8 March - Kincumber High School

Newsletter
Kincumber High School
“Enabling to achieve and excel”
Bungoona Rd, Kincumber, NSW 2251
Ph (02) 43691555 F (02) 43631265
email [email protected]
Issue 3 Term 1 – Week 6
8 March 2013
Knock knock!
The Red Shield Appeal is an important event that our students have been invited to participate in
as Door Knock Appeal collectors. Volunteering is valued and encouraged at Kincumber High
School. If you think you might like your child to be involved have a chat to them and encourage
them and a friend to get involved. Collecting can be done any time in the month of March. Mrs
Sexton has more information on who can and how to be a volunteer and the necessary material to
ensure it is conducted properly.
Congratulations to all students and staff for the level of participation and enjoyment that I witnessed at the
Swimming Carnival last week. It was a fantastic day. Read more about it and have a look at some of the photos in
the Swimming Carnival report. I wish all the competitors the best of luck in the Zone carnival.
Congratulations to all those students who have been successful in gaining selections in Sydney North and /or
State teams. (please let me know if your child has gained selection into teams so we can celebrate their success)



Jessica Graves and Drew Coney are both currently competing in Sydney North Tennis.
Tonia Brooks will compete in Perth in National Athletics for shot putt later in the month.
Kaitlin Clague has been selected for Sydney North Girls’ Basketball.
I would like to congratulate and welcome to the Year Adviser team Mrs Roslyn Crick as the Year Adviser for Year
7 2014. Mrs Crick is a fantastic teacher and very knowledgeable in the areas of leadership and welfare and I know
she will be a great adviser for 2014. The Transition process for 2014 commenced on Friday 8 March with a picnic
day at the high school for all partner primary school Year 6 students. They had the opportunity to meet peers,
teachers and older students from Kincumber High School.
We have high expectations in all areas with students. We expect them to work hard and work to their potential,
demonstrate respect to the staff and fellow students and to become the best person that they can possibly be. I
have been very impressed by the behaviour and commitment of most students I have had the pleasure of meeting.
I encourage all to be the best they can, care for others and themselves and seek support when needed. I
encourage parents to contact the school if you have concerns. Year Advisers are usually a good person to contact
if you have concerns and they will pass it on to the appropriate staff if it requires a different level of support.
Congratulations to Miss Gooding and students for their enthusiasm when participating in the ‘Clean up Australia’
activity earlier this week. The school is looking fantastic and students are starting to show that they care for and
appreciate a clean environment. I encourage them to always put their rubbish in the bin. This small request makes
a huge difference to the look of what is a lovely environment.
Janine Debenham, Principal
Dates for the Diary




12 March - Sydney North Swimming Carnival
14 March - Years 7 & 9 Boys Immunisations
19 March - P&C AGM (Annual General Meeting) commencing at 7.00pm, all welcome
27 March - Years 7,8 & 9 Parent Teacher Interviews 5pm to 8pm
For more important dates check out the calendar on our website.
Issue 3 Term 1 – Week 6
8 March 2013
Team Clean!
On Wednesday Kincumber High School joined in with the Clean Up Australia Day effort. Students were given the
responsibility of different sections of the school to clean and were outstanding in both their performance and their
behaviour. We all had a lot of fun, surveying the oval, walking the fence lines, getting into garden beds and even
scraping out rubbish under the demountables! Every student at Kincumber can now take pride in their school and
they have learnt a valuable lesson in responsibility for our local community and the environment.
Thank you to all the teachers who came out and supported this great day. Congratulations Kincumber High
School!
Rachel Gooding, Coordinator
WHAT IS THE A.E.C.G. ?
The Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (A.E.C.G.) is a community based voluntary organisation that has
been operating from a grass roots level since the late 1970’s and is the peak advisory group for Aboriginal
education in N.S.W. The A.E.C.G. caters for pre-school through to Tertiary education.
WHAT CAN THE A.E.C.G. DO FOR YOU?
A.E.C.G. is an avenue for parents and community members to have a “voice”. It’s your chance as a parent,
caregiver or student to have a say in what happens in your child’s education and be aware of what’s happening in
your local school and community.
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?
Membership is open to parents, Aunties, Uncles, caregivers and community members. Aboriginal and nonAboriginal members are invited at a cost of $2 per year.
WHAT HAPPENS AT A MEETING/YARN-UP?
Well first we grab a cuppa, our meetings are short, very informal and informative. An opportunity for you to voice
your concerns, hear about opportunities for the kids and families, meet new people and little ones are very
welcome.
Our next A.E.C.G. Yarn-up as we call them is on Wednesday 13 March, from 6pm at Kincumber Primary School.
Enquiries :Tjudibaring A.E.C.G. President, Kerry Turner 0424 686 329.
Issue 3 Term 1 – Week 6
8 March 2013
Sculpture’s the word
‘Sculptures’ is the word amongst Year 10 Art students as we are busily making, constructing, and assembling our
sculptures for the up and coming annual ‘Sculpture by the Bay’ Exhibition.
On 19 February Year 10 Art students attended a site meeting at Gosford Regional Gallery, which included
practical workshops and a presentation by artist Col Henry. We arrived at the Gallery and took a tour of the
current exhibitions ‘Christo’: John Kaldor Family Collection and ‘Perspectives’, a travelling exhibition from the
Australian War Memorial. The students were intrigued with the monumental Wrapped Coast project by Christo
and Jeanne-Claude. This particular project saw a team of 100 workers and 11 volunteers climbing, wrapping,
sewing and securing fabric and rope to a 2.4kilometres of rock and coastline back in 1969.
Students then toured the East Gosford site with Gallery staff looking at potential installation sites, followed by
groups constructing ephemeral sculptural installations and recycled junk sculptures. Year 10 had a fabulous
morning of art and creativity.
We are currently seeking donations of the following items and any help in sourcing these materials will be
gratefully received.





