Page 1 December 2014 Issue

PORT HACKING HIGH SCHOOL www.porthackin-h.schools.nsw.edu.au PHONE: 9524 8816 FACSIMILE: 9540 4815

“MESSAGE STICK” OF THE PARENTS’ AND CITIZENS’ ASSOCIATION OF PORT HACKING HIGH SCHOOL

Port Hacking High School

PHHS P & C ASSOCIATION

PRESIDENT MR LEWIS BONE 9528 7195

VICE MRS LINDA CASSIMATIS PRESIDENTS MR JOHN COX

9522 3455 9520 9363

SECRETARY MRS CAROLYN STEEL 9583 1887

TREASURER MR BILL LEWIS 9525 8481

It is hard to believe that another year is about to finish, we say farewell and good luck to Year 12 and welcome the new Year 7 students to Orientation Day. I would like to thank Linda Cassimatis, John Cox, Carolyn Steel, Bill Lewis, Lisa Harper and all the people who have attended and contributed to the P&C this year. On behalf of the P&C, we thank Mr McGrath, Ms Van Dulst, Ms Collis and all of the staff for their dedication and commitment to making PHHS the excellent school that it is. The extra time and effort in helping our children with all forms of their education is noticed and appreciated. Wishing all of the school community a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year. Kind Regards, Lewis Bone President PHHS P & C

NEXT P & C Meeting Monday 6th February 2015

at 7:30pm in the Library

This is our last Deeban for 2014 and I wish to thank all our students and parents for their efforts during the year. As always, our year climaxes next week in the Sports Assembly and Presentation Day so that we can celebrate the achievements of our great kids. More than half of any child’s capacity for achievement comes directly from their home life and their parents, and the greatest school influence on achievement is the quality of the teachers. It is therefore a real partnership between parents and teachers that works best to support kids, and I see that happening every day at Port Hacking High School. I appreciate the support almost all our parents give us and the fact that the silent majority are on our side. If students are getting the same messages from school and home, they know what our expectations are and they will achieve their utmost. One of the most detailed sections of our School Plan is based on student well-being and engagement, and the recent release of our funding to support student learning showed a further increase. This is due to the NSW Government following through on its promise to commit funds under the Gonski model, that is, based on student and school needs. I rarely recognise the work of politicians, but I must praise Education Minister Adrian Piccoli for his determination to do what is right for kids in NSW State Schools. Many of his reforms in student funding and in teacher training and accreditation are exactly what the system needs, and over time they will result in permanent gains for teachers and kids. He is the best Minister I have seen in my career. I wish you all well for the Holiday Season, and I am looking forward to an exciting 2015. Merry Christmas to all our families and friends. Greg McGrath Principal Congratulations to the four Port Hacking students selected to represent the School on the Gallipoli Centenary Tour. They are: Jordan Bailey; William Cassimatis; Catherine Said and Nicole Freer. I thank all applicants for their submissions. The panel had a difficult task choosing between so many quality candidates.

Page 2 December 2014 Issue

December 8 Yr 10 Formal - Daltone House 5.30pm 10 Sports Presentation Assembly 10.00am 12 Presentation Day Assembly 12.00pm 15 Reports Issued Yrs 7, 8, 9 & 10 17 HSC Results available LAST DAY FOR STUDENTS 18 University ATAR Results available Staff Development Day 19 Staff Development Day

TERM 4 ENDS

2015 January 27 Staff Development Day 28 First Day for Yrs 7, 11 & 12 29 First Day for Yrs 8, 9 & 10 (Students to wear Sports Uniform) February 2 Colour Day 6 School Swimming Carnival @ Caringbah Pool 13 School Photographs 16 School Photographs 18 Yr 7 Meet-the-Teachers Night 6.00pm - 7.30pm 23 Zone Swimming Carnival @ Caringbah Pool RoSA Information Night 6.00pm HSC Information Night 7.00pm

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Page 3 December 2014 Issue

The SRC will be holding a Christmas Drive to support St Vincent de Paul this festive season. In the remaining weeks of Term, students are asked to bring in and donate any canned food, toys, clothing or necessities for children, individuals and families, so they too can experience the joy of Christmas. Donations will be collected each morning during roll call, or alternatively students can place their donations under the Christmas Tree located in the Library.

