TERM 1 2018 Bumper Edition

Email: Strathfieg-h.schools@det.nsw.edu.au Phone: 9746 6990 Fax: 9746 3517

Term 2 Overview Week 1

3/5& 4/5—School Photo Day

Week 2

175 to 1215—Year 11 Exam Period

9/5 Prefects Initiative- Real Skills

Week 3

15-18/5 Years 7 & 9 NAPLAN

Week 4

21/5 to 25/5—Year 9 Assessment Period

22/5 Year 12 Parent Teacher Night

Week 5

28/5 to 30/5—Year 10 Exam Period

31/5 Athletics Carnival

1/6 Year 10 Exams

Week 6

4/6 Year 10 Exams

7/6 Year 11 Parent Teacher Night

6-8/6 Year 7 Assessment Period

1/6—SGHS Athletics Carnival

Week 7

11 & 15/6 Year 7 High Resolves

Week 8

21/6—Year 8 Parent Teacher Night

Week 9

28/6—Year 9 & 10 Parent Teacher Night

Week 10

5/7—Year 7 Parent Teacher Night

SGHS NEWSLETTER

Next P&C Meeting Monday

14 May 2018

Term 1 is always immensely satisfying as we are able

to reflect on the great start to the year. I extend,

once again, a very warm welcome to all our

students, parents and staff, especially those new to

our school.

As always, our core business is our students and we

will continue to inspire every student to achieve

their personal best. This year the emphasis will be

on student leadership and a number of new

initiatives with our wider community will enable

then to develop into confident, competent and

caring young women who are ready to take their

place in our society.

We have finalised our enrolments, 2017 HSC results were outstanding with value added to

each of our students, and the learning program for 2018 is well under way.

Once again all students have their own firm learning goals for this year and the directions

for the school are clearly outlined in our School Plan, 2018-2020. My thanks go to the

representative group of students, parents and staff who actively participated in the

development of this new School Plan.

SCHOOL PLAN 2018-2020

Strategic Direction 1: Learning

Focus Areas: Curriculum- Teaching and Learning Programs

Assessment -Whole School Monitoring of Student Learning

Strategic Direction 2: Teaching

Focus Areas: Effective Classroom Practice- Feedback

Data Skills and Use- Data Analysis

Professional Standards- Accreditation

TERM 1 2018 Bumper Edition

Email: Strathfieg-h.schools@det.nsw.edu.au Phone: 9746 6990 Fax: 9746 3517

SGHS NEWSLETTER

Strategic Direction 3: Leading

Focus Areas: Educational Leadership- Instructional Leadership

Educational Leadership- Community Engagement

School Planning, Implementation and Reporting- School Plan

These Strategic Directions were the result of ongoing collaboration with the whole school community, after an extensive evaluation of the targets and improvements of the last school plan.

Our current School Plan was developed on the foundation of The School Excellence Framework version 2, which

supports all NSW public schools in their pursuit of school excellence by providing a clear description of the key themes and

elements of high quality practice across the three domains of learning, teaching and leading.

The statements of excellence in the School Excellence Framework are central on building our school’s refection on each

element and the ongoing tracking of progress towards them.

The school is committed to the pursuit of excellence and the provision of quality educational opportunities, for each and

every child.

I would like to thank the parent community for their support in assisting the school by reminding their

daughters to uphold the rules and values of our school. I remind you of our strict attendance and uniform

policies and urge you to have conversations with your daughters about wearing our school uniform with

pride and well as coming punctually to school every day.

Please remember that following your daughter's absence, you must provide the school with a written explanation of the

absence within 2 days. Roll Call teachers and Year Advisers remind students to bring in these written notes, however, it is

your responsibility to ensure that you explain every absence (including lateness) of your daughter.

Please ensure that all outstanding notes for Term 1 are attended to immediately.

I wish all our Strathfield Girls families (staff and students) a safe and happy holiday. As I told our girls at assembly, no one

should be doing school work during the break. I look forward to working closely with you all next term.

TERM 1 2018 Bumper Edition

Email: Strathfieg-h.schools@det.nsw.edu.au Phone: 9746 6990 Fax: 9746 3517

SGHS NEWSLETTER

Week 11A Term 1 2018

Term 1 has been a pleasing and productive start to 2018. It is wonderful to

see our students earnestly bustling about getting prepared for their learning.

This term saw the consolidation of our new School Plan 2018-2020 and our

newly identified priorities and milestones to measure our progress have

been finalised and staff who are the key drivers of the school goals and

vision, have already started to action the processes and practices necessary

to achieve our targets. We are all ready to take steps to achieve our goals

over the next three years. Student progress is always at the forefront of our

plan and we celebrate student success.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our 2017 Year 12

students for their amazing efforts and results. I have received numerous

feedback from students and it is of high assurance that the majority of our

students are on their way in attaining a tertiary level of education. I wish

them all well in their future endeavours.

Our current Year 11 students are rising to the demands of their senior years as they prepare for the upcoming

Mid Year Examinations. Thomas Edison commented: “ If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would

astonish ourselves.” Parents, give our girls all the encouragement and support to work towards achieving their

goals.

Year 9 students are coping with the demands of being in different classes through the day, their elective

subjects, and of course, the upcoming NAPLAN tests scheduled from 15—18 May 2018. A number of parents

attended out NAPLAN Information Evening on 27 March 2018. Information from this evening, as requested from

parents, is included in this newsletter. Achieving in the NAPLAN can place undue pressure to perform in test

situations and the best way is for parents to help them to handle this pressure rather than avoid it. The most

resilient young people are those who rise to meet rather than retreat from the challenges presented to them.

Your daughters will take their cues from you about how to deal with many situations that arise. It may be best to

view the NAPLAN tests as a good learning experience to discover strengths, and identify and plan for areas

needing improvement.

TERM 1 2018 Bumper Edition

Email: Strathfieg-h.schools@det.nsw.edu.au Phone: 9746 6990 Fax: 9746 3517

SGHS NEWSLETTER

Week 11A Term 1 2018

I would like to remind all parents and students that we are a strict uniform school and encourage them to

uphold the rules explained in our policy and at their Commitment to Learning Assemblies, led by Ms Lyris, at the

beginning of the year. Year 11 students look very good in their senior kilts which reinforce that they have

stepped closer to their HSC year. I would like to encourage all our students to wear our school hats, especially

during our extended higher temperatures.

Lastly, on the 8 March I was privileged to attend the ZONTA breakfast for International Women’s Day. Ms Lyris,

Ms Maharaj, Ms Wong, all the Year Advisers, members of the SRC and a select group of students also attended.

The keynote speakers were worth noting as they made a huge impact with their presentations in addressing

mindsets that work against the progress of women. I was very much empowered by the presentations and was

pleased to be able to relay many of the key messages to Years 11 and 12 via a Stage 6 Assembly.

I have truly enjoyed getting to know our students this term and fully appreciate that many have extensive

programs that extend outside the school. As a Deputy Principal my role is ensuring our students are benefitting

in all areas of their schooling – education and welfare. If you do have any problems or concerns in regards to

your daughter’s progress, please do not hesitate to call me.

