whispers november2013

8/14/2019 Whispers November2013

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Principal Deputy Principals Collegiate Deputy Principal

Karen Smith David Macleod-Jones & Robert Bredin Joe Camilleri

FROM THE COLLEGE PRINCIPALBy the time this newsletter is printed Year 12, 2013 will have completedtheir HSC exams. Brian Driver, the Presiding Officer, congratulated ourstudents on their behaviour at the exams. I know for many students it will

be a time of great relief and will now nervously await their results.

A reminder to the Class of 2013 regarding the barbecue after receivingHSC results at the College. We will love to hear what you received, whatyou are going to do in 2014 and just a general catch up.

Year 12 Formal this year is at Rosehill. Many thanks to Kasia for

organising this event. I know it will be a great night.

Staffing / Curriculum 2014Students / families have all been informedof the new curriculum / timetable changes for 2014.

Our current Year 11 students have now moved to the HSC course. OnThursday 31stOctober we held a very successful Conference Day. Manythanks to Robert, Megan, Jeff and their team for organising the day.Margot Braithwaite, Principal Liaison Officer from the Board of Studiesaddressed the College, highlighting the importance of assessment andattendance at school.

Next year we will have significant changes in our staffing, with several ofour staff either retiring or on leave. Most of our staffing replacementswill come from our collegiate partners. We welcome these staff membersto Wyndham.

WYNDHAM WHISPERS

WYNDHAM COLLEGE

A partner with in the Nir imba Collegiate Group of Schools

and the Ni rimba Education Precinct

Nirimba Education Precinct, Eastern Road, Quakers Hill

Phone: 9208 7100 Fax: 9208 7199

Website: www.wyndhamcol-h.schools.nsw.edu.au

NOVEmber 2 13

FRIENDS OF

WYNDHAM

COLLEGE

(P & C)

All Parents

are invited

to attend

Tuesday

18 November 2013

7PM

Administration

Block

November

November 18 Yr 10 OrientationNovember 18 Parent Information Evening 5.30pm-7.30pmNovember 19 Friends of WyndhamNovember 19 Yr 10 OrientationNovember 20 Yr 11Marine Studies-Aquarium, IMAXNovember 21 Yr 12 FormalDecember

December 2 Yr12 Business Studies- Sydney Tower

December

December 4-5 Visual Arts to BundanonDecember 5 Yr 11 Presentation DayDecember 17 Wet N WildDecember 18 Last day Term 4- StudentsJanuaryJanuary 28 Staff Development DayJanuary 29 Yr 11 CommenceJanuary 30 Yr 12 Return


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Wyndham College November 2013

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CongratulationsI am able to report success by our students studying with UWSCollege. Wyndhamhad 9 students undertake university studies. All our students achieved either credit, distinction or highdistinction. They were: Sam El-Kamand, Aaron Gutugutuwai, Jessi Hunt, Bhawantha

Jayawardena, Mackenzie Lawrence, Goergina Lord, Erin Meyer, Elliot Roynon and Ryan

Vincent.

Students who achieve a distinction or high distinction will be offered a scholarship by UWS.

These results ensure our students receive a priority offer and a $20,000 scholarship if they choose tostudy at the University of Western Sydney. Congratulations and good luck to all these students.

Many thanks to Joanne Cupac the school coordinator of the program for her coordination and guidanceshe offers these students. Again thanks to the support provided by the UWSCollege.

We are extremely proud of all students and look forward to many more success and recognition stories.

Congratulations to Dylan Johnstonewho has been nominated by industry for excellence in the workplace and has won the School Based Trainee Category in the 2013 Breed Awards for Excellence. Dylanwill be honoured at a presentation ceremony on 19thNovember.

Congratulations to Damien Scottand Jacob Hansfordwho have both won Combined High SchoolBluesfor outstanding sporting achievement. These students will be honoured at a ceremony on 29th

November at ANZ Stadium.

Two Dance students have been nominated for inclusion in Callback. They are Nadia KrygsmanandKristin Martin. We eagerly await the outcome of the next stage of the selection process.Congratulations to these students.

Several of our HSC Visual Arts students major works have also made it through to the next stage of theselection process. Hopefully I can report the successful students later this term.

Library Agreementa reminder to all, that we have re-signed an agreement with the NirimbaEducation Precinct TAFE/UWS library that enables our students to not only use the library for research

but to have borrowing rights. This gives a significant advantage to our students as the library has awonderful collection which complements our own Wyndham/Terra Sancta library resource.

Students interested in accessing this facility should see Connie, our own librarian to complete thenecessary documentation.

