Riverside Girls High School AUGUST 2013

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SEPTEMBER CALENDAR • Wednesday 4th September – SRC Induction

Assembly

• Thursday 5th September – Year 7 Games Day

• Wednesday 11th September – Sports Assembly period 2 | P&C meeting 7.30pm

• Tuesday 17th September – Year 12 Farewell Assembly period 2

• Thursday 19th September – Year 12 Graduation 7.30pm

Our Principal’s Report Thankyou to the parents and friends who have visited our school this month to celebrate the successes of our students. Many parents attended the assembly where we acknowledged the students who have achieved the highest level in our merit system – a Gold Award.

Proud Gold students and their parents

We also welcomed parents from the P and C for the handover of resources and over 350 guests at the Soiree. The opportunities for our students and teachers continue with science teacher, Tracey Warzecha, travelling to Darwin in the September holidays to present at the Australian Curriculum conference. The conference focuses on the way the Australian curriculum addresses sustainability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and Australia’s place in Asia. This is a great honour as

there was a competitive field of teachers wanting to showcase their practices and we have an opportunity to show that Riverside Girls is at the forefront in developing and delivering innovative, authentic and quality educational programs. Also, many students have had an opportunity to speak to staff and students about what they can offer the school as the school captain. This added section of the voting process has enabled all 14 candidates to raise their profile before the vote. The next edition of Currents will profile our new student leaders. Thanks to the SRC organisers Mr Miles and Ms Glansbeek for introducing, through a student voted revision of the SRC Constitution, a very fair and exciting voting process for our school leaders.

Belinda Kelly Principal Message from the P&C On behalf of the Riverside P&C, Michael Warner, Berny Barber and Greg Tunnock attended a presentation at Riverside on Thursday 29th August to formally handover a number items purchased by the P&C. These items in support of different educational programs included: Tablet Computers for Maths, Electronic Scales for Science, a Salamander for Hospitality and Kindles for English. The P&C is very proud to have been able to contribute to these programs. The next P&C meeting will be held on Wednesday, 11th of September at 7:30pm in the school common room. Mr Brett Hunt, relieving head teacher Creative and Performing Arts, will outline the impact the Auralia software program has had on improving the listening skills of our senior music students. Listening was identified in an analysis of HSC data as an area needing improvement. All parents and carers are very welcome. Greg Tunnock P&C President

The Riverside Girls High School Newsletter August 2013 A

Riverside Girls High School

Learning Beyond The Bell

The Learning Beyond the Bell program is an after school program that provides a quiet, structured environment for your daughter to do her homework or work on assessment tasks.

The main goal of the Learning Beyond the Bell program is to instil good work habits, organizational skills, and a sense of accomplishment in every student. Riverside’s Learning and Support Teacher, Ms. Hristofski will facilitate the program with the support of trained peers tutors from year 10, all of whom have particular strengths in specific subject areas. The program will take place in Term 4, on Tuesdays from 3.15-4.30pm during Week 1- 9 in the School’s library. A healthy snack and drink will be provided. Student expression of interest forms can be found at the bottom of this edition of the Currents. Get your form in quick, places are limited. Forms due on 12th September.

AIME – First Indigenous Prime Minister

Nicole Watts in Year 11 is in the running to win AIME’s (Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience) ‘The Other Election’ campaign. The campaign showcases over 500 Indigenous kids delivering their speeches as the first Indigenous Prime Minister. AIME is calling on one million Australians to vote online to show that we can see an Indigenous Prime Minister in our lifetime and an Australia where no kid gets left behind. Our school has been involved with the AIME Program this year. AIME works around Australia providing

mentoring and educational services for Indigenous high school kids to see them get through at the same rate as every Australian child. Please show your support for Nicole who has a video in the competition and get voting. Visit http://www.theotherelection.com.au/video110 and vote for Nicole! Ms Hristofski

NSW Champion Public Speaker

Lucy Burke of year 11 became the champion public speaker for NSW in the Plain Speaking competition and then represented our state at the National Plain Speaking awards in Alice Springs on August 16. Ably supported by her family, her coach Mr Lasaitis and the good wishes of the entire school, she achieved third place behind Queensland. What a personal achievement for Lucy. Also, Mr Lasaitis has had five consecutive finalists at state level making him a coach extraordinaire. We are very proud of them both.