TERM 1 2018 Bumper Edition

Email: Strathfieg-h.schools@det.nsw.edu.au Phone: 9746 6990 Fax: 9746 3517

SGHS NEWSLETTER

Term 1 has proven to be another busy and productive term for SGHS. The School

Plan, together with newly identified priorities and milestones to measure our

progress, has been finalised and embraced by our dedicated staff who are the key

drivers of the school goals and vision.

Our wonderful students are ready for another big academic year and have

established, with their supported Year Advisors, their personal development goals. I

encourage our students to strive for the achievement of their goals, monitor their

progress regularly and make adjustments to the plan accordingly, and seek assistance

when necessary. I’d like to remind our young women that success is not something

that just happens ... it's the result of hard work, effort and commitment, and is

worthy of celebration.

With the HSC Mid Year Examinations just ending, our seniors have realised that it is nearly the halfway mark of our Year 12

academic year. My advice to my Year 12 girls is, never to give up, learn from your mistakes, discuss strategies to improve

with your teachers and maintain your focus. Your teachers are your greatest resource, use them! Ensure that you action

your teachers’ advice and feedback on your Mid Year Exams to maximise your learning. The buzz word is “BOUNCE” –

bounce back from every challenge in life. Be positive always. You can do this!!

Year 10 are finding out that the demands of Stage 5 can be quite challenging! It’s an important time for Year 10 students

as they need to begin thinking about which subjects they are good at and interested in. Very soon, they will be having

serious discussions with their teachers, Year Advisor and me to consider options for their senior study. My advice is for

parents/carers to sit with their daughters to examine educational data (NAPLAN results, past reports and other academic

achievements) and set realistic educational goals and aspirations, so that good decisions can be made in early in Term 3.

An essential ingredient in ensuring that each student has the opportunity to succeed and achieve at her full potential, is

the full support of parents, who are prepared to reinforce what teachers are striving to achieve at the school.

TERM 1 2018 Bumper Edition

Email: Strathfieg-h.schools@det.nsw.edu.au Phone: 9746 6990 Fax: 9746 3517

SGHS NEWSLETTER

The teaching and learning process is the combined responsibility of the student, her family and the school - a “team”

approach, with each student making a conscientious effort to participate in all lessons and complete all class work,

homework and assignments. I advise parents to support their daughters by encouraging them to seek assistance from their

Class Teachers, Year Adviser, the Head Teacher Wellbeing, Deputy Principal or a Counsellor when feeling overwhelmed

about study requirements or other matters in general. Please contact the school should you have any concerns about your

daughter’s wellbeing.

Parents often enquire, “What can I do to help my child when she’s stressed?”

If your daughter is nervous before an assessment task, use this as an opportunity to develop some emotional

intelligence and resilience by recognising and validating how she feels, and then reassuring her that she just needs

to focus on trying her best.

Equip your daughter with some relaxation ideas such as taking deep breaths, changing her thoughts to positive ones

and self- talking to calm herself down. A whispered “It’ll be OK.” Works magic!

Avoid ‘feeding her fears’ with comments such as, “ Have you studied enough?” or “Go over your work again!” or “ I

told you to study. You’re worried because you know you did not do the work.”

A positive and caring attitude is one of the best gifts you can give your daughter.

As Deputy Principal, I enjoy the many interactions that I have with students and parents, and encourage all parents to be

involved in the activities at the school. The school can only grow stronger through parental support. Please take note of

the Parent Teacher Nights next term. You will be able to collect your daughter’s report and have a brief conversation with

her teachers. These meetings are mandatory to ensure that you are aware of your daughter’s progress and areas needing

improvement.

I’d like to congratulate all our students, especially Year 7, for a successful term of hard work and fun activities. You will

read, in this newsletter, all about the wonderful experiences and activities at SGHS this term. I ask all our students to

resolve to take advantage of all the extensive learning opportunities, inside and outside the classroom, so that they can

continue to improve their essential skills, knowledge, insights and values that will equip them to become strong capable

and responsible women who will challenge limiting discrimination and celebrate achievements that their forebears could

not have imagined for women.

I’d also like to take the opportunity to acknowledge and pay tribute to the passion, dedication and hard work of our

Executive Team, teachers and SASS members without whom, much of what happens at SGHS would not be possible. Hats

off to our great staff!

Wellbeing We have had an exciting and busy Term1 beginning with Year 7 Orientation week and

Peer support Camp and activities. Students from Year 7-12 have been engaged in

academic curriculum, sport, extracurricular activities and finding their place at SGHS.

The Wellbeing and Leadership Teams discuss student wellbeing and find ways to

support all students across the school with learning, social engagement, leadership

opportunities, special programs and many other events.

We have also been reflective on 2017 and areas in which we can improve the activities

we deliver through student discussion and feedback in Vitae Lampada. It is in Term 1

that we have many community engagement activities that we take part in. Student

leaders have also been exemplary in all areas across the school and we are proud them

and how they demonstrate our three “R”, Readiness, Respect and Responsibility.

Some of the many opportunities and activities that have occurred in Term 1 are:

Commitment to Learning session with Principal

Peer Support Camp

Year 7 Orientation

Year 7 P & C BBQ and Information Evening

National Action Day against Bullying

International Women’s Day Breakfast

Harmony Day Celebrations

Weekly School Assemblies

Guest visit from tennis great- Jelena Dokic

Funky Hair Day by Social Justice Committee

All these events are delivered to the girls to support them in all areas of their schooling.

Thank you to the dedicated staff in our Wellbeing, Learning and Engagement and Leadership Teams who have made Term

1 extremely positive and highly successful for all.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing

Wellbeing Strathfield Girls High School Prefects Participates In Leadership Day At Marie

Bashir Public School

On the 6 March, our captain Georgina Mansfield, and prefects

Yanti Peng and Gayathri Giri Nadarajah had the pleasure of

presenting speeches regarding leadership skills at the Marie

Bashir Public School Leadership Day. Their speeches ranged

from being a good leader, taking small steps to make big

changes and grabbing opportunities. The overall enthusiastic

responses from the students of Mortlake, Homebush west,

Homebush, Strathfield South, Enfield, Lakemba and Concord

Public Schools proved their interests in the presentations. The

speakers shared their own experiences with the students in

order to inspire and encourage them to make differences in

their school community.

It was crucial to inform the younger audience about the steps

they could take in achieving leadership skills and to become

better equipped as future leaders. As the students were

willing participants, the speakers gained a better insight into

the purpose of their roles as leaders.

Message from the Year 7 Adviser It has been a busy first term for Year 7 and they have settled into their high school life extremely well. They started the year with a

great orientation program that allowed them to explore the school grounds, learn and understand various school procedures and

develop new friendships.

Their friendships continued to grow while on camp, where students challenged themselves by taking part in some outdoor activities,

such as kayaking and the giant swing, and even getting muddy in team building exercises. The students had their first Swimming

Carnival and all Year 7 participated, whether by taking part in the races or by cheering on their teammates. The girls had a lot of fun

wearing their house colours and using the team paraphernalia they had made together in house groups prior to the event.

Additionally, the girls also experienced their first Cross Country carnival, both of these events have allowed our girls an opportunity

for participation in physical activity, as well as selection of our gifted athletes to represent the school in the Zone carnivals.

