newsletter volume 4 issue 02

2Suzanne Cory High School Newsletter Volume 4 Issue 2 | Week 6 Term 1, 2014

R e s p e c t | A s p i r a t i o n | C o n t r i b u t i o n

From the PrincipalTerm one is well underway with students engaged in a variety of learning and co-curricular programs. Year 12 students have completed their first assessment tasks and should be proud of their efforts. Our Year 9 students have recently completed a Leadership program at Deakin University and participated in the City Program. Thanks to all the staff involved in these important self-

development programs. There are articles to read about these days in this newsletter. Our swimming carnival was a very successful day with strong school spirit shining through. It was wonderful to see students and staff dressed in House colours and participating in the carnival with energy and enthusiasm. Congratulations to those students who made it through to the Wyndham Swimming Championships. We also had twenty teams participate in the Australian Computational and Linguistics Olympiad held here at the school. The Olympiad challenges students to develop their own strategies for solving problems in fascinating real languages. Top teams go onto a National Round with the winners of the National Round offered the opportunity to represent Australia at the International Linguistics Olympiad. We wish our teams success in this competition.

School CaptainsCongratulations to Isabelle Cahoy and Matthew Lagamba our 2014 School Captains. I know that they will be excellent ambassadors for our school this year. Thank you to our School Captains from 2013, Eilyssa Carlos and Saurya Shrestha for their commitment as student leaders. They have been passionate, diligent and strong leaders of student voice within the school. Eilyssa and Saurya presented Isabelle and Matthew with their School Captain badges at our assemblies this week. We thank the Mayor of Wyndam Council, Councillor Bob Fairclough for being in attendance and meeting with our School Captains.In this newsletter there are messages from our past and present School Captains.

SRC and Student LeadershipStudent Leadership and the Student Representative Council will be coordinated by Ms Grinham and Ms Chui with assistance from Caitlin Wilks our Student counsellor.

There will be leadership prospects for students at all year levels with focus groups being used to gain input from students regarding areas of interest. We recognise the importance of student voice at Suzanne Cory High School and the student representative council and committees will provide students with the opportunity to contribute to school culture and community.

Professional Learning for staffOn Thursday 13th March we will be travelling to Nossal High School to work with our colleagues from the Select Entry Schools Network. There will be keynote presentations from Michael Carr-Gregg regarding student wellbeing and Erica McWilliam regarding preparing young people for high flying futures. Teaching staff will then be working in network teams to share teaching strategies and resources that will enhance our VCE curriculum. Four of our student leaders will also be involved in a student leadership forum at Nossal High School on this day with student leaders from the other three Select Entry Schools. This is a pupil free day.

Parent Teacher InterviewsThis year we will be introducing a system called Parent-Teacher Online (PTO) for parent-teacher interview bookings. Parents will be able to make on-line bookings and print an appointment sheet. Appointments will be of 5 mins duration with 5 mins for parents to move to their next appointment. Support will be available to parents who do not have internet access to make bookings. Interpreters will be able to be booked for appointments. Access to Parent-Teacher On-line will be via the school website.

School websiteThe school website is currently being redeveloped which will provide the school community with important information and dates regarding enrolment, policy, council and PFA, curriculum, wellbeing, sport, careers and student programs. The school calendar and assessment calendar will be updated regularly and the latest news and details regarding upcoming events will be readily accessible on the website home page.

New Student Engagement and Inclusion GuidanceThe Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has requested schools to inform parents that new Student Engagement and Inclusion Guidance came into effect on 1 March 2014. This Guidance has been developed to support schools to maintain safe and positive learning environments. At Suzanne Cory High School, the Positive School Wide Behaviours model provides the framework to support a safe and positive

3Suzanne Cory High School NewsletterVolume 4 Issue 2 | Week 6 Term 1, 2014


learning environment. For further information the Guidance and Ministerial Order 625 can be accessed online at: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/participation/Pages/studentengagementguidance.aspx

Year 12 Valedictory This year we will be holding our Inaugural Valedictory dinner for Year 12 students, parents and staff at Flemington Racecourse on Friday 24th October. Professor Suzanne Cory will attend the dinner. This evening will be a celebration of student achievement, recognition of the support provided by parents and acknowledgement of the efforts of teachers. Information will be provided to families as details are finalised.