Senior Dance Company and Dance Ensemble The Senior Dance Company and Dance Ensemble have successfully performed in the North Sydney Dance festival.

Thanks to the choreographers and parents for their hard work and commitment. Coming up we will be performing in the Ryde School Spectacular, Schools Spectacular and hopefully the Granny Smith Festival. Keep your eyes out for ticketing information. Kirralea Gordon

Riverside Girls High School

Ticketing information School Spectacular

Tickets for the Schools Spectacular will be available through Ticketmaster Performances are from 27th November to 30th November 2013 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre Ticket pricing is as follows: • Adult: $63.00 • Concession and Student (includes Seniors):

$41.50 • Family Ticket (2 adults, 2 children): $167.50 • Schools preview (Friday 12pm show): $22.00

(general public can also purchase through Ticketmaster at $41.50 flat rate)

• Back three rows (Friday night only): $33.00

Premier Sporting Challenge Year 7 have successfully completed the Premier Sporting Challenge for 2013. This involved logging their physical activity for 10 weeks, working hard to achieve 560 minutes in each week to receive a Diamond award. Each student will receive an award at the end of the year as an average of their 10 weeks work. Alongside this the school is running a Premier Sporting Challenge netball tournament in order to support year seven in achieving their minutes and increasing the social side of sport. We are now into the finals rounds with the grand finial in week 9. Keep up the lifelong Physical Activity year 7!

Orienteering The Sydney North Orienteering Championships were held on August 2nd at St Ives Showground, with Riverside entering 43 students in the competition spread over three divisions. The day began with a walk/orientation around the course and a quick guide on map reading with a strong emphasis placed on how to locate North. The weather was really beautiful which made the day feel more like a family picnic than a competition. The girls performed really well with Sophie Coward and Lucy Roberts placing in the 12-13years age group, Ebony Burnard, Kaitlin McCloghry and Emma Coleman-Myer placing in the 14-15 year age group and Abby Threlfo placing in the seniors. Riverside won overall Champion High School in Orienteering for the second year in a row.

On August 25th, 12 students from Riverside attended the NSW Schools Orienteering competition in the Southern Highlands. Congratulations to Kaitlin McCloghry and Ebony Burnard for placing second and third respectively in their events.

Creative and Performing Arts Column

Congratulations to Riverside's Stage band, who performed at Gladesville RSL! The stage band is made of students from different years and primarily performs jazz music. They are well known for their sophisticated playing. The conductor, Mr Rod Mason, has really inspired the girls to challenge their sight reading and surprised them with an unseen piece that was played extremely well. The girls’ confidence is soaring.

The Soiree was on Wednesday the 28th of August, and it was a fantastic night! Everyone was very inspired by all the great performances and art works. Thank you to everyone who came along and supported the students! With so many music and visual arts students, it is very encouraging to see Riverside’s artistic community grow. 2013 certainly has been an exciting year- with The Wizard of Oz, MECCA night, Drama night and the Soiree on top of introducing band camp and assembly performances. Congratulations to Elizabeth Coneybeare who won the people’s choice award for her pencil drawings of endangered animals.

Riverside Girls High School

As my final column as CAAPA captain, I would like to thank all those who have helped me to write them- especially Ms. Glansbeek. Thank you to Ms. Kelly and Ms. O' Neil for giving me the privilege to be the Performance Captain. I would also like to thank all teachers who tirelessly work to allow students the amazing opportunity to be involved in music, performance or creative endeavours throughout the school, particularly Ms. Lidman and Mr. Hunt. But also thanks to the teachers who make an effort to come to performances or displays, as it is greatly encouraging to students. Additionally, a massive thank you to everyone who read my columns! I now hand you over to Riverside’s new CAAPA captain for 2014- Karen Kong. I wish her the best for the future, in what is sure to be a great year! Charlotte Snedden. Information Section: DET websites with drug education resources

http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/learning/yrk12focusareas/druged/distribres_sec.php http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/schoolsdrug/learning/yrk12focusareas/druged/drugsfaq.pdf http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/schoolsdrug/learning/yrk12focusareas/druged/drinkspiking.pdf

