december2013

NSW PUBLIC SCHOOLS – CREATING THE FUTURE PAGE 1

NSW PUBLIC SCHOOLS - CREATING THE FUTURE NSW PUBLIC SCHOOLS – CREATING THE FUTURE PAGE 1

Term 1 2012 – Issue 1 December 2011

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January 26th Australia Day

27th Public Holiday

28th Staff development day

29th New School Year begins:2014

Term 1 begins for Years 7,11,12

30th

Term 1 begins for Years 8,9,10

February 10th Swimming Carnival

Principal’s Message It is always difficult to write the final newsletter

entry for a school year. The reason for this is that

you are tempted to always look backwards and

explore the successes and not continue what you do

all year, which is focus on the days, weeks and

months ahead in an attempt to improve the school.

In order to counteract this tendency I am going to

see 2013 as a building block for the future and

discuss how all of the achievements form a platform

which we can build on in 2014.

One of the most obvious changes in 2013 has been

the ways in which sport has been delivered. I have

marvelled at our success each term in grade sport

and it was obvious at the Sports’ Awards Assembly

just how profound this success has been. Students

and staff have embraced both the competitive side of

the sports equation as well as the establishment of

activities and social sports which add to the life

experiences of our students.

I know that this inaugural year of grade sport has

given rise to great school spirit and a sense of pride

amongst the entire school. This has been

compounded by success across a whole range of

knockout competitions which have seen many of our

students compete at both regional and state level.

When Mr Gray asked me to consider moving to

Bankstown Zone and engaging in grade competition

I could not have predicted the level of achievement

our students would attain. I cannot wait to see what

2014 brings; I know that Mr Gray and his team are

already planning ways and means of improving what

is already, in its infancy, an accomplished program.

Another great success story of 2013 has been the

school’s involvement in numerous community

initiatives. These have included:

Our relationship with UWS, which led to

our involvement in the World Solar Car

Challenge

The development, in partnership with

Strathfield Council, of the award winning

Technology for Seniors Program, or

The acclaimed teaching program which our

students engaged in with Horizon Early

Learning Centre, and which won a

community partnership award.

Our relationship with Yamaha and its

mechanical skills program.

Linkages with local primary schools in the

areas of Sport, Technology and the Creative

Arts.

During 2013 the school has made a concerted effort

to get out into the community and share our

knowledge with others and to have their knowledge

help develop our students. This trend is set to

continue in 2014 with all of these programs and

relationships continuing and with new ones being

developed. As part of these community relations I

am very pleased to say that a group of parents have

approached me and signalled that they wish to

revitalise the P and C at Strathfield South High

The Strathfield Cycle Written and published by the students of Strathfield South High School

Address: Hedges Avenue, Enfield, 2136 Telephone: (02) 9642 4422 Fax: (02) 9742 5942

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://web1.strathfies-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/

Term 4 - Issue 1 December 2013

CARE & CONCERN DILIGENCE HONESTY RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY



Term 4 – Issue 1 December 2013

CONTENTS

Special features

Pg. 5 -6 White Ribbon Day

Pg.7-8 Christmas

Pg.8-9 Jamberoo

Pg. 10-11 Summer Holiday Safety

Regular Features

Pg. 1-2 Principal’s Message

Pg. 3-4 Deputy Principal’s

Message

Pg. 4 SRC News

Pg. 12-13 Community: The

Filipino Community

Pg.13 All About me:

Summer jobs

Pg.14-18 Faculty Happenings

Pg.18 Entertainment Spotlight

Pg. 22 Sports wrap

Pg. 23 For Parents :Auburn

Parents Evening

Sponsorship page

This has been a massive job which has meant the

focus of the entire teaching body and the

investment of an enormous amount of time, energy

and intellect.

This commitment over 2013 has delivered some

amazing resources and will continue to develop in

2014 as the school continues to focus on the

development of quality learning experiences for its

students. Next year will see the establishment of a

new professional learning structure for staff and the

training of executive members in the provision of

innovative professional development.

This initiative will be aimed at creating a whole

school learning platform which will create a web of

pedagogy across the entire school in which to

capture both student attention and need.

