June 2012 Newsletter - The Hills Sports High School

UPCOMING
EVENTS
The Hills Sports High School
56 Best Road, Seven Hills 2147
Ph: 9622 7300—Fax: 9831 6190
June 2012 Newsletter
From the Principal’s Desk
26th June
27th June
Yrs 7/9 Parent-
Teacher night
Yrs 8/10/11 Parent
Teacher night
CHANGE TO THE TERM 3
SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT
DAY
In summary, all staff and students return
to classes on Monday 16 July and the
school will be closed on Monday 23 July
instead.
29th June
Yrs 7/8/9 Rewards
Day
29th June LAST DAY TERM 2
16th July
MONDAY
16-27th
July
16-27th
July
23rd July
MONDAY
School resumes for
all years.
Year 12 Trial HSC
Yrs 7 & 8 Term Assessments
Staff Development
Day
1st August Year 10 into 11
Subject info. night
2nd August
15th August
Australian Maths
Comp
Year 8 into 9 Subject
information night
There will be a change of date for
the school development day for all
high schools in the Nirimba group
of schools. The new date for the
school development day will be
Monday 23 July and only staff
will attend on this day. The
school will be closed on this date
as all staff will be at a training
course off site.
This means that our school will
resume in Term 3 for all students
and staff on Monday 16 July
2012. All students should attend
on this date as lessons for term 3
will commence then.
The reason or this change is that the
staff from all of the 8 High Schools
in Nirimba will combine for a
professional learning day aimed at
training staff in working with
students more effectively and we
have been able to engage a world
renowned Child Psychologist,
Michael McQueen, to address and
work with the staff.
This opportunity to train our
teachers is very rare and one that
we could not miss. Approval was
granted from the Department of
Education for this change of date,
something which is only done after
consideration of the advantages and
disadvantages of making this
change.
The Principals and staff of Nirimba
schools understand that there may
be some inconvenience caused by
this change and hope that you are
able to work with us in order to
provide better training for our
teachers in this way.
POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOR
LEARNING (PBL)
The system, known as Positive
Behaviour for Learning (PBL) has been
implemented in many Western Sydney
schools with great success. A core group
of staff at this school has now been
trained in PBL and we are commencing
our implementation of this system.
The process will result in a set of
positively stated expectations of all
students in all common areas of the
school. These expectations will be
published, taught and rewarded enabling
all students to achieve their best in a
positive climate.
We will plan to highlight our
expectations of students and to reward
students who achieve these expectations.
We commenced this process late last year
when the executive staff and year
advisers worked on determining a
consistent message of behaviour
expectations for our students. The
Student Representative Council has also
worked on this task and the results have
been collated. The teachers have
contributed significantly to date and now
we are ready to build a system of
behaviour expectations into the way the
school operates.
I am looking forward to seeing our
school grow further into an environment
where the students can learn and enjoy
themselves in a climate of positive
behaviour and learning expectations.

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 2
SUCCESSFUL CARNIVAL
I would like to congratulate all of the students and staff for a wonderful two-day athletics carnival
held this week. The weather was a problem but the students were well behaved and participated
well in the events. Miss Watson did a superb job in her organisation for the carnival and I thank her
most sincerely.
P&C MEETING UPDATE
Our P&C Meeting was held this term and it was decided to hold off electing office bearers until the
next meeting which is scheduled for Wed 15 August. The current office bearers are:-
President: Mr David Martin
Vice President: Mr Graham Cheetham
Treasurer: Mrs Deanne Baker
Secretaries: Mr David & Mrs Edwina Davies.
Members of our P&C and other parents have been instrumental in supporting our school as members
of committees, on staff selection panels and in student enrolments. A big thank you to all the
parents involved in these and similar activities.
At our next meeting in term 3 (15 August), Mrs Kumar will outline how the Support Unit works in
the school and the successes that she and her staff are achieving with our students. I hope that you
will be able to join us on that day from 7.30pm in our school library.
PARENT-TEACHER AFTERNOON/EVENING
After a successful trial of the online booking system for appointments with teachers on Parent-
Teacher afternoon for Year 12 we will extend the system to the up-coming parent-teacher afternoon/evenings
for the rest of the school. These are scheduled as follows:-
Tuesday 26 June 2012 Year 7 & 9
Wednesday 27 June 2012 Year 8, 10 and 11
Staff are available from 3.30pm until 6pm on these days.
Later in this newsletter you will find information on how to use the booking system which involves
logging into a website where you can find the teachers you wish to see and select an appropriate
appointment time.
For parents without access to the internet, your child can see their teachers to make the appointment
or by making a phone call to our office, one of the secretaries can arrange appointments.
.
I hope to meet many of you at our up-coming parent-teacher afternoon/evenings for Years 7-11 and
wish you all the very best for the July holidays.
M.Struyve

