Mitchell High School

Mitchell High School
Delivering excellence, innovative and unique learning opportunities for student success
School Newsletter
August 2013
The Mitchell High School P&C Association meets on the second Wednesday evening each month at 7.00 pm in the Mitchell High
School Common Room. All parents and friends are welcome to attend.
Mitchell High School
Principal’s Report – Mrs T Baghurst
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Principal
Mrs T Baghurst
Deputy Principal
Mrs Pares (Relieving)
(Relieving)
Deputy Principal
Ms E Marinis
P&C President
Mrs C McMillan
Address
Keyworth Drive Blacktown 2148
Telephone
9622 9944 / 9622 8926
Fax
9831 2805
Email
mitchell-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Website
www.mitchell-h.schools.nsw.edu.au
SMS Absences
0427 463 129
Dates to Remember in August/Sept
_______________________________________________
Trial HSC
5 – 16 August
HSC Commences 14 October 2013
P&C Meeting
Wednesday 14 August, 7.00pm
Staff Common Room
Year 7 2014 Self Select Information Evening
Tuesday 20 August, 5.00pm to 6.00pm
School Hall
P&C Meeting
Wednesday 11 September, 7.00pm
Staff Common Room
Prefect Induction Ceremony
Wednesday 4 September, 11.45am
School Hall
Year 11 Yearly Exams
9 – 18 September
Year 12 Graduation Assembly
Thursday 19 September
Last Day of Term 3, 2013
Friday 20 September
March 2013 Newsletter
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Past students share their wisdom at a Recognition
Formal Assembly during Term 3 Week 1
Years 10, 11 and 12 and our Self Select classes were given an
opportunity to hear directly from six of our high achieving past
students. A Question and Answer forum was set up involving six
young adults who answered questions about their choice of study,
their choice of university , course direction and subsequent changes
and their aspirations for the future. The questions came from the
students and staff and this light hearted but informative session of our
assembly was appreciated by both staff and students.
Mitchell High has many highly successful ex- students who have
followed a wide range of career choices. Some have involved
tertiary studies, others have been highly successful in TAFE or
apprenticeships or have followed other pathways in the fine,
dramatic and / or performing arts.
I would like to thank Eunice Estaris, Nandan Subramaniam and Taylor
Tracey who are studying courses at the University of NSW and Shiva
Chandra who is studying at Sydney University and Lazarela Cecez
who is studying at Macquarie University and Irene Nocillado who is
studying at the University of Notre Dame.
All of the students spoke positively about their time at Mitchell High
School and thanked the staff who inspired and led them in their
studies. They spoke about the positive aspects of studying year 11
and 12 at the same school and spoke about the support and
guidance that enabled them to develop as individuals and follow
their dreams.
The students helped others celebrate their success by awarding our
gold and platinum award recipients. It was uplifting to see our
successful young leaders recognising the achievements of current
young leaders. I would like to again congratulate all of the award
recipients and thank their parents some of which were able to join us
in the celebrations.
Page 1
A morning tea was enjoyed by those receiving the awards,
their parents and family, our past students and
representatives from the Mitchell High School staff.
I would like to thank our organising staff and students from
CAPA who provided an excellent showcase of their
talented students in Dance and Music as well as our senior
executive team who assisted in the forum, our Mooting
team lead by Mrs. Andrea Edwards in Social Science, our
Library staff Mrs. Judy Bunt and Mrs. Melissa Smallwood for
assisting in the organisation of morning tea, our rewards
and recognition committee in particular Mrs. Penny De
Giovanni and our Media Committee who organised the
event particularly Mrs. Carmel Lindsay for all of her hard
work in coordinating the past students, awards and the
program.
School Start Time
School starts at 8.45am. There is minimal supervision prior to
8.30 in the morning and students must remain in the area
outside of the Deputy Principal’s office. Year 12 students
have a flexible timetable and must be at school throughout
the school day and during study periods unless given
special exemption by the Senior Executive.
Mrs. Tanya Baghurst
Relieving Principal
Deputy Principal’s Report
Pride Card and School Service Recipients
Congratulations to all students who were successful with
their P.R.I.D.E card applications, these cards are give the
holders huge discounts at local retailers. This year :
BCF (Mega Centre Blacktown)
Bing Lee (Mega Centre Blacktown)
Cake it Away (Blacktown)
Daylight Sportswear (MHS Uniform Shop)
Featherdale Wildlife Park (Doonside)
Frickers Shoes (Blacktown)
Gametraders (Westpoint Blacktown)
Gloria Jean’s (Westpoint Blacktown)
JB HiFi (Westpoint Blacktown)
Just Cuts (Westpoint Blacktown)
Mc Donalds (Mega Centre Blacktown)
Mitchell High School Canteen
Robbos Spare Parts (Mega Centre Blacktown)
Service awards
A large number of certificates are to be awarded to
students who have involved themselves in a huge variety of
activities at Mitchell High School. Well done to all involved.
