Pittwater Press Ph: 9999 4035

Fax: 9979 5088

Mona St, Mona Vale 2103

Term 3 Week 2 25 July 2016

Website: www.pittwater-h.schools.nsw.edu.au Email: Pittwater-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Relieving Principal: Renee Andrews Deputy Principal Rachel Fleming and Rel. Deputy Principal Carolyn Samojlowicz

By Kirsty Payne—Classroom Teacher

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT—Renee Andrews (Relieving)

Welcome back to term 3. As a Pennisula Community of Schools we started the term with

very informative sessions on our staff development day. With over 700 teachers and

parents from schools across our 13 PCS schools in attendance, Andrew Fuller was the

presenter and facilitator. Andrew is a Clinical Psychologist who lectures in child, adolescent

and family psychology and consults to communities and schools about the promotion of

resilience.

We explored the learning brain and looked at different types of students and the strategies we can use as

teachers to engage them in learning.

Andrew’s website http://andrewfuller.com.au/ , contains a wealth of free resources to support you as parents/

caregivers in helping to understand how children learn and how to develop resilience in your children.

We celebrated NAIDOC on Thursday on Thursday 21July with a whole school

assembly. The assembly opened with a welcome to country by Professor

Dennis Foley who also spoke about two significant songlines to the Mona Vale

area.

Jemima Sanguinetti spoke about the concept of "The Dreaming" and

Songlines. Alana Reneman also from year 11 spoke about the importance of

language to Aboriginal people

and Aboriginal culture. Both

students also spoke of the depth of

understanding they were able to

develop on these topics whilst on

the trip to the Northern Territory in

the holidays.

Zara Harrison and Ashley Van Raad spoke about the incidental

learning and appreciation of Aboriginal culture they developed as a

result of the trip. Two videos were played, showing some of the

highlights of the trip to the Northern Territory, and celebrating the

culture of First Nations people.

Aboriginal Studies’ students, Aboriginal students at the school and year

7 students also participated in workshops with Professor Dennis Foley

where he spoke in more detail about the land, moieties, and the (wide variety) of Aboriginal culture and

knowledge that exists in this area but also across the country.

CALENDAR

Thursday 28 July Rugby League Gala Day

Monday 1 August Commendation Assembly

Tuesday 2 August Prefect Induction

Thursday 4 and Friday 5 August TAS Exhibition

Wednesday 17 August P&C Meeting

Sunday 28 August Pub2Pub

Year 7 into 8, and 8 into 9 Subject Selections 2017

Students in years 7 and 8 are reminded to select their elective courses for next year by

Tuesday 26 July. This process is done electronically, using the webchoice codes which

has been previously sent to the students email address. The subject selection

handbook can be accessed through the schools website or via the following link.

http://www.pittwater-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/news/years-8-and-9-2017-elective-booklets

Year 11 Elevate—Thursday 28 July

Elevate have been working closely to develop programs to enhance our senior

students’ studies skills. On Thursday 28 July year 11 students will be participating in

workshops designed to enhance memory techniques. Staff will then continue to

reinforce these skills in the classroom.

Commendation Assembly—Monday 1 August

On 1 August we will be celebrating student achievement. A number of students excel

in a variety of areas. Our commendation assemblies highlight students achieving in

extracurricular and commitment to learning. Congratulations to all students.

Prefect Induction—Tuesday 2 August

The prefect body will be voting for the senior prefects this week. We will be having our

Prefect Induction on Tuesday 2 August from 9am. All prefect parents are invited to

attend to celebrate with their children. A morning tea will be provided for staff,

prefects and parents after the ceremony.

Leave Passes and Uniform Passes

A reminder that all notes must be into the office before 8:50am to be signed by a

Deputy and the uniform co-ordinator. This also applies on sport afternoon. Please

attempt to make all appointments after school time. We thank all parents and students

who have really made an excellent effort with uniform. The new jackets look terrific.

Year 12

Year 12 will be receiving trial marks and most importantly feedback. It is important they

now utilise this feedback to make adjustment to their study schedules and re focus.