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 3
Congratulations to the following Hills Sports HS students on their selection in the following
NSW Cricket Academy development squads:
Under 19s – Grant McCartin
Under 17s – Jake Doran & Jonathon Sammut
Under 16s – Logan Gilbert, Viraj Kadam & Harmon Sandhu
Under 15s – Jordan Gauci, Angel Lea & Tayla Sweeney
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 4
Certificate ll in Skills for Work and Training
(for Women)
Are you looking to get back into work or to change your work direction?
This course offers you a unique opportunity to review your situation, assess
your skills and your options and to work out a sustainable plan to get
into the job of your choice.
Proposed Timetable
Full-time for 18 weeks – starting July
9:30 am to 2:30 pm, 4 days @
Penrith with school holidays off.
Info Session
Thurs 28 th June 2012
10:00am Rm B 1 01
Penrith Campus, 117 Henry St
TAFE NSW fee
Free
Contacts
Liz Agars
92089416
Elizabeth.agars@tafensw.edu.au

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 5
Parents as career coaches
Parents and carers have the greatest influence on their children’s career choice. This
doesn’t deny the strong influence that peer groups, the media and people in the school environment
may have. The difference is that you are probably going to be the most anxious
participant in these career decisions.
A student leaving school today can expect six to ten job changes and three to five different occupations
during their lifetime. They may spend time unemployed, be involved in education throughout
their lifetime and move away from the area or country where they were born and will be involved in
jobs/careers that do not yet exist.
Some strategies to help your teenagers with their career choices:
Remain positive
No matter how complex and confusing the changes in employment and training may seem the
majority of school leavers now have access to a vast number of educational and vocational pathway
opportunities.
Try to avoid the “What are you going to do/be when you leave school?” These questions are often very confronting.
Instead take the opportunity to talk about career options whenever possible, for example
when a news item appears on a current affairs program or when a university/TAFE Open
Day is approaching. Encourage them to attend Careers Expos and University/TAFE/
College Open days. Encourage them to talk to people in the industry and do work experience.
Encourage them to develop a positive self-esteem Focus on their achievements – but not
just at school. Acknowledge their efforts in all their activities – keeping their room tidy,
participating in sport, community activities, setting goals and achieving them. Show them
you believe in them
Script work for stage, film & TV
Improvisation and theatre sport
Presentation skills
Voice / Speech train
SYDNEY EISTEDDFOD WINNERS
Baulkham Hills, Penrith, Pennant Hills
Students in Blue Water High, All Saints, Home & Away, Billy Elliot, Neighbours, Sea
Patrol, Gangs of Oz feature films TV series commercials and more!
Tel 9211-6366 www.sydneytalentco.com.au