Empty Soft Drink Cans
Ice cream containers
Polystyrene blocks/sheets
Old bird cages
Old surfboard fins
Michelle Hamilton, CAPA Teacher
If it’s green, it’s biology. If it stinks, it’s chemistry. If it has numbers it’s math. If it doesn’t work, it’s
technology.
Unknown
Issue 3 Term 1 – Week 6
8 March 2013
Year 9 & 10 KHS Agriculture students ace the competition!
On one of the wettest days of the year 18 brave KHS Agriculture students travelled to Newcastle to test their cattle
judging skills against students from throughout the Central Coast, Hunter Valley, Newcastle and the North Coast.
This was the first show for many of the students and was designed to be a learning experience that would provide
a foundation to build on over the next four years.
Everyone was required to judge cattle based on muscle, fat cover, structural soundness, length, health and
temperament. This was difficult to do as all the cattle looked so even. Students had eight minutes before they
wrote their choices on a judging card before being asked to look away from the cattle. Questions were then asked
about the cattle with students required to remember specific information. The cards were then handed in and
added up. The five students with the highest scores then gave a speech explaining why they judged the cattle the
way they did.
Simone Bradley and Jessica Payne were selected to give a speech placing them in the top five students. Simone
eventually was awarded third place out of about 60 students. This is an outstanding achievement and something
to really build on at future shows.
Just as the excitement was subsiding after winning our first ribbon of the year it was announced that KHS had
placed second and third in the teams competition. It was great seeing the joy on the students faces as they
realised they had been awarded prizes, and that they had the skills to compete at a professional level. Bring on
Wingham Beef Week!
Well done to the Agriculture Students of Kincumber High School!
Mr Boyd, Agriculture Teacher
Students one, teachers none!
On Thursday 28 February, the annual Swimming Carnival was held at the Peninsula Leisure Centre, Woy Woy.
After holding a competitors only carnival in 2012, we returned to this event being a whole school carnival this year.
In addition to the traditional swimming events, in which Kincumber students have always been extremely
competitive, a number of novelty events were added to the program. This included Tug-of-War and Volleyball
games on the grassed area throughout the day, and some body board relays and ball scrambles at the conclusion
of the competitive events. Unfortunately, the Year 12 students beat the teachers for the first time in a number of
years in the staff vs students relay. It was a great day, where the big turn-out of students thoroughly enjoyed
themselves.
Keep an eye on the next newsletter for more details, including the age champions, house point score and results
from the Zone carnival.
Phil Batey, HT PDHPE
Issue 3 Term 1 – Week 6
8 March 2013
Issue 3 Term 1 – Week 6
8 March 2013
Issue 3 Term 1 – Week 6
8 March 2013
“Feed the Teachers Morning” Youth Brekky Club
The Youth Brekky Club is held at the Kincumber Neighbourhood Centre every Monday, Wednesday and Friday
mornings, before school. It provides free breakfasts for students, such as cereal, toast, fruit juice and a special of
scrambled or fried eggs, pancakes or french toast.
Brekky Club volunteers and a youth worker from the Youth Centre attend each session and serve the food for the