100% attendance at this stage is crucial. Huge progress can be achieved over the next

nine weeks with diligence and sustained effort. Students must communicate with their

teachers if they are requiring further support.

Over the school holidays, the D Block Computer Laboratory was fully refurbished. This included

the installation of:

new carpet

sealed cabling throughout the room

a brand new interactive projector and whiteboard

new furniture including fixed desks and comfortable chairs

Fully equipped, the laboratory has 29 state-of-the-art computers for students with a wide

range of learning and design software, full WiFi access and printing facilities. It supports the use

of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for teaching and learning across

curriculum areas, particularly TAS, Science and HSIE.

The D Block Laboratory compliments the Library Computer Laboratory which was fully

refurbished and opened in 2015, as well as the specialised C Block Media Centre. These

spaces facilitate students’ completion of various research and project-based learning tasks,

increasing their skills to source information and to communicate with creativity and

effectiveness using ICT.

A special thanks must go to Relieving Principal Renee Andrews for her work with the design of

the room, as well as Technology team member Linus Cachia and General Assistant Gerard

Smith for the preparation and assembly of the room.

The Student Representative Council (SRC) is a student

organisation from years 7-10 that works to bring awareness

to local and international issues raises money for worthwhile

causes and generally aims to improve the school. The SRC is

formed at the beginning of the school year and continues

for the entire year. Over the years, the SRC has put on mufti

days, sold food, organised tournaments and many other

activities to raise money for charities. This semester, the 2016

SRC held a Multicultural Day and raised money for Waves

for Water. Both of these fundraisers were highly successful in

raising money and were lots of fun!

The Multicultural Day raised $1187.94 for Mahboba’s

Promise, an organisation that assists women and children in

Afghanistan. Mahboba’s Promise builds schools and

orphanages and teaches women skills to help them earn

money. On Multicultural Day, students and teachers

dressed up in outfits from different nationalities and a formal assembly was held where

Mahboba’s son outlined the role of the organisation and his personal experiences of

Afghanistan. It was a very moving presentation. Over the course of the day, the SRC sold food

such as pizza, noodles and hot dogs which everyone really enjoyed.

Waves for Water was another great day at PHS. Waves for

Water’s mission is to provide clean water to underdeveloped

countries. Northern Beaches local and Waves for Water

representative, Winter Vincent visited PHS and addressed

the school about the organisation and performed a

demonstration with the water filters. PHS students wore

beach themed clothing and participated in a raffle where a

range of prizes donated by Hurley were raffled off. Over the

course of the day the school raised $960.

The SRC has been having an active discussion regarding

matters that impact the entire student body such as the

canteen, uniforms and ceiling fans/air conditioning.

The SRC has worked incredibly hard to achieve these two fundraisers. Big plans are in store for

semester 2 so watch this space!

Ms Silk—Classroom Teacher

GIRLS BOYS

12 years Nina Ramsay Nicholas Aitken

13 years Maddison Binding William Allan

14 years Alice Wensing Richard Charlton

15 years Brienna Mathieson Levi Kaye

16 years Meredith Otten Levi Stevenson

17 years Jordyn Hess Mitchell Hargreaves

Pittwater High Athletics Age Champions 2016

We have hit the ground running in term 3, with students engaged in a range of practical

activities and theory topics.

Year 7 PDHPE

Meanings/dimensions of health; Factors that affect health

Physical, emotional and social benefits of a healthy lifestyle

Components of fitness; Nutrition – healthy eating habits

Touch football, Soccer, Basketball, Indoor hockey

Year 8 PDHPE

What is risk? Positive risk taking

Why do people take risks? The decision making model

Alcohol & Smoking

Basketball, Touch football, Soccer, Netball

Year 9 PDHPE

Risky situations

Classification of drugs, Cannabis

Binge Drinking; Types of harm; Road safety

Touch football, Soccer, Basketball, Ultimate frisbee

Year 9 PASS

Participating with safety; risk factors in physical activity and sport

Injury assessment and treatment procedures (including DRSABCD)

