24 Newsletter #3 March Week 13

Singleton High School
The Singleton Sun
FOSTERING THE TALENTS OF STUDENTS FOR A BETTER FUTURE
SHINING A LIGHT ON OUR SUCCESS #3 THURSDAY 24 MARCH 2016
Term 1 has been full of achievement & success!
P3
PRINCIPAL’S
PRINCIPLES
P4
CROSS
COUNTRY
P5
DEPUTY
REPORT
P9
SPECIAL
EDUCATION
P10
LIFT
TAKES OFF
P12
HAVE A
SAY DAY
P14
CLONTARF
ACADEMY
P16
HORSE
SPORTS
SINGLETON
HIGH SCHOOL
DETAILS
SOME KEY
UPCOMING
EVENTS
web: www.singleton-h.schools.nsw.edu.au
email: [email protected]
5:30PM MON 16 MAY
PHONE 6571 1199
Y7 CYBER TALKS LIBRARY
FAX 6572 4889
CANTEEN 6572 2373
PRINCIPAL JO GRAY
DEPUTY Y9 Y12 IAN SKILTON
DEPUTY Y7 Y10 ROCHELLE DOOLEY
DEPUTY Y8 Y11 TRACEY HOLLOWAY
P&C MEETINGS 3RD MONDAY MONTH
BELL TIMES
ROLLCALL 9:00-9:05
PERIOD 1 9:05-10:08
PERIOD 2 10:08-11:11
RECESS 11:11-11:41
P&C MEETING
TUE 29 & WED 30 MARCH
UNIVERSITY RUGBY LEAGUE
THU 31 MARCH
LUNCH 1:47-2:17
PERIOD 5
Y11 WHITE CARD COURSE
THU 31 MARCH
MON WEEK B
PERIOD 1 9:05-10:08
PERIOD 2 10:08-11:11
RECESS 11:11-11:41
PERIOD 3 11:41-12:44
LUNCH 12:44-1:47
PERIOD 4
1:47-2:17
STAFF PD 2:17-3:20
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CROSS
COUNTRY PHOTOS . 4
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DEPUTY’S REPORT.5
..........
Y7 PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEWS . 6
.....................
WELLBEING & WELFARE . 7
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SPECIAL
..........
Y7 PROGRESS REPORTS
THU 31 MARCH
ABORIGINAL DANCE
KA-WUL FRI 1 APRIL
ATHLETICS CARNIVAL
T2 W2 . WED 4 MAY
2:17-3:20
ROLLCALL 9:00-9:05
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PRINCIPAL’S PRINCIPLES.3
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LIBRARY
PERIOD 3 11:41-12:44
PERIOD 4 12:44-1:47
CONTENTS
UNIFORM SHOP
OPENING TIMES
WEEK 1 TERM 2
TUE 26 APRIL - FRI 29 APRIL
8.30AM - 10.30AM
WEEKS 2-10 TERM 2
MONDAY 8.30AM - 10.30AM
A more complete list of school events is available
from our online calendar; use or click on this link
www.singleton-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/calendar
LATEST.8
EDUCATION UNIT . 9
LIFT - TAKING LEARNING HIGHER . 10
.............
HAVE A SAY DAY - DEMOCRACY . 12
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SONGLINES
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CLONTARF
& DREAMTIME . 13
ACADEMY STARTS . 14
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GARDENING
GROOVE.14
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SPORTS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HORSE
SPORTS NEWS . 16
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CANTEEN
..........................
SHORTS . 15
PRICE LIST . 18
BULLYING - NO WAY . 19
Parents and carers are reminded that they must
make an appointment if they want to visit school to
talk to teachers or any other staff. Please enter the
school via the front office and sign in to be escorted
to the meeting location. We have a duty of care to
record and manage all visitors to our school.
2
PRINCIPAL’S PRINCIPLES
PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR THE JOBS OF THE 21ST CENTURY
NEW 25 SEATER BUS
I would like to say a huge thank you to
the P&C for enabling us to purchase a
25 seater bus, which will substantially
reduce the cost of many excursions for
our students.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE POSTER
Congratulations to Rebecca Kennedy
in Y12 for having her poster design
included in the National Campaign
against domestic violence. You can see
her poster here on p17.
This is a long term plan and it has finally
come to fruition. The bus will be in use
from next term. Thank you to Ian Skilton,
Glenn Cameron and Darren Brasington
for their research into this venture.
SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY
Last week we enjoyed the school cross
country carnival. This is a great day where
students and staff actually have some time
to have fun, compete and enjoy many
activities. Thank you to the PE staff for
their organisation, and to the committed
student basketball team that valiantly
opposed the staff team in a thrilling game.
See the following page for more photos.
