a s q u i t h a n e c d o t e s

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May 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’
From the Principal
- Elizabeth Amvrazis
Welcome back everyone to Term 2. I trust after a two week break
we feel re-energised and ready to challenge this busy term.
School Development Day
Term 2 started with our School Development Day that was devoted to: ‘Let us
remember: One book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world.’
– Malala Yousafzai.
This is an integral part of our teaching methodology.
Though the chalkboard may have been replaced by an interactive whiteboard
and the BYOD initiative may have opened creative avenues for the learner, what
really makes the difference, is a teacher who cares, understands and values their
individual potential. Under this vision our guest speaker, Dr Wendy Lawson,
addressed ‘Autism: Women, challenge and unique strengths’. It was wonderful
that our colleagues from Mt Colah PS were able to join us for this day.
Dr Lawson’s understanding about managing autistic children is that every child
deserves an opportunity. Given that opportunity, we may surprise ourselves.
She, an autistic child herself, is a real example of such success.
Teachers also had the opportunity to participate in other workshops of various
topics, such as:
Quality lesson observation & quality feedback
Master class: Engaging autistic students
Process for higher levels of accreditation
Explicit classroom instruction
Positive psychology in the classroom
Process for higher levels of accreditation
STEM: A real world perspective
Google technology & the classroom
Our school is committed to providing quality educational experiences that are
connected to real life and with future perspective, through a supportive and
creative environment.
Our school’s mission remains the foundation for our plans. We remain committed
to creating a personalised learning environment for each Asquith girl so she
develops a passion for learning a strong assurance of her own worth, and the
desire and values to contribute meaningfully to her local and global communities.
Our Vision is about providing an education for our girls that is universally
acknowledged for its outstanding quality and exceptional opportunities .
New Zealand Netball Tour
It was a pleasure to accompany the 20
netballers, Ms Overhall and Ms Horne to NZ. It
is with great pride that I inform you that
everywhere we went, from the bus coach to
the netball courts and the Rangi Ruru boarding
school, I heard nothing but praise for our girls
behaviour, manners and politeness but most of
all; their team spirit.
I would like to
congratulate them and their families and thank
Ms Overhall for organizing the tour. I would
also like to thank Ms Horne for her support. It
was an exciting opportunity and a beneficial
experience and one that will not be easily
forgotten.
I am very proud of our girls’
achievements.
Congratulations
Our Emma Stanton is a recipient of the Premier’s ANZAC Memorial Scholarship. The
following text contains information about the program. Emma will be ‘participating in the
2016 Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship Tour to the Western Front.
Established in 2008, the Scholarship provides to selected Year 10 and 11 students, across
NSW, an opportunity to travel to key historic battlefields where Australians have fought. The
Tour is funded by the NSW Government and is managed by Veterans’ Affairs within the
Department of Premier and Cabinet. In July 2016, twenty-four scholars will travel to the key
battlefields and memorial sites in France and Belgium to commemorate and learn about
Australia’s involvement in WWI. The Tour will allow the students to gain insight into
Australia’s experience of conflict, the lessons of war and to develop a greater understanding
of the significance of the Anzac tradition. Scholars will visit the official Australian centenary
commemorations of the Battle of Pozières and the Battle of Fromelles. These battles are
significant to Australia and to NSW given the big losses of Australian soldiers. Students
have been selected from all education systems and school sectors throughout NSW and will
be accompanied by three NSW school teachers. A representative from the RSL, a
government representative and a tour historian will also accompany the group’.
What an honour for Emma, her family and our Asquith Girls HS community.
Congratulations.
Elise Heddou has been chosen to attend the UBS Finance Academy 2016 which will be held
at Dunmore Lang College, Macquarie University from 11 - 15 July.
The objective of the Academy is to provide leadership in investment banking education with
a particular focus on senior secondary school students. The UBS Finance Academy,
established in 2003 offers selected students an opportunity to explore and learn about a
wide range of career opportunities in finance. This year 50 students have been chosen from
public schools in ACT, NSW and Victoria. The program is a residential course designed with
a creative mix of theory, industry exposure, field visits, syndicate work and fun. A key
learning tool will be the finance sector case study. There will be a chance for the students to
explore a previously unknown career opportunity and develop new relationships with their
peer groups from other schools. An ideal outcome would be for students return to their
schooling with an intellectual and social advantage and interest in pursuing a career in
banking. What a fantastic opportunity for Elise. We are very proud of her.
Congratulations
Jessica Clark is the winner of the
Variety scholarship.
Lauren and Aimee Gallaway: 2016 Australian Secondary Schools
Sailing Champions. A remarkable achievement!
To all Talentfest and Cross Country participants and staff.
Parent Teacher Nights
It was wonderful to catch up with many parents and caregivers. I was
delighted by your positive comments and your acknowledgement and
support for improved services.
I thank you for praising your
daughters/wards teachers and for sharing our passion and educational vision. Your
endorsement gives us strength to utilize every opportunity to better educate our girls. Use
teacher feedback to assist your daughter/ward to reflect further on her studies and make
realistic decisions about her future.
School Plan and Annual Report
The revised School Plan for 2016 and the 2015 Annual Report can be accessed from the
AGHS website www.asquithgir-h.schools.nsw.edu.au.
If you require a hard copy please contact the office on 9477 6411 during school hours. I
will table both documents at the next P&C meeting. I look forward to seeing you then.
NAPLAN Testing 10 - 12 May, 2016
Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit for the National Assessment Program Literacy and
numeracy (NAPLAN) test in May each year. The assessments are an opportunity for
students to demonstrate what they have learned in class.
