FRANCIS GREENWAY HIGH SCHOOL GAZETTE

We Value Your Input Please feel free to contact us at any time: Po Box 124, Beresfield NSW 2322 Phone: 02 4964 1282 Fax 02 4964 1147 Email: francisgre-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Mrs Edwards (Principal) Edition 3 May 2014

NAPLAN NAPLAN testing for Years 7 and 9 will take place from Tuesday 13 until Thursday 15 May. Students who are absent on one of these days will have an opportunity to complete the missed test on Friday 16 May. Bye Bye Birdie Our musical spectacular will take place in the school hall this term (17-19 June). The students and staff have been very busy rehearsing in the holidays and will continue this term with the added tasks of prop building and costume construction. Please come along and enjoy the talent of our students as you are promised to be treated to an evening of fabulous entertainment. Gifted and Talented Program I have included a flyer in this gazette outlining our school‟s approach to teaching students with a gift or talent in a specific area. Our school chose to forego a GATS class in Year 7 this year as research indi-cates that, not only does a GATS class not always support academic achievement, it can have a negative impact on a student‟s social and emotional development. Each Gazette I will be including examples of

aspects of our GATS program.

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data School Students with Disability Schools across Australia are taking part in a new national data collec-tion on school students with disabilities. The aim of this data collec-tion is to have better information about students with disability. This will allow the right support to be put in place for students allowing them the same opportunities for high quality education as students without a disability. There is a pamphlet at the back of the Gazette with more details. Please contact the school if you do not wish your child‟s information to be included in the data collection. As the colder months approach... It is more difficult for all of us to get out of bed when the colder months arrive. Students may need reminding that the reality of life is that we need to get up and get ourselves to school on time despite the temperature as this is the reality of the real world of work. Stu-dents also need to ensure they wear correct school uniform. Coloured jackets and hoodies are not part of our uniform. Mrs Edwards Principal

Calendar of Events

May

Monday 19-Thursday 30 Year 10 exams in class

Monday 19 Knights Knockout U14/U16

Tuesday 20 P & C Meeting 7pm

Thursday 22 Zone Athletics Carnival

Regional Boys and Girls Tennis

Friday 23 Careers Expo

Monday 26 National Reconcilliation Week

Tuesday 27 Vaccinations

Friday 30 Girls Open Touch Gala Day

June

Monday 2-6 Year 10 Work Experience

Monday 2-4 Marine Studies Excursion

Friday 6 Knights Knockout U13/U15

Monday 9 Queen‟s Birthday Holiday

Tuesday 10 Year 10 Play “Opening Doors”

Tuesday 17-19 “Bye Bye Birdie” Production

FROM THE PRINCIPAL Term 2 is shaping up to be very busy with reports being written, NAPLAN testing and our school musical. Students will be undertaking assessment tasks throughout the early part of this term. It is im-portant they have an organised space to work in at home and com-plete the tasks to the best of their ability. The assessment tasks and the first semester of school work will be reported on this term. Par-ents and carers are welcome to contact the school for further infor-mation concerning their child‟s progress at any time. Parent Teacher Interviews I would like to thank all the parents, carers and staff who attended the interviews held at the end of Term 1. It is always wonderful to be able to meet the families of our students and our children benefit from seeing their family and their teachers working together to support them in achieving school success.

mailto:francisgre-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPALS Welcome back to what promises to be another busy and exciting term. For all year groups, this term involves more formal assessment than last. As reports are due by the end of this term, please ensure your child is aware of any tasks to be completed and do not hesitate to contact the school if you have concerns regarding the work re-quired. Mrs Xenos “Skoolbag” App is coming Our School is conducting a trial of our own Skoolbag iPhone/Android App to help us communicate more effectively with our Parent/Student community. We are trialling the iPhone version for 30 days, if we continue with the App after the trial we will then get the Android version in the Google Play Store. If you would like to have a look as we work on building the program, just look for our school name "Francis Greenway High School" in the Apple App Store, and install it on your iPhone. Once we are happy with the content and features of the App, we will notify you via a notice on the school website and through a text mes-sage. The advantage of the App is that we can reduce the amount of text messages required, as we can send push notifications out free of charge through the App. Absences will still be notified by text, but you will have the option of sending an absentee „note‟ via the App, as well as being able to change your contact details. We will still be using the website, text messages and where appro-priate notes home, however the App adds another feature for com-munication. Technology Over the next few terms our Bring Your Own Device Policy (BYOD) will be rolled out. We will commence with the senior students and move down through the years. This policy will allow students to bring an approved device such as a laptop to school and have it connect-ed to the school‟s wireless network. If you are thinking of purchas-ing a device for your child to use for school, please ensure you get the information about compatible devices before you spend the money. No student will be disadvantaged if they do not have their own device as we have an ample supply of school laptops for class use. An information pack about the Bring Your Own Device Policy is be-ing compiled and will be released to year groups as we are ready to roll it out. There is an agreement that must be signed before any device can be used and it is important to understand the school will not be responsible for loss, damage or theft of devices. Printing at School Students are able to print from the computers in the Library. It should be noted that the printing off of assignments is the responsi-bility of the student at home and the school will not be held responsi-ble if the Library is closed and students cannot print off work- espe-cially if they have left it until the day it was due. Each student has 100 pages they can use before they will need to purchase more printing (cost =$5 per 100). Students can get their student number which they will need to use to print from the staff in the Library or their year adviser. They should not share this number with anyone as they will be held responsible for all printing under that number and any transactions that occur across the internet with that number.

