the fortnightly newsletter of castle hill high school

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EXCELLENCE INNOVATION SUCCESS

School Telephone: 9634 4199 School Facsimile: 9899 6527 Website: http://www.chhs.nsw.edu.au

The fortnightly newsletter of Castle Hill High School

EXCELLENCE INNOVATION SUCCESS

Volume 3 5 March 2010

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Year 9 laptops I know that Year 9 students are waiting expectantly for laptops to arrive. The new date for arrival is Thursday March 25. Of course, we won’t be able to distribute them to students until a parent information evening is conducted (likely, at this stage, on Monday March 29), a charter of agreement signed, consignment protocols are undertaken and just new for this rollout, a 30 minute survey of each student. This is a significant exercise and necessarily takes time for it to be done accurately and fairly. We want all Year 9 students to have their computers by the first week of Term 2. More details will follow about the information evening, charter signing and distribution dates and times. Events This has been a particularly busy fortnight with a range of events taking place. On Wednesday February 17 we had a “Meet the Teacher” evening and BBQ for Year 7 students and their parents. It was a terrific evening, talking informally and getting to know our community more. Year 6 students from partner primary schools visited on February 22 and 23. Hosted by Year 11 students, they were given a taste of high school, experiencing 3 or 4 lessons in Science, TAS, Drama, Music and Visual Arts. During the evening of February 23, parents of Year 5 and 6 students keen to find out more about Castle Hill High School’s curriculum, welfare and extra curricula activities, had a tour of our school. It was a great opportunity for the community to see our facilities, most of which have been substantially upgraded in the last twelve months and talk to us personally about important issues in education. And to top it off, there was a parent/teacher evening for Year 12 students on Tuesday March 2, again another opportunity for parents and teachers to talk about learning. And…..a Gifted and Talented Evening, was also held on Tuesday March 2. As always, these events were very well attended and well received.



Boys Mentoring We continue to work hard in the junior and senior school for boys who are capable of doing better. Mr Peter Kerrigan and Mr Reece Watson have been working tirelessly on specific strategies with the boys, and with their parents. I’m delighted with progress so far. For the senior boys, we are already seeing more confidence in their organising skills, more commitment to regular study and more focus in class. The Year 9 class is also working more purposefully to improve. We are watching these programs very closely. I have high hopes and expectations. What about the girls? For those of you with daughters, I would recommend you read “What’s Happening to Our Girls: Too Much Too Soon” by Maggie Hamilton (Viking 2008). The book’s blurb is an apt summary: “Why are girls as young as five years old concerned about their looks and addicted to shopping? Why are they having sex and binge drinking so young, responding to chat-room predators, and bullying their peers via email and text messages? Why are depression, cutting and eating disorders on the rise, and why, with so much choice, do so many want to marry young and have babies? In a few short years our girls have become vulnerable – not just teen girls, but also young girls and baby girls. They are being forced to grow up faster than ever before. What a twelve year old girl experienced at seven is not what a seven year old girl is now struggling with. Many of the guidelines we offer girls no longer apply, or are contradicted by messages from media and advertising telling girls how to look, think, behave and feel. Informed, revealing, compassionate and at times shocking, What’s Happening to Our Girls? is a book for parents and all those who want to better understand and support girls.” I found this book riveting, if not concerning. I think you will too. Vicki Brewer

ATTENTION PARENTS/CAREGIVERS

Muslim Scripture will take place Thursday morning 9.00am – 9.30am each week. If you would like your child to attend, please contact Mrs Girginis at school on 9634 4199

Correct money would be appreciated when making any payments by cash at Room 1 as the school is unable to change large dominations, especially prior to 9.00am.

UNIFORM SHOP OPENING HOURS

FOR TERM 1

MONDAY AND FRIDAY 8.15am – 11.30am



Hello again from the P&C parents’ perspective. Our first meeting for the year was held on 17 February. We had a wonderful attendance; a number of parents joined us after the New Parent BBQ. It was great to see so many new faces. Hopefully they will become familiar faces as the year goes on. Our principal, Mrs Brewer gave us an informative report on the ‘Your School Website’. She handed out copies of a very informative update. Anyone interested would be able to obtain a copy from her. Well worth a read. Also discussed was the Trivia Night, which will probably be held in Term 3. A proposal was put that we have a sausage sizzle and cake stall at the school on Election Day later this year. Anyone interested in helping out at any of these events is welcome, come along to the next meeting for more planning. The next meeting of the P&C will be held in the staff common room on the 17th March at 7.30. Mrs Brewer is going to take us on a tour of the newly refurbished Science block. Come along and join us. Let us know what you would like to see your P&C do in your school. Cheers Jennie Thompson President