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 6
KILDARE ROAD MEDICAL CENTRE
BULK-BILLING PRACTICE
Kildare Road Medical
Centre
36 Kildare Road, Blacktown
(next to Westpoint, corner of
Kildare Road and Balmoral St)
PH; (02) 8822 3000
www.kildaremedical.com
Acupuncture has its roots in Ancient China and still forms an important
part of Traditional Chinese Medicine today. Acupuncture
is now practiced by GPs worldwide.
Acupuncture is a very safe complimentary therapy with a great
success rate in the treatment and management of pain – including
pain associated with arthritis, lower back pain, joint pain and tension
headaches.
Dr. Nabeel Makmahi has long had an interest in complimentary
medicine and is delighted to be able to offer acupuncture at
KRMC. For more information and to make an appointment with
Dr. Nabeel please call Recep-tion on 8822 3000. Please note that
private consultation charges will apply but a Medicare rebate is
available.
WALK-INS WELCOME
OPEN 7 DAYS 8:00AM TO 8:00PM
ACUPUNCTURE NOW AVAILABLE
Junior Blouse
3 Size 14 $5.00 each 3 Size 12 $5.00each
Senior Blouse
2 Size 8 $10.00each 2 Size 10 $10.00 each
Skirts
5 Size 26-28 $10.00 each 2 Size 24-26 $10.00 each
1 Size 12 $10.00 each
Jumpers
3 Size 14 $20.00 each Sports Jacket - S $15.00
Track suit pants - S $10.00 Sports Shorts - Size 10 $5.00
Sports Polo
2 Size 14 $5.00 each 3 Size 12 $5.00 each
PHONE ANNA: 0410 488 077

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 7
Congratulations to the Boys Tennis team for
winning the Sydney West Open Tennis
Tournament
Recently the Hills Sports High defeated Crestwood High School in straight sets to progress to the
Sydney West Finals against Blaxland High School at Woodriff Gardens, Penrith. The Boys played
well, to again win in straight sets in the Sydney West Final. The Open Boys team included Michael
Bartle (12), Irvin Aganovic (11), Dean Voulgaris (11) and Corey Gaal (9).
Results of the Grand Final: Individual matches- Michael 6-1, Corey 6-0, Irvin 6-1, Dean 6-0.
Doubles matches- Michael & Irvin 6-2; Dean & Corey 6-1
Reverse doubles matches- Michael & Irvin 6-0; Dean & Corey 6-0
The Boys now progress in the CHS knockout to the top 16 in the State at a 2-day carnival to be held
at Cronulla later next term. Well done to the team on their convincing win and for their sportsmanship
on the day. Thank you also to all parents for their continued support.

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 8
PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS
YEARS 7 AND 9
Dear Parents
Parent/Teacher/Student interviews for Years 7 and 9, including TSP will be held at 3.30pm –
6pm on Tuesday 26 th June.
You can now book interviews at times that suit YOUR FAMILY BEST.
Go to www.schoolinterviews.com.au and follow these simple instructions.
BOOKINGS OPEN Monday 11 th June at 9am
XHCXS
Go to
www.schoolinterviews.com.au
Enter XHCXS, into the school
event code.
Then follow the 3 simple steps.
When you click finish, your interview timetable will be emailed
to you automatically - check your junk mail folder if you do
not receive your email immediately.
You can return to www.schoolinterviews.com.au at any time,
and change your interviews - until bookings close.
BOOKINGS OPEN THIS MONDAY SO THAT ALL FAMILIES MAY BOOK AT THE SAME
TIME
For parents that don’t have access to the internet at home, at work, at a friend’s house or on
their phones, parents may send a note to school with the approximate times they require, or
phone the school on (02) 9622 7300. Interviews are strictly 10mins and spaces are limited. If
you require more time, please contact your teacher directly to make alternative arrangements.
Parents can change their interview bookings, any time prior to the closing date, by re-visiting
the www.schoolinterviews.com.au website, and using the event code. Parents wishing to
change their interview times after the closing date, should contact the school directly on: (02)
9622 7300

