SONG LINES RUN DEEP THROUGH DUVAL Top of the Hill

To p o f t h e H i l l
Newsletter of Duval High School
Inside this issue:
Page 2
NAIDOC in 2016
Page 3
NAIDOC Assembly
Page 4
P&C News
Flying Squad Debating Day
Office Notices
Duval Debaters
NAIDOC Week was
celebrated at Duval
High School, acknowledging Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander
history, culture and
achievements, as well
as the contributions
that Indigenous Australians make to our
country and society.
Page 5
Interact Club Activities
- Peace Day
- Children’s Ward Donation
Page 6
Canteen News
Duval’s Hockeyroo
Lady Footballers
Safety Notice
Our students participated in a range of activities throughout the
week, including an Aboriginal debating day
in Walcha, and a public speaking workshop
with David Widders, a qualified Aboriginal trainer who offers Aboriginal cultural awareness courses and job searching training and
mentoring for our Aboriginal students. More NAIDOC pages 2 & 3
Page 7
Women in Medicine
Putting the Pieces Together
2016 Berowra to Bowen
Variety Bash
Page 8
2017 Year 9 Subject
Selection Information
Evening
Vinnie’s Community
Sleepout
Surviving Your Adoescents
What does NAIDOC mean to you?
“It means quite a lot to be able to learn about my past and present through the traditional
song and dance performances, as well as the stories told by our Aboriginal Elders.”
Nathan Westaway, (Year 9)
DATES FOR THE DIARY
 8-19 August
 10 August




11 August
15 August
17 August
30 August
Trial HSC Examinations for Year 12
2017 Year 9 Subject Selection Information
Evening
Year 7 Anti-Bullying Day
RSPCA Cupcake Day
P&C Meeting 6pm
Parent/Teacher Interviews 4-7pm
This fortnight our core
value is
EXCELLENCE
Publication of this newsletter is made possible through the generous support of the
Duval High School Parents & Citizens Association.
CORNER
PO Box 751, Crest Road Armidale NSW 2350 Telephone 02 6772 1266 Facsimile 02 6771 1766 Email [email protected]
SONG LINES RUN
DEEP THROUGH
DUVAL
Newsletter
1 August 2016
PBL
1 August 2016
Page 2
NAIDOC IN 2016
Exactly 228 years ago, Balgurri sat with his wife
atop the Rockface, and watched upon the
horizon, a strange looking vessel approaching
his land. In his native language (the Alawa)
should have roughly translated to:
“Hey love, tell those rugrats to pipe
down….Look at that DOPE lookin’ canoe
comin’ our way!”
Little did he know, that the strange looking
‘canoe’ was actually a ship, and standing upon
that ship were the men in colourful coats, that
would change life as he knew it, forever….
Fast forward 228 years, and on a larger global
scale we have ISIS trying to change the religion
of people, and change the way of life of free
people. I will ask you for one moment to imagine
that in 1 hour, a bus full of men with guns will
storm into this hall, surround you, tell you that
you will never again be allowed to follow your
religion; be it Hindu, Christian, Buddhism or
Catholic.
It will never be allowed again.
You will learn the Koran.
You will follow Islam.
You will only eat the food we allow.
You will learn our education.
We will not allow women to be treated equal.
We will change your language.
You must not speak English!
...Tell me...Really….would your life ever be the
same again?
This process was ASSIMILATION and it was
something done TO US, not WITH US….and
basically this changed Aboriginal culture in the
1950s and 60s.
As nomadic people with a respect for the land,
Aboriginal people survived with great health,
strong bodies, athleticism and sharp minds.
Family was important. While we know and
celebrate our sporting heroes like Cathy
Freeman and Adam Goodes, it is also important
to acknowledge, respect and value the
contribution and input of the many Aboriginal
people who helped shape our country. People
like David Unaipon, the face on the $50 note,
who was an Aboriginal version of Leonardo da
Vinci (who is often studied and recognised as an
artist & inventor). David Unaipon was a brilliant
writer and inventor too. He developed the patent
for a helicopter design based on the principle of
a boomerang. The Chooky Dancers are known
world-wide for the traditional dances. They
bring knowledge of the amazing world of both
past and present Australia.