Year 11 & 12 Overall I have been happy in the way Year 11 have settled into Senior school-ing, although there have been a few issues which I addressed with them late last term. The major one being absences form class through truancy. All stu-dents have been warned that on the first occasion they are detected truanting (whole or partial) they will receive a Formal Warning; this means they are on notice that a suspension may result in the next instance. They will also be re-quired to attend detention. If there is a second occasion, I will be recommending to the Principal a suspension. This may appear harsh, but I believe that as sen-ior students in particular, they need to commit themselves to their studies and show additional maturity. This means the expectation is that they will attend all lessons and if they don‟t, they will have a reasonable excuse. Remember that Year 11 (or Preliminary Course) is only 3 terms, so there is no time to waste. Year 12 is now over halfway into their HSC course. If possible I would recom-mend that outside school work commitments be kept to a minimum until after the HSC. Working until after 11pm and in some cases well over 25 hours a week then coming to school and trying to keep up with the school work load has seen students in the past fall apart and really struggle to do their best. A reminder for Year 12 that the Senior Study in A5 is open for you to use in your study periods. Year 11 may use the room if it is not full. All senior students are welcome to use the room during sport time, where there is also a staff member on duty to assist if needed. Additionally we have an after school homework centre available in the Library each Wednesday until 4.30pm. Mrs Xenos Deputy Principal (Yr 11 & 12)

Mrs McIntosh Teachers Learning With Teachers This year we have commenced an exciting initiative in our school where teach-ers are working together to learn about classroom practices that enhance stu-dent engagement in learning. Our wonderful teachers are working hard to plan lessons together, encouraging professional conversations about student learn-ing in an effort to focus on what works to motivate and engage our kids in their own learning. What this means in the classroom is that students will notice from time to time that there is more than one teacher in the classroom working to observe student engagement in learning and develop effective teaching practic-es that encourage students‟ active participation.

Year 7 I would like to congratulate Year 7 for being the most settled year group making the transition to high school that I have ever experienced. This year to date, we have observed that Year 7 class groups are working exceptionally well, where students are engaged in their learning and being very well behaved. I would like to encourage our most junior students in the school to continue to be such exemplary role models and continue to demonstrate the values of our school. Well done!

Year 8 I am disappointed to see that certain Year 8 classes have not had a settled start to 2014 in Term 1 and I have found it necessary to move some students across class groupings to assist the management of these issues. I will be watching Year 8 very closely this term and hope that we have a greatly improved year group that will have many students eligible to attend our behaviour and attend-ance reward excursion, “The Big Day Out” to Sydney‟s Wet ‟n‟ Wild in Decem-ber. To support Year 8 students to make good choices about their behaviour, please speak to your children about the importance of respectful, cooperative and responsible behaviour at school and encourage them to value their educa-tion as a lifelong process. We know that there is a strong connection between

education and life success and when we do not have disruptive behaviours in our school, then all students can access learning out-comes. We have very high expectations for our students and we hope that these are shared by our community. Uniform As the winter months approach, please ensure that students have warm clothes that comply with our uniform policy. The uniform shop is open on Monday and Wednesday to access “Alinta” apparel and remember that plain black jumpers purchased outside this shop are also acceptable, provided they are plain and do not have brand names, etc on them. Anti-bullying On Monday 7 April (Term 1, Week 11) twelve of our Year 7-10 stu-dents participated in an Anti-bullying initiative in partnership with the Samaritans Youth Development team. These students created Anti-bullying messages on posters and were photographed to create images that will be published around our school later in the year. I would like to congratulate these students for their participation and creativity in this project and we look forward to having their images around the school to reinforce the message that bullying is NOT tolerated in our school. If students have experienced bullying, please ensure that it is reported so that we can respond. Our school Anti-bullying Plan is available on our website at http://www.millenniumschools.net.au/fghs/?id=6197 Mrs McIntosh Deputy Principal – Rel. (Yr 7 & 8) Mr Brownsmith Year 9 & 10 I am really pleased with the way Year 10 have approached the final year of Stage 5 in their learning. All students need to ensure that during this term they have a clear outlook to when assessment tasks are due and that they allow adequate time to complete them. As the Record of School Achievement (RoSA) is a cumulative cre-dential, recording completed Stage 5 and Preliminary Stage 6 cours-es and grades, it is important that students continue with a positive attitude throughout the year. To be eligible for the RoSA students must complete all Board of Studies courses for Stage 5 successfully and complete Year 10. Satisfactory attendance needs to be main-tained throughout the year and students must attend until the final day of Year 10. Please notify the School Administration Office if students are ill or are attending family events. It is the responsibility of students to catch up any work missed due to absence. Year 9 have settled into their mandatory and elective courses and any changes to their program of study should have been made by now. I urge all students to make a concerted effort in their studies for the start of this new stage in their learning. Stage 5 prepares students for the rigour of Preliminary and HSC courses and also for some students the beginning of their working life away from school. To gain the most out of the opportunities made available at school, students need to ensure they access their teachers for assistance. As work load increases please consider the Learning Centre as a resource available to everyone on Wednesday‟s between 3pm and 4:30pm in the school library. Staff are available to assist with home-work and assessment tasks. If computer and internet access is not available at home, this is a great opportunity to utilise this facility.

