October 2013 - Winmalee High School

WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER
SAFE RESPECTFUL LEARNERS
High School Drive Winmalee 2777
www.winmalee-h.schools.nsw.edu.au
OCT/ NOV 2013
Phone 4754 2822 Fax 4754 3280
Winmalee High returns to relative normal
Students and staff have been successful at
returning to normal routines since Monday this
week. The goal of staff was to get students back
into class and focused on learning to distract them
from the devastation and related trauma of the
previous days. This decision was based upon
research about grief and loss which strongly
recommends maintaining or returning to daily
rituals and routines as quickly as possible. This is
designed to bring some familiarity and consistency
back into the lives of those affected by the recent
fires.
On the first day of return to normal, regular rollcall
was held followed by an assembly. Its primary
purpose was to extend my heartfelt condolences
on behalf of the school community to those 46
students who lost their homes and other students
who had homes damaged or had been displaced
from their homes. The students and staff were
acknowledged for how well they handled
themselves during the ‘lockdown’; how well our
students cooperated with the directions of staff
and how they maintained calm; how staff stepped
up and fulfilled their duty of care without a murmur
of discontent even though many had their home
under threat and they were working until the late
hours of the night. It was impressive to watch. It
certainly made me realise what a very special
school I have the good fortune to lead.
It was appropriate that our 2014 Captains Elect
(Sam Glazebrook and Maddie Antrum) speak on
behalf of all students on the assembly. They
expressed their extreme sadness for the loss
experienced by our students and showed empathy
for those affected by the fires, particularly those
who lost their homes. Both myself and the
Captains encouraged the student body to rally
behind our grieving students. To act with care and
kindness, showing respect by allowing them to
return to normal without question or comment. It
was recognised that being safe, respectful
learners is one of the strengths of students at
Winmalee High School and now was a time to
prove it to themselves and others.
A key part of the assembly was a presentation
given by our District Guidance Officer, Rosemary
Glassock on dealing with the bushfires. This
provided vital information about the grief and loss
process. The students learned about the
symptoms or signs that might indicate they or their
family and friends are not coping with the recent
bushfires. Friends were encouraged to watch out
for each other and look for these signs. All were
encouraged to trust their instincts and seek help
from their Year Adviser or the Counsellors
available. If a person would not seek help, friends
were encouraged to take their friend to get help or
report their concerns to a teacher or one of the
Counsellors onsite who would do something about
it.
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 1
One of the greatest confirmations our school has
had as a result of the fires, is that we live in a
wonderful community in which people genuinely
care for and support each other. Our students are
part of the caring and supportive attitude
expressed in our community. They and their
parents/carers should feel very proud of
themselves and their community.
Thank you to all of our local community who have
sent emails, flowers and chocolates as a thank
you to myself and my staff for their magnificent job
caring for your children. We do not work for the
appreciation but it certainly is great to be
acknowledged. Many of you have sent gifts
without the need to be recognised as the sender.
This truly speaks loudly about your giving nature
and the sincerity of your thanks.
We are receiving a strong emotional response to
our community devastation. This is now being
demonstrated through fundraising and donations
both locally and from across the state. In
particular, I would like to thank the huge number
of SRCs in public schools who are fundraising just
for Winmalee High School or our Winmalee
Community of Schools. It is our hope that such
donations will be sufficient to provide for the cost
of education for all of our 46 students who lost
homes. This includes uniform, books, textbooks,
pens, subject fees, sports fees, excursion costs,
camps etc. We also would like to support another
10 students (approximately) who have damaged
homes or been displaced from their homes and
over 20 past students who have lost their
memories of school through photos and
yearbooks in other ways.
Clarifying and understanding matters related
to the bushfires
Many questions have arisen in relation to how
things were handled during the bushfires. I will
take this opportunity to try and clarify how and
why some things occurred the way they did.
1 Lockdown – The decision to put the school into
‘lock down’ came as a result of receiving
information that Hawkesbury Road was closed at
Ellison Road and that buses could not get
through. At a minimum this meant bus students
had to remain after the bell. However, the
realisation was quickly made that if buses were
not permitted through, than parents/carers of our
children would certainly not be able to get through.
This meant that all students would need to remain
on site in lockdown. Additionally, we had no
contact with either the Police or the RFS at any
time during the lockdown. My staff and I simply
operated according to DEC policy for lockdowns.
Many animals were kept
safe at WHS during the fires
on Thursday afternoon
Smoke in the distance as
our students play
basketball during
lockdown
Approximately 250 people ended up evacuated
from the site. Congratulations to these students
for remaining clam and cooperative during the
entire time.
Our evacuated students assemble at
Springwood Bowling club
In the next week we will, as a school, practise
lockdown including phase two of lockdown which
involves moving from class rooms to the hall for
roll mark and preparation for evacuation.
2 Duty of care – As part of our duty of care, the
school can only release students into the care of
the child’s parents/carers or an authorised adult.
To authorise an adult, permission must be given
by the child’s parent to the Principal or their
delegate to say who they are authorising to take
their child/ren home on their behalf. This rule
applies every day of the school year and is even
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 2
more important when there is the potential for a
child to be injured or harmed due to bushfires.
