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NSW Department of Education
Members of our school community have experienced many successes during 2015. We have
recently held formal celebrations to acknowledge a wide range of wonderful cultural,
social, sporting and academic achievements.
At Cessnock High School we are making a concerted effort to provide a quality education for our
students so that they are provided with a foundation to become the best person possible. This year
staff have been analysing the way that we teach and the way that we assess so that we can deliver a
curriculum that best meets the needs of our students as individuals. We have set high expectations
of ourselves and our students with pleasing results. This has led to not only improved learning
outcomes but also an improvement in student behaviour and engagement. The school's PBL team
has recently analysed 2015 data and found that there has been a 25% reduction in the number of
negative referrals made this year compared to last year. In fact there has been a 56% reduction in
the number of negative referrals made Term 4 2015 compared to Term 4 last year. To
complement this there has been a 41% increase in the number of positive incidents recorded this
year. This figure is even more impressive in the number of positive incidents recorded this year.
This figure is even more impressive when it is noted that PBLs are not included in these numbers
and substantiates that our students are meeting the challenge of seeking continual improvement!
This year we have focussed on strengthening the relationship between Cessnock High and its five
Partner Primary Schools. Our current Year 7s have just experienced the most intensive transition
program that the schools have undertaken. As a result the student's evolution from being a Year 6
student just two weeks ago to today being a member of Year 7 at CHS has been relatively
seamless.
We have held regular professional learning sessions with our colleagues in the primary schools and
this will be extended in 2016. There are plans for teachers to teach cross-campus. Next year we
will also be launching a program that will see CHS teachers visiting each other's classrooms to
observe and provide feedback designed to improve our performance as professionals. This
program will include all teaching staff including the school's Senior Executive. I believe that I've been
delegated English classes to teach which I am really looking forward to. These initiatives are all
designed to provide the best possible learning experiences for our children as they move from
Kindergarten through to Year 12.
In 2016 there will be a significant investment to improve our school's physical environment. Plans
are underway to create a combined gym / dance area, a new STEM (Science/Technology/
Engineering/Mathematics) Centre in the Industrial Arts block as well as the continued upgrade of
our classrooms, buildings and grounds. Teachers have been asked to submit proposals to change
the layout of their classrooms to better meet the needs of today's leaners. We have also begun the
process of selecting a group of students that will be asked to design and help fit out modifications
to our school library to create a "Future Focussed Learning Space". The P&C will be providing
financial support to help these initiatives to occur and I thank them for their continued support of
our school.
Finally I'd like to thank the students, the teaching and SAS staff of Cessnock High and our entire
school community for your efforts this year. Please enjoy a safe and restful holiday so that we are
all prepared for an even more successful 2016.
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE—Mr Bice
Semester 2 - 2015 Issue 4
Inside this issue:
Show Steers
News 2
Peer Support
Camp 3
PBL In Action 4
The Back Page,
SPORT.
& More 8
Page
What’s On At CHS
26th Jan Australia Day
27th Jan Staff return for 2016
28th Jan Students return for 2016
8th-10th Feb Year 7+ Peer Support Camp
23rd Feb Year 7 Immunisations
25th Feb School Photo Day
25th Mar Good Friday
28th Mar Easter Monday
8th Apr Last day term 1
Cessnock High School News Find us on The Web
cessnock-h.schools.nsw.edu.au
This year, the students have
devoted themselves to the
training, care and parading of 4
steers in preparation for the
Combined High Schools Steer
Shows.
They have been stomped, butted,
peed on, poohed on and knocked
over several times, several of
them have sported massive bruises
on arms, legs and feet. But after
every incident they have picked
themselves up, dusted off and
continued. Thank goodness for
Sue’s ice packs and kind words.
Did you know these injured could
swear?
These students have given up all
their lunchtimes for two terms.
On Friday afternoons they have
remained at school until 4 pm to
work with the steers. All are now
experts at clipping, shampooing,
blow-drying and styling.
These students have carried
themselves with pride and
confidence, always
demonstrating our school’s
PBL expectations of Respect,
Responsibility and Ready to
Learn even when the 500 to
600 kilo steers refused to
follow suit. Just look at the size
of some of our team members.
The steers outweigh most of
the students by several
hundred kilograms. Social,
competitive contact with other
schools generated very firm
friendships.
This year has been very
successful for all – we have
achieved our best carcass
quality.
This success could not be
achieved without the dedicated
mentoring of our farm
assistant, Sue Cox.
She has rescued all of us from
stubborn animals. Taught us all
SHOW STEERS TEAM—Ms Williams
“All students that
attended the day
represented
Cessnock High
School proudly.”
Miss Baczynskyj
Learning and
Support Teacher
Page 2
Cessnock High School News
how to “whisper” to the beasts.
In all aspects of training Sue has
been a fine example to everyone.
