Term 1 Newsletter - Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School

THE FARRER TIMES
FARRER MEMORIAL AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL
2 April 2015 - Term 1
www.farrer.nsw.edu.au
585 Calala Lane, Tamworth NSW 2340
Ph: 02 6764 8600 Fax: 02 6764 8648
From the Principal’s Desk
I
t is pleasing to be able to complete the
first term of 2015 by congratulating
and thanking the many staff members
and students who have represented
Farrer with distinction in so many
ways over the last ten weeks. The Year
7 Orientation Day and Camp at Keepit;
Prefect Induction; Swimming Carnival;
the school Captain’s dinner which we
hosted for the first time; and the myriad
sporting and cultural excursions and
successes have meant an extremely
busy and productive term. In this
newsletter, and on the website, you
will read of successes in Chess,
Theatre Sports, cricket, the Science
and Engineering Challenge,
swimming, the Tamworth Show and
many students gaining selection in
representative teams. The diversity
in our participation and success
has been the most pleasing aspect and
highlights my statement to the Year 7
boys and their parents when they arrived
– ‘You can achieve in any area that you
like at Farrer – but you must provide the
effort and determination’. My thanks to
all of the people involved in providing
these opportunities and to the parents of
Farrer students who have so soundly and
consistently supported our efforts.
This year promises to be busy and
significant for a number of reasons. The
development of a Strategic Plan will be
completed this year, plotting the direction
Farrer will be heading over the next
three years and beyond. This is a priority
that School Council members have had
for some time and it will be pleasing to
complete this project. School Council
is also supporting the development of a
Farrer Foundation to provide long term
financial support to the school. Similar
foundations have been established at
other public schools, such as Sydney Boys
High School, and have proven to be very
effective.
Work will commence later this year on
the new Technology Block, to be located
above the Trade Training Centre. This
is a very exciting development for our
school as the old Technology block
will eventually be converted to a new
dormitory. The funding of the school has
also been undergoing some changes. The
introduction of the Resource Allocation
Model by the Department of Education
and Communities to fund public schools
has commenced and will be continued
to be implemented over the two years.
‘You can achieve in any
area that you like at Farrer,
but you must provide the
effort and determination’
Significantly for Farrer, it will change the
nature of the funding of our boarding
school and farm operations. In early
March the principals of Farrer, Hurlstone
and Yanco (the three residential
agricultural high schools) meet with DEC
officials to work on the establishment
of these new funding models. Further
work is required and I will keep
parents informed of progress on
this issue.
The school executive has been
focusing on the improvement
of academic standards. There
were pleasing results in the 2014
HSC including Band 6 Results
in Advanced English, Extension
English, Mathematics, Senior
Science, PD/H/PE, Industrial
Technology and Agriculture.
Each faculty has undergone a
detailed analysis of HSC results
in their area and submitted
this analysis to the principal
for review. Faculties have also
developed a plan to better engage
boys within their teaching areas.
These plans will be further
refined next term and resourced
appropriately. It is vitally important that
parents pay their voluntary contribution
to ensure that that the school can provide
the very best resources to your son in the
classroom.
The OPAL system for Years 9 to 12 has
been reviewed and refined – thanks
to Mr Comi for his work here. Parents
are reminded that OPAL scores can be
viewed through Millennium (by both
students and parents). It is easy to
access Millennium through our
Farrer website – just google Farrer.
OPALs give valuable feedback
regarding the level of student effort
and engagement. The Student
Learning Action Plan (SLAP)
program, led by Mrs Joan Wood,
involves staff mentoring Year 12
students through their last year
of high school. The commitment of
teaching staff to these student support
mechanisms is commendable and
essential and I thank all of them for their
extra commitment and contribution.
cont...page 2
The settling down period which begins
each school year has been amazingly
short in 2015. Our new Year 7 has
impressed their teachers with their
enthusiasm and diligence and the rest of
the student body seems to have engaged
in their studies and activities in a very
positive manner. This augurs well for
the coming year and our challenge is to
maintain and improve on the present
levels of commitment and participation.
I am particularly impressed by the efforts
of our new senior students and especially
with the residential Prefects working with
new students to Farrer. Tony O’Connor is
doing a great job with Year 7 and I know
that he and other welfare staff are very
appreciative of the support and work that
our Year 12 leaders are demonstrating.
This group have certainly displayed a
willingness to increase the profile of the
whole Year 12 leadership group within
the school through a variety of projects
and planned activities. They are excellent
role models and I encourage them to
remain focused on their goals throughout
the remainder of the year.
The term has not been without some
significant challenges. The use of
marijuana by students at the beginning
of the term was dealt with by involving
police, and placing students on a long
suspension while they found another
school to enrol in. Farrer is a school but
it is also a home. The use of drugs in
our home will not be tolerated. Students
involved in this type of behaviour may
find themselves with a criminal record
that affects the rest of their life in terms
of career and travel. The local police dog
squad has been invited to our school to
educate students regarding the dangers
and penalties involved with illegal drugs,
and to conduct a search of the boarding
house if necessary. These actions has been
supported strongly at PT&F meetings
and also School Council. Parents should
take the time to have conversations with
their son about this important issue –
please do not assume that it will never
happen to your family.
Another significant issue centred around
students using mobile phones to take
photos that were not appropriate and
without the consent of the person being
photographed. Again, this is not only
against the school and DEC policies but
also against the law. Students involved
in these type of acts are referred to the
police and placed on long suspensions.
