from the principal’s desk...steve showed us how to shear the sheep. towards the end we were able...

Principal: Mr Don Harvey Deputy Principal: Mrs Kath Crispin Mr Rod Cosier Mr Kerry Adamthwaite TELEPHONE: 68452344 or 68452279 FAX: 68451380 BOX 21 PO WELLINGTON The P & C Association meets at 7.00pm in the School Library every 3rd Tuesday in the month. Office Bearers for 2011 are: President: Ms Julie Blackhall Secretary: Ms Helen Morley The Treasurer: Mrs Sally Anderson Publicity Officer: Mrs Shirley Moore

Volume 15, Issue 6 16th December 2011

WELLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL

1

FROM THE

PRINCIPAL’S DESK What an extraordinarily busy and productive year 2011 has been. I trust that you will enjoy reading our final newsletter for 2011. I certainly have and while doing so reflected on the fantastic achievements of our students and school. 2011 has been a significant year for us in a great many respects. The school has been fortunate to have a magnificent Trade Training Centre added to our already excellent facilities. The Trade Training Centre in Metal Engineering and Primary Industries will further enhance our capacity to provide significant pathways for our students into employment.

I hope that you will also enjoy reading about some of the magnificent successes our students have achieved including the dance troupe who performed in the Schools Spectacular, our fantastic young sports men and women as those who have gained our highest Merit awards. In 2011 our students have participated in numerous excursions and activities which have enhanced their learning and life experience, from work experience to Crutching School, excursion to Canberra, Driver Awareness training, a young leaders program and national competitions. Please read and enjoy our newsletter as

we wish you a relaxing and enjoyable

Christmas break.

D Harvey Principal

Electronic Devices

Policy

Wellington High School adopted an electronic devices policy which, after consultation with the SRC and the P&C, allowed students to bring mobile phones, portable computer games, MP3 players/iPods and other similar devices to school for use only during recess and lunchtime. During the course of 2011, there has been an ever escalating breach by students of this policy, such that the devices are frequently used in ways which disrupt student learning and are harmful to student well-being. Wellington High School now proposes to review this policy for 2012 and I will invite you to provide your views on this issue to us early in 2012.


2

Year 10 Work Experience

Year 10 students have been returning from a second instalment of Work Experience this term. This was organised so students who have an interest in a particular field would have another opportunity to try and extend themselves in the workforce. The school has been incredibly lucky to have so many employers willing to host our students. It takes a lot of organisation and goodwill to take someone with no experience in that job and take the time to teach and supervise them, while still having to run their own businesses. Our students have been placed all over the Central West in a diverse range of jobs. We had students living away from home in Peak Hill and Tamworth, students travelling to Dubbo and properties around the district, as well as in Wellington. They tried their hands at fencing, painting, childcare, shearing, fibre-glassing, jewellery-making, the Transfer Station, the Library, horticulture, hairdressing, professional cleaning and many more. Students also had to develop skills common to all jobs such as ensuring they got to work on time, appropriately dressed, arranging transport or accommodation, having a go at new tasks, cleaning and maintaining tools, being held responsible for their own efforts and actions, and then having to do it all again the next day. Wellington High School would like to give a big thanks to all our host employers. Wellington Transfer Station Dubbo & District Preschool Wellington Shire Council – Parkes & Gardens Kings Hall Jewellers Ian Darney – Painter Gareth Dutfield Ultimate Fibreglass Suzie’s Cleaning & Ironing Wellington Library Hollywood Angus Stud Twin Palms Garden Centre

Wellington Primary School Wellington Primary School Preschool Peter Rodgers Fencing Janelle’s Family Daycare Fallon’s Family Daycare Michael White & Co Warrengunyah PIS Renay’s Hair Fuzon In order to show our appreciation, we will be holding a

WHS Careers Breakfast and invite all employers who

hosted students throughout 2011 to attend. After all

your hard work, the least we can do is give you

brekkie and a good coffee!

The Breakfast will be Friday 16th December from 7:00

– 8:30am so employers can pop in on their way to work. Invitations will be coming out shortly. Careers would also like to congratulate all our students who committed themselves to completing this second session of Work Experience. Mrs Boyers has received really good reports from your placements, the school is proud of how you have conducted yourselves. We look forward to as successful a year in 2012 for Work Experience.

Mrs Boyers - Careers Advisor


3

Art Annual Report

2011

During 2011 Wellington High School students have been involved in a wide variety of exhibitions, excursions and projects, including the Waste to Art Exhibition, The Wellington Show, Gulgong Youth Art Festival, Canberra, Orange and Dubbo gallery visits. Wellington High School entered artworks in the Waste to Art competition organised by Wellington Council, which were displayed shortly after Easter for three weeks at the town library. Students who worked in this competition included students from the E Class and Year 10 Visual Art. Two entries were selected from Wellington High School for the regional display of recycled artworks. Equal first place in the 12 to 18 years section was shared by Michalia Gordon, Kimberley Bowman, Alicia Hanman and Caroline Morley, Tarra Miller, Ruth Moore. Wellington High School entered into a variety of sections at the 2011 Wellington Show, including crayon and pencil drawings, digital photography, painting, sculpture and design artworks. These pieces showcased the students‘ work in class from Years 7 to 12. Awards were presented to Summah Robey, Arnold Hudson, Toni Dorin, Jayden Thompson, Maddison Worthe and Jessica White.

Art students from Wellington High School also displayed a number of artworks in Gulgong over the June long weekend. These included some of the unfinished works that could not be displayed at the Wellington Show and other exceptional projects. This display incorporated artworks from around the Mudgee/Gulgong district, celebrating the Henry Lawson Festival.

Sixteen students travelled to Canberra in May as part

of the combined Maths and Art excursion. Students

were involved in a variety of activities in Canberra

including ANU, Questacon, the Australian National

Gallery, Cockington Gardens and the Canberra

Museum and Gallery.

Additional excursions included visits to Art Express in Dubbo during August to see the stellar works by Visual Art students from the 2010 Higher School Certificate. Students from Years 9 to 11 were involved over the two days. A cultural and practical excursion was also held during October for Year 9 Art students who visited exhibitions at the Orange Regional Gallery and attended a photo shoot at the Botanical Gardens. During the year, Miss Hamblin has accompanied selected excursions and the students have really appreciated her involvement. A thank-you must also be extended to Miss Hamblin, Mrs Shackleton and Mr Padgett for their work teaching Year 7 art classes in 2011.


