07 June 2016 Week 24

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June 2016
Our Mission Statement: ‘To nurture personal best and global
citizenship in every student by providing a safe and vibrant
learning environment with inspiring teaching’
We live in a day and time where success in primary and secondary school and
being able to transition that into lifelong learning is literally a prerequisite to
succeed in the global economy.” Mike Mattos
Our school’s main objective, as I have stated many times, is to provide a high
quality educational environment, which is focussed in learning by
strengthening student resilience, social awareness and inquisitiveness.
Instrumental to our success, are always our teachers whose passion,
commitment and expertise nurse a healthy learning environment, our
students who are committed in achieving their best and making a positive
difference in other peoples life and certainly our parents and caregivers who
endorse our values and expectations. Our commitment is always for Asquith
Girls High School to be a lighthouse for educational innovation and leadership.
It is under the light of the above that our school continues to celebrate
initiatives and personal achievements at every available opportunity with
XCEL.
Celebrating Achievements
In pace with our high achievement effort is our students’ involvement in
extra-curricular and leadership activities.
Congratulations to:
Year 8 and 9&10 Debating Teams who won the debate against Castle Hill High
School and Asquith Boys High school respectively. It is worth noting that the
Year 9&10 Team won 3 of the 4 debates.
Our Mock Trial Team who won against Normanhurst Boys High school.
The Basketball knockout Team for coming top in the Region
We are very proud of them and we wish them further success in their next
round.
It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you our 2016-17 student leaders.
Captains:
Laura Cook and Ana Vaka
Vice Captains: Rebecca D’Souza and Gillian Norris
Senior Environment
Prefect – Sara
Clipperton
Senior Sport Prefect
– Jaslyn Setiadji
Senior Social Justice
Prefect – Zahlia
Hamer
Senior XCEL Prefect –
Maddison Turner
Senior Welfare
Prefect – Felicity
Harrison
Senior CAPA Prefect
– Lauren Wadling
Senior Transport
Prefect – Taylor
Webb
Environment Prefect
– Melanie Bulmer
Senior Media &
Events Prefect –
Tiegan Gleave
Senior International
Prefect – Natashya
Sutardjo
Senior Assemblies
Prefect – Elizabeth
Wilson
Environment Prefect
– Alexia Van Noort
Media & Events
Prefect – Simran Paul
Social Justice Prefect
– Xueling (Selina) Liu
Sport Prefect –
Jemma Lewis
XCEL Prefect –
Amber Stevenson
Transport Prefect –
Teon West
Social Justice Prefect
– Taylor Steel
Sport Prefect –
Rebecca Rogers
CAPA Prefect – Ruby
Dashwood
Assemblies Prefect –
Amelia Dodd
Welfare Prefect –
Joanne Lee
International Prefect
– Krizia Abellon
CAPA Prefect – Tara
Melville
Assemblies Prefect –
Paniz Parsfar
Media & Events
Prefect – Emma
Phillips
Welfare Prefect –
Sarah Muncey
International Prefect
– Jihyong (Lucy) Lee
Transport Prefect –
Lauren Dandie
These students will officially take over the new positions after the Investiture Assembly
in Week 5 of Term 3. Until then, they will be taking the opportunity to shadow the
current Prefect team to learn from their skills and experience.
Congratulations to these students for stepping up and taking on these important
leadership roles within our school community.
The Athletics Carnival was an absolute success! Congratulations to all participants, staff
and organisers of the event. I can assure you, we are not short of talent, across all years,
especially in year 7. Their performance attests to this. Well done all.
Reports
We are in the process of completing the Semester 1 report cycle for all years. Year 12
students have received their reports and year 11 will receive them 3rd of June. We
recognise that senior years can put pressure on the girls, especially on our year 12s, who
are having their Trial HSC Examinations early in term 3. In order to address their individual
learning needs, a one to one interview between every student and key school personnel
occurred on June 1 and 2. The mentoring session was highly valued and appreciated both
by students and staff. The same mentoring process will be followed with all our year 11
students. Year 11 interviews will form the basis for providing relevant support to the girls
during the last term of HSC preliminary course and to develop an action plan to support
them for their HSC year starting in Term 4, 2016.
Years 7-10 will be receiving their reports on July 1. I ask you to engage in the unpacking
process of your daughter’s/ ward’s report and support them in implementing the teachers’
recommendations so as to further improve their learning outcomes. This means that if you
feel you need to discuss any aspect of the report, please do not hesitate to contact the Head
Teacher of the relevant Faculty. Contact information is available in the student diary.
External validation
Our school was selected for inclusion in the 2016 external validation process. The external
validation process is to be held between Week 5, Term 3 and Week 5, Term 4, 2016.