The girls have also now finished their Peer Support sessions and have

enjoyed the opportunity to bond with and learn from their older peers.

This experience has been invaluable for the girls and culminated in a dance

performance at assembly in week 10. The girls have developed skills of

interpersonal communication, team work and have made friendships

which will sustain them through their school life.

The Year 7 BBQ information night gave parents an opportunity to speak with the teachers, in

order to understand a little more about the workload that the daughters are expected to

complete throughout the year. It was a fantastic night, thanks to the support of the P&C who

provided the BBQ.

Year 7 have also been completing the literacy and numeracy initiative and significantly the first

round of Moodle homework. These are short literacy tasks designed to develop the girl’s skills

in understanding and interpreting information. At the end of each term students complete a

writing task to help build their communicative skills. These tasks have also been designed to

help students prepare for their NAPLAN tests which will take place during Term 2.

With a lot of new experiences, including their first round of assessments, the students have also attended their first excursion to

Taronga Zoo ( Science). Here, the students learnt more about the adaptations of various animals that help them to survive their

environment. Likewise, they have also participated in the school’s ANZAC commemoration which highlighted the significance of the

centenary of the armistice of WW1. What a great way to finish off a busy first term of high school!

I look forward to a more settled Year 7 cohort in Term 2 as the girls now

understand not only the routines, but also the demands and expected

behaviours of high school. It has been a steep learning curve for Year 7 and I

wish them a well-deserved break and urge them to take care during the

holidays.

Message from the Year 8 Adviser

Year 8 have had a busy term 1 settling back into high school life. They seem quite pleased that they are no

longer the youngest members of the school cohort and have even caught up with some of their primary school

friends to give them advice about high school.

In Vitae Lampada, Year 8 have focused a great deal on how to improve their organisational skills, helping them

to focus on their studies with time for fun. They have completed their Year 7 reflection videos and future

expectations for Year 8. I encourage the girls to monitor their goals and work diligently towards achieving them

through the year.

The Swimming Carnival was enjoyed and all Year 8 participated, whether by taking part in the races or by

cheering on their teammates. The girls had a lot of fun wearing their house colours and some even dressing up

for the occasion. At the Cross Country, they enjoyed either competing for a place at the zone carnival or just

taking a walk around Strathfield Park with their friends.

Year 8 have also been completing their literacy worksheets on eLAN (Moodle). These are short literacy tasks

designed to develop the girl’s skills in understanding and interpreting information. I urge all students to

complete these exercises if they have not yet done them as this is good NAPLAN practice for next year.

Congratulations to the following Year 8 students who were inducted into the SRC

Students will receive their badges and take the student leadership pledge at SRC induction ceremony on the 24

May, in Term 2, Week 4.

I wish Year 8 students a happy and safe holiday and look forward to seeing them all return well rested in Term 2.

Message from the Year 9 Adviser

It has been a busy start to the 2018 year for Year 9, with students making a successful transition from stage 4 to

stage 5. Through this transition, students have started their elective subjects which have been a new and

exciting challenge for all students.

Congratulations to the following Year 9 students who were elected for the 2018 SRC:

Mia Arpas Aleica CHIU Annabel HIGGINS Alekhya IMMADI Medha KARIGIRI Rajaswi REGMI Apurva SURENDRAN Rakshita SURISETTI VENKATA

Students will receive their badges at the upcoming SRC induction ceremony on the 24 May (Week 4) in Term 2

where they will be led in taking the student leadership pledge.

The Year 7 and 9 NAPLAN Information Evening was held in the school hall on Tuesday 27 March to provide

students and parents current information regarding the upcoming NAPLAN tests to be held on 15 to 17 May.

The following Year 9 students also attended the ZONTA breakfast as part

of International Women’s Day where they had the opportunity to listen

to inspirational women from the local community. Students included

Parivash Charania, Lasyasri Kantamneni, Medha Karigiri, Madeleine

Leask , Sienna Lovell, Alexis Nguyen, Ayesha Osei and Noussayba

Skendri.

Year 9 students continue to represent Strathfield Girls High School at the following Summer grade sports

including Touch Football, Volleyball and Basketball. All teams have demonstrated good sportsmanship and

effort each Tuesday in the lead up to the finals in Term 4.

We look forward to a big year ahead which includes Year 9 camp which will be in Term 4 at Mayuna Bay, from

Monday 10-12 December.

Message from the Year 11 Adviser I’d like to congratulate Jenna Cremin on her new position at another school and thank her for all her hard work with the

Year 11 cohort over the past years. I have embraced my new role as the Year 11 Adviser and I am looking forward to

seeing this wonderful cohort of strong women through their senior years at school.

It’s been an exciting term for the new seniors, starting off with speeches for the Student Representative Council. Much

interest in this important leadership opportunity was displayed, and after a student vote, ten students were elected.

Congratulations to Gagan Gill, Kalyani Morgan, Michele Battodrol, Yasmina Bazzi Backhouse, Mikayla Saliba, Josie Seeto,

Gina Lee, Phuong Khanh Nguyen, Sophie Kang and Wonjeong Yoo who have very deservingly gained positions as SRC

representatives for Year 11 2018. I’m sure they will all do a brilliant job.

Several students had the opportunity to mark International

Women’s Day on Friday 8 March by attending the Zonta

International Women’s Day Breakfast at Strathfield Sports

Club. Wafa Wazir, Victoria Fourfouris, Phuong Khanh

Nguyen, Mikayla Saliba, Yasmina Bazzi Backhouse, Jenna

Ross-Haast, Kadamvini Shresta, Kalyani Morgan and Sophie

Kang enjoyed a breakfast and the uplifting ceremony in an

effort unite to combat and campaign for the end of violence

against women. I also attended the breakfast and was

moved by the empowering messages of the guest

presenters. It was a pleasure for the students and I to

participate in this important event.

Year 11 also formed a jersey committee, keen to get in

early and organise possible designs. In Week 11, the

cohort voted on four possibilities worked on by the

committee, and one was selected. We look forward to

receiving them next year.

Plans for the Year 12 Formal for 2019 are also in their early stages. Several students have formed a committee and are in

the process of visiting prospective venues. Stay tuned for more news!

The students have been settling in to their subjects and are getting used to the demands of senior study. Preparations are

underway for Mid Year Examinations in Week 2 of next term. All the very best for the holidays and best of luck for the

exams next term!

English Faculty Year 11ENA3 completed a competition in class which is

outlined below. I have attached the winner's entry of the

Value of Reading task and thought it rather clever.

"So far this term in our Common Module: Reading To Write,

students in Year 11ENA3 were commissioned to write for a

purpose in evidencing the value of reading. Students were

given free reign in their choice of medium to be divergent

thinkers. Congratulations to Da Eun Choi who delivered the

most innovative entry." -

Mr. Whittard

Premier’s Reading Challenge

The holidays is a perfect time for students, especially in Years 7 and 8 to

relax, grab and book and read ! Borrow a PRC book from our school or your

local library and add to your tally to get you closer to the magical 20 number.

And remember five of the books can be non PRC designated books. So get

yourself a book ASAP and help your class be the first to finish and win the

class prize!