My final message for 2013 is that we have come a

long way at Strathfield South High School in

developing aspects of school life for our staff and

students but that we still have quite a journey ahead

of us. So, just like last year, I wish you a restful and

harmonious holiday period and ask that you all

prepare yourself for a 2014 which will be again

filled with change, challenges and

accomplishments.

Daryl Currie

Principal

School Activities Day: Jamberoo

School– a development which I am very much

looking forward to.

Also, I am excited to announce that in 2014

the school will be making available $15000

for the funding of initiatives developed by

members of our school community.

Whether you are a staff member, a student, a

parent (or a group consisting of any

combination of these community members)

you will be able to apply for monetary support

for an idea which you believe may improve

the school. The school will fund these ideas up

to $3000 which means that over the year we

will have a minimum of 5 community projects

designed to improve the educational and social

outcomes of our students.

There will be more information circulated

regarding this initiative early next year and the

process of application will be explained.

Finally, 2013 has been an amazing year for the

development of pedagogy at Strathfield South

High School. Faculties have worked

extremely hard to standardise both

programming and assessment procedures

across the school. In conjunction with this

major overhaul of pedagogical structures the

staff have embedded literacy, numeracy, ICT

and differentiation strategies into each and

every program while ensuring they conform to

both the Australian Curriculum and utilise the

literacy continuum.



Term 4- Issue 1 December 2013

Deputy Principal’s Message

Approaching the end of my first year at Strathfield South High School presents an opportunity to reflect on a

number of things including my general impressions of the school in my initial year. Part of this reflection

included the question of what makes a good school generally and the role of teachers in that specifically. By

good fortune, I came across an online newspaper article this week, written by a journalist for the Huffington

Post. He outlines what he believes are the 7 essential qualities of a quality school. In summary, the article lists:

1. Students want to be there. Relationships are crucial in schools – students know staff cares about them

across a number of areas including academic, social and welfare.

2. High Expectations for the school, staff and students. A good school has an involved staff working

together and expecting the best from their students and themselves.

3. Dedicated Teachers. Teachers constantly use new and appropriate methods to teach students and are

always looking to professionally develop themselves. They know their subject matter well.

4. Effective Discipline. Students know what is expected of them, respect set rules and know consequences.

When discipline is necessary, it is a result of what the student has done.

5. A variety of Instructional Techniques. No two students or classes are the same – teachers differentiate

teaching to take into account individual needs to help students succeed. A variety of teaching methods

are used across the school.

6. Individualised instruction. Every student has differing needs and abilities. Teaching and interaction with

students needs to reflect this.

7. Leadership. Successful schools have a committed and caring leader or leadership group with a vision

and the necessary means to put that vision into practice.

It is hard to argue with the list presented above – most current educators would agree that well run schools –

“good schools”- would have most of the seven reasons contributing to their success. At Strathfield South, and

reflecting on my first year here, it is interesting to consider those seven areas and how they apply to our school.

It did not take me long to generate the list below:

1. The warmth and integrity in most of my day to day relationships with students is obvious and important.

This is replicated across the school by many teachers and the students respond accordingly – one of the

great changes at the school in the past couple of years has been the focus on developing and maintaining

relationships with students that are positive and impact on how students and staff relate to each other.

The school is a genuinely nice place to be at.

2. Every day teachers hold very high expectations of what students can achieve – having seen first hand

the time and effort put into getting the best out of students across a myriad of pedagogical styles, it is

reassuring to be part of a committed and effective staff. The school does not only focus on a test one

day each year – our expectations are more important than that and are real each and every day.

3. I spoke about dedication in the previous point – having worked closely with every faculty this year on

programming, assessment, curriculum delivery and explicit pedagogical approaches, it is very apparent

this school holds some of the most dedicated and hardworking teachers it has been my privilege to work

with.

4. The school has a clear and effective discipline system which involves both positive and negative actions

– students know what is expected of them and the consequences for not doing the right thing. As

Deputy my role often involves aspects of discipline and welfare – almost universally, when a student

has done something wrong, they have accepted the consequences and understood the reasons for it.




5 & 6. Throughout the year every faculty has been focusing on programming to meet the requirements of the

new syllabi or to revisit their current programming approaches. In each and every program developed

this year, individual approaches to teaching and learning and differentiating curriculum to meet the

needs of students has been central. This has been an important shift and one which will serve the

students at the school well in the coming years.