Equipment failures are soon
repaired. She is always ready with
ice packs and ice blocks.
Sue has given up all her
lunchtimes, willingly to assist our
team. She stayed back on Friday
afternoons to cook a mean b-b-q.
Volunteering to camp with us for
4 days at Upper Hunter Beef
Bonanza, Sue cooked,
encouraged, was the first aid
attendant, and games organiser.
However, she was unable to bring
herself to use the on-site
showers.
To show our appreciation, the
2015 Show steers team
presented Sue with a token of
their appreciation, a shiny trophy
and card.
Robyn Williams and the Show
Steer Team
Hunter Valley Youth
Unemployment Symposium
2015
On Tuesday the 24th of
November 2015 I had the
privilege of taking Tahya
Winchester, Talaha Small, Eliot
Jones and Jase Price to Kurri
Kurri Tafe for the Hunter Valley
Youth Unemployment
Symposium. It was here that our
students represented Hunter
Valley youth, identifying issues
contributing to youth
unemployment. Later they
collaborated with government
agencies, business
representatives, and
government officials to find
employment solutions. The
main themes identified on the
day were, mobility and
transport, transition and
pathways, employment and
diversification, skills and
training, and education and
generation disadvantage. The
day definitely empowered our
school representatives to have
a voice and make their
concerns known as well as
discussing and debating these
issues while coming up with
collective solutions. All
students that attended the day
HV YOUTH SYMPOSIUM—Ms Baczynskyj
represented Cessnock High
School proudly and championed
the cause of empowering youth
by removing barriers and
effectively providing solutions to
youth unemployment.
Miss Olivia Baczynskyj
Learning and Support Teacher
Page 3
An important student
leadership position at our
school is that of a peer
support leader. Their role is to
assist the incoming year 7
students around school and
make their transition into high
school as smooth as possible.
The highlight of this program is
the peer support camp. This
PEER SUPPORT CAMP—Mr Hamilton
camp saw 23 students from
year 10 travel to Tahlee to
participate in a variety of team
based activities. These
activities included bush
walking, team challenges and a
student wellbeing awareness
program.
The peer leaders were then
able to use what they have
learnt in the transition
program this year. As student
mentors and advisors, they
play an integral role in
supporting their fellow
students at our school and
next year will participate in
integrated sport, school to
work programs and assist on
the year 7 camp at Adventure
Land, Forster. Mr Ryan, Ms
Thompson and I were greatly
impressed with
their eagerness and
determination to
play an important
role in student
wellbeing and help
shape the future of
Cessnock High
School.
Mr Hamilton
Following on from last terms successful reward excursion
to Charlestown Square, this term saw the annual pilgrimage
to Homebush Bay for the V8 Supercars. While Mr
Penglaze’s powerful and emotive rendition of ‘My Heart
Will Go On’ from the movie Titanic proved popular (there
were calls for an album to be released), the sights and
sounds of the V8 Supercars always rings home to the
people of Cessnock. Once inside the precinct, a vast array
of stalls, car parts, extravagant and antique cars greeted the
students.
The smell of burning rubber and the fumes from the V8
engines soon filled our nostrils and the purring engines and
glistening metallic
paintworks
proved
mesmerising. I’m
sure we had the
same spine
tingling goose
bumps as those
who witnessed
Beethoven’s symphonies all those years ago. Thank
you to Mr Starkey, Ms Thompson and Mrs Kirsten for
making the journey down to Sydney. I would like to
take this opportunity to congratulate you all on
another great term. Thank you to all the students who
treat each other with respect, bring a responsible
attitude to their studies and come to school ready to
learn. Have a happy and safe festive break. See you all
in 2016!
Mr Hamilton
PBL Reward Excursion to the V8 Supercars—Mr Hamilton
Ethan Jeffery & Mackenzie Allsop at the V8s
This year, selected students in Year 7 and 8 have participated in Cessnock High School’s
Positive Behaviour for Learning Program. This program has 3 different levels and has given
students an opportunity to excel outside of the classroom. All student involved have
shown significant growth in their behaviour, academic success and interactions with
others.
Level One: The Connect Program
20 Year 7 students have been involved
in the Connect program over Term 3
and 4.
Students have been allocated a
teacher mentor and have been
working every Tuesday Period 1 on
targeted interventions. Students have
experienced peer tutoring, intensive
PBL lessons and have been working
on projects to use in our transition
program for our incoming year 7
students.
Through the involvement in this
program, students have shown an
improvement in academic success
and a 90% increase in positive
referrals.
This year’s successful students
on the connect program and
winning a free PBL rewards
excursion are:
Siara Nash, Tamara Paul, Jack
Yates and Chloe Whitfield
CESSNOCK HIGH SCHOOL PBL PROGRAM
Page 4
Level Two: The Check And Connect Program
The Check and Connect program requires students to meet with a teacher mentor
every morning from 9:00am-9:15am. In this meeting students work on their organisation
skills, set daily goals and work on academic skills.
