Congratulations to the following students on their ... · Homebush Boys High School Literacy and...

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 7 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611

Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611

Congratulations to the following students on their selection as Prefects for 2019

mailto:[email protected]



Message from the Principal - Mr Kevin Elgood Farewell Year 12 2018

Congratulations to Year 12 students on completing their HSC exams. This marks the end of their formal schooling. On behalf of all staff at Homebush Boys High School, I would like to wish our Year 12 students great success in the future.

Boys, I hope you achieve the results that you have worked towards and that you have a happy and successful future. I hope you always remember your years at Homebush as a fun and enjoyable time. You will always be a part of the Homebush Boys High School community. Now go forth and make your mark on the world. Best wishes from all at HBHS.

Safety, Learning and Respect

Our school values are Safety, Learning and Respect. I emphasise these values when addressing the boys on assembly and they are reinforced through our Positive Behaviour for Learning program (PBL). Our goal is for each boy to achieve his potential in all fields of endeavour. My responsibility is to provide the opportunity at Homebush Boys High School for each boy to reach his potential. We have expert teachers, quality learning environments and excellent resources for each Key Learning Area.

The boys responsibility is to come to school ready, eager and able to learn.

This means that boys must:

• wear the appropriate uniform; • bring the materials they require for each subject; • arrive on time in the morning and for each class; • be ready and receptive to learn in every lesson.

I am concerned that some students are not taking responsibility for their learning. I ask for your support in ensuring that they respect the opportunities that they have here at Homebush Boys and strive to achieve their best. We ask boys to write their homework and assignments into their diaries, please take time to go through the diary with your son and discuss what he is doing at school. Some boys need a little prompt to help them get themselves organised, prioritise school and to ensure that they complete their work.

A school’s reputation can open doors to students outside the school gates and a school’s reputation can easily be tarnished by poor appearances. I ask for all parents to support us in ensuring that your son leaves home on time - in full school uniform.

P&C Meeting Tuesday 27th November

Our next P&C meeting is the AGM and it is on Tuesday 27th November at 7pm in the staff common room. We welcome all parents, it is a great opportunity to meet other parents, discuss the latest news and find out what is happening around the school. We would love to see you there at the meeting on Tuesday.



Homebush Boys High School Literacy and Numeracy Strategy

One of our major focus areas for 2018 has been the improvement of literacy outcomes across the school. Analysing all external assessment data shows that boys are not performing as well as girls across the state and my experience certainly confirms this. Teachers identified that improving literacy skills for all students needs to be our priority in the development of our school plan. For parents who have not been able to attend our P&C meetings, I would like to inform you of some of the activities we have been working on so far this semester:

• A thorough analysis of HSC and NAPLAN Data for the past five years to identify areas for improvement. Results were presented to staff and formed the basis for the development of a Homebush Boys High School Literacy and Numeracy Strategy.

• Martyn Bawden was employed as the strategic planning leader for the development and implementation of a Homebush Boys High School Literacy and Numeracy Strategy.

• The students achieving below national minimum standards in Literacy and Numeracy have been identified through the NAPLAN results for Year 7 & 8 students, along with the areas they need support to improve in. Along with our excellent learning support team, an additional teacher has been employed to provide targeted support for these students.

• We began a Homework Club on Monday and Tuesday afternoons which is staffed by a teacher to support students to complete their work.

• Teacher professional learning in Semester 2 has focused on improving student writing and been led by Martyn Bawden. Teachers have been provided with strategies and time to develop tasks and incorporate them into their lessons and teaching programs. We are targeting Years 8 and 11 for 2019 with a focus on implementing extended writing tasks for all courses.

• A parent information evening was held for Year 8 parents regarding new Minimum HSC Standards.

• A Moodle classroom has been established for Year 8 students. Mr Bawden puts new Literacy and Numeracy exercises up each week, marks all attempts and provides feedback to students on their performance.

• All Teachers and Year 11 Students have been trained to use ALARM (A Learning And Responding Matrix) which provides students with scaffolds for completing extended analytical writing responses as required in the HSC.

• We are introducing Literacy and Numeracy Lessons into the curriculum for Years 7, 8 and 9 in 2019. Year 7 students will be undertaking a program with Accelerated Reader, while Years 8 and 9 will study dedicated Literacy and Numeracy activities focussed on improving areas identified by our Literacy and Numeracy testing and through NAPLAN results. Details of these program will be provided in early 2019.

Our focus on improving literacy is a school priority for at least the next three years. I will be seeking support from parents in ensuring this strategy is a success and I will provide more information about this in Term 1 next year. Year 8 parents have been asked to check that their sons are attempting the Moodle exercises each week. I ask all parents to encourage your son to read. I look forward to this focus seeing significant improvements in student outcomes which should also be reflected in improved external exam results in future years.



From the Deputy’s Desk Mrs Matina Shadwick - Relieving Deputy Principal 2018

2018-2019 Student Leadership Induction ceremony.