I am always available to speak to students about any issues they may have but it is also important that the respective Year Advisers of Year 9 and 10 be accessed for assistance where possible when the classroom teacher is not able to help. Parents may also like to discuss any issues with the Year Adviser as their first port of call with the school. The Year 9 Adviser is Mr Russ in the PDHPE Fac-ulty and the Year 10 Adviser is Mrs Middleton in the TAS Faculty. Both of these staff have a wealth of knowledge about the processes of the school and of your children. Mr Brownsmith Deputy Principal - Rel (Yr 9 & 10)

CANTEEN Welcome back everyone, hope you all had a good break. Second term specials in the canteen will be: Monday: Chicken and gravy rolls $3 Tuesday : Spaghetti Bolognaise $3.50 Wednesday: Nachos $3.50 Thursday: Savoury filled potato skins $3 We will also be trialling Bacon and Egg Rolls on a Thursday morning for breakfast $3. Remember ordering your lunch ensures you won‟t miss out. We are open at 8am to take orders. Thank you to our wonderful volunteers who give up their time and congratulations to our volunteers who have gained employment. We will miss you in the canteen. We have openings for volunteers on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays if anyone is able to help. Please call the school on 4964 1282 and ask to speak to Lisa or Darlene. Thank you

CAREERS & TRANSITION DEPARTMENT Careers Updates Year 10 Work Experience paperwork has been given out in class during the last 2 weeks of Term. Any student absent from careers lessons can call in at the Careers Office in the Library to pick it up. Year 10 Excursion to Newcastle University, “The Next Step” was on Thursday 10 April and was designed to assist Year 10 with planning for their future. Students had an interesting day and found it very useful. I hope that we will be invited next year. WHS White Card Training. The first group undertaking training was on Tuesday 1 April and the second group undertook their training on Monday 5 May. Any student who still requires a White Card for Year 11 Construction can see me for an alternative course outside school. See photo below. Mrs Dempsey & Ms Taylor Coordinators

http://www.millenniumschools.net.au/fghs/?id=6197http://www.millenniumschools.net.au/fghs/?id=6197

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT Term 1 was an interesting and exciting period of change for the FGHS English faculty. We are well into our implementation of the new English curriculum in Years 7 and 9 with students in these years studying concepts as opposed to single texts. In Term 1 Year 7 studied the concept of “The Hero‟s Journey” with an English focus of Representation. This term they will engage with a number of non-fiction texts to explore “Australian Identity” focusing on cultural iden-tity and cultural representation. Year 9 students studied the concept of “Changing Relationships” with an English focus of Perception. This term Year 9 will study a drama text to investigate “Conflict and Resolution”. Planning has begun for the implementation of the new English curriculum for Years 8 and 10 in 2015 and we all look for-ward to creating engaging conceptual teaching programs for these year groups. The end of Term 1 was a very busy time for English students with the first round of assessment tasks now completed for students in Years 7-10 in week 7. Students in Year 7 composed a narrative on “The Hero‟s Journey”, Year 8 students composed an exposition around the topic: „Fast food should be banned‟, Year 9 composed a narrative exploring the “Changing Relationships” concept and Year 10 wrote an exposition arguing for or against action movies being better than „chick flicks‟. Half Yearly Examinations for students in Years 7-10 took place in week 2 and for Year 11 Standard English students, week 1. Any students who were not present for their first assessment task or examination will need to obtain a misadventure form from the Eng-lish staff room, if they haven‟t already done so. The appropriate documentation is required, as stated on the form. Year 11 Standard students finished their Belonging study with their assessment task submitted in week 9 last term and speeches completed in week 10. They will all be quite sick of using the word „belonging‟, nevertheless the Area of Study is a large component of the Standard English course and they will need to endure it for a bit longer. Year 11 Stud-ies students worked diligently on their letter of application and re-sume, and practised their job interview responses in readiness for their assessment task which was completed in weeks 9 and 10. Year 12 are in the middle of their respective courses, regular revi-sion of texts and concepts as well as exam practise is extremely important from now until the Trial HSC and the HSC exams. The Advanced students completed their critical study of “Hamlet” in Term

1 and are now engaged in the comparative study of “Frankenstein” and “Blade Runner” focusing on the values and concepts that are explored through both texts. Much research about science and eth-ics and morality was undertaken. Our Standard English cohort is in the process of exploring the Area of Study Belonging, they have begun exploring this concept and thinking about and discussing its complex meaning. Our Year 12 Studies students have completed their „Digital Worlds‟ study with the submission of their E-Portfolios. Don‟t forget, all English assessment booklets are available digitally via Moodle. These booklets contain information on assessment tasks and include marking criteria. Each cohort‟s assessment book-let is in the „General‟ section of each Year group page. Feel free to contact classroom teachers or the Head Teacher to discuss your child‟s progress or if you have any queries about as-sessment tasks. Ms Walsh Head Teacher - Rel

