Narrabri High School Community News Educational Excellence and Innovation in a Unique Caring Environment

November 2018

Meetings 19 November in Library

6.15pm Canteen Committee 6.30pm P & C Meeting

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Principal’s Report

"Ho Ho Ho, and Merry Christmas", I can't believe that I just wrote that.....the year has gone so quickly! This is the last newsletter for the year, but I encourage everyone to attend the two end of year presentation events - on December 11th during the day, and on the 12th the official night. If you attend Presentation Night please take home a copy of the annual school report, which gives a detailed summary of the achievements of our wonderful students.

2019 Planning Since the last newsletter, I have adjusted the anticipated number of students for next year, as it looks like there will be 10-15 less students. One of the major reasons for this change is the drought, and the Department of Education has been proactive in ensuring that staffing numbers will not be affected next year. There is some good news for both Mrs Flood and Ms Lilliebridge, who are expecting their first children during term one next year, congratulations. We will continue to support the transition to High School of Primary School students by funding a teacher and creating an additional Year 7 class, as this has proved to be very successful this year. We will have a group of vocational education students accessing TAFE for one day per week in both Years 9 and 10, and Tracey Taylor will continue in her role of supporting this area. Ms Cherrie Pocock received a service transfer at the end of Term 3 (literally 3.36 pm on the Friday!) to teach at Wee Waa. I thank Cherrie for her many years with us, the outstanding contribution that she made to the Art Department and her increasing role in student welfare. Mr Brodie Rumsby has taken on the role of Year 8 Advisor, and I know he will do a great job. Miss Erika Sorby has been teaching with us in the HSIE area, but she is also fully accredited to teach Art and Digital Media, and it is pleasing to inform you that she has been appointed permanently to fill Cherrie's position.

Aboriginal Education has made great strides this year, and I am excited to inform you that we are in the final stages of signing on to the Clontarf program. This program is targeted at Aboriginal boys and promises to enhance their academic, social and cultural progress and maturity. The students will be in their normal classes the vast majority of time, and non-aboriginal students will also have an involvement in the program. Some of our staff have visited other schools or talked to school leaders to discuss the Clontarf project, with overwhelmingly positive recommendations. Whilst every town and school is unique, it is fair to say that Inverell and Quirindi have many similarities to Narrabri, as do Moree and Oxley High (Tamworth).

The Higher School Certificate examinations are over, and now we await the results. Students that I have spoken with were positive, and indicated that they had been prepared for the specific examination papers. It is important to note that whilst the final results and ATAR placement are important, there are many paths to future success. Many students will simply use their school reference as the main way to obtain a job. It is fair to say that we are proud of the maturity and development of our Year 12 cohort, and we would like to thank their families and the community for their support in our partnership.

Year 12 left and we needed to have new school leaders. Potential prefects were required to deliver a speech to most of the school. I was impressed with the variety in the speeches, but also the quality. After the ballot, the following people will be our Captains: Layten Smith and Georgia Goodhew, with Matthew Nash and Jenna Baxter as Vice Captains. The Prefects are James Madden, Emily Stiller, Emily McFarland and Rochelle Hensley. Congratulations to all of these students, they are worthwhile ambassadors of Narrabri High School.

Year 6 are coming at the end of the month for a full day of learning at the school. All of the students have been for a visit, with some having a more extensive transition program. Mrs Davies is the Year 7 Adviser for next year, and she has already been busy making them feel welcome. I would also like to thank Ms Amy Johnson for her role as transition officer.

C a l e n d a r

November

16 Year 12 Formal

December

3-7 Year 10 Work Experience

11 Special Assembly

12 Presentation Night

19 Last Day of Term for Students

February

6 Term 1 2019 for Years 7, 11 &

12 Commences

7 Term 1 2019 for Years 8, 9 &

10 Commences

I am proud to say that Narrabri High School cares for its students. We had a commemorative garden and tree planting ceremony to pay tribute to the students that passed away in the last twelve months: Brendan Lennox, Stephanie Stuart and Toby Linehan. Unfortunately, I was not present on the day, but I have been told that it was a wonderful initiative, with the students in attendance showing great respect. These students will never be forgotten and in addition to this location, we have established an annual award at presentation night to be given to students who have the same wonderful qualities as Brendan and Steph. In addition, there will be an annual award for the best and fairest Rugby league player called the Toby Linehan award, in recognition of Toby, both as a student and a staff member, who tragically passed away earlier in the year. Toby received this award, as a student last year.