The external validation process is an important component of a system-wide approach to
school excellence. Schools regularly self-assess their improvement efforts using evidence to
support their reflections. Every five years, an external validation panel considers the
school's evidence, providing assurance to the school and the system that the progress being
made aligns with the standards articulated in the School Excellence Framework.
In closing, I would like to bring to your attention that as the weather gets colder it is
important that the girls wear the winter uniform. I remind you that the correct uniform for
winter is in the student diary. All students are expected to comply with school uniform. I
encourage you to monitor your daughter’s uniform compliance in accordance with our
community’s expectations. Should you wish to discuss this further please contact me during
school hours.
Elizabeth Amvrazis
Principal
FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL – Maria O’Harae
Term two has proven to be a very productive term with many exciting activities already
occurring. These included the election of our new prefects, music camp, the athletics
carnival and NAPLAN for our Year 7 and 9 students. Again for each of these events our
students shone, displaying high levels of maturity, dedication and responsibility.
Term two is also known as the term of reports. Year 12 reports were distributed to students
on Friday the 20th of May. Year 11 reports will be issued on Friday the 3rd of June and all
other year groups will receive their reports on Friday, 1st of July. Any student who is absent
on these days will be able to collect their report from reception.
All Year 12 students are currently involved in one on one interviews with either a member of
the Senior Executive, Head Teacher Wellbeing or Student Advisors. The purpose of these
interviews is to obtain information on how we, as a school, can further support our students
as they approach the HSC. Our findings will be fed through to staff and parents and will
facilitate in the planning of future initiatives. This process also enables students themselves
to reflect on their achievement thus far, set goals and put strategies in place to achieve
them. The students reflective and goal setting questions were developed from a
combination of S.MA.R.T Goal Chart and the reflective questions from the Futures Learning
website. At the interview we talk about short term goals, long term goals, how to improve
marks, planning a home schedule as well as how to balance a healthy life whilst studying for
the HSC. I would like to remind all parents that the school provides a mentor program, after
school study centre and morning homework hub to assist all students to achieve their best.
Year 11 and 12 students have been given flexible timetable privileges. This includes
permission to arrive late or leave early leave if they have no timetabled lesson. In order to
maintain these privileges, year 12 students must ensure that they follow the School’s Code
of Conduct at all times. Once at school they must not leave the school at lunch or recess.
Advice on elective expression of interest will begin for our Year 8 students on Tuesday, 7th
of June throughout period one and their year meeting. Head teachers will inform all year 8
students about the courses that will be offered for 2017. The courses that will run for 2017
are dependent on student choice. This will be followed with a Course Information Evening
on Tuesday, 21st June, 5:30 -6:30pm.
Year 10 mentoring will commence towards the end of the term. We will be working with
year 10 students ensuring that they make fully informed decisions course selection for
Stage 6. HSC, RoSA, ATAR, University and TAFE expectations will be explained. The
students will also attend a course market day and there will be an information evening for
the parents on Tuesday, 21st June, 7:00-8:00pm in the school hall. Universities and
colleges are starting to have open days for students. It would be worthwhile for parents
together with their child to visit as many sites as possible.
Help your child get organised by ensuring they have the right equipment for school each
day: that the laptop is fully charged, the appropriate school uniform including shoes are
worn, a pencil case with equipment and a book for each subject. At home help them with
mapping each task on the calendar, make the calendar visible for all the family to see,
ensure on the weekends there is time for assessments and fun time, organise family events
around busy times and discuss topics, current issues, global issues and current events.
Parents are teachers too!
I would also like to welcome Narelle Patterson to our staff as a Youth Worker. She is
currently working with the executive and wellbeing team to identify initiatives which could
be implemented to assist our students.
Have a great term!
THE ADVENTURES OF 12 SLR
On the 9th of May the year 12 SLR class grouped
together at Asquith Girl’s back gate at 7am to
depart for Penrith Whitewater Rafting Centre in
Penrith. One group travelled in Ms Horne’s car and
the other in Ms Bate’s. Upon arrival, the class
were given wetsuits, helmets, lifejackets and
paddles (we all looked quite the picture). The class
was the only group partaking in the activity so we
somewhat had free range of the speed of the
boats and who fell out… Nicole Hutchins, Shannon
Mcghee, Lauren Meadows, Tess Bensley, Lily
Mugridge, Shona Watt, Ms Horne and Jasmine Mandy all ended up swimming down the river
at some point. The actual boats, or ‘rafts’ held around 5 and 4 people so there was plenty of
time during the activity for races. The rafting itself was fun and exhilarating which was
thoroughly enjoyed by all participants.
