RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

ISSUE 10| TERM 2| 5TH JULY, 2019.

Parramatters Parramatta High School Newsletter

FAX MENTIS INCENDIUM GLORIAE “The torch of the mind lights the path of glory”

Our vision is to provide a holistic 21st century education which develops resilient individuals who are active and informed citizens, empowered to think critically and creatively, within an environment that values diversity, equity and resilience.

Dear Parent / Carers Semester One formal reports have been sent home. These reports will highlight and outline student achievements across the curriculum, attendance and attitude to learning. Parent Teacher interviews for the junior school will take place on both the 25th and 29th of July. An email has been sent to both parent and student emails with the booking instructions. If you have any difficulty with this please contact the school on Tuesday 23rd July. These evenings are a wonderful opportunity for teachers, parents and students to share information to enhance learning outcomes. It gives parents an opportunity to discuss their child’s strengths and weaknesses, any particular interests or concerns, and to enquire how they could best support their child with their learning. Teachers and students can discuss helpful learning behaviours and identify unhelpful ones before they become entrenched as habits. In regards to uniform, over time we have developed and collaborated the school requirements for our school. We believe the correct wearing of the uniform builds self - confidence and a sense of connection. Last term we have seen an increase in “out of uniform” choices. We do take into account the diverse nature of our student population and ask that you take on the shared responsibility in addressing the uniform requirements. Lastly we would to wish everyone safe and happy holidays. We are holiday some Yr 12 holiday enrichment lessons and look forward to supporting the progress of our senior students through this initiative introduced by the Senior Curriculum Advisor, Mr Youssef. School resumes for students on Tuesday 23rd July with the staff participating in professional learning activities on Monday 22nd July. Mr. Gokel & Mrs. Johnstone

CALENDAR 2019 TERM 3

Week 1 Monday 22nd July

SDD

Tuesday 23rd July Students return to school

Wednesday 24th July

Thursday 25th July Yr 7 – 10 Parent Teacher Interviews

Friday 26th July

Week 2 Monday 29th July

Extra

Tuesday 30th July Coding Workshop

7 – 10 Parent Teacher Evening

Wednesday 31st July Careers Excursion

Thursday 1st August Regional Athletics

Australian Maths competition Coding Workshop

Friday 2nd August Regional Athletics

Year 10 Vaccinations

Deputy Principal Report

RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

ISSUE 10| TERM 2|5TH JULY, 2019

MMM#1 – MANIC MUSIC MATINEE Year 8 students excelled with many outstanding performances at their recent concert in the school hall during Period 5 on Tuesday 25 June. Year 8 students were a very appreciative and supportive audience for the talented students who performed.

Tuesday Guitar Group: Kevin Chen, Lavanya Chopra, Artin Gholami, Varshani Gousihan, Eric Li, Melanie Lin, Vanshika Matta, Afraz Merchant, Nishitha Methuku, Monica Olano, Nishtha Panchal, Veanthan Pedrupillai Victor and Esha Singhai directed by Mr Secrett

8MUSA: Nandini Patel, Tanmayee Harishchandrakar (vocals) and Anvesha Kaleliya (guitar)

Year 8 Singers: Sadhvik Adapa, Geleinne David, Arathei Kadir, Shruti Lakra, Julian Nguyen, Fathia Onifade, Nandini Patel, Pradhnya Prakash, Dhwani Shrestha and Ishita Verma directed by Mrs Gooneratne

8MUSB: Aiden Dixon (drums) Tamim Yacqub (guitar) 8MUSG: Melody He (vocals) Tamim Yacqub performed the Spanish Folk Song El Vito to audition for the Advanced Guitar Group and we are delighted to inform everyone that Mr Secrett said he was successful. Congratulations Tamim!

Year 8 Performers with their Merit Certificates

Thank you very much to Mrs Gooneratne and Mr Secrett who were able to rearrange their day and be available to perform with our students and thank you also to the Year 8 Year Adviser, Mr Hammoud who was available to present students with their Merit Certificates. Our hardworking ladies, Ms Sala and Ms Haly, in the Print Room have also helped in many ways.