Our pride card and service awards morning will
commence at 9.30 on Thursday 29th August all in the hall,
morning tea will be served at the back of the Library at the
conclusion of the ceremony. Parents and Carers of awards
recipients were sent invitations on the 5 th August, 2013.
e-Mail Addresses.
A big thank you to all of those families that have provided
their e-mail details to the school so that we can provide
information about the school to you electronically. At this
stage we are sending a message to all parents that have
provided their e-mail to 1. Test the system and 2. Gain
permission to send information electronically. (please send
your reply back ASAP, if you have already replied this
newsletter may already be the electronic version).
It is hoped that in the future once we have set up systems
and procedures correctly that hardcopies of future
newsletters will be provided only to those students and
families who do not have or use e-mail communication.
If you change your e-mail address in the future please
advise the administrative staff of such changes either
electronically or in writing.
Self Select
Self Select applications for 2014 will be available from the
front office from Wednesday and must be completed and
returned to the front office by the 10th September 2013.
Self Select Class Policy
Rationale
Mitchell High School recognises, and caters for the needs
of all students who desire to make a commitment to, and
assume responsibility for, their own learning in order to
achieve their best educational outcomes.
One way that students can do this is by nominating
themselves members of Mitchell High School’s Self Select
class.
Criteria
Self Select students are distinguished by, and accepted
into, Mitchell High School’s Self Select classes on the basis
of their:
Positive Attitude
Good Behaviour
Excellent Class Work
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use
to change the world.” ― Nelson Mandela
Elena Marinis
Deputy Principal
Sate Wide Jewelers (Westpoint Blacktown)
Workout World (Mega Centre Blacktown)
March 2013 Newsletter
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Page 2
Deputy Principal’s Report
Inter Schools Culinary Challenge Winner
Uniform
Staff taught a lesson in the first week of term about the
benefits and importance of wearing proper and full school
uniform. It has been very pleasing to see more students
complying with the school uniform policy as well as
following the procedures when they do not have full
uniform on. The process is simple and parents are
encouraged to continue to encourage your child to set the
high standard of uniform at our school. If they are unable to
wear an item for some reason then please follow the policy
and send a note to be signed by the Head Teacher of the
roll call block or a Deputy Principal.
The third heat of the Community First Credit Union Inter
Schools Culinary Challenge was held on 9th August, 2013
at TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute The Hills College,
Baulkham Hills Campus to highlight careers in Commercial
Cookery and to showcase the culinary skills of students
studying hospitality at high school.
Assembly
Students have also been encouraged to improve their level
of engagement and participation with our regular weekly
school assemblies. It was fantastic to stand out the front
and talk to the students last week with total compliance. It
made me very proud to be a staff member of Mitchell High
School.
On the day Hospitality students represented five (5) local
high schools. They were required to prepare and present
Pan fried Lamb Rump with ratatouille, black olive tapenade
and basil oil as demonstrated by local leading Chef Chris
Starke from Youeni Foodstore. The key focus of this event
was on "technical skill" and the ability to present a dish as
shown on the day for the panel of industry judges.
Outstanding performances on the day resulted in Kyara
Sloan, Year 11 being announced overall winner and
achieving first place.
Congratulations Kyara.
Trials and N-Awards
We continue to keep Year 12 in our thoughts this week as
they continue their very important final preparation exams
(Trials). Good preparation and lots of study combined with
good nutrition, sleep and exercise are all key features to
doing well.
Year 9, 10, 11 and 12 are all encouraged to continue to get
their N-Awards cleared if they still have them. Failure to do
them could mean repeating a year or not being able to
continue with some subjects into the next year. Please
make every effort to finish these up – the school provides
much support to students through the Learning Centre,
working with Mr. Bywater and during sport time in the library
on a Tuesday afternoon. There really is no excuse for these
not to be completed.
ABCN High School Scholarships Worth $7000 Now Open!
All Year 10 students are eligible to apply for 12 new
Australian Business and Community Network Scholarships
worth $7,000 by completing the application form, writing
the essay and submitting the application initially to their
school principal. Endorsement of the application by the
School Principal is mandatory for student eligibility.
Applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent
residents.
Any interested Year 10 student needs to see Mrs. Pares for
more details.
Mrs. Pares
Relieving Deputy Principal
We have registered in this
year’s “Support your School –
Fundraising
with
Karl”
program offered by The
Good Guys, Prospect, as
part of their Local Businesses
Partnering for our Local
Community initiative. The program gives our school the
opportunity to earn Reward Vouchers through purchases
made by members of the school community (such as
students, parents, extended family and friends, teachers
and support staff).