Science Faculty

Science and Engineering Challenge 2018

On Tuesday 20 March, the 10SCIB class of 27 students attended the Science and Engineering Challenge

Competition, located at Sydney Olympic Park. The students were organised into different coloured groups to

participate in various activities in the areas of Science and Engineering. Some of the activities included building

catapults, designing a bionic hand, working with electrical circuits, as well as much more. However, Strathfield

Girls High School mainly excelled in activities that required some form of construction, such as turbine making,

bridge building and constructing a structure out of limited resources that were able to withstand different

waves formed by an earthquake simulator, whilst holding weights.

Although our school was placing 4th during the first half of the competition, the girls worked even harder for the

second half of the day, placing 2nd in the end, being narrowly defeated by Epping Boys. Other schools that

participated included Oakhill College, Bethlehem College and East Hills Girls High School. Excellent teamwork

and diligence were shown by everyone from our school throughout the competition. Overall, the day was such

an amazing experience, which gave us exposure to these more challenging fields, along with having the

opportunity to meet several students and graduates from the University of Sydney.

Chenuki Rashmi Weerasinghe and Keerti Nelabhotla Venkata Sai, Year 10

Year 6 Information night On Thursday, the 8th of March, our school held an information night for Year 6

students and their parents. As students of the Science Club, we helped the Science

faculty on this night through displaying some cool Science experiments to the Year

6 students and their parents. We demonstrated one experiment from each of the

three main branches of Science, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

We tested the amount of heat released by different light bulbs as part of Physics.

For Chemistry, we investigated acids, bases and pH indicators. We looked at plant

cells and animal cells through using microscopes for Biology. We also created

some posters about our experiments to display in the Science labs for the evening.

We were very excited to show off our Science skills to the Year 6 students.

The Year 6 students and their parents were very pleased to see our school’s

Science labs and the equipment. They were interested in looking at different plant

cells through microscopes, testing for the heat released by

different light globes and observing amazing colour changes

when acids and bases were mixed in the presence of a pH

indicator chemical. Many of our guests volunteered to be part

of the experiments, especially for Chemistry. We were very

happy to present our experiments to the students and their

parents, and to witness their enthusiasm and interest towards

Science.

Keerti Nelabhotla Venkata Sai, Year 10

Science Faculty

Maths Faculty

Goodbye Mr Anderson!

The Maths Faculty would like to congratulate Mr John Anderson on his promotion to Head Teacher Maths at

another school and acknowledge his leadership of the Maths Faculty.

As the Relieving Head Teacher Maths for Term 1 2018, I was privileged to have led faculty discussions on

school planning, School Excellence Framework self-analysis as well as faculty planning initiatives. Working

alongside my Maths colleagues and the School Executive Team have allowed me to gain wider school

perspectives and develop my own leadership skills. I would like to acknowledge and thank the Maths faculty

staff for their support and hard work this term.

PI Day, 14/3/18

Year 7G had their first encounter with the world of irrational numbers on Wednesday 14th March, 2018

(3/14/18 in the United States of America), as it is traditionally referred to as ‘pi’ day.

‘Pi’ is the value of the ratio of the circumference (perimeter) of a circle to the length of its diameter (the longest

chord of a circle, passing through the centre of the circle). The value of ‘pi’ is a little larger than ‘3’ and is, in

fact, an irrational numeral, meaning that it is a non-terminating and non-recurring decimal.

The students of year 7G were asked firstly to measure and record the lengths of a circular object found in their

home (eg. a drink can/bottle, glass etc.) and its corresponding diameter. They were then asked to find the

quotient of the circumference and its diameter, i.e. circumference/diameter and bring this information to

school on 14/3/18. The students were also given a sheet containing ‘pi’ to many tens of decimal places and

were asked to memorise as many decimal places as possible.

On 14/3/18, we recorded their quotients on the board and found that the majority of results belonged to the

interval 3.1<ratio< 3.2. The students found ‘pi’ on their calculators by looking for the symbol , above the

equal sign.

Two girls had said they could recite more than 15 decimal places, Kylie Tran and Deeya Sharma. Kylie was able

to successfully recite 30 decimal places and Deeya 33 decimal places (with only one self-correcting hiccup). This

was a great effort, given that they had only one night in which to memorise. Congratulations to both girls.

The concept of ‘pi’ will be further studied in Year 8 in the Strand on Measurement.

History Faculty 2018 has been a busy and exciting year for the History Faculty. We are pleased to welcome Ms Creevey into the faculty,

Ms Aspradakis as Relieving Head Teacher and Ms Cullen as Year 7 Year Advisor. Ms Cullen, Ms Cardinale, Ms Creevey and

Ms Aspradakis all had the pleasure of attending Yr 7 Camp, and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to get to know our

newest students. In addition, various faculty members attended the Year 7 BBQ as well as the Year 6 Information Evening.

Year 8 in Stage 4 and Year 10 in Stage 5 are both studying History this year. In Year 8 a holistic approach to History is

adopted, starting with the ‘Out of Africa Theory’ as part of the Overview before moving on to the next unit of work,

Investigating the Ancient Past. Within this unit, students develop an understanding of how we know about the ancient

past, as well as features of ancient societies. In Year 10 History (Civics and Citizenship) students are currently focusing on

Australian History within the unit Making A Nation. Year 10 have completed their first assessment task, a component of

which was the performance of an empathy task based on the students own research requiring students to synthesise and

analyse information from a range of sources, considering perspectives other than their own. Overall, performances were

of a very high calibre and were highly engaging.

In Stage 6, The new syllabuses have been implemented in the Ancient History and Modern History Preliminary

courses. Ms Cullen has showcased innovative teaching practice at its best in a new online asynchronous unit of

work on Roman Games. This differentiated unit of work provides students with the opportunity to work

through a series of scaffolded tasks at their own pace, with feedback and one on one teacher support provided

throughout. Year 12 students of Modern and Ancient History, Society and Culture, Studies of Religion and

Extension History are on track in their HSC courses, and have been busy preparing for their Mid-Year

Examinations towards the end of this term.

Stage 6 State Library NSW Excursion

On Friday 16th March, Year 12 History Extension and Society and Culture attended an

excursion to the State Library of NSW on Macquarie Street in the city, to focus on

their Extension Essays and Personal Interest Projects respectively. Students applied

for and obtained a State Library Card, giving them access to thousands of books and a

wealth of academic articles. Upon arrival, the group was greeted by a library educator

and students participated in a workshop whereby they were taught to navigate and

access the wide range of resources available through the library. We were able to

explore and use the library facilities, and students of Society and Culture also took the

opportunity to view the inspirational prize winning Personal Interest Projects of

students from across NSW. This prelude into university style study was a valuable

learning experience, and thoroughly enjoyed by all!

History Faculty

Upcoming Events

ANZAC Day

The annual ANZAC Day Ceremony is coming up on the 12th April. This annual event celebrates and

commemorates the contribution and sacrifices made by our ANZAC soldiers over the years, and brings the

school and wider community together, as attendees from the Jesmond Retirement Home will be our honoured

guests. The History Faculty has been overwhelmed by the student response to contribute to this special

occasion, and is also working with members of the TAS, Music and English Faculty in the organisation process.

