Multicultural Day at Homebush Boys High School 2018 · HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN...

HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN Issue 4 Bridge Rd, HOMEBUSH NSW 2140 PO BOX 4159, HOMEBUSH SOUTH NSW 2140 Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611

Email: [email protected] Ph: 9764 3611

Multicultural Day at Homebush Boys High School 2018

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Message from the Principal Welcome to Term 3. Term 2 was a busy and amazing term, Homebush Boys High School is a very vibrant, busy and exciting school to work in with many events and activities happening continually, including:

• Multicultural Day • Refugee Week • The Iftar Dinner • Debating • Regional carnivals and so many excursions and activities that I have lost count.

I thank our dedicated staff for all the work they do in organising all this and more to support and enhance the learning opportunities of our boys. Parent Teacher Meetings Years 9-10

Parent Teacher interviews will be held on Thursday 26 July. Bookings are made online and reports will be ready for collection when you arrive. If your son is in Year 9 or 10 I look forward to meeting you then. Subject Selections

It is that exciting time of year when students in Years 8 and 10 are presented with a wide variety of subject options for their next stage of learning. Students are fortunate at Homebush Boys High School that a broad curriculum, offering many options, is available, allowing students to pursue their interests and choose courses which suit their abilities. Students in Years 8 and 10 have been given subject selection books for 2019.

A parent and student information evening is being held on Tuesday 31 July, at the following times:

Year 8 for Year 9 2019 — 5pm to 6pm.

Year 10 for Year 11 2019 — 6:30pm to 8pm.

Both sessions will be held in the school Hall beginning with a general information session and then parents will have the opportunity to seek further information about courses from faculty Head Teachers.

For students entering Year 11 2018, my advice regarding subject choice is to choose courses:

• which you are capable of doing well, • which interest you, • which you want to study and • which match your career aspirations and needs.

Students need to be realistic about their career choices and about their subject choices. The pattern of study needs to be selected carefully as most courses extend over two years. I cannot stress enough the importance of following this advice. The HSC and ATAR

Often we see decisions made about subject choice for Year 11, or discontinuation of subjects in Year 12, based on misunderstandings or myths about the methods used in determining the HSC or ATAR. It is important that students and parents seek accurate information before making these important decisions.



Information is provided through the school at various meetings and seminars, but for those wanting more information I can direct you to a couple of valuable websites. The HSC marks are determined by the NSW Board of Studies and this is independent of the ATAR calculation. Information about the HSC and reporting of marks and standards can be found on the NSW Board of Studies website: www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au . This site contains information on all Board courses. It also contains syllabuses, course support materials, past HSC papers and HSC examiners’ comments. There is also a parents’ page. The ATAR, or Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, is calculated by the Universities Admissions Centre. They have recently released a Technical Report explaining the processes used to obtain the 2017 ATAR’s for those interested. It can be found at http://www.uac.edu.au/atar/ . The report is very technical and people need to beware of putting too much emphasis on hastily derived conclusions! Consider this information carefully, and please seek advice if you have questions. The Universities Admissions Centre website is: www.uac.edu.au For students entering Year 9 2019 it is important to choose elective courses that students are interested in, motivated to achieve in and are capable of achieving in. It is an opportunity for students to experience subjects that they would like to try. None of these courses, apart from Languages and Music, are prerequisites for further study. Year 12 Trial Exams

Year 12 students have begun their final term at school and are presently busy preparing for their Trial HSC exams which are held in weeks 3, 4 and 5 of this term. There is a direct correlation between the amount of effort and work a student puts into their studies and the level achieved in the exam, so I encourage all students to ensure maximum effort especially over the next few weeks. I wish all Year 12 students success in these exams. Kevin Elgood Principal


http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/

http://www.uac.edu.au/atar/

http://www.uac.edu.au/


From the Deputy’s Desk

Term 2 was very busy and Homebush Boys High has hosted a number of special events and experiences. A large number of staff, students and parents have been involved in making them a success. These events are outlined below.