Finally, please spend some time with your family during the Christmas vacation, spend some time in the air conditioning, and for the students, recharge your batteries for 2019. Please drive safely and stay safe.

Dinos Charalambous Principal

Year 12 Farewell Gift Every year, Year 12 raises money through various activities

such as ‘slave day’ to donate a parting gift to the school. This

year’s Year 12 donated a garden to remember Brendan

Lennox, Steph Stuart & Toby Linehan. On Friday November

2nd, students, family and friends watched the planting of

the memorial trees, followed by a big morning tea. The

garden is not finished yet. There will be a bench seat there

soon. Year 12 hope that this area will be a place students

can go to remember their friends and the good times they

shared.

Carla-Jane Lennox, Gary

Lennox, Tracey Lennox

Jane Linehan & Marty

Linehan

Georgia Stuart, Eileen Roberts, Annabelle Gordon, Georgia Hardman, Makayla Beddows, Danielle Bird,

Jorja Bakhuis, Glen Stuart

School Terms for 2019 Term 1, 2019 5 February 2019 – Staff Development Day 6 February 2019 – Years 7, 11 & 12 7 February 2019 – Years 8, 9 & 10 12 April 2019 – Last Day of Term 1

Term 2, 2019 29 April 2019 – Staff Development Day 30 April 2019 – All Students Commence 5 July 2019 – Last Day of Term 2

Term 3, 2019

22 July 2019 – Staff Development Day 23 July 2019 – All Students Commence 27 September 2019 – Last Day of Term 3

Term 4, 2019

No Staff Development Day

14 October 2019 – All Students Commence 18 December 2019 – Last Day of Term 4 for Students 19 & 20 December 2019 – Staff Development Days

School Start & Finish Times

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday – 9.00am to 3.25pm Wednesday (Sport Day) – 9.00am to 3.10pm

Summer Uniform We wanted to remind you of the school’s full summer uniform, which we encouraged students to be wear. Please remember appropriate black leather/suede shoes are compulsory also NO leggings, short shorts, footy shorts or t-shirts are to be worn. If your child is out of uniform, please provide a note of explanation. Financial support is available for purchasing the uniform, any questions please contact the school on 6792 1633. Junior Girls Summer Uniform

School Dress – white collar and cuffs

Tailored navy skirt or shorts

Navy polo with school emblem Junior Boys Summer Uniform

Grey shorts (SCAGS or 720’s)

Navy polo with school emblem Senior Girls Summer Uniform

Tailored navy skirt or shorts

Senior polo shirt with school emblem Senior Boys Summer Uniform

Navy Shorts

Senior polo shirt with school emblem Girls and Boys Summer Sports Uniform

Black or Blue shorts

Light blue polo shirt with school emblem

Remembrance Day

Centenary of Armistice 2018 - 100 years since the guns of the Western Front fell silent after 4 years of continuous fighting. Each year on 11 November at 11am - the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month - we pause to remember those who have died or suffered in all wars, conflicts and peace operations.

Jenna Baxter and Matthew Nash ran our Remembrance Day assembly at school on Friday 9th November, Matt played ‘The Last Post’ and Jenna shared some history about the day. Then on Sunday 11th November students and staff participated in the RSL Service.

We will remember them. Lest we forget.

Year 8 Textiles Excursion

On Monday 5th November, Year 8 Technology students visited Ursh’s Fabric Shop to purchase fabric for the aprons they are creating in textiles class. The class enjoyed exploring the different types of fabrics that were on offer. Thank you again Ursh for welcoming us into your store.