Rock Show On Thursday 27 June Years 9 - 12 enjoyed 2 hours of entertainment from our talented music students, with the finale being a Dance Mix performed by the Prefects in their finery!

RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

ISSUE 10| TERM 2|5TH JULY, 2019

PULSE Concert at Sydney Opera House A dream comes true for another Parramatta High School Music Student! Since a very young age Iris He has dreamed of playing piano at the Sydney Opera House. She is now a Year 12 Elective Music student studying the Music 1 Course for her HSC. Iris is very talented and has already successfully completed her Certificate of Performance Examination with the AMEB. On Thursday 4 July Iris’s dream came true when she performed the dramatic Valse No.14 in E minor Opus Posthumous by Frédéric Chopin in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House.

Regional PULSE Choir Students with Ms Piper

Congratulations to the following students who successfully auditioned and performed with the Regional Massed Choir. YEAR 8: Sadhvik Adapa, Geleinne David, Arathei Kadir, Fathia Onifade, Nandini Patel, Pradhnya Prakash, Ishita Verma YEAR 9: Soham Divekar, Jessica Francis, Alayna Gokcimen, Karima Hai, Simay Isik, Dan Jacob, Shreeya Rajeev, Hansh Sheth YEAR 10: Kavi Balakumar, Dev Yadav Congratulations also to Troy Lin (Year 10) and Alice Qin (Year 9) who also successfully auditioned earlier in the year and performed with the Regional Strings.

RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

ISSUE 10| TERM 2|5TH JULY, 2019 GILGANDRA HIGH SCHOOL VISIT Our Social Justice League has just hosted 20 student from Gilgandra High School on their 3 day visit to Sydney. Our country visitors arrived late on Monday afternoon and dinner at the RSL Bistro provided the first opportunity for students from both schools to meet and renew friendships that were made last year when we visited Gilgandra.

On Tuesday they had breakfast with the SJL and some SRC and Prefects before being issued their Opal cards for our trip into the city to complete the Big Smoke Scavenger Hunt. Parramatta and Gilgandra High students were divided into 4 mixed school teams and set off at 8.30am.

The starting point was Parramatta Station – tapping on just in time for the 9.03am train A quick group selfie (their Scavenger Hunt was all photos) with Queen Victoria outside the QVB before heading to Sydney Tower Eye where thanks to superb weather they enjoyed fantastic views.

Between the Tower and an 11.30am ferry at Circular Quay they visited The War Memorial in Hyde Park, St Marys Cathedral, Hyde Park Barracks, the Mint & Parliament House. Catching the ferry to Manly and walking across through the Corso to Manly Beach where they were very surprised to see the ‘beach closed’ and ‘sharks sighted today’ signs.

Back on the ferry for the return trip to Circular Quay and up through The Rocks to the deck of the Harbour Bridge via the Museum of Contemporary Art, Cadman’s Cottage, the Biggles Statue and The Argyle Cut. For many of the students, the walk across the bridge was a first. A quick photo at Luna Park before the train from Milsons Point back to Parramatta at 3.40pm.

After changing into their pj’s or onesies students from both schools enjoyed a sumptuous dinner prepared by Mrs Kocsis, Mrs Sliogeris, Mrs Kaur and a group of Hospitality & Food Technology students. After dinner students participated in the evening entertainment organised by the Yr 10 & Yr 11 students in the SJL.

On Wednesday morning the Gilgandra students came to Parramatta High once again for breakfast before walking down through Parramatta Park to the new Bankwest Stadium. They enjoyed a fabulous tour through the stadium including into the coach’s boxes and team changerooms before going out onto the synthetic surrounds of the actual playing surface. It was now time to say farewell to our new friends and wish them a safe journey home to Gilgandra.

RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

ISSUE 10| TERM 2|5TH JULY, 2019

RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

ISSUE 10| TERM 2|5TH JULY, 2019

It’s Parrabald time!