A mobile phone is certainly a useful tool
but students need to be aware of their
responsibilities in this area. During the
last week of term the school organised
for the Police Youth Liaison Officer to
speak with our students regarding the use
of electronic devices, cyber-bullying and
sexting. Unfortunately the Officer was
sick and this will be rescheduled for next
term. We again encourage parents to talk
to their children regarding these issues.
The Farrer Website is currently being
revamped and administration staff have
been working hard at the end of the
term to bring the calendar up-to-date
and provide parents with the details for
upcoming events. Please send an email
if an event or item is not on the calendar
that you require information on, or there
is insufficient information on an existing
event. We need to improve. The website
is an excellent communication tool and it
will be a school priority over the coming
months to enhance this resource.
I would like to thank to
Mr. Tony Windsor for
his recent occasional
address at the 2015
Prefects Induction
ceremony. It was
wonderful to have
a Farrer Old Boy so
obviously enthusiastic
and supportive of
our school give the
occasional address - his
speech was well received
by students, parents
and staff. Thanks also
to Mr Adam Marshall
(a former school
captain) who was the guest speaker at
the Tamworth Principal and Captain’s
dinner. Adam’s talk was outstanding – he
spoke of leadership in general, but also
specifically about student leadership.
He was very engaging, and highly
complimentary of his time at Farrer.
Could I encourage all parents to contact
the school should they have any difficulty,
concern or enquiry? In most cases, an
explanation or additional information
will alleviate any worry or will precipitate
action to ensure that a satisfactory
outcome is quickly reached. Please do
not hesitate to communicate with the
school immediately when necessary.
I would like to wish all Farrer families
the very best for the Easter break. I look
forward to catching up with many Year
7 and 12 parents at the interviews at the
beginning of Term 2.
Take care
Mr Clint Gallagher,
Relieving Principal
Providing quality legal services since 1891
Partner: Roger Butler, OAM LL.B (Syd)
Solicitors: Sylvester Joseph LL.B (Bond)
Dr Peter Reddy, PhD, M Crim, LL.B, BLJS
Para-legals: Jackie Legg, Margaret Shelton
The solicitors of the firm have a close and proud
association with Farrer High School
Roger Butler: All of his 4 sons attended Farrer: Nigel
(1979-82), Julian (1979-84), Giles (1981-86), Damien
(1985-90) Dux 1990.
Peter Young attended Farrer 1968-73 - Dux 1973.
Deidre Foreman - her three sons attend Farrer: Ross
(1979-84) Dux 1984, Craig (1980-85), Peter (1982-87).
Jeremy Brigden a solicitor employed by the firm
attended Farrer 1995-2000 and was winner of the Cole
& Butler Solicitor’s Prize.
63 Frome Street,Moree
P.O. Box 419, Moree 2400
E-mail: law@colebutler.com.au
Ph (02) 6752 1677
Fax (02) 6752 1899
F
Boarding Report
irstly can I thank everybody for the warm welcome I
have had to Farrer. The positive nature of the school is
obvious as soon as you arrive. This positive attitude is created
by the students within this school. Coonabarabran was the
community I grew up in and I returned there after university to
spend 17 years working in this community. Over the last three
years my family has lived in Tamworth and I have travelled to
Gunnedah each day to work at Gunnedah High. During my
last 18 months at Gunnedah I acted as the Relieving Deputy
Principal. I am heavily involved in Schoolboy Rugby League,
however, am I interested in just about any sport. During the last
month of last term in 2014 I travelled to England and France
with the Australian Schoolboys Rugby League team which
was an amazing experience. I am also currently the Convenor
of NSWCHS Rugby League which means I coordinate the
University and Buckley Shield competitions, the State Trials and
our NSWCHS teams which attend the National Championships.
As in most schools this has been a very busy term with a lot
happening within the school. The new school leaders have made
an excellent start. The Prefects within the dorms are forging
strong relationships with the students in their dorms and their
positive attitude has been of great assistance to me as I settle
into this new role.
The term has obviously been a very big and exciting one for
our new Year 7 students. They have settled into the school well
and are interacting appropriately as a cohort. Mr O’Connor
has done a massive amount of work to ensure a positive start
for these students. They have undertaken a range of weekend
activities which have been coordinated by Mr Oxford and the
Sport and Recreation team. These have included visits to Green
Valley Farm, Tamworth tour, Motor Bike Museum, Marsupial
Park, Barraba Pool, Ten Pin Bowling and a Pool Party. The Year
group also undertook a camp at Keepit Dam for 3 days. This
was coordinated by Mr Guider and a number of staff travelled
out with the group. They undertook a range of activities and
one of the most popular was a ride in the boat belonging to Mr
Swan. Thanks must go to Mr Swan for donating his services to
give the students this experience.
The boarding school has had a change in the inspection
processes in the morning before breakfast. The students now
have the same person undertaking the inspections each day.
This has been found to be very successful as it has brought
consistency for the students in the expectations placed upon
them each morning. Congratulations should go to Mr Parker,
Mr Dodds and Mr Daley who have been involved in these
inspections.
The school has had a major investment of new screens being
placed over windows in the dorms. These will ensure the insects
are kept out and also ensure the students are kept in as the
open windows were a safety concern for the school. They are
made of extremely durable material meaning that the ongoing
maintenance costs of damaged screens will now be avoided.
