Newsletter Week 5 Term 1 2018

Welcome back We have had a very smooth start to the year and new students and staff are settling in and

making a positive contribution to our school. We are extremely pleased with the completion of the front car park

and the landscaping and we look forward to the completion of the Western car park. The new estimated time of

completion is April.

Staffing update Three new permanent staff members have joined us in 2018: Daina Ciferson from Galston High

School in PD/H/PE, Gordon Kovacs from Merrylands High School (replacing Dr Sham Nair) in Science, and

Kelly May, from Killara High School in English. Additionally we have some new temporary staff: Kirsten Bailey, in

CAPA teaching Dance/Drama with Rebecca Constantin, Beth Sweeney, in PD/H/PE replacing Lee Chaloner,

Elizabeth Morris, in English replacing Natalie Yuen and Peter Moore in TAS. The vacant positions of Autism

Class Teacher and Learning and Support Teacher are currently being advertised and will be filled through merit

selection. I thank the parents who have agreed to be panel members for those positions.

Open Night The SRC has taken over organising Open Night this year. They will be coordinating visits to primary

schools, publicity materials and the organisation on the night. They are doing a great job under the leadership of

Miss Nicole Murray. Ferrovial York has agreed to provide a shuttle from the Aquatics Centre for Open Night,

which will run continuously from 5:30pm onwards. Representatives from Education and Ferrovial York will be on

site in the Library to answer questions.

Robotics Program Year 7 enthusiastically embraced robotics in the Enrichment Program in 2017, under the

guidance of Mr Santamaria, Dr Nair and Mr Golanoski. The project was supported by The Northern Beaches

Hospital who issued the design brief for the students to design a robotic hospital bed. Students learned to work

co-operatively, collaboratively and creatively in designing their robots as a result of this authentic tasks design

brief. The culmination of this project was a Robotics Challenge Competition in Term 3. We look forward to

finding out what new projects Year 7 will undertake in 2018.

Principal’s Report

Primary Transition Program In 2017 our Primary School Transition Program was enhanced. As well as our

traditional connections with our partner primary schools in areas of English, Mathematics, PE and Music

workshops, we introduced a Year 5 Gifted and Talented Program. Year 5 students from Allambie Heights PS,

Beacon Hill PS and Balgowlah North PS visited The Forest each Wednesday during Term 2 & Term 3 to spend

the day in ‘High School’. They participated in specialist classes taught by our dedicated staff under the

organisation and guidance of Mrs Karen Gourlay and Mr Peter Santamaria. At the end of each term, parents

and Principals of these schools were invited to a Show and Tell. This was another success to celebrate in our

school community. We look forward to the inclusion of Frenchs Forest Public School into the program in 2018.

Year 7 Parent Evening and Student Workshops – Relationships Australia We are continuing the programs

commenced in 2017 with Relationships Australia and we will be running the parent evening and the student

workshops again in 2018. Parents found the information very helpful in terms of communicating with their

teenage children and the student sessions allowed the students to talk with a professional presenter about the

range of issues they are facing.

Rosemary McDowall, Principal

I cannot believe how fast 2018 is going and we are already in Week 5. I have been interviewing Year 12

students about their HSC results and looking at how we can help them to improve their results for their

final three subjects. So many students received an 88 or 89 in their final mark and hopefully with a better

understanding of the importance of assessments in determining their rank, they will be able to achieve Band 6

this year.

The addition to the uniform of the black shorts has made a difference and it is great to see so many students

wearing full school uniform. The green woollen jumper has been discontinued as an item of sale at the uniform

shop since the black jackets came in. I have some of the jumpers in size 10, 12, 20 which are free if students

wish to wear them. They look smart and are still part of our uniform so if any student wishes to have one, please

come and see me. We also have a number of other second hand uniforms and these can be purchased for $5

per item. The proceeds of these sales go to a school nominated charity.

We welcome good quality second hand uniforms and are especially short of ties if anyone has one hanging

around at home.