4

Schools Spectacular This year‘s Schools Spectacular was a very successful time for our students at Wellington High School. The students travelled to Sydney on Wednesday the 23

rd of

November and returned home on Sunday the 27th.

All students mastered the Traditional Dance very quickly and became familiar with the dance routine. Overall, Mr Ryan, Mr Brown and Mrs Willie were very proud of our students‘ efforts and we congratulate them for a job well done. Don‘t forget to watch ABC1 on the 18

th of December to

view their performance!

Mrs Willie, Mr Ryan and Mr Brown

Our students

wowed at this

year’s

Schools

Spectacular!


5

Crutching School

During October and November, students from Years 8, 9 and 10 were invited to complete a Crutching School through Wellington TAFE. Not only did we practise handling sheep, we had to complete TAFE competencies which meant we had to do written tests as well. We went to the Wellington Showground to carry out a risk assessment, and were able to crutch 80 sheep. We also travelled to Dubbo TAFE where Phil and Steve showed us how to shear the sheep. Towards the end we were able to shear a sheep each and send them down the chute. Our last day of crutching was cancelled due to the rain, however we learned that weather is a big part of the job. At the end of our course, we had a BBQ with family and friends and we were presented with our certificates by the Mayor of Wellington, Anne Jones. We learned that crutching and shearing is a job that you can find anywhere around the world, and that if you are a good worker you are assured of a bed anywhere. Some of us have already found work crutching on farms over the holidays, and will get paid good money for it. There is also a Shearing School running in January which some us of will attend.

We would like to thank our trainers Steve Whale and Phil Balcombe, our TAFE teacher Lindy Whale, and the coordinator Jim Murray for their help. We‘d also like to thank Mrs Boyers for encouraging us to join. The Crutching School will be running next year for any students who would like to have a go. I found it enjoyable, and I can now use my skills to find paid work. Students who attended the Crutching School included

Shawn Eldridge, John Forrester, Daniel Stanley,

Tyrone Shipley, Nash Forgione , Mark Simmons, Luke

Rodgers and Charlie Iffland.

Tyrone Shipley

FOR SALE Hospitality Uniform

Size Medium

$40

Contact the Office if interested


6

Merit Assembly—The following students have

received awards over the past 4 merit

assemblies

Bronze Silver Gold

Year 7 Year 7 Year 7

Dennis Allen Noah Dorin Jamie-Lee Allen

Cody Martin Michael Ellis Brodie Davis

Tyler Peckham Elizabeth Holmes Isaac George

Kotoni Staggs Shane Mara Wesley Hetherington

Brooke Stokes Elizabeth Holmes

Year 8 Hayden Mills

Christopher Crean Year 8 Year 8

Matthew Maher Paul Mills Sarah Donnelly

Renae Gowans

Year 11 Year 9 Brenton Hayes

Spencer Brien Timothy Forrest Tahnee Kelly

Jesse Ling Ruth Moore

Year 10 Rylie Pearce

Courtney Button Brock Playford

Andrew Chown Michael Rich

Shayna Ryan Christy Simmons

Zac Sheppard Thomas Williams

Kayce Walker Year 9

Tennille Campbell

Year 11 Ryan Goninan

David Whittaker Year 10

Kade Baxter

Courtney Button

Kaydee Lee

Year 11

Penny Anderson

Kristen Gowans

Daniel Perkins

Kyle Polley

Diamond

Year 7 Year 8 Krystal Wotton

Corine Green Thomas Bell

Samantha Gregory Year 9 Year 10

Karen May Dearne Philpott Brent Naden

Andrew Murray Kurt Stokes Lewis Stanley

PBL Report

2011 saw the second year of PBL (Positive Behaviour for Learning) at Wellington High School. Our school expectations are RESPECTFUL, RESPONSIBLE and SAFE. Wellington High School expects students to behave in a respectful, responsible and safe way at all times. This year the students were taught what these expectations look like in non-classroom settings. For example, the school expects students to speak well, and to show respect to other members of the school community (other students, staff and visitors to the school) by using appropriate language, (not swearing), appropriate tone of voice, and by using put-ups (not put-downs). The focus area changes each fortnight. The focus is taught at school assembly and in VRG, so that all students are aware of the schools expectations. Other focus areas have included exiting the school through the correct gates, staying in bounds, keeping to the left on the stairs and in hallways, and switching mobile phones and iPods off during class times. Students who are caught doing the right thing, are rewarded with wellies. Wellies can be saved up and used towards the school's merit system. All wellies go into a fortnightly draw for PBL prizes each assembly. A particularly popular prize this year has been the remote controlled helicopters, calculators, pens and pencils and i-tunes cards. Each term, a whole school challenge has been set, and if achieved the whole school is rewarded. Whole school rewards this year included a pizza lunch, and DVD afternoons. The final whole school challenge was to fill the super wellington boot with wellies. This was achieved with ease, and on the last day of term, students and staff will have all they can eat ice-cream sundaes, followed by a DVD!


7

Mrs I Sayers

Teacher – Librarian

Next year PBL will be moving into classrooms, so students will be taught exactly what the school's expectations are inside the classrooms. The matrix of behaviours for non-classroom settings will be sent home to all students early next year, as will the matrix for classrooms, once the expectations for each classroom setting have been established.