The school was involved in the Red Cross Door Knock on 22
March. We had around 150 students out in South Tamworth
undertaking this charity work. The Year 12 students who took a
leadership role in the activity are to be thanked for their efforts.
The school raised $2538 for this charity.
D
uty Office Reminders
•
Students must ensure that they sign in and out when they are coming into or leaving the school.
•
When students go on leave they must ensure that they wear their greys to leave school and re-enter school. Year 12 must wear a collared shirt and closed in shoes. Khakis are not to be worn when going on leave.
•
Students need to have paid the facilities levy by next term if they wish to access the buses and other
facilities which are offered by the school.
David Gale
Relieving Deputy Principal Boarding
New look coming for the Website Homepage
We are currently working on a new look to our Farrer Website home page so keep an eye out for this.
Here are links to the articles that have been posted on the website this term:
Tamworth Show Results http://farrer.nsw.edu.au/index.cfm?page_id=1045&display_news_id_1191=1094
Maules Creek Visit http://farrer.nsw.edu.au/index.cfm?page_id=1045&display_news_id_1191=1093
Chess Tournament http://farrer.nsw.edu.au/index.cfm?page_id=1045&display_news_id_1191=1092
Property Planning Competition http://farrer.nsw.edu.au/index.cfm?page_id=1045&display_news_id_1191=1091
Science & Engineering Challenge http://farrer.nsw.edu.au/index.cfm?page_id=1045&display_news_id_1191=1090
Breeza Station Visit http://farrer.nsw.edu.au/index.cfm?page_id=1012&news_display_year_2720=2015&display_news_id_2720=1089
Premier’s Reading Challenge http://farrer.nsw.edu.au/index.cfm?page_id=1012&news_display_year_2720=2015&display_news_id_2720=1088
And there are more on our website...
Just go to the Newsletters tab and scroll down the page.
W
Agriculture Report
hat a busy start to the year. The students have
participated in a range of activities including an
excursion to their Farm Case Study farm at Andrew
Pursehouse’s property at Breeza; The Property Planning
Competition excursion to Tarriaro Stock Reserve at Narrabri
and a follow up tutorial in Tamworth; Pickles Motor Auction
where oldboy James Wiggan spoke about purchasing machinery
and equipment through the auction system; Teys Abbatoir
Tamworth; Brewongle for a range of Beef Cattle activities;
Tamworth Show for Steer Judging; Meat Sheep Judging; Merino
Judging; Sheep Fleece judging with many creditable results;
five students going to RYAG Sheep at Walcha as well as the
numerous activities that occur daily with each teachers’ class.
Mr Peeters and I travelled to Victoria and southern NSW to
visit four leading Angus studs prior to purchasing replacement
cover bulls for the Angus herd. We have usually purchased two
bulls each year - recently the AI program has had a remarkable
increase in conception rates in the last two years and so we have
only purchased one bull from TeMania this year. These visits
are very important for the staff to maintain industry currency,
to discuss industry issues and trends and have helped to raise
the profile of our stud with leading breeders. The support and
advice of these stud masters has been an important mechanism
for determining the future breeding direction of the stud. This
program has seen all faculty staff involved in the program with
Mr Drenkhahn planning to go with Mr Peeters next year.
A couple of people have asked why we don’t show our Angus
bulls. We are not opposed to showing and indeed are actively
involved with our steer team showing and parading at Singleton
and New England Schools steer competitions and our sheep
at Dubbo and New England Schools Lamb Competitions.
With regards specifically to the Angus stud it is necessary to
grain feed cattle to prepare them for the show ring. This means
that those animals cannot be compared to their cohort using
objective measurement and their
value would be greatly diminished
at sale time as there would be no
confidence in their figures for
Estimated Breeding Values for a
range of traits. Our buyers use the
catalogue and figures extensively
to select bulls for purchase and so
confidence in the accuracy of these
figures is critical. Our stud is being
operated on a commercial basis and
showing is not a viable proposition.
Charts of genetic progress of the
herd see the outperforming nature
for our selected traits as a trend
compared to the breed society. The
importance of the involvement of
the Beef Cattle Primary industries
Cert III students in all aspects
of selection, management and
marketing can be seen in the
demand from employers throughout
Australia.
I have been involved in finalising discussions with many
stakeholders about the expansion of the AGCAPS program to
include Cert II, III and IV pathways with a range of employers
including Teys who operate Tamworth and other abattoirs and
are keen to engage Farrer students in their business with a view
to providing future leaders in their industry and organisation.
This program will create a range of career pathways to
University through partnering with other providers such
as CB Alexander College (Tocal) who will provide training
in areas where we have trained staff however are unable to
provide training due to DEC regulations including in Quads,
Motorbikes, and Chainsaws etc. These Vocational Pathways are
now seen by industry as an important new way of meeting the
needs of industry with people who have both a practical and
theoretical basis to their training.
Mr Darren Smith has been very involved with the exciting
developments in marketing and promotion of the White Suffolk
breed. This is still to be announced to the general public. His
attendance at the Leading Breeders conference in Adelaide
further cements our position as one of the leading White
Suffolk studs in Australia. This stud is an intimate part of the
Animal Management course for year 9 and 10. Farrer wrote this
course and it is now being used by Yanco as well.