Denise Wright, Deputy Principal

Deputy Principal’s Report

5 March Year 7 Vaccinations

7 March Open Night 6.00pm

8 March School Photographs

9 March Zone Swimming Carnival

10 March GATS Testing 9.00am – 11.00am

12 March GATS Testing (Make-up) 4.00pm – 6.30pm

13-19 March Chiba Keiai Visit

15 March Year 7 Relationship Australia Workshop

21 March Harmony Day Celebrations School Council 6.00pm P&C Meeting 7.00pm

26 March Meet the Principal 9.00am

26-28 March Year 7 Camp Year 11 Camp

30 March Good Friday

2 April Easter Monday

3-6 April 3+3 Exams Year 12 Preliminary Exams

5 April Year 11 Parent Teacher Interviews 3.45pm – 7.30pm

10-12 April School Musical – “Into the Woods”

13 April Cross Country Last day of Term 1

30 April School Development Day – Staff Only

1 May First day of Term 2 – Staff Only Anzac Day Assembly

Term 1 2018 Events

TFHS Extras Do you know that there are so many clubs and activities on offer at The Forest High School?

VIsual Arts Club - Mondays 3-4 pm - meet in B3. Cost is $2 See you there for painting!

Chess Club - every Tuesday at lunchtime students can meet in E1004 (A13) to play chess or other board games. All welcome. Bring a friend.

Choir - this year choir will rehearse on Tuesdays at lunch in the music rooms above the school office in D Block. Our choir is open to everyone from all years so come along and have a sing with us!

Maths Helpdesk - Friday lunchtime in E1004 (A13) - free - all welcome

Full details of all school events are available on the school calendar on the school website www.theforest-h.schools.nsw.edu.au

First of all I would like to welcome all of our new Year 7 students and their families to The Forest High School

community. We have had a busy start to the term and students have settled in well to the new routines of high

school.

To introduce Year 7 to our Positive Behaviour for Learning framework the students participated in a fun morning

of PBL training. This involved students learning about our values of Respect, Responsibility and Personal Best in

particular exploring how they can show these values in the classroom and around school. To conclude the

students produced a PBL promise to show their personal commitment to the school values.

Year 7 Report

TFHS Extras Do you know that there are so many clubs and activities on offer at The Forest High School?

VIsual Arts Club - Mondays 3-4 pm - meet in B3. Cost is $2 See you there for painting!

Chess Club - every Tuesday at lunchtime students can meet in E1004 (A13) to play chess or other board games. All welcome. Bring a friend.

Choir - this year choir will rehearse on Tuesdays at lunch in the music rooms above the school office in D Block. Our choir is open to everyone from all years so come along and have a sing with us!

Maths Helpdesk - Friday lunchtime in E1004 (A13) - free - all welcome

Year 7 students participating in PBL training activities

Peer Support In addition to PBL training Year 7 students also participate in a Peer Support Program which is

led by trained Year 10 Peer Support Leaders. This program involves weekly sessions designed to help build

friendships and support students as they enter high school.

Swimming Carnival In Week 2 we also had the excitement of the school Swimming Carnival at Warringah

Aquatic Centre. Prior to this event all Year 7 students were allocated into one of the school's four houses which

are Zeus, Ares, Poseidon and Athena. It was great to see so many students participating in this event through

both competing in races and cheering on their peers.

Anti-Bullying Programs In Week 4 students also had the opportunity to participate in a program called Bully

Busters, which is designed to educate students about the issues surrounding bullying. To support this, in roll call

students are engaged in the Turn the Page Program. In this program students read a book together and spend

time discussing the topics raised throughout it. This term students are reading To This Day by Shane Koyczan,

an illustrated book featuring the work of thirty artists based on the powerful expression of the lasting effects of

bullying.

Year 7 Camp In Week 9 all Year 7 students will be heading away to The Great Aussie Bush Camp at

Kincumber for three fun-filled days of activities. The camp will run from Monday 26th to Wednesday 28

th March

2018 and is a great opportunity for students to build new friendships and challenge themselves. Students have

already been given their permission notes for this so I am excited to see these flying back to me. A kit list is

provided with the camp note to help you know exactly what to pack.

Year 7 Parent Evening As well as welcoming our new Year 7 students we would also like to welcome all our

new parents and carers to The Forest High School. On Thursday 1st March we are holding a Year 7 Parent

Evening. This event will consist of a meet and greet session with Year 7 teachers followed by a presentation of

key information for new Year 7 parents including a presentation from Relationships Australia. This event will be

held in the School Library from 6.30pm onwards.