For students in Years 7 and 9, there are five tests including two tests in numeracy – a
calculator allowed test and a non-calculator test.
The NAPLAN test results and the student reports are released in August.
Parents/Caregivers and students have received written notification in relation to NAPLAN
2016. Best wishes to all Year 7 and Year 9 students.
For further information on NAPLAN 2016 can be accessed via the BOSTES website
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/naplan/info-for-parents.html
ANZAC Day Ceremony
As a school community we have clearly
articulated the importance of remembering
those who sacrificed their lives defending
our country and our values. Our freedom
and liberty we owe to them.
Lest We Forget
Congratulations to all students and the
ANZAC Day Team for a well planned
ceremony. A special thank you to Ms
Somerville for coordinating the ANZAC
Assembly. It was the best ceremony AGHS
has seen to-date. I would also like to thank
our families and community members for
their presence and support.
Staff Changes
As from the start of Term 2, Ms Eve Kiernan, will be filling for Mr Sekula, while he is on long
service leave until the end of Term 4.
Security during school hours
The gates will remain closed during school hours, as indicated previously. You can access
entry to the school via the gate on Stokes Avenue.
It is important to mention that no parent/caregiver should enter the school playground
without the school’s permission. All inquiries relating to students must be directed to the
Reception.
I also ask you to discourage you child from calling you on the phone during class time and
vice versa. The school has a clear process in communicating with our families if need
arises. It is important that we all work together to ensure our school is a safe place for all.
Best wishes for Term 2
Elizabeth Amvrazis, Principal
- From the Deputy Principal – Maria O’Harae
Welcome back to an exciting term two. The term has started in a very focused and orderly
fashion
NAPLAN for our Year 7 and Year 9 students will be held during week 3 (May 10 th, 11th and
12th). All the students involved will be assessed on their ability in both literacy and
numeracy components in this national test.
Year 10 will be engaged in discussions focusing on subject selection for their preliminary
and HSC courses. A year 10 market day will be held on Thursday, June 16 th (week 8).
Throughout this day Head Teachers will spend time discussing aspirations with all students
and explore the post school options open to them either in the workplace or with further
study. This will be followed up with a parent information evening on Tuesday, 21 st June
(week 9) at 7pm. This evening will give parents the information needed to actively assist
their daughter with her choices.
Our Year 8 students will also be involved in selecting elective courses for 2017. We will be
holding an information evening for our Year 8 students and their families on Tuesday, 21 st
June (week 9) at 5:30 pm.
The semester one reporting cycle is well under way, with Years 12 reports being sent home
on Friday, 20th May (week 4). Following the issuing of the reports our year 12 students will
be involved in mentor meetings to reflect on their goals, aspirations and support strategies
to guide them to their HSC. Years 7 to 11 students will be immersed in a number of
assessment tasks for their respective subjects, along with homework and ongoing classwork
as they move towards their reports for the semester being finalised. Please check the
assessment schedules (available on the school website) to assist your child with planning for
upcoming tasks. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the faculty head
teacher for any clarification.
The School Plan for 2015-2017 has been published on the school website. Regular reports
on the progress of the school plan have been included at P&C meetings.
Finally, I’d like to make mention of an article that recently came to my attention and in the
Sydney Morning Herald (Saturday 2nd May, 2015) on the idea of STEM subjects. “Nearly
half of the jobs in Australia are at high risk of “digital disruption” in the next 20 years” and
our “universities need to start producing far more people literate in science, technology,
engineering and mathematics subjects (STEM) to help the workforce adapt to a rapidly
changing global economy”. At Asquith Girls, our teachers are well aware of the importance
of embedding a technology focus into their programs and up skilling our students through
workshops, excursions, clubs and events focussed on these skills. Maybe a number of our
students will look towards studying a STEM subject at university in the near future
SPIRIT WEEK
From the Media & Events
Team
In Week 7 of Term 1 the Prefects
organized Asquith Girls’ annual Spirit
Week. The week kicked off with
Musical Monday, in which musical bells
were played and decorations filled the
hallways. There was also a dance off at
lunch which the students enjoyed
immensely as different year groups
joined together. Taken Tuesday was
next, a fun assembly was held where
entertaining videos and games were
played. The school captain, Georgina
Cant, was ‘taken’ and her location remained a mystery while the younger years searched for
her throughout the school. It was a very successful day. Possibly the favourite of the week,
Wizard Wednesday, was held next. The Prefects organized a photo booth at recess in the
hall for all those who had dressed up as their favourite witch or wizard. Students also had
the opportunity to take fun photos with their friends which they much enjoyed. At lunch, a
teacher vs. students Quidditch game was played. It was extremely entertaining to watch
both students and teachers run around the oval with pool noodles. The student body very
much enjoyed this game and the Prefect team hopes to run more in the future. SRC
organized Thank you Thursday which was very successful. The SRC distributed a rose to
each student in the school that lifted the whole school spirit. It was wonderful to see
everyone so happy with their gift from the SRC. Last was Friends Friday. Many musical bells
were played to lift spirit and a movie was played at lunchtime in the hall. It was a great way
to end the week. The week was highly successful at raising spirit and harmony within the
school. The Prefect body would like to thank Miss Ebrahimi and all those who helped in the
wonderful event; it would not have been possible without them.
On the 8th of March, the world doesn’t stop,
but it takes a moment to acknowledge the
contributions and significance of women
globally. The importance of this day and its
message cannot be overstated, and at
Asquith Girls we are proud to fully support
the International Women’s Day spirit in a
number of ways.