It was pleasure to be part of the 2018-2019 Student Leadership Induction ceremony on Tuesday 16 October 2018. The opportunity for parents to pin the Prefect, Senior Prefect, Vice Captain or Captain Badge on their son is a family moment that will be treasured forever. Congratulations to the 2018-2019 Student Leadership Team. I am certain they will capably lead the student population and uphold the good name and values of Homebush Boys High School. Under the leadership and guidance of Prefect Adviser, Ms Duch, the students have already established themselves as positive role models in our school community.



Staff Achievements

Well done to Ms Duch and Ms Catalano on their service certificates in recognition of efforts in public education. Recognition of their dedication to the teaching of students at HBHS is inspiring and must be aclknowledged. As senior members of their faculties (in experience not age), Ms Duch and Ms Catalano are mentors to many beginning teachers and many past and present students lucky enough to be in their classes.

Well done ladies!

Community Link Programs continue to be successful

Reading Program at Homebush Public School

The success of the Reading Program continues to amaze me. The reading buddies are treated like royalities and the Stage 1 and 2 young readers have their favourite buddies. The boys enjoy their time and the frienships formed are cerainly blossoming! This Term I have opened the program to Year 7 students and I was surprised that over 12 students approached me wanting to be part of Friday’s program.

Homebush Public School Transition Activity

This term, Mr Madakasira and Mr Saber highlighted a sample of what Electronics and Food Technology looks like in the TAS Faculty to our Homebush Public School transition students. After watching the boys participate in the activities, I am convinced that boys like eating and playing with gadgets! The program is a favourite for all prospective Year 7 2019 students from Homebush Public School.



Linkages Program with Marie Bashir Public School.

This term saw the last of the 2018 Linkages activities. Many thanks to Ms Chapman and Mr B Wilson for organising a very hands-on and practical activity. The students from Marie Bashir Public School also completed an evaluation of the 2018 program and the responses showed a unainimous appreciation of the programs and a desire to continue the planned KLA activities in 2019. May I take this opportunity to thank all staff who put their hand up to run activities this year. They give freely of their time and our local school feeder school communities appreciate knowing of all the wonderful opportunities we have on offer at HBHS.

Presentation Day 2018 and Semester 2 Reports 2018

The 2018 Presentation Day will be held on Tuesday 11 December 2018 at the Marie Bashir School Auditorium. A note will be sent home soon with all students highlighting times and the organisation of the day. Students receiving awards will be notified by mail. Parents and carers are welcome to attend. The Semester 2 reports for Years 7 to 10 will be distributed during the week following Presentation Day 2018. Year 11 Preliminary reports will be distributed to students in Week 6. Please note that the Year 7 -10 reports will NOT be available any sooner.



Diwali Festival

On Friday 9 November staff and students joined to celebrate the significance of Diwali for many members of our school community. Well done to Ms Singh, Ms Sahay and Ms Sarkar for organising an amazing day, full of traditional musical performances and a dance ensemble from our students and students from Strathfield Girls High School. Personally, I loved celebrating the cultural significance of Diwali and donning the sari (thanks Ms Sahay).

It’s days like these, that remind me why I enjoy teaching at HBHS. My favourite part of the day was unquestionably seeing our boys dance with the SGHS performers. The whole day was special and the SHGS staff commented on how lovely the boys were and on positive and pleasant tone of the morning assembly.

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From the Deputy’s Desk Mr Syarief Achmad - Deputy Principal

This is my first Bush Bulletin report as Deputy Principal of Homebush Boys High School and is likely the first time you may be hearing about my recent appointment. Mr Elgood, our Principal, announced at the Executive Meeting in Term 3 that he believed that a school of our size should have three Deputy Principals to support the staff and students. Following an Expression of Interest to fill the position, the third DP role will be trialled during Term 4, with the possibility of extension into next year. As you may be aware, my substantive position at Homebush Boys High School is Head Teacher Social Sciences, so as a result of my appointment as the third Deputy we needed to appoint a Relieving Head Teacher. I’d like to formally announce Mrs Phirum Duch as the Relieving Head Teacher Social Sciences. Mrs Duch is an experienced teacher in the faculty and has been involved in a range of whole school initiatives during her time at HBHS to support the education and wellbeing of our students. I’m sure you will all join me in congratulating Mrs Duch on her recent appointment.

The Senior Executive Team have discussed at length the most effective way of utilising the position of third DP to improve the learning outcomes and wellbeing of our students. I will be supporting the welfare of our current Year 8 and 9 students, while working closely with the Year 6-7 Year Adviser, Ms Coutinho, in preparation for our 2019 Year 7 students. Mrs Paleothodoros will continue to support Year 10 while she works tirelessly with the Timetable Team in Term 4. Mrs Shadwick will support Year 7 and 11 this term. I will continue to lead the Building Teacher Capacity Team with Mr Howard to support teacher induction and accreditation practices at the school.