European handball; Soccer; Circuit Training / boxercise; Oz Tag

Year 10 PDHPE

Safe celebrating; Challenging our alcohol culture

Safe driving; Road trauma – factors influencing road accidents

Basketball; OzTag; Netball; Soccer; European handball; AFL; Circuit training/boxercise;

Dance (Cha Cha)

Year 10 PASS

Impact of technology on participation / performance (Positive and negative)

Media use of technology; Ethical considerations

Touch / Oz Tag (use of NRL development officers)

On Friday 24 June, the following students travelled to Gosford to participate in the Sydney North

Cross Country titles:

All students performed well, participating to the best of their ability and representing the school

with a fantastic attitude. Special congratulations to Lachlan Hanks – year 7 – who qualified for

the State Championships in the 12 years age group.

Rugby League

Rugby league at Pittwater High School is going from strength to strength!

Year 7

Our Year 7 Boys Rugby League team has qualified for the Grand Final of the Jamie Lyon Cup

competition for the first time in ten years! The big game will be played at Brookvale Oval on Thursday 4

August, kicking off at 3:40pm. Good luck boys! The team is : Oscar Warner, Nathaniel Bakon, Will Allan,

Jett McCarthy, Jett Stocken, Byron Grant, Klay Frank, Jarred Bridges, Lochie Hanks, Ethan Julliard, Beau

Deathridge, Harry Finlay, Jordan Inkster, Aayush Sharma, Kai Yakich, Dylan Johnson

Girls Rugby League

We are launching our new Girls Rugby League Program Monday 25 July after school on the oval. The

interest shown by girls from Year 7 to Year 11 has been very encouraging! The following week,

Monday 1 August, we will be taking a large group of girls down to Nolan Sports Fields to participate in an

NRL-led coaching clinic, with the competition for U/15s and Open beginning the week after, Monday 8

August. Our first training session will begin at 3:40pm. All welcome!

Sydney North Cross Country Championships

Name Year Age Group

Lachlan Hanks 7 12 year boys

Aidan Smith 7 12 year boys

Nicholas Aitkin 7 12 year boys

Cooper Clinton 7 12 year boys

Nina Ramsay 7 12 year girls

Beatriz Kostnar Frundt 7 12 year girls

Talia Dunning 7 12 year girls

Siena Maudson 7 12 year girls

Brody Hurst 7 13 year boys

Ned Milliner 7 13 year boys

Tegan Nebauer 7 13 year girls

Lexi Harrison 8 14 year girls

Amy Le Blang 8 13 year girls

Isabelle Monty 8 13 year girls

Sarah Rodgers 8 14 year girls

Daniel Bteddini 10 16 year boys

Jasmine Laing 10 15 year girls

Meredith Otten 10 16 year girls

Mitchell Hargreaves 11 17 year boys

Jordyn Hess 11 17 year girls

Bethany Pate 11 17 year girls

Boys U/13s, U/14s & U/16s Rugby League Gala Day The Gala Day for U/13s, U/14s and U/16s rugby league will be held this Thursday 28 July at

Nolans oval. Students are required to make their own way to the venue. Good luck to all

involved!

Pub2Pub Fun Run—Sunday 28 August Join Mr Johns in this year’s Pub2Pub fun run. You have the option of three distances – 13km, 6km

and 3km. For more information – and to register – visit:- https://pub2pub.fusesport.com/default.asp?OrgID=2329&menu=15027

Northern NSW Regional Snow Sports Championships—Thredbo NSW Congratulations to Chloe Wilson – year 10 – who competed in the Northern NSW Regional Snow

Sports Championships last term. Chloe was selected for the State titles at the end of August in

three out of her four events. A huge effort!

The Adventures of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Program at PHS

GOLD Award Qualifying Hike in the Kosciuszko National Park

The Gold Expedition Test hike was completed in the Kosciuszko National Park over the school

April school holiday break. Pittwater High School students were integrated in a joint venture with

students from Narrabeen Sports High School. This presented a golden opportunity for all

students from different social groups to work collaboratively in navigation, team building

exercises and impromptu decision making skills to survive the hike.