UniformI would ask that we pay some attention again to uniform. It appears to me that a smallnumber of students have fallen into bad habits. I ask that all students ensure that they are in uniformeach day and that in the rare event where there is a mishap and it is not possible to be in full uniform,that a note from home be provided. Finance should never be an excuse as we have a Student AssistanceScheme which can be accessed via the office and is confidential. If students need uniform there areadditional opening hours for the shop on Monday 18 thNovember 5.308pm, Tuesday 17thDecember 6-8pm. In 2014: Thursday 23rdJanuary 10am1pm and Thursday 30thJanuary 12.301.30pm.

Leaving School Groundsa reminder to all that students are not permitted to leave the school groundsif they do not have a timetabled lesson. Students are to utilise this time in the library, focusing on

school work. If students need to leave they must have a signed note from parent/caregiver and this noteneeds to be signed by one of the Deputies. I seek your support and cooperation in this matter.


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Year 11, 2014November 18 and November 19, we welcome the year 11 cohort for 2014. Thank youto Shelley Woodhams, Megan Bond and their team for organising this important event. Many of thesestudents come from a very small cohort to a substantially larger cohort and some can find this transitionchallenging. We are focusing in on improving this process for our students.

For our current Year 11 students (now HSC) the upcoming Christmas holidays needs to be a time for

consolidating major projects, IRPs, PIPs etc. When they return in 2014, they have only 3 terms offormal schooling remaining and I encourage all students to utilise this time wisely. I bring to theattention of all parents a website called School A to Z, a practical help guide for parents. It can be foundatwww.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au. There is a particularly useful section on how to help the whole familysurvive the challenges of Year 12. This may be particularly useful for Year 12, 2014 and their families.

I would like to wish each and everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Please have asafe holiday and I look forward to working with everyone in 2014.

Karen SmithCollege Principal

FROM THE YEAR 12 DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

Farewell to Year 12 - 2013

Congratulations to all Year 12 students on the completion of their HSC studies.

At the end of Term 3 our Year 12 graduation ceremony celebrated the achievements of our students overthe past two years. Staff and families proudly joined together to congratulate our young women and menas they concluded their formal secondary studies at Wyndham College. Thank you to all staff who wereinvolved in the organisation of the ceremony and morning teait was truly a memorable event.

The Higher School Certificate exams finish on Wednesday November 6. Over the past 5 weeks, all ofour Year 12 and students sat for hundreds of exam papers in a broad range of HSC Board DevelopedCourses. The Presiding Officer and exam supervisors commended the students on the friendly,courteous and cooperative manner in which they conducted themselves throughout the duration of theexamination period.

The college would also like to thank those Year 11 students who assisted as readers and writers forstudents who were granted special provisions.

The HSC results are due for release on December 18 2013. We hope that all students receive thesuccessful outcomes towards which they have worked.

Finally, as this is our last edition of Wyndham Whispers for this year, I would like to wish all of you ahappy and safe Christmas and a positive new year. Together, we can all make 2014 a great year.

David Macleod-Jones

Deputy Principal
http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/


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FROM THE YEAR 11 DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

Last week we had our My HSCConference, a day of preparation as students moved from the Year 11Preliminary course and commenced Year 12 and the Higher School Certificate.

We had Margot Braithwaite from the Board of Studies explain in easy-to-understand language what was

required to succeed in Year 12 and how the BOS came up with students final HSC marks.

Three Wyndham ex-students also spoke about their experiences and provided advice about how to copesuccessfully with the HSC.

I spoke about the commitment, the promise that each student should make to themselves as theycommence Year 12 studies. Students were asked to sign and return a contract which stated:

I am prepared to make the necessary commitment to the HSC in 2014 as outlined in the SeniorCommitment document in relation to:

Board of Studies requirements ATAR requirements

Requirements for the satisfactory completion of a course HSC assessment tasks Effective use of study periods Homework, study and work commitments Completion of non-assessment tasks

I am prepared to accept the responsibilities of a senior student and to follow the school rules regarding:

School uniform Seeking help

I shared with students my disappointment that a number of them did not successfully complete thePreliminary course and as a result, could not continue their studies into Year 12the result of a lack ofcommitment. I asked the students to consider that it is a small investment to put serious effort into theirYear 12 studies given that their working life beyond it may be 40 years. A good HSC result does

provide more options for a happy life in a good career. I emphasized the significance of this fact usingthe results of a 2013 Gallup study that revealed 67% of people in the workforce did not like the job theyhad and regretted not working hard enough at school/

I told them of MY commitment to THEM: continually reviewing attendance, engagement in class and

N Award warnings and assisting with motivation and support where needed to get them the bestpossible HSC and the future options that it opens up for them.

Parents: Like all of us on the senior executive at Wyndham, I know from personal experience thechallenges and stress involved in getting my children, (sometimes kicking and screaming), to get the

best possible HSC results. We feel your pain! My advice is start working with, cajoling and encouragingthem now! It is much more painful if left closer to the first HSC exam in October 2014. We want themto succeed as much as you do. I look forward to working with you with that goal in mind.