On the 11th March we held a breakfast to
celebrate women’s rights, achievements and
their futures. But this year’s theme wasn’t
just about women, it was about pledging for
parity. Parity is the state of being equal, of
having equal pay and rights. And, in the 21st
Century it has become crucial to the progress
of our society that we understand that gender
expectations harm both sexes. Gender
equality is needed so that I and every one of
my peers at Asquith Girls, can receive a
meaningful education in a safe environment
that gives us the opportunity to pursue our dreams, that we can enter the workforce and be
given the same opportunities as our male counterparts but parity is also needed so that my
male peers don’t feel obligated to never speak out, whether it be about mental health,
violence or abuse. The breakfast was a time to pledge to remove a gender structure that
has based male power off female subjugation.
This was Asquith Girls’ 13th year of supporting Mahboba’s Promise, which is the main charity
for this event. Mahboba’s Promise was founded in 1998 by Mahboba Rawi and provides aid
to the women and children of Afghanistan. In the spirit of parity, this cause could not have
been more worthy and we were honoured to be able to present Mahboba with a number of
first aid kits, complete with bandages and even a thermometer. I am so lucky to live in this
country, to enjoy the privilege of education and the freedom to seek what employment I
choose. And the breakfast was an opportunity for us to realise that just because we are
geographically removed from these places, it does not mean we are any less obligated as
fellow human beings to extend the hand of solidarity and pledge for parity. It was wonderful
and inspirational to see Asquith Girls and the rest of the community getting behind this
attitude and pledging for parity not just as the breakfast, but also at the International
Women’s Day assembly the next week.
At the breakfast and assembly, we had the privilege of listening to three inspirational
speakers who have pledged for parity, Souroush Cina and Mahboba Rawi from Mahboba’s
Promise, and Iman Farrar the 2015 Youth Premier.
On behalf of the Social Justice Team that has organised this event and the staff at Asquith
Girls, we hope you not only enjoyed the breakfast but took a lot away from it too, and if you
didn’t make it this year, we’re sure we’ll see your welcoming face in 2017.
Annika Reynolds – Senior Social Justice Prefect – 2016
Breakfast
On the 5th of April, Asquith Girls held an
assembly for the World’s Greatest Shave. The World’s Greatest Shave raises critical funds to
research with the aim to cure blood cancer. Although survival rates are improving, blood
cancers are the third biggest cause of cancer death in Australia. Today 34 Australians will be
told that they have leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma. Two of Asquith’s students in year
12, Jemma Williams and Zoe Gibbs, were brave enough to shave in front of the student
body. At assembly, Jessica Clark of year 12 also shared her personal story and encouraged
the girls to donate and get involved next year. Over $500 was raised on the day which
added to the girls’ already $1000 amount. This
is a huge achievement and we are so proud of
our girls raising so much money to support
this wonderful charity!
If you would like to donate online to their
fundraising group in conjunction with Year 12
Asquith Boys’ please select ‘sponsor’ on the
World’s Greatest Shave website and search for
‘HSM squad’.
From Senior Prefects of Welfare and Media &
Events,
Emily Rawe and Tash Barrow.
Congratulations Eric Sekula
Careers Adviser
Pride of Workmanship Award
On Monday the 4th of April, Year 11 Physics visited Luna Park Sydney. After collecting our
wristbands we went on the Wild Mouse. The Wild Mouse differs from most roller coasters as
they usually have banked curves which provide a force towards the centre of the curve. As
the Wild Mouse doesn’t have banked curves we experienced forces as we spun around the
curves with the carriage staying on the tracks only due to mechanics of the vehicle.
Next some of us went on the Ranger. On this ride we
experienced momentum and how an object will stay in
motion acted upon by another force, this being gravity. The
Ranger started off by swinging up and getting momentum
allowing us to spin 360° around its axis. Towards the end of
the ride the Ranger lost momentum allowing us to stop due
to the gravity acting upon the ride.
We then visited Coney Island and went on The Joy Wheel
competing against each other be the last one left. This ride
creates a centripetal force meaning that it makes you turn
in a circle by pushing you towards the centre of the ride.
This physics principle is also exhibited in the Tango Train
and the Rotor. The Rotor exhibits the centripetal force as a
cylinder spins fast with people lined on its walls. The speed
and gravity allows the people to stick to the wall as the floor
drops.
We then went on the Coney Island
Slides. When travelling down the
slide your speed is fast due to the
potential energy and little friction as
the potato sack sledge down the
slippery metal slides. The opposite
effect of friction is seen on the Rotor
as the rough surface of the cylinder
helps you to stay stuck to the wall.
At the Dodgem City we experienced
the content we learnt in class from
the topic ‘Moving About'. This
involved what happened when
objects collided. As colliding in
dodgem cars is encouraged we
experienced this in many occasions
causing us to jolt every time we ran
into someone whether we were the bumper or the bumpee. When two dodgem cars collide
the force from the faster car acts on the other making the slower car’s velocity increase.
ANZAC DAY
DAWN SERVICE
On the 25th of April, girls from the leadership team accompanied by Miss Ebrahimi attended
the Hornsby dawn service. The girls were involved in the march to the memorial cenotaph in
which the service was conducted. At the dawn service, veterans read stories in honor of
their comrades and to commemorate all those who had given their life for Australia. A story
was also heard from 1916 when Hornsby railway station and Petone railway station in New
Zealand exchanged flags to recognize the bravery of the Anzacs. The school Captain,
Georgina Cant, read the Prayer for the Nation and the Vice Captains, Lauren Gallaway and
Jessica Binet laid the wreath to remember the Anzacs. It was a very successful morning and
all girls were proud to be involved in the event.