After lunch was provided at the White-water Cafe, the class then hopped back into the car
to travel to ‘The Edge Rock-climbing Centre’ in Castle Hill. After a quick safety briefing, the
students were then allowed free range of the centre. We faced many obstacles apart from
the main activities of rock climbing and abseiling. The rat hole that students had to crawl
through in complete darkness (enforced
noticeably by Jasmine Mandy) was a bit
claustrophobic for some. Team work was also of
the essence in rock-climbing with many of us
attempting the climb a giant, wooden ladder.
Congratulations to Jasmine Mandy, Maddi
James and Shannon Mcghee for making it to
the top regardless of their complaints.
After our car trip to the camping grounds of
Bents Basin, we unloaded the cars and trailer
then pitched the tents. Some of us (Nicole Hutchins, Jasmine Mandy and Maddi James)
decided to explore the Basin itself, which included the rock pools and rapids surrounding it –
resulting in multiple wet shoes (Maddi James), plus a wombat and deer sighting. After a
satisfying meal of chicken schnitzels, sausages, salad sandwiches and dessert, we all just
hung around the fire telling horrifying stories to Ms Horne, listened to music and gazed at
shooting stars. We also went spotlighting in search of nocturnal animals before going to
sleep.
The next day we all slept in before packing up camp, eating breakfast and heading to
Penrith Wake Park. The stand-out students of the day were definitely Jasmine Mandy who
managed to wakeboard and Nicole Hutchins who persevered with body boarding
successfully for almost 4 hours non-stop. As for the rest of us, there were many dramatic
fails and partnered with the cold wind we all sought to find a better alternative (HOT FOOD)
which quickly turned into a not so bright idea as we were bombarded with ducks and geese
trying to snatch our hot chips… It is easy to say that SLR Camp was definitely a highlight of
the year and we all slept quite soundly in the car trip home and that night.
By Maddi James and Shannon Mcghee
BASKETBALL NEWS
Congratulations to the Open Girls Basketball Team who were successful in winning the
Regional finals of the CHS knock out. The following students have now made it through to
the State knock out competition and will be versing the top teams in NSW. We wish the
following students success in their final rounds. The Asquith team should be very proud of
this achievement.
A special mention goes to Nicole Hutchins, Elyse Horne and Sophie Van Leeuwen of Year 12,
who have been members of this school team for the past 6 years. Nicole competed in the
State Carnival as a member of the Sydney North Team from 17 - 19 May at Sutherland
Basketball Stadium. The Sydney North Team placed 3rd in the state tournament.
Nicole also competed in Nationals earlier this year and has been observed and approached
by US talent scouts who have shown interest in her basketball skills.
Open Girls Basketball Team
Nicole Hutchins Y12
Genevieve Audette Y8
Elyse Horne Y12
Carla Pitman Y7
Sophie Van Leeuwen Y12
Sanna Naziry – Y9 Res
Esther Shin Y11
Alannah Voss - Y8 Res
Daila Walker Yr.9
Alana Murphy – Y9 Res
Erica Pitman Yr.9
YEAR 12 GEOGRAPHY EXCURSION
– BARANGAROO and GREEN SQUARE
On Friday the 27th May year 12 Geography students
travelled to Barangaroo and Green Square as part of the
Urban Places topic looking at Sydney and Green Square
as a case study. During this excursion students
completed primary research on Sydney’s liveability and
future development which complimented their study in
class. Students were given presentations from various
stakeholders including Lend Lease about Barangaroo
and City of Sydney Council which talked about the
ongoing development in Green Square, and future
career opportunities related to urban spaces. Students
had a great time putting theory into practice and
exploring the challenges and responses of building a
world city.
YEAR 9 GEOGRAPHY EXCURSION
- CABRAMATTA
On Friday 13th May, Year 9 Geography students
travelled to the Western Sydney suburb of Cabramatta
as part of the ‘Changing Australian Communities’ topic.
The students completed fieldwork in this multicultural
suburb, focusing on the elements that contribute to the
definition of a community and how the community has
changed over time. Whilst exploring the suburb students
were able to visit a small Buddhist Temple, look through
shops not present in our own area and sample new
foods. Students enjoyed this wonderful opportunity to
experience different cultures and also reflect on the
cause and effects of migration, particularly of refugees .
YEAR 7 GEORGRAPHY
- BOTANICAL GARDENS AND OPERA HOUSE
On the 20th May, Year 7 Geography students travelled to
the Botanical Gardens and Opera House as part of their
fieldwork research exploring Global Environments and
World Heritage Sites. During the day students
completed primary fieldwork collecting data on weather
conditions, flora and fauna, and developing their
mapping skills. Year 7 had a fantastic day exploring our
amazing city and researching the Opera House as a
cultural World Heritage Site. Through this excursion
Year 7 Geographers were able to further develop their
understanding of classwork and the application of
primary research. It was a fantastic day, thanks to all of
those involved!