students who politely put their cups and plates away at the end of their meal.
On Friday 1 March the Youth Brekky Club ran a “Feed the Teachers” morning. Here the teachers came down for a
cuppa and some food. The current group of Year 12 students usually support the Brekky Club by putting away all
the tables and chairs at the end of each session. However, this time they actually replaced the volunteers in the
kitchen and helped serve up the breakfast to the teachers and their fellow students.
Despite not being asked for any financial support all the teachers attending were extremely generous in providing
donations to the Brekky Club. It was great to see the school get behind the morning and to see the individual
teachers so committed to supporting the project.
Currently the Brekky Club survives by donations from community services such as the Copacabana Bakery,
Waterford Retirement Village and the United Care Church. Since this event, ‘Living Choice’ - the company running
Broadwater Retirement Village - has agreed to donate $600 to the Brekky Club.
A huge thank you to the teachers who supported this community initiative and we look forward to seeing all the
students friendly faces again throughout the term.
Jonathon Clarke, Kincumber Youth Centre Manager
BIG NEWS!
The long-awaited calculator order has finally turned up. If you have ordered and paid for a calculator please bring
your receipt to the Mathematics staffroom and you will be able to claim one. The Maths staff are also willing to
engrave your name on it to prevent ‘loss’. If you still haven’t organised a calculator they can be purchased for $20
at the office. All students should have a calculator with them every day that they have Maths lessons.
We have sent home postcards for students we recognise for excellent work over the last few weeks.
Congratulations to Jessie Andrew, Blake Jacob, Matthew Temperley and Aaron Townsend who should have all
received these in the mail. To be the recipient of one of these postcards means that the Maths staff have selected
that student as the most outstanding one for that week across the whole school.
I have been working with our partner primary schools using an education site called edmodo. It’s amazing to see
the effort and time the students are putting into getting correct answers and great to see them willing to have a go
at difficult questions. School visits are also part of my plans for this year, starting with visits to work with Avoca
Beach this week, where I am working with a small groups of students.
Issue 3 Term 1 – Week 6
8 March 2013
Thanks to the staff, also, for welcoming me into their learning environment. The photos show the group of
students who were working on solving word problems with the aid of scaffolding diagrams. They found it hard to
believe how quickly time flew by!
Most classes have assessment tasks coming up before the end of the term, especially seniors. All students
should ensure they have received their notifications and understand what will be examined. Staff are available for
assistance as required, but students should also be undertaking preparation at home. Please check your
assessment schedules to ensure that you are aware of dates and outcomes covered.
Jacqueline Woodley, HT Mathematics
Year 7 Recommended Reads!
Our Year 7’s are well read and know what they like! They also have excellent taste. As
part of our Reading Program, we are asking them to share their best reads. So, Year 7 all
hope these great titles inspire students to pick up a book and get reading!
Dawn Sexton, English













