phone: 49 811444 email: tomaree · by. i continue to be amazed and very proud of the students we...

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It’s hard to believe another year has passed us by. I continue to be amazed and very proud of the students we have here at Tomaree High and you as parents and carers should also be proud of the fine young people you are raising. By the time you read this, the HSC results will have been released. I look forward to congratulating many students on their achievements. We received the great news last week that we will be on Round 1 of the Cooler Climates program. At this stage I do not have a time frame, but we certainly hope the process will not take too long. The first step, either late this year or early next year is a site inspection to see exactly what the need is. The program is not just about air conditioners it looks at the use of solar to offset costs and that air conditioners in the rooms will be fully automated, notifying the teacher when to turn them off and allow fresh air into the room and shutting down completely outside school times. We are really looking forward to this happening here. The school is also looking to update the technology in use in a number of classrooms. Three classrooms currently have Promethean Boards installed which are interactive and will enable greater student engagement. Four additional boards have been ordered for installation over the break and a program of updating other equipment will roll out over the year. In 2019 we will be establishing a Future Focussed Leaning Centre. Art Room 4 is being converted to a dedicated space for STEM and other technology subjects so students share a great work space to use resources such as robotics and 3D printers. Naturally, as young people develop, they will make mistakes and will have consequences for those mistakes. The mistakes should not define the person. It is how you bounce back from mistakes and learn from them that is important. At times it is heard in the community some negative comments about the students here. I urge you to stand up for our students and correct the perception of a minority of our students.

After all, when comments are made about the THS community, those comments are encompassing all students, including yours, and we know that it is not the case for the majority when a small minority choose to act inappropriately. You may have noticed a change happening in the school grounds. An internal fence is being erected that will be operational when school returns in 2019. Students will need to be in the school grounds by 8.15am ready to get to roll call and start the day. A reminder is also needed for students who enter and exit the back Keel Street gates to be respectful and mindful of the houses they walk past, not leaving rubbish and ensuring the language used is appropriate. I’ve mentioned before the need to be on time, and on the rare occasion a student is late, they should come with a note when they sign in. Students without notes are listed as unexplained and you will receive a SMS to notify them of their lateness. This may be frustrating to you if you have dropped them off late please give them a note to avoid the message. As year 11 students are getting their licences, please talk with them about safe driving. I have been notified of cars leaving the pool area too fast, be aware that the police may be called to manage these offences. I trust you all have a safe and relaxing holiday period and look forward to 2019 as a year of student growth and engagement as well as positive community participation. Our recent 20

th

Anniversary celebration showed us the amount of support we have and the value placed in this school.

TOMAREE HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATING 20 YEARS

Principal …….Sue Xenos

Important dates Monday 17th Dec - 9.30am Year 10 Assembly 12.00pm Year 9 Assembly Tuesday 18th Dec - 9.30 am Year 8 Assembly 12.00pm Year 7 Assembly Wednesday 19th Dec - Last day of School Wed Jan 30th 2019 - First Day of School Years 7,11 & 12 Thur Jan 31st 2019 - First Day of School Years 8,9 & 10

December 2018 TOMAREE HIGH NEWS RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY AND SUCCESS

Phone: 49 811444 Email: [email protected]

By the time you read this I, along with Year 10 students, will be busy checking our packing list for the Gold Coast excursion. We leave on the Sunday evening of 9

th December to

enjoy a week of outdoor activities and theme parks in Queensland. My colleagues and I are very excited to be taking the wonderful Year 10 away for the week and it is a great way to finish the year. We will be taking the opportunity to build new relationships and strengthen those that already exist, in readiness for Year 11 in 2019. Congratulations to Year 10 on successfully completing their Year 10 ROSA. Students have also completed All My Own Work. This is part of the requirements from NESA in preparation for Year 11 and 12 courses. If any students missed this due to absences from school they need to see Mr McElwain, our Careers Advisor, to get it completed before the end of term. Year 7 students are busy at the moment with end of year examinations. How quickly has this year gone? It is a delight to see Year 7 so settled and engaged in their learning. There has been such growth this year not only academically but also socially. Each year group has their own assembly during week 10 in the MPC. They are as follows: Monday 17

th December – 9.30am Year 10; 12pm Year 9

Tuesday 18

th December – 9.30am Year 8; 12pm Year 7.