HOW DOES IT WORK? Every time a member of the school
community makes a purchase of $35 or more at The Good
Guys Prospect, they will earn rewards for our school. Each
$35 spent will earn a $1 Reward Voucher.
All you need to do is mention that you would like Mitchell
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Page 3
High School to receive the reward points for your purchase
at the time of payment for your goods. Please note that
only schools/groups registered for this program are eligible
for the reward benefits. At the end of each month the
school will receive the reward vouchers earned and are
then able to use these for future purchases to benefit the
School. Participation in this program is at no cost to you or
the school.
A HUGE THANKYOU to the following people for mentioning
“Mitchell High School” when making a purchase from “The
Good Guys” at Prospect already this year :
Suzie Viola, Shaama Khoury, Sophie Prins, Patrick Mahony,
Josie Campbell, Barbara Hume, Brad Plain, Vanessa
Hutchinson ,Tony Hasna, Stephen Simone, Bruce Davidson
and Kathie Smith.
Together you have raised $685 in Reward Vouchers to date.
We hope that if you do make a purchase from The Good
Guys Prospect you will join in this fund raising venture to
benefit the school – even if only in a small way.
If you have any queries or any staff member has a request
for resources, please do not hesitate to contact the Coordinator of this programme, Denise Armstrong, School
Administrative Officer (Science).





A Science Encouragement Award Certificate to add to
their Portfolio
A REAL Certificate
5 points will go towards their House
A McDonald’s Food Voucher
As well as their names being announced at assembly
and published in the Electronic School Newsletter.
The Recipients of the Science Encouragement Award for
Term 2 2013 are:
Year
7
Student
Teacher
Name
House
Jacki
VH/SM
K
PASKE
Logan
VMS
C
P
BAWAN
Bawen
RP
M
O
CONSTANTINE
Blake
MDu
M
S
ZHANG
Rose
MDa
K
Y
MIJIC
Alana
SD
C
G
SABA
Simon
MDa
C
Teacher
Name
House
VH/SM
C
Class
Surname
First Name
R
ZHOU
B
Year
8
Labscene @MHS
2013 HSC Science Exam Dates:





18/10/2013 Earth and Environmental Science
9.25am - 12.30pm.
23/10/2013 Senior Science: 1.55pm - 5.00pm.
30/10/2013 Chemistry: 9.25am – 12.30pm.
1/11/2013 Physics: 9.25am – 12.30pm.
4/11/2013 Biology: 9.25am – 12.30pm.
Science Encouragement Award 2013 – Term 2
For the second time this year at MHS the Science Faculty
will be presenting Science students with an award called
the “Science Encouragement Award”.



One student from every Science Class in Yr 7- 10 is
nominated for this award once a Term by their Science
Teacher.
To become a recipient of this award – the student must
be a REAL learner in the classroom, show interest in the
subject, has made a consistent effort with their learning,
shown improvement and is willing to get involved in all
activities.
The winner of such an award will receive:
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Student
Class
Surname
First Name
A
NGUYEN
Tatiana
B
Wu
Kang
MDu
K
C
SHONG
Brandon
VMS
K
D
SAEED
Awatie
RP
K
E
OLSEN
Nathan
MDa
C
F
MOES
Teigan
SD
C
G
CORNISH
Emily
AW
M
H
THOMAS
Annabel
DS
K
Teacher
Name
House
VH/SM
M
Year
9
Class
Student
Surname
First Name
A
BOYD
Kayla
B
ASHBYBRIGANDI
Jordan
VMS
M
C
KONNEH
Sombo
DS
B
D
BOOTH
Renee
VH/SM
M
E
CRAMPTON
Lara
MDu
M
F
HIGGINS
Liam
MDa
B
G
IVANIC
Emma
AW
B
Page 4
Year
10
Vouchers to the Science Faculty at MHS. I would also like to
thank Ms Walker for coordinating the McDonald’s Food
Voucher to help support the Science Faculty’s cause.
Student
Class
Surname
First Name
Teacher
Name
House
A
DOSTOVALOV
Michelle
SD
M
B
WU
Jenny
RP
K
C
PAP
Joshua
MDa
C
D
WHIPPLE
Ethan
DS
K
E
MARFO
Prince
AW
C
F
BIASON
Shiena
VH
M
The Science Teachers are now looking for new recipients
for Term 3 – so keep on trying and good luck.
Yr 7-12 Science Assessment for Term 3 2013
Year 7: Week 7 – Classy Features Task 25%
Year 8: Week 6 – Student Research Task 25%
Year 9: Week 6 – Acids and Bases Practical Exam 20%
Year 10: Week 8 - Mystery Solutions Practical Task 20%
Year 11:



Just to add a little more excitement to this award – Mr
Harper has selected one recipient from each year group
by placing all the Term 2 recipients into a hat and drawing
a winner to receive a Hoyts Movie Ticket.