7 The school is well served with the executive, who typically take on challenges, and senior executive

who have supplied direction and are willing to attempt change to improve practice. Both the Principal,

Mr Currie and the other Deputy, Mr Paterson bring extensive experience and ‘vision’ in their own way

– the school has undergone significant and important changes in their time here across areas including

curriculum, welfare and professional learning opportunities.

So what makes a “good school”? Innovative teaching built around relationships, with a clear and effective

discipline and welfare structure, driven by effective teachers and leaders. A bit like the school I was appointed

to about one year ago…

Mr R.Cilona

Deputy Principal

SRC News

Many thanks to all students and staff who supported White Ribbon

Day on the 21st of November 2013.

The school community did an excellent job in helping raise awareness

and funds for organisations to continue their support of people who are

affected by domestic violence. The campaign was a success this year

raising more than $1000 for this worthy cause.

We would like to thank all those who donated even five (5) cents for

Elfrida’s community, with your contributions you assist her

community to attain proper drinking water and an opportunity for

facilities to be provided such as a school and an education.

Our mufty day which was organised to aid the Philippines affected by

the typhoon last month had a terrific response as well.

As this term is coming to an end, it is also time for you to make up

your mind and elect new candidates for 2014.More information will be

provided as we get closer to the date.

The SRC would like to thank the school community for its enthusiasm in all the events planned in 2013. On

behalf of the SRC we hope you enjoy your holidays and have a happy & safe New Year.

Jafer Naim

SRC Representative




White Ribbon Day

On 21st November 2013, students and staff of Strathfield South High School came together as one and raised

their voices to stop domestic violence against women. Members from Strathfield Council and Auburn Police

Station also attended the event, sharing some of their comments and stories with the students. Some of the

students who gave outstanding speeches were Rana, Sam, Heba, and Vanessa. The day’s events were

concluded with a free sausage sizzle which was provided by Strathfield Council for those who had purchased a

white ribbon.

This year’s White Ribbon Day was a successful campaign that raised more than $1000 in donations from the

selling of white ribbons for organisations which help women that are affected by violence in their life. Special

thanks to the SRC and the prefects for selling ribbons over the two week period. You did an excellent job!

What is White Ribbon Day?

White Ribbon day is the world’s largest movement of men and boys working to end violence against women

and girls. White Ribbon day aims to create an Australian society in which all women can live in peace, free

from violence and abuse. White Ribbon day is Australia’s only national, male-led violence prevention

campaign. White Ribbons seeks to change the attitudes and behaviours that lead to violence against women

from the roots, by engaging boys and men to lead social change.

How did White Ribbon Day start?

On the afternoon of 6 December 1989, a man walked into the École Polytechnique University in Montreal and

massacred 14 of his female classmates. His actions traumatised a nation and brought the issue of violence

against women to the forefront of our collective consciousness. Two years later, a handful of men in Toronto

decided they had a responsibility to speak out about, and to work to stop, men’s violence against women. As a

result, the White Ribbon Campaign in Canada became an annual awareness-raising event, held between 25

November and 6 December. In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared 25 November as the

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, with a white ribbon as its iconic symbol.

White Ribbon Day began in Australia in 2003 as part of UNIFEM (now UN Women), formally becoming a

Foundation in 2007.




Why is White Ribbon Day important?

Partner violence is the most common type of violence against women, affecting 30 per cent of women

worldwide, according to the 2013 World Health Organization report. Australia is not immune to this issue.

Violence against women is a serious problem in Australia, where at least one woman is killed every week by a

current, or former, partner. The Australian Institute of Criminology reports that 36 per cent of all homicides take

place in a domestic setting and 73 per cent of those involve a woman being killed by their male partner.

Furthermore, Australian Bureau of Statistics data indicates that that one in three Australian women over the age

of 15, reports having experienced physical or sexual violence at some time in their lives and White Ribbon is

there to help and educate men to stop violence against women and bring equality between the two genders.

What to do to prevent violence in this world against women?

Be nonviolent and non-judgmental in your interactions with others.

Speak out against violence when you are confronted with it in your daily life.

Don’t laugh at sexist or racist jokes or jokes about sexual orientation.