Butterfly FoundationButterfly FoundationButterfly Foundation On Friday the 14th November the SRC held a fundraiser to support the Butterfly Foundation. Students were encouraged to wear butterfly themed costumes to show their support and to bring about change for people affected by eating disorders and negative body image. Students were treated to face painting and a delicious cake stall provided by the SRC, raising a total of $1500 on the day. Positive messages and posters were displayed around the School, encouraging students to be confident in who they are, regardless of physical attributes, genetics or personality.

National Young Leaders DayNational Young Leaders DayNational Young Leaders Day

On Friday 21st November, 50 students from Port Hacking High School attended the National Young Leaders Day conference sponsored by the Halogen Foundation.

Held at Sydney Olympic Park, our students were amongst thousands of High School students who were inspired by the enlightening speeches from motivational speakers present on the day. The core idea this year was that ‘nothing significant, enduring or amazing ever began that way’ illuminating to our students that failure paves the way for success. Our students were lucky enough to meet speakers including Project Rock-It founder Lucy Thomas and athlete Jeremy Rolleston, while others were involved in the creation of a film. Overall it was a highly successful day which encouraged the student body to become active, strong and courageous leaders.

Page 4 December 2014 Issue

UWS DAY @ Bankstown Campus: Sixty, Yr 12 students attended a very successful day of Lectures at University of Western Sydney. They were able to obtain information from lecturers and current students about courses, accommodation, scholarships and alternative entry. 2015 Work Experience: Dates for 2015 Work Experience Program and information regarding types of experiences are now available on www.porthackingcareers.com. Some host employers have already begun taking students for 2015 especially magazine companies, please see information on our School’s Careers website and don’t miss out. Hayley Coops Yr 9 has been selected to attend a week’s work experience at Taronga Zoo, 2015. TAFE During Term 4 the following students have participated in TAFE programs: Get into VET- Vocation Education & Training: These are TAFE Taster courses which are available to study in Yrs 11 and 12 and some in Yr 10. Intro to Building Skills: Bryce Lyons, Byron Walsh, Samuel Holzhauser, Tye Weekley-Wall, Harrison Chapman, and Zane Studden. Skills for Life-Business & Technology: Hayley Paton, Caitlyn Hyde and Samantha Morris. Beauty: Suvera Chetty, Kayla Kalamvokis and Georgia Cole. Electrotechnology: Max Tetley, Rohan Limebeer, Matthew Ragonese and Robert Brown. Smash Repairs: Cory White, Lachlan Savage, Jayden Ring and Jordan Roberts. Creative 1 Day Workshops at TAFE Interior Design: Amy Mifsud, Joy Tang, Peggy Guan and Grace Zhang. Fashion Design: Roslyn Huynh, Emilia Kocina, Amy Mifsud and Dayna Papastavros. Music Creation: Carmen Pollock and Alex Doyle-Murrell. Film Prosthetics & Special Effects Make-up: Marley Peterson, Jasmine Vella, Samantha Morris, Caitlyn Hyde and Carmen Pollock. 3D Animation: Aaron Tan. Ten students have participated in a animation workshop delivered by the Academy of Interactive Entertainment. Coming Up: Yr 9-12 Barista Course 10th Dec @ The Coffee School. In 2015 FEB Yr 12 Discovery Day @ UOW Wed Feb 4th registrations have closed if you missed out see Mrs Martin ASAP. MARCH Discovering Engineering - Yrs 10 and 11. Congratulations Jessie Barclay - Jessie has been accepted in the volunteer program - YATZ (Youth at the Zoo). Isabella Ragonese - Isabella was selected from a number of worthy applicants from Port Hacking High School as the University of Western Sydney Academy’s Most Outstanding Yr11 Award for 2014. Isabella receives a Certificate, $500 towards her Yr 12 education and a Conditional Scholarship of $20,000 for 2016. Tyce Barton - Tyce, former School Captain has received a New Colombo Plan Scholarship to study renewable energy engineering in Malaysia in 2015. Tyce was named as a fellow for the Scholarship, recognising him as one of the most outstanding candidates.