Year 12 Assembly

The Year 12 Assembly began with Mrs Zammit Assistant Year Adviser speech on communication and it outlined practical ways to empower yourself to achieve your goals with clear lines of communication. Mr Elgood also spoke to Year 12 for the first time and he outlined his expectations. My speech outlined Term 2 expectations and focused on attendance and wellbeing, application, Year 12 reports, assessment tasks, uniform and attendance at school sport. I also outlined how the school is currently supporting Year 12 by providing valuable programs such as, Year 12 Study Skills, Year 12 Recharge Room organised by Mrs Blunden and Mrs Zammit , Careers workshops, Subject specific programs and workshops, Principal, Deputy Principal, Year Adviser and Careers Adviser meetings. At the end of my speech I allowed 5 minutes for Year 12 to provide us with feedback on how we can support them further. These suggestions will be collated and presented to both staff and students.

HBHS Literacy Strategy

An extraordinary executive meeting was held on Tuesday 5 June in the ILC at 8:00 am with Martyn Bawden to review our school data and trends in external examinations. Martyn reviewed and analysed our student achievements over the past five years and outlined a need to improve the literacy in our junior classes and a focus on developing analytical skills for our senior students to achieve the higher

bands. The executive team will discuss our findings and develop a whole school strategy which involves positive outcomes for our students



Ramadan Iftar Night 2018

On Thursday 7 June our school hosted once again our annual Ramadan Iftar Night at our school hall. It was great to see a large number of students, staff, parents , Principals and community members joining us in celebrating this wonderful event. The food and atmosphere was dynamic and we would like to thank Mr Abbou, Mrs Houvardas, Mr Achmad, Mrs Holmes, our students and parents, as well as Human Appeal for making this event such as wonderful experience for all.

Year 7 – 11 CAPA Night

On Tuesday 19 June the CAPA faculty, along with the English faculty, showcased the great talents of our Year 7-11 Visual Arts, Music and Drama students. The Art Exhibition displayed paintings, drawings and clay work and the musical performances ranged from classical piano performances to hard rock bands. The Drama students performed monologues and skits which were very witty and entertaining. I would like to

thank Ms Juska, Mr Alexander, Mr Letsios, Mr Stinson, Mr Albertson, Ms Hasham and Mr Elaro for their wonderful efforts in making this night such a success.



P and C Meeting

On Tuesday 19 June (The same night as the CAPA night), we also had our P and C meeting showcasing the Career Education at Homebush Boys High School. Our Careers Adviser, Ms Anton provided a very interesting outline of all the career opportunities that our students are part of from Year 9 – 12. The parents were impressed by the compressive talk as well as the information provided. I would like to thank Ms Anton for providing this insight to our schools’ careers education.

Mrs Anna Paleothodoros Deputy Principal



From the Deputy’s Desk

At the beginning of Term 3 we must take the time to reflect on the many wonderful initiatives that make our school so great!

Feeder Schools Transition Program.

Term 2 saw two opportunities for our future students from Homebush Public School to visit and experience our school. The staff at Homebush Boys High School and Homebush Public School are excited that the Feeder School Transition program has been received with enthusiasm and continued success. The boys enjoyed Geography, History, Chinese, Italian and French activities and gave a resounded “thumps up” for a Semester 2 commitment. Many thanks to Ms Coutinho, Mr Kisso, Mr P Wilson, Mrs Blunden and Mrs Zammit for presenting the workshops and showcasing all the wonderful learning opportunities available at Homebush Boys High School.



Year 8 Study Skills

This term’s Year 8 Study Skills workshops focussed on setting realistic goals and becoming organised at school and at home to help you achieve your potential and feel good about yourself and your abilities. Many thanks to Mr Alexander, Ms Kumaralingam, Mr Thanabalasingam, Ms J Lee, Mr Beal, Ms Napoli, Ms Cuneen, Mr Saber and Mr Prasad for the presentations and for supporting this very valuable program. Ms Budanovic has already starting planning the Semester 2 Study Skills program for Years 7- 12. Additional information regarding workshops and how parents can support their sons at home is available on the school website. I encourage you to look at the website.