Swimming

YOUR LOCAL SWIMMING CLUB WANTS YOU

2013/2014 SEASON

FRIENDSHIP TEAMWORK AND FUN

REGISTRATION: North Ryde RSL Youth Club 12.00pm – 3.00pm Saturday 14 September 2013 WHEN DO WE SWIM: Sunday Mornings 8am – 10am Ryde Aquatic Centre, Ryde MORE INFORMATION: WEBSITE: http://www.nrrslyc_swimming.websyte.com.au/ OR Contact: Alison – 0412 504 205 Kate – 0425 239 660 Zach – 0458 002 223 or Email – nrrslswimclub@gmail.com

Fireworks FUNdriaser – 7 September

Riverside Girls High School

Riverside Girls High School

RIVERSIDE GIRLS HIGH CAREERS NEWSLETTER From the Careers Adviser Its subject selection time again, students seem to be getting some mixed advice about what subjects they would be best studying and in particular their need to get an ATAR. Times have changed from when it was only students who intended going on to University that stayed on to complete year 12. All young people must now be in fulltime education or employment until 17 years of age, with most completing Yr12. Education is a lifelong process and your formal education should continue after the HSC. Today not everyone who completes Yr12 wants to go or needs to go straight to university. This means that not everyone who completes year 12 needs an ATAR which is the tool Universities use to select school leavers. Changes to the higher education sector have seen huge growth in flexible entry schemes, recognition of prior learning, mature entry and TAFE pathways to university. An ATAR is no longer the only way of entering university and students who elect not to get an ATAR are not disadvantaged. What is the ATAR? Australian Tertiary Admission Rank. It is a rank out of 100, not a mark. It is a way of ranking students who have completed different combinations of HSC subjects. Universities use it as a tool for selecting students. THE HSC and ATAR The HSC is the qualification you receive after completing year 12 it is administered by the NSW Board of Studies. The ATAR is a rank calculated by the Universities Admission Centre for the purpose of selecting students for university and as such it has its own set of rules. Not all subjects offered for the HSC can be included in an ATAR while other subjects are classed as category B. You are only allowed to include one category B subject in your ATAR. By electing to get an ATAR you will be limiting the range and variety of subjects you are able to study for your HSC. For less academic or less mature students the choice to get an ATAR can lead to an extremely stressful two years. This can cause low self-esteem, a sense of failure, depression and a fear of re-entering education in the future. ATARS and Cut –off Universities do not set ATAR entry cut offs. Universities will offer a certain number of places in each course. They then look at every one who has applied to do that course and rank them from the highest to lowest ATAR. They then start at the highest ATAR and count down until they have filled all the places in that course. The cut off ATAR you see advertised is the ATAR of the last person who was selected into the course in the previous years’ HSC. ATARS may therefore go up or down depending on factors like, popularity / demand or the number of places offered. How important is an ATAR? It depends on what you want to do! An ATAR is important if you plan to go straight to University after completing Yr12. If you don’t plan to go to University within a couple of years of completing Yr12 you probably don’t need one*. After that Universities will consider you a mature age applicant and use other methods to judge your suitability for University study. It’s important to remember that just having an ATAR does not guarantee you entry to University and having a low ATAR will be no use to you. The higher your ATAR the more options will be open to you. While there are a few courses with ATARS as low as 60 they are mostly at distant country universities where demand is low and they are unable to fill their courses quotas or expensive private (fee paying) colleges. Students with ATARS below 70 usually experience extreme difficulty passing Bachelor degree level courses and will most likely fail. *This doesn’t include students who intend taking a gap year. They will need an ATAR and should apply to University for the year following their HSC. They must accept the offer and then apply to the institution for a deferral. “I’ll ask for an ATAR in case I change my mind and want to go a few years later.” You probably don’t need one. If you are an academic student who is prepared to put in 2 years of consistent effort and achieve an ATAR between 70 and 100 you could ask for one but even then it’s only useful for the first couple of years after Yr12. As a mature age applicant Universities will consider other criteria like Work Experience, Vocational training, TAFE courses, certificates or diplomas etc. “Remember, a low ATAR will not help you get into University, not straight after school and not in a few years’ time! “