Page 5 December 2014 Issue

PortXLPortXLPortXL On Wednesday the 19th November we celebrated the achievements of our students who are involved in our extensive extra-curricular programs, in our annual awards and variety night, PortXL. We now run 13 separate groups across the various disciplines in the Performing Arts which involve over 200 PHHS students from Years 7-12. This night is an excellent opportunity for the students to showcase the repertoire, routines and skits that they have been rehearsing throughout the year and to celebrate the achievements of our most talented members. The variety and quality of the performances of these ensembles just keeps on improving. Every single member of our Performing Arts staff coordinates at least one of these ensembles and I would like to thank them for their dedication and commitment to providing excellent performance opportunities for our students. I would also like to thank our students whose enthusiasm for Performing Arts is the reason behind all these programs and also the parents who are roadies, chauffers, audience members and all matter of other things in the support of their children. Congratulations to our 2014 award winners: Band Awards: Dante Florez (Yr 10), Shekinah Clark (Yr 10), Erin Brancourt (Yr 10 ), Julian Da Ros (Yr 10), Naomi Campbell (Yr 7), Rowan Simpson (Yr 10), Calvin Wong (Yr 9) Rachel Vamvakaris (Yr 12) Dance Awards: Brianna Jospe (Yr 7 ), Megan Chappell (Yr 11), Maxine Rose (Yr 10), Annabel Scully (Yr 9) Drama Awards: Natalie Horth (Yr 8), Emily Louise Becroft (Yr 11), Olivia Aroney (Yr 8), Cameron May (Yr 11) Vocal Awards: Lisa Maree Ghaly (Yr 8), Elodie Goriaux Knox (Yr 10), Amy Forster (Yr 10), Amy Mifsud (Yr 9), Liam Blackall (Yr 10)

Yr 8 Performing Arts Semester 2 ShowcaseYr 8 Performing Arts Semester 2 ShowcaseYr 8 Performing Arts Semester 2 Showcase As this issue of Deeban goes to press our Year 8 Performing Arts students are busy preparing for their presentation night on Thursday 6th December. We are very pleased to see so many of our Yr 8 students embracing the opportunity to perform in either Dance, Drama and Music. A very special thank you is extended to our Yr 8 Performing Arts teachers Mrs Brain, Mrs Carnovale, Ms Hadfield, Ms Nicholson, Mrs Prestidge and Mr Moore for preparing the students for this event. Thank you also to the parents who attended this evening at such a busy time of the year. Sylvanvale “Fun in the Sun”Sylvanvale “Fun in the Sun”Sylvanvale “Fun in the Sun” With the end of year fast approaching many of us are turning our thoughts to Christmas and relaxing in the sun. Well there is a perfect opportunity for you to do just that and be entertained by our talented JazzPort Ensemble on Saturday 13th December. Sylvanvale is hosting a large charity event in the form of a Carnival at Dunningham Park in Cronulla from 9:30am to 4pm. Our JazzPort students have been invited to form part of the afternoon musical entertainment and will be playing a 45 minute set between 2 - 3pm. There will be a large variety of activities for kids including a reptile zoo, jumping castle, face painting, sausage sizzle, food stalls, Sylvanvale performances and of course music. Proceeds will go towards Sylvanvale’s "Moving with Life" campaign, which provides people with a disability access to therapeutic equipment, specialised training and nutrition programs to help combat the extra health concerns they face.

Page 6 December 2014 Issue

Schools SpectacularSchools SpectacularSchools Spectacular The spectacle and colour that is synonymous with Schools Spectacular is over for yet another year with the 2014 – 31st Annual School Spectacular Performances on display on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th November. Twenty four of our talented Dance students represented Port Hacking High School performing amongst 3,500 students from around the State. Twenty three of our students performed in the ‘Playing To Win’ Segment, Georgia Bone and Ellouise Dunn performed in the ‘Tap’ Segment and Rhys Banner was dancing in the boys Hip Hop Segment. Our very own talented Dance teacher Ms Casey Hadfield has been a Segment Director this year, coordinating the 'Aussie Rock' Segment and was responsible for choreographing ‘Playing To Win’. She had the honour of working alongside Dein Perry, the Creator of ‘Tap Dogs’ to piece together the tap section to ‘Joker & the Thief’. Congratulations to Ms Hadfield and all of our talented students.