Year 11 High Achievers Luncheon

This Term’s Year 11 High Achievers Luncheon was an opportunity to recognise and celebrate student achievement. Mr Elgood, Ms Chapman and I joined Ms Lakshmipathy and Ms Cheung to congratulate some 35 students. We may think that pizza is the highlight of these occasions but for many students, it is about that certificate and the recognition. Ms Lakshmipathy shared with me the story of one student who told her how he always comes second and he was looking forward to Tuesday as this was his first high achievers luncheon. It is amazing how our students love positive recognition and affirmation that they are doing well. Well done to the boys in the photo below.



Inquisitive Minds Workshop

Well done to Mrs M Kaur for the successful Inquisitive Minds Maths Worksop this term. This is an annual event at HBHS. Students are challenged to use their problem solving skills and under timed conditions, solve puzzles, problem and high order thinking questions, all in the name of winning the chocolate challenge. The School Hall was buzzing with eager maths brains. The two award winners were not too happy at the thought of sharing their chocolate with me.

Parent and Teacher interviews

I hope the recent Year 11 & 12 and the Year 7 & 8 parent teacher interviews were productive and a chance for parents to put a teacher face to the name and to discuss strategies students and parents can use help students to improve their performance. Do not hesitate to contact Faculty Head Teachers if you have further questions. The Year 9 and 10 parent teacher interviews are scheduled for Thursday 26 July 2018 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. Students will be able to make teacher bookings on Moodle from 5 July 2018.



Staff Achievements

Congratulations to Ms Luciana Hong and Ms Lara Hasham who recently were awarded their Teacher Proficiency certificate from NESA. Well done.

Mrs Matina Shadwick Relieving Deputy Principal 2018.



English Faculty Report, Term 2 2018

The English Faculty has had a very productive term. All teachers were involved one activity or another as they provided opportunities for students to excel. Let’s start with Public Speaking. Ms Sahay has supported several students in public speaking competitions. Several students competed in their respective age group’s Plain Speaking competitions. The school captain, Fawad Faheem, was successful in reaching the semi-final stage in our region. A big thank you to Ms Sahay’s tireless work with our boys and congratulations to all participants, especially Fawad.

Term 2 is the debating term, as 4 of our teams start their respective Premiers Debating Competitions. Congratulations to Mr Lee and his Year 11 debaters. They were tied for the top team in our zone. But unfortunately they did not proceed to the next stage, losing on countback. Unlucky for an outstanding team. The Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 debating teams are still in competitions. The Year 10 team is undefeated after 2 debates, having wins against our Year 9 team and against Granville Boys HS. They have one more debate to proceed to the next round. The Year 9 team is also travelling well. A close loss to our Year 10 team was followed by a solid performance against Holroyd HS. They too have one more debate in their competition. The Year 7 and Year 8 teams started their debates this week. The Year 8 won in a close contest. Both teams have 2 more debates. A huge thanks to Ms Hasham and Ms Sofy for their tireless work in preparing their respective teams.



The faculty has offered students several opportunities to experience live performances. Ms Hasham and Ms Khan organised an excursion to see a production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for their Year 12 Standard English classes. This aimed to help them understanding their drama text called “Away”. Myself and Ms Sahay took our Year 12 Advanced English classes to see a production of “The Tempest”, which is also the boys’ text for their HSC Area of Study. As well, 5 Year 12 Standard English classes had the opportunity to see a production called “Letters from France”. This incursion developed the ideas and the context for Wilfred Owen’s poems. This too is a HSC text for the students. We are looking forward to the feedback from Ms Ball’s Year 12 Standard English class when they view a production of their HSC novel called “A Curious Incident of the Dog at Night time.” This year we have seen the re-emergence of drama in the school. We have a Year 11 class and Ms Hasham has started a wonderful lunchtime drama program that is rapidly increasing in popularity. Both groups of students showcased some of their talents at last week’s CAPA night. 2 students from the Year 11 class performed their individual monologues whilst a group form Ms Hasham’s group showed their talents to an appreciative audience. Looking ahead for a minute, Year 12 will begin their final term of high school on Tuesday 24 July, about 2 weeks before their Trial HSC Exams begin. The Trial HSC period will end the assessment schedules for the students. More importantly is the period of some 5 weeks following the trials. It is essential that students attend school and complete the preparations for the HSC exams. This includes lots of writing practices under exam conditions and specific revision of each module and texts. And a final word regarding our excellent online literacy program called “Wordflyers”. All students in Years 7, 8 and 9 have access to this valuable resource. All students are expected to complete 20 minutes of activities on “Wordflyers” 5 days a week at home. Please support your child in achieving this aim. Chabes Elaro HT English



CAPA Faculty Report

Yr 10 Visual Arts Excursion to Cockatoo Island, Sydney Harbour

Year 10 students had the opportunity to visit the island to not only experience and record the great views of Sydney but also visit the contemporary art exhibition The 20th Biennale of Sydney.