Riverside Girls High School

“I’ll ask for an ATAR you never know I might be lucky and get a good one!” Actually I do know…. ATARs are NOT awarded on the basis of luck. They are a measure of your academic performance over two years of study for the HSC. Good ATARS are a result of regular attendance, completing homework, assignments and assessment tasks. Revising, reviewing and studying for exams and tests. They are a result of two years of work. If you aren’t prepared to do that you are better off not asking for one. “What if I choose Non ATAR subjects and then decide I want go to University?” When selecting subjects in year 10 very few people know what they want to do. Some will know they want to study at university but may be unsure what course. Even the ones who do know what they want will often change their minds. This is quite normal and your life will not be ruined if you choose non ATAR subjects. Universities are aware that people mature at different times, change their minds and circumstances change. This is why there are a wide range of alternate and flexible entry pathways to University. Schemes include,

• University Colleges and Non-Award entry. These allow students without ATARS or ATARS that are below the cut off to begin University study on a reduced number of subjects in selected courses. If the student is successful in these subjects they are granted entry to the normal undergraduate HEC’s degree course with credit for the subjects they have completed.

• Foundation Year Programs. For students who have completed year 11 or 12 but who are unsuccessful in gaining entry. These programs involve intensive academic support, preparing students to be academically confident. (Universities will advise whether non award or foundation year program is suitable.)

• TAFE TO UNIVERSITY PATHWAY. (Diploma to Degree) Over recent years there has been huge growth in these pathways. TAFE Institutes have set up agreements with Universities that will guarantee entry to University on the successful completion of TAFE courses. Where the TAFE study is related to the University degree, students will receive recognition of prior learning. Depending on what they have studied at TAFE and which university they are applying to, students can receive up to 2 years credit on a 3 year university degree

• Bachelor Degree from TAFE. This is a new and expanding area. TAFE have traditionally offered Statement of Attainment, Certificate1,2,3 and 4 , Associate Diploma and Diploma level courses. The last few years have seen TAFE offering Bachelor Degree courses in a limited number of areas. It is expected this will grow.

• STAT TEST, Standard Tertiary Admission Test is used by many Universities as an alternative to the ATAR. It may used in conjunction with a range of other criteria including interviews, application, reports etc. It is usually used for students who have been out of school for at least one year.

“Mystery Mark” ATAR This isn’t a mystery, UAC doesn’t report ATAR’s below 30. ATAR’s are confidential, only the student and UAC know the ATAR. MORE NEWS Australian Catholic University: More Than One Career – Law Panel Thu 12th September, 6pm to 7:30pm Ryan Auditorium, 40 Edward Street, North Sydney Hear from leading law professionals about the benefits and opportunities from studying law at university. http://www.acu.edu.au/about_acu/faculties,_institutes_and_centres/law/news/more_than_one_career_-_law_panel_event UNSW: New Undergraduate Degrees in 2014 The University of New South Wales has launched a number of new undergraduate degrees which will be starting in 2014. Some new degrees on offer include Bachelor of Science (Environmental Management) and a range of new double degrees. http://www.unsw.edu.au/future-students/domestic-undergraduate/getting-you-into-unsw/new-2014 UNSW School of Mining Engineering: Information Dinners Year 10 – 12 students have the opportunity to meet with current UNSW students, staff and industry professionals to find out more about Mining Engineering. Canberra: Fri 13th September, 6:30pm to 7pm – Crowne Plaza Canberra, 1 Binara Street Orange: Fri 13th September, 6:30pm to 7pm – Orange Ex-Services Club, 231-243 Anson Street Coffs Harbour: Fri 20th September, 6:30pm to 7pm – C.ex Coffs, 1 Vernon Stret