Key dates for the diary:

1st March - Year 7 Parent Evening, School Library at 6.30pm

5th March - Year 7 Vaccinations

8th March - School Photographs

26th-28th March - Year 7 Camp

13th April - Cross Country Carnival

Lucy Sturley, Year 7 Adviser

Hospital Partnership Supporting Student Learning Year 7 students at The Forest High School undertake an

innovative Robotics Program as part of their Enrichment class. This program focuses on both the technical

design and coding skills, as well as collaboration, communication and problem solving to create a real world

product. In 2017 the theme of the program was medicine and students designed, built and coded a model self-

driving hospital bed using Lego robotics. The final products were presented to engineers from the Northern

Beaches Hospital who supported the program by acting as judges and providing the prize for the winning team -

tickets to the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences.

Congratulations to Halle S., Rohan L. and Austin C., who won The Forest High School Year 7 Robotics

Competition of Semester 2 in 2017. Their design, teamwork and coding were outstanding, producing an

advanced and effective product.

The involvement of the Northern Beaches Hospital gave all the students involved a greater authenticity to their

learning and helped engage them with the technological and collaboration skills required for the future. The

project managers from the Northern Beaches Hospital working with the students were also great role models for

the students and helped them see where futures in engineering could take them. On behalf of the students and

the school, thank you to Colliers and The Northern Beaches Hospital for giving up their time to be involved.

Peter Santamaria, Head Teacher Teaching and Learning

Welcome back Year 8! I am pleased to report that overall we have had a very positive start to the year with

focus and concentration in lessons and full involvement in activities. I am proud that all students demonstrated

resilience during the first week or two of term when there were some last minute timetable changes and some

uncertainty in terms of sport selections. Now that everyone has a complete timetable with great activities to

participate in during Wednesday afternoon sport sessions we have fallen back into a routine where everyone

knows where they should be and when.

Bully Busters Last Friday all Year 7 and 8 students watched an engaging and entertaining play called Bully

Busters. The performance addressed and explored all facets of bullying including sexual harassment, peer

pressure, rumours, racism, judging others, tolerance, family problems, resilience and electronic forms of bullying.

I hope that after seeing this all of our students will not participate in bullying behaviour and are able to identify

when bullying occurs as well as have resilience and strategies for dealing with unwanted interactions with

others.

Green Slips There have been an impressive number of green slip merit awards earned already this term.

Students earn green slips from teachers by displaying the school values of Respect, Responsibility and

Year 8 Report

Personal Best. Many students are on their way to receiving a Forest Silver Award, which is earned with the

receipt of five Certificates of Achievement, each of which in turn is gained from collecting ten green slips. In the

years to come students should strive to achieve the Forest Gold Award, which is attained after five Forest Silver

awards have been gained. Congratulations to the few students in Year 8 who have already achieved their first

Forest Silver. Keep collecting green slip merit awards to continue progressing towards the Forest Gold

Georgia Yam, Year 8 Adviser

Welcome back! Year 9 have had an exciting start to the year with the beginning of their studies in their elective

courses. In chatting to some of the students around the school in these first few weeks, I have seen the

enthusiasm they have had for beginning these new courses. It has been very encouraging to see.

New students We have several new students in Year 9 and we welcome them and their families to the school. I

hope your child is settling in well and encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Year 9 Camp Information has been sent home recently regarding the Year 9 Camp in June. If it has not made

its way home, please ask your child to collect the information from either the front office or the

noticeboard outside the TAS staffroom. We are looking forward to heading off to Morisset in Term 2 and will be

sending on further details as we get closer to the time. In the meantime I have asked that students complete a

survey to let me know their preferred camp activities. If you child has not done this already, could you please

remind them to do so. The link is here.

School Uniform With the weather starting to become a little cooler we are beginning to see variations in the

school uniform. We understand that sometimes cooler weather takes us by surprise, but could I please ask that

all families are familiar with the school's uniform policy, and that they try to assist their child in coming to school

in the correct uniform. Thank you.

Amanda Walsh, Year 9 Adviser

What a start of the year we have had! Busy with new timetables Year 10 have settled in and already noticed a

shift to becoming senior students. There have been numerous offers for students to get involved in. I encourage

them all to try and maximise their schooling experience including TAFE, Exchange and a variety of student

groups. I am sure there will be more opportunities for our year group to show their skills.

Peer Support Last year all of the year underwent Peer Support Training and from that students applied to be

leaders. The best were chosen and have been supporting Year 7 in their transition to high school. Year 10

turned up on Day 1 to help Year 7 in the morning and have been running weekly sessions with their groups.

Year 9 Report

Year 10 Report

Peer Tutor Miss Page asked for Year 10 volunteers to help support Year 7 students with their reading during

Roll Call. Once again students applied and the most appropriate leaders were chosen. Every morning these

Year 10 students go to the library and help their buddies with their reading as well as extra support for transition.