Tash Barrow
Media and Events
The Westside Vibe will be held from on Friday 20th May in Dural Lane and William Street Carpark in the
heart of Hornsby, from 4pm until 9pm. Hornsby’s west side will come alive with stage performances,
street food, markets, street performers, interactive art and activities. The event is free and suitable for
the whole family. Find out more about the event: http://hornsby.nsw.gov.au/westsidevibe
MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE
We were given the opportunity to participate in a program aimed at increasing youth
involvement in politics. We heard from three Keynote speakers (one from each major
political party) on their views and backgrounds. After listening to these speakers and having
a brief Q and A session, we were assigned groups and given three questions to discuss:
What is democracy? What are some key issues in society and how can we act on them?
Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
The answers to these questions varied within the group, but we came to the conclusion that
democracy is a government for the people, by the people but it is conditional; only those
over 18 have a say. Some key issues raised were education, gender equality, marriage
equality, racial equality, mental health, and the refugee crisis. We were able to discuss how
we could improve our society through large and small scale action. When discussing each
point, there were many diverse views, but discussion was held in a respectful and civil
manner. As a group, we also came to an agreement that if the voting age was lowered to
16, voting should be voluntary until 18, where it is currently compulsory.
After this discussion, we made our way to the legislative assembly for a follow-up session.
Surprisingly, most groups held the same answers to the first and third question. After a
vote from everyone, the majority agreed that the voting age does not need to be changed,
but if it did it would be voluntary from 16 to 18.
We are so thankful to be granted this privilege to represent our school in such an impactful
way. We learnt so much from this day and we are thankful to Miss Palma for facilitating it.
Hope Pratt and Francine Dayrit
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)
Year 10 Food Technology
Over the course
of Term 1, Year
10
Food
Technology
looked closely at
the latest trends
in food. Part of
their
practical
experience,
students
prepared
meals
such as sliders,
bliss balls, green
juice,
zoodles,
salad in a jar, chilli jam and chilli jam stir fry. The whole class
have demonstrated vast improvement in the kitchen
over the past year and work confidently with the
food they are preparing.
Zoodles
The end of Term 1, students were given the
opportunity to attend an incursion called “Food on
Fleek” in our school kitchen hosted by Helena
Dowdall, owner of Gratifood. 18 students attended
the workshop which wrapped up their food trends
unit and showed the students how to decorate, style
and photograph a “naked” cake (a popular style of
cake at this present time). Ms Dowdall demonstrated the skills
and showed the students what could be possible with the
backdrops,
decorations, flowers and vast array of garnishes provided in
the workshop. Students enjoyed the workshop, learnt a great
deal and have a boost of inspiration and motivation for the
next unit of work, food styling and photography.
NEWS
Second term starts with a number of assessment tasks across all grades in preparation for
reporting. Teachers are continuing with the push for hands-on science to engage all girls in
learning. Parents should be receiving emails home to inform of upcoming assessment tasks.
Term 1 has some great highlights, the start-up of Science Club with Ms Govender and
senior girls leading junior girls in exciting science challenges (see the
article below).
Year 11 Biology and Senior Science classes visited Gibberagong for an
ecosystem study, which later lead to a follow up in class assessment
task. Ms Gunawan did a great job organising 90 students out on this
field trip.
Open night for year 5/6 students and parents saw
our year 7 and 8 girls lead and engage the audience
with interactive and informative science.
Ms Fang has great interest with Robotics Club which
also runs lunchtime each Monday
Year 7 had a wonderful engaging time at Taronga Zoo which led to an
assessment task back at school.
Science Club – lunchtime Tuesdays
Science Club was started during the second week of Term 1 and a great interest was shown
from all year groups. The Club has weekly meetings on a Tuesday at lunch and it is a great
opportunity for students from different year groups to interact and share ideas about
science. To begin with, students broke up into groups and were faced with the task of
making a short video explaining a scientific concept of their choice. Students showed a
great deal of creativity and a number of videos were produced that will be entered into the
ABC Science Movie Competition and the Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize. Students are
currently working on an engineering challenge on building a structure that can withstand an
earthquake. The challenge is to build a tower out of a limited number of straws, pieces of
paper and tape. The towers will be tested in the coming weeks. A static test (testing weight
it can hold) before collapsing will be done first, putting students’ engineering skills to the
test. A seismic test (testing side to side movement) will then be done to test whether the
tower will withstand an earthquake. Ultimately, Science Club is a fun environment where all
students who have an interest in science are welcome to come and share ideas and
participate in challenging engineering projects that will support and extend their scientific
skills.
Year 10
In our first welfare meeting for Term 2, Year 10
students were informed about the Premier’s
Volunteering Award program, which will recognise
activities both within and outside school. It was so
pleasing to see that many of our students are already
volunteering in the community!!
This is an intrinsically rewarding program which follows the PERMA positive psychology
model. Volunteering can increase our Positive Emotions, strengthen our Relationships and
provide Meaning. Through volunteer work, we often learn more about our skills and
strengths, resulting in a sense of Accomplishment.
By the end of Year 10, the goal for each student is to achieve a Bronze award, which
equates to 20 hours of voluntary service.
All students and parents in Year 10 have been emailed all the documents from the
presentation and a follow-up meeting will take place for students who have expressed
interest in the program.