Mrs Dawson has been away for the majority of the term so far
and her senior classes have been taken by Mr Harris and Mr
Smith, while her junior classes have been taken by Mrs Gamble
and Mrs Evans. Parent Teacher interviews for Year 7 should
be with Mrs Evans and Year 12 with Mr Harris. We wish Mrs
Dawson a full recovery.
Thanks to Ms Tolley and Mr Drenhkahn for their efforts with
the steers and also in nursery production.
The school is hosting Saint Nicholas’ junior classes for a
paddock to plate practical study day at Farrer. I have no doubt
that there will be increasing demand
for these types of outreach activities
with the implementation of the new
technologies national curriculum
over the next couple of years. We
have had relationships with many
kindergartens visiting in spring
to look at the animals, however,
this is the first visit with planned
practical activities including plant
propagation.
The Faculty, and staff, has also
passed the QA2 audit for our VET
programs.
Graeme Harris
Head Teacher Agriculture
Year 11 Geography Excursion to Apsley Falls
F
ieldwork has begun for Year 11 Geography with a visit
to Apsley Falls in the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.
The purpose of the trip was to see first hand how the earth,
atmosphere, water cycle and living organisms interact with each
other and the effect this has on the surrounding environment.
The falls, on what was a hot day, were not at their best. The low
recent rainfalls had significantly reduced the flow. This however
provided an excellent opportunity for the boys to undertake
field sketches and photos of
the impacts of water on the
gorge face. The variety in
landforms from erosion and
hydraulic action was clearly
evident in some of the large
slabs of rock that had fallen
away from the face of the
falls.
The lack of water also
exposed the varying
complexity of vegetation
that occurs as a result of
nutrient level changes
moving away from the falls. The 10 km walk around the gorge
showed a variety of landforms that were a result of both tectonic
and volcanic activity millions of years ago.
The unique processes in the gorge have had a significant effect
on the environment. The Apsley Falls are the headwaters of
the Maclean River catchment area. The climate patterns within
the gorge have established and maintained the remnants
of the Gondwanna rainforest, another interaction between
the atmosphere and the
environment.
The trip was a valuable
experience for the boys,
helping to reinforce the
processes studied in class.
Mr Dave Olrich HSIE Teacher
Year 9 Commerce - Market Garden Enterprise
A
s part of the topic “Running a Business” the
students of Year 9 Commerce have started
their own market garden. The students are in the
process of planting winter vegetables to grow,
harvest, market and sell.
As part of this process students have researched
the growing seasons of a number of winter
vegetables. They have also started researching
ways to fund their business costs including
debt finance (loans that need to be repaid) and
equity finance (selling an ownership stake in the
business).
Below are some photos of the students hard at
work building their market gardens and filling
them with mulch and potting mix. Planting is
planned to take place next week, so let’s hope
for a great season, a bumper harvest and a
truckload of profit!
Dan Daley - HSIE Teacher
Deputy’s Diary - Easter-Time
A
s Easter approaches it is appropriate to give thanks for the
students, parents and staff who we have at our school. I
would like to thank all the people that play their part in making
Farrer a great place to be for our boys.
Tony O’Connor has performed an outstanding job in
coordinating his Year 7 boys. I must also thank the prefects and
staff who have assisted our newcomers to settle into their new
environment. The importance of laying a strong foundation
with Year 7 cannot be over-emphasised and now that their
hardest term is behind them I look forward to them becoming
valuable contributors and future leaders.
Thanks to our welfare team ably led by Head Teachers Jeff
Guider and Charlie Colclough and our hard working year
coordinators Gina Watt (8), Sarah Allen (9), Robert Arranz
(10), Chris Train (11) and Danne Levy (12). Their efforts (often
behind the scenes) in assisting their cohort through many
varied, and sometimes sensitive, issues are essential and greatly
appreciated.
Our OPAL system has been revamped in 2015 with major
changes including a set of OPAL performance descriptors and
a clearer redemption system for students. These changes have
been welcomed and embraced by staff and students and I am
impressed with the way that our boys in Years 9 to 12 have
strived to maintain their high OPAL scores throughout the
term. In some years over 30% of students are achieving blue
OPALs (a score of 8.5 or greater) It is also encouraging to see
dialogue occurring between staff and students regarding how
they are currently performing, where they want to be and how
they’re going to get there.
Assemblies have been a great opportunity to remind our boys
about the four habits of Social Intelligence: Tolerance of others,
Thinking before you act, Playing by the rules and Respect.
Boys who are regularly practising these habits are receiving
REF awards (Respect-Excellence-Fairness). Staff members are
nominating students, each assembly, who display some or all of
these attributes. Students are also receiving merit awards from
staff if they consistently display good habits.
O
"Good, better, best - never let it rest - till your good is better and your better best."
This rhyme was originally placed on the Furphy water cart in
1898 by John Furphy and has been espoused at assemblies as
well as being adopted by many of the boys in many aspects of
their schooling. Students are generally good with their social
habits such as being respectful to others around them. They
are better at wearing the school uniform with pride and caring
for their environment by reducing their litter or damage to
property. They are good at following the phone policy and
better at looking after each others welfare. Some students are
performing at their best, however, for many this is yet to come.