Tell your friends that the jokes are offensive.

Challenge attitudes and beliefs that allow violence and which blame the victim.

Jafer Naim




Christmas

In our continuing exploration of our societies’ celebrations we now look at Christmas. Christians celebrate

Christmas Day every year. This day celebrates the birth of Jesus. Different Christian denominations have a

range of traditions and types of church services around Christmas Day.

People often spend Christmas Day with family members or close friends. Christmas Day falls in the middle of

the summer school holiday and both December 25 and 26 are public holidays. Although, many people celebrate

the event away from home, in holiday parks, on camp sites or at relatives' homes.

In the weeks before Christmas Day, many people decorate their homes with Christmas decorations. These often

include a Christmas tree, candles or small electric lights, snowmen, fake snow and figures of Santa Claus in his

red fur-trimmed outfit.

On Christmas Day, children hope to receive gifts in a stocking or under the Christmas tree from the mythical

figure Santa Claus. In the weeks before Christmas, they write letters to him so that he knows what they want. In

some stories, Santa Claus wears a thick red, fur-trimmed suit and travels in a sleigh pulled by reindeer. In others

he wears shorts and a loose, brightly coloured shirt and his sleigh is pulled by six white kangaroos. In some

families, individual members also exchange gifts.

Many people eat a special meal on Christmas Day. Traditionally, the main meal is similar to the Christmas

meals served in Europe. They consist of roast meats and vegetables and heavy fruit cakes and steamed

puddings. A small coin is often baked inside a steamed pudding, which is doused with burning alcohol before

being served. Whoever finds the coin in his or her portion will have a lucky year. Many people choose to hold a

barbecue at the beach or a picnic in a park or prepare a meal of cold meat and seafood followed by Pavlova, a

soft meringue cake topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

WHAT DOES CHRISTMAS MEAN TO YOU?

Ms Mathews from the English Department.

What does Christmas mean to you?

Christmas is a time to spend with my family, friends and other loved ones,

Now I’m older, I don’t live with my family which makes Christmas even more special.

As an adult what do you get at Christmas?

I often get things for my home, especially as I love baking.

Are there any Christmas memories that you want to share with us?

I remember the year my parents assembled a trampoline outside in the middle of the night. Waking up to that

was awesome!

What is your New Year’s resolution?

To travel, hopefully to New York




Have you got any message or tips that you would like to share with the students and the staff for this

upcoming Christmas holidays?

I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday, and gets to go to the beach at least once! Merry Christmas

everyone!

How students celebrate Christmas: Linda Kurbaj

What does Christmas mean to you?

Christmas means a lot to me it's the birth of Jesus and brings family and friends together to celebrate such an

occasion: It's a part of my religion.

Why do people decorate their homes with bright lights?

Well I believe the whole Santa thing and bright lights is for children to admire Christmas. I remember, as a

child, looking at the bright lights in the car seeing all the effort and money put into them. It shows people care

about Christmas and express their love for Jesus.

What are your plans this Christmas?

Well I plan to have a family gathering like any other year and go to church to pray and worship. I plan to see my

friends there and together read the Bible and learn more about Jesus' birth and more about the true meaning of

Christmas. Most importantly I plan to have fun!

What is your favourite Christmas song?

There are so many, I don't think I have one, they are all good, but I like the classics; New Born King, Jingle

Bells, Winter Wonderland. I love all Christmas songs!

Jafer Naim

Jamberoo

On Thursday the 12th of December Strathfield South High School students went on an excusrsion to Jamberoo

theme park, as part of a reward programme that promotes Dilegence, Respect, Care And Concern in the school.

The weather was perfect for splashing water and enjoying all the rides that were available for the students to

choose from. The teachers enjoyed their day by joining in the fun and creating a bond with some of the

students.The international students from Korea joined in all the fun as well.

Everyone was well behaved and obeyed the theme park safety regulations. The long ride home and exhausting

fun saw some students fall alseep on the bus.

Jafer Naim




Summer Holiday Safety

Online Safety

How to keep the age of the “SCREENAGERS” safe online?