If you have any further questions about this initiative, please do not hesitate to contact Mr
Nicklin or Miss Palma. We look forward to guiding Year 10 through this journey!
Over the recent school holidays saw Lauren Gallaway (yr 12) and Aimee Gallaway (yr 8)
compete in the a range of international, national and state sailing regattas.
Lauren travelled to Auckland Harbour, New Zealand to compete in the New Zealand womens
match racing national championships. After training for months in glamorous Sydney
harbour conditions, with no foul weather gear in sight and sunny sea breezes, she faced
tough Kiwi Weather of rain and heavy winds. It was extremely tough racing against the Kiwi
Olympic team (beating them on 2/3 occasions) however Lauren finished in 4th place overall,
a credible result that adds significantly to her world ranking. Lauren continues to compete in
the Australian match racing circuit over the winter months with the Cruising Yacht Club of
Australia’s Youth Sailing Academy Advanced Squad team. She hopes to continually better
her ranking of World #26 in order to represent Australia in various regattas in the summer
months.
Whilst Lauren faced miserable conditions, Aimee competed in the Australian Combined High
Schools sailing regatta on Lake Macquarie, NSW. She raced in the Flying Eleven division and
after stiff completion from other selective schools from around Australia and NSW finished
in 2nd place overall in the NSW schools division and came home with a shining silver medal.
They also placed 13th overall out of 122 in the Australian All Schools CHS division.
Firebird Forensics
April 11th - 16th, 2016
These holidays, we were selected to be part of the Firebird Forensics composition run by
the Arts Unit in con- junction with the amazing Scottish composer, musician and teacher
Paul Rissman. He works primarily as a composer with the London Symphony Orchestra.
We had five days to compose a reinterpreted ballet score based on Igor Stravinsky's
Firebird ballet and an extra day to perform it.
On the first day we arrived at the Arts Unit in Lewisham to make friends with the other 25
musicians, 10 danc- ers and 7 teachers including our very own Mrs Manton and Miss
Eastley. We were separated from the dancers and began our ballet with an introduction.
We were split into three groups, each hand selected by Paul, given a sheet of paper with a
single scale and told to compose a section which we would later share with everyone.
On the second day, we finalized the form of our introduction, with minor guidance from
Paul, and then began work on our finale. We were able to bounce ideas off other people
who had a similar compositional ability as ourselves, resulting in us experiencing how
productive composing in a team with different instruments can be. Hearing our own
compositional ideas being played on other instruments was a new experience for me, and
is so different then using computer software, enabling us to learn more about other
instruments capabilities.
On the third day we formed our finale and then recorded both the introduction and the
finale to send down- stairs to the dancers. While we were working on our original music
for them to dance to, they were composing their own dance to Stravinsky’s introduction
and finale.
The next day we shared our movements. The teachers were very impressed with our work,
as the students only needed slight guidance from the teachers, and Paul had managed to
transform our pieces using his ideas and our work, creating large sections that sounded
magical and professional! By this time we had only 20 minutes left of the whole project to
compose the final movement! For this all the students composed together and using impro-
-visation we created a structured
and bold finale. Refreshed after
lunch, we performed our entire
score for the dancers and then
watched their own work from the
week to our music.
The final
day was at the
Conservatorium of Music where we
were finally able to rehearse our
music with the dancers with only
three hours before the final
performance! However, technical
difficulties mean that we were
upgraded from the Music Workshop
to the spectacular Verbrugghen
Hall. After lunch it was time for us
to per- form and we took our seats on the stage as the audience filed in. The performance
was stunning and the adrena- line coursed through all our veins with excitement as we
presented our unique music and dance to our families and teachers. We gelled together in
a group almost flawlessly by using eye contact and body language to signal, and with a
little conducting from one of the students, the finale concluded with a bang.
Looking back on the project, we have been able to take so much from it. Not only have we
made new friends and have amazing memories, I can now look at my own piece of work
and immediately know what could be better, and what needs to be done to take it to the
next level, even if the actual motions of improving it are difficult. Seeing Paul work his
magic and glue short pieces with contrasting ideas together, made by stressed students was
incredible, and gave us a great insight into what it takes to be a professional composer and
to work on projects like this.
Thank you so much to Paul and Mrs Manton for helping us on our way to this wonderful
opportunity! We will never forget this amazing experience!
- Jade Slater and Bridgitte Holden
LOTE NEWS
TAIKOZ DRUMMING
On Wednesday 16th March 2016, Year 7
and 8 students participated in a
Japanese drumming incursion. At the
beginning of the performance we were
introduced to 3 friendly people who
guided us through the main drumming
techniques. They then asked some of
the students to help them and it was
very cool to watch the different
drumming movements. The presenters
spoke about some famous festivals in
Japan and the performance ended with a
drum-off!!
I personally had a lot of fun and really
enjoyed it and I can't wait for it to happen again. I love learning about Japanese music and
culture and I know that all the other students appreciated this experience.
ARIGATOU!
From Madeleine BETTY 7A
CRÊPES
In Term 1, Year 8 students learnt the
art of cooking traditional French
crêpes. The new AGHS café was
transformed into a Crêperie and we
were lucky enough to have a French
chef from a famous patisserie in
France to show off his crêpe cooking
skills. Students were also able to
immerse themselves in the language
by ordering their crêpes in French.
Miam!
YEAR 8 LOTE
Language Perfect Homework: Year 8 students have been using Language Perfect as an
online learning tool to supplement book work in class. This is just friendly reminder that set
homework is due each Monday. 