In addition to the wellbeing aspect of the role, I am most excited about developing a future focused learning approach at HBHS to improve student engagement. We have outstanding students who we must support across all curriculum areas and learning stages with the skills they need to thrive in a changing world. In order to achieve this, I will be working closely with the Executive Team to ensure that Homebush remains a school that inspires our students to collaborate and use critical and creative thinking to deal with complex problems, becoming leaders and active citizens in the process.

Friday, 9th November was officially the last day of the HSC for 2018, but most of our students either finished their last examination earlier in the schedule. Congratulations to the 2018 Year 12 cohort for all your efforts and I sincerely hope you achieve a result that is reflective of all your hard work. I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank your parents and teachers for supporting you throughout your schooling. All the best in your future endeavours and please drop by in the future, it’s always nice hearing about the progress of our Ex-Bushy Boys.

I’m looking forward to getting to know students and their families in my new role, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Have a fantastic Term 4 everyone!



Mr Abderrahim Abbou – Head Teacher

Another busy and exciting year for the students doing Computing Studies at HBHS.

Information and Software Technology is a popular choice of elective subject with classes running in Year 9 and 10 groups. Students get the opportunity to learn skills in the use of Microsoft Office and the Adobe Creative and develop their skills in designing and creating websites using HTML 5 and CSS website templates.

The students are more excited when it comes to learn 3D printing, flying drones, building robots and creating games.

Those areas are wonderful new ways to teach and motivate our students. In today’s’ technology-driven world, it’s important now more than ever to prepare students for the future. Teaching 3D printing, flying drones, building robots and creating games to young students throughout their schooling can increase their ability to be creative and innovative thinkers and more productive members of society. Students

have the opportunity in class to create something tangible and make it perform the actions that they program it to execute.

The Computing Faculty is planning to introduce next year new generation of Co-drones Pro, CoDrone Pro does everything but it also comes with an Arduino-compatible buildable remote. The students can easily program it to do whatever they want: follow you, engage in laser battles, or go through a maze and more.

As I’m writing this article, our IPT and SDD students have sat their HSC Examination and we wish them all the bests in their results.

Furthermore, our Faculty has organised Digital Competitions, about 130 students of Homebush Boys, from Years 9 and 10, took part in the Computer Skills Competition (ICAS) – 2018. The competition is run by the UNSW; it is designed to assess our students' ability to apply classroom learning in new contexts, using higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills. Four of our students obtained Distinction and 20 students obtained Credit level passes.

Another activity promoted by the Computing faculty is the Python Challenge. It is run by the School of Information Technologies at the University of Sydney as part of the National Computer Science School (NCSS). This program runs for five weeks and teaches students how to program and releases a set of notes containing the information. Students will need to complete the week’s programming and solve the challenges. Our students have achieved outstanding results, seven students achieved Perfect level, nine High Distinction, eight Distinction and two Credit.



SRC Review 2017/2018

Another year goes by and once again the SRC has had another successful year, organising and running events to help charities as well as the school under the guidance of Mr Thomas Lee. The SRC is made up of about four to five students per grade after being elected by peers. This rewarding experience began in early December with the annual induction day, where our proud parents were able to pin our badges to our shirts. This successful day proceeded with the induction oath by our very own elected SRC president, Eric Duong. Straight after the event the SRC went straight to work with the Year 7 orientation day for 2018. The SRC had the role of welcoming our future school mates, their parents and organising everyone into tour groups. We then had the role of leading the groups into a tour around the school and finally, supervising the class allocation examination. The end of this day marked the beginning of a busy year for the SRC 2017/2018.

Only a week later, in the final week of the schooling year for 2017, Mr Lee and the SRC visited the local Strathvale nursing home to send our best wishes for the holiday period. This saw us giving the members of our community cards, chocolates and take part in artistic activities. Activities like these allow us to create stronger bonds with our community and the members of Strathvale, whom enjoy spending time with us. The next activity undertaken by the SRC was with students from Gapyeong, Korea. Each member of the SRC was given a buddy from Gapyeong and we would allow them to experience life as a student of Homebush Boys. We took them to our classes and the school organised excursions for them to experience the very best of Sydney. In the end, this was an experience that both the students of Gapeyong as well as the students of Homebush will never forget as we were able to learn about each other and the difference in schooling. Some of us are still in contact today!

Another very rewarding experience that the SRC has been very privileged to be a part of, is the Strathfield Council Citizenship Ceremonies. This is where new citizens of Australia are recognised through a special government recognised ceremony. Members of the SRC volunteered their time to be a part of this event by preparing and organising refreshments for award recipients and their proud families. Perhaps the largest event on the calendar for the SRC throughout the year was Multicultural day. This magnificent event took months of planning and many thanks must go to Mrs

Kumaralingam for her commitment and support of the event. The SRC played a large role in the organisation of the day as well as the smooth flow of the proceedings. This was the organisation of the assembly, guests, guest speakers, performances, the preparation of the multicultural lunch and the big clean up at the end.