LEADERSHIP
Since the beginning of this term we have been conducting our Prefect election process to
elect the 2016/2017 Prefect body.
The objectives of our leadership team include:

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To enhance and promote school
pride
To strengthen the link between
staff and students

To
encourage
peer
communication and mediation

To encourage and recognise
individual achievement
To foster self-pride
To
encourage
others
to
promote the positive image of
the school
To be of support to the Student
Representative Council
To work together
leadership groups
with
all
Selection criteria for interested students included:
●
●
●
●
●
exemplary attendance record for the
last 12 months
exemplary behaviour record for the last
12 months
exemplary oral communication skills
commitment to wearing the school
uniform with pride
a commitment to conduct yourself in a
manner aligned with AGHS school
values as outlined in the ‘student
responsibilities’ section of the school
diary
●
●
●
strong emotional intelligence
a passion to make a positive difference
in student experiences at AGHS
commitment to all aspects of the
Leadership
team
and
program,
including:
o attending weekly meetings with
Principal on Mondays at recess
o attending Prefect meetings with
Prefect Coordinator on Friday at
lunch time.
o attending Leadership Camp
This was a rigorous process where students had to complete a written application form to
justify their nomination. Also students were required to deliver a speech in front of their
year group outlining what skills and experience they would bring to the Prefect body.
Students from Year 11 and staff voted to elect the team. Following this, at our whole school
assembly in Week 4 any student who wished to nominate as either Captain or Vice-Captain
delivered a speech in front of the entire school body. Following this Year 11 students and
staff voted to elect the Captains and Vice-Captains.
We have seen an increase in the total number of Prefects this year due to the introduction
of a new portfolio – XCEL. After the successful introduction of our new student achievement
recognition process this portfolio was created to continue to work on improving and refining
this wonderful program. Also, after some reflection and discussion of the demands of the
Prefect team, this year we have introduced an additional Captain position.
These students will officially take over the new positions after the Investiture Assembly in
Week 5 of Term 3. Until then, they will be taking the opportunity to shadow the current
Prefect team to learn from their skills and experience.
Congratulations to these students for stepping up and taking on these important leadership
roles within our school community.
LOTE NEWS
Le Petit Escargot French Excursion
On Friday the 27th of April, Year 8 and Year 10 French classes visited The Little Snail
(Le Petit Escargot) French Restaurant to experience authentic French cuisine. The
restaurant was located in Pyrmont, part of the Darling Harbour region. We chose from a
classic French set menu, selecting from various entrees, main courses and desserts. The
restaurant was very modern and had a spectacular view of Darling Harbour, which added a
lively atmosphere to the restaurant.
The food options for entrée were a French salad, calamari or snails. Many girls chose to try
snails as a first experience, and reactions were definitely mixed! Some people finished their
whole plate while others barely ate any of their snails. The choices for main course were a
salmon or chicken based meal, or vegetarian pasta. The desserts were very popular. We
could choose between French vanilla ice cream, crème caramel or chocolate mousse. The
food was very enjoyable and popular among all of us.
Throughout the three courses, we
were frequently asked questions
based on French vocabulary and
specific phrases that are based on
dining in a French restaurant.
Students who responded in French
received Xcel points!
This excursion allowed us to further
learn about our current topic in our
classes; French cuisine. We learnt
about the proportions of food and
how French enjoy dining. We were
able to establish a difference between
meals we would typically eat at a restaurant and French meals eaten at home.
Sharona Valipour Goudarzi – Year 8
And here is a short recount in French from the Year 10 class:
Vendredi dernier nous sommes allés au Petit Escargot. Le restaurant est au centre-ville de
Sydney. Nous sommes allés avec les quatrièmes. Lisa et Bridgitte ont mangé les escargots;
Lisa les a goûtés pour la première fois. Bridgitte les a mangés parce qu’elle les aime bien.
Lisa a trouvé la texture des escargots dégoûtante. En général, la classe a préféré le coq au
vin. Pour le dessert, nous avons adoré la mousse au chocolat et la glace, mais nous n’avons
pas aimé le crème caramel parce qu’il y avait trop d’œufs. Selon nous, la meilleure partie de
la journée était de goûter la cuisine française en ville. En plus, on n’a pas eu de classe! 
Merci beaucoup Madame Palma pour cette inoubliable journée.
The LOTE department would like to congratulate our students on their exemplary
behaviour during the excursion. The staff at the French restaurant commended the
students by saying that they were ‘parfait’ (perfect!) We are very proud of our
girls!