Using the same program, our language students will be competing against other schools
around the world in the Language Perfect Championships: 16 - 26 MAY 2016.
Students can earn points and compete for awards and prizes from the $100,000 prize pool.
Allez, AGHS!!
http://worldseries.educationperfect.com/language-perfect-world-championships.html
We also look forward to our upcoming French and Japanese Language Excursions on the
27th of May. French students will be heading to the Little Snail Restaurant in Pyrmont and
Japanese students will be at Edogawa gardens in East Gosford! Please hand in your notes
asap so you don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity!
Cross Country Carnival
The 2016 cross country carnival was held on the 30 th of March. The weather was fantastic
and the carnival ran well. The XC carnival is always a great day as the girls get to run
around the school and the local area.
The winning house was GILMORE – Led by house Captain Rebecca Rogers and VC Mikayla
Riolino
The age champions of the 2016 XC carnival are
12 years – Carla Pittman
13 Years – Jasmin Guthrie
14 Years – Erica Pittman
15 Years – Matilda Edwards
16 Years – Rebecca Rogers (fastest time of the carnival)
17-18 years – Emma Liddelow
Congratulations girls you should be very proud of your efforts and achievements
Well done to all the students who participated in the carnival earning house points for their
house. The pictures of the carnival speak for themselves. The current house points tally is
as follows
Gilmore
Chisholm
Bates
Turner
3423
2992
2808
2864
Gilmore are currently sitting on the top of the ladder
NEW ZEALAND NETBALL TOUR
During the school holidays 20 elite netballers
from AGHS travelled to New Zealand to
complete in the Christchurch International
Netball Festival. The girls departed Sydney on
Thursday 14th of April and returned home safe
and sound on Thursday 21st April
Day 1 – Today was so exciting for most of the
girls, a few who had never been on a plane
before. There were go pros on record and an
element of excitement and nerves as we left
Sydney. We arrived in Christchurch and were
met
by
Phil
from
Total
netball,
Phil
accompanied us to the Rangi Ruru Girls school
where we were staying for the duration of the
tour. There was plenty of time to get comfy in the rooms and then take a quick walk around
the school and to the shops. There was another aussie netball team staying with us also
from Newcastle, they won the comp last year and so the girls were eager to check out the
competition.
Day 2 – adrenalin ropes course today. It was AWESOME. The girls loved the challenge of the
ropes. Some of the teachers also braved the heights and soared on some of the ropes. After
the team building ropes session the girls were able to head back to the school and eat some
lunch before a two hour training session with Leigh Gibbs, who will hold a 2 hour Total
Netball Training Session at the Rangi Ruru courts. Leigh has been a player, coach,
umpire and administrator of netball at club, regional and national levels. She is among New
Zealand’s most influential netball figures, on and off the court. Leigh was most recently
head coach of the Tactix team in the ANZ Championship 2012-2014. Leigh is now working
with Netball Mainland with her role as coach Development Manager and Community Netball
Manager.
The girls learnt a lot from the session and were exhausted from the training run.
Dinner was at the school again where we were joined by other schools that had arrived to
participate in the netball festival.
Day 3 – the first day of the festival. We had two teams playing in the festival. The first day
was difficult. We found out that we had the youngest and shortest players in the comp, yet
the girls did not let this set them back. After the first day we had no wins from either team,
this meant that we had to make some changes to teams.
We all headed back to the school tired but feeling great about the level of competition that
was being played. The teams were changed up to produce an A and B team. This was our
new strategy going into day 2 of the festival.
Day 4 – The new teams were a winner and the
A team bought home two wins and a draw
today. The B team didn’t manage to win any
games, but came very close to a draw. The girls
played so well in their teams and really showed
the New Zealand teams what they were made
of. Both teams each had to play 4 games and
this really proved tiring, by the end of the day
the girls were falling asleep on the bus.
Day 5 – Another gruelling day of netball. Both
teams played awesome games, however were
unable to bring home wins. The girls made
loads of friends with other teams from NZ
including the host school Rangi Ruru. The finals
were held today with Newcastle versing St Hilda’s collegiate. Newcastle were the favourite
tipped to win, however St Hilda’s proved too strong. Our girls were the voice of Australia
cheering on the Newcastle girls until the end. Most of the teams playing in the festival were
all senior girls from years 11 and 12, our girls were praised by not only by teams in the
festival but the event organisers for their sportsmanship and determination in EVERY GAME.
After the final game we all returned home where it was time to dress up for the festival
dinner. There were guest speakers from the Ferns and also high profile sports announcers
from NZ talking to the girls about sportsmanship and to never give up even when they feel
like they wont make the team. It was very inspiring to hear and the girls really enjoyed it.
Day 6 - Depart by coach this morning for
Hanmer Springs. Travelling north from
Christchurch through the wineries region of
Waipara. For jet boating down the Waiau
River and the Hanmer Hotsprings. The Girls
LOVED This part of the tour it was a great
way to unwind and relax and have some fun.
The pictures speak for themselves.
Day 7 – Today was another full day of
sightseeing. First stop was the international
Antarctic centre. The girls were able to see
and feed penguins, play with huskies AND go
on the Hagglund ride. This is the only place in
the work other than Antarctica its self that
you can experience this vehicle. It was an
EPIC ride. After the Antarctic centre we
headed to do a city tour of Christchurch and
some shopping in the new container shopping
centre. The final netball game was an
invitational game against St Margret’s and
Burnside High School. Both teams played
really well against these highly regarded
teams.