HSIE DEPARTMENT Term 1 was a busy term for HSIE. Harmony Day was a great success, which celebrated and respect-ed the diversity of our school population and recognised the valua-ble contribution that each student makes to our school community. In addition, we also commemorated ANZAC Day with a school as-sembly which recognised the sacrifice shown by those who served and died for our country. We also had our Year 10 „Coastal Man-agement‟ excursion to Newcastle beach, where the students were able to see for themselves the various issues involved; such as coastal erosion and coastal development.

In March, 50 Year 9 Students from Francis Greenway High School went to Sydney for their Year 9 Historical Site Study excursion. Despite the long bus trip, the students enjoyed themselves and found the Hyde Park Barracks – built by Francis Greenway – partic-ularly interesting. Student experienced first-hand what hammocks were like, the story behind artefacts from our colonial past and saw many of the sites of the City and Rocks area. All of the students who attended were excellent ambassadors for our school and were able to develop a better understanding on the new Australian History curriculum topic „Movement of Peoples”..

Finally on Marine Studies, we have opened our „Marine Room‟ which – after a lot of work – now has a number of tanks up and run-ning, with Yabbies and a variety of fish. The Marine Room allows those students who are studying Marine Studies, to gain practical skills and experience with aquariums and marine life. Thankyou to the P&C for your support. Also we are looking forward to running the Marine Studies excursion to the Gold Coast again, which was a great experience for those students who went last year. Mr Budden Head Teacher

JAPANESE Language Other Than English (LOTE) – JAPANESE (nihongo) This year‟s Year 12 students will be the first to sit the HSC examina-tions in Beginners Japanese at our school. The examination timeta-ble is now available. The Speaking Examination is on Saturday 13 September. The time scheduling menu opens on Monday 2 June and closes on Friday 13 June. Students are able to select a time to do the Oral Examination that suits them during this time. After the closing date, students will be allocated a time by the Board of Stud-ies. Students from the senior Japanese classes recently went on an excursion to Nagisa Japanese Restaurant at Honeysuckle. They had the opportunity to experience a selection of Japanese cuisine and try out some of their newly acquired language skills with the Japanese staff. It was pleasing to see the students challenge their taste buds with some of the new flavours and textures of Japanese food. Some loved the food, some didn‟t. Regardless, it was a valua-ble experience, deepening the student‟s knowledge and awareness of Japanese food etiquette.

Mrs Waller Japanese Teacher

LIBRARY AND YEAR 12 ADVISER Library Things have been busy in the library this year with Mrs Dowker and myself moving things around to create a more user friendly environ-ment. This will be ongoing this term. There has been a slight change to staffing this term with the addition of Mrs Gilby working as our library assistant on Monday and Tuesday.

A reminder that students are welcome to utilise the library resources to support their study during recess, lunch and study periods. There are also chess sets available for student use, including our giant chess set. Students can access the library catalogue from home through a link called “My Library” on their student portal. They will also find some helpful links to support their study through the “My Library” web page. As the cooler weather arrives and students are looking for indoor activities, feel free to speak to Miss Gale about what new resources we have available for you to read. Year 12 A few reminders regarding events for our Year 12 students. Firstly a reminder that we have booked the East Maitland Bowling Club for the formal on the 19 November. Prices have not yet been set as we have not yet made decisions regarding food and decorations but there is an account open for students to start depositing money if they would like. We are estimating that the cost will be just over $100 so if students wish to start making payments they can. Later this term the committee will begin to coordinate more details regard-ing the formal. Students are also starting to realise that time is running out and their school life is coming to a close. A simple word of advice is to organ-ise your time and put aside time for your schoolwork (as well as a social life). Ask teachers for help before you become too far behind and don‟t panic. Take a deep breath, make a list of what needs to be

done and take it one task at a time.

Ms Gale Teaching Librarian / Year 12 Adviser

PD/H/PE DEPARTMENT Term One proved a success for the PDHPE faculty with all three sports carnivals completed, with high student attendance and partici-pation. Congratulations to Attunga for finishing first at the Athletics Carnival on 1535 points, followed by Mulgabirra on 1176, Tikera on 1121 and Kilakara on 810. Congratulations must also go to the following stu-dents who were named Age Champions for our Cross Country and Athletics Carnival. Cross Country Under 12 Ethan Kulupach & Charli Papas Under 13 Khye Heron & Mya Cooke Under 14 Tyson Thornton & Ellie Papas Under 15 Liam Kulupach & Rylee Grant Under 16 Hayden Norman & Lily Oldham 17+ Jimmy Hendrie & Shyden Carne-Jordan Athletics Under 12 Ethan Kulupach & Charli Papas Under 13 Khye Heron & Mya Cooke Under 14 Harrison Schiemer &Tiarna Carne-Jordan Under 15 Bayley Ritchie & Rylee Grant / TkayahWidders Under 16 Jye Ireland & Claire Manning 17+ Jimmy Hendrie & Shyden Carne-Jordan

