Bayala - Term 2 Week 6 2022

'Bayala'

Welcome to our new Newsletter 'Bayala'. 

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

Our Vision

Principal's Update

This week is Reconciliation Week, with the theme “Be Brave. Make Change”. It is an opportunity to celebrate Aboriginal activism and the bravery of people who fought for, and continue fighting for what is, to a large extent, still unfinished business of reconciliation. Last Thursday was also National Sorry Day, marking the day when the “Bringing Them Home” report was tabled in Parliament in 1997, while the 2nd of June is the 30th anniversary of the landmark and historic Mabo decision by the High Court, recognising historical ownership of land by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Mabo decision led to the Native Title Act in 1993.

NAPLAN testing has been completed for our Year 7 and 9 students in weeks 3 and 4 of this term, and we are eagerly awaiting to see students’ results which will be used to provide us with valuable feedback about their progress. NAPLAN reports will be sent home to families as soon as we receive them.

Earlier this term most students were given Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits to take home. Additional kits will be distributed to students within the next couple of weeks. Rapid Antigen Tests are to be used as necessary for the remainder of the term, and I will remind parents again to keep their children at home if they are not well. Unfortunately, in addition to COVID, the flu has returned with a vengeance and there are other viruses circulating in the community. While we have noticed a reduction in COVID cases in the last couple of weeks, students and staff absenteeism is still very high due to illness. We are making every effort to obtain replacement teachers, but the teacher shortage means that, unfortunately, we frequently have classes on minimum supervision. This situation is far from ideal, but I would like to reassure you that we are doing everything we can to minimise the disruption to learning for all our students.

The school’s annual Staff Conference took place last weekend. The conference was an opportunity for staff to share their professional practice and plan for initiatives that will have a positive impact on student growth and learning. One such initiative is Ready to Learn. I have previously written to parents about this initiative that has been delayed due to the many disruptions we have faced in the last couple of years. However, the key skills of organisation, time management and study skills are critical to every student’s success. In addition, organisation and time management are also life skills, and no matter what career or employment path we choose, these skills are critical to being successful. The Ready to Learn initiative will see these skills explicitly taught to our students, and they will be facilitated through school processes and procedures that will set high expectations of our students. I will write more about what the school will do next term in relation to Ready to Learn in our next newsletter, but the focus will be on organisation, and particularly on setting high expectations and taking responsibility for one’s books and equipment. It goes without saying that parental support will be critical in ensuring that Ready to Learn is a successful strategy that can have a significant positive impact on young people’s lives while they are at school and into the future as they learn how to get organised and how to manage their time effectively.

From the Deputies

Positive Paws Program

I am pleased to report that a new group of students has started the Positive Paws program. It is wonderful to be able to take students to Guide Dogs NSW at Glossodia in person once again. Unfortunately, we have had a later start to the program this term. To compensate for this, we will continue with the same group into Term 3.

I will include photos of our students working with the Guide Dogs puppies in the next newsletter.

The aim of the program is to improve the socialisation of young puppies, which results in animals better suited to the Guide Dogs program. Selected students work with pre-vaccinated puppies for two hours a week for eight weeks. Positive benefits for students have included decreased anxiety, increased positive social interactions, building leadership capacity and an increase in aspiration for students interested in a career with animals.

If a student is interested in participating in the Positive Paws program, please see Mrs Shortland and their name will be added to the waiting list.

Uniform

Winter weather has arrived, and 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:

· Hooded tops (hoodies), jeans, leggings, non HHS sport shorts, flannelette tops and ugg boots are non-uniform items and cannot be worn to school.

· The tracksuit pants bought through the School Locker (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.

· If a student is out of uniform, they will be provided with appropriate uniform and be expected to change.

· Students who are out of uniform and without a note from parents, will be issued a recess detention.

Please refer to the School Uniform Code on the school's website.

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

Mrs Kerrie Shortland

Subject Selection for Senior School 2023

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 students will be emailed a Year 11 Subject Selection Booklet in the next few weeks. The booklet will also be available electronically through the Parent Portal.

Our Subject Selection Information Session will occur remotely, via Zoom, on Tuesday 21 June from 6pm - 7pm. Students and families will be sent a zoom link to attend the session.

Meetings to discuss your child’s subject choices will be conducted on Parent Teacher night on Tuesday 26 July and can be booked through the parent portal. You can book a meeting with either Mrs Martirena, Mrs Shortland or Mrs Hamilton. If you are unable to attend please phone the school to arrange an alternative meeting time.

HSC minimum standard

NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has implemented the HSC minimum standard to help ensure that students have the key literacy and numeracy skills for life after school. Students in New South Wales will need to demonstrate a minimum standard of literacy and numeracy to receive the HSC credential. The HSC minimum standard is set at level 3 of the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF). These skills are essential for everyday tasks and learning after school such as writing a letter for a job application or understanding a mobile phone plan. The standard is assessed through online tests across three areas: reading, writing and numeracy. The minimum standard online tests are 45 minutes long and include a multiple choice reading test, a multiple choice numeracy test and a short writing test based on a choice between a visual or written prompt. Examples of the tests are available on the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) website. Students who do not meet the HSC minimum standard can still

· Sit the HSC exams

· Receive an ATAR for University applications

· Receive a ROSA

· Receive a HSC minimum standard report

Practice tests are available for students to sit at school to help them become familiar with the online test structure and for schools to help determine student readiness to meet the minimum standard.