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 9
Parents,
Below is a list of all teachers. Please refer to this list and your son/daughter’s timetable to select the appropriate
teacher.
Code Teacher Faculty Code Teacher Faculty
ADD B. ADDERLEY Visual Arts MAR R. MAHARAJ HSIE
AND C. ANDREWS English MCK R. MCKENZIE HSIE
BAR G. BARLEY HSIE MCN H. McNAB Study
BON L. BOND HSIE MIT B. MITCHELL HSIE
BRY M. BRYANT English MON R. MONTGOMERY English
CAT N. CATHER TAS MOU P. MOREAU Visual Arts
CHO V. CHONG Science MUR R. MURIE PDHPE
CHR A. CHRISTENSEN Science OBI H. OBIDI Mathematics
CRA C. CRAMER PDHPE OCO A. O'CONNOR TAS
DAE S. DAVE Mathematics PAT B. PATHUIS Mathematics
DIS L. DISCALA English POT L. POTTS Mathematics
DUF G. DUFFY Science PRA R. PRATAP HSIE
EAS L. EASTWOOD English PRI A. PRITCHARD TAS
FRO A. FROST Librarian PRO M. PROUD HSIE
GAD M. GADOW PDHPE QUE A. QUEFFERT Visual Arts
GAR S. GARNETT PDHPE RIC K. RICHARDS English
GAU S. GAUL PDHPE RIV G. RIVER Science
HAD C. HAND TAS ROB R. ROBERTS TAS
HAN D. HANCOCK PDHPE SAL R. SALEH Special Education
HAY G. HAYNES HSIE SHA S. SHARMA English
HEN K. HENRY Science SIM L. SIMBOLON Mathematics
HES M. HESLOP Music SIO K. SIOW Science
JAM K. JAMESON Visual Arts SLA J. SLATER PDHPE
JBE R. JBEILY Science SMI T. SMITH TAS
JOM Z. JOMAA Mathematics SOR A. SORENSEN HSIE
JON S. JONES PDHPE TAY M. TAYLOR TAS
KEN K. KENNON TAS TET A. TETLEY PDHPE
KUM S. KUMAR Special Education THO G. THOMAS Special Education
LAN R. LANDON English TIR C. TIRRIS Music
LIA C. LIAUW TAS WAL F. WALLIS TAS
LOK C. LOKE Mathematics WAN K. WANG LOTE
MAH C. MAHONY Mathematics WAT N. WATSON PDHPE
MAJ S. MAHARAJ Special Education WHE A. WHEATLEY English
MAK T. MARAKOVIC Visual Arts WIN B. WINKWORTH PDHPE

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 10
PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS
YEARS 8, 10 AND 11
Dear Parents
Parent/Teacher/Student interviews for Years 8, 10 and 11, including TSP will be held at
3.30pm – 6pm on Wednesday 27 th June.
You can now book interviews at times that suit YOUR FAMILY BEST.
Go to www.schoolinterviews.com.au and follow these simple instructions.
BOOKINGS OPEN Monday 11 th June at 9am
BOOKINGS CLOSE Tuesday 26 th of June at 12am
T6FJP
T6FJP
Go to
www.schoolinterviews.com.au
Enter T6FJP, into the school
event code.
Then follow the 3 simple steps.
When you click finish, your interview timetable will be emailed to you
automatically - check your junk mail folder if you do not receive your
email immediately.
You can return to www.schoolinterviews.com.au at any time, and change
your interviews - until bookings close.
BOOKINGS OPEN THIS MONDAY SO THAT ALL FAMILIES MAY BOOK AT THE SAME TIME
For parents that don’t have access to the internet at home, at work, at a friend’s house or on their
phones, parents may send a note to school with the approximate times they require, or phone the
school on (02) 9622 7300. Interviews are strictly 10mins and spaces are limited. If you require more
time, please contact your teacher directly to make alternative arrangements.
Parents can change their interview bookings, any time prior to the closing date, by re-visiting the
www.schoolinterviews.com.au website, and using the event code. Parents wishing to change their
interview times after the closing date, should contact the school directly on: (02) 9622 7300

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 11

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 12
COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE
INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
Did you know that if a student misses
as little as eight days in a school term,
by the end of primary school they
will have missed over a year of education?
The compulsory years of schooling
In New South Wales, all children from six years of age are legally required to attend school or be registered for home schooling.
After they complete Year 10 and until they turn 17 years of age, students then have the following options. They may also
be in:
– full-time further education and training (e.g. TAFE, traineeship, apprenticeship);
– full-time, paid employment of an average of 25 hours per week; or
– a combination of both of the above.
Children are expected to attend all school activities, on time. Regular attendance helps your child:
– develop the skills needed to access the world of work and other opportunities
– to learn the importance of punctuality and routine
make and keep friendships.
What if my child has to be away from school?
If your child has to be absent from school, you must tell the school and provide a reason for your child’s absence. To explain
an absence parents and carers may be required to:
– send a note to the school, or contact the school via electronic means such as SMS text message, fax or email, or
– telephone the school, or
– visit the school.
A small number of absences may be accepted by the principal. For example, if your child:
– has to go to a special religious ceremony
– is required to attend a serious or urgent family situation (e.g. a funeral)
– is too sick to go to school or has an infectious illness.NSW DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITIES
WWW.DET.NSW.EDU.AU