Parents and Carers are welcome to join us in the MPC. Please arrive 10 minutes before the start time so that you can take your seats. On Monday 17

th December we also have our Presentation Evening which is by invitation. It

is a 6 for 6.30pm start in the MPC. Look out for specials over the holidays on our school Facebook page for buying school uniform from LOWES for 2019. They sell all the uniform items required, including plain black enclosed leather shoes or joggers. When buying a school skirt please note it is not hemmed; the large hem is tacked on so it can be adjusted for the height of your child. This means it should be let down, ironed and then hemmed to the appropriate mid-thigh length for school. I wish all of our families a safe and very happy Christmas and a relaxing summer holiday. 2019 school year starts on Wednesday 30

th January for Years 7,11

and 12 ; Thursday 31st

January for the whole school. Kind regards, Sue D’Arcy Deputy Principal

Deputy Principal …….Ms D’Arcy


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TOMAREE EDUCATION CENTRE 20 YEAR

ANNIVERSARY DINNER

Past Principals, teachers, staff, ex-students and special guests recently joined together to celebrate the opening 20 years ago of Tomaree Education Centre. A highlight of the Anniversary Dinner was the speech made by past student, Max Allan. Max was School Captain and Dux in 2006. He is now a Senior Associate lawyer and shared some of his journey along with his memories of school and his passion for public education.

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TOMAREE’S 2018 YEAR 12 FORMAL Year 12 have now finished all their exams and have enjoyed the formal. The formal was held at Saltwater Restaurant at Fingal Bay and the students looked amazing. A big thank you for Saltwater Restaurant for having us and all the year 12 students, teachers & parents who helped make the night so special.

Steevee Gillett

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ART EXPRESS 2019


It is with much pleasure that we announce the

prestigious nomination for Art Express 2019 to

Bonnie Stothard. This nomination only goes to a

very select group of students who are among the top

in the State for their art making. Bonnie has worked

consistently throughout Year 12 to develop a highly

successful and engaging Body Of Work titled ‘Close

Encounters’. She has used the most humble of art

materials, coloured pencil, and created a highly

resolved series of portraits of close friends and

herself. She was absolutely delighted to achieve this

accolade. Although this nomination does not

guarantee being hung in the gallery, Bonnie said,

“This is the highlight of my year, it doesn’t matter if

the curators don’t choose my work to be hung, I am

just so happy to have

been nominated and

being chosen to hang in

AGNSW or a Regional

gallery would just be

the icing on the cake”.

Anne Gorton

Visual Arts CONGRATULATIONS

BONNIE

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CAPA SHOWCASES Students from 7P, 8P 9 Drama and 10 Dance/Drama combined to perform two showcases in week 8. The first was for the Year 6-7 Transition Day, which was a great success. The students loved performing for the year 6 kids, and they received overwhelming positive feedback. A Q&A session was held at the end of the performance and the students had an opportunity to ask the Creative and Performing Arts students questions about their performances and their classes here at school.

The second Showcase was for the students here at Tomaree. Students and their teachers came to the MPC to watch performances and present the items they have been working on all year. It was a great show and a lovely way to farewell the year.