Barista Training The Forest High School is kindly supported by Vittoria Coffee through providing a training

program for ten Year 10 students to attain a bronze barista qualification. These students then support the school

throughout the whole year providing coffee, especially for the staff on a Wednesday morning.

Julian Floriano, Year 10 Adviser

Congratulations to the Year 11 students who have returned to school ready for learning. It is pleasing to see the

majority of students wearing the senior uniform with pride. Extended hours timetable commitments, TAFE

courses, band practice, musical rehearsals and sporting representation allow students to participate in school life

extensively, often before or after normal school hours.

Senior Privileges Our Year 11 students have received a Senior Privileges note to allow them to sign in late if

they do not have a scheduled class first period or they can sign out early if they do not have a scheduled class in

the afternoon. Parents have been asked to agree to this arrangement and return the note with their signature. A

few students have not returned parental permission and therefore should not be late or leave early. Year 11

students who have study lessons in the middle of the day are expected to use their time wisely in the library or

speaking to teachers to clarify understanding of work.

Elevate Program On Monday 19th February the students enjoyed their first meeting with the team from

Elevate, a private company staffed by university aged presenters who assist students to organise a realistic

study timetable and discuss time management strategies to cope with the stressors related to Stage 6

learning. Students enjoyed the opportunity and are looking forward to the second session next term.

Year 11 Camp The Year 11 Camp will be in Week 9, 26th-28th March 2018. Thank you to everyone who has

finalised the details sent home last year and earlier this year. We will be covering the Crossroads personal

development course, a compulsory unit of work in the PDHPE syllabus. Crossroads is designed to help senior

students address issues of health, safety and wellbeing at a time when they face significant changes and

challenges in their lives. Crossroads aims to prepare and support students as they encounter situations related

to identity, independence and their changing responsibilities. Students who cannot attend the camp are required

to attend school for those three days and will complete the modules in a supervised study arrangement. Places

at the camp are still available. Please speak to Mrs Diggins to finalise arrangements - when the buses are full

there will be no more bookings taken.

Clare Diggins, Year 11 Adviser

It was wonderful to see so many Year 12 parents at the recent Year 12 Parent Teacher night. If you were unable

to make it and have any concerns please email me at Helen.emery1@det.nsw.edu.au and I can help with

providing feedback from teachers. A reminder to Year 12 to collect an envelope and pay for your Year 12

photos, as it would be lovely for all of Year 12 to get a school photo in your final year of school.

A gentle reminder for all Year 12 students who are driving to and from school to be extra careful, as we want

everyone to arrive at their destination safely. Lastly, thank you to the Year 12 students who have volunteered to

help at the school Open Night on Wednesday 7th March, as the BBQ will be one of our largest fundraising

opportunities.

Now would be a good opportunity to connect with your mentors who can help you with study plans and

motivation. Keep working hard Year 12!

Helen Emery, Year 12 Adviser

Year 11 Report

Year 12 Report

Into The Woods Update

The start of Term 1 began early for the dedicated cast members of our 2018 musical Into The Woods with a

holiday rehearsal on the 24th January. Since then, rehearsals have continued twice a week until 5:30pm and

some lunchtimes and the cast and production crew have made incredible process in working to put together this

complex show. Currently we are learning songs and blocking and rehearsing Act 2, as well as revising Act 1.

Our supporting staff from across the school and parents have been gathering supplies for set construction and

design, costume ideas, sourcing of props, the creation of publicity documents, cast and crew shirt organisation

and organising the amazing band which will accompany our fabulous performance. As we continue our journey

through this term, the hall will be transformed into magical woods, where many strange and interesting events

and relationships unfold. As you can see, there are many, many aspects that go into putting on a school musical

and we still have 6 weeks to go! We look forward to the journey into the woods and seeing our fabulous students

perform in this amazing musical.

Rebecca Constantin, CAPA Teacher

My experiences so far in this musical have been amazing. I have been welcomed by the rest of the cast and

have been given the opportunity to give my character a little bit of ‘me’. My character has seen other characters

in the woods and is, most of the time, taken for granted. This musical has been a great experience and I am very

grateful that I have been given this opportunity. Written by Jono.D, playing the character Jack.