I must thank the staff and year 12 boys who are striving to
maintain high standards both in and out of the classroom and
generally leading by example. The new senior blazers have been
well received by students and are already being worn. The new
khaki long chinos and the weatherproof green Farrer jacket will
be here by the start of Term 2 and will be welcome additions to
the winter uniform. The new black silky sports shorts complete
with Farrer badge will also be available from the start of Term
2 in readiness for this year’s football season. These shorts along
with the black silkies + pockets are acceptable wear for sports
uniform. It is pleasing to see students wearing the correct sports
shoes so far this year. The new sports socks in particular are
very popular. All these uniform items are available from the
clothing pool. Please ensure that your son comes to school
equipped with the correct uniform as there are consequences
for failing to comply.
I must thank all the staff who assist our students by coaching/
managing an activity whether it be sporting, agricultural or
cultural. These activities complement our academic program
by building student/staff relationships and promote a balanced
approach. They need to be nurtured and developed at every
opportunity so that staff and students can benefit.
I hope that everyone has a happy and safe Easter and a restful
holiday. Go the Drags!
Mr Gus Comi – Deputy Principal - Day
Worlds Greatest Shave
nce more our Year 12 students will be donning their Farrer beanies as the Worlds Greatest Shave rolls around.
The Farrer Year 12 students have been participating in this worthwhile fund raiser for over 15 years and it has become some what
of a ritual. In the last six years this fundraiser has become an annual event at the school raising over $35,000 for the Leukeamia
Foundation.
The Worlds Great Shave will take place on Centre Lawn on Thursday 23rd April commencing at 11:15 am. Two local hair dressing
salons, Cody & Co and Cutting Point have volunteered their time to come out and shave the boys.
This is one of the many fund raising events our senior students participate in; last year alone the students raised over $16,000.00 to
give back to the community.
These students will then rally with the rest of the school and participate in the local ANZAC Day March on Saturday 25th April.
Good on you boys, you make our school and the local community proud of your valuable efforts.
If you would like to donate please contact the coordinator Mr Dave Olrich on 6764-8670.
Combined High Schools Swimming Championships Report
S
even boys from Farrer travelled to compete
at the Combined High Schools Swimming
Championships held on 26-28 March 2015 in
Sydney.
Farrer 14 Years Relay Team: Kelby McLean, Bradley Froud,
Thomas Kable & Connor Roberts
The 14 year old boy relay team, comprising of
Kelby McLean, Conner Roberts, Bradley Froud
and Thomas Kable took over 5 seconds off their
seed time and beat the other two schools from
the North West Region in the event.
The following boys swam in individual events:
Kelby McLean swam strongly in the 400m
Freestyle.
Connor Roberts took over 9 seconds off his seed
time in the 200m Freestyle.
Kyle Short swam in the 12 years 100m Freestyle,
Breaststroke and Backstroke and 200m Freestyle,
taking 7.4 seconds off his backstroke time.
Luke Johnstone swam well in the 15 years 100,
200 and 400m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly, Breaststroke and Backstroke. Luke took over 4 seconds off his 400m Freestyle time and
nearly 9 seconds off his 200m Freestyle seed time.
The most outstanding performance of the team was Ned Hoath, who placed third in two events. Ned placed 3rd in the finals of 12
years 100m Butterfly event with a time of 1:12.52 and 12 years 100m Backstroke event with a time of 1:17.66. This qualifies him to
swim at the NSW All Schools Swimming Championships being held on 18 May 2015. Ned also swam strongly in 12 years 50m and
100m Freestyle. We wish Ned all the best at the All Schools Swimming Championships.
Again the boys were great ambassadors for their school in their behaviour and effort.
Article courtesy of Susanne Kable (Mother of Thomas Kable, Year 8)
Important Notice to Parents from the Farrer Finance Office
Unfortunately, we are still receiving payments through direct deposits that I cannot identify. Could you please check your records
and let me know if you feel you have a discrepancy on your account, relating to a direct deposit.
Please remember to clearly identify your direct deposit: Your reference must be your Family Code. If you are making a deposit
over the counter at the bank then you need to put your telephone number as the reference and let me know (by Fax or phone call)
so that we can identify your deposit. Also, please be aware that with any payments made by direct deposit we are working at least a
week behind the Bank Statements.
Some parents are still putting money into the wrong accounts –
Hostel - (Gold form) is ONLY for Board & Boarder Levy
BSB: 032 001 A/c No: 166295 Ref - your Family Code
School – (Green form) any sporting activity, School Contribution, ODAS etc
BSB: 032 001
A/c No: 153734 Ref – your Family Code and what you are paying for eg ROG001 Touch
Canteen – (Blue form) BSB: 032 001 A/c No: 166287 Ref - your Family Code
Building Fund – (Pink form) BSB: 032 001 A/c No: 166244 Ref – your Family Code
Library Fund – (Cream form) ONLY for Laptop Loans
BSB: 032001 A/c No: 166252 Ref – your Family Code
Unidentified Money – Are you the owner of any of the following Hostel – Reference – 1. 22/2/15 - Internet Online Banking 2148671 payment
ODAS
Have you started making payments towards your son’s ODAS excursion?
Deposits are due by 2 April 2015. If your son is not going to attend ODAS then a letter must be sent to the Principal for approval.
(This is a legal requirement by the Department). All payments HAVE to be finalised by the end of Term 3 (17 September)
Many thanks - Kerrie Rogers, Finance Officer
T
Technology and Applied Studies
and metal machining skills and completing the manufacture
of a hacksaw. The Industrial Technology Engineering classes
are currently working on
designing and production
of super-fast CO2 powered
cars. These cars will be tested
for speed in a head to head
competition in the school
hall early next term.
erm One commenced with all students completing Work
Health and Safety (WHS) requirements. This involved
teachers demonstrating the
safe use of equipment and
having class discussions
about the importance of safe
work practices. Students are
also required to complete
safety tests relevant to their
subject area.