School CouncilThank you to those parents who nominated for School Council. An election will now take place and the first meeting of the new School Council will take place in March. Parents are most welcome to visit School Council meetings. Please contact the General Office for meeting dates and times.

Parents and Friends AssociationOur Parents and Friends Association has started very well this year with a large number of parents attending the

first meeting. The meeting provides a forum for parent discussion regarding school policy and programs and an opportunity to contribute to our school. There are a range of events planned for this year where parents can meet and share experiences as parents and also to support the development our school. On behalf of the school I would like to thank the Parents and Friends Association for the purchase of an additional eight microwaves for use within the school and for their ongoing management of the second hand uniforms. The Parents and Friends Association can be contacted through the school email address at [email protected]

Events approved by School Council for 2014.Year 12 Formal: Friday 27th JuneYear 11 Formal: Friday 21st November Year 10 Social: Friday 29th August. Information will be provided to parents and students as we organise each event.

RegardsKay Peddle

Key Dates Student AbsencesParents are reminded that if your child is absent, you must notify the school. You can contact us by telephone on 8734 2800 or via email on [email protected]

If your child is absent and we are not notified, we will call you to ascertain the whereabouts of your child.

5th March - Meet The Teachers Evening (for year 9 & 10 Home Groups)6th March - Sport: Tennis Senior Girls & Boys6th March - Excursion: Physics (Luna Park)10th March - Labour Day13th March - Student Free Day18th March - Sport: Hockey Snr, Soccer Snr21st March - Athletics Carnival24th March - Immunisations (Year 9 Boys & Year 10)26th March - Sport: Netball Int. Boys27th March - Swimming Regionals @ Geelong27th March - Excursion: Year 9 Geography (9A - 9D)28th March - Excursion: Year 9 Geography (9E - 9H)

This issue’s cover

art was created by Lisa Pham

of 11A

Check Suzanne Cory High School out on social media. Notices and news will be posted to our Facebook and Twitter feeds so

take a look at the following pages to stay in the loop in real-time!

Facebook: facebook.com/SuzanneCoryHighSchool Twitter: twitter.com/SuzanneCoryHS

2014 School Captains Matthew Lagamba and Isabelle Cahoy



New School Captains

Inaugural SpeechesThis year marks our final year of schooling. A year of transition into young adults. A year to form friendships and bonds that stay with us for life. The year may be full of stress, a few tears and many late nights, but together we will ensure a successful and enjoyable year.To carry us through this year of stress and hard work we should remember our schools core values of respect, aspiration and contribution. These values form the foundations that will hold us up through the hard times of VCE, which for the year 12’s will be most of the year. The sense of companionship and community in the school will ensure we have an enjoyable year, yet we must remember our responsibilities as leaders of the school. As the inaugural year 12 class of the school it is important we maintain the strong work ethic, identity and image we have spent three years establishing both in and out of the community. Whether it be in the class room or on the train home, we as year 12’s are now the leaders of the school and role models for our peers. To the year 11’s, as part of the VCE cohort, we hope you can continue the strong traditions and values of the school. As the VCE class we are role models to the younger students, with many of them looking up to

us for guidance and support. As school captains Isabelle and I are proud to represent you throughout the year. We are humbled by the decision and look forward to a successful year together. Matthew Lagamba

