Alstonville High School Newsletter · 7/3/2019 · Alstonville High School Newsletter: Issue 10, 3...

Alstonville High School Newsletter: Issue 10, 3 July 2019

Alstonville High School Newsletter

Developing future citizens and leaders of the community – life long learning!

Cawley Close Alstonville Phone: (02) 6628 5222 Web: alstonvill-h.schools.nsw.gov.au

Fax: (02) 6628 1223 Email: [email protected]

Issue 10 03 July 2019

Our strategic guiding question? How can we ensure that our students achieve at least one year’s worth of learning growth from one year’s worth of teaching?

Values

We value and support:

A positive, healthy and safe

learning environment

Respectful attitudes and

actions

Diversity

Pursuit of personal excellence

Service to community

Team work

Quality learning and teaching

Initiative, leadership and self-

discipline

Learning

We aspire to be:

Life-long learners

Creative and critical thinkers

Effective communicators

Skilled in literacy and numeracy

Independent and organised

Competent and innovative with

technology

Environmentally, socially and

culturally informed

Caring and compassionate

Alstonville High School

Our community values integrity

in all aspects of life

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

5 July Friday Last day Term 2

Term 3

23 July Tuesday Students return for Term 3

24 July Wednesday P&C meeting 7pm

25 July Thursday NAIDOC Assembly 10.00am

29 July Monday Zone Athletics Carnival

30 July Tuesday ‘Future Careers’ Excursion Years 10/11/12

9 Aug Friday Year 8 EKKA Excursion

25 Aug – 31 Aug Mon - Sun Year 10 Snow Trip


Principal’s report

Thank you to all the staff, students and families who have contributed to making term 2, 2019 a productive and

stimulating term. The highlights for me this term have included:

P&C meetings – working with parents to improve how we support students and the school as a whole Representing the school at various service club meetings as our students receive recognition for their achievements.

These very worthy clubs provide additional support for students Getting into classrooms and watching teachers and students engage in learning together Meeting with our school captains and other students as they explore new initiatives or provide ideas and feedback on

the where the school is headed Watching the school emerge bright and polished in those areas where upgrades have been happening Hearing about (and quite often celebrating) the many and varied achievements of our students, staff and families out of

school hours Hosting visitors to our school and reflecting on their impressions and feedback

A definition of functional teams that motivates me is “People of goodwill working purposefully towards the achievement of

common goals”. I am privileged to be part of the Alstonville High School team.

Last week of term – ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ Week

This newsletter will be distributed during our ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ week. During the week, the SRC will be running a series

of activities for students and staff. I am writing this article on a Monday and already I have seen positive messages appearing

around the school. There have been some special morning teas and small tokens of appreciation being exchanged. We will run a

new quote on our school sign each day and try to leap into the winter vacation on a positive note.

Wellbeing and teenagers

We all want our teenagers to be happy and well, and by helping them develop mental wellbeing, they will have every

opportunity to get the most out of their teenage years. (The information for this section of the newsletter was drawn from the

NSW Department of Education website: Wellbeing and teenagers

What is wellbeing?

The World Health Organisation defines mental wellbeing as ‘a state in which every individual realises his or her own potential,

can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his

community.’ It reflects a state in which someone is healthy, happy and prosperous. A strong sense of wellbeing helps us to feel

good about ourselves and the way our lives are going.

Why is wellbeing important?

Wellbeing is important since it allows us to feel emotions like happiness, contentment, curiosity, satisfaction – all of which help

us function well in the world and lead our lives to their fullest. Wellbeing also plays a role in supporting our mental healt h, by

giving us a greater ability to manage our thoughts, feelings and behaviours. This helps us to maintain good relationships, set

and achieve goals, and find meaning and purpose in our endeavours.

The interesting thing about wellbeing is that it can have an upward spiral effect. If you do something that increases your

wellbeing, it is likely to make you feel good, which is turn will help give you the motivation to do something else that to improve

your wellbeing and make you feel good.

What effect does wellbeing have on teenagers?

High levels of wellbeing in teenagers can help them flourish in l ife, as well as act as a protective factor against some of the

challenges that may arise during the teenage years. Teenagers with strong mental wellbeing are able to:

manage their emotions enjoy positive relationships with friends and family apply themselves at school participate in activities that interest them have optimism about the future.

https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/practical-help-for-parents-and-carers/family-wellbeing/health/wellbeing-and-teenagers


5 Ways to Wellbeing

A simple framework to increase wellbeing is the 5 Ways to Wellbeing, developed by the New Economics Foundation in the UK.