Year 9 classes are enjoying
their experiences of having
the opportunity to do elective
TAS subjects. These subjects
include Food Technology,
Information Software
Technology, Engineering,
Matthew Hamblin, Darcie Metalwork and Woodwork.
Alley & Samuel Barden
Students enjoy learning
of Year 10
through practical exercises
that involve the production
of projects while documenting the planning, production and
evaluation of those projects.
Year 12 Industrial
Technology students have
been working on their
Major Projects in Timber,
Metal and also Multimedia.
The Engineering Studies
class have been working
hard completing their HSC
modules including Civil
Structures and Transport.
The Year 11 Industrial Technology classes have been developing
their practical skills through exercises that involve the use of
both hand and power tools. They have also been busy working
on homework tasks gaining knowledge and understanding of
industry processes and systems. This should help to maximise
their results in exams.
The Year 7 & 8 classes are currently rotating through
Technology areas and are experiencing lessons in Timber,
Metal, Graphics, Computing and Cooking. These opportunities
help gain skills and knowledge about the use and impact of
Technology on our lives.
Year 10 Industrial Technology Timber classes are putting
their finishing touches on their designer mirror frames while
Industrial Technology Metal classes are refining their welding
Aaron O’Shea
Col Philp - TAS Teacher
Lachlan Finlay
Sam Carberry
Darcy Budd
Maths Challenge
I
n our previous mail-out we sent home a Maths Challenge sheet
and are pleased to say that we had 16 returned on the first day back
to school. These students were given a raffle ticket and, on assembly
that week, the winners were presented with a canteen voucher.
Congratulations to Patrick Turner, Year 8 & Hamish McAdam Year 9.
There is another challenge sheet in this mail-out and we are hoping
to double the amount of replies we receive this time around. Happy
calculating Mr Scott Baker.
At left: Mr Gallagher, Hamish McAdam, Mr Baker, Patrick Turner &
Mr Wade
What’s Happening with Careers ?
Work Health and Safety Contruction
Course running at Farrer
Students from Year 9 and above are encouraged to
enrol in a WH & S course which is held at Farrer by
TAFE NSW. The next course will be at the beginning
of Term 2 and the cost is $80 payable to Mrs Rogers
at Admin. The course is subsidised by the Careers
Faculty at Farrer and it is an essential course for any
type of work in the construction industry.
We encourage the students to start obtaining some
qualifications, such as this, that look good on a
resume and that show initiative. We ususally run
three courses thoughout the year and they are
conducted at the Farrer Clubhouse during school. Senior First Aid and CPR updates
Students are strongly encouraged to undertake a Senior
First Aid Course organised through Farrer and run
by Parasol. This qualification is valid for 3 years and
requires a CPR update every 12 months to keep the
certificate valid. CPR updates are also organised by
Farrer before the 12 months lapses.
This course is strongly recommended and, apart from
being a skill for life and something that may aid the
community one day, it is also very favourably looked
upon by employers when recruiting young people.
Cost is $85 payable to Mrs Rogers at Admin.
See Matron Stubbs or Mr Arranz for further details.
See Mr Arranz for further details.
Stay up to date with Careers happenings at Farrer.
Go to Facebook, “Careers Farrer” and “Like It”
Pi Day - Freshly baked
O
n Friday 20th March, Year 7, along
with fifty Year 10 volunteers, took
part in the inaugural Pi Day which
was held in the SMC. The day involved
the students being in teams of five and
competing in a variety of mathematical
and problem solving activities.
The first activity was a timetable
challenge where the groups had to
complete as many sheets as possible
in 20 minutes. This was followed by
a jigsaw puzzle where each student
was given a clue and they had to put
their information together to solve the
problem. The final activity, before recess,
involved the students working together
to solve a variety of problem solving
activities which saw students frantically
working and delivering their answers to
the marking tables.
After recess the students
were marvelled by Mr
Dodds and his ability to
recall pi to 100 decimal
places. Following this
the students competed in
‘Magic Square Madness’
where the students were
given the opportunity
to score between three
and six points for each
magic square correctly
completed. The final
event was a construction
activity where each group was given
15 sheets of paper and a roll of sticky
tape; they had to build the tallest tower
possible. Some groups were able to build
some very impressive towers.
The day concluded with the winning
prize being awarded to Team 18 and
second prize going to Team 23.
A huge thank you goes to the
Year 10 volunteers. Without their
assistance the day would not have
been able to be run - they did a
fantastic job. Thanks also to the
staff involved with their assistance
on, and leading up to, the day.
The day showcased excellent team
work and problem solving skills
Mr David Gale
Deptuy Principal Residential (Relieving)
Mr Clint Gallagher
Principal (Relieving)
and we
hope to
make this
day an
annual
event on
the Farrer
calendar.
Mrs Chambers – Maths Faculty
Mr Gus Comi
Deputy Principal - Day
Sport and Recreation Report
Term 1 has been primarily focused on Year 7 settling into the Farrer lifestyle which proved
successful. The second part of the term was broken up by the Tamworth Show, Scone Rugby
League Carnival and Red Shield Appeal. Activities we managed to do included Ten Pin Bowling,
Barraba Pool, Green Valley Farm, Trout Fishing and Kayaking.