Firstly, on behalf of the student body we’d like to thank the 2013 school captains Eilyssa and Saurya. Hearing their encouraging words every fortnight was a wonderful way to start the week. We appreciate all the things they have done for the school. Matthew and I hope we can uphold the role of school captains to the efficiency and with dedication as they did throughout the year. They have taught us all a valuable lesson of having a positive outlook with

what comes our way. With positivity comes endless possibilities and this- this is what we all have ahead of us. This role is not merely a badge with our names on it. We have been granted a chance to represent the school and the students- so we will act out our duties to the best of our abilities. This year is filled with many moments yet to be encountered. For some of us its getting our L’s, for others its finally being considered a legal adult. But what we all have in common is each other. We are able to share our experiences and learn from them together. And being school captain is allowing us to be there with you every step of the way. This year for us is about rejoicing in what goes on in our school community and praising the accomplishments of others. In a year that is full of stress and important occasions, we are able to come together and just appreciate what we have. Sometimes we get so caught up in planning for the future that we forget to appreciate the moment. So at this moment I’d just like to say thank you for giving us this opportunity and thank you for giving us a chance to be a part of your year.Isabelle Cahoy



Farewell SpeechesOver the last few weeks I’ve been asked many questions, ‘How do I feel about being in year 12?’ ‘Am I glad my term as school captain is almost over?’ and mostly, ‘What will I be putting as a name on my year 12 jumper?’. But none of these questions stood out more than the one question Ms Muollo asked me the other day ‘What did I learn in 2013?’ Simply, I learnt that life will not always follow your plans. Things will happen that are out of your control whether it would be with your academia, family, friends or even through your leadership position. From this I learnt that resilience is key. Whatever you are faced with, do not give up and remember that the people around you are always here to help.Being school captain has allowed Saurya and I to see things from a new perspective and we are glad to have been able to work and meet so many people over the course of the year. To the principal team, I thank you for your confidence in myself and Saurya over the last year and also teaching us valuable lessons. Saurya, thank you so much for being such an amazing co-captain for the last year. We have shared many laughs and I could not have been any luckier to have been partnered with you. You have done an amazing job and I know this is not the end, I look forward to continuing to work with you in future endeavours. Could you all join me in giving him a round of applause? Thank you to all of you for the support during last year and we hope that whatever years of school you have left are enjoyed and you reach all of your goals no matter what they might be. Eilyssa Carlos

The past year as school captain has been an enriching and amazing opportunity, representing Suzanne Cory High School, working with the principal team to run assemblies and plan for the awards night. Along the way, I’ve gained a lot more confidence and have learnt more about what it means to be a good leader. With no doubt this experience will be the highlight of my time at Suzanne Cory High School, an experience that I will be able to reflect upon and cherish for the rest of my life. And for this, I would like to thank the teachers, the principal team and fellow students for giving me the chance to take on this leadership opportunity, but now it is time for our annual change of captains.In the past two weeks we’ve had 14 candidates running for the 2014 school captaincy. They have contributed a lot to our school and uphold our school values in an exceptional manner. For those who did not get to become captains, I encourage you to continue being leaders in other positions that our school offers. And as for our new captains Matthew Lagamba and Isabelle Cahoy, Eilyssa and I would like to wish you a prosperous year being the first year 12 captains, in a historic year at Suzanne Cory High School.Lastly, I would like to finish off by thanking my fellow captain Eilyssa Carlos, for being a helpful partner, as well as a good friend who I’ve had the pleasure of working with over past year. I couldn’t have asked for a more energetic and enthusiastic co-captain as you Eilyssa. Well done on an amazing year. Saurya Shrestha

L-R: Isabelle Cahoy, Matthew Lagamba, Mayor Bob Fairclough, Saurya Shrestha and Eilyssa Carlos



If you’ve ever been interested in learning a musical instrument (and you’re not already) now’s your chance! We have spaces in the program for Violin, Flute, Sax, Viola, and Cello. Studies show that the skills gained in the process of learning to play are transferable to other disciplines, so whether your career path involves music or not, an avocation is an extremely important thing to have, and attractive to future employers. It’s also fun to play in the Orchestra and Stage Band and meet some new friends and play together.

Beginners are more than welcome to the program, and if you’d like to have a trial lesson before committing, the appropriate Instrumental Music Teacher will organize a time with you. Initial enquiries can be made through Mr Portelli.