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 13
What are school Principals responsible for?
Principals help to ensure the safety, welfare and wellbeing of your child. Principals have to keep accurate records of student
attendance and the reasons for any absences. Principals are responsible for accepting or not accepting a parent’s explanations
for their child’s absences. Principals may request further information from parents for long or frequent absences,
even where they are explained by parents as being due to illness.
When absences are unexplained by parents, or the explanations are not accepted by the principal, the school will work with
parents to help address the issue. The main aim is to sort out what is preventing the child from getting to school and putting
strategies in place to help. Sometimes, the school will ask support staff and other agencies to assist.
What might happen if my child continues to have unacceptable absences?
It is important to understand that the Department may take further action where children of compulsory school age have
recurring numbers of unexplained or unacceptable absences from school. Some of the following actions may be undertaken.
Attendance meetings and compulsory attendance conferences
Parents (and sometimes their child) can be asked to go to a meeting with school personnel and other regional officers. The
aim of the meeting is to help identify strategies to support the child and family. Other agencies may also be invited along
to help, if parents agree.
If the school and other regional officers have tried to help improve a child’s attendance,
without success, parents (and sometimes their child) can be asked to go to a
compulsory attendance conference. The conference will be run by a trained conference
convenor. The aim of the conference is for the school, parents (and sometimes
their child) and other identified agencies (“the parties”) to further identify the issues
which are impacting on a child’s attendance.
The outcome of a compulsory attendance conference is for the parties to agree to undertake
certain actions to improve the child’s attendance. These actions are written in
the form of undertakings. Applications to the Children’s Court – A Compulsory
Schooling Order
Legal compliance can be sought through an application to the Children’s Court for a
Compulsory Schooling Order. The aim is to assist a family and/or child to address the
issues which are preventing satisfactory school attendance but has the added enforcement
of a Court’s powers. Prosecution in the Local Court
If all attempts by schools and regional support staff fail to improve a student’s attendance, action can be taken in the Local
Court and the result can be fines up to a maximum of $11,000.
Further information regarding school attendance can be obtained from the
I wish scientists would come up with a way to make dogs a
lot bigger, but with a smaller head. That way, they'd still be good as
watchdogs, but they wouldn't eat as much.

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 14
Geography Students Excel in National
Geographic
Channel Australian Geography Competition
Geography students from The Hills Sports High School demonstrated
key geographical skills and knowledge in the 2012 National Geographic
Channel Australian Geography Competition.
Geography teacher, Mr.R. Maharaj said he
had just received the students’ results and the school’s overall performance
was very encouraging.
“We have a number of student geographers at our school who performed
to a very high level in the Competition this year with four gaining High Distinctions
(Jillian Calizar, Emma Swanson, Marcus Pasfield and Thanyada Sangprajak), two Distinctions
(Jennifer Backhouse, Nicole Michels) and ten credits,” said Mr.Maharaj.
“The National Geographic Channel Australian Geography
Competition attracts students from all over Australia – around
80,000 of them each year – so it’s a real indicator of how well
our students are doing in this important subject

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 15
GEOGRAPHY—cont.
Kath Berg, the competition’s national coordinator, said the competition
could only cover a small slice of the diverse subject of geography.
“This year’s competition tested the students’ understanding of topics
such as natural disasters, sustainable energy, and countries in our
region, and also skills such as interpreting information in statistics, maps and satellite images,”
said Ms Berg.
“With the introduction of the national curriculum in geography, in coming years the competition
can be more closely aligned with the unified curriculum across Australia,” she said.
For students under 16 years of age, the top scorers from each state
take part in the Final for Under 16s, with the winner representing
Australia in the 2013 National Geographic World Championship
in Russia. High-achieving older students progress through a 6-day
training/selection event, Geography’s Big Week Out, to make the
Australian team to the 2013 International Geography Olympiad in
Japan.
The Competition is a joint initiative of the Australian Geography
Teachers’ Association and the Royal Geographical Society of Queensland,
and proudly sponsored by National Geographic Channel.