CAPA Report

I haven’t been in a musical before, but putting this one together has been a whole lot of fun so far. Playing two

obnoxious and selfish characters is quite entertaining for myself and everyone else (hopefully), and really gives

me an opportunity to express myself in a variety of ways. I’m looking forward to seeing how the whole show

turns out at the end of this term!. Written by Nic. R, playing the characters of the Wolf and Cinderella’s Father.

The Forest High School Choir

A huge welcome back to all of our wonderful Forest High Choir members! Rehearsals have started with great

enthusiasm and we are very excited to welcome several new faces from Year 7 and from other years. This year

Ms Angeleah Heap has joined the choir team providing expert vocal coaching. She has already introduced

wonderful harmonies to the piece we are preparing for Open Night. Choir is open to all students and we would

love for you to come and sing with us. See you Tuesday lunch in DR1010 (B10).

Melissa Yea and Angeleah Heap, CAPA Faculty

Congratulations to Thomas C. and Will R. from Year 12 2017 whose work looked fantastic at the Express

Yourself Exhibition at Manly Regional Gallery. Thomas won the Manly Art Gallery & Museum YOUTH ART

AWARD of $1000 prize for his photographic artwork titled 'I Am Here'. This and a Band 6 for Jessica J. include

some of the outstanding achievements for our Visual Arts class of 2017!

Welcome back to 2018. Term 1 has seen classes settle back into routine. All students should now have a

calculator, work book and a text book on loan for the year. We have encouraged students to use the online

version of the textbook at home and leave the textbooks in class. Students in Years 7 to 10 have been issued

passwords for Mathletics and Mathsonline and we encourage them to use these programs on a regular basis.

The mathematics teachers are recording homework using Sentral. Parents and students may check this in the

Parent/Student Portal. The Mathematics staff run a Help Desk every Friday at lunchtime in E1007 (A12) for any

students requiring some extra assistance with classwork or their assignments.

Mathematics Olympiad Students in 7W, and our top two Year 8 classes 8A and 8B will soon be given a note

about the Mathematics Olympiad. This is a five week competition run through Terms 2 and 3 testing students’

problem-solving skills. Students are asked to return the note and $6.50 to the Mathematics staffroom by the end

of the term. Any Year 7 students not in 7W but who would like to join the Olympiad team need to come to the

Mathematics Staffroom to collect a note.

Mathematics Competition Notes are also available for the Mathematics Competition. This will be held in Term

3, however, notes and a $6.50 entry fee need to be returned to the mathematics staffroom by the end of the

Maths Report

term. There are three competitions - Junior (Years 7 and 8), Intermediate (Years 9 and 10) and Senior (Years 11

and 12). Students who enjoy problem-solving and wish to challenge their mathematical ability should ask their

mathematics teacher for a note.

NAPLAN The NAPLAN tests for Year 7 and 9 will still be pen and paper this year and will run from the 15th to

the 17th of May in Term 2. The students will undergo regular revision in their mathematics class to assist in their

preparation for these tests. We will also do a more formal practise test with year 7 and 9 as the test gets closer.

If any parents would also like to assist with preparation there are revision books available at most newsagents or

I would recommend utilising Mathletics and Mathsonline for revision.

Please note: the NAPLAN test in Year 9 is no longer an early way for students to demonstrate the minimum

standard of literacy and numeracy.

Assessments Term 1

Year 7 Assessment Test 1 – Week 7

Assignment 1 – Number Systems

Year 8 Assessment Test 1 – Week 8

Year 9 Assessment Test 1 – Week 8

Year 10 Assessment Test 1 – Week 8

Assignment 1 - Spreadsheets

Senior Students Assessment exams in Weeks 6 and 10

We ask all parents to assist by ensuring students have the equipment required each lesson. Students often need

a few reminders. Please look through their workbooks on a weekly basis. Ask questions about the work being

done and praise neat and completed work. It is important all students have a solid grasp of their times tables and

basic number facts and use mathematics on a daily basis, not only at school. Discuss the use of mathematics in

your job and in daily life. Please contact your student's class teacher if you have any concerns during the year.