Tonya Wilkins PBL Co-ordinator

Draw recipients for Terms 3 and 4 are as follows: 26

th August 2011

Dana McMahon, Andrew Murray, Rebecca Hyde, Courtney Button, Alanah Nolan, Victoria Hicks, David Whittaker, Brad King, Daniel Maher, Bevan Burns, Tennille Campbell 9

th September 2011

Bailey Preston, Maddison Smith, Karen May, Hayden Mills, Courtney Button, Shiralee Forrester, Alanah Nolan, Brad Reid 21

st October 2011

Leiha McGeorge, Gabrielle Eather, Brock Palmer, Courtney Button, Brad Reid, Dearne Philpott, Terry Elwell, Kasee-Leigh Spiby, Christina Wilkinson, Sarah Donnelly, Brian Baxter 4

th November 2011—Focus—Stay in Bounds

Krystal Wotton, Charles Iffland, Jessica Antes, Keelie Blackhall, Tahnee Kelly, Joshua Moore, Tim Johnston, Sarah Donnelly, Maddison Smith, Rebecca Hyde, Brian Baxter, Brad Reid

18

th November 2011—Focus—Speak Well

Maddison Smith, Joshua Archbold, Alfred Button, Molly Griggs, Jesse Ling, Kimberley Bowman, Rebecca Wilkinson, Melissa Frappell, Cody Boles, Joshua Moore, Spencer Brien, Chris Hodgess, Dana McMahon, Shane Mara 2

nd December 2011—Focus—Exit through the

correct entrance Jessica Young, Britney Wheatley, Jake Musgrave,

Jareth Harries, Kayce Walker, Terry Elwell, Michael

Ellis, Brodie Davis, Elizabeth Holmes, Jarod Oats


8

Art Excursion to Orange

On the 8th of November, Year 9 Visual Art students travelled to Orange on an art excursion to the Botanical Gardens and Orange Regional Gallery. The main focus for this excursion was to take landscape and nature photos as part of their studies of 35mm black and white photography. The students shared one camera between two people and explored some of the features of the gardens including the lake, an old church, ducks and a variety of gnarled trees. They visited the gallery to see a selection of works in the Festival of Students Art from the local primary and secondary students in the Orange district, from both public and private schools. They also saw pieces by artists Fairlie and Peter Kingston and a selection of prints from Goulburn Regional Gallery. The students had lunch at McDonalds and dessert at the Gelato Factory in Molong on the way back to Wellington. The students and I would like to thank Miss Hamblin who also came on the excursion.

Noel Dewsbery

Learning with Experiments Effect of heating on metals This term Mrs Madan‘s Year 8.1 class completed their first hand investigation for the current topic ―particle theory‖. Students used the ball and ring set to see the expansion of the metal, when heated. It was easy to put ball in the ring when the metal ring was heated. Mr Adamthwaite visited the class and joined us in our experiment. We also tried to put the metal ball in iced water to see the cooling effect on metals.

Crushing Cola Can without using force Year 10.3 learned how to follow the planned procedure when performing an investigation. They crushed the cola cans by heating them and putting them in a cold water trough. It was great to see their involvement. Zeke, Tarik, Hayden, and Dylan followed all the safety rules and we recycled a great number of cans.

Mrs Madan


9

Sport Report 2011 There have been some fantastic sporting achievements for students at Wellington High School this year in both school and external sport. Some of the fantastic achievements of our students include: Harry Giffin - NSW Polo Cross Captain and Australian squad member Sara Darney - NSW U/15 cricket Brittany Naden - ACT U/15 cricket Maddison Worthe - NSW Painthorse team Lewis Stanley - NSW Indigenous U/16 Rugby League Norman was once again dominant in the school swimming and athletics carnivals. Our students participated to a high standard at these carnivals and we sent strong teams away to the regional carnivals. From the regional carnival Brittany Naden, Calvin Reynolds, Ngahla Talbot and Cody Hannelly were selected to participate at the NSW CHS carnival. The girl‘s cricket team and boy‘s football (soccer) team experienced a high level of success. Both teams were impressive in reaching the regional final of their sports and should be congratulated. The one sour note for sport this year was the fact a number of boys sports had to be cancelled with Wellington forfeiting due to a lack of interest. These included U/16 rugby league and opens boy‘s cricket. Hopefully 2012 will see more of students take the opportunity to represent the school. Have a safe and happy Christmas.

Dillon Price

Year 7 Report

It has been a long but a rewarding year for the Year 7 cohort in 2011 at Wellington High School. As Year 7 advisor I have witnessed a smooth transition from the students as they adopted a new routine into High School. There were some startled looks from some students, as teachers told them to go this way then that way, but they soon adopted a logical sequence to their understandings of the school layout (even if it took them five minutes to move from room 9 to room 8). Early in Semester 1, a majority of the Year 7 students nominated to partake in extracurricular activities involving sport, academic competitions and curricular-enriched excursions. Positive reviews were given for the excellence and commitment displayed within the community from the supervising teachers and outside staff during those activities mentioned above. Late in Semester 1 and 2, students sat their examinations from all key learning areas and portrayed a positive and diligent attitude to their achievements throughout the year. Upon review, most of the students have worked exceptionally hard and have been rewarded with the appropriate grades from their successful year. I can only conclude that it has been an interesting, fun and rewarding year supervising all students from the Year 7 cohort. I look forward to continuing this role next year as they transition into Year 8 with higher confidence and an enforced outlook into their future education at Wellington High School. Have a safe and Merry Christmas to all Year 7 students, parents and staff of Wellington High School.

Mr Mainey

Year 8 Report

2011 has been an extremely busy year for the students of Year 8. There have been many students who have achieved to a high academic standard in the class room and in external competitions, such as the University of NSW Mathematics and the ESSA (Science) tests. We look forward to recognising these students‘ achievements at our presentation night in week 10. Many students have also experienced success on the sporting field in the school swimming and athletics carnival. A number of students were then selected to represent the school at regional carnivals. The progression into Year 9 is an important step into the senior school. The students will be able to select elective courses to further their learning. 2012 will be equally busy for our students with many opportunities being offered at Wellington High School.

Mr Price


10

Mrs I Sayers


Year 9 Report

It has been a very busy year for Year 9 of 2011. Firstly I would like to congratulate Year 9 on the variety of activities which they were involved in. These have varied from academic, sporting and cultural activities. It is important that students become actively involved in the opportunities which are placed in front of them at Wellington High School. In the sporting arena we have two very successful students in Brittany Naden and Sara Darney. Brittany was successful in being selected to play cricket for the ACT and Sara for NSW. I congratulate these students for their persistence and commitment to their chosen sport. It is pleasing to see success for hard work; this is not only in sport. I have seen continued growth in the students of Year 9, mainly due to commitment of students to their studies. I look forward to these students receiving their due accolades at presentation night and congratulate them on their commitment. On a sadder note I have seen many students suspended over the year for poor behaviour. I would like to remind Year 9 that there are rules which need to be followed or consequences will follow. I am sure that these students have seen their errors and look forward to a successful improvement in all aspects of their learning during 2012. Believe it or not, your school years are a very easy and enjoyable part of life and students need to make the best of the years which can form your future directions. I wish all Year 9 students, their families and carers all the best for Christmas, New Year and for the upcoming future. Remember life is a journey which has many turns and twists, but ensure that you are true to yourself, your family and friends. This makes you a truly good person.