Y7 SRC REPS ELECTED
Congratulations to our new SRC members
from Y7: Zoe Tudor, Kayleigh McAlpin,
Dan Melamed and William Hall. The
competition was strong and these
students did extremely well to be the
successfully elected representatives.
These students will be formally inducted
at our next whole school assembly.
JO GRAY
SISTER SCHOOL VISIT
In the holidays a group of staff will
travel to our sister school in Takahata,
Japan, to help them celebrate both the
opening of their new school and the 20
year anniversary of our sister school
relationship. It will be my first visit to
Japan and I look forward to sharing this
journey with you next term.
As a part of this celebration we will be
planting 20 cherry blossom trees at
Singleton High School.
COSTUME DESIGNER
A huge thank you also to Liz Palmer,
one of our parents, who designed the
costumes for the movie ‘Gods Of Egypt’.
Liz recently gave a talk to some of our
design students prior to a screening of the
film, and then led a discussion afterwards.
Our students and teachers loved hearing
her insights.
They cost $100 each. If you would like
to purchase a tree we will have a small
plaque to recognise your contribution.
This can be done at the main office.
NEW P&C MEETING TIME
Please note that P&C meetings have been
moved to 5.30pm, starting with our next
meeting on 16 May. We would love to
see some new parents at our meetings,
so come along and help make our great
school even better.
Y7 PARENT TEACHER NIGHT
I am looking forward to meeting parents
of Year 7 at our Year 7 parent teacher
afternoon on Tuesday 5 April. Light
refreshments will be served, and a BBQ
will be available thanks to our dedicated
SRC members.
HAVE A SAFE BREAK
As this is our last newsletter this term,
I would like to wish all students and
families a very safe and happy holiday.
Students will return to school on
Wednesday 27 April.
3
CROSS COUNTRY
4
DEPUTY’S REPORT
ROCHELLE DOOLEY
DEPUTY FOR Y7 AND Y10 STUDENTS
Wow, what an action packed start to 2016.
On reflection of the activities and events
that have occurred throughout Term 1,
I cannot believe what we as a school
community have achieved. The extent of
talent and commitment by students and staff
at Singleton High School never ceases to
amaze me. Their dedication and drive in the
sporting, cultural, wellbeing and academic
life of the school is palpable.
This year I am fortunate to be responsible
for Y7 and Y10. Term 1 has been an
incredibly energetic and exciting term,
learning two new cohorts of students and
their parents. I am very appreciative of
those students and parents who have taken
the time to meet with me personally. This
allows me to gain valuable insight into your
child and family. I look forward to working
closely with all my families this year.
YEAR 7 CAMP
The recent Y7 camp provided opportunities
to form close working relationships with
both my year groups and year advisors.
The relaxed environment and a multitude
of challenging activities enabled time to
engage with the students and learn about
them personally and their aspirations.
It was so wonderful to see students
challenging themselves to step out of
their comfort zones, face their fears and
accomplish the multitude of individual and
team activities. The behaviours modelled
and support provided by our Y10 peers
support leaders was exemplary.
I would like to acknowledge the dedicated
staff - Mr Edwards, Mr Gray, Mr Berman, Mr
Jones, Miss Hawkins, Miss Neech and Mrs
Cuttriss - who generously gave up their
time to ensure our students are provided
with these worthwhile and memorable
extracurricular activities.
Y7 MEET AND GREET AT KAWUL
Our Y7 Aboriginal students were recently
invited to a ‘Meet and Greet’ at the
school’s KaWul Centre. The KaWul Centre
is an Aboriginal education and cultural
resource centre which provides support
and assistance to both our Aboriginal and
non-Aboriginal students. The students were
addressed by Mrs Joanne Vinson about the
types of programs and activities that will be
available throughout the year, as well as Mr
Michael Heitmeyer our school’s Aboriginal
dance coordinator.
PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS
Y7 students and their carers recently
received information about the upcoming
Parent Teacher Interviews. Students will
shortly be issued with Progress Reports
on Thursday 31 March. The student
progress report will form a strong basis for
discussion at Parent Teacher Interviews.
These interviews will be during the final
week of Term 1 on Tuesday 5 April. I would
like to reiterate the importance of your
attendance - parent teacher interviews are
a great opportunity to connect with staff
and discuss your child’s transition into high
school as well as their strengths and areas
for development. This essential dialogue
ensures that students continue to progress
and display improvements. Please see the
parent teacher booking sheet on p6 in this
newsletter for instructions on how to book
through your Millennium Parent Portal.
Students across all years have been
working studiously on completing formal
assessment tasks throughout the term.