Students will have two opportunities per year to sit the minimum standard online tests in each area of Reading, Numeracy and Writing, in Year 10, 11 and 12. Students will also have up to 5 years from the time they start the HSC courses to sit the minimum standard online tests. The tests must be administered by schools via a lockdown browser.

Further Information NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/ nesa/11-12/hsc/hsc-minimum-standard.

Staff Conference

Hawkesbury High staff participated in a conference on Friday afternoon the 27th and Saturday the 28th of May. The conference focused on improving the writing and organisational skills of our students. Faculties presented some inspiring strategies to help students progress with their writing, through the use of WALU. WALU is paragraph writing scaffold to help students structure their writing, moving from knowledge through to analysis and interpretation to show understanding of a topic. WALU guides students in the process of engaging in critical thinking by bridging the gap between knowledge (summarise) and higher order skills (interpret and synthesise).

The conference also provided an opportunity to discuss and plan our Ready To Learn strategy. Ready To Learn aims to teach our students essential organisational, time management and study skills.

Mrs Nicole Martirena

LED upgrade program and cooler schools program is nearing completion. Students and staff are noticing the difference as the new lighting has increased the quality of light in the classrooms.

Year 11 Senior review is about to commence, this is a support mechanism for our senior students to discuss their progress into the senior schooling work load. During the review, we will discuss ways to assist in meeting deadlines for coursework and assessments.

Improvements to our agriculture department are underway including improving the drainage to our horticulture plot and around the main building. This is being done in house and part by our Hawkesbury Harvest class and Yr 11 Construction students, learning about how to correctly divert water and build drainage around buildings.

Mr Benn McEvoy

Student Achievements

Congratulations to all of our silver certificate award recipents at our Week 5 assembly. Well done and keep up the great work. 

Congratulations to our attendance prize winners. The next draw will take place in Week 10. Be in it to win it! We have prizes for students with attendance over 90% and most improved attendance. 

Congratulations to all HHS students who participated in Macquarie Zone Cross Country on May 24! Well done to Amali B who placed 10th, Cameron F who placed 3rd and Rebecca C who placed 8th. Amazing results all around! 

School Athletics Carnival

On Wednesday 1 June, HHS held their annual athletics carnival where students had an opportunity to participate in high jump, long jump, shot put, discus and track events. Well done to all students who had a go and enjoyed their day!

AECG Award Ceremony

The Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) hosted an award ceremony celebrating Aboriginal student achievement in four different categories:

• Academic Achievement
• Cultural Leadership
• Sporting Excellence
• Deadly Resilience.

Congratulations to Annalise X, Branden C, Bronti M. Also well done to Jack C and Branden C for representing the school and hosting the ceremony. 

Ancient History Macquarie University Museum Excursion

On Wednesday 18 May, Year 11 and 12 Ancient History students attended Macquarie University’s Ancient History Museum. Students looked at a range of historical and archaeological artefacts, investigated human remains, translated an ancient script and practiced archaeological investigative methods. The students also engaged in a lecture on Ancient Pompeii and Herculaneum delivered from a University Professor. What a hands on learning experience!

Year 8 Camp

Our Year 8 students were finally able to attended their camp between 18 - 20 May. This camp was postponed from 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students enjoyed lots of team buiding activities despite the chilly weather. 

Careers Corner

Whitecard course Term 2: 27 May
Students participated in another successful Whitecard course this Term. 
We will be running another one in Term 3 for students 14 and over.
A white card is required for workers who want to carry out work experience or work on a job site in a construction industry. Cost is $90.00 and students should enquire at the Careers office.

Current apprenticeship opportunities available:

• Hairdressing Apprenticeship - Freemans Reach
• Glass and Glazing Apprentice -  Mount Druitt
• Metal Fabrication Apprentice - Richmond  
• Carpentry Apprenticeship - Rouse Hill  
• Electrical Apprenticeship - Penrith
• Carpentry Apprenticeship - Marsden Park
• Production Nursery Apprentice - Londonderry
• Parks and Gardens Apprenticeship - Londonderry
• Painting and Decorating Apprenticeship - Londonderry
• Metal Fabrication Apprentice - Penrith
• Early Childhood Education and Care Trainees - Erskine Park
  

Please see below some useful websites

Assist your child with career ideas!!
https://myfuture.edu.au/assist-your-child#assist-your-child

Vocational education and training (VET)
myfuture's VET feature page introduces students to the key features of the VET sector.
https://myfuture.edu.au/career-articles/vocational-education-and-training

The future of work
To help career influencers discuss the future of work with young people, we have collated content on this topic from a range of sources.
https://myfuture.edu.au/assist-others/the-future-of-work