It was a cool day and students wandered the island making drawings and taking photographs that would be used to create a major artwork back at school. Many of the boys had not been there and were blown away by the historic site – its convict buildings and its shipbuilding past.

The Biennale also exposed them to very interesting and new ways that art can be made and how the island provided unusual and unique spaces for artworks to be exhibited. Artworks were specifically made for these spaces.

A great day was had by the students and by the teachers.

A Juska HT CAPA



2018 CAPA Night The 2018 Creative and Performing Arts night went off with a bang, showcasing the hard work and talents of our Bushie boys in the Visual Arts and Music. Displaying artworks from Years 7-11, the hall was filled with exciting works ranging from drawing and painting to photography for parents and students to view and appreciate. When the lights were dimmed, parents were entertained by the talents of Year 11 drama performances, alongside a range of musical talents showcasing individual and ensemble performances. This yearly event has consistently provided our boys the opportunity to both showcase their gifts in the arts and allow our community the chance to appreciate and reflect on the role of the arts in education. Thank you to the all the students and teachers that made this night a success and the parents who continually support the hard work our boys strive to achieve.



Yr 7 Open Day Homebush Boys High School

Good Morning All, Year 7 Students, Teachers, Mums and Dads, My name is Scott McPhee and I am a Yr 7 student at HBHS. I would like to share with you my challenges, enjoyments, learning and differences in school life going from primary school to high school. Starting high school I pictured stories from my brother and sister, of long days, getting lost finding different classes, running through corridors making sure to be on time, checking I had all my stuff for class in a bag that was too full too heavy, and so on… these were my expectations of how high school life would be. Actually, … I was wrong, except for the weight of my bag!!. The first days I pretty much hung out with my old friends from primary school. I guess we were a little bit uncertain. All that changed after Yr 7 camp, as we went for 3 days of activities to Fitzroy Falls in the Blue Mountains. At camp we were divided into tribes of 15-17 boys and had to work together as teams, supporting each other like mates. This is where new relationships began. The activities we did were setting our own tents up, bush survival techniques, abseiling (bit scary, let me tell you that), leap of faith, and sitting around the camp bon fire we made sharing tall stories. Alter a few weeks of school we learnt that sport was made up of 3 types; class sport, sport’s theory and in-house or selective sport. I love my sport. I play tennis, soccer and table tennis. We have our own class sport which is one period a week of physical sport and one period of theory, where we learn about our bodies, smoking, drugs, and so on. This is actually really interesting and we learn a lot about staying healthy. The other area of sport is one afternoon of sport, either team sport at school or representative school sport. For that you travel to other boys schools to compete with them in the inter school competition. I was lucky enough to have been successful in our table tennis team. Dear parents this sounds challenging right? … But don’t worry, it isn’t that bad and with the help of the senior boys we quickly learnt how to get to the other school locations. Representative sport is not only great fun, but very rewarding to secure WINS for our school. A big change going to High School is that you have a teacher for every different subject. It does take some getting used to as you have to build relationships with each teacher. I am lucky, I have 13 teachers. This actually also starts at year 7 camp where we not only build new relationships with fellow students, but also with our new teachers. Every day, I work on these relationships I have made with new friends, and my teachers. I also work every day on my homework. Boy, do we get a lot of homework. But you get used to it and you feel that you are learning a lot.