Language Perfect Championships
We would like to thank all our language students who
participated
in
the
Language
Perfect
World
Championships from 10 – 26 May, 2016. Students
mainly completed this competition at home and we
were thrilled with the results. Asquith Girls answered
over 200, 000 language questions. Well done!
Special recognition, however, goes to the following
students who achieved the awards below:
GOLD AWARD: (3000 + points)
Gi-Young Liwanag, Trisha Sulima, Jamalia Brown,
Joanne Lee
SILVER AWARD (2000 points)
Emily Dove, Mika Conry, Bridgitte Holden, Jasmine Lloyd, Saloni Rana, Ashleigh O'Leary,
Eira
Powell, Caitlin Austin, Alicia Hassell
BRONZE AWARD (1000 points)
Shannon Goh, Elena Cusack, Emily Michalicka, Jenna Knott, Sally Fitzsimons, Rachel Taylor,
Aish Kunwar, Sarah Sun, Kateland Dove, Michelle Oparah
CREDIT AWARD (500 points)
Aimee Ward, Drew Berzins, Annika Nicklin, Skye Hoschke, Hannah Notary, Rebecca Titshall,
Ashley Young, Ella Mackie, Jaime Notary, Jasmine Brading, Jessica Lukachich
Students will be presented with their awards shortly at an assembly.
In addition to these awards, the students listed above receiving a GOLD, SILVER or BRONZE
award will also be offered a special celebratory lunch at the end of Term 2.
A fabulous effort for AGHS!!!
Many thanks…
We would like to thank Monsieur
Bernard for all his help this term in
French. Mr Bernard is an education
student at Macquarie University who
has just completed a 20 day practicum
in the French department at Asquith
Girls High School. He brought along
with him a wealth of experience and
knowledge. He has been an asset to
the school and the students are
definitely going to miss him! We wish
Mr Bernard the best of luck for the rest
of his teaching degree.
BIG DAY IN @ UTS
A group of Year 11 Software Design and
Development students attended the “Big Day In” at
UTS (University of Technology, Sydney) in March,
which provided a great insight into the future
opportunities and careers in ICT (Information and
Computer Technology) for the students. It
highlighted the growing demand for skilled and
talented people in the industry, which has some of
the best working conditions and remuneration
compared to many others.
The event was sponsored by the ACS Foundation
and the girls heard from a wide range of
inspirational speakers from businesses such as
Google, Microsoft, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Westpac
and
Ernst
&
Young.
There
were
also
representatives of the Australian Government’s ICT
Apprenticeship & Cadetship Programs and the NSW
Department of Industry providing information on
pathways and educational programs in the ICT area. The audience comprised 40% young
women which was in line with the proportion of women who were speakers and role models
at the conference, confirming the increasing popularity and participation of women in the
industry.
Perhaps the most engaging talks were delivered by Luke Emrose from Animal Logic, and
Anna Hynek from Ernst & Young – two young people who have who have achieved
extraordinary success in their short careers to date due to their passion for ICT. Luke was
involved in the development of the rendering, lighting and shading tools used in movies
such as The Lego Movie, Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix, Superman Returns and
Charlotte's Web. Anna is a Management Consultant specialising in digital enablement, with
extensive experience bringing technology products to life in B2B start-ups, social
enterprises & entertainment industries. These two speakers “made it real” how pursuing
your dreams, especially in the ICT industry, can take you to places you could never have
imagined.
There was also a wide range of business stalls available to visit during the breaks, and the
students who attended the day left with more than a head-full of information (lucky for the
free “show bag” to put it all in) and a new appreciation of what the ICT industry has to offer
suitable entrants.
Russell Lewis
HSIE and TAS teacher
UNIFORM
As winter weather is approaching, I would encourage all students to continue to
wear the correct school uniform at all times. The uniform shop has an array
of warm clothing, along with the second hand uniform items. Jeans, leggings,
track pants, hoodies, beanies, etc. are not appropriate items of clothing. If
students are cold, they can wear long school trousers, tights, a black coat and a
black scarf. Black, enclosed leather shoes (with no markings or white soles)
must be worn at all times. – Maria O’Harae (Deputy Principal)
SYDNEY SCHOOLS NETBALL CUP
On Wednesday the 18th of May, Asquith Girls High school sent four teams from year seven
and eight to compete in the Sydney Schools Netball Cup. Two of our teams were
competitive and two of our teams were there for a new and fun experience. Asquith Girls
also bought along four umpires (including Ms Angus) – Emily Bryant, Ash Gammie and
Charley Clements, thank you girls. Well done to all the year seven and eight girls who went
and congratulations and good luck to the A team for making it through to the finals of the
Sydney Schools Netball Cup which will be held in August.