The following students must also be congratulated for progressing to the Hunter Region Cross Country Carnival after impressive perfor-mances at the Zone Carnival; Mya Cooke (1st), Tara Ryan (6th), TkayahWidders (4th), Sarah King (6th), Crystal Johnston (4th), Shyden Carne-Jordan (1st),Karleigha Melmeth (2nd), Ethan Kulupach (1st), Ben Callinan (6th), Joshua Hendrie (5th) and Jimmy Hendrie (2nd). We had many sporting teams compete in CHS knockout competi-tions in Term One, some experiencing success and moving forward in their respective competitions and others unfortunately being elimi-nated despite their best efforts. The Open Girls Netball, Softball, Soccer, Cricket and the Under 15 Girls Soccer, along with the Open Boys Rugby League and Table Tennis were all eliminated in their matches. Success was tasted by the Open Boys Cricket and Tennis along with the Open Boys and Girls Touch teams. The Open Boys Touch have qualified for the Hunter Final 8 series with some very convincing wins in their preliminary rounds, including a 15-0 demoli-tion of Irrawang High. Good luck to all the teams continuing on in Term Two. Finally we celebrate some individual success. Four of our students have been chosen in their respective sports to represent the Hunter Region in 2014. Congratulations to Rory Sleeth–Hunter Under 15 AFL team, Gary Anderson – Hunter Under 15 Rugby League, Bay-ley Ritchie and Jye Ireland – Open Boys Touch. A special mention must also go to Bayley Ritchie, Dylan Atkin, Gary Anderson and Jackson Hutchison who represented the Hunter Region Under 16 Boys Touch team at the NSW Championships recently, the Hunter team were defeated in the final by North Sydney by one touchdown. With a number of outstanding performances Bayley Ritchie was named player of the tournament and named in the NSW CHS Under

16 Touch team.

Ms Conway Head Teacher - Rel Outward Bound 2014 Congratulations to Hannah Scott, Nic Callinan, Sarah King, Jessalyn Cummings and Lilly Oldham who were awarded part scholarships to attend the 2014 Outward Bound Course. These students will spend the last week of this term in the National Parks near the Queens-land border where they will hike, camp, climb, abseil, canoe and be involved in leadership challenges. Any students who are 16 or older that think this sounds fun but did not apply for Outward Bound may be interested in the PCYC Blue Star Citizenship Course. This course involves volunteer work and completing the Duke of Edinburgh (Bronze) Award. For more infor-mation See Mrs Leeson or go to www.pcycbluestar.org Ms Leeson Coordinator

Vaccination Day Vaccination day is Tuesday 27 May, for all Year 7 (girls and boys) and Year 9 Boys. Please ensure that students are present at school on time, with an adequate breakfast, and fully hydrated. Students should be able to roll up their shirt sleeves. If any student did not hand in their forms for round one in February and wishes to be add-ed can they please return forms to Mrs Bull a.s.a.p. If any student has arrived at FGHS since round one and wishes to continue vac-cinations at FGHS can they also see Mrs Bull in order that I can notify which school they previously came from. First Aid If any student in Year 11 or 12 wishes to gain an accredited First Aid Certificate can they also see Mrs Bull. This excludes students in the PE faculty classes (PHP /SRF) as you will be doing your certificate in these classes later in the year. Mrs Bull

Girls Adviser

SUPPORT DEPARTMENT

http://www.pcycbluestar.org

Excursions Wednesday 7 May students from the Support Unit went to Nelson Bay. When we arrived it started raining so we took cover under the shelter and ate recess. When the rain stopped, we began the steep climb up Tomaree mountain. Mr Middleton and Mrs Squires led a group to the summit while Mrs Smart and Mrs Barlow took a group to the gunning placement. All students participated with enthusiasm and should be proud of their efforts.

Ms Mitchell Head Teacher

TAS DEPARTMENT New Faces The TAS faculty would like to welcome to the team some new mem-bers of staff. Mrs Usher who started with us at the start of the year replacing Mr Cromarty as our Head Teacher. Mr Kierney who brings with him a wealth of knowledge in metals technology. Baby News We would like to take the opportunity to congratulate Mr and Mrs Walsh on the arrival of their baby boy, Callum and we wish Mrs Walsh all the best whilst on maternity leave. Mrs Walsh is currently being replaced by Mrs Smithson. Friendly Reminders Just some friendly reminders for parents:

Paid fees = practical experiences Fully enclosed leather upper shoes = safe feet USB‟s are a good way to save your work Pens, pencils and books help record the work

Can you please remind your child to wear the correct footwear and bring their equipment to each lesson. Congratulations Special congratulations go out to two of our past HSC students, Jamie-Lee Egar and Jessica Dorrington who have started appren-ticeships as chefs. Well done girls, both well deserved.

Focus on learning Just a reminder of what our classes should be working on at the mo-ment.