Throughout the year, the SRC has taken part and assisted many charities through the raising of donations. This included but are not limited to; International Women’s Day, White Ribbon Day, Pink Ribbon Day, World’s Greatest Shave, R U OK? Day, Drought Reliefs and many more. The SRC also ran various sausage sizzles, doughnut days and the selling of soft drinks to raise donations for these charities but also to raise funds for the improving of tables, chairs and equipment around the school. Along with this, the SRC continued the thought of the week with a twist. The ‘Teachers Thought of the Week’, is where members of the SRC would ask different teachers around the school a quote or an important saying by which they live by. This was announced weekly at school assemblies along with the ‘Bushy Boy Expectations’. This is a focus for the week that students would attempt to work on.

On behalf of the president, Eric Duong and the rest of the SRC, I would like to thank Mr Lee for all the time he has volunteered away from his family and put towards guiding us and making us better leaders.



Thank you to the school for allowing us to have the opportunity to have been members of the SRC and to represent our peers. Thank you to all the members of the SRC for the good times and memories that we have built throughout the year. To the SRC body of 2018/2019, best of luck and we wish you well with all that you set out to do. Good luck following us.

Michael Lopes, Year 11 SRC representative 2017/2018

Prefect Camp 2018

From the 23rd to the 25th of September this year the incoming 2019 Prefect body were fortunate enough to attend an Optimum Experiences leadership camp at Fitzroy Falls. Throughout this experience, we were transformed from a fairly dysfunctional group of mates to an efficient and cooperative team, capable of discharging all the duties and responsibilities that come with being a prefect at HBHS.

Over the course of the camp we participated in a number of team-building activities that tested us physically, mentally and emotionally. Some of these activities included abseiling, the “giant leap”, high-ropes and problem solving activities such as trying to transfer a bucket from one zone into another… whilst blindfolded. Through these activities, the camp leaders were able to squeeze all of the teamwork potential out of our group and make us understand the way that our behaviour reflects onto other students. The camp leaders also stressed the importance of us developing our “toolbox” which is essentially a series of values and phrases that we can always refer back to should we find ourselves lost at any point this year. For example, throughout the camp experience we were able to add many different problem solving methods into our toolbox and had phrases burnt into our brain such as J.F.D.I - Just Freaking Do It.

The camp was an occasionally challenging but extremely rewarding experience for everyone involved. I know that what we learnt during the 3 days will stay with us forever and the teamwork skills we gained will hold us in good stead in achieving all of our goals in the coming year. All of the teachings imparted on us at the camp were vindicated on the final day of camp where we were faced with the “summit of success” which involved completing every single activity we had been introduced to at camp within 90 minutes. I’m proud to say that we achieved this in 52 minutes, which was just 2 minutes shy of the record for a group of our age. This final day represented just how far we had come in 3 days. I can gladly say that every single member of the Prefect body emerged from the camp, a stronger and more skilled person than they were before. Now that we have the necessary tools in our “toolbox” all that’s left is to go out there and do it. I can confidently say on behalf of the prefect body that we are immensely excited for the year ahead, and determined to engage with the student body in a way that will encourage a more harmonious school environment. On behalf of the prefect body, I would like to thank Ms Dutch, Mr Abbou as well as Mr Elgood for their support in organising the camp and supporting us along the way. Furthermore, we owe a huge thank you to our camp leaders: Brady, Timbo, Alistair, Matt and Raymond for imparting their wisdom onto us. To any students reading this, I would encourage you to embrace every opportunity that comes your way at HBHS as you will always be surprised at how much it will improve you as a person and if you have any issues or ideas you would like to see embraced by the school do not hesitate to come up to any member of the prefect body - we’re here to help!

Charlie McLean, School Captain - 2018/19



Ms Annabel Chapman - Relieving Head Teacher

Year 12 PDHPE – Ms Chapman’s Champs

During the Staff Development day Term 3, staff were involved in professional learning of the ALARM (A Learning and Responding Matrix). This strategy is aimed at focusing thoughts and ideas and translating them to written work.

During our PDHPE lessons we have been working on the ALARM scaffold. In particular our lessons surrounding the Ottawa Charter and the National Tobacco Strategy 2012-2018. We used the Matrix to focus the ideas from the National Tobacco Strategy and linked them to the action areas of the Ottawa Charter. The students then used the matrix to formalise their written responses.

Year 11 Sport Coaching – Ms Chapman’s Champions

These students have been working on coaching a Rugby League Unit to our Year 7 PDHPE lessons. They have improved their communication skills, team work and organisation of lessons. It had been a taste of life as a coach. The VET unit of Teach the skills of Rugby League for modified games and officiate games and competitions have been covered and aim to improve their coaching

skills and being able to run modified games.