Robert Bredin

Deputy Principal


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FROM THE COLLEGIATE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

In my first year in this position it has been a rewarding experience meeting with so many teams of

teachers and respective leaders in managing many exciting programs within the Collegiate. From each

campus site teachers stepped up to coordinate and lead these programs including: KLAs meetings,

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL), Student Representative council (SRC), Gala days, Indigenousactivities, subject selection evenings, taster days at Wyndham college, apprenticeship traineeship

evening, and more. I am extremely grateful for the vision which the overarching College Management

Group (CMGour respective school principals), demonstrated in enabling the release of staff to partake

and contribute in these development programs. Further may I express my gratitude for staff giving up

their personal time to ensure evening programs satisfied the needs of all our clientele. Ultimately all

students within the collegiate were the beneficiaries of the energy injected into the teaching and learning

of our students. A big thank you also goes out to all our close external stakeholders who contributed

vital services supporting our programs.

May I also express my delight in the meeting of so many students within our Collegiate. Thecontribution of engagement, commitment and active participation of all students ensured that programs

were productive and beneficial. Congratulations!

Orientation program for year 10 2013 at Wyndham College

Another important component of our Transition Program at Wyndham College, in conjunction with the

three feeder schools of Quakers Hill High, Seven Hills High and Riverstone High is the Orientation

program on the 18 and 19 of November. The program aims to bring together all students Collegiate and

Non collegiate into Wyndham College to become engaged in the educational values and safe physical

environment it has to offer. All students will have an excellent opportunity to meet many of the staff

who will look after their welfare and educational wellbeing for the next two years. It is essential that all

eligible / enrolled students to attend these two days. By now year ten students should have returned an

acknowledgment slip of attendance to their respective year advisors. It is the intention of the Wyndham

College Principal that at no time, are our parents to be left out of the loop in this transition process. On

Monday evening 18 November all parents of our new year 11 2014 are invited for a brief welcoming

night to ensure our activities of educational engagement of our stakeholders (our young adults) are

transparent and meaningful.

Xmas Wishes

It may seem premature but as this is the last newsletter may I express to all to have a safe and Holy

Christmas 2013. May you all have a restful and enjoyable break. Please remember that if you have any

collegiate educational issues please dont hesitate to give me a call at Wyndham College on 9208 7100.

Yours in Education,

Mr Joe Camilleri - Collegiate Deputy Principal.


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UNSW MATHS COMPETITION (ICAS) 2013 RESULTS

The UNSW Mathematics Competition (ICAS) was held on Tuesday 13 thAugust, 2013.Congratulations to Thomas McDonell for obtaining a distinction and to Bhawantha Jayawardenafor a credit in this Competition. Well done.

CONGRATULATIONS TRAVIS HOLMES - Winning work adds colour to BarangarooThe Artwork of Quakers Hills Travis Holmes has taken centre stage at Sydneys most talked about

construction site.The 16 year old won the 13 to 18 age category of the See Your Artwork competition with his piece titled

Barramundi, Bream and Barangaroo.

SRC NEWS

Grip LeadershipOn the 1stNovember the 10 members of the SRC attended the Grip Leadership Conference at theHomebush Sports Centre. This was a fun and entertaining way to learn about leadership, gaininspiration, get new ideas and develop skills in various aspects of leadership.


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DANCERS GRACE STAGES IN CHINA.

Wyndham College students danced their way through a whirlwind Chinese cultural exchange in theholidays. Callista Banks, Mikaela Blair, Tegan Dean, Nadia Krygsman, Kristin Martin and LotusRana, accompanied by Dance teacher Sarah Minol performed at schools in Shanghai, Ningbo andHanzhou. They performed two dances; one was a lyrical piece of Fleetwood Macs song Go YourOwn Way. The second dance set to Broadway tunes classicIt Dont Mean a Thing (If It Aint GotThat Swing),both choreographed by Sarah. The girls were very excited about the experience and

were able to see the different style of dance of another culture.


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Congratulations ERIN BRAYErin Bray won 3rdplace when she competed in the ArndellAnglican College 20thAnnual Equestrian Carnival on Saturday21

stSeptember 2013 at the Hawkesbury Showground.

Well done Erin

Congratulations ETHAN SMART

Ethans film Bring to Light was selected to be screened at the 2013

Robin Anderson Film Awards last week.

WYNDHAM SUCCESS STORIES

Student: Lawson SpareHSC completed 2009

Q:1What subjects did you do for your HSC at Wyndham?

Answer: Chemistry, Biology, Advanced English, Maths, Retail, Earth & Environmental

Science

Q:2What courses are you enrolled in now and what do you intend to do after you finish?

Answer: Bachelor of Biomolecular Science (Pharmaceutical Chemistry), Bachelor of

Medical Science (Honours)

Q:3How did Wyndham College help you achieve your goals?