THE SCIENCE LAB UPGRADE IS COMPLETE! AND THEY ARE LOOKING FABULOUS

We present to you the completed science labs! All six science labs have had essential renovations, with the F-block rooms getting a complete overhaul that includes new lab benches, fume cupboards and tables and chairs. The newer E-block rooms have had a smaller amount of renovations to improve the emergency safety stop button, wiring and ceiling. Each science lab is fitted with a projector and Internet connection that allows students’ science lessons to include up-to-date visuals and videos. The rooms are bright, safe, and a fun learning environment. The layout in the F-block rooms includes a carpeted learning space in the centre and the practical lab benches (complete with their own sink and equipment cupboard) are around the edges of the room. This means that classes are more able to do effective group work, practical work and focus on the theory parts of the lesson. The science staff is excited to be using these rooms and are confident that these new learning environments will help to increase student learning.



Hills Zone Swimming Carnival

On Tuesday 23 February and Wednesday 24 February 2010, Castle Hill High School hosted the Hills Zone Swimming Carnival at Parramatta Pool. The students who represented Castle Hill High School at this carnival performed to a high standard. The following students achieved a top three position in their respective Age Championship. Kimberly Prasetthavorn 1st 12 yrs Girls Erin Cowie Equal 3rd 13yrs Girls Soo Hwang 1st 15yrs Girls Alison Jalvo 1st 16yrs Girls Jessica Le Quesne 2nd 17yrs Girls Keegan Ross 1st 14yrs Boys Benjamin Jalvo 1st 15yrs Boys Thomas Hartmann 3rd 17yrs Boys

Kimberley Praetthavorn Erin Cowie Soo Hwang Alison Jalvo Jessica le Quesne Keegan Ross Benjamin Jalvo Thomas Hartmann Congratulations to these students on their excellent efforts. Castle Hill High School finished second overall in the school points score against the seven Schools competing at this Hills Zone Carnival. With Castle Hill High School being the organisers of this carnival, I would like to thank the following for their assistance during the carnival.

• Mr & Mrs Jalvo for providing a professional and highly competent job as referees on the two days of the Carnival.

• Anita Acevedo, Jake Schaudin, Matthew Schaudin and Kieran Verma for their roles as assistants to the officials at the Carnival

• Jenifer Festejo and Jodie Llamas for their work as assistant managers for the Castle Hill High School team.

The following students will now be representing the Hills Zone Swimming Team at the Sydney West Carnival on the 23 March 2010. Angus Baird, Erin Cowie, Stephen Duzevich, Jacob Fugar, Alex Gaston, Daniel Green, Tom Hartmann, Soo Hwang, Alison Jalvo, Ben Jalvo, Matthew Knight, Jessica La Quesne, Constant Liu, Damien Mulvannah, Tim Pond, Kimberly Prasertthavorn, Stuart Price, Quentin Quach, Keegan Ross, Jake Schaudin, Matthew Schaudin, Jared Seager, Vanessa Sefton, Theresa Sobb, Chris Steel, Lauren Svanetti, Nicola Tziogas, Amy Wallis, Adam Yuan and Chai Hyuk Yang. Mr Williams Sports Organiser



Year 7 Camp This is a copy of Emma Peake’s speech which she gave to the School Assembly.