High school teens are living their lives online. They’re checking their friends’ status updates (and posting their

own), they’re watching their favourite shows, they’re uploading photos and videos, they’re playing games,

messaging on kik, Facebook, twitter, tumbler, video chatting, exploring their interests, and accessing

information and files that fuel their passions. They’re also becoming part of Internet culture, where it’s all about

what’s new right now. Because information on the Internet moves at the speed of light, high school students are

likely to get involved in new stuff long before you’ve even got used to yesterday’s news.

In today’s 24/7 media world, it’s hard to believe that remnants of your digital footprint can remain online for a

long, long time. Teens don’t realize that once something is posted on the Internet it can come back to haunt

them. Even if they take down an inappropriate photo, the electronic record remains. And during the time a

potentially embarrassing photo is public, it may have been copied and circulated to thousands of people without

your teen’s knowledge.

Teens may not realize that what they post can affect their reputation. Other people might judge them based on

their profiles. It’s not just inappropriate photos that put them at risk. As kids get older, stuff they’ve posted in

the past can reappear. According to a recent study, researchers found that most of the time when applicants

apply for work, it is judged by their social profile.

These holidays be smart and protect yourself against hackers and spammers. Click clever, click safe!




Beach safety

As the holidays are coming closer, so is summer, when most of us head out to spend our time at the beach.

But before you consider going to the beach or to your local swimming pool, please consider reading the

following water safety rules to keep yourself safe in the water.

Follow these rules which will protect and save your life. Signs and other informative posters can be found

around the beach which remind you to be safe and swim near the flags in all beaches across Sydney. Some of

the guidelines put forward by the SLS, that are important for you to follow include:

Always swim or surf at places patrolled by surf lifesavers or lifeguards.

Swim between the red and yellow flags. They mark the safest area to swim.

Always swim under supervision or with a friend.

Read and obey the signs.

If you are unsure of surf conditions, ask a lifesaver or lifeguard.

Never run and dive in the water. Even if you have checked before, conditions can change.

If you get into trouble in the water, don't panic. Raise your arm for help, float and wait for assistance.

Float with a current or undertow. Stay calm. Don't try to swim against it. Signal for help and wait for

assistance.

Do NOT underestimate the power of the Australian sun. Remember to slip, slop, slap, to keep healthy skin.

Harmful UV rays can cause severe damage to skin which can lead to major cancers. Remember to:

Apply on your skin an SPF 30+ sunscreen lotion

Use sun glasses with high UV protection rating

Wear a hat

Cover your body clothes as much as possible

Jafer Naim




Community: The Filipino Community

The Filipino-Australian community more commonly known as “FilAus or Filos” are the dominant community

in Blacktown, Sydney. To have a further in depth knowledge about Filos you will have to know where they

come from- the Philippines.

Few of us might know where the Philippines are. The Philippines is the only Asian country with a

predominately Christian population. It is located in South-East Asia where it is made up of a cluster of 7,107

islands.

Christmas in the Philippines

Of the many Philippino celebrations or as we call it “Fiesta” (meaning Festival), is Christmas. This Fiesta takes

the longest to celebrate and works most sweetly on the Filipinos’ spirit of giving and merry making.

The Philippines has rightfully earned the distinction as the place where the people celebrate the World's longest

Christmas Season. If you don’t believe me, radio stations and television shows in the entire Philippines start the

most important Filipino celebration as early as September the First. On this day people start playing Christmas

Carols therefore unofficially starting the Filipino Christmas Season.

As in Australia, celebrating Christmas in the Philippines is a time to gather with loved ones and feast on special

foods. If you are on a diet during the Christmas season in the Philippines, all I can say is Good luck!

Try resisting this delicious dishes including ”Puto Bumbong”, (sticky purple rice stuffed into bamboo tubes

with butter, sugar and coconut) and “Keso de Bola”, (balls of cheese with red waxy covering). All these

mouth-watering dishes can be commonly found anywhere from households to streets. “Noche Buena”, or

Christmas Eve, typically features a buffet-style dinner of 15 to 20 items like roasted pork, ham, chicken, rice

and adobo (I have to say that writing this paragraph made me really hungry).




One thing that I admire the most during Christmas in the Philippines is how two communities divided through

religion can bond and share the spirit of giving regardless of their faith. It is a period when Christians and

Muslims become united through both communities accepting and treasuring each other’s differences.