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 16
CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH BOYS & GIRLS 9/10s
NSW Touch All-Schools State Champions
Recently our Girls & Boys Touch football teams became undefeated State
Champions in the year 9 and 10 division at the Kingsway Fields, St Marys.
Teams had to win their regional carnivals to earn a place in the finals carnival.
Participating teams travelled from as far away as Tweed Heads, Orange,
Kiama and Wagga Wagga.
Both teams had to play 5 preliminary games to make the quarters. Both
teams played with great skill and sportsmanship. The Girls had considerable
wins against Wade High (Griffith), Parkes, Tweed River, Wingham and Picnic
Point in the preliminary rounds, while the boys met Dubbo, St Josephs,
Tweed Heads, Kiama and Picnic Point.
The Girls had convincing games in their quarter and semi-finals before meeting Benowa,
QLD in the Grand Final who had a special invitational to play in the NSW competition. Try
scorers of the final included Bailey Toleofoa (2), Paris Ruwhiu, Jurnee Paterson and Tiarnna
Jurd. The game went into extra time but the Girls held strong for the win 5-4.
The Boys team met Wagga High in the semis in a tense game that
went into extra time and saw the game go down to 3 players when
Jake Grech made a break, supported by Jayden Murphy Hinton and
Tjayden Ashby to put Hills into the Grand Final 6-5. The final
game saw Hills Sports defeat Patrician Brothers 5-2 with try scorers
Cayne Dockar-Clay, Jayden Murphy Hinton, Jake Grech,
Kieran Hayman, Cajun Alaalatoa.
Special congratulations go to Bailey Toleofoa and Jake Toby who
were named as Players of the Finals in their respective divisions.
Special thanks to NSW Touch for organising the event and to our TSP coaches Phil & Darren
for their training and preparation. Also thanks to all parents who attended, their continued support
is much appreciated.
Miss McKenzie

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 17
Congratulations to the Girls team: Talisha Maruta, Jurnee Paterson, Bailey Toleafoa, Tiarnna Jurd,
Cassidy Batiste, Felice Quinlan, Monique Johnson, Taliah Fuimaono, Paris Ruwhiu, Jade Grant,
Taniesha Niumata, Khiana Kearns, Ashlee Harrison and Lauryn Toleafoa.
Congratulations to the Boys team: Cajun Alaalatoa, Daniel Brown, Brayden Sneesby, Cayne Dockar
Clay, Rob Wharewera, Jacob Maclean, Jake Grech, Marley SImbolon, Lachlan Atwood, Kai Simbolon,
Tjadyn Ashby, Sean Walpole, Jayden Murhphy-Hinton, Jake Toby, Marvin Slavin, Kieran
Hayman

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 18
Help Needed for
Elderly & Special Needs
Wendy’s Home Services provides in-home
support for elderly and/or special needs clients
and we currently have casual work with flexible
hours available in your area. We need people
to help with:
Domestic assistance
Transports to appointments
Meal preparation
Basic personal care
Driver’s licence, vehicle, and mobile essential.
Availability school term & also holidays an
advantage.
PO BOX 90
WINDSOR 2756 PH: 4587 5999
Western Sydney Careers Expo
Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush
Friday 23 - 24 June, 2012.
As part of the Careers Program at The Hills Sports High School students in will be given the opportunity for students
to visit the Western Sydney Careers Expo at Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush on Friday 22 June, 2012.
The Expo provides an opportunity for students to talk organisations offering a variety of career pathways. This includes
17 Universities - both in Sydney and around Australia as well as New Zealand
5 TAFE Colleges – TAFE NSW
43 training colleges – such as The Hotel School, Aerospace Aviation,
Martin College, JMC Academy, Avondale College, Macleay College
22 apprenticeships and traineeship organisations – such as Australian Training Company, Hospitality Training
Network, Racing Australia etc
19 employers – such as ambulance, Australian Federal Police, Defence Forces, Fire Brigade, NRMA, NSW Police,
Accountancy Firms, Teach NSW
Seminars include:
Course, career and employment topics
Key HSC subjects and study advice
Their ticket will allow entry over the weekend, 23 – 24 June 2012