On the behalf of all the girls that came along on this awesome day, I would like to thank
Tiana Hazelwood for coaching and helping the A team, and a massive thankyou to Ms Angus
and Mrs Overhall for organising Asquith Girls to compete in the competition. It was such an
amazing experience full of fun, teamwork, sportsmanship, leadership and of course netball!
Georgia Clements Year 8
YEAR 7 – TERM 2 UPDATE
It has been another very busy term for Year 7, full of assessment tasks, NAPLAN,
excursions and sporting events. Year 7 has proven to be an extremely athletic year group
achieving outstanding results in Cross Country, Athletics, Netball, Softball and various other
knockout events. It has been excellent to see so many students being actively involved in
the school community and extra curriculum activities, and well done to all students that
participated in the recent SRC elections.
In Connecting Learning and Life lessons Year 7 has been focusing on developing their study
and organisational skills to help students better adjust to High School life which is full of
assessment tasks and assignments, a big change from primary school. So far Year 7 has
been stepping up to the challenges of High School extremely well.
Year 7 was has also been focusing on positive online behaviour with a talk for the local
Police Liaison Officer which focused on appropriate behaviour when using social media. This
focus on positive online behaviour will be reinforced in week 7, with a performance from
Best Enemies looking at Cyber Bullying. The aim of these programs is to ensure all
students are safely using social media to protect themselves, as well as the whole year
group.
Well done to all of year 7 for the start of another great term, and keep up all the good work!
Year 7 Adviser - Ms Angus
CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS
MUSIC CAMP
By Erinn Branagh
Yearly camps are undoubtedly the
highlight of the year for any
student, and the Asquith Girls'
music camp is no different.
Running from the 4th to the 6th of
April, all three Bands, the Vocal
Ensemble, Junior Choir and
musical cast enjoyed a very
productive and enjoyable three
days. We began our camp with
sectional tutorials hosted at school,
then made our way down to the
Crusaders Recreation Centre in
Galston, where we got straight into
rehearsals before relaxing in front
of a huge bonfire.
The next day was exhausting but in
the best possible way; rehearsals
ran all day for the “Not Another
Teen Musical” cast, and Concert
band, Stage Band, Wind Ensemble,
Junior Choir and Vocal Ensemble
all played and sang brilliantly
despite not having got much sleep
the night before. The night
concluded with a movie screening,
and the next morning was a rush
of rehearsals before the concert.
All the parents came along to
watch, the bands played brilliantly,
Vocal Ensemble and Junior Choir
sung superbly, and the musical cast
gave us a sneak peek of the first
few scenes. There were teary
farewells from the year twelves, as
this is their final music camp, and
warm congratulations for everyone
involved.
Again, from all the students who
attended the camp, we'd like to say
a massive thanks to Mrs Manton
for conducting Wind Ensemble
and Concert Band, Mr Manton for
conducting Stage Band, Mrs
Lander for conducting Vocal
Ensemble and Junior Choir, Miss
Eastley for directing musical
rehearsals, and all the other
amazing tutors, teachers and
parents who helped the camp run
as smoothly as it did. We're
counting down the days to next
years music camp already!
MUSIC FEES
Fees for Band and Choir for Term 2 are now due and payable to the front office.
Membership for Wind Ensemble, Concert Band or Stage Band $75
Additional Membership for either
Wind Ensemble, Concert Band or Stage Band
$25
Vocal Group or Junior Choir
$40
MEET THE MUSIC
By Laura Cook
&
Katherine Morrison
On the 28th of April, music students
from Years 9 -12 and Mrs Manton and
Mr Staines, attended a Meet the Music
performance at the Sydney Opera
House for the movie Babe (yes the one
about the pig). The performance
involved the Sydney Symphony
Orchestra playing the movie score
while watching the movie on a big
screen. It celebrated the 20th
Anniversary of the movie and it was an
awesome musical experience.
It was an incredible experience as the
music was conducted by the composer
of the original film sound track,
Australian composer Nigel Westlake.
We got to observe how the orchestra
kept in time with the movie, and it gave
us a sense of how incredible the works
of movie score orchestras are. The
conductor uses a screen which indicates
beats, cues and different tempo
markings. As many of us are interested
in furthering our music experiences, it
was a beneficial experience for all who
attended, and the movie was very cute.
In this third Meet the Music we all
travelled together with Asquith
Boys to the Opera House to watch
the movie Babe with the Sydney
Symphony Orchestra providing the
music.
We were almost late to enter the
Opera House, and we had a curly
moment as we trotted up the steps
only to discover we were in the
wrong place and had to turn tail
back down, with everyone trailing
behind like sheep, but we made it
in time. At first it was hard to
watch both the screen and the
orchestra, as both were interesting,
but gradually we forgot that the
music was live and were immersed
in the world of the sheep-pig.