Biology – Week 7 Field Work Report 20% + Week 9 and
10 Yearly Exam 40%
Chemistry – Week 1 Research, Week 6 Practical Task
20% + Week 9 and 10 Yearly Exam 40%
Earth and Environmental Science – Week 9 and 10
Yearly Exam 40%
Physics – Week 8 Research Task 25% + Week 9 and 10
Yearly Exam 40%
Senior Science – Week 4 Field Trips 20% + Week 9 and
10 Yearly Exam 40%
The Recipients for the Movie Ticket are:
Year 7
Class
O
Student
Surname
First Name
CONSTANTINE
Blake
Year 12:



Year 8
Student
Class
Surname
First Name
A
NGUYEN
Tatiana
Year 9
Class
G
Student
Surname
First Name
IVANIC
Emma
Year 10
Class
E
Student
Surname
First Name
MARFO
Prince


Biology – Week 4 and 5 Trial Exam 35%
Chemistry – Week 1 Practical Task 30% + Week 4 and 5
Trial Exam 40%
Earth and Environmental Science – Week 4 and 5 Trial
Exam 40%
Physics – Week 4 and 5 Trial Exam 40%
Senior Science – Week 4 and 5 Trial Exam 35%
To all Science students doing Assessment Tasks this term –
feel free to consult with your Science Teacher for further
support, if required, to assist you with achieving the best
possible mark.
Good luck from the Science Faculty.
Quote for the term:
“If you listen to your fears, you will die never knowing what
a great person you might have been” Robert H. Schuller
(16/9/1926).
Congratulations to all recipients - from the Science Faculty.
Mr S Debrincat
Head Teacher Science
I would like to take this opportunity
to thank the Managers of the
McDonalds store at St Martins
Village East Blacktown for kindly
donating the McDonald Food
Senior Science Excursion
During August students from the Year ll Senior Science class
went to Bicentennial Park to participate in fieldwork
activities run by the Sydney Olympic Park Education
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Page 5
Centre. The students were able to practise what they had
been learning in the classroom and carried out the tests
enthusiastically. They completed a transect of the wetlands
and tested the abiotic features of the environment.
Furthermore they were able to observe the distribution and
abundance of species and how the organisms within the
wetlands interact. The students represented the school with
pride and were respectful to all who they encountered.
Science Competition
Last term 115 students from Mitchell High School
participated
in
the
ICAS
Science
Competition.
Congratulations to all those who took part, the competition
ran smoothly. Among the students was 1 Distinction, 14
Credits and 100 Participation certificates awarded.
I would also like to
thank
the
many
students, particularly
Tyla
Rata,
Gillian
Jansz, Mariah Jamall
and Daniel Mayor who
have
contributed
either as speakers or in
an
organisational
capacity.
Mr Thornton
Debating Co-ordinator
Distinction
Year 8
George Dalianas
Credit
Year 7
Amy Hardie
Zhihuan Luo
Year 8
Harsimran Saini
Gavin Bloomfield
Liam Dean
Jason McKenzie
Tatiana Nguyen
Year 9
Renee Booth
Denise Clemente
Jamison Ghinis
Matthew Taylor
Dylan Wang
Year 10
Sneha Bhamra
Yunfei Zhao
Congratulations to all students involved.
Miss A. Walker
Debating
I would like to congratulate Alannah Miceli, Stefan Gutic,
Xie Wu and Sneha Bhamra for having won their Inter-Zone
debate, in convincing fashion, against Greystanes High.
They now progress through to the Quarter Final of the
Regional knockouts. The team has made considerable
progress since the beginning of this year's competition and
are demonstrating increasing confidence as individual
speakers as well as a pleasing ability to organise and
deliver a convincing argument. It is a number of years now
since Mitchell has reached this stage of the competition
and we wish them well for the next round.
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Sport Report
CHS Cross Country
Congratulations to Sinead Davidson (Yr 7) and Ryan
Fitzpatrick (Yr 12) who represented Sydney West at the CHS
Cross Country championships on Friday 19th July 2013.
Sydney West Athletics
Congratulations to the following students who
represented at the Sydney West Athletics
Championships held on the 25th and 26th of July
at Blacktown International Sportspark.
