Open to Victorian students who attended schooling in the above mentioned areas and who plan to attend university
or TAFE after they complete year 12
 A rigorous, competitive application and selection process will be conducted
Scholarship Terms and Conditions:
 Students who are offered a scholarship will be required to sign a Scholarship Agreement indicating their
acceptance of the offer and the terms and conditions
 Awardees will not be able to defer commencement of their course
 Awardees must demonstrate progressing satisfactorily through their chosen course
 Awardees must remain a full-time enrolled student at the University or TAFE at which the scholarship was
granted
 The Scholarship funds are to be spent on fees, accommodation, books and/or equipment as required to successfully
enrol
 Payment of up to $5,000 over three years will generally be made in annual instalments of $2000, $2000 and $1000
- other options may be mutually agreed to
Eligibility Requirements:




Applicants are Australian citizens or have Australian residency status
If invited, propose to accept a full-time post-secondary place to study for a Diploma or above
Have submitted a scholarship application before the closing date
Have had their applications endorsed by their responsible person before the closing date. (A “responsible person”
here refers to: A School Principal, House Leader, Year Level Coordinator, or a person who knows of your difficult
circumstances. It will not be a family member.)
 Will be under the age of 25 as of January 1 in the year they commence their degree
 Are a resident of the defined GV communities as listed in the above introduction
Key Dates and Procedures:
 Applications open: November 17th 2014
 Applications close: December 31st 2014
 Each application will be individually assessed and shortlisted applicants will be interviewed in January by a
scholarship selection panel
 All applicants will be advised of the outcome of their applications via email by the end of January 2015
 Scholarships will be awarded in February 2015 and funds forwarded upon confirmation of enrolment
Selection Criteria:
 Scholarship selection is based on equity issues such as:
 Financial need and other barriers to study
 Personal attributes and attitude of applicant
 Capacity and willingness of applicant to act as an ambassador for the scholarship program
 Evidence of prior community service
 Selection of scholarship recipients will be managed by the Scholarship Selection Panel and approved by The
Community Fund GV Board
 Applications will be individually assessed, and may be shortlisted for interview. Interviews form part of the
application process. All applications and interviews will be treated in the strictest confidence.
 The Scholarship Selection Panel will consider the following in selecting scholarship recipients:
 demonstrated leadership in their local community, for example, participation in community organisations,
events, sporting clubs etc, volunteering and /or mentoring experience, sharing family roles and responsibilities,
extra-curricular roles at school
 managing and/or overcoming personal difficulties i.e. financial disadvantage, cultural issues, non-English
speaking background, remoteness, disability, loss of one or more parent, etc.
 the level of likely impact on their life and rural/ regional Victoria if awarded a scholarship
Application:
 Please carefully read the terms and conditions before submitting your application
 Ensure that your responsible person is willing to endorse your application by submitting a letter of support
addressed to:
Scholarship Committee
The Community Fund Goulburn Valley
PO Box 848
SHEPPARTON 3632
How to apply:


Send your letter of endorsement from a responsible person to the postal address above
Apply online by copying and pasting the following link into google:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Rihw4rgSjXb_YQBJ46ISeIxGsxVSBjlUNNvl5beaEyc/viewform?usp=send
_form
Shepparton Notre Junior Football Club Information Night for Season 2015
When: Wednesday 12th November.
Time: 7pm-8pm (7.00pm start)
Where: Shepparton Football Social Clubrooms
Who: U/14 boys - (Years 7&8)
U/16 boys - (Years 9&10)
U/18 girls - (Years7-12)
For further information please call David Harcoan on 0400211911.