Mr Roberts

Year 10 Report

Year 10 have finished the year with a very busy agenda. Students sat their trial exams in week 2 and then their School Certificate in week 5. During week 6, several students were placed on work experience and feedback from their employers indicates that the students showed an excellent work ethic.

Week 9 sees students gaining their First Aid Certificate over 2 days through TAFE and also includes ―A Day at the Races‖ social, organised by the SRC to celebrate students‘ milestone in finishing year 10.

A number of Year 10 girls have been busy scanning photos, creating slideshows and making decorations for their farewell assembly. It is at this final year assembly that students are presented with their School Certificate.

While many students will come back next year and complete Year 11 and 12, some students will be leaving and going into full time employment and study. We wish these students all the best in their future. We look forward to those students returning in 2012 and wish them all the best as they strive towards completion of their HSC.

Mrs Blake

Year 11 Report

The 2011 year at Wellington High School began on a promising note for all our Year 11 students. They were eager to start their HSC years with an enthusiastic and optimistic attitude. Students took advantage of many undertakings available to them to further develop their academic and sporting skills such as Three Rivers, Physics and Chemistry and Maths challenges. The Year 11 educational trips locally have brought the whole group together. The activities provided by the RYDA Program, the Year 11 Study Day at Lake Burrendong and Recreation Centre, the Driver Awareness Program and the Careers Day excursion were all hands-on and have all formed the bonding for the students to work as a team. Many Year 11 students have displayed the characteristics of being a responsible school and community member and a leader by taking the opportunities available at Wellington High School. This has ranged from being involved in catering and helping out for the various functions involving the school and the community, running the school assembly by the Year 11 school captains and vice-captains and joining numerous groups including the SRC, the School Spectacular and NASCA. On a final note, I would like to thank all the parents

and guardians for their continued support and co-

operation as we work together to guide their sons,

daughters and wards through their high school and

adolescence.

Mrs Sayers


11

Mrs I Sayers


Year 12 Report

The end has come for Year 12 and soon they will know the results of all their hard work. Year 12 are invited to morning tea, 11am on Wednesday 14

th

December to share their results with their teachers. Some students have already received offers from the universities they applied to for early entry. Some students have gained apprenticeships and/or traineeships in the workforce, and some are still finding their feet in the ‗School of Life‘. The Year 12 Formal was a great success and all students looked and presented themselves as mature individuals. I would like to wish Year 12, 2011 all the best in their future, and to thank them for all their support they gave to me as their Year Advisor.

Ms Woods

Term 4 Social


12

Agriculture Report

This year we had our most successful steer show ever, with the Northern Schools Steer Show in Coonamble. We continue to strengthen our ties with a number of local beef/cattle studs. We look forward to continuing these relationships and show successes with both beef/cattle and our Poll Dorset stud sheep in 2012. We also continue to develop our relationships with CANFA and the University of NSW in our commercial cattle production and cropping enterprises.

Mr Dimmick Agriculture Teacher

Learning Support Report

It has been a busy year in Learning Support, with many successes to celebrate. Early in the year several students travelled to Cowra for the Western Area Swimming Carnival for students with special needs. All students competed well and had an enjoyable day, but the stars of the day were Shontae Stanley and Kotoni Staggs who were the

champions in their age group. After a very close race, Wellington won the final relay to take the prize for most successful school of the day.

The next sporting success came from the Bocce team. They played Mudgee and Dubbo to become Western Area champions. They then travelled to Gunnedah to play Armidale, but unfortunately were just beaten. This was a great effort from the team‘s first entry into the competition and they will be a strong force next year. Several students also attended the Western Area Athletics Carnival for Students with Special Needs. Shontae Stanley, Kotoni Staggs and Winona Lambert-Ellis were all invited to go to the next level. But, unfortunately, due to all those winter flus no one was able to attend. The highlight of our sporting year was definitely the

Western Area Oztag Carnival. Wellington has hosted

the event since taking the first division title from

Mudgee in 2005. All students in the support classes

participated across three divisions, with first division

taking the trophy for the seventh year in a row.

Literacy and Numeracy, as always, have been an important focus this year. Some of the most significant improvements in our whole school focus areas have come from many students in the learning support classes. There has also been some interesting work in the classrooms. Mrs Blake‘s class worked on the novel ―Charlotte‘s Web‖ and constructed a giant web and spider for their classroom. They also learned all about the human body and lived with a skeleton in the room for a while. Miss Bolton‘s class investigated the solar system. Students did some outstanding research and presented the information on some great posters. They too learned about the human body. Miss Cooper‘s class learned all about the ―great

pacific garbage patch‖ as well as feral animals and

the damage that they do to the environment.

Mr Mason and Miss Cooper combined classes twice weekly to teach a resilience program called ―Bounce Back.‖ Students learned about optimism, friendship, bullying, goal setting and success. They looked forward to these lessons each week. There a few changes to look forward to next year. The

faculty will have a new Head Teacher, some new

classrooms and new students coming into Year 7.

A big thanks to all the learning support staff who

adapted to the many changes, and worked very hard

this year to ensure that all of our students were

engaged in quality learning.