Year 7 Silver Research Tasks

Year 7 Silver had to select an interesting or unusual insect/minibeast. They researched information about its habitat, diet, appearance and other interesting facts. After researching, each student presented the information in a lap-book format.

Year 11 Farm Vehicle Safety Training

Year 11 Primary

Industries students

had been given

the opportunity to

participate in farm

vehicle safety training

that was delivered by

TAFE in Moree. The

students attended the

rural skills centre in

Moree from Monday

22nd October through

to Friday 26th October

2018 in which they

travelled to Moree

each day. The week began with the students completing

their training in four wheel and two wheel motorbikes. From

the students who had no experience to the ones whose skills

needed refining, everyone learnt lots and enjoyed their time

riding. They also learnt about safety, tying down bikes on

trailers and the

importance of washing

at the end of the

session. Next, the

students improved

their tractor operation

skills including how to

operate a tractor, the

use of different

implements, attaching

various implements

and manoeuvring

through various

situations. They

finished the week

learning about

biosecurity and the importance of cleaning down machinery

after each use and between farms. Year 11 Primary

Industries students learnt a lot during the course of the

week. It was great to get out of the classroom, hone their

practical skills and continue to work towards their Certificate

II in Agriculture.

Congratulations Year 12 2018

SRC Bulletin Another term presents exciting new initiatives and events the SRC students are eager to organise and run. This term we will be hosting a SCHOOL DISCO! Bringing to you- music, dance, food and fun! Keep your ears and eyes open for the upcoming information about this event!

The SRC is proud to announce the start of NHS Earn and Return recycling, an initiative driven by our newest School Captain and passionate SRC member Georgia Goodhew. Georgia approached the P & C to put forth her proposal to purchase recycling bins that will be placed around the school for students to deposit their

plastic bottles into. The SRC will then collect the bottles and dispose of them at the Challenge Earn and Return Centre. The money made will go directly back to the students in various forms as needed, for example, outdoor furniture, school equipment, school events etc. We are very excited to get this up and running and thank the P & C for its support in purchasing the bins. Each week the SRC coordinates a roll call class to nominate bell songs. Randomly selected from the list of nominated songs we all get to enjoy variety and students have a chance at having their song played. At times the selections are not favoured by all, but it is a fair and a fun way for the students to have input into something so prominent in the running of our school day.

Year 7 Visual Art

Year 7 Visual Arts

students have been

working through a unit of

work based on animals.

At the start of the term,

they learnt about

prehistoric painting,

leading to students

creating their own

prehistoric wall art by

mixing brown paint and

using sponges to apply

the paint to their

artwork. More recently,

students have learned about Indigenous Art, focusing on

three styles of

Indigenous Art; Rarrk,

x-ray and dot painting.

Year 7 classes have

learned about some of

the history of

Indigenous Art as well

as its cultural

significance. Students

are working towards making artworks in each style. Rarrk is

an art style characterised by cross hatching. Students drew

an image of an animal onto black paper, then outlined it

with white pencil. After this, they added the cross-hatching

pattern with natural

colours. Students are

now working on making

a dot painting, starting

with a background

where they need to

stipple paint onto the

page. The next step is

to go over the page with detail using dots to create beautiful

flowing patterns. All students have made an excellent effort.

MC Class Happenings

The MC class has been enjoying this Spring weather and the students have been harvesting beautiful radishes from their class garden. Their garden is designed to provide a rich learning experience, teaching the students how to prepare, maintain and harvest edible plants, as well as assist the Food Technology and Hospitality classes by providing those herbs needed in small amounts. Better picked fresh than bought from the supermarket.

In Science students have been learning about Motion and Forces, putting together a display poster and engaging in the many practice applications of this topic.

Students have enjoyed Pyrography in Industrial Technology – Wood. Getting to draw their own detailed design and use the wood burning tool to create a masterpiece!