We also have peer support leaders who guide us through our first year. They are senior students who have a lot of high school experience and you do learn a lot from them too. In first term we celebrated ‘Clean up Australia Day”. For me this was a wakeup call just from the amount rubbish we collected within the school boundary. With the amount of packaging we use, we slowly change our beautiful beaches, devastate our marine life, alter the flora and fauna of our national parks, and have nothing for future generational to enjoy. With the number of people in Sydney alone, if everyone took one piece of rubbish a day away from our streets, beaches and parks, I think that Sydney would be the cleanest city in the world. So, think twice before dropping rubbish. Hold it until you find a bin to dispose of it. At the beginning of term 2, we celebrated “The World’s Greatest Shave” day. At first I did not really understand why people shaved their heads. Now I know why so many famous and not-so-famous people part with their famous or not-so-famous hair. This is all in the name of raising more money to help the fight in saving young children, who fall ill with childhood cancer. We should not forget that some never become happy healthy kids and enjoy life as we do. I was a little apprehensive this year to shave my curls my mum loves so much… However next year, I might consider shaving my curls to donate what money I can get towards cancer treatment for the many kids whose lives are the walls of a hospital for weeks or months at a time. Another event we will celebrate soon, is Multicultural Day. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about one another’s cultures, backgrounds and foods. For example I can tell you, my dad from the Netherlands, drowns his hot chips in mayonnaise and satay sauce and nothing else…….. so I look forward to learning about other countries foods and traditions, especially with the diverse backgrounds of my fellow students. Although it is only mid-term 2, I have experienced, celebrated and learnt so much already. Homebush Boys High School is great! I hope you will enjoy this school as much as I do and grab every opportunity you can to explore what high school can give you. Scott McPhee



Year 12 Report

On the 3rd of July, Homebush Boys has launched its pilot Blue and Maroon Awards, symbolic of the School’s colours. These new awards, highlight Homebush Boys’ commitment to not just rewarding academic, sports and extra-curricular excellence, but also recognising consistent effort and application into learning. Corresponding to our SLR matrix, of Safety, Learning and Respect. These new awards, aim to further encourage students to go above and beyond in their learning, and assist in future endeavours by recording the excellent application and effort of our students. Congratulations to the Students who have received these awards, may you keep up the good effort.

By Year 12 student: Zhi Yu



Zone Athletics and Cross Country Carnivals 2018

Homebush BHS has a proud tradition of high level performance and success in the North West Metropolitan Zone. In recent years we have seen a drop in the passion of students wanting to represent and succeed for Homebush BHS at this level. In 2018 we have seen the emergence of a new breed of Bushy Boy in the 12, 13, 14 and 15 years age groups.

At the cross country carnival our team ran a respectable 4th missing third by only 4 points. We had 10 competitors in each age group and every student who ran on the day ran with a sense of pride and thank you to Mr Madyski and Ms Fitzsimmons for running the team on the day. We had five students Josh Lazzaro (14), Mahmut Celik (13), Abubakarr Sesay (12) and Noah Tobbieh (12) all finishing in the top ten in their events and went on to represent the zone at the Sydney north regional carnival.

The 2018 Zone Athletics Carnival saw Homebush BHS take 118 students to compete in each discipline on a rain soaked morning. With three competitors in each event the students showed passion in attaining their own personal best, we finished 4th on the day 15 points behind Normanhurst. With some outstanding results and memorable moments such as the 15 years Triple Jump where James Wark came straight from the high jump to have only one jump to win the event before running off to the start of the 1500m walk and Charlie Trimingham who had never participated in triple jump before finishing second to James, and a special note to James Wark, Loklan Duong, Charlie Trimingham and Rahim Kamara who all ran again in the 17’s relay after backing up from the 15’s relay only minutes earlier as the team chosen for the 17’s event were missing at the time of the marshalling.

We had 5 students feature in the age champions with Grisham Vaega Malla winning the 12 years age with 77 points and Abubakarr Sesay running third with 70 points. Casper Liu came second in the 14 years with 73 points. James Wark finished first in the 15 years age group on 124 points and Charlie Trimingham running fifth on 43 points.

We will have representing the North West Metropolitan Zone at the Sydney North Regional Athletics Carnival:- Dylan Chau (15), Casper Liu(14), Ayouk Mow (13), Onur Saklak (15), Abubakarr Sesay (12), Korhan Sozen (17), Meleik Trad (12), Charlie Trimingham (15), Grisham Vaega Malla (12), James Wark (15) and the 12 years relay team Abubakarr Sesay, Grisham Vaega Malla, Zakariya Khan and Joshua Robson and the 14 years relay team Kevin Burca, Casper Liu, Min Choi, Joshua Lazzaro and Andrew Wu.