Watching this movie with a live
soundtrack was very exciting and
we all enjoyed ourselves.
This porcine production was oinkcredible!
On behalf of the students we’d like to
give our thanks to Mrs Manton and Mr
Staines for supervising us, putting up
with our Macca’s runs and for enjoying
the saxophone busker outside Circular
Quay.
ENCORE
By Katherine Morrison
On Monday the 22nd of February, year
11 and 12 Music students travelled to
the Opera House to see Encore. Encore
is a concert showcasing some of the
students with the highest marks in the
HSC for performance or composition in
Music 1 or 2 or Extension.
The music that we listened to on this
night, sitting next to our friends,
parents or both, was truly inspirational
and made what we were learning in the
classroom seem relevant to real life. It
gave us all a sense of what we can
achieve if we really try hard. However,
it also seemed to make our efforts pale
beside theirs. I’m sure that all of us
who were there were inspired to work
even harder at music.
Some highlights of the evening
included listening and watching the
solo on the recorder, which left the
audience with the distinct impression
that they were watching a monkey in a
jungle, and the electric guitarist who
had us all cheering in our seats, full of
adrenalin.
IN CONCERT
By Amy Solomon
On Monday the 16th of May, the Vocal
Ensemble and Junior Choir went to the
Town Hall for an all day rehearsal and
performance of ‘In Concert’ with
featured Australian artist Katie Noonan.
Throughout the day we finalised our
parts and adjusted to singing with an
orchestra.
This was a new and exciting experience
for us all and we learnt a lot and
definitely improved our ability
individually and as a group. The
concert was incredible and a lot of fun
for us all. A massive thank you goes to
Mrs Lander for accompanying us to all
the rehearsals and the performance.
NOT ANOTHER
TEEN MUSICAL
Whilst Dance and Drama students have been making great progress learning
and refining their parts in class, our production team have met every
Wednesday lunch time for our crew training session. Before school our Music
ensembles are furiously practicing pieces and Ms Eastley is busily juggling
costumes, choreorgaphy and characters. We’re all terribly excited to be racing
towards the production week.
Tickets are available through Glen Street Theatre box office from June 20th!
WELCOME TO
JESSICA PICCIN
Experienced Drama teacher Jessica
Piccin (ne Jongens) has joined us for
the remainder of the year bringing a
wealth of experience and energy to the
faculty. Jessica has gained a reputation
as an experienced producer and director
of community musical theatre and
we’re excited to have her on board for
our inaugural school musical.
Jessica has been selected to take part in
the prestigious NSW Arts Unit
mentoring program enriching her skills
at the State Drama Camp later this
year. Welcome Jess!
Year 8 - UNDERSTANDING OUR EMOTIONS
Earlier this year, Year 8’s all participated in an activity that would help us understand our
emotions and other people’s emotions. First, we identified different emotions like stress
tolerance, empathy, flexibility and social responsibility. I believe that doing this activity has
let Year 8 understand emotional competence better. Afterwards, Year 8 were given 8
emotions, including aggravated, depressed, worried and content. We then had to write
down our productive and destructive behaviour when we experience these emotions. Then
we looked at our lists to see if we had more negatives than positives, we discussed how we
can avoid having negative behaviours and consequences. After, we were given a bunch of
different situations, we had to go through the situations and tick them if they made us panic
or ‘lose our cool’. Seeing the results of what we had ticked was eye opening, we realised
how many or how little things can make us annoyed or panicked. Finally, we looked at the
warning signs of stress including the physical, emotional and behavioural things that might
occur. We ticked off the things that occur to us personally. We then were encouraged to
discuss our results with someone we trust and to also discuss ways we can eliminate some
stress that causes us to have physical, emotional or behavioural difficulties. I think Year 8
can benefit from these activities greatly because now we are more aware of our emotions
and others emotions.
Libby Presdee- Year 8
PROGRAMMING/ROBOTICS CLUB
The Programming/Robotics club is a unique extra- curricular
program, where approximately 20 students from Years 7 to 11
are currently participating. Senior students are up-skilling and
mentoring the junior students, who are collaborating in mixed
age teams. Students are building and programming Lego EV3
robots to compete in the upcoming RoboCup Junior in the
dance and rescue mission categories. The club’s goals are to
challenge students to solve real world problems, foster
creativity, and enhance teamwork.
We have partnerships with UNSW Robogals and RoboCup Junior to support and sustain
students' interest.
Students have also been offered the opportunity to learn
programming in the Python language via the Grok Learning
organisation, which is run in conjunction with the Computer
Science faculty of Sydney University. Anyone who would
like to participate, please contact Mr Lewis for more
information.