Tonight we had dinner at the Ko Tane Experience. The girls got to see NZ wildlife and get up
close with the Kiwi Bird. We then headed to the Ko Tane Experience where we were treated
to a Traditional Maori welcome and show. Some of the girls got invited up on stage to
participate in a female HAKA it was a fantastic experience. Dinner was EPIC tonight we got
to experience a Hongi the food was amazing.
Tonight the girls went out for dinner to Lone Star. RIBS were the meal of the night. It was a
great way to finish off the tour.
DAY 8 –Today we head home, but not before a
special breakfast with two players from the
Silver Ferns. They talked about the challenges of
being an elite female athlete and how the sport
is changing and growing and how we as the new
people coming through can be a part of it all. It
was inspiring and really great to talk to the girls.
The girls also did a hands on Humanity initiative
by giving a fully equipped netball kit to a school
that had been severely affected by the
earthquakes.
After breakfast we had a bit of time to spare so
we all headed to the shopping centre. The girls
bought the last of their gifts and spent their final
NZ dollars before heading home. The flight home was long, however waiting for us at the
terminal were a sea of smiling parents.
The girls had a fantastic time on the tour, It was a huge physical, social and emotional
challenge that pushed the girls to their limits. The girls were outstanding ambassadors for
their country and their school. They maintained a fun and positive attitude at all times and
always played fairly and to their limits.
Ms Overhall would like to thank each and every one of the girls for their participation in the
tour. It was a pleasure to take you overseas and watch you play at an international level.
You should all be very proud of your selves. I am so proud of each and every one of you.
Ms Overhall would also like to than Ms Horne who helped with the tour organisation and the
day to day running of the teams in NZ. Ms Amvrazis for her attendance during the tour. And
the parents for allowing and paying for this experience for their girls.
We have been invited to play again next year. Trials will take place this term for two more
teams to head over to NZ in 2017 to play in the festival. An assembly will be held this term
to acknowledge the girls and their participation in the festival
The students who participated in the tour were:
Tiana Hazlewood (Captain), Gabbie Brown, Chloe Gaica (Captain), Charley Clements, Sasha
Deffert, Lillian Magann, Emma Brady, Rebecca Rogers, Natalie Losanno, Allannah Voss,
Sammy Hopkinson (Captain), Abby Smith, Rose Koellner, Hayley Burnet, Ashleigh Gammie,
Layla Chakerian, Emily Bryant, Alexia Van Noort, Georgia Clements and Lucy Grimshaw.
OUR ANZAC DAY CEREMONY
On Friday the 29th April 2016 Asquith Girls commemorated
Anzac Day.
Anzac Day 2016 marked the 100th year
anniversary of the Somme Offensive in 1916 which included
the Australian involvement in the Battles of Fromelles and
Pozieres. All Year 12 Modern History students in NSW study
the Western Front Battles including the Battle of the Somme
and for this reason students from the year 12 Modern
History classes: Niamh Kealey, Samantha Compston, Claire
Nicklin, Heather Morrison, Elizabeth Gracie, Reanna Thomas,
Natasha Mathams, Jemma Williams and Jess Trewhella combined with the Year 12 Captains
Georgina Cant, Lauren Gallaway and Jessica Binet lead the Assembly. The focus of the
Assembly was for the students to narrate their personal connection to the Somme
Offensive. In addition, two of the six soldiers who were
killed at the Somme and are commemorated on the
Hornsby War Memorial were acknowledged.
We were honoured to be joined in our commemoration
by Councillor Nathan Tilbury on behalf of Mr Steven
Russell, Mayor of Hornsby, Mr Colin Bourke, Hornsby
RSL, Mr Terry James and Mr Ray Davis on behalf of the
Hornsby RSL Sub Branch.
Gillian Roberts commenced the Assembly with a welcome to country that
also included an acknowledgement to Aboriginal servicemen men and
women. Jessica Binet then told the story of her great grandfather Oscar
Whalen, a stretcher bearer who in November 1916 ‘ singlehanded and
under fire went to a gun pit where wounded men had been cut off from
their company. He organised a team to carry them out and directed the
men back to their own lines.” In Jessica’s words : ‘ My grandfather
sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen and would also have had one
to the heart if it were not for a pocket bible
his mother gave him before left his home at
Eungai. It sat within his left-breast pocket
and prevented the bullet from entering his
chest. I owe my grandmothers life, my
mother’s life, and my own life to that pocket bible’.
Claire Nicklin told the story of her great grandfather, Sidney
Nicklin who had lied about his age, putting it up from 21 to 24 in
order to become a 2nd Lieutenant. Mr Nicklin survived the
Somme, and continued to fight in various battles along the
Western front including in Hangard Wood and in Ypres. His most
significant contributions were during the Battle of Amiens in
1918 where he led his platoon to attack German lines. He went
alone to observe the position of the enemy, endangering his life by travelling behind
German lines in broad daylight and under heavy machine gunfire. He was able to locate the
position of enemy soldiers and seven enemy machine guns in a nearby valley. For this he
was awarded with a Distinguished Service Medal.
Heather Morrison told the story of her great grandfather Herbert Foxton who survived the
Battle of the Somme, was injured by gas in 1917 and severely wounded near VilliersBretonneux in July 1918, due to a high explosive shell. He suffered severe head and facial
injuries that left him blinded. Due to his condition, he was placed in a causality clearing
station as they didn’t think he would survive. He survived the war to be one of the last
Australian soldiers to return home, due to the extent of his injuries. In 1921 Herbert Foxton
settled into life in Sydney, raised a family of four children with his wife Ruth, and had twelve
grandchildren. He died in peace in 1984, aged 94.