Below Elyssa Kostopoulos’ describes her School Spectacular experience: Another year has passed and sadly, so has another Schools Spectacular. This year went out with a bang, with incredible performances from some the most talented students in New South Wales. I was fortunate enough to be one of the twenty four students selected to represent our School in the world’s biggest variety show consisting of 3,500 performers! From the very beginning, passion, commitment and a desire to entertain shone from each and every performer. Although the rehearsals were long and hard, the support displayed by not only other students, but also our teachers was tremendous. Ms Hadfield’s amazing choreography and dedication to the production and Ms Nicholson’s caring, loving and fun personality made the experience so much more rewarding and enjoyable. I am extremely honoured to have been a part of such an incredible experience. I have made memories and friendships that I will never forget and am so grateful for such an incredible opportunity.

Congratulations to Terry Martin on her Award for 20+ year’s Service to Schools Spectacular, the Award was presented at the Friday Night Performance. For 12 of those years she has been part of the Stage Management Team and has done an amazing job getting thousands of performers on and off the arena floor.

Important Date for your Diary: JazzPort performance at Sylvanvale’s “Fun in the Sun” Event Saturday 13 December - 2pm at Dunningham Park, Cronulla.

Happy Holidays Lastly I would like to thank everyone for a fantastic year filled with many student successes and opportunities. I would like to wish everyone a very happy Christmas and holiday break and look forward to doing it all again in 2015! Mrs Tanya Brain Head Teacher Performing Arts

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HSC: All My Own Work (AMOW) AMOW is a program designed to help HSC students to follow the principles and practices of good scholarship. It is a requirement for all students entered for one or more Preliminary or HSC courses. This course was completed by Yr 10 in the Library, with Mrs Riordan in Week 9. It is a self-paced online course that is administered through Moodle. Yr 10 showed good commitment by working individually online. Peer Tutor/Tutee Awards Morning Tea A presentation morning tea was held in the Library for all the Tutors and Tutees who have worked so hard during the year on the Peer Tutor Literacy Program. They were presented with certificates to acknowledge their commitment to the program. Congratulations: Jacob Boddy, Erin Brancourt, Jackson Brennan, Jasmyn Connell, Sarah Diener, Matthew Donnelly, Nicole Freer, Olivia Halls, Aaron Hawley, Julia Lawford, Kate Reid, Joshua Roberts, Paige Robson, Catherine Said and Zachary West. PHHS Reading ChallengePHHS Reading ChallengePHHS Reading Challenge Students who borrow books regularly and are keen readers were presented with their Reading Challenge Awards. Principal Awards were presented to students for reading 20 books or more. Samuel Chapman independently completed his NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge Platinum Award. Well done Samuel! Peer Tutors 2015Peer Tutors 2015Peer Tutors 2015 Forty students submitted their names to be Volunteer Peer Tutors in Yr 10 for 2015. In this program a Yr 10 student is ‘teamed’ with a Yr 8 student and they work together on literacy skills in Roll Call. Students chosen must have a good attendance record, be punctual, be empathetic and must be able to commit to the program for the year. This program is delivered through TAFE. Carolyn Riordan Teacher-Librarian

Page 8 December 2014 Issue

All Schools Yr 7 & 8 Girls TouchAll Schools Yr 7 & 8 Girls TouchAll Schools Yr 7 & 8 Girls Touch Congratulations to our Yr 7 & 8 Girls Touch Team who competed in the All Schools championships. They have been training hard before and after School with the coaching of Miss Houda and Miss Nicholas and gave their absolute best effort. The team placed third in their pool, but unfortunately this was not enough to proceed into the semi-finals. Well done girls, it's a huge achievement to have made it to the All Schools arena! Thanks to Miss Houda for taking the team and PHHS student Victoria Marriott who helped out. A special thanks to Keely Silva who has finished her HSC and also decided to lend a helping hand! Women in Sport ForumWomen in Sport ForumWomen in Sport Forum

On Monday 17th November, at Maroubra Surf Club the Women in Sport Forum was held. Sarah Diener of Yr 10 and Miss Moorhouse attended where they explored the extraordinary positions women/girls can hold in the sports arena. This is not solely linked to athletes, but encompasses areas such as Managerial Roles, Board Members/Panels and roles within the Media. Key note speaker Shannon Byrnes (ABC Sports commentator) explored the valuable role women have in sports media. An eye opening and educational day on the valuable role of women in sport, a message that we at Port Hacking strive to encourage on a daily basis. If you are a young woman who has achieved sporting success, let your teachers know so it can be shared!