Karen Gourlay, Head Teacher Mathematics

It was an outstanding day at the pool on Monday 5th February which saw many records broken at our annual

school Swimming Carnival as well as it being a fun and enjoyable day for all those who attended and

participated. Even some of the staff got in for a swim! We particularly congratulate the students below on

their record-breaking performances:

Jackson B. (Year 8) - Boys 12-14 years 200m Individual Medley

Kimberley D. (Year 8) - Girls 12-14 years 400m Freestyle, Girls 14 years 100m Freestyle, Girls 14 years 200m

Freestyle and Girls 14 years 50m Butterfly

Riley S. (Year 10) - Boys 16 years 100m Butterfly, Boys 16 years 100m Breaststroke and Boys 16 years 50m

Butterfly

Faith T. (Year 7) - Girls 12 years 50m Butterfly

Sapphire P. (Year 10) - Girls 15 years 50m Butterfly

Carly A. (Year 10) - Girls 16 years 50m Butterfly

The Zone Swimming Carnival will be held on Friday 9th March.

PDHPE Report

Staffing News We would like to congratulate Dr Sham Nair for his secondment to state office as a Curriculum

Adviser. This is obviously great news for him but left a big hole for the faculty. However were very lucky to have

Mr Gordon Kovacs join us from Merrylands High School at the start of week 3 and warmly welcome him to the

team.

VALID The Validation of Assessment for Learning and Individual Development (VALID) are state-wide tests in

Science. All Year 8 students in government schools sit them in November and schools have the option for their

Year 10 students to take them in September. We have chosen to do this at The Forest High School. We are

extremely pleased with our 2017 results for both last years’ Year 8 and 10 students:

In Year 8 we had 30 students achieve the top two bands which is above state average

In Year 10 there was an overall growth of 6.4 as opposed to state wide growth of 2.7 and 69 students

achieved the top 2 bands, again, well above the state average

Congratulations to all students for their effort and demonstration of personal best.

For current Year 8 and 10 students we will give you more information in Terms 3 and 4. In the meantime more

information can be found at:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/student-assessment/assessment-and-reporting/assessment/valid

Term 1 Study Programs

At the Forest High School we loosely base our topics on Science by Doing which is an amazing resource written

by the Australian Academy of Science. More information can be found at: https://www.sciencebydoing.edu.au/

The topics we are covering this term are:

Science Report

Year Group Subject Topic Main Ideas

7 Chemistry Water fit for drinking The water cycle Separation techniques

8 Chemistry Rock, Paper Scissors Structure and properties of matter Chemical and physical changes

9 Biology Ecosystems and change

Body systems that control Disease Ecosystems

10 Chemistry Chemical Patterns The Periodic Table Different types of chemical reactions

Stile Lessons Stile is the online learning platform we have been using for three years at The Forest High

School. It has a range of interactive materials that allow students to develop a deeper knowledge of the

concepts being learnt in laboratory based lessons, relate content to real life applications and demonstrate their

understanding of the information. All students in Year 7-10 have one lesson a fortnight in a computer room

where specific tasks on Stile are set for the class. All students are expected to complete any unfinished work for

homework. One of the key advantages of using this platform is the opportunity for feedback and students are

encouraged to use all comments to improve their achievements.

Each year we reflect on our teaching and adapt our practice to improve student outcomes. Therefore this

academic year we have introduced an assessment schedule that is consistent across all classes. In addition to

the normal class specific work there are a two to three tasks a term that every student in the year must complete

and will contribute to overall assessment grades. These tasks will be marked across the cohort. These are part

of an ongoing assessment and students will be encouraged to use feedback and redo the tasks to improve their

marks. Stile does challenge students as it provides opportunity for the development of critical thinking and

analytical skills that can be transferred into other subject areas. The Science team have high expectations of

the amount and level of work to be completed by each individual and we encourage everyone to meet that

challenge and achieve their personal best.

Please have a look at what your young person is doing in class and at home and share the feedback they are

receiving from their teacher. If you have any questions please contact us and we will be happy to discuss

anything further with you.

Hannah Wiltshire, Head Teacher Science

The Forest High School Interact Club has begun to meet for 2018 and has some great projects on the table for

this year. Our Club President Amelia B. (Year 9) and Ms Walsh were recently invited to visit Bear Cottage

in Manly to present, along with the Belrose Rotary Club, the money raised at the Borgnis Street Christmas lights

collection. Our members played a very active role in assisting in this collection and we were very pleased to be

able to be a part of raising money for such a worthwhile cause. The collection raised over $34,000, and will go

towards providing care and respite for families with ill children.

All students who are interested in assisting in our Community Service Projects are welcome to join us at our

fortnightly meetings. Watch for notices regarding these meetings on the Sentral noticeboard.

