Cumberland High School Newsletter Issue 1 – 15 February, 2019

Welcome to Cumberland! We are absolutely thrilled to be starting 2019 with the determination and passion to make this our finest year yet! Welcome to our new Year 7 parents/caregivers and students! We are delighted to have our 148 new students joining the Cumberland High School family! Year 7 have already impressed the school community with their enthusiasm and maturity, and we look forward to an exciting six-year journey filled with opportunity, growth and inspired learning. To our fabulous Year 8 to Year 12 parents/guardians and students – welcome back! Our entire school community is committed to the pursuit of excellence together with and for every one of our students. In three short weeks we have welcomed our new students, held information evenings for Year 7 and Year 10, enjoyed the Cumberland High School Swimming Carnival, supported our Prefects with their Valentine’s Day fundraiser, engaged with our fabulous parents at our first P&C meeting for 2019 and hosted our Distinguished Achievers’ Assembly! What a fantastic start to the year!

Cumberland High School Excellence in Education 183 Pennant Hills Road, Carlingford NSW 2118 Phone: 02 9871 7718 Fax: 02 9872 5381 www.cumberland-h.schools.nsw.edu.au Email: Cumberland-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au Upcoming Events for Term 1, 2019

18 Feb Cumberland High School’s Open Evening, 5.30pm-8pm

25 Feb – 01 Mar

Hospitality work placement (all week)

26-27 Feb Zone Swimming Carnival

05 Mar P&C Meeting 7pm

08 Mar Krispy Kreme P&C fundraiser

11 Mar Sydney West Swimming Carnival

12 Mar Year 7 Vaccinations

18 Mar Term 1 Music Concert 7-9pm

25-27 Mar Year 7 School Camp (Mon-Wed)

29 Mar School Cross Country

02 Apr P&C Meeting 7pm

08 Apr Year 11 and 12 Parent and Teacher Evening

12 Apr Last Day of Term One

First day of high school, welcome to our new Year 7 students!

Cumberland High School Newsletter Issue 1 – 15 February, 2019

Our Distinguished Achievers’ Assembly enabled our entire school community to acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding Higher School Certificate results of the class of 2018! Our exceptional HSC results launched our school rank to position 133 and enabled our students to showcase the 66 Band 6 and 136 Band 5 results. Our cohort received excellent ATARS with one in five students achieving an ATAR above 85. Together with the Minister for Education, Mr. Stokes, we recognised our two all-rounders Alexandra Najdovska and Scott Shao. Our school was also recognised as the highest performing comprehensive high school in Mathematics in the Higher School Certificate across the State. What an outstanding achievement for students, family members and our entire school community.

On Monday, 18 February we are hosting our annual Open Evening. We are delighted to welcome our prospective parents and Year 7 parents/caregivers to connect with our fabulous students and staff and enjoy that Cumberland magic!

Ms Mechel Pikoulas

Principal, Cumberland High School

Congratulations to all of our 2018 Distinguished Achievers! We wish you continued success in your future endeavours.

Cumberland High School Newsletter Issue 1 – 15 February, 2019

Welcome from the Learning Design and Wellbeing team

Welcome to 2019 at Cumberland High School. We are already off to a fantastic start with so many exciting opportunities ahead for all of our students.

This year we have welcomed 148 new Year 7 students to our school community, one of our largest year groups for a very long time. I am happy to say that all students have transitioned positively into our school with the support of their Year Advisor Michael Pillay and the Assistant Year Advisor Madeline Frew, by their side, together with all of our amazing staff members.

We would also like to welcome all of our new families who have enrolled in our school. We hope that you are as excited as we are to share our students’ educational journey with you.

This year we are very lucky to have the following staff members supporting our students within the Learning Design Faculty:

We also have a dedicated Year Advisor as a point of contact for parents and students.

Year Advisors and Assistant Year Advisors for 2019:

Year Year Advisor Assistant Year Advisor

7 Michael Pillay Madeline Frew 8 Bradley Smith Thomas Zeller 9 Angie Sisala Melissa Cassel

10 Micaela Abbott Joyce Back 11 Helen Bastock Karen Alexander 12 Kari Isachsen Letitia McCubbin

2019 will see the continuation of the Year 7 and 8 explicit Literacy program. This program enables students to develop explicit literacy skills which they can transfer across their curriculum studies and improve their performance in all areas of learning. Literacy skills are essential life-long skills that will enable students to successfully engage in school, the work force and in the community.