Notification of assessment schedule
overviews are included in each year’s
assessment schedule booklets. All booklets
can be downloaded from our school’s
SharePoint site by clicking the following
hyperlink: Subject Assessment Booklets
The identification of appropriate safe
or inbound areas allows for efficient
movement of staff and student traffic, the
allocation of active and passive zones, and
allows staff to conduct their duty with a high
standard of care.
Your support in communicating these
important safety messages to your children
is greatly appreciated. More information
will be provided in the first newsletter in
Term 2, including maps and photographs.
As Term 1 draws to a close, I would like to
thank all the students of Y7 and Y10 for their
cooperation and support during a very
rewarding term. I hope that the holiday
break is filled with fun and relaxation, and I
look forward to your safe return to Singleton
High for a fantastic Term 2.
PLAYGROUND SAFETY
In the playground in Term 2 there will be
a strong focus on student safety. Staff on
duty work tirelessly to ensure students are
actively supervised and visible at all times.
5
CULTURAL
EXCHANGES
SHARING ART
WITH INDIA
TAKE HOME A
BIG BROTHER
OR BIG SISTER!
An aspect of the BRIDGE program is
to encourage collegial discussion in
sharing practice and knowledge which
can enhance student learning outcomes.
This undoubtedly can also motivate
within all participants to become
globally mindful.
LETS GET ORGANISED EARLY!
Give your children the
wonderful opportunity
to have an international
big brother or big sister
by hosting one of our
exceptional international
students arriving in Australia
in July 2016 for their 5 or 10
month programs.
Our international students
from France, Germany, Italy,
Austria Japan, the USA and
Canada will live as a local,
attend a local secondary
school, arrive with their
own spending money and
comprehensive insurance
cover – all arranged by
Southern Cross Cultural
Exchange.
Call your local
coordinator today on
0429 406 126 to request
some student profiles,
and capture the spirit of
family and friendship!
Singleton High School Year 7 Student/Parent/Teacher Afternoon
Millennium Online Booking System
Singleton High School is able to provide parents with the capacity to book Parent Teacher interviews online
via your Millennium Parent Portal.
The Year 7 student/parent/teacher afternoon is scheduled for Tuesday 5th April 2016. Bookings are
available between 4-6pm. Parents can discuss their child’s progress at any time by contacting the school.
Step 1: Ensure that your year is set to 2016
Mrs Meena Malhotra, our Indian teacher
contact at Bal Bharati Public School, and
myself have decided to encourage the
sharing of our cultures through Art.
The first step in this project occurred
Tuesday 15 March via a Skype
conference between our two schools.
Mrs Nicole French (Visual Art teacher)
spoke about Australian Indigenous art
history and techniques.
We also posted about 50 wooden
boomerangs over to Bal Bharati for the
Indian students to paint. In the next
planned Skype session, Mrs French
will be learning about various forms of
traditional Indian art. Mrs French will be
teaching our Y7 students about these art
forms. I look forward to seeing the final
masterpieces, Dayna Cowmeadow.
Step 2: Click on
the link for Parent
Interviews.
Step 3: Click on the link for Book
Interview. Interview booking is child
specific if you have more than one
child at Singleton High School.
Step 4: Click on an available
time slot for the teacher you would
like to see. Your child’s name will
appear as booked in.
Parents who have not registered for a Millennium account can do so by contacting the
school via email at [email protected] or calling on 65711199.
6
WELLBEING AND WELFARE
PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR THE JOBS OF THE 21ST CENTURY
CYBER SAFETY WORKSHOPS
Cyber Safety workshops have taken
place for all Y7 students and selected
classes in Term 1. Students had the
opportunity to listen to our local Police
Liaison Officer, Senior Constable John
Collins, advise students of their rights and
responsibilities in regards to technology
such as mobile phones and the internet.
These workshops help students
make informed choices in regards to
technology and the legal ramifications of
inappropriate use of technology. Parents
and carers were invited to attend the
workshop at the timetabled time for their
student in the library.
These workshops gave carers information
and strategies regarding technology to
use in support of the wellbeing of their
child. To conclude our wellbeing Monday
presentations we have hired motivational
media to present their latest multimedia
show about everyday heroes.
MOTIVATIONAL MEDIA
Motivational Media aims to both
challenge and inspire young people
to develop strategies that will enable
them to reach their true potential so that
their life choices will not be diminished
through avoidable, reckless and possibly
harmful behaviours.
Motivational Media’s programs are high
impact presentations delivered in schools
and other organisations. We make use of
three large, panoramic screens, along with
state of the art synchronised projectors,
producing an image 13 metres wide.
This is combined with amplified sound,
current popular music and inspirational
stories creating an experience that grips
students’ attention like no other program.
Through developing student awareness
of the importance of self esteem, wise
decision making, goal setting and
friendship choices, the 40 minute
presentations focus on young people
preventing or controlling situations that
may result in harmful behaviours.