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 19
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Anti-Bullying Week 5 and 6
In week 5 and 6 the SRC students commenced their seminars on Anti-bullying. Posters
were created and displayed the message of the seminars “If you really knew
me”.
The students formed 6 different groups. Each group delivered the seminar to a
class from year 7-10. The lessons were structured and consisted of a power point
presentation defining bullying. Discussion was then generated from the presentation
and a number of scenarios were discussed with students.
Students participated in a number of games outlining the effects of bullying. Some
youtube clips were also played with special focus on cyber bullying. To conclude our
seminars we played a clip by Todrick Hall called “It gets better”. This song provided
some light on the bullying situation outlining to students that as hard as things can
get there is a light and things can and will get better. The feedback
from these seminars was promising outlining that our message was
heard by a number of people and hopefully our school environment
will start to see changes in the approach to bullying.

TERM 3
NEWS LETTER
PAGE 20
School: what’s the point? So why is school so important?
There are very specific reasons for attending school. It prepares you for life, helps you make friends and
most importantly gives you an education, which you’ll need - no matter what you do in your career.
Worldwide it’s accepted that finishing school and going on to further education and training leads to much
better job prospects, a higher earning capacity and more opportunities throughout your life.
What you learn during your years at school impacts the rest of your life, and it’s not just about maths, science,
history, and so on. As you progress through each year in secondary school you’ll notice that you’re
expected to be more responsible and independent. These are really important lessons.
At school YOU:
Learn how to learn and this is a skill you’ll have for life
Learn how to interact with others – your mates, teachers , school visitors
Develop the ability to make sound judgments - both academically and how to
react to all sorts of social situations
Gain knowledge and build your skills
Gain sporting skills
Learn that you impact on others and others impact on you – who you are and what you become
Learn skills from all of your experiences in life whether planned or unplanned, for example – through
sport you may learn leadership, respect, hard work and perseverance.
You may not see the importance of these years in school now but talk to most adults and they’ll say that
they didn’t realise until after they left school – just how important those years were to them.
The Team from the Get the life you love Campaign asked various people ―What they wish they’d
known at school – and the top ten answers included:
I control my own destiny – and I will get out of it what I contribute!
Keep trying – persistence counts
Back yourself – if you don't no-one else will!
Listening is one of the most important aspects of communication
My education only just started at school
It’s surprising the skills you learn at school that you’ll use in adult life
Growing up isn’t boring and scary – you get as much fun out of it as you put into it – it’s
all a matter of attitude
Adults do know something
Parents are often right and I should have listened to them more
There is a big difference between persistence and aggression
Education is for life and forever. You need to put time and effort into your
schooling and education to give yourself the best chance to reach your personal
goals, and you can be anything!
So the bottom line is, even if it doesn’t always feel like it now, school really is
an important part of your life…and making the most of school is a crucial step
in making your future a bright one – and it’s all up to you