Guistino Annechini, Jordan Ashby, Eden
Carter, Mariah Correia, Sinead Davidson, Aisling
Davidson, Bridget Farkas, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mohammed
Halawi, Nathan Hamilton, Aaron Hulley, Nihal Khurshid,
Michael Komolafe, Adolph Koudakpo, Denis Ocharya,
Celina Tran
2013 Gold Coast Netball Carnival
Congratulations
to
the
following
students: Caitlin Buckley-Rich, Rianna
Clarke, Shannen Chovanec, Chloe
Graham, Rachael Daniels, Kaitlyn Hulley,
Divya Lal, Kaitlyn Leverton Jayla Moy,
Melanie Philpott, Brielle Simpson who
represented Mitchell High School at the 2013 Canterbury
Gold Coast Netball Carnival. The students enjoyed playing
games of Netball against teams from SA, WA, NT, Qld, Tas
and NZ as well as visiting the theme parks. Expression of
interest notes for the 2014 trip have been issued to students.
Silver Duke of Ed
Congratulations to the following students who have
completed their Silver qualification. To qualify students had
to complete six months of physical activity, volunteering
and learning a new skill. The Students completed the Six
foot track as their qualifying hike.
Page 6
Caitlin Buckley-Rich, Eden Carter, Dusana Cecez, Ashleigh
Kok, Amy Mcmillan, Tori Robinson, Brielle Simpson and
Amanda Wade.
We have already sewn together 3 blankets and are well on
the way to completing quite a few more.
Many thanks to those who donated wool and needles.
Term 4 Sport Selection Notes
The sport selection notes for Term 4 have been issued to
students. Notes are to be returned to the Sports box outside
the PE staffroom by Friday 23rd August 2013. Students who
do not put a sport selection in will have their sport chosen
for them by Mrs Maguire. Once sport selections have been
determined there will be a grace period of a week for
changes to be made. Once sports have been finalised
there will be no changes allowed.
Sport Uniform on Tuesdays
Could you please ensure that your child has their sport
uniform ready for Tuesday. If the uniform is misplaced, lost
or in the wash they will still be allowed to participate if they
bring a note and alternate sports gear. Students will be
allowed to participate if they have running shoes but will be
issued with a uniform note for the incorrect uniform.
Students who do not bring their full PE uniform will be sent to
Sport detention for the afternoon.
Tuesday Early Leavers and Sickness
Students who require an early leaver’s pass on Tuesday are
to bring a note with a parent/caregiver contactable
phone number on it. Students bring this note to the print
room at Recess. The Parent/Care giver will be contacted
by Mrs Maguire to verify the reasons for the early leavers
identified in the note.
Students who are sick or injured are to bring a note to be
signed by Mrs Maguire in the PE staffroom by the end of
Recess. These students will then go to the Library during
sport time.
Mrs. Maguire
Sports Co-ordinator
C.A.P.A. Night
The Creative Arts Department are organising a
showcase for the Dance, Drama and Music
students as well as the schools Dance Ensembles.
It will showcase the works they have developed
this year and will express their talent in these
subject areas. Please come along and support our
students.
The evening is Thursday the 22nd of August.
7pm in the school hall and will finish at approx
8.30pm.
Tickets will be sold at the front office for $5 each.
Students will need to collect the tickets from the
CAPA department.
Wrap with Love Knit-In at Mitchell
2rd
On Friday
August a group of over 30 students
participated in our 7th annual Knit-In in the library to
coincide with similar events being held in venues all over
Australia for Wrap with Love.
No tickets will be sold at the door
on the evening.
Students had an opportunity to
interact with members of the
community who came to
morning tea and helped us
with our knitting or crocheting
squares.
These squares will be sewn into
blankets and eventually be
distributed by Wrap with Love to communities in Australia
and around the world, to people suffering from the cold.
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Page 7
Heritage Day
Photos from Heritage day Friday 26 July, 2013.
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Page 8
The Maths Report
Free Graduated Licensing Scheme Workshops
for Learner Driver Parents in the Blacktown
City area
Young drivers are three times more likely to be
involved in casualty crashes. That's why the
Roads and Maritime Services has introduced a
new licensing scheme, with more supervised
driving practice for learner drivers.
To help parents in supervising learner drivers,
the Roads and Maritime Services has set up a
FREE 2 hour workshop for parents that offers
practical advice on how to help learner drivers
become safer drivers.
A FREE parents' workshop will be conducted by
David Riches and hosted by Blacktown City
Council on Monday September 9th at Blacktown
City Council Offices from 6.00 pm – 8.00 pm.
Early bookings are essential, by phoning David
on 0434 964764 now to reserve your place, or
email parentworkshop@optusnet.com.au
Australian Mathematics Competition
Congratulations to the 122 students from years 7-10 who
participated in the Australian Mathematics Competition on
st
Thursday 1
August. It is a prestigious competition that
attracts competitors from around the world to demonstrate
their ability to solve higher order problems. All the
participants will be receiving a certificate of participation
later this year.
Calculators
Casio scientific calculators are available for purchase from
the school. The price is $24. Students from Years 8 now
require calculators to complete their class work
successfully.