Laura Hamilton spoke about her recent trip to the Western front battlefields and showed
some pictures of her journey. Finally, Natasha Mathams told the story of her great
grandfather Bob Mathams who served in World War 2. Natasha stated ‘that a soldier doesn’t
have to be part of any particular battle or conflict to be an Anzac. Every soldier following
WW1 and ones that are fighting now all have the right to be named Anzacs’.
After the wreaths were laid, selected students placed poppies that had been made by the
Year 9 History students and recorded the names of serving Anzacs past and present. The
combined Senior and Junior Choir conducted by Mrs Louise Lander sang ‘Lest we forget’
and the Last Post and Rouse were beautifully played by Aimee Langeveldt. Jade Slater
played the piano beautifully throughout the ceremony and the singing was ably led by Tarna
Rosentreter and Amy Solomon. The behaviour of the whole school throughout the service
was outstanding. It showed that every student at Asquith honours, respects and is thankful
for the sacrifices made by our Anzacs throughout history and up to the present day.
NICOLE HUTCHINS Y12 AMERICAN BASKETBALL TOUR
Last year, I was selected to represent NSW on
an American tour. My team of 10 girls was
selected from all NSW girls in the Basketball
NITP (National Intensive Training Program)
under the age of 20.
On the 2nd of December, we said goodbye to
our parents and travelled with the team and
coaches to Charlotte in North Carolina. After a
long flight we arrived late at night and booked
into our team hotel.
The first day of the tour started early and
contained two training sessions. One was
together as a team in order to adjust to the
American courts, and the other was with a
strength, conditioning and skill program called Accelerate Basketball. This was great as we
were trained by the same coaches who train a large number of NBA and WNBA players,
including Steph Curry.
The next day we played our first college game
against Louisburg Junior College. This team is a
very prominent basketball college who was
leading their North Carolina conference, having
won 9 out of 10 games. We were able to beat
this team 71-62. This caused a lot of interest in
our team from the coaches at the other
universities. We had college coaches attend all
our games for the remainder of the tour.
We spent the remainder of the first week in
North Carolina travelling between each college in
our tour bus. We visited and played two more
college games against Central Carolina College
and Barber Scotia College. We won both these
games by 60 points!
Next we played a two day weekend tournament
at Fort Bragg Army Base which is more like a
small city.
This tournament was played against army senior women who had mostly played college
basketball and some even played professionally overseas. We didn’t win these games but
our coaches were very happy as we were competitive. Playing at this level was really
tough, but a great experience. They treated us really well, giving us a tour of the base,
taking us out for dinner, and even giving us access to purchase some souvenirs from their
shop which is usually restricted for military people only.
We finished our week in NC having tours of Wake
Forest College, Duke University and the University
of North Carolina (UNC). These colleges are some
of the most prestigious basketball colleges in
America. They have so much history and their
facilities are amazing.
At UNC we were also able to watch them play a
college game against Davidson. They take college
basketball very seriously in America! The
atmosphere was great, and it was bigger than
most professional games here.
We then left NC and flew to Dallas, Texas.
The first day in Dallas we had an exclusive tour of the AT & T Stadium, which is the home of
the Dallas Cowboys.
Next, we travelled down to Houston on our
bus. There we had a tour of the NASA Houston
Space Centre.
That evening we played a game against The
Kinkade School. They we tough at first, but we
won 66-31.
We then continued down to San Antonio. In
San Antonio we did some sight-seeing, visiting
the Alamo, the San Antonio Riverwalk and the
Cathedral of San Fernando (one of the oldest
cathedrals in the United States). We also got a
tour through the University of Texas, San
Antonio where we were able to catch up with a
friend from NSW who is currently playing
college basketball for UTSA.
That evening we got courtside tickets to an
NBA game. We watched San Antonio Spurs v
Utah Jazz which was a great game with 3
Australian players. It was a great experience
and we also managed to get on the big screen
which was a lot of fun!
That night we drove back up to Dallas and the
next
day
we attended school.
We got to sit-in on a normal American high
school day at The Hockaday School before
playing their team that night. It was a great
opportunity to learn about their education
system as well as getting to eat lunch in a
cafeteria. We had a big win beating The
Hockaday School 16-98. This was a great way to
concluded our 10 days in Texas.
The next day we flew across to Los Angles to end
our tour with 3 days of some fun tourist
activities. We walked through the Hollywood
Boulevard, spent a day in Disneyland and
California Adventure Park as well as our last day
in Universal Studios before flying home.
Overall it was an amazing experience! It was a great opportunity to learn about college
basketball and what it would be like to go to college there. It also gave us an opportunity to
get a good look at the variety of schools and to let scouts get a good look at us play.
Nicole Hutchins
Yr 12
IMPORTANT CALENDAR DATES
Tues-Thur, 10-12th May
Wednesday, 11th May
Wednesday, 18th May
Monday, 30th May
Wednesday, June 1st
Friday, 3rd June
Wednesday, 8th June
Wed-Fri 15-17th June
Tuesday, 21st June
Friday, 1st July
Monday, 18th July
Tuesday, 19th July
NAPLAN
P&C Meeting
Y11 RYDA
Athletics Carnival
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
Subject Selection Evening Y8 into 9
and Y10 into 11
Last Day of Term
Staff Development Day
Students return for Term 3