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GIRLS SOFTBALL
STATE KNOCKOUT CHAMPIONSHIPS 2012
The Open Girls Softball team represented Sydney West region once again this year in the State Knockout competition,
travelling to Newcastle on 5-6 June to compete in the Final 16 tournament.
The weather forecast looked ominous for the 2 days with strong storm warnings. Day 1 was kind to us though, and although
it was windy, we were able to play and get the games in before the rain hit. In game 1 against East Hills Girls
HS we secured a strong 13-1 win to place us in the top 8 teams in the competition. Game 2 was played against Mudgee
HS and another confident win of 15-1 placed us in the top 4 teams in the state.
Day 2 weather was not so accommodating. It had rained heavily through the night leaving the 2 main diamonds unplayable.
More rain threatened as we took the diamond to face Cheltenham Girls HS in the semi-final but we managed to
get through the game without the weather shutting us down, even though it was cold and very wet. Our girls faced Cheltenham’s
U17s State pitcher but we scored one run early in the game. That was then met with 2 runs scored by Cheltenham
in the 3 rd inning. Our girls played a very tight game and no more runs were scored for the entire game, with 7 innings
completed in less than an hour and a half. Unfortunately, Cheltenham were the winners with a 1-2 score. Our girls
fought hard and played a very impressive game, executing some excellent plays and making Cheltenham work hard for
their win.
Our final game against Muirfield HS was played in very challenging weather conditions to fight for 3 rd place. The girls
took the diamond in high spirits and braved the elements with admirable determination. Rain suspended play 3 times
during the game but the girls played on and held Muirfield at 2-2 until the top of the 7 th inning. We scored 2 runs to
bring the score to 4-2 in our favour, but the bottom of the inning was yet to be played. Muirfield scored 1 run to close
the gap but the rain came down so hard that play could not continue and the game was declared a 2-2 draw as the score
reverted back to the last complete inning. This meant both schools held the equal 3 rd standing in the state.
The girls are to be congratulated on their outstanding results and inspiring spirit. This is a commendable achievement
from a very young team, with all but two players being from the junior school. To be so competitive at this level at such
a young age is a credit to the girls and their commitment to their sport. The girls are also an extremely cohesive unit,
actively and positively supporting each other on and off the field. It is a real delight to work and travel with them.
Many thanks go to our coach, Donna McGrath, and accompanying teacher, Mrs Cathy Hand. The strong support from a
large parent group was also very much appreciated, with special mention to Tracie Dunn who can always be relied upon
to score for our games.
Congratulations girls!
Fiona Wallis (Softball Mentor)
GIRLS SOFTBALL TEAM 2012
Back row: Erin Mackander (Y9), Amber Newson (Y8), Samantha Thrupp, (Y8), Chiara Aquilina-Reid (Y9), Sophie Adams (Y10),
Bianca Worth (Y11), Taylah Peters (Y9)
Front row: Caitlin Michels (Y10), Emily Dunn (Y8), Rachael Shaw (Y11), Sophie Nadjarian (Y10), Nicole Michels (Y10), Emily Simpson (Y7)

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. Staff VS SRC Students
On Friday of week 5 the SRC students challenged a number of staff to a game of OZ
tag on the oval. The SRC students created this challenge as a way of building school
spirit. All involved had a wonderful time although not as much as the spectators I am
sure! The teachers were off to a rough start and the students seemed to have the
game in the bag. After a little encouragement and grouping the team together the
staff found their feet and started scoring some tries of their own! Assisted by some
staff refereeing! The end result varies depending on who you talk to but all in all the
students achieved what they set out to do
and a wonderful game was had! Thanks to all
the staff who volunteered their lunch time,
the students for their organisation and PE
for supplying the equipment! Miss Smith,
Mrs Jameson and the SRC students

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SRC Somerset Camp
The Somerset camp began with being at
school nice and early at 7:00am. After
everyone arrived we jumped on the bus
and began to make our way. It was about a
45 minute drive so we were lucky that
Adrian brought along the speakers. Finally
we were there! Mrs Hancock dropped us
off and we met our instructors for the
day. We began our first activity for the
day, the high ropes challenge. We paired
up and were taken through the steps of
how to wear a harness. The high ropes
were quite scary! A number of us were
caught tree hugging! But all members of
the SRC including the teachers were encouraging
us each step of the way!
After the high ropes we moved on to the
flying fox. A number of us attempted to
drop an apple into the bucket below the
course, but no one succeeded.
We then feasted on a wonderful fresh lunch which we all assisted with the preparation
and the consumption most of us helping ourselves
to thirds! We made amazing fresh damper
rolls and filled them with our choice of salad.
After we were done feasting we headed to our final
activity for the day Geocaching, which enabled us to
track down various containers using a GPS. In each
container we located there was a token that we
were able to take and return with that token to
camp. The publicity group won with 35 points out of
40. Mr Gadow arrived to collect us from camp and
enjoyed the singing that occurred all the way home!
All in all a great day of team building was enjoyed by
all students and staff! Miss Smith, Mrs Jameson
and the SRC students!

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MANY HAPPY MEMORIES

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