Year 12 General Mathematics tutoring
Free tutoring for year 12 students in General mathematics
will resume in the library on Thursday afternoons between
3:15 and 4:15 in week 6, after the trials. Students are
encouraged to attend and take advantage of these
sessions by completing their homework sheets, doing past
years papers or learning new techniques of revising and
completing HSC examinations.
Examination Date Reminders
Years 9 & 10: Term 3 Test in Week 8
Year 11 : Yearly Exam in Weeks 9&10
Olympiad Dates
Mock Trial Team 2013
Olympiad 4 : 21st August
Olympiad 5 :
This year the Mock Trial Team faced some tough
competition, competing against a mixture of public,
private and selective schools from across Western Sydney.
Although the team did not progress into the elimination
round this year, they consistently received praise from the
solicitors who acted as magistrates for the trials. The team
gave up countless lunchtimes and afternoons to prepare.
Their dedication and teamwork were admirable.
Congratulations to the 2013 team:
Sneha Bhamra, Stefan Gutic, Aimee McGowan, Amanda
Wade, Jayne Salvo, Jenny Wu, Alannah Miceli, Tionne
Stark, Kirsty Vanderweide, Fariha Habib, Tyla Rata
Thank you to Mrs Edwards and Ms Frenzel for their support
and assistance in preparing and transporting the team.
11th September
Luna Park Excursion for Year 9
Luna Park maths excursion is scheduled for 6th December,
week 9 in term 4. All the Year 9 students are encouraged to
start saving money so that they can participate in all maths
activities involved with the rides at Luna Park. Students will
be receiving the information on the costs, travel and
permission notes of the excursion later this term from their
Maths Teachers.
Vivo News
With the introduction the Vivo Reward System this term,
Maths Department is pleased to add a limited number of
calculators and Luna Park Excursion vouchers (includes
travel and entry fee) to the Vivo Shop soon. Students need
to complete homework sheets, class work and follow all the
classroom rules during maths lessons to earn Vivos to buy
these items.
Mrs Morris,
Social Science
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Page 9
Problem Solving
1.
ABCD is a square with diagonal of 8 cm long.
Calculate the area of the square.
2.
2,3,5,7,11... are examples of
prime numbers.
Suppose the length and width of a rectangle are
prime numbers and the perimeter is 36 cm. Find
the largest area of that rectangle.
3.
A kangaroo chases a rabbit which starts 40m
ahead of the kangaroo. For every 4m jump of the
kangaroo, the rabbit makes a 2.4m hop. How
many jumps will the kangaroo have to make to
catch up to the rabbit?
(Check your answers with Mr Ranjit or in the
September Maths Report)
Vaccinations
The third phase of the school’s Vaccination Program will be
on the 14th October (Week 2, Term 4). This is for students
that have commenced the program and returned
vaccination forms. Catch up vaccinations will also be
administered on the day. Boys in Year 9 will receive their
third HPV vaccination. Girls and boys in Year 7 will receive
their third HPV, second Hep B and Chickenpox
vaccinations.
Ms Cate
Superviser of Girls
English News
ICAS English Competition
76 students sat the ICAS English Competition on the 31 st
July. The competition assesses student knowledge and
understanding of English related skills such as interpretation.
These students will receive an individual report and a
certificate acknowledging their participation.
Claymation Workshop
A selection of students from Years 8 and 9 had the
opportunity to participate in a Claymation Workshop.
Students had to use their imagination to create a story that
would be transformed from ideas on paper into clay figures
and props to make a one minute short film using digital
technology. The students added sound, music and
dialogue to their films and used editing techniques to refine
their works. The day ended with a showing of all the
fantastic film creations and each student was presented
with a copy of their film.
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Academic Challenges
Science & Engineering Challenge
Twentyfour Year 9 and 10 students travelled to UWS
Kingswood to compete against eight other schools in a
series of challenges which combined Science and
Engineering skills. They worked in teams of three and were
highly successful, winning or coming second in several
challenges. The school was complimented on the very
respectful and co-operative attitude of all the students.
I would like to add my praise to the group with whom I was
very proud to be associated. The students are: Matthew
Taylor, Rebekah Moore, Kimberley Simone, Jordan Cabot,
Victoria Maltese, Ayechan Khin, Sneha Bhamra, Kirsty
Vanderweide, Georgina Kidwell, Annette Creighton, Tayla
Moes, Denise Clemente, Zerene Catacutan, Jasmin Li,
Mariah Jammal, Fariha Habib, Jessica Oo, Marie Sadek,
Aaron D’Hary, Alex Cousins, Jeremy Libunao, Eden Carter,
Amy McMillan and Prachi Patel.