Six Year 7 students have been involved in the Check and Connect program and through
the involvement in this program have shown a reduction of 70% in positive referrals.
This years successful students on
the Check And Connect program
and winning a free PBL rewards
excursion are:
Charles Burdett, Taniela Tuivai and
Zeke Piper
Level Three: Check In and Check Out
Our newest program is the Check In and Check
Out program. Students on this program check in
and out during lunch time and are required to get
a tracking card filled out each lesson.
30 students from Years 7-10 have participated in
the program and once again we have been very
impressed with the level of commitment and
success of our students.
THE PBL team are looking forward to working with more students next year on the
Connect, Check and Connect and Check In and Out programs.
A special mention must go to the commitment of the staff members on the Check in
and Check Out team: Mr Hamilton, Miss Crooks, Mr Ryan, Mr Bryson, Miss Thompson,
Mrs Fairweather, Mrs Gill and Ms Macdonald. Without the work of these dedicated staff
this program would not have been the success that it has been.
Page 5
9X Food Technology class
participated in their first
practical lesson and created a
delicious healthy summer treat
utilising in-season fruits. The
fruit skewers were then
brushed with a mint syrup. The
students worked well following
safety and hygiene procedures
and I look forward to working
with the students in 2016
creating tantalising food
products.
Ms Screen
Page 6
Semester 2 - 2015 Issue 4
TAS (Technical & Applied Science) at CHS
SCHOOLS SPECTACULAR Chantel Sinclair, Chelsea Leigh Wilson, Marie Bashir (Governor of NSW) &
Jordana Dunn. This photo was taken at Carriageworks in Redfern for the Broad
Spectrum newsletter. This was during School Spectacular.
AND SO IT BEGINS… YEAR 7 ADVISOR’s REPORT
And so it begins…. November
30th saw our newest members
begin their journey at
Cessnock High School. Early
nerves soon gave way to
excitement, enthusiasm and
familiar faces. Throughout the
term, a number of
refurbishments took place in
their class home rooms which
saw new furniture, curtains,
pillows, paint and educational
resources. The decorative
highlight was the daring and
audacious addition of an NRL
clock complete with matching
black, white and blue pin
boards in room 10. Therefore
it is my expectation that all my
year group shall cease following
the lesser teams of the National
Rugby League and begin their
association with the Cronulla
Sharks.
The first few weeks have seen
year 7 make a successful
transition to life at high school.
A reminder that our camp will
run from Monday 8th to
Wednesday 10th February,
which is in Week 3 of Term 1.
Please return the permission
notes and money to the front
office as soon as possible to
secure your spot. Finally I
would like to thank year 7 for
their respectful and
responsible attitude to their
studies and I look forward to
seeing their readiness to learn
next year. Have a safe and
enjoyable Christmas and a
happy new year.
Mr Hamilton
Chelsea Wilson, Chantel Sinclair and Jordana Dunn in their School Spectacular costumes.
End of year Aboriginal Camp
“The first few
weeks have seen
year 7 make a
successful
transition to life
at high school. ”
Mr Hamilton
Year 7 Advisor
Year Advisors 2016 Year 7 Mr Hamilton
Year 8 Miss McCurry
Year 9 Ms Burke
Year 10 Mr Penglaze
College 1 Mr Ryan
College 2 Mr Goodwin
Head Teachers English Miss Payne HSIE Mrs Duncan
Maths Mr Atkinson PD/H/PE Mrs Miles
Science Ms Mowatt CAPA Ms Falconer
TAS Mrs Fairweather
Support Mrs Bruce Rlg
Suspension Centre Ms Doolan
Office SAM Mrs Natalie Sweetman
Congratulations to our Sports Award Recipients
Service to Sport Award
Jessica Apthorpe
Premier’s Sporting Challenge Medal Olivia Little
Junior Sportperson of the Year
Chantel Sinclair
Cessnock High School
Aberdare Road,
Cessnock NSW 2325
Phone: 4990 1977
Fax: 4991 1815
Email:
NSW Department of Education
Principal: Mr Chris Bice
Deputy Principals: 2016
Year 7, 9, College 1
Ms Hayley Macdonald
Year 8, 10, College 2
Mrs Liana Gill
The Back Page FROM THE SPORTS DESK Mr Goodwin
Newsletter by Email
I would like to receive my newsletter by email. My email address is:
______________________________________________________@ ________________________________. _______ . ______
Student Name: ______________________________________________ Year: _________________
Parent Name: _______________________________________________
Newsletter Editor:
Email: [email protected]
Congratulations to our Sports Award Recipients
Caltex All Rounder Award
Thomas Abbot
Trevor Lee Memorial Award
Jayden Gurnhill
Senior Sportspersons of the Year Liam King, Jeremy Smith