Job seeker resources
We’ve collated job seeker resources to help your child prepare to apply for jobs. View our resume and cover letter templates and career articles including tips on how to prepare for a job interview.
https://myfuture.edu.au/job-seeker-resources

STEM video playlist
We have added several videos on STEM-related opportunities, to inspire students to discover this fast growing and exciting area.
https://publish.viostream.com/play/c-ngwtwg3

Making good career decisions: The adventures of you
This animation series helps students to explore the mental skills required for career and life decision-making.
https://myfuture.edu.au/career-articles/details/making-good-career-decisions-the-adventures-of-you

Future You
Discover careers where STEM plays a big part. Check out the online platform featuring characters and games aimed at children aged 8 to 12 years old created by the Australian Government’s Office of the Women in STEM Ambassador.
http://www.womeninstem.org.au/futureyou/

Occupation videos by learning area
To help students explore occupations, myfuture provides over 300 videos that describe the real-life stories of people working in specific occupations.
https://myfuture.edu.au/assist-others/occupation-videos-by-learning-area

Open Days 2022
Find out when TAFEs and universities across Australia are holding their open days this year.
https://myfuture.edu.au/assist-others/open-days

Beyond the HSC Summary Sheet

What do you need to know in preparing for next year

The changes to Tertiary Level Education
Degree courses are no longer exclusive to Universities and some Universities are offering Diploma courses.  Education beyond school is going to be about finding the Educational facility that best suits your skills and interests. Learning will be ongoing throughout life and this first step should be seen as just that.

University Applications –
The UAC Guide is published by the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) and is provided to Year 12 students free of charge. Students will receive these when they arrive and will be taken through the online application process.  Students will receive a PIN from the UAC to access the application process.  THIS IS DIFFERENT TO THE PIN FROM THE BOARD OF STUDIES.

This application process covers all Universities in NSW and the ACT EXCEPT the University of Notre Dame which is a private university. Applications are direct to the University of Notre Dame and applicants are interviewed for positions in courses.  There is a minimum ATAR rank as a guideline.

Students have the opportunity to lodge up to 5 preferences for any course at any of the Universities listed in the UAC Guide.  These must be submitted by the end of term 3.  Students are able to go back into their applications and change their preferences by either adding to, taking off or rearranging their preferences right up until the end of all rounds.  Crucial questions in the decision making process are 
1.    Am I interested in this course?
2.    Am I prepared to attend this University (e.g. travel time or moving away from home)
DO NOT put in a higher ranked course after your results come out simply because you got a better result than expected.

Some Universities offer early entry programs or specific course entry opportunities as well as the process of applying through UAC.  It varies from University to University which is why it is very important to visit their websites and Open Days.

Educational Access Scheme - This is applied for through UAC and is for students who have experienced difficult circumstances during years 11 and 12.  It only applies to University entrance and applicants are given additional ATAR points if their application is accepted.
 
TAFE Applications – 
No ATAR but some courses require a certain level of Maths or English, or may have an interview, test or portfolio requirement.

For courses beginning in February, course information is available at www.tafensw.edu.au from September.  You need to check the TAFE website for dates and how to apply as they can vary between locations.

Private Colleges –
Courses are by application.  Some may interview others may just accept the application submission.  For Degree courses usually a minimum ATAR of 60 – 65 is required and there may be an interview process.  Certificate, Diploma or Advanced Diploma courses simply require the completion of the HSC.

Alternative Entry for University –
If you miss out on a course at University most have Alternative Entry Schemes which allow you to study a selection of subjects in preparation to undertaking University studies.  There is a minimum grade that needs to be achieved in these courses to be accepted into courses in a University the following year.

Also Universities do recognise TAFE Diploma and Advanced Diplomas for entry into some of their courses.

Scholarships –
Scholarship funding exists for a number of courses of study.  Most Universities have scholarship information on their websites.  Any others that are available will be detailed in the Careers Column of the Newsletter.

Open Days –
These are held by every Tertiary Educational Institution.  Some fo the Private Colleges run several sessions throughout the year but most are held in term 3.  I usually list them in the Careers Column in the Newsletter and that is the best place to look for them, along with the websites for the Institutions.

Read Column in the Newsletter – 
This is my main means of communication with parents particularly but also the students.  As information comes to my notice I will include it each week.  

Cadetships/Traineeships – 
Some industries have cadetships and traineeships which is about having a job and studying at the same time towards a qualification.

Have a Plan B, even C or D – We all have dreams and hopes but sometimes reality can get in the way.  There should be a back-up plan of alternative study opportunities that can still start you on the path you are interested in.

Email address –
Email is probably the easiest way to communicate with me and it provides me with written information that I can go back to if investigating an enquiry. Please do not hesitate to use it – both parents and students.  If I can’t answer the query I can usually provide a contact to help. 

claire.hamilton@det.nsw.edu.au

Questions to ask over the coming months
1.    Where do my skills and interest lie and what course would be appropriate for them?
2.    Do I need to go to TAFE, University or a Private College?
3.    Am I prepared to travel to where this course is run?
4.    What sort of Application process does the course require?
5.    When is the closing date?
6.    What information or evidence does the ap

2022 GERRIC Student Programs