Students in Year 10 2019 will all participate in the Minimum HSC Standards tests throughout the year. These tests enable students to demonstrate a minimum standard of Literacy and Numeracy skills that will assist in their journey towards the HSC or future employment. Further information will be provided to all Year 10 students and their families when the testing period nears.

The minimum standards tests will continue to be offered to any individual Year 11 students who have not yet demonstrated the minimum standard of literacy or numeracy. Further information will also be provided to these students and their families as the testing period nears.

Our Learning support staff will continue to work closely to support our students. This may involve staff members working with other staff to plan explicitly differentiated teaching and learning programs together with developing quality assessment tasks, as well as working in the classroom to support students. The Learning Support teachers are also available to assist with organisational skills, assessment support or general wellbeing support for our students. Working together to ensure an inclusive learning environment is created for all students is a priority for all of our staff.

The wellbeing team will continue to work closely with our students to ensure that all students experience a positive school journey. Wellbeing initiatives will be offered to students throughout the year, including “Brainstorm Production” incursions, opportunities to hear from our Police Youth Liason Officer and many other exciting opportunities, including camps in Years 7, 9 and 11 and amazing end of year excursions.

The Learning Design and Wellbeing faculty are looking forward to an exciting year ahead. We are excited to be working with the students to support and extend their learning. Students are encouraged to visit the Learning Design and Wellbeing faculty in E13 at any time support is required.

Alison Bovill Head Teacher, Learning Design and Wellbeing

Role Teacher Head Teacher Alison Bovill Learning Support

Melissa Cassel Andrew Fahey Karen Stonnill Leonie Browne Sarah King

Literacy Alison Bovill Melissa Cassel Andrew Fahey

Careers Angie Sisala Librarian Karen Alexander

Cumberland High School Newsletter Issue 1 – 15 February, 2019

STUDENT TRANSPORT AND CONCESSION CARDS If your child will be catching public transport to school, please apply for an Opal card online. Student Concession cards will be available from 1st April. Students aged 16-18 years are eligible to hold a concession card. An on the spot fine of $50 applies to students not holding a current concession card along with their opal card. Please come to the Library at recess or lunch time after the 1st of April to collect your concession card. (Except Wednesdays)

UNIFORMS, BUY ONLINE

You can now purchase school uniforms online via our school website:

www.cumberland-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/

• about our school • rules and policies • uniform policy • online store (link right down

the bottom)

or: www.taleb.com.au/cumberland-high-school-uniform-shop/

LIBRARY NEWS

Our library has been out of action during Weeks 2 & 3 while we had a new roof installed on the building. Thank you to our staff and students for tolerating the disruption and demonstrating safe practices around the worksite. We are looking forward to a very exciting year ahead, with many new resources and literary programmes for our students.

Year 7 will soon have an orientation lesson with a library search challenge. Year 10 students will have a study skills lesson with practical guidelines for how to study effectively and how to make comprehensive study notes.

Our school subscribes to an online eBook platform which allows our students to borrow freely from a specific high school orientated eBook library. Students may access these eBooks from most mobile devices by downloading an app called eplatform by Wheelers. Then simply select Cumberland High School from the list of schools and Login using your normal DET username and password. There are over 1200 popular fiction titles for students to read 24/7. Students may borrow two eBooks for 14 days and reserve eBooks that are not yet available for download.

Alternatively you may access the eBooks via:

https://cumberland.wheelers.co/

Above: Building work in progress. Crane onsite to lift the new roofing materials into place.

Cumberland High School Newsletter Issue 1 – 15 February, 2019

PDHPE UPDATE

We have hit the ground running in the PDHPE department for 2019 and we are looking forward to the many more exciting opportunities ahead here at Cumberland.

Monday 4th February was the annual CHS Swimming Carnival, held at Ryde Aquatic Centre and we had a fantastic turn out of student attendance for the day, with over 400 students at the pool willing to participate in a swimming event or cheer on their peers. Throughout the day we had many students race in the pool, there was a House Cheer Competition and the popular ‘Paddle for Points’ novelty event, which saw hundreds of students in the pool at one time, eager to gain points for their sport house.

A HUGE congratulations is in order for Year 7 student David Kim (above), who broke two long-standing records: • 12 Boys 50m Backstroke

37.13sec (record previously held from 2001)

• 12 Boys 50m Breastroke 45.22sec (record previously held from 2001)

Well done David!