RSL and Schools Remember ANZAC Service

The History Faculty is delighted to accept an invitation offered to the school for students to attend and participate in the Returned and Services League (RSL) and Schools Remember ANZAC Service at the Anzac Memorial at Hyde Park in the city, on the 9th April. This day brings together members of the NSW RSL Branch, as well as students from the Department of Education, the Association of Independent Schools NSW and Catholic Schools NSW. Four students of Year 11 will be representing the school community on this special occasion accompanied by a member of the History Faculty, and will be laying a wreath on behalf of Strathfield Girls High Sschool in commemoration of our ANZAC soldiers. The 2018 Martin Lysicrates Prize An expression of interest will soon be posted for fifteen students of Year 8 History to attend the 2018 Martin Lysicrates Prize on September 6th. This occasion is presented by the National Theatre of Parramatta, the Lysicrates Foundation and the Griffin Theatre Company, and is inspired by the festivals of the theatres of Ancient Greece. Students will view the first act of three finalist plays that have been written specifically for 11-14 year olds and presented as dramatic readings by professional actors. The principle of democracy is embraced as the audience votes on the winner. This exciting event provides students with the opportunity to engage with the history of drama and theatre, and encourages them to develop their own interest in creative writing. More information about this exciting event can be found at the following link: https://riversideparramatta.com.au/NTofP/show/the-martin-lysicrates-prize-2018/

The History Faculty have had a successful Term 1, providing students with a range of rich learning experiences and engaging in community events. We look forward to continuing this in the year ahead.

Social Science Faculty It has been a busy start with a number of initiatives occurring in Social Science.

Year 10 Commerce

Year 10 Entrepreneur clubs have been formed to encourage Commerce students to put into practice the knowledge and

skills they have gained through the study of the topic, ‘Running a Business’. The students have been divided into seven

groups based on their school house colours and are competing to raise money for charity and for the title of the most

successful business in 2018. Through this market day enterprise, the girls will be able to refine skills such as finance,

marketing, production, administration and staffing, all essential in running a successful business. Market day will take

place in Term 2 in the North quad at lunchtime on Friday 18th of May. The girls would also like to thank all staff, parents

and fellow students for their support so far, and hope to see them with their money on the day.

Sometime during the first couple of weeks of Term 2, the three Year 10 Commerce classes will be running Market Day.

The three classes have been split up into house groups, meaning the best house wins. Each Entrepreneur Club consists of

a finance team who control the funds of the club, a marketing team who work on advertising the product, along with a

CEO who keeps everything in line. Over the last couple of weeks, the clubs have been organising meetings to design their

perfect store for Market Day. Market Day, is a day where these students sell products to try and earn the most amount of

money. Their sales reflect the amount of effort put into their overall production, ranging from the quality of their product

to the overall presentation of their store and how they’ve advertised it.

Chenuki WEERASINGHE (10 Commerce)

Year 9 Commerce

Students in Commerce will be learning about money, investing and personal finance in Term 2. They will have the

opportunity to apply what they have learned by taking part in the Sharemarket Game. Students will receive a virtual

$50,000 that they can invest over a 10-week period, in 220 companies listed on the ASX. This is an opportunity for

students to buy and sell shares at existing prices so this is as close to real life share trading as you can get. They will

develop their knowledge of investing wisely, learn more about the companies listed on the ASX, as well as, compete

against other schools in the state who are also taking part.

TAS Faculty

STEM Club and iSTEM

The school STEM club meets every Thursday during lunch time. We are

running a number of projects. Some of the projects are based on GoPiGo

Robots that the club assimilated last year and this year they are working on

programming them.

In addition, this year we have added Arduino projects to STEM club.

Strathfield Girls High School is collaborating with Burwood Girls High School

this year on ‘1llumate 2018’ and a range of iSTEM Robotics projects.

Year 9 iSTEM class completed a project and built race cars from scratch.

This class will be involved in iSTEM Robotics competition later in the year.

LOTE Faculty

The Chikushi School Visit

By Emily Tran (Year 9)

On Friday the 9th of March, both senior and junior Japanese students of Strathfield Girls High School gathered to welcome a group of

Japanese girls from Chikushi School as hosts for their day visit. They had come all the way from Japan to visit Australia and we were all

happy to share our culture with them while we learnt more about theirs.

A few things we did that really accentuated the central purpose of the visit included things like:

Our chance to communicate to each other throughout the day which helped us to put our language skills to use, and in context.

The performances that both SGHS and Chikushi performed for each other

Our chance to exchange gifts which showed us some products that we might find in Japan as well as interests of the people in it

Throughout the day we also discovered many things about the trends, mannerisms, and interests of the people of Japan

Overall, the cultural exchange was a fantastic opportunity to learn a lot more about Japanese culture and the differences between us

and Japanese people our age. It was definitely an interesting and very beneficial experience for both us and the Chikushi students.

My experience with my buddy

All of us sat in the hall in the morning, brimming with excitement to meet our new buddies. When they finally arrived, we

welcomed them and listened to introductions delivered by both schools. After that we were allowed to communicate,

and the hall was filled with chatter. I got the chance to use my Japanese skills in a real life situation and it was great

learning experience for both me and my buddy. I learnt a lot about her family and her time in Australia. They all went to

Taronga zoo to visit the animals, and her favourite was a tiger. They all took heaps of photos to remind them of Australia

and their new friends, and so did we. Meals in between demonstrated to the Japanese students our style of cuisine, and

there was also a chance to further bond with our new friends while eating together. It was surprising how much we

bonded in one day, and most of us really missed them when they left. Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and it

definitely sparked my interest for Japan enough for me to want to travel there one day. I hope it was the same for my

Japanese buddy and I hope to see her soon.

LOTE Faculty

Learning and Engagement Faculty This year the Learning & Engagement faculty has continued the implementation and refinement of several key

initiatives and community connections and projects.

Literacy/Numeracy e-LAN Homework Stage 4

As part of the commitment SGHS has to improving the Literacy and Numeracy standard

of all students in Years 7&8 and setting up our students for success and excellence in the

initial years of their high school experience, Ms Karen Shaw and the Learning and

Engagement faculty continue to refine and support the e-LAN homework and follow up

support program that compliments the stage 4 curriculum.

Each student is required to complete e-LAN Moodle each term. The Learning & Engagement staff supports students

requiring follow up or additional support through regular monitoring, follow-up group tutorials and feedback. Year 7 & 8

students who achieve 100% completion of their e-LAN homework each semester will acknowledge and be presented with

a certificate.

If you have any questions regarding this educational program please do not hesitate to contact Ms K. Shaw or Ms C.

Eklund HT Learning and Engagement. Your encouragement and supervision of this home-based program is important and

the partnership between school and home is essential in attaining the best learning outcomes for your daughter.

As well, the Learning & Engagement faculty is continuing to monitor and provide valuable data to the school through the

7-12 Student Tracking project. The data is used to support Year 8 & 10 Subject selection, IEP/PLP Parent reviews, and

Teacher program planning and Student Wellbeing programs.

The Learning Centre is another aspect of the support provided to the students at SGHS. The Learning & Engagement

teachers provide additional small group or individual student tutorials to students in Years in 7-12. The Learning Centre

continues to have a steady increase in the number of students requesting bookings and attending specialty workshops

with Mrs Correy, Ms M. Logan and Mrs Taylor in 2018.