I will be talking about the giant swing, commando, raft building, canoeing and alpine rescue. After we all arrived in one piece, we went on an activity - the giant swing! Each person had a different height goal they wanted to achieve and courageously achieved it. For some people it took a lot of courage to go up so high on a giant swing, but for others it was a breeze! But for everyone to go on a swing, it required a lot of team work. You had to rely on your class and have a lot of confidence in them to get you up. Having swung to the ground, leaving our stomachs behind, dinner was probably the last thing on most people’s minds. Having said that, after a bowl of spicy spaghetti, we went back to our tents and smothered ourselves in aeroguard, ready for Commando! Commando was a great adventure, both for the hostages and seekers. Hostages had a great time pretending to sell other hostages and sausages and singing nursery rhymes. But for seekers, it was a different matter. It eventually got very dark and we couldn’t see a thing! Crawling around in the bush, pitch black was very scary. Sometimes when crouched, a fern would tickle your back and you’d think it was a spider crawling up your back! This time, the students won against the teachers. Every hostage was found. Once commando was finished, we went back to our tents and had showers. After we were nearly ready for bed, we had chocolate milk and a cookie for supper. Sadly after supper, it was time for bed. We slept in tents with bunk beds. The torch was always on and we prayed that the batteries didn’t run out! We were supposed to go to sleep at 10pm. Fat Chance! Some people didn’t have enough time to talk during the day and stayed awake til 3 in the morning! Goes to show what great friends we’d already made on the first day of camp. But the next morning, boy we were tired! Today, one of the activities we did was raft building. Raft building was just as fun but it involved a lot more teamwork and thinking. Everyone had different ideas and we all listened to each other. This definitely helped in the raft making process. There was also a lot of trial and error as different creations were going to sink the raft! Raft building had a humorous side to it as well. It was funny in my group when the other team’s raft fell apart so they attempted to float on tyres! At the end, we were able to have a free swim. Once the activity ended, we had 5 minutes to get dry and change for dinner. We had a nice BBQ with sausage and rissoles, definitely better then the previous dinner! The next day, we went to another activity - Alpine rescue. This again required a lot of teamwork and thinking. The thinking was important because if we weren’t careful, we would fall off the log, drop something on the ground and it cost us lives. The teamwork was important especially moving the stretcher across the obstacles. And trust me, when the stretcher falls and you’re in it, it’s not fun. We also used teamwork to incorporate different ideas and build a way across without losing lives. Teamwork, strength and thinking were very important in this activity. Canoeing was our last activity, but it was a lot of fun. Since it was soooooooo hot, it was nice to cool down. The same as all the activities, this required teamwork. After all the safety talk was done and we were in our groups of 3, we were off into the water crashing into each other and the river banks. We communicated to each other on which way to steer and worked together to turn and paddle. We also all helped each other ‘raft up’ when the whistle blew. Everyone pushed and pulled everyone else’s canoe to help everyone get in line. It was also very competitive as everyone tried to race each other as we paddled down the creek. Luckily, no one capsized though I’m sure many of us wanted to. Unfortunately it was the last activity of the camp. We quickly got changed for lunch which was a delicious hot dog. During lunch we were able to go to the souvenir shop. Sadly after lunch, we left the campsite. Most of us watched a movie on the way back to pass the time and luckily no one was sick. When we finally arrived back at school we were glad to be home. The camp overall presented personal challenges that really pushed us to our limits. The camp was fun and exciting from start to finish, giving us opportunities and adventures of a lifetime, not to mention all the memories that we have brought back with us! I think the most important principle we brought back from that camp was teamwork. No matter who the people were or what the situation was, everyone pulled together to make it work. Literally! Plus most of us made new friends that will stick with each other for a long while yet to come. Emma Peake



Castle Hill High School Uniform Shop Price List 2009 - 2010

All Prices include GST

Size Range Price Flexi Fit Caps One Size $ 10.00 Bucket Hats S.M.L.XL $ 10.00 Girls Uniform Summer Dress (Junior) with logo 2 – 22 $ 65.00 Pleated Royal Blue Skirt 2 – 22 $ 60.00 Pleated Senior Checked Skirt 4 – 22 $ 60.00 Princess Line Blouse 6 – 24 $ 40.00 Tie $ 3.00 Boys Uniform Grey Shorts (Elastic Waist) 12 – XXL $ 25.00 Grey Trousers (Elastic Waist) 12 – XXL $ 35.00 Blue Shorts (Senior) 77 – 107 $ 40.00 Blue Trousers (Senior) 78 – 107 $ 45.00 Boys Short Sleeve White Shirt 32 – 46 $ 35.00 Boys Long Sleeve White Shirt 34 – 40 $ 35.00 Tie $ 22.00 Common Items P E Shirts 10 – 2XL $ 40.00 P E Shorts 10 – 2XL $ 25.00 White Socks pack of 3 2 – 8 and 6 – 11 $ 12.00 Wool/Blend Pullover 10 – 26 $ 70.00 Wool/Blend Vest 14 – 22 $ 50.00 Cotton/Blend Pullover 10 – 20 $ 70.00 Boys Blazer 16 – 24 $160.00 Girls Blazer 6 – 22 $130.00 Spray/Rain Jacket S.M.L $ 35.00 Food Technology Aprons one size $ 8.00 Metal School Badges $ 5.00 Back Pack designed and endorsed M $ 70.00 By Chiropractors’ Association of Australia L $ 70.00 Please note: Larger sizes are available for most items on special order. Various Second Hand Items Also Available. HOURS: Monday and Friday ONLY 8:15am to 11:30am Including Recess Please support the Uniform Shop which is run by the P & C Association. All profits are used to fund P & C projects to benefit yours child’s education.