The House Points race for this year’s carnival was also very tight, with only 100 points between the last and the first house group.

The winning house for the 2019 CHS Swimming Carnival was Brigalow!

Within the PDHPE faculty, we also look after Sport here at Cumberland. Our students at Cumberland participate in mandatory sport every Wednesday afternoon (except year 7), where they have the opportunity to represent CHS against other local schools if they are in a Grade Sport Team. Grade Sport team members are

reminded of the importance of returning their permission note and payment on time, and following the Sporting Code of Conduct during all games.

Students also have the opportunity to trial for and represent CHS in a Knockout Sporting Team, which are coming up in the very near future.

If you would like to keep up to date on a more regular basis with PDHPE and Sporting information, please follow us on instagram

@cumberland_high_pdhpe

Above: Swimmers in action at Ryde Aquatic Centre

Cumberland High School Newsletter Issue 1 – 15 February, 2019

NSW SCHOOL VACCINATION PROGRAM 2019

Each year N.S.W. Health works in partnership with schools to offer the vaccines recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council for adolescent students as part of the school vaccination program. This year all Year 7 students will receive vaccinations for Human Papillomavirus, (2 doses – 6 months apart) and Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis (dTpa) throughout the year while our Year 10 students will receive the Meningococcal ACWY vaccine.

Parent information Kits have been sent out to Year 7 students - if you have not received a kit yet please contact the front office. These kits include an information sheet, consent form and a privacy statement. Please return consent forms to the front office by the 20th February.

Year 7 students will receive their first vaccinations on Tuesday 12th March.

Attached is a copy of the letter from NSW Health for your reference. (above right)

Cumberland High School Newsletter Issue 1 – 15 February, 2019

SOCIAL MEDIA REVIEW

SRC LEADERSHIP TRAINING:

Our 2019 Student Representive Council members recently completed their SRC Leadership training. Here’s the moment shared on Facebook.

WELCOME NEW STUDENTS:

Our new Year 7 students at their first assembley under the COLA, shared on Instagram.

STUDENTS RAISING FUNDS FOR CHARITY

PREFECTS SPREADING THE LOVE:

Our Prefects spread the love this Valentines Day delivering songs, flowers, and chocolates to staff and students to raise funds for MISSION AUSTRALIA.

Thank you staff and students for supporting our serenading Prefects and Mission Australia.

Above Right: The prefects serenading Ms Pikoulas and Ms Ciszlowski. Below: Prefects posing for a group photo with Ms Pikoulas

Cumberland High School Newsletter Issue 1 – 15 February, 2019

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES & SUPPORT Academic Attainment: Study skills handbook, Elevate Education and How to write an assignment

Dear Students,

Just to remind you that our school is a subscriber to the study skills website www.studyskillshandbook.com.au

This is a website that will help you develop essential skills for academic success. There are units of work on topics such as improving time management skills, how to study, research skills, summarizing, technology use, brain and memory. Basically everything you need to know about getting good marks at school can be found on this site. For example, learn how the colour of your room affects your ability to study, what the best study techniques are for your type of brain, how to improve your handwriting and useful software and apps to block yourself from technology distractions.

You will also see lots of useful handouts, grids and planners at the bottom of the THINGS TO PRINT page.

To access the handbook, go to www.studyskillshandbook.com.au and login with these details:

Username: cumberlandhs Password: 183success

The more of this website you can work through the more you will set yourself up for academic success.

We will have some more presentations from Elevate Education, for the seniors, coming up later this term. Also, there will be a “How to write an assignment” presentation for Year 7 in the next few weeks.

Mr Thomas Head Teacher, Academic Attainment

Cumberland High School Newsletter Issue 1 – 15 February, 2019

COMMUNITY NOTICES

DUNDAS CHINESE SCHOOL (est. 1982)

ENROLMENT FOR 2019

Classes are for Beginner to High School level covering:

Speaking, Writing, Chinese culture.

We offer small classes and one FREE trial lesson.

Venue; Dundas Public School. Kissing Point Road. N.S.W.

Time: Thursdays, during School Term, from 3.30pm – 5.30pm.

Enquires: Call 9876 2900 or email phillip.ng@bigpond.com

Cumberland High School Newsletter Issue 1 – 15 February, 2019

COMMUNITY NOTICES

We support non-profit, local community activities and events in our newsletters. Email: cumberland-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au