Answer: There was good teaching and lots subjects offered. The excursions were great and

ironically we even went to ANSTO which is now where I work.

Q:4Tell us about your experience at Wyndham.

Answer: There were lots of extra-curricular activities offered and the experience was great

but when you think back you also realise how short the time was.

Q:5What is your message for the present students at Wyndham?

Answer: I think you should pick a goal and work hard to achieve it and then you will

achieve what you deserve.


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SRC UPCOMING EVENT

UNIFORM SHOP NEWS

additional opening hoursThe uniform shop will be opening on the following days:

2013Monday 18thNovember 5.30pm - 8pmTuesday 17thDecember 6pm8pm

2014Thursday 23rdJanuary 10am - 1pmThursday 30thJanuary 12.30pm - 1.30pm

FAREWELL MARGARET FARREY

This is my last year at Wyndham College, but also my last year of teaching full time. As of January 31 st

I will be retiring but hopefully will pick up some casual teaching, especially at Wyndham as I would

like to maintain links/friendships with the staff here. I have enjoyed my time at Wyndham College

immensely since beginning here in January 2000. I have formed life-long friendships with many

members of staff, not only those on the English History faculty, but other subject area teachers, who

have been absolutely fantastic to work with. Watching students mature and develop and perform well at

the HSC has also been a great joy-thats where we teachers get our warm fuzzies.

I have also found it particularly rewarding working with the various SRC groups over the past 10 years.

Thank you to Ian Wing who offered me the coordinators position back in 2003, seeing something in

me I didnt see in myself. I have loved interacting with some of the best students/people we have had at

Wyndham College. I will miss this position a great deal. (Maybe I could be a guest speaker at an SRCLeadership Camp one year). I also want to thank Tina Papas and David Pawley who have been my

fellow coordinators and supportive side-kicks.

So thank you to the current staff, but also a big thank you to those who have gone before. I have learnt

so much from teaching alongside such amazing teachers andwonderful human beings.

Margaret Farrey

PUT A SMILE ON YOUR DIAL DAY

Put a Smile on Your Dial Day will be happening again this year.Date to be decided.

SRC will be giving out free cupcakes at recess.

What random act of kindness will you do?


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UNIFORM SHOPThe Uniform Shop is open on Thursdays 12.30pm -1.30pmIt is located at the top of C Block.EFTPOS is now available with a surcharge of $3.00Orders are to be paid in full at time of ordering.

FREE -MATHS TUITION- CHANGE OF DAY & TIMEAll students are invited to join the free Maths tuition that is held in C4every Wednesday afternoonfrom 3pm to 5pm. Be there!

FREE -CHEMISTRY TUTORIALSEvery Tuesday at 3pm4pm in B01

FREE -PHYSICS TUTORIALSEvery Monday at 3pm4pm in B01

Essay writing StructureStructuring an Essay is easy when you know how. There are many different types of Essays (orResponses) and they can have many purposes, but the basic structure is the same. This fact sheet letsyou in on the secret. Find our more:

https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/eppcontent/glossary/app/resource/factsheet/4116.pdf

Seven Hills High School

P&C Association

Trivia and Bingo Night

Saturday 16th

November!

The event will be held in the school auditorium and will be for over 18s only.As well as competition prizes there will be door prizes, table theme prizesand games.

Teams will consist of 8 players and the cost to participate will be $10.00 per person.

Doors open at 7.00pm for a 7.30 start

BYO drinks and nibbles

To book a table, contact the school on 9624 3329.

HANDY TIPS
https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/eppcontent/glossary/app/resource/factsheet/4116.pdfhttps://www.det.nsw.edu.au/eppcontent/glossary/app/resource/factsheet/4116.pdfhttps://www.det.nsw.edu.au/eppcontent/glossary/app/resource/factsheet/4116.pdf


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CHANGE OF DETAILS

To keep student records as up to date as possible please complete the slip below, if you have changed address orchanged phone numbers, and return to the front office.

Student Name ...

New Address ...

Home Phone ..

Mobile PhoneMother Name....

Mobile Phone -Father Name

Signed . Date...............

ExcursionsExcursions are an important part of the school curriculum. They provide students with adiversity of learning experiences that are very valuable.

However, the excursions take considerable time and effort to organise so that they runefficiently. For this reason the school policy is that all excursion money must be paid bythe date indicated on the permission note. Students who do not pay by this date will not beable to attend the excursion.

If there is a special circumstance preventing payment by the due date, your child shouldseethe Head Teacher.

If you have recently changed your email address please complete thisslip and return to the office:

Student Name ___________________________________________________

Email Address ___________________________________________________Please print carefully

mails

IMPORTANT ATTENDANCE INFORMATION

SMS - the College number is0416 906 146.

whispers november2013

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