Guardians Of Ga’hoole, Kathryn Lasky
The Happiest Refugee, Ahn Do
Mao’s Last Dancer, LI Cuxlin
Parvana’s Journey,
Dork Diaries, Rachel Renée Russel
Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, Ann
Barashes
Give me Four Reasons
Wonder, R.J Palacio
The Gecko Tribe
Hugo
Dear Dumb Diary – series
Conspiracy 365
The Inheritance Cycle – Christopher Paulini












The Three Door- Series
Conspiracy 365- Gabrielle Lord
The Mysterious Benedict Society- Trenton Lee
Stewart
The Hobbit, Tolkien
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Jeff Kinney
The Secrets of Droon Number 15, Tony Abbott
Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling
Indo,Helen Dunmore
Wake, Lisa McMahon
The Help, Kathryn Stockett
The 39 Clues- series-(each written by a
different author)
Narnia and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader,
C.S. Lewis
Reading for pleasure is the most important way to advance literacy attainment in children.
(National Literacy Trust UK 2006)
Issue 3 Term 1 – Week 6
8 March 2013
CAPA students take captivating shots!
Congratulations Year 10 Photography, Video & Digital Imaging students on a fantastic day out in Sydney’s
Circular Quay and The Rocks collecting images for their Assessment Task, Image Bank. A wide range of
techniques were used on the day including wide angle photography, stitching, polariSing, low light and macro
photography. Students exercised their skills controlling depth of field and shutter speed to achieve desired
effects. Some captivating shots were taken and a great day was had by all.
HSC Workshop for Year 12 Dance and Visual Arts students
Parents and students are reminded about the extra workshops and tuition available to our HSC Dance and Visual
Arts students this year. Dance students have the opportunity to work with Miss Taylor Friday Week A period 6 or
book a time with Mrs McRae during her non contact lessons. Visual Arts Workshops occur every Wednesday
afternoon between 2.30 and 3.30pm in the Art Block. Commendations to all who’ve already attended the
workshops and taken advantage of this great opportunity.
Mrs McGilvery, HT CAPA
VISIT A DOCTOR FOR FREE - KINCUMBER YOUTH CENTRE
Youth Clinic
The Youth Clinic is available for young people aged 14 - 19 years old to visit a doctor for free! All you need
to access this service is a Medicare card! No appointment necessary. The doctor is available on Wednesday afternoons from 3pm - 5pm during school terms.
Issue 3 Term 1 – Week 6
8 March 2013
A Central Vision
Tiana Pilatos, Paula Formosa, Kaitlyn Harman, Olivia Warby, Owen Milne and Maddy Stone are to be highly
commended for the selection of their Visual Arts and Photography works into the prestigious Central Vision
exhibition at Gosford Regional Gallery.
This exhibition in an annual showcase of the very best drawings, animation, painting, sculpture and photography
works from public schools across out region. Over 80 students were selected from the 300 entries.
The exhibition continues until 13 March and encourage you to pop in and have a look and support our very
capable CAPA students.
Mrs McGilvery, HT CAPA
Issue 3 Term 1 – Week 6
8 March 2013
Issue 3 Term 1 – Week 6
8 March 2013
Issue 2 Term 1 – Week 4
22 February 2013
Invitation – Outdoor Screening of “Bag It”.
A FREE open air experience in Terrigal
DUE TO INCELEMENT WEATHER ON 1 MARCH – THE OUTDOOR SCREENING HAS BEEN POSTPONED
TO SAT, 27 APRIL



Sat, 27 April, 2013 (previously scheduled for 1 March)
7:00pm- 9:00pm
Rotary Park, Terrigal (next to Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre)
You are invited to come along to a FREE outdoor screening of the film, Bag It - a witty and thought provoking look
at our increasing dependence on plastic.
Bag It follows ‘everyman’ Jeb Berrier as he tries to make sense of our dependence on plastic bags. Although his
quest starts out small, Jeb soon learns that the problem extends past landfills to our waterways. The film is
suitable for anyone aged from 8-100 years
The Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority (CMA), in partnership with the Central Coast Marine
Discovery Centre and Gosford City Council, is hosting the film night on Friday 1 March from 7.00 pm – 9.00 pm at
Rotary Park located on Terrigal Drive, Terrigal. Tim Silverwood, local surfer and passionate environmentalist will
talk about the Take 3 movement and help you identify how to make change.
We encourage you to bring along a ‘waste wise picnic’ and a blanket to settle in and watch Bag It play on a big
screen under the stars.
There will be lots of FREE activities, including FREE guided tours of the Marine Discovery Centre on the night
between 7-8 pm.
Bookings are preferred but not essential - contact Jen Dwarte at the Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre
on 4348 4327 or email [email protected]
This event is being funded by the Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority in partnership with the
Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre and Gosford City Council through the Australian Government’s Caring for
our Country.
Next Volunteer Induction
The CCMDC is a community initiative that has been up and running since January, 2010. Our vision is to promote
the sustainable use and enjoyment of our coasts, catchments and oceans. We do this through providing displays,
special events, education programs and fun activities for all the community – but we can’t do this without the help
of volunteers.
The CCMDC is looking for interested community members to join a team that is enthusiastic about providing this
unique facility to the community of the Central Coast.
The CCMDC Is open weekends and school holidays from 10am to 4pm.
No special skills are required – just an enthusiasm about the ocean and our coast and a willingness to learn.
Minimum age for volunteering is 15yrs old with no maximum age. Volunteers under 18 years require parental
consent.
The next Volunteer Induction will be held on Tuesday, 19 March – at 5:30pm.
Interested community members should email [email protected] for an Expression of Interest form.
Bookings are essential to attend the next volunteer induction. Inquiries contact the Jane on 4349 4756 or email:
[email protected]
Denise De Paoli, Science
Issue 2 Term 1 – Week 4
22 February 2013