3 Getting information to parents – The difficulty
on the day of the bushfires was that power went
down very early on the school site and
surrounding the school. As a result, the internet
would not work. This meant no Facebook
messages and no website updates. Mobile
reception in the mountains at the best of times is
unreliable. School phones were operating and
were being answered by a very professional
administrative staff. As Principal, I had informed
my superiors and the media that the school was in
‘lockdown’, all students were safe and secure and
that we were not releasing students unless it was
a parent/carer or an authorised adult. Keeping the
students safe becomes the priority on site. It is the
job of other DEC representative’s offsite to inform
the public.
As a staff of the school, we were aware that
Winmalee High School is one of the safest sites in
Winmalee and the mountains as it had been
designated as a safe zone by the local RFS and
Police. The shift of the winds to a southerly was
the changing factor and led to the arrival of Police
and an order to evacuate the site. Prior to this the
school had no official contact with the Police or
RFS.
4 Open or closed school – The decision to open
or close our school is unfortunately not made by
me as Principal. It is made by DEC my employer.
On Sunday night I was directed to open the school
for the Monday. This did not sit well with me. I felt
the school should have closed simply out of
respect for the grief and loss being experienced
by our school community. The decision to open
resulted in the appearance of a distinct lack of
empathy and compassion. It was far from the truth
and for that I apologise. Hopefully the lessons
learnt from this incident may change DEC policy
including stipulations about the hour by which
decisions of open or closed are made. Parents are
reminded that in situations such as the bushfires,
they have the right to make a judgement about the
safety and wellbeing of their child and whether
they want their child to attend school. We were
also conscious that some parents may have
needed an open school so that they could return
to work and know their children were supervised
and safe.
community and the feeder schools informed of
school closures and other matters of importance
to parents. It is not the school’s intention to
exclude parents from accessing communications
from the school because they do not have a
Facebook account. It is for this reason we provide
access to posted information through our school
website. Simply click on ‘Go to Facebook’ near the
news alert area of the website. This will allow
anyone to read the posts on our Winmalee High
School Official Site. It will not permit you to make
comment, however. Most of the information here
has been posted in one form or other on our
Facebook site. If you haven't ‘liked’ us yet, please
do. It is an excellent way to keep in touch with the
school and its happenings.
6 Attendance – Students and parents can be
assured that students who are working towards
achieving 100% attendance will not jeopardise this
goal. In catastrophic situations such as fires,
students are not marked absent from school.
These dates are excised from the records when
our annual return is completed. Students are
required to attend from the day the school is
declared back to normal routine (Monday 28
October). Therefore, notes before this time are
not required for non-attendance even when the
school was deemed open.
7 HSC students – One of the major concerns was
ensuring that our HSC students would not be
disadvantaged by the impact of the fires. As a
result the school will put in a Group misadventure
application. We also encourage all students to put
in an individual Misadventure Form. These are
collected from and returned to Ms Facas, Deputy
Principal supervising our current Year 12. The
school will ensure the Presiding Officer signs the
forms.
8 Parent Information Evenings – Two separate
evenings will be held for parents in the near
future. The first is our Bushfire Psychology
Evening on at 7pm Thursday 7 November 2013.
Many parents have expressed concern about how
the fires have or may have impacted on their
children. This evening will provide some answers
and will help you understand how you can better
support your child/ren and yourself and your
partner, if applicable. The second evening (date to
be determined) is for HSC parents/carers in
relation to the misadventure process and the
estimation of marks.
5 Facebook – Regardless of the ribbing
Facebook regularly gets, it has served as a very
effective social medium in the recent bushfires. It
certainly worked well to keep our school
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 3
MESSAGE FROM OUR DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
Firstly, thank you to the community for your
patience, understanding and support during the
past two weeks.
We would also like to
acknowledge the students of Winmalee High
School and commend them for their outstanding
conduct since returning to school in Week 4.
Students have supported one another and worked
hard to get back into the routines of school. The
community support, both local and non-local, has
been nothing short of amazing. Such generosity
has seen many resources come into the school to
support our students. Thank you.
The HSC Examinations are almost over and Year
12 has certainly had an eventful examination
period. On top of an already very stressful time,
these young men and women have shown
tremendous resilience and strength over the past
few weeks. Under such difficult circumstances,
with study disrupted and the overwhelming
concerns about the safety of the community, our
students have been extraordinary.
Many Year 12 students have submitted individual
Misadventure Application Forms to Ms Facas.
Those students who have not yet submitted a
form need to get these completed and returned to
the school by the end of the HSC Examination
period. A Group Misadventure Application will be
submitted by the school covering each
examination. So those that have not completed
an individual form will still be given the opportunity
for misadventure consideration. With the
examinations almost over, we are looking forward
to getting Year 12 together to share their stories
and come together again as a year group. After
the final HSC Examination on Wednesday
November 6, we will be having an afternoon tea
from 3.30pm in the new senior area. We hope all
Year 12 students are able to make it.
Year 12, 2014 have received their Assessment
Schedules. The importance of meeting deadlines
to ensure they get marks for their assessments
was discussed. Students have been encouraged
the set due dates in their diaries and calendars to
be prepared for deadlines and to read through the
frequently asked questions in the assessment
booklet. We have also encouraged all students to
take a part in the mentor program and complete
the form which allows them to select a teacher
mentor to assist them over the next year. This has
been a very successful strategy in supporting
students over the years and we hope students
take advantage of this program and support.