The framework outlines 5 strategies that have been proven to have a positive effect on mental wellbeing. These strategies are:

connect be active take notice keep learning give

Tips for supporting your teenager (Click on this link for more information and ideas)

Brett Price

At the end of this term, Brett Price will be retiring. Mr Price has been a conscientious, talented and compassionate teacher and

school leader.

Mr Price is passionate about science. As he moved from classroom teacher to the role of Deputy Principal, he maintained his focus

on engaging students with science. He brought to his teaching experience skills drawn from working in industry.

As Deputy Principal at Alstonville High School Mr Price was dedicated to building and nurturing teams that collaborate effectively.

He was tireless in seeking to support the welfare needs of students, often arranging for innovative partnerships with groups

outside of the school to provide students with alternative opportunities or support. Mr Price took on the role of school Principal

on a number of occasions – leading the school in a calm and considered fashion.

Mr Price has a wonderful sense of humour and we will miss his hearty laughter around the school. Mr Price contributed to a broad

range of extra-curricular activities and pioneered the development of the Alstonville Certificate of Excellence and the new merit

scheme. He made a significant contribution to our improved focus on using data to inform practice. Mr Price is able to link a

surfboat metaphor or analogy into any conversation.

Brett has had a positive influence on countless young people, their families and his colleagues over his professional career. He has

been a mentor, a supporter, a counsellor and a firm but fair authority figure – as needed for the myriad of circumstances that

arise in the daily life of a Deputy Principal (or any teacher for that matter). He has been a great friend. We wish Mr Price all the

best in retirement. I know that we will continue to see him around the school from time to time as he helps us with some of our

projects. Thank you Mr Price.

Canteen Volunteers Remember:

Please volunteer for our school canteen. We need you – our students need your support

https://parents.au.reachout.com/skills-to-build/wellbeing/things-to-try-wellbeing?utm_source=edu_nsw&utm_campaign=Beyond.com&utm_medium=referral


MOVIE MONDAYS ARE BACK! Every Monday in the lower library.

Next Term: Jumanji (the original.)

#loveozya stands for Love Australian Young Adult literature. From their website http://loveozya.com.au/. LoveOzYA is, at its heart,

a way to focus the discussions around young adult (YA) fiction in Australia and by doing so, promote local content to local readers.

The movement began – as all important conversations do nowadays – online, and rapidly garnered the attention of writers,

readers, publishers, booksellers and so many more invested in our national youth literature. We all want the same thing – to draw

the attention of Australian teens to Australian books that speak to their experience, and unite the youth-lit community by:

promoting a united message centralising information raising the profile of local content

LEGO MINDSTORMS We have three available to all year groups to be used during recess and lunch.

What’s happening in the library?

Like much of the school, we are getting an upgrade of new carpet and tactile buttons. It has been a huge job and we are happy

to open the doors again, just in time for school holiday borrowing. Please see the SENTRAL message with an attachment showing

the new books available.

Alstonville High has upgraded its SENTRAL communication program. Access to SENTRAL

for staff, parents and students on the computer will now be through the following link:

https://alstonvillehs.sentral.com.au/

The SENTRAL app should still work as normal.

http://loveozya.com.au/

https://alstonvillehs.sentral.com.au/


Curriculum Initiatives in Visual Arts 2019 saw the introduction of a new way of delivering art-making experiences to visual art students. Units of works were developed

to cover multiple components of theory, mediums whilst exploring a common theme.

Year 10 students have investigated the human form through a series of mediums, beginning with rendering portraits of a student’s

favourite person using graphite pencils. Artists researched were Chuck Close and Kathy Kollwitz. Several of the artworks were sent

to the NSW Art Gallery as part of the Young Archie’s Exhibition.

Expanding upon knowledge learnt from drawing faces, students produced a portrait painting of a close friend or family member.

Students’ representations ranged from traditional images to abstractions.

Narrative sculptures completed the unit of work with students creating three-dimensional portraits in ceramics. The focus of these

works was for students to tell a story about the person portrayed using symbolism. Artists researched included Frida Kahlo and

Amanda Shelsher.


Year 8 English


Science and Engineering Challenge 2019

On June 21, a motivated group of year 9 and 10 Alstonville High School students participated

in the 2019 Science and Engineering Challenge. They had a fantastic time completing many

different challenges. Some of the more memorable activities the group took part

in were Bridge building, Flat-pack designing, Bionic hands, Earthquake-resistant

structures and code creating.

All the activities required close teamwork from the students involved as the

resources and time allocated were strictly limited.

Each team received points for their efforts, which combined to give a total score

for the day. Alstonville High School placed 2nd out of the 8 schools present – which

was a very pleasing result!