Lookout for future newsletter reports on the club’s progress
and competition results throughout the year.
Ms Fang and Mr Lewis
ENGLISH NEWS
Year 8 Anime film concept art: Alyssa Batie and Gabriela Snead)
Half way through Term 2 and the Asquith Pride is strong!
Congratulations to Mrs Horler and Mr Oliver in leading our debating teams to a fantastic four
victories out of five debates. Students worked together to perform outstandingly and we wish
them the best of luck as they progress further into the competition. Well done, team!
Congratulations also to Tamara Dudfield and Dana Bewick of Year 10 whose entries in the Plain
English Speaking Award served some strong competition in our interschool showdown.
Outstanding effort, girls!
The inaugural Asquith Girls Anime and Manga Club drawing competition is on track this term.
Submissions close in Week 6 for voting in Weeks 7, 8 and 9 and the level of work already
submitted is phenomenal. Prizes will be awarded for winning entries in Week 10. We look
forward to seeing what amazing work our talented students have to offer.
がんばって！
Remember, the Premier’s Reading Challenge is open until August 19th. Use books from home,
school or local libraries to work your way through the list. Additionally, The Dymocks Book
Bonus fundraising option is a great way to add a pinch more motivation to undertaking the PRC,
and is a great opportunity to provide books to both our school and those in need. Visit
https://www.everydayhero.com.au/event/BookBonus2016 for more information.
As always, see you in P7, Friday lunchtime, for Anime and Manga Club!
Miss Ure.
P&C NEWS
Are you interested in assisting the school with the supervision of yearly exams? This is an
opportunity for you to be involved and assist the school by allowing more time for teachers
to mark exams or perform additional lesson planning. There will still be at least one teacher
with you in every exam and volunteers will be provided with training beforehand.
Exam supervisors are required to meet the following:
Have or obtain a Working With Children Check (WWCC). This is free of charge for
volunteers. If you have any questions or need assistance with this please contact the
school.
Undergo Child Protection training (this can be provided by the school)
Must not have a relative in year 11 or 12 (ie have no conflict of Interest)
These are the exam dates when supervision is required:
HSC Trials - Thursday July 21 to Tuesday August 2
Year 11 Yearly Exams - Monday September 5 to Friday September 16
If you think that you would enjoy the opportunity to help out with this please contact the
school or send your expression of interest due to [email protected] before June
9, 2016.
Over the past month activities have been a bit slow at the P&C with quite a few of the
regular unable to help due to private matters or not being well. If you have ever considered
attending the P&C meeting and giving your support now would be a good time to do so.
Hope to see you at the next meeting at 7:30 pm Wednesday 8th June in the Common
Room. Here is a map to show you how to get there. Mention the phrase “Gonski fully
funded” and you will receive free tea or coffee and a biscuit.
To celebrate World Environment Day the Hornsby Shire Environment Festival will be
held on Saturday 4th June 2016 between 10am-2pm at the Berowra Cultural and
Community Centre, The Gully Road, Berowra.
Pick up some freebies to make your garden blossom at the Native Plant Giveaway, or learn more about
local services from Council’s education stalls or the Rural Fire Service. If you’re a green thumb or baker,
you can bring homemade produce, food or giftwares to trade for other items at the Crop and Swap, which
is a great way to meet other creative members of the community. Kids will love the wildlife and frog
displays, and the roaming King and Queen of Green performers. Of course, there will be food stalls to
grab some lunch from, and entertainment throughout the day. For further information please click on the
images below.
Adriana Genova
Sustainability Officer | Natural Resources | Hornsby Shire Council
p 02 9847 6613 | m 0434 688 980
e [email protected] | w hornsby.nsw.gov.au | f facebook.com/HornsbyCouncil
Council acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands of Hornsby Shire, the Darug and Guringai
people
IMPORTANT CALENDAR DATES
Wednesday, June 1st
Friday, 3rd June
Wednesday, 8th June
Wed-Fri 15-17th June
Monday, 20th June
Tuesday, 21st June
Friday, 1st July
Monday, 18th July
Tuesday, 19th July
Year 7 Human Papillomavirus Vaccine
(Dose 2)
Year 8 (catch-up) Human Papillomavirus
Vaccine
Year 7 Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis
Y12 Careers Expo
P&C Meeting
Y9 and 11 Camps
Tickets go ON SALE through GLEN ST
THEATRE Box Office for
NOT ANOTHER TEEN MUSICAL
Subject Selection Evening Y8 into 9
and Y10 into 11
Last Day of Term
Staff Development Day
Students return for Term 3
DISCLAIMER
Advertisements in this newsletter are included as a community service or a source to
offset newsletter products costs.
They should not in any way be seen as an
endorsement or recommendation by the school.