Kerbie Fletcher CAPA Teacher

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Another decade of Mathematics at Tomaree High


Having another 10 years of Mathematics at Tomaree High under our belt, I reflect on the newsletter article from 2008 that was written with the changes that have been made from past to present. I am in the enviable position of being the Head Teacher – Mathematics for the past 10 years in this wonderful comprehensive High School where we have many occasions of great results and great teaching and learning. The present staff consists of: Mandy Shiner, Wayne Anderson, Rod Lyon, Renee Lyon, Leila Courts, Steevee Gillett, Lucas Cushan, Adewale Kareem, Nicole Charlish then Rob Powell in order of appointment. Also Kyle McElwain was on the Mathematics faculty but now holds the position of Tomaree High Careers Advisor. The past staff who have since retired include: Neil Goudge, Geoff Cousins, Peter Johnson, Michael Wojko, Louise Gillett, Sue-Anne Rowan – who all call the Bay area home. Other staff who have graced our presence and moved into higher positions in the past 10 years include: Ben McCartney, Tina Pratt and a variety of dedicated casuals. David Tripet has also moved from our Mathematics faculty to the Science faculty, which is his passion. The curriculum has changed: We award grades to Year 10 ROSA from A10 to E2, and grades to Year 11 A – E. The courses running for the HSC now include Extension 2, then Extension 1 followed by Mathematics, Standard 2 and Standard 1 with HSC Results recorded in Bands: leading to the ATAR if required. The future syllabus for Advanced and Extension Mathematics is about to change for the first time since the 1980s! We have had some outstanding HSC results which include no less than 7 students receiving top Bands in both Extension and Advanced Mathematics, and a massive 19 Band 6s in General. It makes us proud to know that our school has Extension students and receives Band 6 results, which is not the case for many high schools. Some names that I can recall for outstanding HSC achievement include Jeff Bell, Bradley Driscoll, Liam Dobbie, Jesse Cranney, Chloe Burchmore, Jarrad Courts, Connor O’Sullivan, Isaac Gallagher, Matthew Ferguson, and recently Bailey Gauta and Lara Holbert. Back in 2015 Gaia Ewing received a score of 98 in General Mathematics, which is the best score I have seen in the course. Students still participate in numerous Mathematics Competitions to extend our talented students. Opportunities to attend workshops on higher level thinking run by University of Newcastle and the local Newcastle Mathematics Association are still valuable learning experiences. Year 8 have had the opportunity of working hard in class and rewarded with a trip to Luna Park run by MANSW. The faculty is looking forward to maintaining its high expectations and moving forward with a new senior Stage 6 curriculum, the partnership of STEM related tasks, focus on NAPLAN and minimum standards tests for the HSC and changes to assessment practises such as a reference sheet for all junior assessment tasks. Tutor for Mathematics - if you are willing to tutor students in 2019 or know someone who is, the Mathematics faculty is keen to create a list of potential tutors. Please contact the school and leave details of levels you are willing to tutor and contact phone numbers. From a very proud Head Teacher of Mathematics Happy anniversary THS. Mr Rod Lyon (2006 - ?)

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Mathematics Competitions

During the year the Mathematics Faculty has entered students in the University of NSW (ICAS) Mathematics Competition, the Australian Mathematics Competition, Australian Problem Solving Mathematics Olympiad and Have Sum Fun Online. These competitions have allowed students to extend and enrich their mathematical abilities.

Eighty three students entered the University of NSW (ICAS) Mathematics Competition (which has over 500,000 students competing Australia wide) which resulted in the award of 16 Merit, 28 Credit and 2 Distinction Certificates.

Credit certificates were awarded to: Yr 7 - Kai Buchanan, Toby Butler, Lexi Daly, Luke Donovan, Riley Gibson, Taj Lambert, Ebony Limm; Yr 8 - Ryan Bray, Cindy Chen, Tonaya Hyland, Roxie Tancred, Maddison Wilson; Yr 9 - Nicholas George, Cooper Jones, Jack Newsome, Sean O’Rourke, Indiana Shaw; Yr 10 - Will Ahrenfeld, Ben Anderson, Cooper Beasley, Riley Bevan, Benjamin Bradley, Bethany Phillips, Jared Robinson; Yr 11 - Emily Kenny, Rhiana Mackenzie; Yr 12 - Tim Anderson, Isaac Leonard. Distinction certificates were awarded to: Yr 8 Distinction - Cooper Lack top 10% of all Yr 8 participants; Yr 10 - Bradley Wenzel top 8% of all Yr 10 participants.