Instrumental Music

Some famous musicians; Neil Armstrong - Baritone Horn, Bill Clinton - Sax, Jennifer Garner -

Sax, Julia Roberts - Clarinet, Bill Gates - Trombone, Steven Spielberg - Clarinet.

SWPB (School Wide Positive Behaviours) forms the framework for our student well-being and management policies and procedures. Suzanne Cory High School chose this as our framework because of its emphasis on the positive aspects of our students’ behaviour rather than a list of negatives. The foundation students in 2011 used our core values of respect, aspiration and contribution to devise the matrix, a collation of the expected behaviours in four contexts: the classroom, the school grounds, in the community and in the virtual community. This is displayed prominently around the school and forms the basis of our conversations with students about what is expected of them.

One of the major principles of SWPB is the way the behaviours are taught in much the same

way as academic skills and understanding. Some students catch on quickly, others need reminding and reteaching on a number of occasions before the behaviour becomes embedded. So at Suzanne Cory High School our approach to less than optimal behaviour will always be educative.

Tutorial Program

The Tutorial program is the major vehicle through which we teach the expected behaviours. At both Years 9 and 10 levels, the focus is on goal setting and gaining a deeper understanding of three core values of respect, aspiration and contribution. In Year 11 and 12, we are beginning the year with a ‘Being VCE Ready’ focus. The students will work through a range of activities around time management and organisation. Joanne Clarke, our Careers Advisor, will also be working with students around career planning, university applications and also arranging a variety of speakers from various occupations to address the students.

Ms Laura Ruddick SWPB Leading Teacher

Student Wellbeing



To be approved to take an accelerated subject in 2015 you must meet the following criteria. These criteria apply to all students to ensure a consistent and fair approach.Major assessment tasks refer to those on

the assessment calendar that will be reported upon.

Acceleration is not compulsory for approved students and many students choose not to accelerate if they do not feel ready.

Year 9 students1. Attendance rate of 90%+ in semester 1 (including approved absences)2. AusVELS level of 8.50 or above in English and Maths in semester 1 reports3. Major assessment tasks consistently submitted on time 4. Consistently high level of achievement across all subjects in major assessment tasks- 50% + VG or E to be accelerated in one VCE subject- 75% + VG or E to be accelerated in one internal and one external VCE- 90% + VG or E to be accelerated in two internal VCE subjects (only available to students in accelerated mathematics class)5. Average of above AusVELS level of 8.5 in the linked curriculum area with the exception of ADT subjects and all humanities except Geography.(e.g. to accelerate in Biology you would need to be above level in Science, to accelerate in HHD you would need to be above level in HPE etc.

Year 10 Students1. Attendance rate of 90%+ in semester 1 (including approved absences)2. AusVELS level of 9.50 or above in English and Maths in semester 1 reports3. Major assessment tasks consistently submitted on time 4. Achieving an average of C+ or above in any VCE subject taken in year 10.5. Consistently high level of achievement across all subjects in major assessment tasks- 50% + VG or E to be accelerated in one VCE subject- 75% + VG or E to be accelerated in one internal and one external VCE- 90% + VG or E to be accelerated in two internal VCE subjects 6. Average of above AusVELS level of 8.5 in the linked curriculum area with the exception of ADT subjects and Humanities subjects.(e.g. to accelerate in Biology you would need to be above level in Science, to accelerate in HHD you would need to be above level in HPE etc.)

Year 10 students currently undertaking a VCE subject must still meet the above criteria to be approved to continue to accelerate (either in the same subject or to change to a different one)

Martha Goodridge-KellyVCE Programs and Development Leading Teacher

Acceleration Criteria 2014

ATHLETICS CARNIVAL 21ST MARCH @ WYNDHAM ATHLETICS TRACK



Our House competition is underway with students gaining points for their house through our values cards, community service at swimming sports and our first major house event. The swimming carnival, was a sea of red with Kororoit taking out the main swimming event, Mascot competition and cheer squad. However Rothwell were judged to have the best house area.