Finally, if we could again thank everyone,
students, parents, community and staff for working
together during this most difficult time.
Mr O’Brien & Ms Facas
Mr Barry O’Farrell
visits Winmalee High
School to talk with Ms
Middlebrook, Ms
Facas and Mr O’Brien
about the recent Bush
Fires and the effects
on our students and to
congratulate staff on
their efforts
WALK FOR WINMALEE
FUNDRAISER
A 50km walk from Katoomba to
Winmalee commencing on Sunday 10
November and will finish at WHS on
Tuesday 12 November.
The aim of the walk is to raise as much
money as possible to assist our fire
affected students with their future
direction.
Donations will be put in trust for WHS and
the Community of schools Bushfire
appeal and will be specifically used for
the educational costs of the affected
students.
Please come along and help cheer along
our team
For instruction on how to make a donation on line
please see below.
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 4
S
IRE APPEA
A
P O
R
R
INMA EE
T E STEPS T
-
D NATE
N I NE
over the coming weeks, months and years. If any
parents or carers can spare a few hours over the
next few weeks – please consider helping out at
the school with sorting and distributing donations
to those who need them now.
At our last P&C meeting on 9/10/13, we:

agreed to the purchase of a laptop for
Artfest admin and design work

heard thanks expressed to Mr Verstegen
for his work with the WHS Tae kwon do
team; and to the WHS Music Department
for working with our representative
students in preparing for the Sydney
Opera House Choral Festival (& getting
them there/home last week)

requested that the school check the impact
of new train timetables on bus transport to
and from school

learnt that our WHS School Canteen won
$1000 in a local Colless competition – this
will be used to update canteen facilities

heard about the Uniform shop having
samples of sloppy joes – a popular request
with students
ate oday
Also - the Draft survey for a Uniform Review was
trialled with parents at P&C and will be trialled with
the SRC before being circulated to all students
and parents this Term.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
This month P&C expressed condolences to the
family of a P&C member who sadly passed away.
It has undoubtedly been a harrowing week since
that terrible Thursday 17th October, when
nexpected & ferocious fires spread incredibly
quickly through our community.
On behalf of the P&C, I extend deepest sympathy
to those who lost their homes and personal
belongings.
Many thanks go to our fantastic emergency
services that did their utmost to protect our
community. Thanks, also, to our wonderful
Principal, Deputies, Staff, school support & office
team in calmly caring for the student population
during a lock-down and safe evacuation. This care
was extended to our Year 12 students sitting their
HSC in the following days, with the school closed.
I know this resilient and compassionate
community will band together in the recovery effort
Our Next P & C Meeting will be held on
Wednesday 13 November 7pm in the school
library.
Trish Doyle
WHS P&C President
[email protected]
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 5
WESTERN SYDNEY REGIONAL
ENSEMBLES CHINA TOUR
As reported in the last newsletter, Winmalee High
School was well represented in the 2013 Cultural
Exchange program to China.
Siobhan Clifford, Liam Gray, Lachlan Craig,
James Curran, Daniel Manning, Ben Hayes,
Grace Rheinberger and Mr McGown travelled with
a group of 30 students and staff from Western
Sydney public schools to Shanghai, Hangzhou,
Ningbo and Beijing.
Congratulations to all students who represented
Winmalee High School with great distinction and
professionalism.
JAZZ BAND
ORANGE EISTEDDFOD SUCCESS
It was a jam packed seven day tour with the first
five days crammed with performances and school
visits. With major performances held in Shanghai
Theatre and the Ningbo Foreign Affairs High
School (with their school library a replica of the
white house and theatre that would rival Sydney’s
Lyric Theatre) Winmalee High School students
formed the backbone of the Regional music
ensemble.
In addition to performing at concerts with Chinese
Education dignitaries and NSW Education
dignitaries the tour group were lucky enough to
take in some spectacular sights such as the
Shanghai Skyline, Tiananmen Square, West Lake,
he Forbidden City, and a spectacular “clear and
sunny” day was had climbing the Great Wall of
China.
The schools Jazz Band came away from the
Orange Eisteddfod with a 1st and 2nd place in 2
different sections of the competition.
Congratulations to Mr Dutton and the Jazz Band
on a successful performance at the competition.
While in Orange the band made a couple of stops
at Primary Schools to entertain the students with
an interactive concert.
Students from these
schools enjoyed joining performances on
percussion gear and even getting the opportunity
to conduct the ensemble.
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 6
2013 NSW ALL SCHOOLS TAEKWONDO
CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Winmalee Wasps Taekwondo Team of
eleven taekwondo players competed at the 2013
NSW All Schools Taekwondo Championships on
Saturday the 7th of September.
This is a full contact taekwondo sparring
competition that has been running since 1993.
This year the championships were held at Barker
College in Hornsby and there were about 50
schools entered with approximately 300
competitors in total. This is the fifth year that
Winmalee High has entered a team in this major
event in which most competitors come from
private schools in the greater Sydney area.
Individual Student Match Results
Monty Cooke (Year 7) - Yellow Belt 13 year boys.
Monty won his first match 6 to 2 and then
dominated his final with a score of 8 to 3 to win a
GOLD medal.