The eight students from PHS were Dorian Marshall, Alex McGuiness, Ella Van Dam, Emma Lomas,

Jessica Ratcliff, Taylor Springthorpe, Lucy Barber and Jessica Monty. These unique individuals

were absolutely awesome to watch - displaying a vibrant energetic and enthusiastic attitude

throughout the hike. They had to walk over 55 kilometers in four days, deal with challenging

environment conditions with zero degrees at nighttime, endure the weight of a 16 kilogram

rucksack then hike up 1400 meter mini mountains, continually source local water for hydration

and enjoyed sporting numerous marble sized blisters on their feet that made them grimace with

every step. But the star gazing/wondering at night time, along with the warmth of a campfire

was able to put any ideas of discomfort behind and allows the spoils of fun, great company

and the sense of adventure be lapped up by all. This really was a great success story. Many a

lifetime memory has been made from such a trip!

The Adventures of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Program at PHS

Silver Award Practice Hike at Bucketty National Park

The Silver group for this year was a smaller group of highly motivated and skilled hikers. These

guys work so well as a team with communicating being one of the strengths. This hike is always

interesting and this group absolutely powered through the continual climbs and descents. Thick

scrub from an unusually wet season made hiking and navigation very difficult and a number of

groups found themselves ‘temporarily misplaced’ from time to time. All groups managed to

find their way by referring back to maps and surrounding landmarks. Everyone came home

truly exhausted but definitely better for the experience.

Bronze Award Qualifying Hike at Marramarra National Park

After surviving their first hike relatively unscathed at Dharug National Park, both the staff and

students were all super keen and prepared for their qualifying hike in Marramarra National Park.

Similar to their practice hike the Bronze award requires students hike for two days with at least

eight hours involves hiking and an overnight stay in a campground. Not wanting to disappoint

both the students and parents we made sure each day of the bronze program included ten

hours of gruelling mountainous terrain with the off track section being absolutely brutally to walk

through in terms of thick scrub and tough navigation. Thankfully all groups managed to find

their way by referring back to maps and surrounding landmarks. However as with after every

campaign, the students were ecstatic and thrilled to have challenged themselves both

physically and mentally over the two days. Also a massive thanks goes to Ms Gundry for giving

up her time to join this stellar group of students on the hike.

Pittwater High Open Girls Softball Team Wrap Up

The 2016 Softball season finished up this term with the girls making it through to the fourth round

of competition. The girls were only one win away from making another appearances in the

NSW final 16 tournament, which is held in Newcastle. So close! However, this year’s team

boasted sensational levels of talent across the park and bucket loads of youth throughout the

season. Stand out performers were Jade Thomas and Rebecca Milham, an awesome

combination of pitcher/catcher. Great things are yet to come for this formidable duo.

Additionally, cool-headed Jessica Tetlow stepped up this season to take a greater leadership/

mentorship role as our third base/ home run hitter. Lucky she is well supported by the likes of

Paige Hillier, Amy Le bang, Sienna Tomkins, Jessica Gudmunson.

Now, looking towards the future of softball at Pittwater High, I believe it’s going to be grand!

Why? Well it’s largely due to the “busting at the seams” talent pool of year 7/8 students who

can definitely play. We were extremely grateful to have the likes of Hannah Christie, Talia

Dunning, and Chloe Stevenson among our mist, because each one of these players fosters a

team focused philosophy and go get them attitude. Honestly, the process of coaching has

been a pleasure and I’m eagerly looking ahead at the 2017 season. Training is going to start

early ladies next year- Beware!

Year 10 Dance Elective

The year 10 Dance elective girls were fortunate to be selected in the Sydney North Dance

festival this year. They were among 3400 students who took part in the yearly dance festival

which attracted a record number of students this year. The girls were required to choreograph

some parts of the dance and develop a motif for the performance. They performed a dance

called ‘Found’ which is symbolic of them riding the highs and lows of their adolescence life and

their transition into young, mature women. They all performed exceptionally well and

represented the school with pride.

A special thank you to Kristy Albers who helped choreograph the dance and provide an

incredible amount of support to both the students and I.