Thirty nine students entered the Australian Mathematics Competition (which has over 300,000 students competing Australia wide) which resulted in the award of 9 Credit and 2 Distinction Certificates. Credit certificates were awarded to: Yr 7 - Toby Butler, Taj Lambert; Yr 8 - Cooper Lack; Yr 9 - Nicholas George, Logan Stewart; Yr 10 - Ben Anderson, Lachlan Blyth; Yr 11 - Anthony Wanigabaduge; Yr 12 - Tim Anderson Distinction certificate was awarded to: Yr 10 - Bradley Wenzel top 14% of all Yr 10 participants; Yr 11 - Rhiana Mackenzie top 10% of all Yr 11 participants. Thirty five students from 7M1 and 8M1 entered the Australian Problem Solving Mathematics Olympiad. The Olympiad involved 5 separate problem solving activities. The top students in Yr 7 were Toby Butler and Rowan Connick who were both in the top 25% of participants. The top student in Yr 8 was Cooper Lack who was in the top 20% of participants. Forty students from 7M1, 8M1 and 10M1 entered the MAWA ‘Have Sum Fun Online’ competition. Yr 7 was placed 22nd out of 100 teams, Yr 8 was placed 51st out of 93 teams, Yr 10 Team 1 was placed 17th out of 43 teams and Yr 10 Team 2 was placed 24th out of 43 teams.

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U15 Water Polo 2018

The U15 Boys’ Water Polo team of: Cale Graham, Alex Howarth, Mitchell Lancaster, Boadie Parker, Brady Stewart, Ashton Gray, Jack Kenny, Michael Clayton-Brown, Angus Tonks, Toby Fraser travelled to Lambton Aquatic Centre to participate in the CHS U15 Boys Gala Day. The boys played well as a team to record a win over Swansea 5 – 2, a win over Belmont, a draw with Kotara 3 – 3 and close losses to Whitebridge and Warners Bay.

The U15 Girls’ Water Polo team of: Charli Webb, Arwyn Fitzpatrick, Chantal Giepmans, Mackenzie Lennox, Claudia Samoilenko, Tori Stewart, Jessica Campbell, Aimee Dove, Logan Stewart and Jorja Webb travelled to Raymond Terrace to take on Mt View and Chatham Highs. The girls played well in the Round 2 game vs Mt View which saw Tomaree establish an early 4 goal lead. This allowed Tomaree to rest a couple of players and run out winners 6 – 4. In Round 3 vs Chatham Tomaree were up against a more experienced side but the girls again took the game to the opposition and put the pressure on right from the start. In a very even match the girls went down 2 – 4.

Well done to both the boys and the girls teams.

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HSIE News


Katerina’s Day in Parliament Katerina Nicolopoulos of Year 11 recently participated in the NSW Schools Constitutional Convention at NSW Parliament House as a HSIE enrichment activity. Below are Katerina’s reflections of the day.

“Being selected to attend the annual NSW Constitutional Convention was an insightful and exciting experience that I was so happy to be a part of. The day consisted of about 175 students from around the State listening to an incredible address from Professor Anne Twomey who spoke about the Section 44 of the Australian Constitution which was to be the focus for the day. Students were split off into a number of groups to discuss each aspect of Section 44 and whether the group agreed that it needed amending. Our group discussed the aspect of Section 44 that related to the disqualification of members of parliament who have a dual citizenship, hold an office of profit under the crown and have had convictions including treason or bankruptcy charges. The discussion on dual citizenship and the recent disqualification of a number of federal MP’s was the most interesting and relevant issue for me, and it was rigorously debated throughout the day.