Ms Cooper Head Teacher—Learning Support


13

Maths Faculty Report

This year has been a busy and productive year for the Mathematics faculty with students participating in a number of Mathematics excursions and competitions. In March and June a team of 8 Aboriginal students, accompanied by Mr Padgett, Ms Knox and Mrs Slack-Smith travelled to Sydney to compete in the Indigenous Numeracy competition organised by the staff from Sarah Redfern High School. The students who attended were Rowan Gersbach, Troy Gersbach, Timothy Forrest, Jessica Kitch, Nicholas James, Heather Scott, Tara-Lee Swainston and Lincoln Mara. The competition was organised into four different sections; a series of problem-solving exercises, a fast money style speed maths section, a beat-the-clock individual challenge and a Jeopardy-style game show. Wellington Firestorm put two teams of four into the competition and both teams did very well in all sections. In the March competition, the Wellington Firestorm were named champions and received a very impressive trophy. Thank you, Miss Knox and Mrs Slack-Smith for helping out with supervision for these excursions. In May, Jessica Kitch, Penelope Anderson, Troy Gersbach, Joshua Moore, and Jessica Ryan attended the Australian National University Maths Day Competition. This is a competition for Year 12 Mathematics students where teams of five compete in a series of challenges. Most of the schools who attended were from Canberra or Sydney, and Wellington High School is one of few country schools who attended. Despite our team consisting mainly of Year 11 students we placed 15

th overall, out of 33

teams, which is a terrific achievement. 35 students participated in the University of New South Wales ICAS Mathematics Competition in August with four students attaining credits. These students were Samara Collins (Year 7), Bradley King (Year 8), Lachlan Conn (Year 8) and Troy Gersbach (Year 11). They are to be congratulated on achieving these awards but all students are to be congratulated on going in the competition, with a number of them just missing out on attaining an award. Throughout the year selected students have been withdrawn from maths classes to be involved in both remediation and extension programs aimed at improving their numeracy skills. The Maths staff would like to thank Mrs Gillmer and Mrs Slack-Smith for their hard work with these students who, in the majority, have shown a marked improvement in their numeracy skills. MATHLETICS (a computerised program aimed at assisting students with revision, consolidation and extension opportunities) has continued to be used with all junior Mathematics classes across the school.

The program has been found to be very worthwhile and students are able to access the program at home via the internet. In conclusion, I would like to thank the Mathematics staff for all the hard work they have put in this year. Thank you also to the ladies in the front office for the assistance they have given the Mathematics faculty throughout the year.

M Hamblin Relieving Head Teacher - Mathematics

HSIE Faculty Report

It‘s been another busy year for the HSIE faculty, with lots happening both in and out of the class room. I would like to thank the HSIE staff for their outstanding contribution to Wellington High School over the year. The Year 9 Elective History class travelled to Canberra to look at the Australian War Memorial, Old and New Parliament House and the Australian Sound and Film Archives. Mrs Parkes and Mr Parkes were pleased with the enthusiasm and interest students showed while on the excursion, in spite of the wet weather. A great time was had by all.

Mrs Parkes also took Year 12 Ancient History to the Macquarie University for a lecture on Pompeii and Herculaneum and a visit to the Nicholson museum at Sydney University to look at Egyptian artefacts. It was a great learning experience for all students for their HSC course. Mr Roberts organised an excellent excursion to Wellington‘s Waste Management facility for the whole of Year 10 Geography. Students were studying waste management as part of their School Certificate and undertook fieldwork at the site. All students are to be congratulated for their efforts in the compulsory fieldwork section of the Geography course. A big thankyou also goes to Mr Roberts who filmed the entire excursion for those students who were unable to attend on the day. While on Geography, Mr Roberts also organised a day at Burrendong Arboretum for Year 11 and 12 fieldwork, which also incorporated looking at salinity at ―Easterfield‖.


14

Mrs I Sayers


The Year 12 Geography class travelled to Sydney with Mr Brown and Mrs Brown to complete their final fieldwork, looking at the redevelopment of Pyrmont, urbanisation, ecosystems at risk and the transport links in the city. It was a big couple of days, with lots of walking around the city, ferry rides and seeing the sites of the city. Congratulations to all students for their excellent efforts towards the fieldwork, you were a credit to the school.

The school has also taken both Year 9 Forensics and Year 10 History to the cemetery to study local history. Students gained valuable knowledge about the past of Wellington including migrant backgrounds, war, jobs and important people in the community. The Year 9 class also visited the funeral parlour to learn about ―Death in Different Societies‖.

Mrs Woods took all of Year 9 to the Cenotaph to learn about the sacrifices local families made towards the war effort. Students were able to link the names on the Cenotaph and research them on the War Memorial website. Thanks Ms Woods. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Ms Woods all the best on her future endeavours as she has some time off to travel and explore Northern Australia. Most students have been working to a high standard in HSIE this year and have achieved some outstanding results in the HSC, School Certificate and in class tests and assessment tasks. I would like to encourage all students to continue to keep striving to do their best in HSIE.

I would also like to thank all the HSIE staff, Mr Tognolini, Mr Roberts, Mrs Parkes, Ms Woods, Mrs Stevenson, Mrs Boyers, Mr Adamthwaite, Mrs Feeny and Mr Hardy who have worked extremely hard in the HSIE faculty and sought to assist students wherever they could. Thanks for being a great staff! Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to say goodbye, I have enjoyed my time at Wellington High School and appreciate the support of the HSIE staff, they have been a great bunch to work with. Thanks again.

Mr Leighton Brown HSIE Head Teacher

Community Engagement

Report

As the end of another great year approaches, I am excited to be planning what is to come in 2012. We have had some wonderful programs and opportunities for our students here such as Driver Awareness, D&A week, Wellington High School showcase, Rainbows and just last night, our Social Media Information night.

I would like to thank all of our parents, students and the other agencies that have been involved with and supported what we do here. I look forward to catching up with you all again soon and am sure I will see most of you in the holidays. Please do not hesitate to call me if you would like to come into the school and chat, have any ideas to share or even if you have a talent that you think I could implement into my craft programs. I would like to wish you all a safe and happy holidays and see you all in the New Year.

Ms Perkins Community Engagement Officer


15

Science Faculty Report

2011 has been a very busy year in the Science Faculty. Myself, Mrs Gurdeep Madan, Ms Nicole Knox and Mr Shaun Baigent were kept busy teaching 6 senior classes (Bio, Physics and Chemistry in both Year 11 and Year 12), and 12 junior classes.

Term 1 saw students from Years 9 and 10 travel to Dubbo for the Science Engineering Challenge, and the HSC Chemistry class head to Sydney to visit ANSTO, the Chemistry Labs at UNSW and other university campuses.