Homework Help will be available each day in the morning from 7:30-8:30 and again in the afternoons from 3:10pm -

5:30pm. Several of the Learning and Engagement teachers are committed to providing academic support to students at

Homework Help. The Homework Help initiative is extremely beneficial to all students who attend regularly. Students are

strongly encouraged to make use of this very valuable resource to complete their homework and assessments.

Year 10 Literacy groups Students

This year the Learning & Engagement faculty has developed an intensive literacy program to help students in Year 10

Succeed in the HSC Minimum Standards Test.

Students work in targeted areas of NAPLAN to prepare for the online Naplan test in Term 2. Ms. Logan and Mrs. Taylor

from the Learning & Engagement faculty are offering small, specialised tutorials. All identified students and their families

have accepted this offer. They are now running eight small tutoring groups, each lead by a teacher who is familiar with

the re-test’s marking criteria and how that criteria will be implemented.

Learning and Engagement Faculty

Year 10 Literacy groups Students continued

Before students join a tutoring group, their NAPLAN results and school marks are examined, so that the lessons can be tailored to their specific needs. The groups are then capped at six to eight students, so each receives further individual support.

The tutorials are scheduled around important events, assessment tasks and exams. They run weekly so that each student can build their skills as quickly as possible. Our progress assessments are showing that, indeed, most students are quickly gaining the skills they need and will soon return to their regular timetable.

To further help our students succeed, we will meet again with each group just prior to the their Naplan re-test. This will allow them to revise their new knowledge and consolidate their skills. All students have shown great maturity and commitment to their own success, throughout the tutoring program. They are to be congratulated on their achievements.

NAPLAN 2017

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 across all Australian schools.

NAPLAN assists teachers in identifying students’ strengths and weaknesses in literacy and numeracy and enables teachers to adjust their teaching programs to provide appropriate support.

A NAPLAN 2018 Year 7 and Year 9 Information Evening was held at the school on March 27 of this term. The evening was well attended by parents and students. If you were unable to attend there is information on the school website. The 2018 NAPLAN tests will be conducted at the school in Term 2 week 3 (May 15-May 17).

This year’s NAPLAN reports will be given to Years 7 and 9 students in August of this year.

Library News

Ms Mock, the Teacher librarian, is currently on leave. Welcome to Mr Fabian Amuso who will be working as relieving Teacher Librarian for 2018.

Premier’s Reading Challenge

In 2018 Mr Amuso will work with the English faculty to supervise and promote the Premier’s Reading challenge at the school. All students in years 7-9 are expected to participate in the PRC. Prizes and certificates will be given to individual students and classes who complete the PRC in 2018.

Wrapped in Love

Ms Zec and Ms Dodd from Learning & Engagement as well as several other keen staff and student knitters are again meeting on Thursdays at lunchtime to knit and piece together wraps as part of the Wrapped in Love Foundation. The foundation is a non-profit organization that has over 30,0000 volunteers contributing to making a difference in the world by providing warm wraps to people in need around the world.

Learning and Engagement Faculty

Careers News

Our Careers teacher, Ms Fonseca, has again been busy in 2018 supporting students in their transition from school to work

as well ensuring that all students in years 9-12 are aware of their options as they choose their subjects and plan for the

future.

Students in Year 11 will attend the Western Sydney Careers Expo at Olympic Park in Term 2.

The Western Sydney Expo is an informative day of presentations and workshops run by experts working in different

industries. All Year 11 students are expected to attend the Expo.

As well, Ms Fonseca will be organising for University and TAFE staff to speak to our students about future courses and

pathways. Year 11 and 12 students will be given the opportunity to hear speakers from Western Sydney University, NSW

University, The University of Sydney, University of Technology, The Australian Defence Force and TAFE. They can ask

question regarding courses and gain insights into the UAC application process.

In Term 4, Year 10 students will participate in the Work Experience program. All Year 10 students have received their

Work Placement packages. The information in the packages needs to be completed and returned to the school early Term

2.

During the Year 10 Work Experience week, the Year 10 International Students will have the opportunity to work

extensively with EALD teachers and staff on English Literacy skills program to build and further improve their literacy as

well as increase their knowledge of Australian culture.

DO YOU NEED A TAX FILE NUMBER?

Do you have a part-time job or are you looking for one? You will need a tax file number. It’s easy, apply on-line at www.ato.gov.au

Creative Arts Faculty

YEAR 11 ARTIST CAMP TO BUNDANON

Year 11 Visual Arts classes attended a two-day artist’s retreat camp to

Bundanon located on the Shoalhaven River, on the south coast of NSW near

Nowra. Bundanon is the former home of Australian artist Arthur Boyd. The

property was gifted to the nation and is now managed by the National Trust.

The students visited Arthur Boyd’s studio and took a tour of the original

residence, end enjoyed the opportunity to view many original and significant

artworks by him. Students also took part in two workshops facilitated by the

Art Educators from Bundanon Trust in Landscape Painting and Mixed Media

Drawing. The work produced in these two workshops has been extended into

practical learning experiences back at school.

This was a significant camp for our Year 11 students as they prepare to move

into the HSC course in Term 4 this year, and this camp will now be a

permanent fixture on the school calendar for our senior elective Visual Arts

students.

Thanks to Ms Wong and Ms Pash for organising the camp and accompanying

their classes on this wonderful experience.

Creative Arts Faculty

SCHOOL ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR

The well established and highly regarded Strathfield Girls High School Orchestra, conducted by Mr Lewis, has moved its

rehearsal time from Thursday morning before school to Monday afternoon from 3:15 – 4:30. We would like to welcome

the many new students who have joined the Orchestra this year, and the enthusiastic response from the new Year 7 to

join the Orchestra has been very impressive. The Orchestra has already performed at the School 2017 Presentation Day,

and there are performances planned for community and school events later in the year.

The Senior Choir, conducted by Ms Fong, continues to rehearse on a Tuesday morning before school. Our senior choir

girls are looking forward to again performing this year at The Sydney Town Hall “In Concert” performance organised by

Department of Education Arts Unit. This year, we have 30 students attending and performing which we think might one of

our largest contributions to this annual performing arts event.

If you would like your daughter to participate in either of these ensembles, and / or receive their instrument tuition at

school, please ask them to come up to the Creative Arts staff room, or contact the Music teachers Ms Fong and Mr Lewis,

or Head Teacher Creative Arts Mr Middleton through the school.

EAL/D Faculty The EAL/D (English as an Additional Language or Dialect) Faculty continues to support the needs of all students from Years 7 to Year 12. It is our aim to progress students’ language development to achieve the best results possible for all students.

HSC RESULTS Last year our HSC results showed excellent achievements by the 51 students who sat the HSC English ESL examination. According to the Sydney Morning Herald ranking table for the English ESL course published on December 15, 2017, SGHS was ranked as 6th in the State and 1st in the State for a government school. SGHS had 12 students achieve a Band 6 -out of 51 students which was 23% of the cohort. Helena Ling ranked 4th in the State for English ESL and we congratulate her for this outstanding result.