New house leaders will be elected in the next few weeks with more leadership opportunities available for students in all year levels to take on. Students with a particular interest in music, sports, debating or citizenship can lead their house in this particular area.

House Program Update

Current Points

BLACKWOOD140

KOROROIT260

ROTHWELL180

COTTRELL135

Values Cards recipientsSandra Cao

Anglo BombuwelageYashna 9C

Values Cards recipientsTori Kivach

Praveen WeerasiriThilini H 9D

Akshi Malhorta 9DJessie Tran 9D

Kewal Modi 9DRahik Sayed 9D

Alana Stepanovski 9D

Swimming sports helpers

Luke MannixHeidi LiOscarAleia

Values Cards recipientsNanhini Tamilchelvan

Darshan ShetLeon Zhou 9HTitus Lee 11C

Kulindu 9HSharon W 9B

Liang 9HKevin Ho

Swimming sports helpers:

Daniel ChahaineChristopher WangChristain Meletis

AshmitYashukKavier

Values Cards recipientsNaomie 9G

Harry 9GDeloy 9GRiley 9G

Dayashi 12AJulie 9G

Michael 9GRushi 9GJustin 9B

Swimming sports helpers:

Swimming sports helpers

Jamie YamadaFreya Fleer Stout



On the 10th & 11th of February the year 9 cohort travelled to Deakin University in Geelong to embark on the annual “Year 9 Leadership Program”. The purpose of the two days as the name suggest is to begin to identify potential leaders within the year 9 group, but also to continue the transition program into Suzanne Cory High School. Day one’s activities were based around “get to know you” activities, designed to provide students with the opportunity to get to know students from other homegroups and students within their own group who they might not have a chance to get to know. Day two emphasis was initiatives, team work and leadership, in a team of around 12 – 14 students. The group had to

work through as many challenges as they could, for example, raft building, sling shots and the egg drop challenge. The teams were awarded points for completing as many activities as possible and for displaying communication, leadership and team work skills. The students were also exposed to the award winning Robotics department at the university and they demonstrated their PHD work associated with robots and their potential uses in society. Overall the students represented the school exceptionally on their first outing as a year level and their enthusiasm towards all aspects of the program was fantastic.

Travis Hand

Year 9 Leadership Days

I’m thrilled to join Suzanne Cory High School’s iCentre team and to be part of a school so early in its

history. When I was doing my degree in the early-mid 1990s the World Wide Web was just a few years old and the number of sites on it was miniscule. We spent a lot of time talking about this exciting new technology and its potential for education. Fast forward and, according to mashable.com, “between 1995 and today the number of registered domains has gone from 15,000 to 350,000,000”. We have access to more information, literally in the palm of our hand via smartphones, than we ever dreamed of then. However the same goals remain, even if storing and accessing resources has changed – finding the most accurate, reliable and

relevant information for our needs and transforming it into shareable knowledge.As well as being a Teacher-Librarian in several schools in Melbourne and London I worked for ten years as the research librarian for a firm of architects where I watched ideas develop from conversations and sketches on notepads to finished buildings. I see learning as being a similar process – sharing and testing ideas, exploring possibilities and working together to build something new from a stack of raw materials.

Amanda Wallace Teacher Librarian

Introducing Amanda Wallace



Photos by Liang Xue (9H)The unseasonably cold weather that only Melbourne can produce did nothing to dampen the house sprit at the recent SCHS swimming carnival. On the 20th of February the whole school travelled to Lara pool to contest for the right to be crowned house swimming champions for 2014. Students competed in all traditional swimming events along with novelty events and volleyball to earn points for their respective houses. The student house captains did a Stirling job to ensure competitors made their events on time and to create and build upon the inter house

rivalry. Congratulations must go to all competitors who braved the conditions to represent their house. Overall the day was a great success and saw Kororoit once again take home the coveted Swimming trophy, Blackwood was a very close second, with Cottrell and Rothwell trying hard and coming 3rd and 4th places respectively. Thank you to all students for supporting the day, and to all staff and students that helped ensure the day ran smoothly. Best of luck to all houses at the next major event the Athletics carnival.