During Term 2 a bus load of students travelled to Sydney to see the show ―Walking with Dinosaurs‖. Along the way we stopped in Bathurst to see the only complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton. We visited Paddy‘s Markets, the Imax Theatre and the Powerhouse Museum on the return trip. We also hosted a visit from the CSIRO ―Lab on Legs‖ tour, where students watched a show on matter, or participated in a workshop to extract and separate DNA from cells. The HSC Physics class participated in several video conferences, and the preliminary Biology class went to Turtle Rock to undertake a field study. Term 3 was even busier! Students sat the Rio Tinto Big Science Quiz, 6 senior Chemistry students travelled to Armidale to participate in the RACI Titration Competition at UNE, and attend revision and enrichment lectures for Maths, Science and Agriculture. Students also completed the Chemistry Quiz, with Spencer Brien achieving a credit.

The HSC Physics students attended ―Kickstart Physics‖, a program run by Sydney University, and the preliminary Physics class plus Georgia Cosier and George Morley competed in the R T A ‘ s G r e a t Engineering Challenge.

Term 4 was slightly quieter! The new HSC Biology class went to the Zoo to complement their studies on ―Maintaining the Balance‖. The E class travelled to the Warrumbungles to see volcanic and sedimentary geology first hand, and play with a useful sedimentary material (clay) at Pilliga Pottery. We also visited an observatory, and toured the solar system. Students now have a much better understanding of the relative sizes and distances from the Sun of the planets in our solar system. Four students from Year 9 (Christina Wilkinson, Dearne Philpott, Tara-Lee Swainston and Mitchell Parkes) were selected to attend week long workshops at the University of Newcastle. In between all the extra curricular activities, students were engaged in a variety of learning activities in class, and prepared for the ESSA test, the School Certificate, and the HSC!

Year 7 students investigated which brands of toilet paper and paper towel were the best for the job. Year 8 students investigated the factors which influence the growth of plants. Year 9 and 10 students completed Student Research Projects on a range of topics. Many activities have already been booked for 2012, including the CSIRO (who will bring a show about chemical reactions and a workshop on climate change), the Science Engineering Challenge, and a reptile show, ―Snaketails‖.


16

Mrs I Sayers


I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Mrs Madan, Ms Knox and Mr Baigent for all their hard work during the year, and a special thanks to Mrs Anne Moore, our Science Assistant. Without Mrs Moore‘s efforts, none of the practical activities that our students love would be possible.

Ms Wilkins Head Teacher - Science

TAS Faculty Report

The TAS faculty at Wellington High School is a progressive faculty with a focus on teaching and learning. The faculty is always embracing new technology and ideas, taking into account student's individual strengths. Members of the faculty communicate and work as a team, whilst feedback from parents is always welcomed and valued. The big news in TAS is the purpose built Trade Training Centre in Agriculture and Metal and Engineering. This state of the art facility will be operational in 2012 and will benefit the students and community in providing traineeships and the latest equipment for students entering into agriculture and metals career pathways. This is very exciting and the official opening with be held in Term 1, 2012.

This year saw many changes to our staff with the arrival of Mr Bray and Miss Sharwood and the departure of Ms O‘Mara, Ms Jones and Mr Caterer. Mrs Stevenson, Head Teacher of Transition Education, continued to share her expert skills in hospitality and technology. In fact Mrs Stevenson has been appointed to Wellington High School permanently for 2012. The Year 7 and 8 students studied units of work in numerous areas of technology such as interior design, timber, promotional media design, agriculture, metals, textiles and food. This gave all classes the opportunity to work with various materials and develop new skills using a wide range of technology. In Year 7 with Miss Sharwood we have been

undertaking a unit of work on ‗Interior Design‘ in which

the students design and make a patchwork cushion.

Students have gathered inspiration from their life to

develop the decorations on their cushions. The

decorations have included love hearts, the Aboriginal

flag, hands, animals, and loved one‘s names.

Students have gained many skills in textiles

throughout their work this term including threading a

machine, stitching in a straight line, turning corners on

a machine, and decoration techniques such as

applique.

All the students have done an amazing job on their

designs and cushions especially Dennis Allen,

Isabelle Gallop and Elizabeth Holmes who have

produced an outstanding end result.

Mr Hughes‘ timber students in the E Class all

completed the outcomes of this course and in doing

so produced a folio, a pencil case and a dice. The E

Class also produced a video to show the safety

aspects and completed all their work as a power point

presentation.


17

Mrs I Sayers


Mrs Gorrie and Mrs Trounce shared Year 8 Textiles

Technology where students designed and constructed

pyjama pants with a logo and label as well as a design

portfolio. The students enjoyed learning new

construction techniques, working with the technical

equipment and computers. Some students made

pyjamas for themselves while others creatively made

pyjamas for little sisters and brothers, babies and

older relatives. All have enjoyed the final quality

product made. The following students constructed

outstanding and more difficult designs of note Craig

Ryan, Christy Simmons, Rylie Pearce, Alanah Nolan,

Nicole Valiukas, Zak McIntosh, Madeline Austin, Drew

Playford, Brock Playford, Jessica Antes and Monique

Ryan.

In Year 8 Metal with Mr McLeod students have had a

successful year in learning the basics of metal work.

They are to be commended on their work with each

student following the parameters given and following

their designs to create the candelabra and BBQ fork.

Here are a few students comments about Year 8 Food Technology with Miss Sharwood;

“Our class has been cooking and learning how to make different dishes. We have been learning about

what kinds of foods are good for your body and others that are not.” - Madeline Austin

“We have also been learning about hygiene, safety, healthy eating and dietary information. Food groups

have also been an important part of our work.” - Nicole Valiukas

“We have prepared and cooked a number of recipes

including tacos, chocolate pudding, and san choy bow.” - Clive Ryan-Toomey

“We have created a recipe book and designed a

healthy muffin for teenagers.” - Matthew Maher

The Year 9 and 10 students studied units of work in numerous areas of technology such as Food, and Textile Technology, Timber and Metal Technology.

Year 9 Food Technology has kept Mrs Gorrie very

busy with their enthusiasm and good humour.