After lunch, all 175 students came together in the Legislative Assembly where a number of one minute student debates for and against changing the various parts of Section 44 of the Australian Constitution where conducted. I participated in one of these debates and was for the amending Section 44 as I believe Australia is an incredibly diverse and multicultural society and the people within parliament should be a reflection of the Australian citizens. Another interesting aspect I discovered after research on Section 44 was that people with dual citizenships can join the Australian forces and put their lives on the line to protect our country however they are not allowed to run for, or be a member within parliament, which in my opinion is quite unreasonable.

The conclusion of the day involved the announcement as to whether the motion to amend Section 44 of the Constitution and voted on by the 175 students was successful or not. With a large majority the Yes vote was carried to amend and update Section 44 to reflect Australia’s culturally diverse modern day society. A referendum of the Australian people to formally amend the constitution, however, would be needed. I had an amazing day and met a range of like-minded students from both public and private schools from all around NSW, some that I still keep in contact with through social media. I was selected to be one of the 30 students from NSW to attend the Australian Schools Constitutional Convention in Parliament House Canberra in March 2019. This is an incredible opportunity for me to be selected to attend and I’m very much looking forward to the experience which includes paid flights and accommodation.”

Mr Windon Relieving Head Teacher HSIE

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AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHY COMPETITION 2018 Geography students in Years 10-12 tested their geographical skills and knowledge against students from all around the country in the 2018 Australian Geography Competition. Over 72,000 students from 743 schools entered the competition in the junior, intermediate and senior categories. Students were expected to answer 40 multiple choice questions in 40 minutes testing their geographic skills by using a range of maps, graphs and statistics. Students’ general knowledge was also tested on topics as diverse as water management, land clearing, migration and human wellbeing. The competition is a joint initiative of the Australian Geography Teachers’ Association and the Royal Geographical Society of Queensland and in NSW is sponsored by Macquarie University. Student results included four high distinctions, ten distinctions, twelve credits and twenty- four participation certificates:

Ruby Wright, William Ahrenfeld, Riley Beaven and Edie Bocking received high distinctions.

Gabrielle Thoroughood, Dan Vu, Katerina Nicolopoulos, Ben Anderson, Jack Everitt, Jasper Gippell, Doeun Kim, Bethany Phillips, Jared Robinson and Jake Voyzey received distinctions.

Mitchell Coggan, Maegan Johnston, Corey Warrington, Mitchell Workman, Jack Banner, Noah Connick, Mia Forster, Lucy Holt, Rylea Holbert, Kelly Joinson, Amy Landa and Makaylah Peacock received credits.

Isaac Haynes, Bradley Fletcher, Chloe Staveley, Taylor Bennett, Lara Dynes, Kean Thomas, Oscar Reeder, Charlie Astley, Casey Ballard, Harrison Ballard, Sarah Megahey, Sean Pobie, Jasmine Porter, Dylan Baillache, Isabella Biscan, Lachlan Blyth, Erin Chiva, Prabhat Dhungana, Jarrod Dixon, Kye Duffy, Maddison Mitchell, Kai Offen, Archie Schuette and Tamara Stevens received participation certificates.

Great work everyone. Craig Windon Relieving Head Teacher HSIE

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Remembrance Day

On Thursday the 8th of November students and staff at Tomaree High School came together to mark the Centenary commemoration of the end of WWI. In a ceremony hosted by Mr Ross, students viewed a documentary with rare archival footage of soldiers celebrating the signing of the Armistice in 1918 and returning home to Australia.

Mr Windon addressed the assembly on the ANZAC experience of his ancestors on the Western Front 1916 –1918 including the significance of the Victoria Cross which was posthumously awarded to Alexander Henry Buckley after the capture and liberation of the French town of Perrone in September of 1918.

Following the ceremony, School Captains, Katerina Nicolopoulos and Declan Forysth, laid a wreath

provided by Defence Transition Mentor, Debra Mould, in the Lone Pine Garden to remember those

who sacrificed their lives in service of Australia.