Thank you to Ms Fitzsimmons, Ms Anton, Ms Banh, Ms Ozturk and Mr Madyski for managing the team on the day.

With this new breed of passionate and enthusiastic athletes coming through the younger years of Homebush BHS the future is looking positive. Keep striving to do your best as you are a Bushy Boy. Mr S Madyski Relieving Sport Coordinator



New Lateness to School Procedure

At Homebush Boys High School we set high standards for our students and their achievement at school. An important part of this is attending school regularly and on time. In an effort to correct the behaviour of a small number of students attending school late we have put in place a new procedure.

If a student attends school late with no acceptable explanation, they will receive a lunch time detention on the same day. In line with our school’s behaviour policy, failure to attend that detention will result in a further consequence which in this case will be an after school detention.

Hopefully this will instil positive habits that our students can take into the workforce.

School starts at

8.50am

DON’T BE LATE!



TERM 3 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Week 1 A

Jul 23 Staff Development Day

Jul 24 Students Return Year 12 Assessment Blackout Period – All Week

Jul 25

Winter Sport Semi Finals, Period Rotation 1,2,3,4 Jul 26

Year 12 English Std to Curious Incident, Ms Ball’s Class Years 9 and 10 Parent Teacher Evening Citizenship Ceremony – Strathfield Council

Jul 27

CHS Cross Country

Week 2 B

Jul 30 Years 7 and 8 Bilingual Puppet Show Year 12 Assessment Blackout Period – All Week Regional Athletics Carnival

Jul 31 Year 10 English Assessment Task Regional Athletics Carnival Year 10 into 11 Subject Selection Parent Information Evening

Aug 1

Winter Sport Grandfinals, Period Rotation 1,2,4,3 Aug 2

Years 7-12 Chemistry Competition Year 10 English Shakespeare’s Woman Performance Year 7 Study Skills

Aug 3

Year 10 Market Day for Subject Selection

Week 3 A

Aug 6

Trial HSC Examinations begin Trial HSC – English Studies, Standard, Advanced, ESL Year 10 ESL English Opera House Excursion Year 11 Hospitality Work Placement All Week

Aug 7

Trial HSC – Hospitality, Software Design, Studies of Religion, Economics Aug 8

Summer Sport Trials, Period Rotation 1,2,3,4 Trial HSC – Mathematics General, 2 Unit, Extension 2

Aug 9

Trial HSC – Chinese Beginners, IT Multimedia, IT Timber, Senior Science, Music Years 7-11 Australian Mathematics Competition

Aug 10 Trial HSC – Mathematics Extension 1, Business Studies Years 10 and 11 Vaccinations Year 10 Study Skills

Week 4 B

Aug 13 Trial HSC – English Paper 2 for Standard, Advanced, ESL Year 9 Ski Camp Year 11 Hospitality Work Placement All Week

Aug 14

Trial HSC – Biology, History Extension 1 Year 9 Ski Camp Year 7 World of Maths P & C Meeting

Aug 15

Summer Sport Trials 2, Period Rotation 1,2,3,4 Trial HSC – Business Services, Construction, Earth and Environment, Legal Studies, Physics Trial HSC – Korean Heritage Year 9 Ski Camp

Aug 16

Trial HSC – Geography, Modern History, Music Practicals Year 7 Brainstorm Productions “The Flipside”

Aug 17


http://web1.homebushbo-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/webcal/calendar/5?type=term&value=2&year=2017


Trial HSC – Chinese Background Speakers, Engineering Studies Trial HSC – Information Process and Technology, PDHPE, Ancient History

Week 5 A

Aug 20

Trial HSC – Chemistry, Visual Arts Aug 21

Trial HSC – English Speaking Standard and ESL, English Extension 1 Aug 22

Summer Sport Trials 3, Period Rotation 1,2,3,4 Trial HSC – English Speaking Standard, Advanced and ESL Trial HSC - Concludes


Multicultural Day at Homebush Boys High School 2018 · HOMEBUSH BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BUSH BULLETIN...

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