Throughout the year we have studied Australian bush

food and cooked with kangaroo and wattle seed,

looked at foods for special

occasions and cooked a

two course meal for

p a r e n t s a n d t h e n

developed new foods in

food product development.

Sandra Beasley created a

great snack product with a

dip and biscuits. Maddy Smith and Melissa Frappell

each created well liked icy poles and Alanah Williams

made a terrific muffin.

Each week we had the

ver y com pet i t ive

Master Chef Award in

wh ich the bes t

practical end result

was allowed to wear a

special Master Chef

apron. This award

became so prestigious

that students started appealing marks and becoming

food critic themselves. We produced a wide variety of

foods, scones, Easter buns, tacos, puddings,

decorated cakes, pasta dishes, pavlovas, vol au

vents, soufflés (Brad Adamson and Ngahla Talbot had

the best risen soufflé) stir fries, Vietnamese rolls,

biscuits, fudge, lamingtons, slices, pancakes, meat

pies, just to name a few.

Outstanding assessment tasks over the year were

Tim Forrest, Alanah Williams, Sandra Beasley and

Maddy Smith. The most consistent cooks all year

were Krystal Wotton and Courtney Wykes.

In Mr Mcleod‘s Year 9 Wood Technology students

have had a busy year going from the basics of

marking out a puzzle to a collapsible table. Each of

the boys has made wooden pieces that they have

built and rebuilt with their teacher. To accomplish this

they have had to redo parts of the items 2 or 3 times,

so they can have a piece that they are proud of.


18

Mrs I Sayers


Mr Hughes‘ Year 9 Metal class

was d isrupted by the

construction of the Trade

Training Centre this year, but

they still managed to produce

some fine projects including a

wooden toy, a toolbox , a

hacksaw and a scrolled and

folded project. The students

have progressed in their all

their skills, an example being welding where they

have progressed form the oxy acetylene to the mig

welder.

The Year 9 Information Technology students, with Mr

Hughes, started the year looking at multimedia which

culminated in producing a project utilising several

different types of media from audio through to

animation. Web Design was the second area studied

where the students looked at good and bad web site

design and produced a web design of their own for a

resort. The final topic was artificial intelligence where

the students used Excel to produce a spread sheet to

show how outcomes can change when the inputs are

varied.

Year 9 Textiles and Design have

spent the term manufacturing the

costumes they designed in term 3.

They have produced some very

interested articles including

corsets, a ninja outfit, a Cinderella

dress, a red riding hood outfit, and

a child‘s Christmas dress. Year 9

has had some very difficult fabrics

to work and have been challenged but they have all

managed to completed quality garments.

In Mr McLeod‘s Year 10 Wood class, students have

had a challenging year in learning that even though

they might make a mistake, it is not detrimental in the

making of their project to have to re-cut timber to the

correct size two or three times, to achieve a quality

end product.

Year 10 Food Technology with Miss Sharwood have

been learning about food product development and

during this term they have all designed and produced

their own innovative biscuits with outstanding results

from Ashley Towney, Shannon Ryan and Kayce

Walker . Year 10 has also been challenged with a

number of recipes this term including lasagne, apple

pie, chocolate pudding, and scones and raspberry

jam, from which they achieved outstanding results.

The Year 11 Textiles and Design class have been

designing their major textile projects that will be

handed in as part of their HSC. The girls have

produced some very innovative designs with

inspiration from a variety of sources such as lady

bugs, spring, good vs. evil and the academy awards.

In Term 4, Mr Hughes‘ Year 11 Metal and Engineering

students have been involved in fitting out the new

Trade Training Centre. This has involved in installing

and fitting out the room to utilise the older equipment

as well as the hand tools that are needed to allow the

students to complete their practical projects.

The students from Mr Hughes‘ Year 12 Metal and

Engineering class were interrupted by the

construction of the Trade Training Centre but they still

managed to complete the required competencies for

their HSC and their work placement. All the students

progressed and furthered their skills they have

acquired over their time at Wellington High School.

Mr McLeod‘s Year 12 construction boys have

achieved a great deal this year including filling in

paths, making BBQ areas, filling in around tables and

chairs, and levelling areas to make them safer.

Exploring Early Childcare studies with Mrs Gorrie

have had a terrific year, learning about children and

literacy, developing their own books, even being

taught by the town librarian how to read to small

children. They also learnt about children and media,

looking at cyber safety and analysing television

programs for their content, audience and

appropriateness with young children. They finished

the year studying nutrition and children, and they

developed a fridge pamphlet for busy mums with

lunch ideas.


19

Mrs I Sayers


During the year, each fortnight they ran an in-school

preschool for 2 hours which kept all students very

busy planning craft activities, inside and outside

playtime, reading stories and developing skills with

young children. Both students and teacher were

exhaus ted af ter

having these tiny tots.

Emma Parker just

s h o n e i n t h e

preschool room, she

leading the little

children in a variety

of activities and just

loving the role as

preschool teacher. Kieran Stewart enjoyed the singing

and actions and reading to the children. Brooke Kelly

enjoyed playing board games like Memory and Cludo

while Paula Jefferies enjoyed designing the craft

projects each week.

The special education students spent their time

making practical projects including a wooden toy and

completing a series of literacy and numeracy tasks

based on technology. The students showed a

continual improvement in their practical skills over the

three terms in this subject.

Mrs Gorrie Head Teacher - TAS

Hospitality Report

The Hospitality students from Year 11 and 12 have

been involved in a number of events this year. These

include the catering for Try-A-Trade and Careers

Expo, WHS Showcase, 40th Reunion, Melbourne Cup

luncheon, Year 7 Transition and parent-teacher

evenings, just to name a few. Students had the

opportunity to select and design a menu for these

functions, cook these items using their best culinary

techniques and presenting these dishes in an

ascetically appealing manner. I am very proud of all

the hospitality students.

Students who stepped up and displayed great

initiative have been recognised by being awarded as

Employee of the Month in Café Stevenson. These

students received a certificate at assembly to put in

their Curriculum Vitae and a choice of coloured

buttons to wear as part of their hospitality uniform.