Year 12 Textiles MDP‟s and HSC revision, Year 11 Textiles mini major design projects Year 11 and 12 CAFS assessment tasks due week 5 Year 11 Timber folio work Year 10 Food Technology whole course exams on in week 5 revise all course content

Stay tuned, in the next Gazette photos of students hard at work.

Mrs Usher Head Teacher

BYE BYE BIRDIE Francis Greenway High School is, once again, bringing their creative talents to the stage in the production of their musical BYE BYE BIRDIE. Following the success of BACK TO THE 80‟s and GREASE, the talents of the students of Francis Greenway will transport you back to the 60‟s. In this musical we can see teen heart throb, Conrad Birdie, being drafted into the army. Before he leaves friendly shores he promises to give one last kiss to one last girl. Get ready to tap your toes and clap along to the hits of this great musi-cal. Fun for the whole family BYE BYE BIRDIE promises to be a show not to be missed. Mark it on your calendar, set an alarm, put a reminder on your phone. Tickets are $10 each and go on sale on Monday 19 May. Available from the Front Administration Office.

Francis Greenway High has adopted an inno-vative approach to catering for GATS in our school. Since over 90% of the 2013 HCS cohort were accepted into the university course of their choice we are clearly providing a rigorous aca-demic curriculum. Rather than take the traditional approach where students are placed in a GATS class irrespective of their gift or talent, our school offers a program whereby students can pursue the area most pertinent to them. Research indicates that labelling children and placing them in a GATS class can have ad-verse effects on their social and emotional de-velopment. At Francis Greenway High we believe educa-tion is about catering to all areas of develop-ment and allowing students to excel in their chosen area whether it be sport, the arts, Sci-ence, English or Math.

Our next newsletter will feature our musi-cal, sport programs and Mock Trial team. Following are some examples of what we offer.

How does Francis

Greenway High School cater for students who

are Gifted and Talented?

Francis Greenway High School

Gifted and Talented Program

The FGHS Stingers Cheerleaders squad continued to impress in 2013 with many stun-ning performances including a feature perfor-mance at Star Struck. At the AASCF State Championships the Stingers finished 3rd in High School Cheer Level 2 and 4th overall in High School Cheer. At the Kurri Kurri Commu-nity Festival the Stingers took out 1st place stunt and 1st place All Star Cheer.

Dr Zimmerman from the University of Newcastle has partnered with our school in a long-term professional partnership to provide students with a link to current, real-life scientists working in our society and a chance to discover a link behind the curriculum. The University of Newcastle, Ourimbah campus, along with Dr Zimmerman, has offered the fully equipped university laboratory and complementing course material to our students. Students have the opportunity to visit and participate in practical activities, including looking at a range of different specimens. It is an extensive laboratory with excellent equipment and resources which can be tai-lored to suit our needs. Dr Zimmerman will visit the our school and give a presentation about his work

and what he specialises in. A goal of this partnership, is to become a pilot pro-gram for high school level coral reef research trips to Hideaway Island in Vanuatu.

UNITED NATIONS ASSEMBLY

Francis Greenway High School‟s Year 11 and 12 Le-gal Studies classes host a Model United Nations As-sembly in conjunction with the University of NSW. Fif-teen University students studying International Politics work with our students to cre-ate an environment mirroring an actual United Nations meeting. Students represent twelve different countries and debate Human Rights issues in the exact format used by the UN.

Scientists in Schools Program

Information for Parents/Carers Schools across Australia are taking part in a new national data collection on school students with disability. The data collection is being introduced in stages over three years, and started in 2013. From 2015, this information will be col-lected in every school across Australia, every year. All Australian governments have agreed to this.

WHAT IS THE BENEFIT FOR MY CHILD? All Australian governments agree that every child in an Australian school should have a high quality education. It shouldn‟t matter what the individual child‟s circumstances are – every child should have the same opportunity to succeed at school. The aim of this new data collection is to have better information about school students with disability in Australia. Better information about school students with disability will help teachers, principals and education authorities to support stu-dents with disability to take part in school on the same basis as students without disability.

WHY IS THIS DATA BEING COLLECTED? There is nothing new about schools collecting information about students with disability – in fact, schools have had to do this by law for some time. But the type of information currently collected varies between each state and territory. With the new data collection, every school in Australia will use the same method to collect this information – that is, a govern-ment school in suburban Sydney will collect and report data in the same way as a Catholic school in country Victoria and an independent school in the Northern Territory. The information provided through this new national data collection will enable all Australian governments to better target sup-port and resources to benefit students with disability. It will help to put the right supports in place for students with disability so that they have the same opportunities for a high quality education as students without a disability.

WHAT ARE SCHOOLS REQUIRED TO DO? Every school in Australia is likely to have a student with disability at some point. Schools need to be able to support students with disability by removing any obstacles for them to participate in their education. By law, schools are required to make reasonable adjustments where needed to assist students with disability. These responsi-bilities are outlined in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005. This means that schools need to talk to the student and/or their parent/carer about reasonable adjustments. These are things the schools do now and this won‟t change. The new data collection will record students who have been identified by a school team as meeting the definition of disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and provided with an adjustment.