Week one saw us take Year 7 to Sheeba Dam for a day of kayaking, swimming and games. With
beautiful weather, and fun staff, this proved to be a successful and tiring day for the school’s
newest faces.
Week two saw as try our hand at Ten
Pin Bowling, visit the Powerhouse
Motorcycle Museum and have a massive
water bomb fight. It is safe to say that
the water bombs never last as long as
the boys hope but the excitement was
certainly at an all-time high.
Week three saw Year 7 complete a
scavenger hunt based around Farrer
history, notable Old Boys and key
buildings. We also to travelled to Barraba
Pool to try the Waterslide and 3m diving
board. Some of the boys managed to attract some attention from the local girls with Jack P. even
managing a number.
Week four was the last weekend for the year 7 program so we made a trip up to Green Valley
Farm where the boys tore up and down the giant water slide all day. Turned out to be a very
successful day with just a couple of minor bumps and bruises.
After the Leave Weekend we went trout fishing, kayaking, played indoor sport and tried our
hand at the Longyard Driving Range.
Coming up next term are activities such as the
Kayaking, Fishing, Putt Putt, NRL Game, Lazor Tag
and much more. Information regarding up-coming
activities will be emailed out through the schools
distribution list. HELP ME, help your son become
social, physically active and try new things so he can get
the most out of Farrer MAHS.
Chris Oxford
Sport and Recreation Officer
Q FEVER VACCINATIONS AVAILABLE AGAIN IN 2015
Parents please consider that if your son/s is 15 years or older and handles sheep or cattle, whether it be at home or while at Farrer
that they be vaccinated against Q Fever.
You will need to contact your family doctor to establish if he is able to carry out these procedures, as they are not all qualified to
do so.
The procedure is that two doctor’s visits are needed. The first visit consists of a skin and blood test to establish if you have been in
contact with Q Fever, one week later you skin and blood test is checked, if clear the vaccine is then given.
Current fees for these visits are $90.50 ($74.00 consult + $16.50 skin test) for the first and $184.00 ($74.00 consult + $110.00
vaccine) for the second depending if the vaccine is given. These must be paid for at each visit. The medicare rebate is applicable
to the consult fees but not the skin test or vaccine. These can be claimed on your tax. You may get an account from pathology for
the blood test, sometimes they will bulk bill. Vaccines are no longer free.
If there is sufficient interest through the school I can arrange for the boys to attend a Q Fever Clinic as a group. Please remember
they must be 15 years and older.
If you have any questions and are interested in this service please give me a call, Monday to Friday 7am - 4pm on Ph: 02 – 6764
8615. Leeanne Stubbs RN Matron – Farrer M.A.H.S
Let's help Shane to decorate his wheelchair
Thanks to those students who have brought in sheep tags for Shane. Please keep them coming and I’ll post
them to Shane early in Term 2 - Mrs Klepzig
Paver Fundraiser Landscaping Project
We need some help ...
In 2014 our Year 12 cohort raised money by selling commemorative pavers for our 75th anniversary pathway.
These pavers have been made and we are now at the landscaping stage of the project.
To this end, we would like to hear from anyone who could help with this. Perhaps there is a Dad or Mum out
there who has a paving/landscaping business who could offer some helpful advice.
Please phone Jenni Goodridge if you can assist in any way—6764-8611. Many thanks.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mon 20 April Boarders return after 3.30pm
Parent/Teacher interviews years 7 & 12 only
Tue 21 April Lessons resume
Sat 25 April ANZAC Day March - All students encouraged to march.
Meet in Greys with akubra - Bourke Street at 10.00am
Fri 15 May Whole School Cross Country
Fri 15/16 May Dubbo Boarding Schools Expo
Thu 21 May Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea
Clothing Pool Opening Hours for Terms 2 & 3
As usual our Clothing Pool will only be open on a Monday during Terms 2 & 3.
(It will not be open on the Friday.)
The Clothing Pool will be open on Tuesday 21st April, which is our first day back to school.
After that it will open every Monday from 10.30am - 2.00pm.
THE ‘REV’
W
elcome to the back of the newsletter. The Rev’s mission
is to inspire you with words of wisdom and stories from
our school community. If it’s worth knowing, the Rev is happy
to spread the word.
A big welcome to all our new students, new staff and new
families and welcome back to our existing students, families and
staff.
There has certainly been a shuffling of the chairs amongst
the executive with the pending retirement of Mr Cooper.
The relieving Principal, Mr Gallagher, has been replaced by
Mr David Gale as relieving Deputy Boarding and Mr Charlie
Colclough (pronounced coke lee) is the relieving Head Teacher
Welfare for the senior school.
The Minister for Education, Mr Adrian Piccoli visited the
school earlier in the term to announce funding for a range of
projects at the school. Mr Piccolo hails from the Riverina area
and during his visit he was pleased to catch-up with his former
rugby buddy, Mr Comi. An epic, nostalgic journey down
memory lane ensued leading to the Member for Tamworth, Mr
Anderson, having to interrupt so that Mr Piccoli could catch his
return flight.
Old Boy and former federal parliament member, Mr Tony
Windsor was the occasional speaker at the school’s prefect
induction. Mr Windsor captivated the audience with his heart
felt stories of his pride in his school days and his admiration
for the quality of the students when they leave. Captain Greg
Prowse thanked Mr Windsor for his kind words and then
led the prefects and seniors as they were inducted into their
leadership roles.