Travis Hand

Swimming Carnival



Alice Pung visits SCHS

On Monday the 3rd of March, the Year 9’s were greeted with the arrival of the lovely Alice Pung, author of ‘Unpolished Gem’. We were honoured to meet such a gifted author, who enlightened us with many stories of truth, humour and grief. The majority of us were thrilled to discover we could relate to her childhood and connect her stories with our stories. Recounts of endless humiliation were told in such blatant honesty, the audience was left in hysterics whilst at other times, we were left with an unavoidable wave of sadness. Pung tapped into our inner emotions and made an impact on us, teaching us something that we’re not likely to forget any time soon. We learnt to write as people and not masks; telling the good and the bad. During the seminar, we saw and heard many things, but the thing that stood out the most was how she wrote and spoke with such raw honesty.

We would like to thank all the staff, and Alice Pung herself, for making this wonderful experience possible.By Hana Umer and Jennet Deswal, 9A.

This week, I was fortunate enough to be involved in Alice Pung’s writing workshop with some of my peers. In Pung’s ‘Unpolished Gem’, she mentions that “beautiful things need not be expensive”, and this opportunity to attend a workshop with the author of the novel that the Year 9s are studying for English was priceless and of great value. Pung conducts regular workshops and works with a variety of different people, as shown through the workshop (ranged from years 9-12). The invaluable workshop aimed to teach us about characterisation, our use of tone, how to begin a writing piece and even how to successfully write about situations based on real events and people. During our workshop, Alice asked us to write about someone we hated, but from the perspective of a person who liked the person you envied. This taught us how to utilize different points of views in our future writing. Throughout the workshop, Pung mentions many personal anecdotes whilst mixing it with humour to make the workshop even more engaging. Alice Pung’s workshop was not only beneficial for all those involved, but is a workshop none of us will forget. Lisa Nguyen 9A



Each year at Suzanne Cory High School, the English faculty provide opportunities for students in Years9 &10 to experience the works of Shakespeare through attendance at live theatrical performances. This year, in semester two, Year 9 students will be studying

A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Unfortunately, there will be no scheduled performance of this particular play at that time of the year. Instead, students will be watching a dramatization of Romeo and Juliet, as a companion text to their assigned play. For students who are keen to see a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, parents might wish to take them along to see the ‘Under The Stars’ performance. (Note: the school will not be organising an excursion to see this performance).

This summer Glenn Elston presents an exciting new production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. What better way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of “Shakespeare under the Stars”. Enjoy the beautiful surrounds of Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens and be transported to the world of the woods beyond Athens, a place of tangled loves, mistaken identity, mischievous fairies, magic-potions and madcap fun! Bring a rug, bring a picnic, bring your family and friends but most of all be prepared for a wonderful night under the stars enjoying the marvelous world of “The Dream”. Don’t miss this experience.

February 11 2014 to March 15 2014Tuesday to Saturday at 8pm (Gate opens from

6.30pm)

The Future Leaders Writing Prize is designed to recognise and reward talented young writers. It aims to encourage expressive and creative writing. Australian Year 11 and

12 students are invited to submit a piece of writing (800 to 1,000 words). The essays can be fiction or non-fiction and on any topic.In 2014, the award winner will receive $1,000. Where there is more than one winner, the prize money will

be shared.The winners of the Future Leaders Writing Prize will have their work published.