Mrs Stevenson Head Teacher - Transition

Café Stevenson – Employee of the Month


20

Hospitality 2011

Year 7 Orientation

It was great to see so many Year 6 students attend the Orientation Day and Transition

afternoons. Students had the opportunity to participate in a range of activities to prepare them for high school. Also thank you to the parents for coming along to the Melbourne

Cup luncheon and school tour. I look forward to seeing you all in 2012.

English Faculty Report

As with every year, it has been a very busy one in the English/PDHPE/LOTE faculty. There have been quite a few changes, and there are more to come in 2012. Firstly we welcomed Mr Richardson into PDHPE, only to see him accept a permanent position in Peak Hill. We said farewell to Ms Atkinson who ventured to Orange High, but welcomed Mrs Lyons back from maternity leave. Mr Keith stepped into Mr Richardson‘s spot and is now enjoying a trip to the USA, before moving to Campbelltown to teach. We say a sad farewell to Ms Woods who is leaving us to travel through the Northern Territory, although we are looking forward to welcoming Ms Whyte and Ms Berriman into the faculty in 2012. Lastly, when Mrs George goes on maternity leave, we will say hello again to Mr Oldfield (2008). In terms of accomplishments there have been a plethora of successes, many of which appear in different sections of this newsletter, particularly of the sporting kind. Particular mention however, should go to Liam Nicholson and Georgia Cosier, for receiving distinctions in the UNSW EAA English Competition, and to Jessica Kitch, Tim Johnston and Lachlan Conn for receiving credits. This is a demanding examination, so their efforts are highly commendable. This is an exciting time in English, as there are many curriculum changes happening. No longer will there be a School Certificate, but there will be a third English option for study in senior years called the CEC English Studies course, that aims to help students prepare for employment after school. LOTE students in Year 8 have spent the year exploring France both linguistically and culturally. This culminated in the construction of the Arc de Triomphe by all students in Term 4. Mr Mainey was also particularly pleased with the efforts of the majority in the final examination, testament to the level of enjoyment had by all. PDHPE continues to be ever-popular without coincidence, due to the intrinsically interesting nature of the content, both theoretically and physically, with PASS, SLR and Senior PDHPE growing even further in size leading into 2012.

On behalf of this faculty I would like to take the opportunity to thank students and parents for their efforts over 2011. It has been a long but rewarding haul. To those who are leaving us, we wish you the very best; to those who are returning, we look forward to seeing you then. May we all have safe and relaxing holidays and be ready to start 2012 with open and enquiring minds.

Ms Turner Head Teacher - English

Updating Students’ Records

Have you moved address

recently? Changed telephone numbers? Added a mobile phone number? Please notify the office staff of any changes. Contacting parents/carers when students are sick is very difficult when we do not have the correct


21

TOP 10 INTERNET SAFETY

TIPS FOR PARENTS

1. Have the computer in a family room where you can monitor the usage. 2. Make a contract with your child about their usage and consequences if they break the rules. 3. If your child has Facebook or any other social network profile, make sure you know what it looks like. 4. Become your child‘s friend so that you can monitor their profile. 5. Have proper Internet security soft-ware to protect your child from access-ing inappropriate websites. 6. Make sure that your child knows who they are talking to online and not talking to strangers. 7. Don‘t answer emails from sources that are unknown. 8. Don‘t click on pop-ups, they are often sources of viruses. 9. Remember that once something is posted on the Internet, it can be copied and downloaded anywhere. 10. Never respond to any threats made over the Internet or via texting. Report to Facebook, school or the police.


22

Senior Girls Cricket Wellington High School has progressed to the Western Region final for girl‘s cricket after a commanding victory over Cobar on November 15. Wellington travelled to Cobar the night before the match to prepare. Shalyssa and Shyanne proved handy on the tongs, cooking a pretty mean BBQ at Cobar Caravan Park. Tahnee Kelly was also impressive in learning the skills of an air-conditioning service technician. The match was played in hot temperatures and both teams played to a high standard. Wellington batted first and scored 5-164 off 40 overs. Tahnee Kelly and Jess Antes opened the batting and layed the platform for a solid total. Sara Darney top scored with 72 not out and was ably assisted by Brittany Naden who made a quick fire 42. Cobar were bowled out for 124 in the 33

rd over.

Brittany Naden and Jess Antes were responsible for removing Cobar‘s two most dangerous batsmen. Caroline Morley, Shalyssa Stanley, Shyanne Stanley and Tahnee Kelly then cleaned up the tail. Corine Green and Elizabeth Holmes bowled well on their senior debuts while Dearne Philpot was unlucky not to collect a wicket with a dropped catch off her bowling. The trip home was enjoyable and Brooke Forgione‘s geography skills have improved as a result. The girls now play a Western Region final at a date to be decided and are guaranteed a spot in the final 16 of the state with a match to be played early next year. Many thanks go to Mr Roberts for driving the bus and Mrs Darney for her patience and constant support of the team.

Junior Girls Cricket The 2

nd round of matches in the Lisa Kightley Shield

was played in Mudgee on November 4. Wellington accounted for St. Matthews Mudgee in the first match in a close match. Wellington bowled first with all girls bowling and was able to restrict St. Matthews to 84 off their 20 overs. Wicket takers included Jess Antes, Elizabeth Holmes and Caroline Morley. Wellington chased down the total in 19 overs with Tahnee Kelly anchoring the innings with a solid 32 not out. Wellington played Mudgee in the next match and were beaten by a strong side. Wellington batted first and once again Tahnee Kelly was the standout scoring 48 not out. Wellington scored 115 off their 20 overs. Mudgee were able to chase down the runs in 15

th over

thanks to an unbeaten 65 from Sam McGovern. Many thanks go to Mr Brown for driving the bus and learning to score.

Premier’s Sporting

Challenge

Wellington High School has received a great deal of funding from the NSW Premier‘s Sporting Challenge over the past 3 years. During this time the school has developed an

impressive gym in the Sport‘s Performance Lab. Next

year the school plans to open the gym up and begin a

membership program for a minimal cost. There is also

the facility for popular classes like Boxercise and

Circuit classes to be run if there is enough interest. To

find out more please call the school.


23

Year 12

Formal


24

from the principal’s desk...steve showed us how to shear the sheep. towards the end we were able...

Documents