FUNKY HAIR DAY Funky Hair Day continues to bring awareness to the plight of people who suffer the effects of Leukaemia. Under the guidance and organisation of Mr Cordi and the great work of the Social Justice Committee on the 15th March our School Assembly, allowed students to empathise with the worthwhile cause of raising awareness and financial aid to support the Leukaemia Foundation. A speaker representative from the foundation spoke to students about their work and acknowledged the support given by the school. The Social Justice Committee raised $723.95 for the Leukaemia Foundation. There were over ten students who took part in supporting the cause and had their hair cut on this day. Their hair will be used for wigs for chemotherapy patients who have lost their hair. This gesture was applauded by the school community. This group has grown over the years as many students see the value of supporting different needy causes in the community. Mr Cordi welcomes new members. If you would like to join the Social Justice committee, please come to the Thursday meetings at lunchtime in S23.

30 YEARS TEACHING! To acknowledge 30 years of teaching with the Department of Education, Ms Manuel was presented with a certificate. Of these 30 years, she has been teaching at Strathfield Girls High since 1998 and this year sees her teaching with us for 20 years. She laughingly states, “I’m not part of the furniture, I’m older than some of the furniture”.

WELCOME TO A NEW TEACHER! What is your teaching background? I have taught for many years, and have been lucky enough to teach a lot of subjects that I am passionate about. I have taught history for many years, but have also taught English and EAL/D- which was my very first job! What do you find different about Strathfield Girls High School? This school is huge! Really, I have never taught at such a large school before. It is so busy, but I love it. The staff are great and have helped me so much, and I already think the girls are some of the best and loveliest students I have ever taught. I still get a bit lost and confused sometimes, so I really understand how the new Year 7 students feel. Why do you like teaching? I am so proud to be a teacher. I feel I am part of a special mission- to empower young people to take on their roles as the workers, scientists, inventors, writers, artists and leaders of tomorrow. It is a joy to watch students develop into young adults ready to take on the challenges of life. What is one unusual thing about you that nobody here knows yet? One unusual thing? My obsession with shipping containers. I love them! They represent the romance of sea travel, they

stack neatly (nice!) and they are like presents. What on earth could be inside? I really don't understand why other people

aren't obsessed by them.

PDHPE Faculty House Captains and Vice House captains elected for 2018 by their peers are as listed below.

SGHS SWIMMING CARNIVAL

The SGHS Swimming Carnival was held at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre, Homebush on the 8 February. Chisholm

were the champion house in this year’s competition. Congratulations to all those who participated in the carnival and

who showed fantastic school spirit. A special mention to Caitlin Murray who achieved the highest individual point score

on the day, totalling 74 points, and for participating in 10 events. Also, A special mention to Sophie Kang who entered 9

events and had a total of 68 points for the days efforts. Students gaining places were selected to represent the school at

the Bligh Zone Swimming Carnival. Following are the results of the day.

House Champions

Age Champions

Captain Vice Captain

BATES Maysa Ayoub Sophie Kang

CHISHOLM Nicole Economou Maxine Wong

MACARTHUR Olivia Higgins Miriam Hwang

SCOTT

Abeza Poopalasingham Thilaxy Maharasa

PLACE HOUSE POINTS

1st Chisholm 253

2nd Bates 238

3rd Scott 212

4th Macarthur 114

AGE CHAMPION RUNNER UP

12yrs Kayra Hincal and Sofia No-

lan

Deeya Sharma

13yrs Selena Duong Cecilia Tran

14yrs Ayushi Bhujel Jemelia Tang-Ung

15yrs Renee Miller Sayoni Kumar

16yrs Sophie Kang Chenuki Weerasinghe

17yrs Caitlin Murray Nicole Castro

PDHPE Faculty

BLIGH ZONE SWIMMING CARNIVAL

The Bligh Zone Swimming Carnival was held on Monday 26 February at Enfield Swimming Centre, Enfield. A team of 27

students represented Strathfield Girls at this event. SGHS was second in the senior points score at the Bligh Zone Carnival

and 4th in the junior girls point score. Sophie Kang, Caitlin Murray and Selena Duong who were selected to compete in the

Sydney East Swimming competition on Tuesday 20 March at Sydney Olympic Park Homebush. A special mention to Sophie

Kang who was second by one point in the girls individual scores.

SYDNEY EAST SWIMMING CARNIVAL

Strathfield Girls had 3 students who were selected to represent the zone at the Sydney East carnival on 20 March.

Congratulations to Sophie Kang and Selena Duong who did their best on the day amongst tough competition. Caitlin

Murray was unable to participate due to an injury.

SGHS CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVAL

The SGHS Cross Country carnival was held on Thursday 1 March. All students participated in the carnival, and they

covered the course through the new layout of Strathfield Park. The first 10 runners in each age group will compete at the

Bligh Zone Carnival at Sydney Park on 1 June.

PDHPE Faculty

SGHS CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVAL

HOUSE CHAMPIONS

AGE CHAMPIONS

SPORT

Students are engaged in the sport program each Tuesday afternoon. Students in Years 7 and 8 are rotating through

Swimming, Hapkido and Gymnastics. Year 7 students will do a variety of games for the fourth activity while year 8 will

select a sport to participate in for term 4. Year 8 students, along with students in Years 9 – 11, can select a sport from a

wide variety of sports and physical activities, including archery, fitness class, table tennis, badminton, ten pin bowling,

iceskating, gardening, cardio boxing, Tae Kwon Do, yoga, dance, tennis, basketball, cricket, volleyball, Duke of Edinburgh

and Dance Ensemble. Some sports are held on school grounds, some a short walk and some sports require students to

travel by bus.

PLACE HOUSE POINTS

1st Scott 405

2nd Bates 375

3rd Macarthur 335

4th Chisholm 318

AGE CHAMPION RUNNER UP

12yrs

Deeya Sharma Archida El-Chahrouk

13yrs

Aysha Abdel-Meguid Nicole Quan

14yrs

Emanie Darwiche Subiksha Thiyagarajan

15yrs

Charlotte Kunkler Abarna Ravindran

16yrs

Kshiraja Gomadam Chenuki Weerasinghe

17yrs

Bethany Cummins Isabella Mossin

18yrs Tien Jarvis Nicole Castro

PDHPE Faculty

Tae Kwon Do

We are lucky to have a very experienced, professional instructor and Olympic

judge, Suhhee Sirohi, for our Tae Kwon Do sessions at Strathfield Girls. Suhhee

selected six students to compete in a ‘Poomsae’ (patterns) competition at the 8th

KTAA President’s Cup on the 18 March at Rockdale Sports Centre.

The six students showed their precision of skill with their corresponding pattern,

earning four of them a gold medal. These four girls include; Emily Johnston,

Kaylah Apps, Jennifer Zhao and Marcella Capraro while Thanvi Gunti earned a

Silver medal and Megan Lam a Bronze. Later, they joined their efforts as a team

and competed as groups, focusing on synchronisation and attention to detail.

The duo, Emily and Marcella triumphed and won Gold, the trio of Kaylah, Thanvi

and Megan also achieved Gold.

PDHPE Faculty

U/15 NETBALL

On Wednesday 28 February, the under 15 netball team travelled to Mascot

to play JJ Cahill Memorial High in the knockout competition. The girls played

well together and demonstrated some excellent attack and defence skills.

Unfortunately, the girls were defeated on the day. However, they worked

well together and displayed great communication as a team. Great effort

girls!