This event was possible because of the support from Alstonville Rotary

Club, Mrs John, Mr Sharp (for his terrible fashion sense), Southern

Cross University and all the sponsors involved. The students

participating on the team would like to thank everyone who made this

wonderful event possible. This day was a fun and worthwhile

experience for all included and very inspiring. We hope that

others can partake in this awesome experience in the future

and enjoy it as much as the students of 2019 did.

Charlotte Munday and Ava Carruthers


Agriculture

Cows create careers

Year 9 agriculture students have undertaken this dairy project during term two. They have developed skills and knowledge in

animal husbandry and the dairy industry using the S.O.L.E learning process (Student Organised Learning process). The student

outcomes of teamwork, organisation, negotiation, responsibility and time management were a rich part of the learning

experience. Thank you to Mrs Rezai-Smith and Jill Groth for their communication and assistance with supporting students during

this activity.

World skills practice day at Richmond River High School

Thirty-five students from Alstonville, Richmond River, Bonalbo and Murwillumbah High Schools and Woodlawn Catholic College

attended the world skills training day, which is a practice event for the official event in term 4, 2019.

Alstonville High submitted a team of four consisting of Lily Christmas, Eloise Hagate, Nelson Butler and Owen Halpin.

Three activities were conducted during the day including; the operation of a tractor and spreader implement, livestock handling

and the application of agricultural chemicals and a fencing activity.

Students paired up and demonstrated a range of skills during the event. A number of networking opportunities were apparent.

Special mention to Lily Christmas who received an equal second placing during the event.


Careers Communication Corner

TAFE TVET message reminder to students enrolled in TAFE this year:

If you cannot attend TAFE you need to inform your TAFE Teacher and the school

You must come to school in normal full school uniform and then you can change into TAFE clothing prior to catching the TAFE bus

You need to go to the first 20 minutes of Period 3 to find out what work you will miss in that lesson. It is your responsibility to catch up on any work missed by attending TAFE

If you wish to withdraw from TAFE you must see the Careers Adviser to fill out a withdrawal form to be signed by you and your family

You cannot leave school and go to a paid job instead of going to TAFE. TAFE administrators send out an attendance spreadsheet each week to check attendance

Future Options Expo Excursion

I have booked a bus for any students in Years 10, 11 or 12 to attend this annual careers excursion held in the Trinity Sports Hall,

on Tuesday, July 30. We leave school at 9.05am and return to school by 11.40am. Cost is subsidised at $1 per student for bus fare.

Parents can attend at any time, FREE, between 9 am and 1 pm on the day. Many universities, TAFE, Private Providers, Employers

& other education and training personnel set up at information tables. A list of proposed attendees is attached to the permission

note in the box attached to the Career/Welfare Office Door.

Year 12 Initial Careers Chats are almost complete, allowing more time next term for individual catch-ups for university and

scholarship applications, resumes and other careers assistance. Parents are welcome to seek advice by email or arrange a time to

come in to Careers Office. Students: DO NOT leave things until it is too late or you will become more stressed in Term 3.

Karen Horne Careers Adviser

email:[email protected]


Sport News

Zone Athletics - rescheduled for Monday, 29 July (Week 2, Term 3) at Riverview Park, South Lismore.

Due to ground closure and a forecast of continued wet weather that is preventing the grounds drying out sufficiently to enable

safe competition, this Thursday's Zone Athletics Carnival has been POSTPONED AGAIN. The carnival has now been rescheduled

for Monday, 29 July (Week 2, Term 3) at Riverview Park, South Lismore.

North Coast Regional Cross-Country Championships

The North Coast Regional Cross-Country Championships was held at Nana Glen Sport Recreation and Equestrian Centre on Friday,

21 June. Alstonville High School had 21 students compete at Nana Glen in perfect conditions for running. Students that completed

at this event have commented that it was a very challenging course to navigate and it included a 200m long hill.

Our students were successful on the day, and nine students have won the right to represent the North Coast Region at the NSW

All-Schools Cross-Country Championships to be held at Eastern Creek International Raceway, Sydney on Friday, 26 July (Week 1,

Term 3).

Thank you to all the parents who took the time to support the team and drive students to Nana Glen and to the students who

represented the school with great results and conduct.

These students and their results are as follows:

Other AHS Students that competed at the North Coast Cross Country Championships held at Nana Glen:

Bailey, Jade Ball, Zoe Bird Lennox

Bowker, Tom Harding, Anna Hoskings, Bodhi

Irvine, Andrew Jobson, Kiara King, Yasmin

Sweeney, Reid Torres, Mia Wren, Hunter

Touch Football

Brooke Hofmeyer from Year 12 travelled to Wollongong to represent the North Coast Region at the NSWCHS Open Girls Touch

Football Championships last week.