In Semester One the Year 10 Visual Arts class have worked tirelessly to immortalise themselves in paint and canvas. They have taken inspiration from famous artist Frank E. Hollywood to create colourful, grungy, textured, and symbolic self-portraits. Many have explored a variety of materials in creating their final piece; including flowers, rope, newspaper etc. in bold attempts to try new things and push the boundaries of portraiture; Hollywood Style! These self-portraits are all part of our ‘Parrabald Competition’, in which YOU help to choose the artist who wins First Prize. Simply come to the Library, have a look at all the amazing works on display and use the ballot paper to cast your vote. It is important to note you will only be able to fill out one ballot so choose carefully. Thanks, Miss K. Giblin

RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

ISSUE 10| TERM 2|5TH JULY, 2019

PRECINCT'S TOP MINDS HELP CLEAR PARRAMATTA HIGH'S CAREER PATH More than 80 Parramatta High School students kept some of the nation’s most brilliant minds ticking over earlier this month as the University of Sydney showcased the multitude of careers on offer across the Westmead Precinct.

The aim? To show students a career in health wasn’t just about studying nursing and medicine. It required collaboration across disciplines and specialties - and a host of options existed.

Co-ordinated by Dr Pearl Lee, Senior Science Communicator (Health) at the University’s Westmead Initiative, the careers day featured sessions including ‘Music, health and wellbeing’, ‘Creating solutions in health care – biomedical engineering’ and ‘Technology, innovation and health’.

Career options covered dietetics, physio, radiation sciences, technology, biomedical engineering, research, and business management.

Tegan Cheng’s hands-on bioengineering activity set the pupils’ imaginations ablaze as the challenge to match body parts with each 3D-printed prosthetic or device prompted a flurry of questions.

“How long would it take to develop something that would help people?”

“As an engineer would you need programming knowledge or software design?”

“What other body parts can you design prosthetics for?”

And “Have you ever worn one?” To which Tegan replied: "Yes. They told me I was the worst patient."

Open dialogue and a hands-on approach formed a common thread throughout the day as a panel session discussed career options in the health sector. Panellists included Aleksandra Petrovic Fabijan from the Westmead Institute of Medical Research (WIMR); CEO of the Westmead Fertility Centre Lindsay Gillan; research officer, vaccine safety at the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) Catherine Glover; Vossco Nguyen, radiation therapist from the Crown Princess Mary Centre; and physiotherapist at Westmead Hospital Krishni Jayawardana.

Vossco’s insights into career pathways in health were appreciated by students on the verge of selecting their senior subjects.

While exploring career options in health, he quickly fell in love with radiation sciences. "If you think TV dramas are dramatic, you should work in oncology!" Vossco said.

Panellists underlined the importance of working in a field that inspired and satisfied individual needs.“Science and maths were always competing interests for me,” Catherine said. Her role at the NCIRS now allows her to work with numbers in health data.

First and second year students from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music also developed educational activities using body percussion, singing and classical music to explore the relationship between music, health and wellbeing.

Program manager of Innovative Technologies at the Westmead Initiative Martin Brown wound up the day by sharing with students how his hobby in carpentry had led to his current “career number six”, including working with Nicole Kidman and Leonardo DiCaprio as producer of Moulin Rouge and co-producer of Romeo+Juliet.

His advice for students: “The problems we're now confronting are so complicated, we need people who can think creatively and collaborate with others. These skills are going to be needed in the future.”

Parramatta High School careers adviser Michelle Ibrahim said the day was designed to help students understand the need to follow their own aspirations amid the ever-changing workforce options.“We hope this will inspire them to choose different career paths in their lives and to do what they feel comfortable in doing,” Ms Ibrahim said.

“We want them to feel happy with whatever choice they make and feel more confident about what they’re going to choose for their future careers.”

The June workshop was part of the Westmead Initiative’s student outreach and engagement activities in western Sydney, delivered in collaboration with the University’s Faculty of Science.