The Future Leaders Writing Prize

SUBMISSIONSPlease send all submissions electronically in a word document by 1 July 2014 to helen@

futureleaders.com.aufutureleaders.com.au/awards

Shakespeare

Entry is NOW OPEN in the 2014 Schools Writing Competition! Students all over Australia are invited to enter their short stories OR poems, and battle it out for the great prizes on offer. One talented writer in each division (poetry & short story) will

receive $1,000 as First Prize (with $500 going to the winning school and $500 to the student) PLUS the choice of either an Xbox 360 AND an Apple iPod Touch 16GB OR a Xbox One OR a PlayStation 4. We will also be awarding one Second Prize in each division of $250 and one Third Prize of $150 and 15 Finalists will receive a Write4fun Gift Pack.There is no theme!! Entrants are encouraged to let their imaginations run wild and get their creative juices flowing to write on ANY TOPIC and in ANY STYLE. Students of all ages are welcome to enter.Entries must not exceed 16 lines in length (or 64 characters in width) for poems and must not exceed 500 words for short stories.Entry is FREE and all entries must be in by March 31st,

2014.Your chance to be published! Poems and short stories entered into the competition will be considered for inclusion into our 2014 Write4fun anthology! Those selected will have the opportunity to purchase the edition at a discounted rate. 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizewinners will receive a complimentary copy of the book.

For more information and the entry form, go to write4fun.net/competitions/52



Write 4 Fun Competition

As in previous years, there has been tremendous interest in debating at Suzanne Cory High School. To date there has been over sixty students express an

interest in the forthcoming interschool debating competition. We have also decided to put a more formal structure in place for debating in Year 9. A debating and public speaking co-curricular subject has been established to provide in class instruction on the finer points of oratory. We hope that this will give new entrants to the school a strong foundation for debating and public speaking as they progress through the school.The topics for the first round have now been made available to students and are listed below. Some students have already commenced researching these topics. Team composition and preparation will take place in school over the coming weeks. Students should keep an eye on the student bulletin and the Debating and Public Speaking notice board for updates and announcements. The first round of debates will be held at Williamstown High School on Wednesday 19th March (times to be announced). Parents and friends are most welcome to attend.

More information, including the debating schedule, is also available on the DAV (Debating Association Victoria) website dav.com.au

Topics for Round 1 Year 12: That the West should lift all sanctions on IranYear 11: That the government should bail out large, failing companiesYear 10: That the national curriculum should seek to promote Australian valuesYear 9: That we should ban gender-specific advertising of toys

There are also a number of public speaking events that are available for students to participate in. A notice has been placed on the Public Speaking notice board for those students who are interested in entering the Rostrum Voice for Youth competition. I would also like to encourage any student who has received outstanding marks for oral presentations in their classes to discuss public speaking opportunities.

Nick Cummins Debating/Public Speaking Coordinator

Debating & Public Speaking



OzCLOLast Thursday 27th February, twenty-two teams of students (from Years9-12) participated in OzCLO, which is the Australian Linguistic and Computational Olympiad. The competition tests problem solving ability and collaborative team work. Students are presented with several problems that are based around foreign languages, whether this be telling the time in Estonian or translating sentences into Swahili. For students who love being challenged and the joy that comes with solving a difficult problem, this is a must to enter next year. And if you do well enough, you may even be allowed to represent Australia in the world wide Olympiads in Switzerland.



Thursday 20Th March 20147.00pm - 8:30pm

As a parent, its really hard to cope with a young person with self-harming or suicidal behaviour. It's natural to feel angry, frightened or guilty. It may also be difficult to know what to do when the situation arises.

This information session aims to provide participants with:• an understanding of self harm and suicidal behaviours• an understanding of how you can know if it is

happening• what the impact is on young people and their families• what you can do as a parent to help

The information session will include an informative talk on the topic from a qualified professional in the mental health field and will also include a 30 minute question and answer style forum to ask personalised questions that you may be needing specific help with.

Dealing with Self-Harm and Suicidal Behaviours

RegistRations: Open at 6:30pm on the night

Venue: Youth Resource Centre

86 Derrimut Road, Hoppers Crossing

to Book: To book your place please call 8734 1355

Light refreshments provided. Factsheets and service information also provided on the night.

Youth Mental health

ParenT InforMaTIon evenIng

newsletter volume 4 issue 02

Documents

school captainscongratulations

present school

school culture

nossal high school

strong school spirit

school captain badges

student wellbeing

student counsellor