Amanda Walsh, TAS Teacher

Interact Club Report

Valentine's Day Love was in the air, in the cupcakes, in the roses, in the song dedications and in the photo

Valentine’s Day Love was in the air, in the cupcakes, in the roses, in the song dedications and in the photo

booth on Valentine's Day at The Forest High School. Music played throughout the playground - with students

dancing and singing along. SRC members volunteered their Tuesday afternoon to wrap the roses at Ivy&Rose

Florist and we thank them for their continued support of our day.

SRC

Open Night SRC Members are currently planning visits to our local primary schools to talk about the upcoming

Open Night - which they are organising with teaching staff. They will start these visits at Allambie Public School

on Friday 2nd March to talk about high school life. Many meetings have been held to revamp the evening and

we look forward to meeting potential new students to our community.

NAPLAN paper tests: 15th - 17th May 2018

(Friday 18th May – a ‘catch-up’ day is scheduled for students who missed a test or were absent on a test day.)

Students may be considered for exemption from the tests if they are newly arrived in Australia (less than one

year before the test) and with a language background other than English, or have significant intellectual disability

and/or significant co-existing conditions which severely limit their capacity to participate in the tests.

All other students are expected to participate in the tests. Disability adjustments which reflect the student’s

normal level of support in the classroom may be provided. Large print, braille, coloured paper versions and

electronic tests are available to meet the needs of individual students.

Exemption and Disability Adjustment information can be obtained from Ms Blae Levy in English. For logistical

information about the day please contact Mrs Karen Gourlay in Maths. Mr Iain Sills will manage

all Learning Support Unit enquiries.

Students may be withdrawn from NAPLAN by their parent or carer. This is a matter for consideration by parents

in consultation with the School Principal or Ms Blae Levy. If you wish to withdraw your child from the tests, a

parent or carer consent form must be signed.

Additional information about NAPLAN can be found at http://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/parent-carer-support

Year 11 interviews will be on the 5th

April. Bookings open at 9am on 22nd March

Year 7 and Year 10 interviews will be on the 10th

May. Bookings open at 9am on 30th April

Year 8 and Year 9 interviews will be on 22nd

May. Bookings open at 9am on 8th May

Year 12 HSC interviews will be on the 26th

June. Bookings open at 9am on 12th June

Bookings are made on the Parent Portal of SENTRAL. Check and re-establish your link to the school’s portal on

http://web1.theforest-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/portal/login. The username is your email address. The password was

created by you. If you have forgotten your password, follow the prompts to create a new one.

New parents should have received a unique “Access Key” to access the School Portal and create their own

password. If you have any queries about the Parent Portal of Sentral, please email Mr Davies on

stephen.m.davies@det.nsw.edu.au

Ed Louey, Head Teacher Administration

NAPLAN

Parent & Teacher Interviews

Regular attendance at school is proven to maximise a student’s academic potential and increase their career

and life options. Attendance is recorded each day. As a parent or caregiver you are responsible for ensuring

your child attends school every day, including sport days.

If you are having difficulty getting your child to attend school regularly, you might like to talk to our School

Principal, Ms McDowall or our School Counsellor. Senior students must attend classes regularly to fulfil the

course requirements to be awarded the Higher School Certificate.

If your child has to be absent from school for any reason, including arriving late or leaving early, please inform

the School Office by phone, email or a written note as soon as possible. Please do not report absences via the

Portal.

Our school day commences at 8.35am each morning. Note that arriving late to school due to sleeping in or

catching late buses are unjustified absences.

Ed Louey, Head Teacher Administration

Unfortunately cyber bullying is on the increase in today’s society and many of these online incidents actually

happen outside of school hours.

In response to this the government has created a website for reporting incidents of any cyber bullying. The link

is: https://www.esafety.gov.au/

The police have advised schools to encourage parents and young people to report anything via this link

and they will investigate the incident as per the usual procedures.

Obviously any incidents that may occur in school or are school related will still be investigated by the school.

Uniform Shop

Uniform Shop - new opening hours

Monday - 8.00am to 9.30am

Wednesday - 8.00am to 10.00am

Thursday - 2.00pm to 3.30pm

Are you on Facebook and would you like to stay up to date with the latest Forest High P&C news and

updates? Please visit our P&C Facebook book page by cutting and pasting the following URL in your

browser: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1894258124123121/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

The P&C Committee updates this page as an informative and useful destination for all parents of The Forest

High School community. If you would like specific information to be added to this Facebook page, please

contact either Myrna Van Pelt or Clodia Heffernan via the P&C Committee.