Mrs Mahony
Aurecon Bridge Building Competition
Year 9 students, Jasmin Li and Zerene Catacutan, spent
many hours building a bridge from a limited supply of balsa
wood in order to compete in the Bridge Building
Competition at the Art Gallery of NSW. Both girls now have
a greater appreciation for the design process and the
difficulties of building a weight bearing structure. Their final
product was an impressive bridge designed around the
principles of the strength of triangular shapes. Jasmin and
Zerene are to be commended on their dedication to this
task and congratulated on their final product. I would also
like to thank Miss Bell for accompanying the girls to the Art
Gallery.
Mrs Mahony
Chinese Visit
This week has been very busy at Mitchell with the arrival of
40 students from Shangrao No.4 Middle School, China on
Tuesday. The students from both schools were very excited
as they met their buddies and went home for their first night
as guests of our students. The students worked together on
Wednesday at school in a variety of activities including
cooking, dot painting, theatre sports, boomerang throwing
and Maths and English lessons. The students also had the
opportunity to hear Daniel Dellow from Year 8 play the
didgeridoo. Communication was not a problem and all the
students enjoyed themselves with lots of fun and laughter
the order of the day. Both our Mitchell students and our
Chinese guests will have many memories for years to come
from these few days.
Page 10
I would like to thank those families who have opened their
homes to our guests – we really appreciate your generosity.
I would also like to thank the staff and students who have
assisted me throughout the week – an event like this would
not be possible without you!
Mrs Mahony
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Page 11
TAS Faculty Update
Staffing – Mrs. Depalo is currently relieving Head Teacher,
TAS whilst Mrs. Pares is Relieving Deputy Principal. Any
concerns or problems can be directed to her. Mrs. Tyson is
replacing the classroom teacher load of both Mrs. Pares
and Mrs. Depalo. Ms. John has replaced Mr. Connelly in
some of the TAS classes as he has moved into the Socia l
Sciences faculty.
9/10 Engineering
The Mitchell H.S Bi-annual CO2 Car race was help On Friday
31st May in the School hall between Mr Shupe and Mr
Ellwood's year 9/10 Engineering classes. With a variety of
shapes and designs of cars the races were well matched.
At the end of the races 5 car remained in the hunt, 3 from
Mr Shupe's class and 2 from Mr Ellwoods. The vast majority
of participants enjoyed the races and reveled in the
disappointment of some when disaster struck. With all the
car's running the 150 metre course in under 2 seconds
speeds were in excess of 250
Km per hour.
Mr. Ellwood
to and learn about life skills. It’s also a time to get out, have
fun and interact with others. I got the chance to play
around with them and visit their classrooms. They really
inspired me by how happy and joyful they are, and to see
them smile, just brightened up my day. Also the teachers
there are amazing with the work they do as they are so
patient, loving and friendly.
Johanna - Our class went to Kurrumbee School on Thursday
to interact with the children with disabilities. We were
introduced to many of the children and teachers at the
school and got to spend time with some of the kids in the
playground and in the classroom. It was interesting how
some aspects of the school were different and some
aspects were similar to mainstream schools.
Bianca - It was fantastic getting shown around the school,
then we got to interact with the children, got to know them
a bit and understand that they are people who need
regular leisure time – not just constant care. Then we went
into the classroom and got to spend more time with
different children to the ones at break time. We saw them
eat and even one child being tube fed, then some leisure
time.
Amanda - Visiting Kurrumbee SSP school was an amazing
experience for me. Wanting to be a disability worker, this
experience helped me develop knowledge of what to
expect during my future career. Meeting all the children
and watching them play and learn made me realise how
much they enjoy themselves. Seeing them in class and
watching their different learning techniques was very
interesting and being with the children and helping them
with their work was an amazing experience.
Sharon - Today we went on an excursion to Kurrumbee SSP
School at Werrington. Going to Kurrumbee and learning all
the stuff that the teachers have to do to help the children
around and learning how the children work was amazing.
Seeing all the different stuff they play with in the
playground and in the classroom was great. It was really
good going to Kurrumbee and seeing and learning how
things work at the school.
12 Exploring Early Childhood excursion to Kurrumbee SSP –
Werrington
Subject Contributions
It is really important that parents try to have all their subject
contributions paid by the end of this term as it is this money
that we as a faculty use to purchase goods such as food,
textiles, wood and metal for the students to use in the
classroom. It is especially important for Year 12 to finalise
these payments before they finish up at the end of this
term.
The following are some of the experiences that the students
had whilst on this excursion:
Naomi – Going to Kurrumbee SSP school was a real eye
opener for me and I loved the fact that I got to experience
going there. It’s such a lovely environment for the kids to go
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Page 12
IS HERE!!!
Designed by schools for schools, Vivo Miles is an award winning web-based rewards system. Vivo is proven to
improve student engagement, raise attendance, improve grades and help achieve school values.