Careers News

Year 12: Scholarships and Bursaries

The following information on tertiary scholarships has been sent to the school post HSC examinations: 2019 C.A.S. Hawker Scholarships Applications for the 2019 Charles Hawker Scholarships open on Monday December 3rd and close on January 4th 2019. An application form and further information about C.A.S. Hawker and the scholarship are available from www.hawkerscholarship.org or by contacting the secretary to the Trustees in Adelaide on 08 8127 1654. Hawker Scholarships are valued at up to $60,000.00 over three years and are amongst the most generous, privately funded, residential scholarships available to Australian undergraduate and postgraduate students. There are a number of scholarships awarded each year. The Trustees offer them to capable students of principle and character, who have demonstrated a commitment to the wider community. Selection is based on personal qualities as well as academic ability.

RASF Vocational Education & Training (VET) Scholarships are Open!

The RAS Foundation is calling for applications for Vocational Education & Training (VET) Scholarships. VET Scholarships are available to students studying at, or who will enrol to study at registered training organisations including TAFE and local colleges in 2019. The scholarship aims to support individuals in NSW who demonstrate a commitment to a career in rural and regional NSW. If students are planning to study in areas such as Agriculture, Community Services or Wool Classing this scholarship could be for you. Scholarships of up to $6,000 for full-time study or up to $3,000 for part-time study are available in 2019. For further information go to: http://www.rasnsw.com.au/foundation/

Full-Time Apprenticeships Available for School Leavers Employers are currently recruiting for Certificate III Electrical and Certificate III Mechanical Apprenticeships in the Gunnedah and Narrabri regions. Students can find out more about these positions and make their applications for these positions on the following links: Be quick as time is running out! Electrical http://jobs.hvtc.com.au/job/job_details.cfm?id=429915&from

Mechanical http://jobs.hvtc.com.au/job/job_details.cfm?id=429917&from

Years 10 and 11 Work Experience

Year 10 will be completing work experience in three weeks’

time (3-7 December). In Term 3 the necessary forms were

distributed to students and they were asked to approach

employers, complete the necessary forms and return them

to the school by the beginning of Week 3 (October 29).

Those students who were having difficulty settling on or

finding an employer were offered assistance, and many have

availed themselves of this.

Unfortunately, a large number of students have still not

returned their forms. We are, therefore, seeking parental

assistance in encouraging these students to undertake the

necessary action. This is now becoming a matter of some

urgency as the Careers staff need time to process each

placement, assess its suitability, undertake a risk assessment

of each of the workplaces involved and organise staff to

conduct a welfare visit for each student during their

placement.

Work experience is a long-standing and a proven valuable

program. In particular, it is useful in introducing students to

the expectations of employers, the conventions that must be

observed in the workplace while also, for a lucky few, paving

the way to school-based traineeships or even employment.

For some students this will be their first ever experience of a

work environment, while for those who have chosen wisely,

it will also present an opportunity to experience first-hand

an occupation that they are considering as a potential

career.

Vocational Education and Training Courses – TAFE

Those Year 10 students who have chosen to undertake a

TAFE course as part of their Preliminary HSC studies next

year are required to complete a TAFE Student Details form.

These were distributed, with instructions, a few weeks ago.

Many are now overdue. The form requires students to apply

for a Unique Student Identifier online. To do so students

must provide details from personal documents such as their

birth certificate, learners permit, Medicare card or passport.

Without the completed form the school is unable to lodge

students’ applications for a TAFE course. Given that it costs

the Department of Education between $3000 - $7000 to

fund each TAFE student (depending on the course), the

school will have to withdraw from consideration those

students who have not returned their forms before the

billable date. Parents are asked to ensure that the necessary

form is completed and returned to the school as soon as

possible.

Defence Force Presentation

On Wednesday 21 November representatives of the Defence

Forces will visit the school to speak with interested Year 10

and 11 students about careers in the Australian Defence

Force. The Defence Force provides a wide variety of

opportunities including the option to learn a trade or to

complete fully funded university studies. Student still have

time to sign up for the presentation.