Anniejayn Caville (Year 7) - Yellow Belt 12 year
girls. Anniejayn’s division was a straight final
which she won with a close score of 10 to 9 to win
a GOLD medal.
Hannah Wood (Year 7) - Yellow Belt 13 year
girls. Hannah easily won her final with a score of 5
to 0; winning her a GOLD medal.
Marcus Harrison (Year 7) Red Belt 13 year boys.
Marcus competed with great sportsmanship and
was ahead on points (3 to 0) in the final match
when he misjudged the height of one of his back
kicks and landed the kick to his opponent’s head.
Due to this safety breach, Marcus was disqualified
in the final resulting in a SILVER medal.
Adam Roth (Year 7) Yellow Belt 13 year boys.
his was Adam’s first ever tournament. e fought
his match with great courage and sportsmanship
and achieved a BRONZE medal with a score of 1
to 5.
Winmalee Wasps Taekwondo Team 2013
The excellent taekwondo sparring skills and the
competitive spirit displayed by all of Winmalee’s
team members in each of their matches resulted
in a total of 4 GOLD medals, 3 SILVER medals
and 4 BRONZE medals. Taekwondo Australia
accredited coach and teacher at the school, Paul
Verstegen, was very impressed with the way in
which all of the Winmalee Team competed with
the utmost respect and sportsmanship. Comments
made by the parents of the students after the
tournament was that they were especially
impressed with the excellent sportsmanship and
behaviour shown by Winmalee igh’s players and
were impressed with the way in which the team
supported each other during the day.
The Winmalee Wasps team has continued their
excellent overall results and was placed third
overall in NSW in the team point’s averages
trophy for 2013. The points for this trophy are
based on the average medal points for the team;
with each gold medal being worth 3 points, silver
medals 2 points and bronze medals worth 1 point.
Over the last years, Winmalee’s team has now
been placed; 1st (twice), 2nd (once) and 3rd (twice).
Dylan Schuler (Year 8) Yellow Belt 13 year boys.
his was also ylan’s first tournament ever. e
was winning his match quite strongly with a score
of 2 to 0 when his fist made accidental contact
with his much shorter opponents head. As this
was a breach of the very strict safety rules he was
disqualified
which
he
took
with
great
sportsmanship. Dylan received a BRONZE medal
for his match.
Cameron Fenner (Year 8) Blue Belt 13 year
boys. Even though Cameron is an experienced
taekwondo player he had a difficult match which
he just lost with a very close score of 6 to 7. This
resulted in a BRONZE medal for Cameron.
Jamie Stammers (Year 10) Black Belt Seniors 16
to 17 year boys. Jamie was placed into a difficult
division due to his previous tournament
experience but easily out fought his opponent in
the final with a score of 6 to 1 resulting in a GOLD
medal. Jamie is also an Assistant Instructor in
Taekwondo outside of the school and has now
been promoted to be the new captain of the
Wasps team due to the previous captain for the
last 5 years, Nicholas Verstegen, retiring from the
team.
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 7
the championship. These students are; Madison
Keenan, Justin Fokes and Jai Crisp in Year 7 and
James Roche and Kristian Claesson in Year 10.
The Winmalee Wasps team will continue after
school training once per week during Term 4 this
year. Any students that may be interested in
joining the team for next year’s championships are
welcome to see Mr Verstegen in Science.
Students need not have done any Taekwondo as
yet to be considered for the team.
MAANZ = AMAZING
Jamie Stammers in full flight mode on his way to
winning Gold
James Mills (Year 11) Black Belt 16 to 17 year
boys. James was placed into the same division as
Nicholas Verstegen below. Even though James is
an Assistant Instructor in Taekwondo this was
James’ first ever tournament. e lost against his
much more experienced opponent with a score of
0 to 5. This match resulted in a BRONZE medal
for James.
Kevin Aggett (Year 12) Provisional Black Belt
Seniors over 17 year boys. Kevin competed
extremely well against an experienced player. At
the end of the third round the score was tied at 3
all. This meant that the final had to go to a golden
point round in which the first player to score wins
instantly. Unfortunately Kevin’s opponent landed a
kick on Kevin a spilt second before Kevin’s own
kick connected. Kevin therefore won a SILVER
Medal.
Nicholas Verstegen (Year 12) Black Belt Seniors
over 17 year boys. Nicholas passed the first
match with a bye to go straight into the final based
on his past championship performances. He
dominated his first round leading 5 to 0. In the
second round icholas’ opponent gained the
upper hand finishing the match with a score of 8 to
12. Nicholas won a Silver Medal. Nicholas also
assisted greatly at the championships as he is
also a fully qualified Taekwondo Australia coach,
an Assistant Instructor and is currently completing
his full Taekwondo Martial Arts Instructor Training.
icholas’ excellent coaching of both Anniejayn
and Hannah helped them achieve their gold
medals.
Several other students that trained with the team
during the year could not attend the tournament.
These students should be thanked for being
willing sparring partners for those that did attend
Egypt Jackson in Year 9 was awarded 1st place
for a Secondary Student in the MAANZ (Mosaic
Association of NSW) Open show Tesserae at
Cotham Gallery in Melbourne for her Mosaic titled
'Slender in the Grass'. Egypt loves mosaics and
this is a huge achievement, congratulations.