Speaking of great assemblies, Tye Barry, Matt Thompson, Isaac
Laird and Corey Manicaros have paraded down a catwalk and
showed off the summer and winter range of Farrer uniforms.
The guys looked splendid and drew oohs and aahs from the
Thursday assembly crowd. The parade was an initiative to
promote the school’s values of respect, excellence and fairness.
On the subject of assemblies, the school conducted a Harmony
Day and a Bullying Day assembly to raise awareness of the
need for positive behaviour. The students viewed an audiovisual presentation and then students were randomly selected
to interview each other and share interesting facts about each
other. Thanks to Mr Colclough and Mr Comi for arranging the
activities.
Year 7 enjoyed a three day orientation camp at Lake Keepit
prior to their first leave weekend. A full summary of the camp
has been on the Farrer website including some pictures of
the boys at play and work. The website is undergoing some
construction work at present and when finished the Year 7
camp summary will again be accessible through the Year 7 link.
Log on to the Farrer website and view the homepage to catch up
with what is happening. Current items include the Tamworth
Show, the Chess Tournament, the Science and Engineering
Challenge and some recent excursions.
2015 is a significant year for historians as
it is the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli
landings. A small contingent of staff, parents
and students will be making the trip to ANZAC Beach, Turkey,
Belgium and France this year at the end of term 2. Mr Barbara
will be leading the group on what will be his fourth trip to the
Dardanelles.
The students have been practising their marching skills in
preparation for this year’s ANZAC Day march in Tamworth.
Points are allocated to each house and Oxley continues to be the
best turned out house each week. Well done to their seniors for
setting such a good example to the junior years.
Students on gold level were given the opportunity to go on
a trip to Newcastle in week 9. Mr Baker and Mr Colclough
arranged a beach, ocean, dining and sporting trip as a thankyou
to the students on the highest level of our school level system.
The trip included deep sea fishing and an afternoon at Hunter
Stadium supporting the Knights or the Panthers.
Sam Naismith and Jake Lloyd from the Sydney Swans visited
the school to conduct a community coaching clinic for 60 boys
from Farrer and the NIAS Development squad. AFL has been
played at the school for a number of years under the guidance
of former players, Mr Arranz and Mr Maloy.
Former Farrer parent, Brett Nies, is the acting president of the
Tamworth Show Society after being on the show committee
for 30 years. Mr Nies was delighted with the number of young
people involved in the cattle, sheep, pig and fleece junior
judging at the recent show. In fact, the schools had to do a ‘cull’
to get the number of eager entrants down from 800 to 500, to
make it more manageable. It was great to see Farrer students
involved in the various competitions. It was also great to see
Farrer part time agriculture teacher, Mrs Niaomi Evans, along
with her husband, win the first place ribbon in the ‘two cows
competition’.
Ten years can go quickly was the cry when 2005 school captain
Martin Lewis visited the school recently. Martin was visiting
his nephew Nicholas at Farrer and catching up with his
former teachers. Martin had a few seasons of rugby league at
Parramatta before pursuing a business career. Fellow Old Boy,
2010 Australian RL representative, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs has
joined the Melbourne Storm and recently played first grade.
Old Boy Martin Lewis was most impressed to hear that his
former house, Macarthur, had won the swimming carnival.
Martin wasn’t a champion swimmer but he remembered that
winning the carnival was all about having a go which he always
did.
The school has conducted a number of fire drills at the
beginning of the year and it was a surprise to hear the
evacuation bells ring a few weeks later during prep. Dutifully
the students and staff assembled in the emergency area and
names were checked. What was more difficult to identify
was the cause of the alarm. It took some time to realise that a
football had rolled onto one of the alarm switches in the duty
office.
Adam Cruickshank has scored an amazing 76 runs off
22 balls to help Farrer defeat McCarthy in the final of
the open cricket Ron George Cup. Farrer scored 7-165
and McCarthy scored 4-146 in reply. The competition
uses some modified rules which enable a batsman to
score ten runs for a second 6 in an over and all scoring
shots on the last ball are doubled. Adam scored 2, 6,
10, 10 and 20 off five balls and racked up 48 runs off a
single over. Wow!!!
The, seven week, Year 7 cricket competition has
concluded and it is time to thank the coaches. Well
done to our parent coaches, Messrs Pitt, Rodgers,
Heeney, Haling and Pennell as well as teachers Mr
Dunston and Mr Blanch.
Winter sports have arrived and basketball, volleyball,
rugby league, football, rugby union and Oz-tag
trials have commenced. The Rev got word that in
open sports the First XV have been having a 10s
competition, the First XIII have played a trial against
Wauchope and defeated Tamworth High in the
University Shield. The basketball team had a good win
against Inverell and the volleyballers won the regional
trial competition. Well done to all the players and
coaches and all the best for a good season. The Arinya
Zone and North West trials are also being conducted
and Farrer students have performed well at each trial.
Until next time ...
SCOTT
STEWART
EARTHMOVING
PTY LTD
MOREE
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Please contact Scott on 0429 663014
Fax: 6760 4242
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Moree NSW 2400
KARL ADAMS
RTA Accredited
Driver Instructor and Assessor
Cars to B Doubles
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Phone:
02 6762 3336
Mobile:
0438 623 333
Fax:
02 6762 3338
Please contact Karl
to arrange pick up point