School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships

The following School based Apprenticeships and Traineeship

(SBAT) positions are on offer for students who will be in Year

11 next year:

Six retail school based traineeships through

McDonalds Restaurants

Two automotive traineeships through local Narrabri

employees

SBAT’s offer the chance for students to gain industry

qualifications while still at school. Off-the- job courses are

fully funded by the Department of Education and count

towards the student’s HSC results while the paid on-the-job

component occurs once every school week and during part

of school vacations. These are a fantastic opportunity for

students to make themselves immediately employable upon

leaving school and often lead into a full time position in their

own right. It is disappointing that, despite the efforts of the

school and local employers, many traineeship positions have

gone begging this year through lack of interest from

students.

Should there be any students interested in applying for the

above positions they should see Mr Randall or Mrs Taylor in

the Careers office as soon as possible.

Year 9 Textiles Technology

This semester Year 9 Textiles Technology completed a

furnishings unit where they designed and produced cushion

covers which showed two types of fabric decoration.

Also this semester they have been completing a unit on

Textile Art. The students have been designing and producing

wall hangings with the inspiration of Rural Australia. We look

forward to having these completed and framed soon to be

hung on display in the front office of the school.

University of Queensland Parent Mental Health

Survey

Have you got a teenager or “tween” (11 to 17 years old)? Want to do an anonymous online survey to help researchers (and have the chance to win a $100 gift voucher)? The UQ Parenting and Family Support Centre is wanting as many Australian families as possible to take part (so please share this post)! The survey covers your experiences on raising teenagers, how parents and teenagers get along with each other, and parents’ and teenagers’ mental health and wellbeing. You can do it by yourself or with your teen. For more information on the study and to complete the survey, please go to: https://exp.psy.uq.edu.au/parentingteens/project/mentalhealth. You can also contact the research team at parentingteens@uq.edu.au.

Calendar for Cultural Diversity

Mrs Duncan’s IM Class has been selected to have its class art work, “We are Unique and Diverse” included in the 2019 calendar for Cultural Diversity. The work will also be included in the new online art gallery and will be featured on the Department of Education website which will showcase a range of artworks from primary and secondary students. Congratulations.

Year 10 & 11 Study Skills Workshop

Elevate Education visited NHS on Wednesday November 7th to deliver study skills workshops to Years 10 & 11 students, and their parents. Elevate presenters have delivered their seminars to over 350,000 students across the globe. These workshops aim to help students improve their study techniques, increase motivation, build confidence and lift example performance.

33 students attended two workshops;

- Study Sensei, helping students study effectively

- Time Management, managing time effectively and

overcoming procrastination

Parents in attendance at the evening workshop received tips

on how to help their children implement the provided

strategies at home.

All sessions received rave reviews and the students left

feeling better equipped to achieve success in their senior

years.

Year 8 Monday Maths

Year 8 students have been working on their teamwork and

perseverance skills in their Monday maths lessons this

month. Week 5 saw students working with fractal pyramids

and paper polyhedrons. In order to build their 3D shapes in

the given timeframe, students had to work in groups, taking

on different rolls to share the workload. They had to be

precise with their cutting and had to follow the instructions

to ensure their shapes fitted together correctly.

Paper Polyhedron created by Sarah, Riley, Jordyna & Poppy

A combined class attempt at a fractal pyramid (aka a triangle tree)

Australian Poet Visit

Last week Narrabri High hosted the renowned Australian

Poet Steven Herrick. Mr Herrick has published over 24 books

for young adults and children. His works include fiction,

poetry collections and novels in verse. In recent years, some

of his works have been on the HSC reading list.

Steven Herrick was born in Brisbane and lives with his family

in Katoomba, when he is not travelling around the country

speaking to students. He describes himself as a self-

appointed ambassador of verse, wanting his audience to

recognize poetry as an enjoyable, and entertaining medium.

Ms Manchee arranged for Mr Herrick to come to the school

to do a presentation of his poems and conduct a workshop

with our year 11 students. The students thoroughly enjoyed

the interaction with the poet, gaining insight on how to

construct poetry. Steven was also very generous in

personally signing our collection of his novels that we have

in our library.

Steven Herrick & Robert Davies