‘Slender in the Grass’
SNAP SHOT 2013
Congratulations to Tate Harrington for her entry
into Snap Shot 013 ‘dance of the bird girls’. Snap
Shot is a photographic competition providing a
unique forum for the exhibition of photographs
made by teens from around the globe.
The SNAPSHOT exhibition will open Saturday, 21
September to Saturday, 9 November at Penrith
Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest.
The Prize Ceremony closing event will occur on
Saturday, 9 November from 5pm – 7pm when the
winners for SNAPSHOT 2013 will be announced.
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 8
THE END OF AN ERA: MR CROWHURST
RETIRES
Mr Glenn Crowhurst (affectionately known as
“Crowie”) has retired at the end of last term after
26 years here at Winmalee High School. He
transferred here in 1987 after 11 years at
Granville Boys High School where he began his
teaching career. He is one of the longest
serving teachers at Winmalee HS, seeing it
develop and grow from an assemblage of
demountables on the top oval to the wonderful
school we know today.
He has been a vital member of staff, as Head
Teacher of Science, lighting engineer for all
major school events, fundraising for the school
as DJ (accompanied by our enthusiastic
students) at the local primary school discos,
lover of all sports including skiing (where he has
taken numerous excursions to the snow for
school racing and camps) and hockey (which he
is still playing at a National level), an integral
part of the timetabling committee, energetic
leader of the SRC and all its associated
activities and the list goes on…..!!
But one of the highlights of Mr Crowhurst’s
career has been the care and concern he has
for the welfare of his students. He has been
Year Advisor for the Champagne Year of 1994
and then followed with the Millennium Bugs of
2000, with many of his students still keeping in
contact and sharing wedding and baby photos.
He has also made many friends through his
teaching and has a long standing relationship
with staff and parents he has worked with over
the years.
Comments made on our Facebook page reflect
the goodwill and great memories the community
has for him. Some include:
“Mr C is a great teacher ….he is very helpful
and friendly to teach us back in 1988 & 1989. I
have never forgotten what he taught us in
Science. appy retirement.”
“One of my favourite teachers, he has made
such a positive impact on my time at
Winmalee.”
“Champion teacher from a champion high
school. I feel privileged to have been taught
there. Enjoy retirement, Crowie.”
“Well done Crowy….. ot only did you keep me
in line at school, you ran discos for my own
children as well. You have inspired many
generations with your true dedication to your
career.”
“Congratulations on a wonderful, exceptional
career! There are some teachers ….. like you
Mr C who change the lives of their students.
hank you.”
We will miss him greatly but wish him all the
best with his future plans.
Farewell Mr Crowhurst!
MATHEMATICS NEWS
Please be advised of the following dates:
1. Tuesday Morning from 8am free revision
for year 7 in room 23.
2. Wednesday Morning from 8am HSC
Question Revision for this year’s Year
11 Mathematics General group in Room
23. First 25 ONLY accepted limit is
imposed
3. Thursday Lunch 1 in Room 23 Year 7
extension classes will be on. All
welcome.
Regards
Mr Younan
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 9
PBL NEWS
We encourage all students to show that they are
safe, respectful learners and aim for some
goldies!
New Goldie awards
Winmalee High School will be introducing new
Safe, Respectful Learner awards in Term 4 of
this year. The awards will be linked to the themes
of Positive Behaviour for Learning and the
theme for the first four weeks of the term is
Respect. he awards will be called ‘Goldies’ and
will be used to reward students who are
demonstrating respect in all areas of school life.
he theme for the ‘Goldie’ awards will change
each month. The PBL team will advise students of
the new focus at the beginning of each month.
This focus will be published in the Newsletter and
will be displayed in the daily notices.
Teachers have been issued with a number of
awards and they will hand ‘Goldies’ out to
students who demonstrate the focused behaviour.
This can be in the classroom or in the playground.
ach faculty’s award will be a different colour.
When students receive their award it will have
his/her name and the teacher’s name on it.
Students need to place the award in a barrel that
has been placed outside the PE staffroom. There
is a barrel for senior awards and one for junior
awards. Each award is recorded and when a
student receives six awards he/she will receive a
SRL award on assembly. These SRL awards can
contribute towards the Winmalee Medal.
DEBATING
Congratulations to Laura Bunting who was
selected as a member of the Sydney West
debating team. Laura will take part in the state
championships in December. She is the 7th
student from Winmalee to be selected in the past
9 years.
‘Goldies’ that are collected each week will be used
in a draw for a $5 canteen voucher. This draw will
take place each week on assembly. There will be
one senior and one junior winner each week.
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 10
ARCHIBULL PRIZE
Throughout the year, Art students from Years 9
and 10 co-operated together to create an artwork
for the Archibull Prize. The Archibull is an
art4agriculture initiative and has run in NSW for
the past three years. The students gathered
research and had a visit from the Young Farming
Champion, Kylie Schuller.
Each year the
Archibull has a theme that the students need to
follow for their fibre glass cow. This year the
theme was the Australian Beef Industry and the
Archibull team created Archi, a colourful Pop-Art
inspired cow. Archie is fit with her very own
platform and feed tray.
The students would like to thank Miss Allen who
has been participating and helping them, giving up
much needed free time to complete the cow. The
students and Miss Allen should be commended on
their hard work and efforts that they have put into
Archi the cow.