Year 7 PDHPE

All year 7 watched a presentation called ‘The Flip Side’ by Brainstorm Productions. It is Educational theatre that addresses cyber safety and cyber bullying in schools. When bullying and revenge are used to wield power, Jack and Ella (actors) realise they must create an ethical roadmap for the internet. The flip side aims to challenge student’s perspectives on what is humorous, toxic, private, informative, safe or appropriate. The performance provides strategies for positive, ethical communication online.

Year 11 – Crossroads

Our school was fortunate enough to view the bstreetsmart smarter, safer driver event at Qudos bank arena on the 28th August 2018. The big messages that our students received from this forum is the power of the passengers in influencing the driver to slow down and behave responsibly, how the use of mobile phones impacts driving and very powerful messages from Brain Injury Unit speakers.

The students witnessed a crash scenario including NSW Police, Police Crash Investigation Unit, Fire and Rescue NSW and NSW Ambulance Service with extrication of a patient from crashed car, resuscitation and a patient’s journey through the hospital.



Mr Cheiban Elaro – Head Teacher

As we farewell a Year 12 Cohort and wish them well in all their HSC exams, the English Faculty is delving into a new HSC English Curriculum. This is a period of ambivalence mixed with a dose of excitement. Whilst there are some significant changes in the content, and the way this should be delivered, it is also a time for change and facing new challenges as educators. The last time we had this much change was in the New HSC document released in 1999 for implementation in Year 11, 2000.

The similarities to the old syllabus are the Modules A and B in both Advanced and Standard courses. Differences include the removal of a creative writing in the HSC exams and the flexibility in teaching the Module C content in both courses. The English staff have been working on developing teaching programs since late last year. I would like to thank them all for their tireless efforts in preparing themselves for the new courses.

As we wind up the debating seasons, two out of the five teams progressed to the next round in the Premier’s Debating Challenge. A very good achievement. A big thanks to Mr Lee, Ms Sofy and Ms Hasham for their continued support of their debating teams.

One of the new buzzwords in our senior syllabus is “Multimodal”! Whilst it may be an effective way for today’s student to communicate, the faculty grappled with the best way to assess this component. Some of the students’ projects have been outstanding. Year 11 students, on the whole, put a great deal of thought into both their creativity and in presenting their understanding of texts and ideas.

This was especially evident in the Year 10 speaking tasks based on the Shakespeare texts they studied during Term 3. The task required the students to represent ideas and characters in various modes. Many students decided to depict their understanding of Shakespeare in models and dioramas. Below are photos of three excellent examples from Ms Bonis’ class. No prizes for guessing the

Shakespearean text they studied!!

As the year comes to its inevitable end, parents please remember that if your son is in Years 7, 8 or 9, they are still expected to complete Wordflyers activities 4 or 5 times a week. As well, the Year 11 (new HSC cohort) courses will have assessment tasks in Weeks 8 and 9. These are just before the much anticipated HSC results being released in Week 10.



Mr Stefan Madyski – Sports Co-ordinator

Some big things have happened at Homebush BHS in July and August.

The Summer Season is in full swing with 29 out of a possible 30 grade sport teams entered into the summer zone competition with only 15’s water polo not being represented. As at Round 8 congratulations to 1st and 2nd grade basketball who are running 1st With Junior B Futsal and OZtag also running 1st. With four rounds left before the end of the year and two rounds in February 2019 still to play it is time to turn up the heat and put our best foot forward.

Congratulations to the Cricket Knockout team who have made it to the Round 5 regional semi-final to be played against Epping BHS on Tuesday 20th of November. Nivethan Radhakrishnan who has made the Sydney North Open Cricket team to play at the CHS Carnival from 12th to 16th of November the best of luck.

In 2019 we will be looking to improve the sporting programs at HBHS with some infrastructure investments that will improve the performance of some of our grade sport athletes. The purchase of new school set basketball and rugby uniforms to promote a professional appearance in the zone and in the community, permanent outdoor table tennis tables to allow training all year round, the purchase of a bowling/pitching machine to improve batting technique (linked to a grant which is pending) and the revamping of the outdoor basketball courts which is linked to the recycling program at the school.

2018 has been a big year with the revamping of the school house points system and 2019 will only get better for sports at HBHS. All you need to do is take part and put your best foot forward Gentlemen.



Ms Annabel Chapman

Sydney Thunder Leadership Program

The Thunder Leadership Program uses a combination of practical cricket sessions and theory-based workshops to; develop leadership skills, improve self-confidence and instil a sense of community and purpose for the students.

The program ran across five weeks and featured key leadership messages from Sydney Thunder players. Visits from Sydney Thunder players Jay Lenton (wicketkeeper) was a welcome addition to the last week of the program.