Riverside Girls High School

Parramatta: Fri 20th September, 6:30pm to 7pm – Mantra Parramatta, Corner of Parkes Street & Valentine Avenue RSVP to mining@unsw.edu.au with your name, school, year, number of seats required and any dietary requirements http://www.mining.unsw.edu.au Macquarie University: Physics and Astronomy Careers Night Wed 11th September, 5:45pm to 8:30pm Macquarie University, Sydney Contact: David Spence on david.spence@mq.edu.au RSVP: Janine Lacey on Janine.lacey@mq.edu.au or 9850 8959 http://physics.mq.edu.au/community/careers/index.htm AIEF-BHP Billiton Tertiary Scholarships Available for current or future indigenous students studying an eligible engineering or mining-related degree in 2014. Opportunity to learn from experts, develop a global network of colleagues, attend world class training all while receiving financial benefits. Applications are now open and close Friday 27th September 2013. http://www.aief.com.au/scholarships/tertiary-scholarships.aspx University Admissions Centre Applications To avoid late fees, apply by midnight on Friday 27th September. http://www.uac.edu.au/undergraduate/apply TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute: Nepean College Open Day Wed 11th September, 10am to 3pm Nepean College, 12-44 O’Connell Street, Kingswood Find out about courses in Accounting, Children’s Services, Design, Fine Arts, Hairdressing and more. Contact: 4724 8244 http://wsi.tafensw.edu.au/ IPROWD Training Program Applications close Fri 15th November. IPROWD is a specialist training program run by TAFE NSW that assists Aboriginal people with gaining entry to the NSW Police Academy at Goulburn. Contact: iprowd@tafensw.edu.au or 1300 830 177. Pine Street Creative Arts Centre: Fashion Illustration for Youth Course Wed 4th & Wed 11th September, 6pm to 9pm. This two-part course will teach students about human anatomy and the female form in fashion. They will also learn about proportion, how to draw the female figure and how to stylize their drawings for fashion design. http://whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/events/18321-fashion-illustration-for-youth-15-26yrs The Mayor’s Creative Arts Project Entries close Tue 1st October, 3pm. Students are invited to submit poetry, creative art, a song, cartoon, film, essay or creative writing piece that explores the subject of mental illness. Contact: Chez Roney on hillsmhinteragency@gmail.com or 0424 534 125 http://thehillsmentalhealth.org/the-mayors-creative-arts-project-school-competition-2013/ Air Force Technical Camp for Girls Tue 1st to Fri 4th October, RAAF Base Wagga At this camp girls will get hands on experience with Air Force Equipment, meet with Air Force women technicians and more. Contact: Llani Kenealy on llani.kennealy2@defence.gov.au or 0408 990 401. http://tinyurl.com/m7kqpkg Projects Abroad: Information Evening Tue 17th September, 6:30pm to 8pm Sydney Central YHA, 11 Rawson Place, Sydney Projects Abroad offers volunteer gap year programs which place students in a variety of locations around the world.