Open Netball Knockout

On Tuesday 27 March, the open netball team travelled to

Sylvania to play in the knockout competition. The girls played

well together and demonstrated excellent teamwork. The girls

played against Randwick girls first up and were unfortunately

defeated. However, they came together to fight back and win

their next two games against Beverly Hills Girls (9-7) and Oatley

(19-7). It was an excellent day had by all. A special thank you to

Georgina Mansfield for umpiring all day. Great effort girls!

OPEN SOFTBALL

The Strathfield Girls High school knockout softball team played against Woolooware High School on Friday 9 March at

Captain Cook Softball Fields Woolooware. They played a fantastic game with some great hitting and fielding. The team

worked effectively together and showed great sportsmanship throughout the match. As the game progressed, Strathfield

Girls started looking stronger and more confident. Unfortunately, we lost the match but a great experience for all players

involved.

Team: Kirishana Gnanaraja 8, Chenuki Weerasinghe 10, Shreya Jethaliya 8, Nami Shimada 9, Maxine Wong 11,

Stephanie Arroja 10, Annabelle Taing 11, Caitlin Cummins 10, Anita Le 9, Shecaniah Malla 11, Melissa Saify 10, Jemelia

Tang-Ung 8, Niddhi CHAUHAN 7.

PDHPE Faculty

OPEN TOUCH

On Thursday 15 March, the Strathfield Girls knockout touch football team travelled to

Sydney Girls High School to play the first round of the knockout competition.

Strathfield Girls displayed excellent skill and teamwork in their 10-1 win against Sydney

Girls High School. It was a fantastic effort by all students, especially in the hot

conditions, which reached 36 degrees. Congratulations to the Strathfield team who will

now progress to round 2 where they will play either GRC Oatley or Wiley Park.

On Tuesday 3 March, the Strathfield Girls knockout touch football

team travelled to Strathfield Park to play the second round of the

knockout competition. Strathfield Girls played a solid first half,

trailing 3-1 at the break. Unfortunately, Oatley was too strong for

Strathfield in the second half with the final score 8-2 to Oatley.

Congratulations to the Strathfield team who put in a strong effort to

make it through to the second round of the competition. A big thank

you to Ben Cummins for refereeing the game. The team included the

following students:

Kelsey Bollard Year 11

Caitlyn Cummins Year 10

Emane Darwiche Year 8

Sasha Devajana Year 8

Victoria Fourfouris Year 11

Mariam Margan Year 10

Isabella Mossin Year 11

Josie Mossin Year 10

Molimoli Sika Year 10

Jana Souid Year 10

PDHPE Faculty

OPEN SOCCER

On Tuesday 6 March, a group of 15 students attended the Bligh Zone Soccer Gala Day held at Marrickville High

School. They played games against Tempe High School, Blackwattle Bay, Leichhardt High School and Balmain

High School with matches resulting in a win, two draws and a loss. The girls played consistently throughout the

day and worked well together as a team. A special mention to Isabella Mossin for helping out with refereeing

on the day. Congratulations to Bethany Cummins, Isabella Mossin, Nicole Castro and Taryn Hodgess who were

successful in gaining selection into the Bligh Zone Soccer team.

The Sydney East Soccer trials were on Monday 19 March at Kareela Oval. Aron Lawford, the Bligh Zone

convener, recognised the SGHS students for their assistance on the day and the mature attitude they displayed.

Well done to these four students for their massive efforts on the day.

On Tuesday 10 April, our soccer knockout team took on Menai in an entertaining game. With our girls facing

Menai at their home ground it was always going to be a tough battle for us. We got off to a fantastic start

showing great enthusiasm and energy and scoring a screamer from outside the box. Although we were leading

by two goals early in the game we were still versing hard competitors and knew we’d have our work cut out for

us in the second half. As the game wore on our girls were unable to hold out a relentless attack from Menai, as

our match fitness proved not as strong as our opposition, something we will be sure to improve on. Although

the final score did not reflect how close the game was in patches, it was still an outstanding effort from our

girls. Overall it was an entertaining game and a learning

curve for our girls, who will build on this and only get better.

I’d also like to congratulate all girls on displaying great

sportsmanship and proving that it’s not just about winning

but enjoying the experience. Well done girls!

PDHPE Faculty

GRADE SPORT

Grade sport teams have been working consistently over the first term in the Summer grade competition. The year 7 and 8

teams have been participating in European Handball, Oz Tag and Basketball, and the Year 9 and 10 teams in Netball,

Volleyball and Soccer. Teams will have their last round at the end of term one and will then continue the competition in

Term 4. The assisting teachers and coaches at grade have reported good sportsmanship, fair play and a willingness to

participate as part of a team. A big thank you to our coaches who have assisted the teachers in coaching the teams,

scoring and refereeing each week. We look forward to seeing how the competition progresses in Term 4.

DANCE

Year 10 Dance Leaders Program

Year 10 leaders have met with their Year 7 and 8 groups. Rehearsals will continue each Wednesday at lunch in the gym. The Dance Ensemble has been working extremely hard this term on a number of items. 10 students auditioned for the 2018 Schools Spectacular with results to be released in May. The Ensemble has also auditioned for the Ultimo Dance Festival and are working on an item for Our Spectacular.

Year 11 Study Skills

A study skills workshop was held on Wednesday 31st January for all year 11 students. This program aims to support student learning

and empower them to succeed. The program covers a range items such as time management, being organised, note making, study

strategies, improving examination technique, identifying and developing strengths and achieving balance. Prue Salter delivered an

informative presentation on developing effective study patterns and notes.

PDHPE Faculty

Motivational Media

On Friday 9 February, students from Years 7-11 watched the 2018 presentation from Motivational Media ‘Take

the Lead’. The presentations aim to inspire young people to develop strategies to make good choices and that

will enable them to reach their full potential. This year’s presentation focused on the theme of taking the lead

despite the circumstances and not letting the circumstances direct you. The messages are provided to the

students through modern music and film clips on a 3 screen format.

Premiere’s Sporting Challenge

Years 7 -10 will be participating in a 10 week challenge for the Premiere’s Sporting Challenge in Term 2.

Students will start their physical activity on Monday 30 April and keep track of the time spent exercising each

day. The students can keep track on the PSC Tracker App that they have downloaded on their phone or device

or they can note their times in a logbook, which they will receive in Week 1 of Term 2.

The students are participating in class groups, and a leader has been elected by each class. The aim is to

accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise every day in order to gain a Bronze certificate.

The more physical activity the students do, the higher the level of certificate. Activities can be accumulated

from activities both in and out of school hours.

Community Connections

The Community Connections program was launched in Weeks 9 and 10. The aim is for students to volunteer

their time to help others in the community. They can find opportunities out of school (e.g. Exodus Soup Kitchen,

Nursing Home, local vet, Salvation Army, local primary school after hours, etc.). They can also volunteer time at

school to help fundraise or with events (e.g. Carnival Official, White Ribbon Day, Interact – fundraising for

Bandage Bear day, etc.)

Students are encouraged to be involved. They will receive a Bronze certificate for 20 hours of service and then

move up the program with each additional 20 hours to receive silver, gold, etc. certificates.