Approximately 24 students were involved in this program. We aim to run this program again in 2019. The following students were chosen to take part in the Sydney Thunder Community Project: Yusuf Ali Adam Farroukh Shakthikram Kulandaivel Daniel Aaron Zain Ousmand

Year 10 – The Sleep Connection

The rationale for the program is that approximately 70% of teenagers are sleep deprived. This is having significant consequences on many areas of their lives such as:



Learning and academic performance: sleep helps concentration and motivation along with consolidation and strengthening of new information and memories.

Emotional and mental health: studies show students who are sleep deprived are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, negative body image and low self-esteem.

Behaviour and decision making: sleep deprivation affects decision making capacity, has a negative effect on behaviour and relationships, and increases risk of accidents.

Body systems: sleep deprivation affects children’s physical growth, brain development, immune system and plays a key role in weight gain.

During the workshops the students answered a series of questions and provided feedback on their levels of sleep.

Improvements suggested by the students:

Technology: “Switch off devices at night; use apps preventing tech overuse; turning off tech 30mins-1hr before bed; don’t look at electronic devices before sleep; no phone in room; improve self-control; stop playing games; use tech less and use apps that remove blue light; never use electronic devices before sleep; improve self-control around gaming; no leaving phone in room and charge elsewhere; use less tech at night; have more control / time limits; keep away from our tech at night 1hr before bed”

Time management/ procrastination: “Improve time management; better organisational skills; put specific time aside for study; be more organised; less procrastination; be better at prioritising, manage time and be more organised; implement better time management skills; don’t procrastinate; better planning and organisation”

Habits: “Aim for more overall sleep; sleep earlier at around 10pm without tech; improve sleep patterns to achieve our goals; plan to sleep earlier; take short (20min) naps to avoid sleep deprivation; implement relevant sleep tips; see sleep as a reward; sleep well the night before an exam; create better patterns for sleep; go to sleep a bit earlier; have a sleep routine; make sure all lights are off and use analogue alarm clock”

Stress: “Relax before bed”

Peer Support Induction Ceremony

Congratulations to the Year 10 Peer Support Leaders who received their Peer Leader Badges at our inaugural ceremony on Thursday 18th October. These Peer Leaders have done a tremendous job leading our Year 7 students through the Peer Support Program. Term 3 was the final term of Peer Support for 2018. We are all very proud of the hard work, effort and enthusiasm you have brought to the Peer Support Program.

During Term 4 all Year 9 will take part in being trained as a Peer Leader. They will be able to nominate themselves for the position of Peer Leader after this training.



Ms Kim Gane and Mr Tim Fulton

The school counselling service at Homebush Boys High School is made up of Kim Gane (School Counsellor) and Tim Fulton (School Psychologist) who strive to provide high quality care for students requiring additional support at school. This may involve individual sessions with the counsellor or group based programs such as DRUMBEAT (described below). All counselling is kept confidential and can cover a range of issues including mental health concerns (e.g. anxiety, depression), improving relationships with peers, developing strong study habits etc.

Each year, one in four young people will experience a mental illness, with the most common types being anxiety and depression. One in five males will experience anxiety during their lifetime and is one on the main areas that where we support students. Anxiety comes in many different forms but is typically characterised by an excessive fear that persistently impacts social, academic, occupational, or other important areas of life. It can severely impact how we think, how we feel, how we behave and how our body reacts. If you are concerned that your son may be facing such challenges some useful tips include: asking questions about their experience, listening to their answers and be understanding. They may benefit from encouragement to try their best and communicating when something is too difficult or overwhelming, and praising them for attempting challenging tasks. Additionally, you can talk to their year advisor about how the school can support the student.

For more information about mental health issues, parenting advice, developmental issues and more, we highly recommend visiting the Raising Children website (https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens).

DRUMBEAT

DRUMBEAT is an evidenced based social and emotional learning program incorporating hand drumming. During Term 4 of 2018, four Year 7 and four Year 8 students were selected to take part in the program. The program focuses on social connection through teamwork and is proven to build resilience, showing measurable changes in social behaviour. DRUMBEAT is an acronym for Discovering Relationships Using Music, Beliefs, Emotions, Attitudes and Thoughts. This is achieved using a combination of five core elements:

Core Rhythms Rhythm games Discussion Improvisation Performance

The core DRUMBEAT program is structured across 10 sessions. Each session is centred on relationship themes including identity, teamwork, communication, peer pressure, values and managing emotions. The young men have been working as a team to set and enforce group boundaries, discuss social issues through rhythm analogies and prepare for the group performance. School Counsellor, Ms Kim Gane is an accredited DRUMBEAT facilitator who is taking the group. Mr Tim Fulton and Mrs Annabel Chapman have been attending on alternate weeks to co-facilitate. It has been a rewarding experience to work with the students to gain a greater understanding of social issues that can have an impact both at school and in the wider community. We look forward to the possibility of running the program again in 2019.