The time has come for Winmalee to farewell our
Archibull submission for 2013. Archi will now
undergo the huge journey from Winmalee to
Sydney to undergo marking with hundreds of
submission from both primary and secondary
schools. We wish you the best of luck Archi!
By Monica-rose van de Luecht
SCIENCE NEWS
2013 Science Competition Results
The International Competitions and Assessments
for Schools (ICAS) Science competition is run by
Educational Assessment Australia from the
University of NSW. Winmalee High had 26
students compete in this competition in 2013. The
following 17 students received certificates that
placed them at least in the top 30% of students in
the competition with 6 of these students being
placed in at least the top 11%.
Credit Certificates went to:
(Year 7) Lucas Howard and Justin Fokes; (Year 8)
Hugh Ward, Kalei Barger and Cameron Fenner;
(Year 10) Monica-Rose Van De Luecht, Joshua
Schroder, Laura Bunting and Jamie Stammers;
(Year 12) Josh Clement-Churn and Nicholas
Verstegen.
Distinction Certificates went to:
(Year 8) Peter Klein; (Year 9) Francis Ferraivolo;
(Year 10) Zara Barger; (Year 11) Josh Lambert;
(Year 12) Kevin Aggett.
A High Distinction Certificate went to:
(Year 10) James Roche.
2013 Computing Skills Competition Results
The International Competitions and Assessments
for Schools (ICAS) Computing Skills competition
is run by Educational Assessment Australia from
the University of NSW. This competition is only
available to students in Years 7 to 10. Winmalee
High had 15 students compete in this competition
in 2013. The following 5 students received
certificates that placed them at least in the top
30% of students in the competition with one of the
students being placed in the top 10%.
Credit Certificates went to:
(Year 8) Kalei Barger, (Year 9) Nicholas Hubbard,
(Year 10) Joshua Schroder and Jamie Stammers.
2013 WHS Archibull entry
A Distinction Certificate went to:
(Year 10) Joshua Egan.
Winmalee High would also like to thank Mr
Verstegen for taking the time to organise and run
the four competitions so that students at
Winmalee High are given additional opportunities
to test and improve their skills in Science and
Computing. All students are strongly encouraged
to enter the above competitions early in 2014.
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 11
YEAR 8 MEDIEVAL DAY
HOLOCAUST MUSEUM
James Adams, once again, gave an entertaining
overview of many aspects of the Medieval World
for our Year 8 students.
Last term, 50 Year 12 students made a
fascinating visit to the Sydney Jewish Museum.
The Holocaust is part of the Year 12 Modern
History course, while English Advanced students
study "The Fiftieth Gate", a novel about the
Holocaust.
This is part of the Year 8 history course at school.
The students got to see, hear and touch weapons,
armour, and clothing - even the stockade!!! Their
behaviour was superb and the afternoon was fun
for students and staff attending.
The Museum devotes a whole floor to this
apocalypse and it is a display that leaves an
emotional impact on the visitor. Holocaust
survivors are part of the staff and often lead
groups around the museum and many artefacts
on display were once possessions of these
people.
What has even more of an impact on the
students is a talk from a Holocaust survivor
detailing the experiences they endured during
this dark moment in human history. It is
spellbinding to hear what they saw, heard, smelt
and felt and it is also uplifting to see their spirit of
life as well. They are forever grateful to Australia
for giving them a new beginning.
The behaviour of the students was impeccable
and helped make the day an enjoyable and
worthwhile experience.
TALENTED DANCER WINS SCHOLARSHIP
Kiarn Doyle from Year 9 is a talented dancer who
is enjoying a wave of success at the moment. His
hard work and commitment over many years was
recently rewarded with two scholarships. Kiarn
has been awarded a
C ‘Creative Young Stars’
scholarship and the ‘UWS alent evelopment
Scholarship’.
hese awards recognise his
potential and will greatly assist him to pursue his
dream of becoming a professional performer.
During 2013 Kiarn has been involved in
numerous programs including:






The Winmalee High Senior Contemporary
Troupe
Auditions and selection for the 2013
School Spectacular
The Aboriginal Dance Company
Urban Dance Crew(Hip Hop)
Bangarra Dance Company, performing at
the Sydney Corroboree Festival
Appearing with ‘ apper’ on Australia’s
Got Talent
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 12

Eisteddfod Troupe
Western Sydney
of
Performing
Art
Congratulations to Kiarn on his success so far this
year. Watch out for his performance on Australia’s
Got Talent in one of the finals to be shown soon.
Kiarn is pictured below receiving his UWS Talent
Development Scholarship with other winners
earlier this month.
Q5. What are some achievements that you
have won?
2nd in state competition 2012, 3rd in state
competition 2012 (2 state competitions in a
year),2nd in regional completion 2012, 2nd in
regional completion 2013, 2nd in state 2013, 2nd in
state 2013.
Q6. How many fights in 1 competition at
nationals?
Depends on how many people in your weight
group.
Q7. Who do you represent at Nationals?
I represent the Wolves Taekwondo Australia.
Q8. How long do you train, and how much do
you do at training?
I train 2-3 nights a week and 1 hour each night.
Contact drills and contact sparring an example of
a contact drill would be block, punch, kick in that
order.
I am looking forward to nationals, thank you for
interviewing me.