WHAT IS AN ADJUSTMENT? An adjustment is a measure or action taken to help a student with disability participate in education on the same basis as other students. Adjustments can be made across the whole school setting (like ramps into classrooms), in the classroom and at an individual student level (like extra tuition for a student with a learning difficulty).

WHAT INFORMATION WILL BE COLLECTED? Your child‟s school will collect and report information every year about:

Some students who are not provided with an adjustment at the time of the collection will meet the definition of disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and will be eligible to be included in the data collection.

WHO WILL COLLECT MY CHILD‟S INFORMATION? Teachers and other school staff from your child‟s school will collect the above information based on:

School principals are responsible for making sure that the information collected about each student is accurate.

HOW WILL MY CHILD‟S PRIVACY BE PROTECTED? Protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all children and their families is very important. With the new data collection, this will be done in the following ways:

mation from other schools, it will be by school only – student names will not be recorded as part of the data collection.

– student names will not be recorded as part of the data collection.

WHEN AND WHERE WILL THE DATA BE AVAILABLE? When all Australian schools are taking part in the new data collection, the information will be reported on the My School website from 2016 onwards. It will be by school only – no student names are recorded as part of the data collection.

CAN I DECIDE WHETHER MY CHILD‟S INFORMATION IS INCLUDED IN THE NA-TIONAL DATA COLLECTION? It‟s your decision about whether you want your child‟s information to be included in the national reporting or not. Including every school child who is being provided with an adjustment because of disability in this new national data collection each year will help schools, education authorities and governments to better meet students‟ needs. Your school will tell you what you need to do if you don‟t want to have your child‟s information included in the national data collection. Even if your child‟s information is not included in the national data collection, your school is still required to provide sup-port to your child with disability and any adjustments that may be needed to help him/her participate at school.

FURTHER INFORMATION Contact your child‟s school if you have further questions about the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability and how it may affect your child. You can also visit www.education.gov.au/nationally-consistent-collection-data-school-students-disability

Dear Parent/Carers Nationally consistent collection of data on school students with disability – 2014

Our school is participating in the collection of nationally consistent data on school students with disability.

We will be collecting information already available in the school about the support that is being provided to students with disability.

Better data will help the Government plan for students with disability.

The data collection will have no direct impact on your child and they will not be involved in any testing process.

The NSW Department of Education and Communities will provide data to the Australian Government from all NSW public schools in such a way that no individual student or school will be able to be identified. In this way, we will ensure the privacy and confidenti-

ality of all students.

All information is protected by privacy laws which regulate the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information. Infor-mation about the Australian Government‟s Privacy Policy can be found here: http://education.gov.au/condensed-privacy-policy.

Information about the NSW Government‟s privacy policies can be found here: http://www.ipc.nsw.gov.au/

If you do not want your child to be counted in the data collection you must complete the attached form and return it to the

school before the end of Term 2, 2014. A decision to exclude your child will not affect the support they currently receive.

Further information about the data collection can be found on the Australian Government Department of Education website:

http://education.gov.au/nationally-consistent-collection-data-school-students-disability

If you have any questions about your child being included in the data collection please contact the school.

If you need help with English to make an enquiry contact the Telephone Interpreter Service on 131 450 and ask for an interpreter in

your language. The operator will call the number you provide and get an interpreter on the line to assist you with your conversation.

You will not be charged for this service.

Kind regard Jo Edwards Principal

If you do not want your child to be counted in the data collection, please complete the attached form and return it to the school be-fore the end of Term 2, 2014. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability – 2014

I/we ___________________________________________________________

Name of parent/carer do not wish my child ______________________________________ to be counted Name of child for the purposes of the collection of nationally consistent data on school students with disability.

http://education.gov.au/condensed-privacy-policyhttp://www.ipc.nsw.gov.au/privacy/privacy_ppipact.htmlhttp://education.gov.au/nationally-consistent-collection-data-school-students-disability

Student Volunteering at FGHS Volunteering Opportunity for Year 9 students. The school canteen is looking for volunteers for the following jobs:

Making hot chocolates from 8am to 8:25am, and Filling drink fridges in the last ten minutes of lunch break.

Volunteers would be placed on a roster and would have to be reliable. Participating students will receive in school training in safe food storage and service prac-tices. The experience will be an activity to enhance their resume and the hours volunteer-ing will be included in the NSW Premier‟s Volunteering Award Programme. If your child is interested, please encourage them to see Mrs Waller in the Mathematics Department. For more information, about the NSW Premier‟s Volunteering Award Programme, visit the following website: www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/volunteering/students Mrs S. Waller

http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/volunteering/students

ACADEMIC – someone who teaches at a university

ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY – a different way of getting to university (not straight from school). Universities sometimes use this

term on their websites. See Educational Access Scheme.

ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank) – the score your son/daughter is given as a result of sitting their HSC. Universities

have a minimum ATAR for each course and this can vary from year to year.

BACHELOR DEGREE – the name of a first degree course and usually takes 3 to 5 years of study. Names of degrees are often

shortened to: BA (Bachelor of Arts); BSc (Bachelor of Science); BEng (Bachelor of Engineering) etc.