At the beginning of Term 3 we introduced a new reward system for the students in Years 7 – 11 called VIVO. All
students have now been given a log in and their VIVO card to keep on them. Students need to log on to the following
website if they have not done so and change their password to something they can remember –
www.vivomiles.com.au
Teachers now reward students online for the various things they do that they would normally have been given
REALies and REAL awards for. Students can log on to their account and see how many points they have and also
what they have been rewarded for. After they have accumulated enough points students are able to use their
account and points to purchase items from the VIVO shop which includes some school based prizes. There is never
any cost to the students just their VIVO points!
One of the benefits of this new system is that parents can become involved and use it as part of their own reward
system for your students. Look out shortly for more information on how to get involved. The following information is
from the website and explains a little about parental involvement.
STATISTICS
So far this term we have had 43,578 vivos given out with 11,645 of those in the last week. We ared able to track the
students by years, roll call and houses to see how many are being given. Three weeks into the program we have the
following league table by years and Houses:
Year 7
10 097
HOUSE
POINTS
Year 8
10 751
Brigalow
10 216
Year 9
9 711
Cooramyn
11 730
Year 10
6 635
Kareela
10 024
Year 11
6 352
Mirrabooka
11 576
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Page 13
For Parents
The Vivo Parental Engagement Platform has been designed to positively "engage and inform"
parents. With your own personal Vivo account you can view information relating to your
child’s rewards. Everything is presented in a way that is clear and easy to understand and
delivered in a format you choose. With the option to receive updates by email, information
can be pushed to you in real time or on a periodic basis, and you can access your account
wherever you have access to an internet enabled PC.
https://www.vivomiles.com.au/for.parents.php
Parents have access to:

Monitoring
Access information on
your child’s rewards.
Pledges
Make a private pledge to
your child, linked to
progress at school, to
increase motivation.
SMS updates
Pocket money
Receive real-time or
periodic updates on your
child’s daily transaction
history, including all
rewards, teachers’
comments and
purchases/donations
Link pocket money to your
child’s progress at school.
For Students
So, Vivo, eh? What’s all that about?
It’s the 21st century right? So, when you do something worthy of a reward at school, you want something a little
more interesting than a sticker or a stamp in your planner from your teacher, yeah?
Ok, so how about having your own personal rewards card, just like a bank card? Well that’s what you get with Vivo!
Here’s more about how it works:
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Page 14
Staff are very excited and keen to see students be rewarded for their positive behaviours and we hope all parents and
students engage with this new system.
Bronze, silver, Gold and Platinum certificates will continue to exist with this new system so that students still have
the certificates to add to their resumes and CV’s. Any questions or additional information can be obtained from Mrs.
Pares, Ms. Scheerhoorn or Mr. Ranjit. If any parents are able to donate prizes that we can add to the system we
would be most appreciative.
R.E.A.L. Awards for the Month of June
The following students have achieved certificates in the following categories:
BRONZE
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Year 10
Year 12
SILVER
Year 7
Year 8
Year 9
Olivia Atfield, Matthew Campbell, Scott Campbell, Mariah Correia, Sarah Cupitt, Sinead Davidson,
Pauline Deliso, Amaya Greco, Amy Hardie, Leon Karagic, Bikram Khanna, Simon Lin, Elma Mesanovic,
Alana Mijic, Calissa Nguyen, Henry Oo, Logan Paske, Krishnil Singh, Mansimran Singh, Cloey Van
Duin, Kasey Yarrington, Jackie Zhou
Gavin Bloomfield, Andreana Cassar, Emily Cornish, Patricia Dionisio, Heath Lee-Eyles, Rikki Libunao,
Harsimran Saini
Daruka Acouth, Jordan Ashby-Brigandi, Purushotam Bhandari, Sayed Hashemi, Jason Ison, Aye Khin,
Rebekah Moore
Stefan Gutic, Xie Wu
Veronica Chiu, Jennifer Sanchez, Johanna Whelan
Year 10
Year 12
Matthew Campbell, Sarah Cupitt, Pauline Deliso, Calissa Nguyen, Krishnil Singh, Jackie Zhou
Emily Cornish, Rikki Libunao, Harsimran Saini
Daruka Acouth, Jordan Ashby-Brigandi, Purushotam Bhandari, Sayed Hashemi, Jason Ison, Rebekah
Moore
Xie Wu
Veronica Chiu, Jennifer Sanchez
GOLD
Year 8
Year 9
Year 12
Harsimran Saini
Jordan Ashby-Brigandi, Sayed Hashemi
Veronica Chiu, Jennifer Sanchez
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Page 15
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Page 16
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Page 17
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Page 18
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Page 19
Mitchell High School
Respectful Engaged & Active Learners
Page 20