Craig Windon

Relieving Head Teacher, HSIE

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

LEST WE FORGET

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INDUSTRIAL ARTS

2018 has been a busy year in the Industrial Arts faculty with many highlights including Year 9 STEM, Industrial Technology and Design and Technology major projects to name a few.

In Term 2, Mr Newton joined us from Gulgong High School as a permanent member of the faculty. In term 4, we welcomed back Mr Christiansen following his recovery in Terms 2 and 3 from surgery and we farewelled Mr Garrard who had been working with us for 2 years.

Year 11 and 12 VET Construction and Metal & Engineering We would like to thank Youth Express and all the host employers for their continued support with the VET work placements and the real life experiences the students get from attending these placements.

Year 12 Design & Technology 2018

The Year 12 Design & Technology class have completed all their major project work and associated folio tasks and they have submitted them for HSC marking. All members of the class have spent many months designing, prototyping, testing and evaluating their designs before commencing their actual HSC final project build.

These processes are vital for HSC students to undertake as it forms the basis of their project work and sets the boundaries for their folio research and design. All students have worked for many hours at school, at home and many afternoons after school in the workshops in order to meet the HSC project deadlines.

Each student has developed, designed and constructed an individual project that satisfies an identified need. The quality of projects this year was outstanding and a credit to all the students who worked on them.

The class is now awaiting their HSC marks and final reports from NESA to find out how they have performed over the HSC course.

The following is a showcase of our talented students completed projects.

William Douglas Will designed a storage system for the back of his 4WD. The project has 3 storage boxes and 2 storage sliding drawers. It is covered in marine grade carpet with aluminium edging all around. All drawers and lids are key lockable for security and the project can be separated into three individual storage sections if needed.

James Gilmour – Outdoor Esky Table This project is an 8 seater table built from a wine table and ACACIA sheet timber. The barrel has been cut open to allow for a shelving system that is accessible from both sides and there is an esky with a drain pipe in the centre of the table. It has aluminium edging all around and is finished in high grade marine varnish for outdoor use.

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Corey Goodwin – Mechanics Toolbox

Corey built his own mechanics tool box out of a 44 gal oil drum which he split in half and re-joined with 100mm hinges, covered all the sharp edges with pinch weld, built and fitted hardwood shelves and attached a system of magnets to hang tools from. He fitted wheels to the base for ease of movement. The box itself closes and locks for security.

Brittany Smith – Jewellery Box

Brittany designed and constructed a 5 drawer jewellery box out of Tasmanian Oak with Merbau hardwood drawer fronts. 4 drawers lay horizontally and the 5

th drawer is a vertical. The top has been routed

to match the drawer fronts and each drawer is felt lined.

Aeddan Holliday – Speaker Cover

This project was designed to house a speaker and protect it from the elements. The project is machined from recycled plastic and allows the speaker to be supported and secured whilst also allowing the sound to be amplified significantly.

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Liam Smith

Liam designed and constructed a 3 piece, all in one shelving and seating system that is custom built to fit around a window in his bedroom. It provides storage and a seated area under the window. The project is made from ACACIA sheets with a Merbau plinth and finished in durable clear polyurethane.

Jamie Whatman

Jamie designed a storage system to fit on the back of his Ute which is to store tools and camping equipment. The system has two large drawers that slide and two large storage areas with lifting lids. The entire project is sealed and covered with marine carpet and then has an aluminium edge around the frame.

Caitlin Orr

Caitlin designed and built a wood fired pizza oven out of a recycled 44 gal drum. She constructed a metal frame to house the oven in, then split the drum in half and hinged it on the back. She then fitted two side shelves and a smoke stack, and in-corporated a large stainless drawer to catch the waste material from the fire.

Mr Crew Industrial Arts Dept. Y12 D&T Teacher

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BECOME PART OF OUR TEAM IN 2019

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phone: 49 811444 email: tomaree · by. i continue to be amazed and very proud of the students we...

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