INTERVIEW OF MARCUS HARRISON
7E (Extraordinary)
by Joshua Jacka 7W
Q1. How long have you
done taekwondo?
About two years, I have
been training with a
sports team to compete in
the Olympics for about 1
year, but it takes 3-4
years to become an elite
taekwondo fighter.
NEWS FLASH!!!
Since the interview above was written, Marcus
travelled to Brisbane during the last school
holidays to compete at the 2013 Taekwondo
Australia Festival. This is the highest level of
competition for a Taekwondo Australia
competitor at Marcus’ belt level.
Marcus won his first match convincingly with a
score of 10 to 1 and then unfortunately lost in the
semi-finals to win a National level BRONZE
medal! Well done Marcus!
Q2. How long does it take you to complete
each belt?
There are multiple coloured belts (eg yellow 1-23)it takes approximately a year to complete each
belt.
Q3. What are you most looking forward to
when competing at nationals?
This can lead to higher levels of taekwondo when
I am older and to feel a sense of accomplishment.
Q4. What led you to do taekwondo?
My sister was interested before I was and one
night I went to a taekwondo class and got asked
to compete with the sports team.
Marcus Harrison in action at NSW All Schools
Championships 2013
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 13
INTERVIEW WITH RUBY ARCH
Ruby was interviewed
about how her family helps
refugees.
Q: First off, how long
have you been helping
them?
A: My family have always been caring for people.
My grandfather helped homeless people in
Indonesia for many years but my family have
caring for refugees since 2007. I still remember
meeting our neighbours, Afghani refugees and
going to have toffees and tea sitting on the carpet.
I was only six years old.
Q: What happens to them?
A: Most refugees leave their countries because of
war or persecution. Many of them don’t even know
where their boat is going! When they reach
Australia’s waters, after going through pirates and
storms, we try to send them away or lock them up.
Lots of Australians believe we are getting flooded!
This is certainly not true because we are
accepting them at a very slow rate. I know a
refugee who has been locked up for over 4 years
waiting to be accepted. While in detention centres
they are accused of fake crimes, fall deep into
depression, become overweight, become addicted
to smoking and are treated unfairly without proper
medical treatment. For example if they complain
of a toothache they either have a choice to put up
with it or have it pulled out, true story!
and bread. I bring pencils and paper, origami
books and origami paper, and games like
dominoes. I listen to stories, learn art skills, play
games, fold gifts and eat food. They love to see
kids. It puts a smile on their faces because kids
remind them of their own siblings and children at
home.
Q: What should we do to help?
A: We need to have a voice. The government just
wants us to believe they are illegal. Send letters
to the Prime Minister, raise money to help them,
open your home to them or visit them yourself.
My mum would be happy to help with any ideas.
YEAR 7 HERALD
HANDBALL HAVOC - By Ruby Arch
Mr Younan announced the world’s first handball
competition for his awesome Year 7 last
Wednesday.
This crazy competition shall have Boys vs. Boys
and Girls vs. Girls games. Sadly Mr Younan
wishes to make this competition ‘fair’ and so
there will be no Boys vs. Girls games .
But there are prizes! Our unreal year advisor has
offered a box of chocolates (as usual) for 1st, a
picture of Mr Brady for 2nd and two pictures of Mr
Brady for 3rd.
Anyone who wishes to compete in this ignorant
idea or has any questions please see Mr Younan
immediately! Good luck to all competitors!
WHS Dance Showcase 2013
Q: How do you help?
A: We visit them weekly, support their court cases
and support their little hope.
Q: What do you do at Villawood Detention
Centre?
A: Well, we bring lots of food for a big feast like
dates, dried fruits, nuts, sweets, chips, biscuits
Wednesday 13 November, 2013
7pm (door open 6:30pm)
WHS Hall
$10 Adult - $5 Child - $20 Family (2A + Children)
Tickets available from the Office 4754 2822
Reserved seating, so get in quick…..
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 14
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ABOUT OUR STUDENTS
"It has taught me so much. I've really grown in
confidence. Now I get to the [Schools Spectacular]
stage and it feels like home."
Also
joining
Anja
in t h i s
year’s Schools
Spectacular is fellow Winmalee High Year 12 student,
Timothy Shead. It will be his third Schools
Spectacular.
Like Anja and so many others, f o r Tim the Schools
Spectacular is about more than performing.
I was really surprised that it was such a supportive
environment," Tim said. "They really care about you
at Spec and you become like a family.
A musical theatre f anat ic , Tim said Schools
Spectacular has taken h im on a journey f r o m
singing at home in the shower to wanting to make a
career of performance. He is currently applying for a
slew of courses where he can study musical the atre,
but if that falls through he will still try his luck as a
performer trying out for any musical theatre
productions going.
Anja too will be trying her luck, hoping it will be "her
time" to be recognised and to be given the
opportunity to go further.
The Blue Mountains Gazette, Wednesday 9 October
Back in the
spotlight
At 18 years of age, Winmalee High School Year 12
student Anja Nissen is like a 'grand old lady' of the
Schools Spectacular.
When she takes to the stage of the Sydney
Entertainment Centre next month (November 29 and
30), it will be her fifth year as a performer in the iconic
showcase of talented performers from NSW public
schools.
"I just want to keep performing and to do what I love,"
she said.
This year celebrates the 30th anniversary of the
Schools Spectacular-which is reputed to be the
biggest of its kind in the world.