Aimee Gundry—Classroom Teacher

PDHPE and Aboriginal Studies Trip to the Northern Territory and remote

community of Ngukurr

Mr Johns, Clarence and I woke early on the first day

of the school holidays to make our way to the airport

and fly to Darwin with 18 students from the

accelerated Aboriginal studies and PDHPE courses.

We arrived at our accommodation late in the

afternoon, enjoyed a quick swim in the pool before

going to watch the sunset over the water and have

some dinner. The following morning we boarded the

buses and made our way to Katherine.

In Katherine we enjoyed some time at the Katherine

Hot Springs before collecting supplies for dinner and our time in Ngukurr. We departed

Katherine on Wednesday

morning ready to enjoy the

scenic drive and dirt roads,

eventually arriving in Ngukurr at

3pm. Here we met John Hickey,

the Safety, Sport and Recreation

officer, who I had worked closely

with in planning our time there.

He gave us the keys to our

accommodation, the local

childcare centre and a quick

tour of town. That afternoon we

had a barbecue dinner at the

local pool with John and invited

community members to join us.

The community was so welcoming and friendly, it was overwhelming. The students began

interacting and playing games with the children immediately. Over the three days we were

there students helped the children with cooking, boxing, guitar, arts and crafts, swimming as

well as spending lots of time playing games

We visited the Ngukurr language centre and were fortunate enough to learn about Kriol, and a

number of other local languages. “Learning at the local language centre in Ngukurr with

linguist Jackie, Aboriginal Elder Betty and also Aboriginal worker AJ helped us to understand the

impacts of colonisation upon language”. Emily Smith, year 11

We were treated to a Bongil (traditional dance and welcome) from Lenny and his group as well

as the children of Ngukurr. Here our students were painted up and danced. We presented a

gift of red and black fabric to the cultural performance group.

The next day we visited the art centre, and the local medical centre with a talk from Kora, the

manager and Donna the head of Administration, which linked to both the Aboriginal studies

and PDHPE courses.

Our final night in Ngukurr we celebrated NAIDOC day with the community by holding a barbe-

que and making damper before officially handing over the donations we took with us, for

which they were very appreciative (photo below left). The night ended with us losing convinc-

ingly to the locals in a game of dodgeball, and many sad goodbyes to the locals. We woke

early Saturday Morning to make our way to Jabiru.

“Going to Ngukurr was such a rewarding experience, in which we all learnt from. It reinforced

just how lucky we are to live on the Northern Beaches and how important it is make the most of

what you have. As an Aboriginal Studies student, it was significant to just meet and interact with

the community. We have greatly benefitted from this experience. The class isn’t just words on a

page or statistics from a website anymore.” Maddison Magno—year 11

In Jabiru we had two educational walk and talk sessions with the Ranger, Christian (above

right). We viewed rock markings up to 20,000 years old and learned some of the stories

associated with them before watching the sunset over the Nadab flood plains. Our final day in

Jabiru we went on a cruise through Yellow Water in Kakadu National Park to see the amazing

plant and bird life as well as seeing crocodiles, from the safety of the (large) boat.

After driving from to Darwin, it was time to clean all that red dirt from the mini buses and

celebrate the end of our trip with a nice group dinner at the Darwin waterfront.

“I learnt a lot about myself, Australia and how a small difference or purpose can have such a

big impact (giving back to the community).” “(The trip) has been the greatest end to my

journey at school, and (I) will be able to remember this and tell the world about our country,

and how blessed we are to live in such a safe and diverse place” Ella Wallis—year 12

All students were fantastic, and it

was a pleasure to take them

away. They represented the

school and themselves with

dignity and they should all be

very proud of themselves

Kirsty Payne—Classroom Teacher

Would you be able to survive a month in the bush of Ku-ring-gai National Park with nothing

except the clothes on your back? This was what we were asked, on the 28 June, when two

Food Technology classes and my Aboriginal Studies class went on an excursion to West Head to

gather a better understanding of the natural resources Aboriginal people received from

Country and the culture that was portrayed through rock carvings.