Aboriginal resilience and Aboriginal PRIDE, are
what makes us a special, strong and a DEADLY
group of people. Up until 1972, Aboriginal
babies were still taken from their families, but
the tide would turn and today we have many role
models among our people. It is up to each and
every one of us to work to our potential and
demonstrate our strength, value and worth.
In the future, I hope to see equality spread not
just between Black and White, but with all of us
being treated as an equal, whether we come
from Japan, China, France, Great Britain, the
Netherlands, Africa, everywhere and anywhere.
In Australia, it’s so great to see people working
together as a team to achieve a goal that isn’t
impossible. Aboriginal or no, we are all a huge
society of DEADLY people.
Thank you.
Evelyn Ward
Year 7
1 August 2016
Page 3
NAIDOC ASSEMBLY
On Friday 29th July, Duval held its NAIDOC Assembly. Students were fortunate to view a traditional
dance and musical performance from Troy Allen, member of the P.I.E. Production Company. Dr Lorina
Barker, a descendant of the Wangkumara and Muruwari people and lecturer for the School of Humanities at the University of New England, gave the keynote speech. Dr Barker discussed the significance of
the 2016 NAIDOC theme, Songlines, the dreaming tracks that record the travels of the ancestral spirits
who ‘sung’ the land into life. She also spoke about the importance of songlines and how they are inextricably connected to the Aboriginal culture.
We also had memorable student contributions to our NAIDOC Ceremony, including the Duval Deadly
Dancers, Year 8W Music class (lead by vocalists Stevie Boney and Blake Froome), and Eliam Galindo’s
solo guitar performance You Say It Best.
Our staff, students and community guests were then invited to afternoon tea with the NAIDOC cake cutting. The significance of the cutting of the cake was to show the coming together and unification of all
cultures. Thank you to the staff, students and community guests who took part in our NAIDOC Week
and made it a truly special celebration for all.
1 August 2016
Page 4
P&C NEWS
DUVAL DEBATERS
We will be having a working bee at the school
on Sunday 7 August to maintain the front
gardens. Later this term we will also be painting
the bus bay as part of our long-term project to
improve the aesthetics of the school’s main
entry.
Recently the Year 9 and 10 debating teams
travelled to Tamworth to debate Farrer
Memorial Agricultural High School. Both debates
were spirited with the adjudicator declaring that
all the teams were the highest standard she had
seen this year. The Duval Year 9 team were
defeated by 1 point and the Duval Year 10 team
debated into the afternoon, narrowly missing a
win. The topic was familiar to rural Farrer High;
That horse racing should be banned.
Our next meeting is scheduled for 17 August,
6pm, at the school. All are warmly welcome.
Contact the school at 6772-1266 for more
information.
P&C Committee
FLYING SQUAD DEBATING DAY
On Thursday Duval High School hosted a
debating day for students across the northern
region.
Both teams gained valuable experience and
have one more round to complete before the
end of this year's debating season. Good luck
debaters!
Kyanna Villano, Claire
Wood, Vaishnavi Padeep
and Adam
Lucas are the
Year 9 Debating Team
Students from the high schools at Tenterfield,
Inverell, Glen Innes, Guyra, Uralla, Armidale
High and Duval took part in debating workshops
led by experienced presenters from the DEC
Arts Unit.
Students learnt a great deal about debating and
we were delighted to be able to host this day.
Mrs Hoddinott
OFFICE NOTICES
Please inform the office of any changes to student
contact details including:
residential address,
mailing address,
phone numbers,
email address.
Debating
Coach Jenny
Squires advises the Year 10
Debating
Team Genevieve Dunn,
Dylan Ramsay, Angus
Lawrence and
Georgia
Vaughan.