COMBINED DEGREE – a degree in two areas. It can take 4-6 years of study to graduate from the two degrees. For example, your son/daughter might combine Sports Science/Business if they‟d like to run a gym, Arts/Law if they‟re interested in being a lawyer in

the performing arts, or International Studies/ Nursing if they‟re interested in nursing in a non-English speaking country.

FACULTY – a university division e.g. Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Business. Some universities call their

faculties schools e.g. School of Medicine, School of Economics.

GRADUATE – a student who has completed a university degree.

HECS-HELP – the government‟s interest free loan scheme that allows your son/ daughter to defer (pay later) their course fees until

they are earning wages above a certain amount.

HSC (Higher School Certificate) – the HSC is the NSW qualification of students who successfully complete secondary education.

It is awarded on the basis of a combination of school-based and external examination assessments.

HONOURS – an additional period of study – usually a year – during which your son/ daughter takes additional subjects (often re-

search-based). Abbreviated to „Hons‟, e.g. BA (Hons).

EDUCATIONAL ACCESS SCHEME – an alternative entry to university for students who have experienced long term disad-

vantages while studying. Visit www.uac.edu.au for more details.

PATHWAY COURSE – a course designed to help your son/daughter get into university, particularly if they did not complete the

HSC or need to improve their English. School Careers Advisors and university staff can help with information about this.

POSTGRADUATE – a student who is studying a second degree such as a Master‟s or Doctorate, or any level of study beyond a

Bachelor‟s degree. Abbreviation: PG, post-grad.

SUBJECT or UNIT – part of a degree. If your son/daughter studies full-time, he/she will normally do 4 subjects each semester.

Each subject is worth a certain number of credit points which count towards his/her degree.

TERTIARY EDUCATION – any study after high school. Also called Higher Education.

TAFE – some high school students study at TAFE as part of their HSC. TAFE also offers courses that will help your child get into a

university course.

UAC (Universities Admissions Centre) – UAC has information about all courses for all universities and processes all applications

from school leavers for NSW and the ACT. Website: www.uac.edu.au

VET (Vocational Education and Training) – these courses are sometimes taught through your child‟s high school, a registered

training organisation or TAFE. They include courses for hospitality, engineering and trades such as carpentry and mechanics.

Bridges to Higher Education is a partnership of five universities (University of Technology, Sydney, Macquarie University, Universi-ty of Western Sydney, University of Sydney and the Australian Catholic University) and ten other partners. Bridges to Higher Edu-cation is funded by the Commonwealth Government’s Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) which

aims to boost the participation of communities underrepresented in higher education.

www.bridges.nsw.edu.au

HIGHER EDUCATION – Common Terms

HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT

Organisation: Developing good organisational skills is a key ingredient for success in school and in life. Although some people by nature are more organized than others, anyone can put routines and systems in place to help get it together." Here's a list of strategies that you can use.

1. Use checklists

Get into the habit of keeping a "to‑do" list. Use checklists to record assignments, household chores, and reminders about what materi-als to bring to class. You should keep a small pad or notebook or your student diary dedicated to listing homework assignments. Cross-ing completed items off the list will give you a sense of accomplishment.

2. Organise homework assignments/assessments

Before beginning a homework session, you should number assignments/assessments in the order in which they should be done. You should start with one that's not too long or difficult, but avoid saving the longest or hardest assignments/assessments for last.

3. Designate a study space

You should study in the same place every night. This doesn't have to be a bedroom, but it should be a quiet place with few distractions. All school supplies and materials should be nearby.

4. Set a designated study time You should know that a certain time every day is reserved for studying and doing homework. The best time is usually not right after school‑‑‑most children benefit from time to unwind first. Even if you do not have homework, the reserved time should be used to re view the day's lessons, read for pleasure, or work on an upcoming project.

5. Keep organised books

Help keep track of your papers by organising them in a binder or notebook. This will help you review the material for each day's classes and to organise the material later to prepare for tests and quizzes. Use dividers to separate class notes, or color‑code books. Separate “to do" and "done" folders – organise worksheets, notes, and items to be signed by parents, as well as provide a central place to store completed assignments/assessments.

6. Conduct a weekly clean‑up Sort through your school bag and books on a weekly basis. Old tests and papers should be organised and kept in a separate file at home.

7. Create a household schedule

Try to establish and stick to a regular dinnertime and a regular bedtime. This will help you fall into a pattern at home. Young people with a regular bedtime go to school well‑rested. Try to limit television‑watching and computer play to specific periods of time during the day. 8. Keep a master calendar Keep a large, wall‑sized calendar for the household that lists the family's commitments, schedules for extracurricular activities, days off from school, and major events at home and at school. Note dates when you have a big exam or due dates for projects. This will help family members keep track of each other's activities and avoid scheduling conflicts.

9. Prepare for the day ahead Before you go to bed, you should pack schoolwork and books into your bag. The next day's clothes should be laid out with shoes, socks, and accessories. This will cut down on morning confusion and allow you to prepare quickly for the day ahead.