Titled 30 Spectacular Years, it will be a celebration of
the world-class arena production that show- cases
the talents of public school students from diverse
backgrounds and communities from across the
state.
More
information
about
the
Schools
Spectacular can be found at www.schoolsspectacular.com.au with ticket for this year’s shows
available through www.ticketmaster.com.au.
Anja s t i l l v i v i d l y recalls her f irs t S c h o o l s
Spectacular experience as a 14-year-old when she
sang a solo of Christine Aguilera's Makes Me Want
to Pray.
"It was so amazing to be out in front of so many
people," Anja said. That experience was a driving
force to keep her coming back year after year.
"I look back at my first performance and where I am
now. I just think 'wow, I was lucky enough to be given
that opportunity'," she said.
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 15
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 16
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 17
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 18
CANTEEN & UNIFORM SHOP NEWS
Orientation Day 4th December
Any parent who would like to help out on this day
please call Sue on 47 54 8841.
Methods of payment in the Uniform Shop are
cash, Credit Cards and Eftpos ONLY.
CHEQUES ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTED
Pizza available every Tuesday at LUNCH ONLY.
Slice $3.50 Small Pizza $5.50
Burgers and Wraps must be ordered before
school or at recess.
For Sale in the Canteen
Navy & White Aprons
IA Packs
Calculators
Rugby Shorts
Football Socks
$12.00 each
$25.00
$30.00
$25.00
$12.00
Cash/Cheque/Card available
Uniform Price List
UNISEX
Junior Lemon Polo Shirt
Senior White Polo Shirt
Junior Maroon Wool Jumper
Senior Black Wool Jumper
Junior Polar Fleece Top – Maroon
Senior Polar Fleece Top – Black
Junior Maroon Fleecy Jacket
Microfiber Maroon School Jacket
Black Fleecy Jacket
Black/Maroon Scarf
PRICE
$
28.00
27.00
71.50
71.50
20.00
20.00
38.00
65.00
38.00
12.50
SPORT/PE
CANTEEN NEEDS HELPERS.
We have vacancies on the parent roster so if you
feel you could help out call Sue on 47 54 8841.
Hours of working in the canteen are from 9.50am
to 1.45pm each day.
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thur
Fri
4/11/2013
5/11/2013
6/11/2013
7/11/2013
8/11/2013
Help Needed
K. Bradford, Help Needed
Help Needed
Help Needed
Help Needed
Mon
Tues
Wed
Thur
Fri
11/11/2013
12/11/2013
13/11/2013
14/11/2013
15/11/2013
Mon
Tues
Wed
18/11/2013 Rose, Help Needed
19/11/2013 Help Needed
20/11/2013 Help Needed
A. Krasny, Help Needed
Help Needed
Help Needed
Help Needed
Help Needed
Sports Polo Shirt
Microfiber Maroon Sports Shorts
(standard length)
Microfiber Maroon Sports Shorts
(longer length)
Microfiber Maroon Tracksuit Pants
GIRLS
Junior Lemon Blouse
Senior White Blouse
Grey Shorts
Grey Trousers
Junior Tartan Skirt Pleated
Senior Tartan Skirt Pleated
Black Tights
35.00
26.50
26.50
38.00
26.00
26.00
35.00
39.00
48.50
48.50
9.50
BOYS
Boy’s Grey Shorts
Boy’s Grey rousers
35.00
39.00
NOTE: The approved school shoe is an allblack leather lace up shoe with a tongue.
THANK YOU
DAYLIGHT SPORTSWEAR
For your kind donation of 50% off all
sports wear to the school.
All uniforms a free to the victims of the
fire who have lost their uniforms.
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 19
2013 CALENDAR
TERM 4
01/11 - 08/11/13
Yr 9 & 10 Tennis Unit for Human Movement – Summerhayes Park
06/11/13
Yr 11 Belvoir St Theatre Excursion
07/11/13
Yr 11 Engineering Studies Excursion to Wollongong Uni
12/11/13
Yr 9 History Excursion to Maritime Museum
Yr 7 Excursion to Taronga Zoo
13/11/13
WHS Dance Showcase 2013
15/11/13
Vaccinations Round 3
18/11 – 22/11/13
Yr 8 Swim School
20/11 – 22/11/13
Yr 11 Sailing Trip
27/11 – 29/11/13
Yr 9 Surf Camp
27/11 – 30/11/13
School Spectacular
02/12 – 06/12/13
Yr 7 Swim School
04/12 – 06/12/13
Yr 8 Camp
Bushfire Recovery
A normal response to an abnormal event.
WHS Dance
Showcase 2013
THURSDAY 7th NOVEMBER
7 – 8 pm
@ WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL HALL
An information evening for parents and carers to
gain an understanding of:
 typical responses to traumatic events.
 how parents and carers can help their
children.
 how young people can help themselves
and each other
 when to seek further help.
Parents and carers of all schools welcome.
Presented by Rosemary Glassock – District
Guidance Officer – Psychologist, MAPS.
Wednesday 13 November, 2013
7pm (door open 6:30pm)
WHS Hall
$10 Adult - $5 Child
$20 Family (2A + Children)
Tickets available from the Office
4754 2822
Reserved seating, so get in quick…..
WINMALEE HIGH SCHOOL 20