The State Championships involves 10 regional teams and the competition involves a round robin. After the round robin games,

the top 4 teams going through to the finals that are held at the afternoon of the final day. The North Coast team played well and

after losing their first two games, the team won their next seven games to make it into the semi-finals. The North Coast Team

played Hunter in the semi and was narrowly defeated by Hunter 3 to North Coast 2.

Brooke Hofmeyer played very well and was selected into the NSWCHS State 18yrs and under Open Girls Touch Team. This is the

second year in a row that Brooke has been selected into this team. Selection into this very select team is a great achievement.

Brooke will now compete at the National Youth Touch Championships that involves both the National Youth Tournament and the

School Sport Australia National Championships. The best 18 years and under touch teams from Australia and New Zealand will

compete at this event to be held at Sunshine Coast Stadium, Caloundra from Wednesday, 18 to Saturday, 21 September.

Congratulations Brooke for your selection into the team and good luck at Nationals.

Student Year Age & Gender Distance Place

Ball, Finn 12 18yrs Boys 8000m 6th

Fox, Christian 8 14yrs Boys 4000m 5th

Hofmeyer, Brooke 12 17yrs Girls 4000m 4th

Hunt, Kai 9 16yrs Boys 6000m 9th

North, Charlie 7 13yrs Boys 3000m 8th

Offley, Lachlan 8 14yrs Boys 4000m 6th

Wenban, Ally 8 14yrs Girls 4000m 7th

Young, Joseph 8 14yrs Boys 4000m 8th

Young, Joshua 8 13yrs Boys 3000m 4th


Hockey

Recently Aeryn Peiti of Year 10 returned from the NSWCHSSA Open Girls Hockey Championships held at Liverpool Hockey Stadium

at Moorebank. The State Championships involves ten regional teams being divided into two pools, where the pools play a round

robin and the top two teams from each pool go through to the semi-finals. The North Coast team won both their games on day

one but lost both their games on day two to the teams that would go on to play each other in the final. The North Coast team

missed out on the finals, but defeated South Coast in the game for 5th and 6th place. The North Coast team played very well and

finished 5th out of the 10 regional teams that competed at state. The North Coast Region will be hosting this event in 2020, which

is a great incentive for Aeyrn to make the North Coast Team for a third time. Well done Aeryn.

Paul Francis/Sport Coordinator

Girls Rugby Union at Alstonville High

Girls rugby union is flourishing at Alstonville High. A squad of enthusiastic girls train at lunchtimes and actively seek out any

opportunities to play a game.

This week the school team of twenty girls travelled to Queensland to play an invitational carnival at Miami High School. Whilst the

team did not win the carnival, they won the hearts of all attending schools, for their sportsmanship, enthusiasm and good humour.

Hillcrest High and Miami High will travel to Alstonville High in term 3 for another great day of girls playing rugby. Special mention

to Jeannie Ritchie for her score trying finesse. Well done girls on a sterling effort both on and off the field.

Stephanie O’Brien

TAS News As we move to the end of Term 2, we have more finished projects to highlight. In year 7 a “puggly” which incorporated e-textiles,

and year 8 memo books. In year 8 food technology, the students studied the culture of France and whipped up quiches. Digital


technologies focused on coding, using “Scratch”. Our TAS classes continue to inspire our students. As you can see from the vast

array of projects and the wonderful results featured throughout our TAS section in this weeks’ newsletter, the projects are full of

innovation, imagination and show the student’s creative flair in various areas throughout our technology subjects.

Food Technology Stage 5 - Have been designing their own unique birthday cakes. The results can be seen below and show the

brilliant talents of our food technology students.

Kitchen update – the completion to our first kitchen upgrade in 30 years is very close. Stay tuned for a date re an open night to

unveil this new space. Take a look at the attached photos and the superb new fresh looking bays.

Year 10 Textiles Technology

The Year 10 Textiles Technology class had

another visit to Maranoa nursing home this

week. The girls are finding it rewarding to get

involved with the elderly in their local

community. They enjoyed celebrating

“Random Act of Kindness Week” with the

residents. Brightening their day with a

chocolate surprise and home baked muffins by

the wonderful Elspeth Ezzy. They chatted with

the elderly, telling them about their last

project, their exams, an upcoming snow trip

and listening to stories of about the residents.

Vanessa Christmas/Relieving Head Teacher TAS


Music Careers Symposium

9am – 3pm,

Friday 16 August 2019

Southern Cross University,

Lismore Campus, D Block.

Cost: Free (bookings

essential)

eventbrite.com.au/e/63545607623

https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/zGKWCBNqPrHDDP3RSKe7JX?domain=eventbrite.com.au

Alstonville High School Newsletter · 7/3/2019 · Alstonville High School Newsletter: Issue 10, 3...

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