The Philippines may not be among the list of the first world countries but celebrating Christmas here is one

thing that this country will always be known for. Whether you believe in the ‘Holy Spirit’ or under the faith of

‘Islam’, Christmas in the Philippines is all about the joy of giving and love… and food!

“Maligayang Pasko!” or “Merry Christmas!”

Here at Strathfield South High, we are culturally diverse making us very welcoming and considerate of each

other’s cultures and beliefs. A great example of this was when the school came together as one to run a

fundraiser for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. On behalf of our little Filo community, I would

like to thank you Strathfield South High for uniting in this event in the hope of helping our home country.

Lorenzo Casaol




All About Me – Summer Jobs!

The holidays are coming up and an allowance just doesn’t cover all your expenses because you want to watch

the latest movie with your friends, have dinner, hangout or you just want to save up. Well, it’s a perfect time to

get a job, with all your free time it gives you more than enough time to get hired and get used to your job. Don’t

be intimidated by the fact that you might not have experience, the KEY to getting the job is to sell yourself!

Tips to successfully get a job:

Have a Résumé. Use a simple, classic font such as Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial. Use black font

with white paper and have wide margins, approximately 1mm. Also make sure to prominently display

your name and contact information. Include information such as your education, work experience if

any, language/s you can speak and level (beginner, intermediate or fluent), and any additional

information you believe is relevant.

Retail and Food Industries commonly hire new, young employees.

If your chosen workplace/s is not hiring, submit an Application of Interest. When a position is

available and you fit the criteria, they will most likely inform you to apply for the opportunity.

Be confident. Walk straight, stand tall, keep your head up and communicate. Don’t be afraid to initiate

conversation-it shows the employer that you will be able to interact with customers with an

approachable attitude.

Use your connections. Friends, family members and you are surely to have connections with somebody

in a workforce. They can help sell your image and might know of job opportunities.

Kassem Safwan

Faculty Happenings

English

We have rolled over another year of substantive learning and already English classes are buzzing with

enthusiastic students curious to encounter new coursework. Year 8 and 9 are busy constructing brochures for

their respective novel study and “Human Nature” units whilst seniors have undertaken study of Australian poet

Bruce Lundgren and Year 10s are looking at adolescent life in the 1950s.

This term will see the selection of the Junior, Senior and Intermediate debating teams – students calm under

pressure with sound reasoning and public speaking skills should approach their teachers to express interest. The

experience of last year’s competition I’m sure will be of benefit in 2014.

An excursion for Year 8 students to the Sydney Jewish Museum is being planned for early Term 1 to support

learning in the novel study unit “Hitler’s Daughter”. These excursions have been extremely eye-opening for

students in the past and I hope the current cohort can learn as much from the experience as students have in

years gone by. [The first 50 students to pay and return permission notes will be guaranteed places. Permission

notes will be distributed shortly].Lastly, I would like to congratulate the following students on an outstanding

start to the 2014 academic year in English:

8R - Aaron Lu, Aung Nyien, Rohan Syed, Zekiye Ulger

8H – Sara Nicholas, Zahraa Messelmani, Mahmoud Sahyouni

10D - Joe Ho, Sahar Ali

10H – Alfred Daghfal, Madison Garrett-Kabro

Senior – Jessica Thai, Kassem Safwan, Vivian Tran

Mr Cheong




Careers

Yr. 10 TAFE and University Tasters

Congratulations to the Year 10 students who attended the University of NSW, Kensington and TAFE

workshops at Enmore and Petersham TAFE.Their engagement and participation was excellent. The students

participated in a variety of career fields from Interior Design to Building a Computer. This experience is

invaluable for the future in gaining skills, understanding an adult workplace and tertiary institutions.

Year 10 students at the Graphic Design workshop using

Photoshop and exploring Interior Design Concepts

2014 Short Courses at TAFE for Year 10:

Spend a day a week for a term learning something new at TAFE.

(considered a normal school day learning but at a different venue)

One day a week course from 9am till 3pm.

Bankstown TAFE are as followed:

Hairdressing for 10 weeks

Make-up for 9 weeks

Community Care – Nursing for 9 weeks

IT for 14 weeks

Padstow TAFE are:

Auto Mechanics

Barista

Floristry

Horticulture

Chullora TAFE are as followed:

Metal Fabrication

See Ms Brewster in the library (Monday/Tuesday) if interested.