Attendance

Parental Support: Cyber Bullying

Extra-Curricular

Space Camp – Free Information Night

On Monday 5th March we will be holding a free information night for anyone interested in going to Space Camp

next year from 6.30pm – 7.30pm in the School Library

Parents and students are welcome to come along and find all the information you need to know for this once in

a lifetime trip

The new School Canteen menu is available on the school website

TFHS Canteen Menu

NSW SCHOOL VACCINATION PROGRAM

Each year NSW Health works in partnership with schools to offer the vaccines recommended by the National

Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for adolescents as part of the school vaccination program. In

2018 the following vaccines will be offered:

YEARS VACCINE NUMBER OF DOSES

Year 7

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine

2-doses at least

6 months apart

Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis

(whooping cough) vaccine Single dose

Years 10-11 Meningococcal ACWY vaccine Single dose

Parent Information Kits that include an information sheet, consent form and privacy statement will be sent home

to parents/guardians. To consent to the vaccination of their child, parents/guardians are advised to:

read all the information provided

complete the consent form, including signing their name next to the vaccine/s they would like their

child to receive

return the completed consent form to their child’s school

ensure that their child eats breakfast on the day of the school vaccination clinic.

Please note that students who commence HPV vaccination in school clinics in Year 7 but do not complete the

course during the school year may be offered catch-up doses at school in Year 8. Students who have any HPV

doses at their GP will be advised to complete the course with their GP.

Parents/guardians who wish to withdraw their consent for any reason may do so by writing to the school

Principal or phoning the school. The Procedure for Withdrawal of Consent is available on the NSW Health

website at www.health.nsw.gov.au/immunisation

To improve vaccination completion, students will be opportunistically offered any missed doses throughout the

year where possible.

A Record of Vaccination will be provided to each student vaccinated at each clinic either as a physical

card or a text message sent to the mobile number recorded on the consent form (within 1 business day).

Parents/guardians should ensure that this record is kept for future reference and should not assume

that their child has been vaccinated if they do not receive this Record of Vaccination.

Second Hand Uniforms required!

Do you have old school uniforms clogging cupboards at home? Bring them in to school where

they can be put to good use. They are available to buy at greatly reduced rates and proceeds

go to a worthy charity. School ties are in short supply so are very welcome for the clothing

pool. Parents wishing to access the clothing pool can contact Mrs Wright.

Hilmer Street overnight closure on Saturday 3rd March

The NSW Government is upgrading roads around the new Northern Beaches Hospital to increase capacity on

the road network and improve access through the area. Hilmer Street overnight closure on Saturday 3rd March

Roads and Maritime Services is upgrading the intersection of Hilmer Street and Warringah Road as part of the

Northern Beaches Hospital road upgrade project. To upgrade the intersection, access in and out of Hilmer Street

will be temporarily closed from 8pm on Saturday 3rd March to 5am on Sunday 4th March. This overnight closure

will allow for traffic to move to the other side of Hilmer Street. Motorists will be detoured via Fitzpatrick Avenue

East during the closure. When the work is complete, all turning movements will be reinstated allowing full access

to and from Hilmer Street from Warringah Road.

Fitzpatrick Avenue East closed from Monday 5th March

Roads and Maritime will upgrade the intersection of Fitzpatrick Avenue East and Warringah Road as part of the

Northern Beaches Hospital road upgrade project.

To upgrade the intersection, access in and out of Fitzpatrick Avenue East will be temporarily closed for up to

eight weeks from Monday 5th March.

Some of this work will be carried out during standard construction hours between 7am and 6pm from Monday to

Friday and between 8am and 1pm on Saturday, weather permitting. Due to local traffic and pedestrians in the

area, and to limit delays on the road network, some work will be carried out on selected nights between 8pm and

5am from Monday to Friday. We will let you know once these nights are scheduled.

The work will involve:

removing the existing concrete kerb, gutters and footpaths

installing stormwater drainage lines

installing new kerbs, gutters and footpaths

resurfacing the road

Hospital & Roads Update

When the work is complete, all turning movements will be reinstated allowing full access to and from Fitzpatrick

Avenue East, from Warringah Road.

Community Notices

Copyright © 2017 The Forest High School All rights reserved

You are receiving this email because you are a part of The Forest High School Community

135 Frenchs Forest Road

Frenchs Forest NSW 2086

T: 02 9451 5111

F: 02 9975 3293

E: theforest-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au