UNIFORM SHOP NEWS

2010 Opening Hours Term 2

DATE OPENING TIMES

Friday 16 April 9.30am to 11.30am Week 1 Monday 19 April 8.15am – 11.30am Tuesday 20 April 8.15am – 11.30am Friday 23 April 8.15am – 11.30am Weeks 2 – 11 Monday and Friday 8.15am – 11.30am Junior Girls Winter Uniform Royal Blue Skirts Sizes 2-22 $60.00 Blouses Sizes Girls 6G-14G $40.00 Sizes Adults 6-22 $40.00 Tab Ties $ 3.00 Jumpers – Poly wool Sizes 10-22 $70.00 Poly Cotton Sizes 10-22 $70.00 Junior Boys Uniform Short Sleeve Shirts Sizes 30-46 $35.00 Grey Trousers Sizes 12- XXL $35.00 Margaret Pritchard Uniform Shop Manager



FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTER Published and distributed by email to parents each

Friday fortnight during school term.

CALENDAR 2010

UPCOMING EXAMINATIONS

Year 12 Half Yearly

Monday 22 March – Thursday 1 April 2010

Year 11 Half Yearly Tuesday 20 April – Friday 30 April 2010

P & C MEETING

Wednesday 17 March 2010

7.30pm Common Room

DATE

CALENDAR EVENT

TERM 1, WEEK 7A 2010

DATE

CALENDAR EVENT

TERM 1, WEEK 8B 2010

Monday

8 March 2010

• Girls Water Polo Gala Day – 7am Glenbrook Pool • Year 11 Design & Technology Excursion –

Powerhouse Museum 9am-5.30pm

Monday 15

March 2010

• School Cross Country Week • Year 7 Cross Country

Tuesday

9 March 2010

• Year 10 HSIE Excursion – Cockatoo Island & Collaroy – Narrabeen

Tuesday 16

March 2010

Wednesday

10 March 2010

• Year 10 HSIE Excursion – Cockatoo Island & Collaroy –Narrabeen • Year 9 Scripture Seminar Sessions 3-4 • Years 7-12 Meetings • Mufti Day • Dance Party – 5pm

Wednesday 17

March 2010

• Celebration Assembly Years 7 – 10 • Year 10 Scripture Seminar Sessions 3-4 • P & C Meeting 7.30pm Common Room • Year 9 Visual Arts Excursion – Maritime

Museum

Thursday

11 March 2010

• CHHS G & T Placement Testing • CHS Open Girls Cricket Knockout – Fred

Caterson – 9am

Thursday 18

March 2010

• Year 8 Cross Country

Friday

12 March 2010

Friday

19 March 2010

• Peer Support Session – Session 5 • French Tour Departs 21.3.10



CASTLE HILL COMMUNITY NEWS and ADVERTISING

BRENNAN DRIVING SCHOOL

CLASS 1A LIC. 006937

9624 3545 Discount off first lesson for new

students only Valid to 31.12.2010

GLUTEN FREE BAKERY Fresh Bread Baked Dailey Also Caters for Dairy, Egg, Soy and Nut Allergies Choices Gluten Free 24-32 Lexington Drive Bella Vista (opp. Fitness First) New Hours Tuesday – Friday 8.30am – 3.30pm Saturday – 8.30am – 12.30pm

Mention Castle Hill High School and for every referral, $2.00 will be given to the school.

Telephone Henry 5% of payment on completion of work will be donated to Castle Hill High School



CASTLE HILL HIGH SCHOOL REUNION

I wish to contact Castle Hill High School students and teachers

who were at the school between 1965 and 1970 for our

‘40 Year Reunion’ to be held in October 2010.

Priscilla Adey 0407 920 550 [email protected] `

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