YEAR 12

Career Plans:

The new year 12 have started their Career Plans with the Transition Adviser, looking into their aspirations for

2015, whether university, TAFE or the workforce. Also analysing how they are going to get there by creating a

study plan, creating an assessment planner as well as discussing various ways to improve their learning in 2014.

University Scholarships for University:

Interested in a scholarship to help with university fees and living cost?

You need to start preparing now by becoming involved outside of academic studies and drafting your

answers…..not all scholarships are based on being the top in your subject.

Eg: Co-op Scholarships-the following are the areas of focus for the scholarship application.

Personal Development: List your key strengths

Learning: Select two subjects you like and write about the important things you have learnt in studying

these subjects.




Leadership/Teamwork: Write about situations where you were an effective leader /or team player.

Decision making/problem solving: Using either work experience, part time job, community or a

school activity, describe how you overcame a challenging situation and what you learnt from the

experience

Significant achievement or project: describe how you came up with an idea/project and followed it

through to the end. (Could be designing or creating something,

Where do you see yourself after university? (What type of job do you imagine doing?)

Personal Qualities: Describe the personal qualities and values that differentiate you as a person

suitable for the scholarship.

Co-curricular activities: Sporting, Games; Performances, Clubs, Societies, Red Cross, Helping with

organisations eg Clean up Australia, Volunteering. etc.

CAREER FOCUS OF THE MONTH: CONSTRUCTION Industry - 10% growth in jobs forecast

Behind Healthcare and Retail, Construction is Australia's 3rd largest industry employing 8.6% of national

employment, almost 1,000,000 people.The Construction and Property Services Industry Skills Council Ltd have

an excellent site that provides careers advisers with information and resources about the industry.

To find out more about the construction industry visit www.constructmycareer.com.au

Download Information Sheet about each Career from Architect to Window Cleaner

Download Building and Construction Quiz Ms Brewster

Drama Workshop

On the 10th

of December our senior drama students took part in a workshop run by Belvoir Street Theatre. The workshop

was geared to helping our students to prepare for the group devised performance which is part of the drama HSC course.

The activities consisted of ; Tag and movement games, single and group improvisations and rhythmic mime activities.

The workshop was a great success, students were challenged by some of the activities, however they participated with

enthusiasm and many said they found the workshop a great introduction in preparation for their HSC performances.

I look forward to giving our drama students many more opportunities such as this in 2014.

Ms S. Cotsis

https://staffowa.det.nsw.edu.au/owa/redir.aspx?C=e15bc6cd631d45af832c0e9ad17484f7&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwwwmycareermatchcomau.createsend4.com%2ft%2fy-l-thtrikt-jlluhyldlr-d%2f

https://staffowa.det.nsw.edu.au/owa/redir.aspx?C=e15bc6cd631d45af832c0e9ad17484f7&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwwwmycareermatchcomau.createsend4.com%2ft%2fy-l-thtrikt-jlluhyldlr-k%2f

https://staffowa.det.nsw.edu.au/owa/redir.aspx?C=e15bc6cd631d45af832c0e9ad17484f7&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwwwmycareermatchcomau.createsend4.com%2ft%2fy-l-thtrikt-jlluhyldlr-u%2f




Home Economics: Recipe of the month

Donut Cake

Equipment

35cm round cake board.

Ingredients

Plain flour, for dusting

2 x 340g packets golden butter cake

4 eggs

120g butter, softened

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup raspberry jam

1/2 cup thickened cream, whipped

1/3 cup 100s and 1000s

Chocolate icing

200g dark chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup thickened cream

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Liberally grease two 6cm deep, 23cm (top) round fluted cake

pans. Dust with flour.

2. Make packet cakes following packet directions. Pour half the batter into 1 prepared pan. Pour remaining

batter into remaining pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of 1 cake

comes out clean. Turn cakes onto 2 wire racks lined with baking paper, without removing cake pans.

Stand for 10 minutes. Carefully lift pans from cakes. Cool. Turn cakes over. Trim tops of each cake to

level.

3. Make chocolate icing. Place chocolate and cream in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on

high (100%) for 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth, stirring halfway during cooking with metal spoon.

