Bayala - Term 2 Week 5 2023

'Bayala'

Welcome to our Newsletter 'Bayala'. 

'Bayala' is a Darug word meaning yarning or conversation. 

Our Vision

Upcoming Events

TERM 2

• Year 10 WSU Fast Forward visit to Richmond Campus – Tuesday 30 May 2023

• Macquarie Zone Cross Country - Tuesday 30 May 2023

• South Cares Presentation for Years 9 & 10 - Tuesday 6 June 2023

• Windsor High Didge Lessons – Thursday 8 June 2023

• Macquarie Zone Athletics - Thursday 8 June 2023 & Friday 9 June 2023
  

• Panther Trophy Girls 14s & 16s – Tuesday 13 June 2023

• Sydney West Cross Country – Wednesday 14 June 2023

• Year 11 2024 Subject Selection Information Evening - Tuesday 20 June 2023
• Year 12 Trial Examinations - Wednesday 21 June 2023 - Friday 30 June 2023

• Sydney West Athletics – Tuesday 27 June 2023
  

TERM 3

• Term 3 Staff Development Day - Friday 21 July 2023
  
• Parent Teacher Interviews - Tuesday 25 July 2023
• Year 12 Graduation - Friday 22 September 2023

Principal's Update

Term 2 started on a positive note with a successful parent/teacher night, the Hawkesbury Show and the AECG awards. Five of our students were recognised for their achievements at the Annual Da Murrytoola AECG Recognition Awards ceremony which was held at Western Sydney University on Tuesday, 16 May. Jonathan Moore in Year 12 received the Deadly Resilience Award, Jack Catania, also in Year 12, received the Cultural Award, Elissa Lindsay (10) received the Performing Arts Award, Josiah Stephens (10) received the Academic Award, and Rachelle Franklin (8) received the Encouragement Award. We are proud of our indigenous students who continue to shine and lead in many aspects of school life.

It was also wonderful to see the number of parents who were able to attend the school on Parent/Teacher Night to discuss their children’s progress. Positive partnerships with parents is one of the most important factors influencing student success, and I hope that our next parent/teacher night, to be held on 25 July (Week 2 of Term 3) will be as well attended.

Our students also did well at this year’s Hawkesbury Show. While our chickens won quite a few prizes, it’s the hard work of students and staff prior to the show that are the most rewarding experience – showing that hard work and determination pays off. I am confident that next year our students will do just as well, that they will enjoy themselves just as much, and that our animals will do even better than this year.

A few parents have approached me in the last few weeks asking about the State Government’s commitment to ban mobile phones in secondary schools from Term 4. The NSW Department of Education is currently in consultation with key stakeholders and there have been calls for a national approach, with the federal Education Minister, Jason Clare, stating that he will meet with state and territory counterparts in the middle of 2023 to discuss this. The NSW Department of Education is due to publish its policy in Term 3. Once the new policy is published, the school will hold a Parent Advisory Council Meeting to discuss how this policy might be implemented at Hawkesbury High School.

A recent article in The Conversation by Joanne Orlando, Researcher Digital Literacy and Digital Wellbeing at Western Sydney University, explores the advantages and disadvantages of banning mobile phones in high schools. I encourage you to read this article as it poses some very interesting points about the use of mobile devices by children and adults. The article can be found on https://theconversation.com/school-phone-bans-seem-obvious-but-could-make-it-harder-for-kids-to-use-tech-in-healthy-ways-204111

From The Deputies

Uniform

I would like to thank parents and students for maintaining the school’s STAR values by wearing the correct school uniform. Correct uniform is an important safety consideration that allows the school to manage risks around unauthorised people on the school grounds.

The following are important reminders of the HHS school uniform procedures:

UNIFORM TO BE WORN IN COOLER WEATHER

• The striped school jacket or school jumper (maroon) with the school emblem.
• The HHS track pants are the only track pants allowed as school uniform.
• A plain navy or black crew neck sweatshirt may be worn under the school uniform jacket if an extra warm layer is needed.
• Hooded tops (hoodies), jeans, leggings and non-HHS sport shorts are non-uniform items and cannot be worn to school.
• If a student is out of uniform, they will be provided with appropriate clothing and be expected to change.
• Students who are out of uniform and without a note from parents, will be issued a recess detention.

HHS School Uniform Code

If you have any queries about uniform or require assistance, please contact the school on 4579 6800.    

7C and 8C Semester One review

As mentioned in the 7C and 8C application forms, we conduct a class review in Semester One on student participation and performance in the 7C and 8C classes.

Teachers are currently completing an evaluation based around the following points:

• Being prepared for learning (organization of resources, bookwork)
• Working collaboratively with peers
• Being engaged as an independent learner
• Being respectful to peers, teacher, and the learning environment
• Applying teacher feedback
• Engaging with point of extension

Any concerns will be discussed with both students and parents.

Mrs Kerrie Shortland

There has been a lot of talk in the media regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) software to assist students to complete assessments. Since the early 1990s there have been many information and communication technologies which have revolutionised the research, learning processes and qualities of presentation in student work. These are as diverse as Google Scholar searches, graphics generated in Excel, Wikipedia, jstor, Grammarly and Turnitin. AI is certainly the latest and a very significant ICT change, as educators we need to ensure that appropriate judgements regarding the quality and progress of student work are made. It is essential that students understand that using AI is a form of plagiarism.

What is Plagiarism?