CAREERS ADVISOR Ms Georgia Anton

Work Experience with Dnata

On the last week of Term 2, Eric and I set out to the airport for our Year 10 work experience with Dnata. Dnata is an Emirates owned company that manages major airlines and provides passenger services, as well as aircraft maintenance services to

them. We were assigned to work with the passenger services, as getting onto the tarmac while being under 17 is very difficult, as the security at the airport is very tight.

On our first day, we accompanied an employee who was assigned with Air New Zealand. We observed arrivals and departures, escorted wheel chair bound passengers through security, immigration, and through to the gates. We had been handed visitor’s passes, which were checked at every checkpoint by security officials, and

went through many security checks.

Once the Air New Zealand plane arrived at the gate, we greeted the passengers and were there, if assistance need be. We were given the opportunity to have a look at the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner Aircraft, and have a chat with the pilots. They were very friendly and gave us a brief tour of the aircraft.

Throughout the week we worked with several airlines such as; Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways. With these airlines, we observed check-in from behind the counters, went to the airline gates to set them up, prior to the boarding and also went on a few different aircraft.

The highlight of my work experience though was with Etihad Airways, as we went with the Gate Supervisor to set up the boarding gate and attach the aerobridge to the enormous Airbus A380. We were able to see the aircraft being towed from the parking and towards the taxiway, and we saw the supervisor control the aerobridge. Controlling the aerobridge is a very precise and delicate job – one little mistake and you could be damaging a multi-million-dollar aircraft.

We then had a tour of the Etihad plane and saw the different lounges and private suites. We also went into the cockpit of the A380 and believe me, going in there once would leave you amazed, seeing all the different screens, joysticks and buttons.

We thank Mrs Anton for arranging this Work Experience for us and also thank Dnata Australia, for taking us in and leaving us with an experience that we will hold on for a long time.

By Usman Mehmood, Year 10



Discover Engineering Workshop

On Friday the 15th of June, around 15 Year 10 students from Homebush Boys High School attended a “Discover Engineering Workshop” in Parramatta Marist High School. It was a good experience for the boys to learn about the different engineering courses that universities had to offer and what some of our students may be dealing with when it comes to choosing engineering as a career.

The students competed in many activities with other schools, improving their teamwork and communication skills. Not only that, the boys had a fantastic time and a majority of them are certain that engineering will be their chosen career. The Year 10 boys’ most memorable activity in the workshop was creating a handicap leg stick tested on one of our students, “Rishabh Somani.” This activity really got the boys engaged and worked well as a team, and most importantly, as Bushy Boys. We’re very appreciative of this opportunity and we’d like to thank Mrs Anton for making this happen. By Harry Charania, Year 10



Daniel Carrozza, Head Teacher LOTE

NSW School of Languages Learn locally. Communicate globally

Our students are being challenged to engage with other languages and cultural aspects of the target language. Wherever possible the relationship between the target languages and Australia is emphasised in order to make learning a more authentic experience.

All languages are constantly undergoing change as society structures change through integration with other cultures, technology and globalisation. Wherever possible there is a focus on literacy in order to empower students for their future endeavours.

In Term 3, all Year 7 and Year 8 languages students were entertained by The Carrousel Theatre based in Melbourne, originating in Paris, with the bi-lingual English/French puppet show “Aladdin and the Magic Lamp”. The stories are based on the original tales which have been adapted for puppetry. The traditional characters and stories give students an opportunity to enjoy and understand the diversity of cultures around the world.

Year 8 French researched Le Tour de France, French cities, French artists and one francophone country/territory.

Year 8 French had a lot of fun making French toast in class. Some boys whisked the mixture of milk, cinnamon, eggs, pinch of salt, vanilla extract; some put oil in the electric fry pan; others tossed the toast; some put strawberries and ice cream on the toast. The class was extremely cooperative and cleaned up after the experience. Many boys said they would be making the French toast for their families.

For multicultural day a Gelato Stall was organised with chocolate, vanilla, mango, strawberry and cookies and cream flavours in gelato cups. They were sold for $3.00 each or 2 for $5.00. The proceeds from the profit will be distributed between the Social Justice Committee and the Multicultural Committee.

China Club

China Club is on at lunchtime every Monday. Every student can participate. There are Chinese Chess, Go and Five-in-a-row games for students to play. As the competitions will be happening soon, so many students have been attracted to join the China Club at almost every recess

and lunch. Room 33 is filled with happy chats and laughter.


http://www.nswschoollang.schools.nsw.edu.au/home


Moon Festival Celebration

All students from Chinese classes have the opportunity to taste delicious moon cakes and celebrate one of major Chinese Festivals – Moon Festival. They enjoyed at learning the lantern paper cutting and calligraphy arts from Miss Wang.

Year 12 Chinese students Farewell Party

Mrs Blunden farewelled her two Chinese classes of Year 12 students with delicious Chinese food. Students have worked hard for the last two years. Best luck in their HSC!