Riverside Girls High School

http://www.projects-abroad.com.au/about-us/meet-us/information-evenings/ Animal Logic: Work Experience Program Mon 2nd to Fri 6th December, Applications close Fri 4th October Animal Logic is a leading design, visual effects and animation company which has worked on films including Happy Feet, The Matrix, 300 and more. Students in Years 10 & 11 are invited to apply for the Animal Logic Work Experience program. The week will include a tour of the Animal Logic studio, meeting artists and technicians from throughout the company, and having hands on experience with the tools and processed used in the VFX and animation industry. http://www.animallogic.com/#Jobs,Work Experience ABC Careers Day Fri 25th October, 1:30pm to 5pm ABC Ultimo Offices, Sydney Students from years 10 to 12 are invited to attend a trial careers afternoon where they will hear from ABC staff in a number of different fields. RSVP: Johanna Hough at hough.johanna@abc.net.au Board of Studies NSW: Record of School Achievement Literacy and Numeracy Test Thu 24th to Wed 30th October Students intending to leave school before completing their HSC can take optional online literacy and numeracy tests. Students doing the tests will need to be entered by their school and the tests are an indication of a students overall achievement in the areas of literacy and numeracy. http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/rosa/literacy-and-numeracy-tests.html United Nations Youth Australia: Australian Youth Representative 2014 Applications close Tue 1st October, 5pm. UN Youth Australia is looking for the Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations for 2014. The Youth Representative will work with thousands of young people across the country and will provide a voice for them on the issues that matter the most. The UN Youth Representative will also travel to the United Nations in New York as a member of the Australian Delegation. This position is available only to people 18 years or older. Contact: Arisha Arif on arisha.arif@unyouth.org.au http://youthrep.org.au/ Carer Career Quiz An online quiz for those considering a career in the carer industry, it takes a few minutes to answer some simple questions and you’ll get a clear picture of where you’d best fit into a career in disability or community care. http://www.carecareers.com.au/career-advice/career-quiz.html Student Edge Career Profiles Ever wanted to know what its really like to be a police officer? Engineer? Hairdresser? Check out a day in the life of a whole rand of careers at Student Edge. These are real people with real stories. http://www.studentedge.com.au/video-pages/career-videos.aspx Help Exchange If you’re interested in taking a gap year, check out Help Exchange. It is an online listing of host organic farms, non-organic farms, farmstays, homestays, ranches, lodges, B&B, inns, backpacker hostels and even sailing boats who invite volunteer helpers to stay with them short-term in exchange for food and accommodation. http://helpexchange.net/ Animal Logic Educators’ Night Wed 18th September, 6:30pm to 8pm Animal Logic, Fox Studios, Sydney This night is a chance for school teachers and career advisers to find out more about the VFX and Animation industry and about what students can do to kick-start their career path towards a future in the industry. RSVP by Fri 6th September to Jessica.wilkins@al.com.au http://www.animallogic.com

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Learning Beyond the Bell

Need help with your schoolwork or assignments?

The Learning Beyond The Bell Program will provide a positive academic learning environment that supports students to complete homework and tasks; ask questions, receive immediate support; and increase self-esteem.

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Learning Beyond the Bell The Learning Beyond the Bell program is an after school program that provides a quiet, structured environment for your daughter to do her homework or work on assessment tasks.

The main goal of the Learning Beyond the Bell program is to instill good work habits, organizational skills, and a sense of accomplishment in every student.

Riverside’s Learning and Support Teacher, Ms. Hristofski will facilitate the program with the support of trained peers tutors from year 10, all of whom have particular strengths in specific subject areas.

The program will take place in Term 4, on Tuesdays from 3.15-4.30pm during Week 1- 9 in the School’s library. A healthy snack and drink will be provided.

When:

Tuesday

3.15-4.30pm

Where:

School Library

Cost: $40 for resources & snacks

Participant numbers:

Maximum of 20 students

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Student Expression of Interest Form Return note and money to the front office by 12th September 2013

To be completed by student:

First Name: _________________________________________________________

Last Name:__________________________________________________________

Year: _______________________________________________________________

Student’ telephone:__________________________________________________

Student’s email: ____________________________________________________

Why would you like to be a part of the Learning Beyond the Bell program?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

What are your favourite subjects in school? __________________________________________________________________________________________

What would you like help with? __________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

To be part of the Learning Beyond the Bell program, it is important that you: • Arrive on time every week. • Bring materials to work on. • Learn and have fun!

I understand and agree to my responsibilities in this program. __________________________________________ ______________________ Student’s Signature

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To be completed by parent/carer:

Parent’s Name: _____________________________________________________

Parent’s telephone: _________________________________________________

Parent’s email: _____________________________________________________

How do you think your daughter will benefit from participating in the Learning Beyond the

Bell program?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

What would you like your daughter to have help with? _______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Travel Home:

It is your responsibility to ensure your daughter travels home safely. Please indicate how your

daughter will make her way home.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

I, ____________________________________________________________________give permission for

_________________________________________________________________________ to attend the

Learning beyond the Bell program during term 4, on Tuesday afternoons from 3.15 – 4.30pm.

Signature: _____________________________________________Date: ___________________________

Return note and money to the front office by 12th September 2013

CREDIT CARD PAYMENT

I wish to pay $ 40 by: Bankcard Visa Mastercard

Cardholder’s Name __________________________________ Student: ________________________

Card No.

Expiry date: ____________ Cardholder’s Signature: _____________________________________ [dissection no. 055033 for office use only]