4. Place 1 cake, cut-side up, onto cake board. Spread top with jam. Top with cream. Place remaining cake,

cut-side down, on top of cream layer. Drizzle with chocolate icing. Sprinkle with 100s and 1000s. Set

aside for 10 minutes to set and then serve.

Phoi Nghiem




Entertainment Spotlight

Book reviews

The Hunger Games

“The hunger games” by Suzanne Collins is a novel written for young adults. This book is a

best seller since it came out. It is set in North America, which has been destroyed and is

now run by the powerful Capital and is divided into 12 districts. In order to keep the 12

districts aware of who runs the country The Capital arranges a game to be held each year.

This game is held for one boy and one girl from each district to fight till their death.

The main character of this book, Katniss Everdeen is a 16 year old who lives in district 12.

She is the tribute for district 12 as she volunteered to take her younger sisters place who

was chosen. Along with her comes Peeta the baker’s son who grew up with her. Katniss

and Peeta must fight for their lives against other districts.

This book shows many different emotions such as love, anger, poverty and sadness. This story is very

interesting and you become attached to the story very easily. I recommend people who like the story to watch

the movie as well which is just as interesting and mind blowing.

Mariam Ibrahim

The Fault in Our Stars

“The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green, is a book about cancer, but isn’t a “cancer book”. I

have never read a book before where I could physically visualize the character being a real

person, telling me her story.

The book is narrated through the eyes of sixteen- year- old Hazel Lancaster, who was

diagnosed with cancer at the age of thirteen. Her mother and regular doctor Jim both agreed

she had depression and decided it’d be best to send her to a support group that met every

Wednesday in the basement of a stone-walled Episcopal Church.

At one meeting Hazel meets and befriends Augustus Waters, a seventeen year old boy who had his leg

amputated and walked around with a prosthetic. The book follows their journey together for several months

alongside their friend Isaac who also attends the meetings and who has“ some fascinating improbable eye

cancer”.

I believe John Green has captured the real pain of cancer without exaggerating it, not just referring to Hazel’s

feelings but how her parents and Augustus’ parents felt. It is rare for parents to be actual characters not just

hanging around in the background, in a book written from a teenagers perspective.

Most people think cancer books are sad or ‘depressing’, which I’m not denying, but like I said this is a book

about cancer not a “cancer book”.

I personally have forced aunts, cousins and grandparents to read this book and I recommend it to anyone as it

is compelling, interesting, funny but also emotional. I was unable to put it down, finishing it in three days.

Monique Bassett




Sports Wrap 2013 Sporting Highlights !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




2013 Sporting Highlights !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




For Parents School and Community: Auburn Parents Evening

On Tuesday 10 December, staff from Strathfield South High School met with parents and students in Auburn.

This is the second occasion that the school has held a meeting in Auburn to talk and share food with the families

who live in that suburb. The school has begun holding meetings in Auburn as many of the families who live in

the neighbourhood have difficulty in travelling to school for community events.

Mr Currie opened the evening by saying that parents and students had a shared responsibility in raising children.

He emphasised that school and parents needed to work together so that young people could achieve their

potential.

Ms Bremer gave a short presentation on the Merit Reward System and also post-school pathways such as

TAFE, work and university. After Ms Bremer’s presentation, staff, parents, families and guests were invited to

share some delicious Afghan cuisine supplied by Kabul House.

Guests included Mark Davis from STARTTS, who has been working with Year 7 to 10 students in the very

successful Sporting Links Soccer program, and has also taken approximately 15 students on Sporting and

Leadership camps; Monica Owens, Youth Worker from Auburn Diversity Services; and Dinaz Rather,

Community Worker from Ashfield Metro Migrant Resource Centre.

Parents welcomed the opportunity to talk to teachers, Mr Currie, Mr Paterson, Mr Falvo, Mrs Brewster, and Mrs

Gough-Fuller in an informal gathering at a venue which was easily accessible to them.




Join Strathfield South High School P&C All interested parents please contact : The front office Phone: 9642 4422, Fax: 9742 5942

december2013

Documents

new school year

future nsw public schools

entire school

schools involvement

great school spirit

future page

inaugural year of grade

community partnership