The morning
tea is always
good to look
forward to
after a debate!
The clothing pool is seeking donations of
boys and girls uniforms.
Ms Grice and Ms Squires
1 August 2016
Page 5
INTERACT CLUB ACTIVITIES
PEACE DAY
Last term members of the Interact Club
made a pledge to help make paper
cranes in collaboration with the Rotaract
Club of Rossmoyne in Western Australia.
All the paper cranes will be packaged
and sent to Hiroshima in time for
September 21. This is the International Day of
Peace resulting from the atomic bomb which was
dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.
At the end of this term, the Interact Club would
like the whole school to be involved in making
paper cranes to celebrate Peace Day. Students
can add their message for peace on the cranes
which will be displayed in the Library.
CHILDREN’S WARD DONATION
On the 22 July, Interact Club members
visited the Armidale Hospital Children’s
Ward to give them books that school
students kindly donated.
The Interact Club raised money from
selling spring bulbs in Term 1 and a Bake
Sale in Term 2. Altogether we raised $500 to
donate to the Children’s Ward so they can buy
new toys and games for patients.
We are still collecting games, books, etc. So if
you would like to help the children in need, keep
bringing in those books and games to Mrs
Rajaratnam in the HSIE staff room.
During the holidays Debbie Hyde, Samantha
Field and Sophia Knight joined Mrs Rajaratnam at
the Rotary Central meeting to teach the Rotarians
how to make paper cranes.
Interact Club Members
1 August 2016
Page 6
CANTEEN NEWS
LADY FOOTBALLERS
Duval P&C Canteen is excited to announce it is
now participating in Woolworth’s Crunch & Sip
programme. Every Wednesday the Canteen will
be receiving a donated box of mixed fruit and
vegetables. We thank Woolworths for supporting
our Healthy School Canteen.
Anyone recognise these faces?
Women are becoming a force to be reckoned
with in VAFA, the Victorian Amateur Football Association. And at the lead is ex-Duval student Bridie Walsh. Bridie joined her brother for a training
session 8 weeks ago in West Brunswick, and soon
increased the female numbers in order to organise a game with Bulleen women who were also
desperate to give the ball a kick.
Saturday 30 became the first ever official game.
Bridie was the first Duval student representing
West Brunswick, with former Duval students Jess
Aalen and Beth Winkler also early recruits. It will
pave the way for a continuing competition which
will quickly see hordes of women involved. The
three girls thank Duval for their ‘get out there and
give it a go’ mentality that has encouraged them
to break into the VAFA, says Walsh.
Congratulations to these former students on a
magnificent game. For the record, they lost. But
at least there will be a next time!
Suellen Simpson
P&C Canteen Convenor
DUVAL’S HOCKEYROO
Duval High School congratulates Georgina Morgan, who
completed her HSC at Duval in
2011, for her selection to
the Australian Olympic Women's Hockey Team.
We will follow the Hockey Roos
and cheer her on as we celebrate this great experience for
an inspiring past student.
Go Georgie!
Mrs Walsh
SAFETY NOTICE:
No vehicle access (drop-off or parking) is permitted in the bus
bay during the following times:
8.00am-10.30am
2.00pm-4.00pm
SCHOOL BUSES ONLY
DURING THESE TIMES
1 August 2016
Page 7
Women In Medicine!
Come along for what will be an engaging evening.
With four female speakers from different medical specialities speaking about their experiences, there is sure to
be something to interest everyone!
Tickets include access to the bar tab as well as finger
food.
Guests of all ages, occupations and genders are welcome!
All high school students under the age of 18 must be
accompanied by a parent.
Please see Mrs Hardman if you are
interested in going
2016 Berowra to Bowen
Variety Bash
Drummond Memorial PS
Over 100 cars are participating in this year’s
Variety Bash.
The cars will be on display at the Drummond
Memorial School Oval from 8am on August 22nd.
Bring the family, meet the drivers, and see the
fantastic pre-1976 cars.
1 August 2016
Page 8