We arrived, introduced to our guides and shown to where some of the most popular and iconic

Indigenous engravings are situated. As we studied them, we discussed with the guides what

meanings the different animals, people and objects are, why they are so faded and what

solutions there are to fix the problem. We addressed that the reasons of the fading lie with

erosion of the soft sand-stone, there wasn't much to stop this that hasn't already taken into

action. Barriers lie around the carvings to signal people to not walk there and stop some air and

water flow. There has also been recent discussion between Indigenous and non-Indigenous

groups whether the carvings should be re-engraved. Some say they should let the history held in

the carvings to fade away, while others state that the stories and language behind them are

lost and no point keeping the carvings. Majority of both sides agree that if they were to

re-engrave the site traditional methods should be used. Afterwards we left on the bus to the picnic area to have lunch followed with talks about natural

resources used by Aboriginals in the Guringai area. We learnt about the local Indigenous food

sources which include seafood both from the Hawkesbury River and Pittwater, roasted nuts and

leaves which are used as a garnish and spice when cooking meat. Some of the edible

vegetation include nuts from macadamia trees and the burrawang plant, both of which need

to be washed and roasted to not inflict toxic harm on your body. Other uses of plants were to

make spears, bags and utensils seen from the Gymea lily which is used to make spears with its

long flower stem along with a rock or shell at the end for a sharp point. Grass trees also have

traditional uses as their flower stem are used to make fire and their leaves are used to make

rope for bags.

Throughout the day we gathered information and a better understanding of the lifestyle of

Indigenous Australians who inhabited the site for over 300 years ago. We learnt about the

different ways of living a sustainable life on Country, how they demonstrated their culture and

how they were able to not only survive, but thrive by living in cooperation with the land.

2016 Year 10 Formal On 7 December 2016 Year 10 will be celebrating their formal at Monash Country Club. We have a formal committee that will be meeting fortnightly to discuss arrangements. Any Year 10 students who would like to be involved please see Mrs Roulston. More information will follow as we are getting organised and payments will soon be able to be made to the front office as numbers and seating arrangements will have to be finalised early November. Watch this space for more information or email Mrs Roulston directly on carol.anne.davis@det.nsw.edu.au

The TAS faculty is having a display on Thursday and Friday week 3.

The senior subjects that are submitting for their major works will all be

on display Multimedia, Industrial Technology and Textiles and Design.

Excellent projects from all years will also be on display from

years 7 – 12.

Parents are welcome on Thursday evening from 5 til 8pm in the Staff

Common Room in upper A block.

Follow the signs and the year 12 Hospitality students will be supplying

some appetisers to enjoy prior to entering the display.

Wednesday 27 July Helen Mijakovac, Linda Newman, Di Brian

Thursday 28 July Sheridan Femia, Keryn Gallagher, Sarah Jones

Friday 29 July Sunny Van Raad, Alison Crawford, Meredith Cox

Monday 1 August Roger Springthorpe, Karen Maguire

Tuesday 2 August.. Fiona Griffith, Wendy Mclean, Georgia Bramham

Wednesday 3 August Giovanna Graziano, Nicole Graham, Ange Torres

Thursday 4 August Robyn Armsworth-Brack, Sheridan Femis, Kylie Bennetts,

Monique Stidwell

Friday 5 August Behnaz Aliakbari, Joanne Huxtable, Alison Turner, Anne Graham

Monday 8 Augu Alison Christensen

Tuesday 9 August Jade Warner, Rustanti Oetojo, Natasha Zani

Please advise canteen managers Katrina or Felicity (ph 9999 4035, x122) if you are unable to make

your canteen day. Please don’t assume you will be covered.

If any parents, friends, family or grandparents would like to assist on any day helpers are needed

please contact myself or the Felicity or Katrina in the canteen. A full day is 9am to 2.30 or 3pm

A half day is 3 hours

Fiona Griffith; Canteen Roster Co-ordinator

packfund@optusnet.com.au

GIANT BOOK FAIR—5-7 AUGUST 2016 Ted Blackwood Hall, Cnr Jackson and Boondah Roads, Warriewood

Friday 5 August—1pm—8pm; Saturday 6 August—9am-5pm; Sunday 7 August—9am-2pm

Gold Coin donation on entry

Access the uniform shop online site at http://www.phsshop.com