Plagiarism is when you claim that you have written, created or developed a piece of work that someone else originated or has been artificially generated. Plagiarism is a form of cheating, it is dishonest and it will negatively impact on your HSC results.

Q:       Is it plagiarism if I copy someone else’s work exactly and claim it as my own?

YES.

Q:       Is it plagiarism if I change some of the words or sentences in the passage
            I am copying?

YES – using someone else’s thoughts and words without acknowledgement.

Q:       Is it plagiarism if I memorise a story or essay written by someone else, and then produce all or parts of it in my exam?

YES.

Q:       Is it plagiarism if I use Artificial Intelligence soft ware to produce an  assessment task?

YES.

Q:        Is it plagiarism if someone else proofreads my work and changes my final
             draft?

NO – it is not plagiarism if someone corrects your spelling or grammar. However, if someone makes major changes to the wording of the draft, the final version is no longer your own work.

Q:        Is it plagiarism if I get ideas from my reading and research and use them to support and develop my own ideas, but acknowledge the original source when I hand my work in?

NO – it is legitimate to build on others’ ideas provided you don’t claim them as your own.

Q:       Is it plagiarism if I quote from a source and indicate this using quotation marks, footnotes and then acknowledge the source in my text and / or bibliography?

                           NO – you have acknowledged you are presenting someone else’s ideas

Year 10 Senior Subject Selection information

The Senior School curriculum at Hawkesbury High School offers a wide variety of subjects and courses, from which each student may select to suit his/her individual needs.

Year 10 are embarking on the very important process of selecting subjects for their senior years. 

There are several stages involved in this process, as outlined in the table below.

Year 8 elective subject selection for 2024

The Middle School curriculum at Hawkesbury High School offers a wide variety of elective subjects, from which each student may select to suit his/her individual interests.

The process of choosing the right course is a personal one. Students are encouraged to be responsible and realistic when they use this freedom to choose.

 They are advised to select subjects that tap into their aspirations and interests, where they can utilise their enthusiasm and strengths to achieve to their potential and become self-motivated, life-long learners.

Mrs Nicole Martirena

The schools continuing to be updated this term with E Block, F Block and G Block been reroofed and currently A Block, B Block and C Block will be completed. This is great news knowing that we will not have any roof leaks and the insulation is new so our spaces will be warmer and cooler when required. We also have different spaces getting a freshen up with paint. This makes a difference to the feeling for our staff and students when working in our classrooms. 

The school is currently undergoing its senior review program for Yr12 students. This is designed to allow conversations with students to identify strategies to keep up with coursework and assessments. Students identified will receive guidance and support to create a goal for completing the works. 

Mr Benn McEvoy

Permission Notes and Payments

School Bytes offers our parents and carers the flexibility to give permission for activities and make payments any time of the day or night. 

Our statement of accounts will continue to be emailed directly to parents/carers via email.

Permission notes will be emailed to parents/carers with an online consent link and payment link (if applicable). Parents and carers have the option to give permission and make payment via this email link sent from the school.

All activities can be seen and permission given in the School Bytes parent Portal. The School Bytes portal also allows parents/carers to make multiple payments at once via the Service NSW payment gateway. 

The schoolbytes parent portal can be found at https://portal.schoolbytes.education

Please see the below link that outlines the parent guides in School Bytes.

Da Murrytoola AECG Awards Night

Five Aboriginal students attended the annual Aboriginal Educational Consultative Group (AECG) Award Ceremony hosted at Western Sydney University on Tuesday 16 May. These students were recognised for their achievements in and out of school for the following categories: Academic Achievement, Cultural Leadership, Deadly Resilience, Creative Arts and Motivational Awards. We wish a huge congratulations to Jack C, Jonathan M, Josiah S, Elissa L and Rachelle F for their outstanding work.

Modern History Workshop

Year 12 Modern History students had the privilege of meeting with Jack Meister, a 94-year-old Holocaust survivor who was imprisoned in numerous labour camps, including Auschwitz, from August 1942 until liberation in April 1945, at the Sydney Jewish Museum. Students also toured the museum and completed two revision workshops ahead of their trial HSC examination at the end of Term 2.

Rural Fire Service Cadets

It was another information-packed session for Hawkesbury High's Rural Fire Service cadets when the brigades from Kurrajong and Kurrajong Heights visited the school. Peter Jones from the Kurrajong brigade taught the cadets important safety procedures and roles within the RFS.  The cadets were also kitted out in full fire-fighting uniforms. 

Kurrajong Heights showed the cadets their new category one fire truck and all the different compartments. The cadets reeled out the fire hoses and practiced spraying the water using the truck's water pump. They were also taught about back burning, ways to put fires out in different situations, first aid and traffic control. They all look forward to voting in their own Hawkesbury High School Cadet Captain next week. 

Hawkesbury Show

Hawkesbury High students attended the Hawkesbury Show on the Friday 28 April. The students looked very smart in there new shirts while showing the animals.

Our students did an amazing job.

Anzac Day Service

Our school leaders did a great job representing the school at the Windsor and Wilberforce ANZAC Day services on Anzac Day.

Anzac Day Service and Assembly

Hawkesbury High held the annual ANZAC Day Assembly on Wednesday 26 April in commemoration of the anniversary of ANZAC Soldiers landing in Gallipoli in 1915. We were honoured to have Paul Hibbins from the Windsor RSL Sub-Branch come and speak to the school about what ANZAC Day means to him and the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. Thank you to two of our school leaders, Luke and Brandon, for their assistance in delivering the assembly.