SCHOOL ZONES School zones are back in operation from Monday 15 October to Friday 21 December 2018. Remember to slow down to 40km/hr between 8am - 9.30am and 2.30pm - 4pm. Increased penalties apply for school zone offences (Please refer to attached fliers). Help keep kids safe and assist local schools by adhering to road rules: Always park legally and stop as required Do not double park or perform unsafe U turns Do not use mobile phones while driving or while waiting at traffic lights Ensure all children sit in correctly fitted, age-appropriate car seats, with seatbelts buckled Ensure children only alight from kerbside Give way to pedestrians Give way to buses with wig wag lights flashing

Road safety is a shared responsibility. Let us make every journey a safe one.



TERM 4 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Week 1 B

Oct 16 Year 11 Study Skills P3 and 4 Prefect 2018/19 Investiture Ceremony P1

Oct 17 Summer Sport Round 5, Period Rotation 1,2,4,3

Oct 18 HSC 2018- English Standard, English Advanced, English ESL, Japanese Beginners

Oct 19 HSC 2018- English Standard, English Advanced, English ESL, Music 1 Year 9 English Speaking Assessment

Week 2 A

Oct 22 HSC 2018 – Legal Studies, Visual Arts

Oct 23 HSC 2018 – Ancient History, Financial Services (VET), Chinese in Context, Russian Continuers, Tamil Continuers, Turkish Continuers Year 9 and 10 Riverside Theatre Excursion P&C Meeting – 7pm

Oct 24 HSC 2018 – Biology, Construction (VET), Chinese Beginners Summer Sport Round 6, Period Rotation 1,2,3,4

Oct 25 HSC 2018 – Mathematics General 2, Mathematics, Mathematics Extension 2

Oct 26 HSC 2018 – Senior Science, Business Services (VET), History Extension, Chinese and Literature Year 7 Vaccinations

Week 3 B

Oct 29 HSC 2018 – Modern History

Oct 30 HSC 2018 – Personal Development, Health and Physical Education, Mathematics Extension 1 Year 9 and 10 Riverside Theatre Excursion

Oct 31 HSC 2018 – Earth and Environmental Science, Information Processes and Technology, Korean in Context, Korean and Literature, English Extension 1 Summer Sport Round 7, Period Rotation 1,2,3,4

Nov 1 HSC 2018 – Physics, Hospitality (VET) Linkages Program with Marie Bashir Public School Beating around the Bush

Nov 2 HSC 2018 – Business Studies, Software Design and Development Year 11 Reports distributed

Week 4 A

Nov 5 HSC 2018 – Chemistry, Electrotechnology (VET) Minimum Standards Test open until 7 December

Nov 6 HSC 2018 – Studies of Religion 1, Engineering Studies

Nov 7 HSC 2018 - Economics Summer Sport Round 8, Period Rotation 1,2,4,3

Nov 8 HSC 2018 – Geography, Industrial Technology – Multimedia Technologies, Timber and Furniture Technologies Citizenship Ceremony – Strathfield Council

Nov 9 HSC 2018 Diwali Festival Celebrations

Week 5 B

Nov 12 Year 11 Motivation Speaker – Pd 1-4

Nov 13 School Council Meeting – 7pm

Nov 14 Summer Sport Round 9, Period Rotation 1,2,4,3

Nov 15 Year 9 Quarantine Station Excursion

Nov 16 Year 12 return of books and equipment



Week 6 A

Nov 20 Year 7 2019 Mini Orientation Day – 9am – 12 noon P&C AGM Meeting 7pm

Nov 21 Summer Sport Round 10, Period Rotation 1,2,3,4

Week 7 B

Nov 26 Year 10 Australian Business Week Year 12 Formal – Doltone House

Nov 27 Year 10 Australian Business Week P&C Meeting

Nov 28 Year 10 Australian Business Week Summer Sport Round 11, Period Rotation 1,2,3,4

Nov 29 Year 10 Australian Business Week Linkages Program with Marie Bashir Public School

Nov 30 Year 10 Australian Business Week

Week 8 A

Dec 3

Year 10 Australian Business Week Dec 4

Year 10 Australian Business Week Year 7 2019 Orientation Day

Dec 5

Year 10 Australian Business Week Dec 6

Year 10 Australian Business Week Year 9 Motivational Speaker Pd 1-2 Year 10 Motivational Speaker Pd 3-4 Year 11 Motivational Speaker Pd 5

Dec 7

Year 10 Australian Business Week Minimum Standard tests close Year 11 Blue Datto Crossroads Excursion

Week 9 B

Dec 11

Year 7-11 Presentation Day

Week 10 A

Dec 18

Year 7-10 Reports distributed by mail Dec 19

HSC Results released Last day of Term 4


Congratulations to the following students on their ... · Homebush Boys High School Literacy and...

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