Yr 7 & 8 Girls Rugby League Day Thirteen students from Yrs 7 & 8 were put through coaching drills relating to Rugby League. They were taught the correct way to tackle and how to safely fall to the ground. Once all skills were mastered, the students played a game against Cronulla High School. It was a tough game with lots of breaks and skilful tackles. Port Hacking High School won 7-3! A great day was had by all the girls!! Well done and thanks to Miss Houda for taking the team!!

Page 9 December 2014 Issue

Open Boys CricketOpen Boys CricketOpen Boys Cricket

Congratulations to the Open Boys Cricket Team who qualified for the area final of the Davidson Shield In the area semi-final Caringbah High School batted first and scored 173 off their 40 overs. Port Hacking High School in reply finished 6 for 175 with 5 overs to spare. Port Hacking High School was well led again by Captain Jackson Shaw who took 3 wickets and scored 41 runs. Jackson Beatson scored 50 on Wednesday for the Junior Team in a Man of the Match performance against Menai High School. He followed it up with 3 wickets in the Seniors. Joshua Maile was the key batsman for Port Hacking High School, guiding the Team home with a score of 63 not out. The Team will now play Sydney Boys High School for a spot in the last 16 of the State.

Page 10 December 2014 Issue

Design An Ad Competition Design An Ad Competition Design An Ad Competition ––– St George & Sutherland Shire LeaderSt George & Sutherland Shire LeaderSt George & Sutherland Shire Leader Congratulations to Gemma Tyler of Yr 10 who has been judged the Regional High School Winner of the Design An Ad Competition. Gemma attended a special ceremony at the IMB Bank at Southgate for the presentation of her Certificate, prize money and cheque for our school as Port Hacking High School won the overall school award.

Yr 7 - Recycled Sculpture Prize The finalists in our annual Yr 7 Recycled Sculpture have been exhibited in our School Library and have once again received a great response from fellow students and staff. Judging has taken place and the following students have been presented with their Certificates and prizes at the School Assembly.

FIRST PRIZE: Nathan Pontifex

SECOND PRIZE: Christie Xu

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Jelena Glavinic Well done to all the students who created ingenious, original responses using found materials and a range of sculpture techniques.

Page 11 December 2014 Issue

Yr 7 ‘Sculpture By The Sea’ Photography CompetitionYr 7 ‘Sculpture By The Sea’ Photography CompetitionYr 7 ‘Sculpture By The Sea’ Photography Competition First prize was awarded to Nicholas Pastore who created a powerful photographic image of a stainless steel sculpture elevated above Tamarama Beach on our recent excursion to the walk. Nicholas has immersed himself in photography and was inspired to return to the walk to capture further images at different times of day as a response to the changing light and atmospheric conditions. Congratulations Nicholas. We look forward to seeing your future photographic works. Annual Art ExhibitionAnnual Art ExhibitionAnnual Art Exhibition Once again our Annual Art Exhibition was held in the School Library from the 2nd December to the 5th December and featured works from art students from Yrs 7 to 12. HSC Bodies of Work were a special feature of the Exhibition as were the diverse range of techniques and media used by the junior students. Works exhibited included paintings on canvas, graphic design, photography, wearables, drawing, ceramics, printmaking, illustration and sculpture. In addition to parents, friends and students our Exhibition was viewed by our future Yr 7, 2015 students and their parents on Orientation Day, Wednesday 3rd December. Lisa Malcolm Head Teacher Visual Arts

Page 12 December 2014 Issue

Page 13 December 2014 Issue

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Page 14 December 2014 Issue