‘EVERYDAY HEROES’
When you think of heroes, generally you
would think of someone who has done
something huge and significant that they
themselves could never accomplish.
What is often missed, is the journey
the hero has been on until that point;
the colossal hours, those moments
of dedication, commitment and
perseverance, low points where failure
could have been embraced - but the
choice to persevere was made.
That is what makes up a Hero, not just
a singular act of bravado, one audition,
one try, but the journey.
1 A true hero realises that it isn’t a
single, massive once off act that
makes a hero. Rather it is the small,
consistent, seemingly insignificant
daily decisions that do.
2 A true hero realises that small acts
have big outcomes.
Everyday heroes do these things every
day - they are committed to making the
world a better place. Always at the ready
to act, to improve themselves to the point
where the only outcome possible is that of
success, to be someone’s Hero, maybe not
today, but one day.
BULLYING AND VIOLENCE
The sixth National Day of Action against
Bullying and Violence was held on
Friday 18 March 2016. This annual day
is Australia’s key anti-bullying event for
schools, and encourages all students to
‘take a stand together’ against bullying
and violence.You can see Rebecca
Kennedy’s award winning poster on p17.
HEAD LICE
We suspect that nits/head lice are present
in the hair of some students within the
KATH BALLARD
school. Please check your child’s hair
for nits/lice tonight using the methods
recommended in the information from
NSW Health, click the following link:
How to Treat Head Lice.
If you find any eggs or lice please start
treatment as recommended. Further
information on head lice is available
on the NSW Health website (above) or
through the Department’s website by
clicking this link: Schools Head Lice.
We greatly appreciate your assistance in
this important health matter.
WHOOPING COUGH
We have had a reported case of whooping
cough in the school. For safety sake, if
your child seems unwell you should
always keep them home from school
and seek medical advice. Whooping
Cough Symptoms: starts with a running
nose, followed by persistent cough that
comes in bouts. Bouts maybe followed by
vomiting and a whooping sound as the
child gasps for air. School or home? Keep
home from school until the first 5 days of
an antibiotic course has been completed.
For more information about illnesses,
symptoms and what course of action to
take with regard to attendance at school
please click on the following link:
Too Sick to go to School?
7
UNIFORM SHOP
DAILY
$42 SKIRT: CHECKED GREY 8-20
$52 SKIRT: CHECKED GREY 22-26
$23 BLOUSE: BLUE OR WHITE
$27 POLO SHIRT: BLUE OR WHITE
$40 PANTS: GIRLS NAVY HIPSTER
$38 PANTS: GIRLS 3/4
$27 SHORTS: GREY SHORTER LEG
$20 SHORTS: BLOCKERS GREY
SPORT
$27 POLO SHIRT
P&C NEW
MEETING TIME
HYPERLINK
HEAVEN
OUR P&C
HAS A NEW
MEETING
TIME OF
5:30PM
SICK OF SEARCHING
FOR AND TYPING IN
WEB ADDRESSES?
NEXT MEETING
MON 16 MAY
IN THE SCHOOL
LIBRARY
$22 ACTIVE SHORTS
$63 WOOLEN JUMPER 12-14
$70 WOOLEN JUMPER 16-22
$76 WOOLEN JUMPER 24-28
$30 TRACKSUIT PANTS
$50 TRACKSUIT JACKET
$35 SLOPPY JOE
OTHER
$5 SAFETY GLASSES
$8 PROTECTIVE APRON
$10 SPORTS SOCKS
$25 SCHOOL TIE
•OPEN MONDAY 8.30-10.00 & 3.30-5.00
•LOCATED NEAR THE MPC VIA MAIN OFFICE
•CASH . CHEQUE . EFTPOS . CREDIT CARD
•OR PAY ONLINE VIA SHS WEBSITE THEN
COLLECT TUE - FRI FROM FRONT OFFICE
CHESS SMASH
MAITLAND HIGH
Singleton High beat Maitland High
4-0 in the opening Round of the
Hunter Chess competition.
Returning Seniors Jack Worcester
and Jaiden Zanardi were joined by
experienced Y7 newcomers Lachlan
Cronin and Kolby Brown (reserves
Joe Sneddon and William Hill)
looking to rebuild after several of
last years players were unavailable.
Round 2 will take place after Easter.
An inaugural Chess Knockout
competition, open to all years, will
be held in Term 2. This will augment
the Chess Merit League in Term 3.
OF COURSE YOU ARE!
This pdf version of our newsletter
is full of hyperlinks to help you!
Who cares how they work, all you
do is click on them and you’ll go
to the website mentioned.
Every web address, such as
www.abc.net.au/splash
and every CLICK HERE
phrase is a hyperlink.
The front cover photos and
the contents page are also
hyperlinked to take you
instantly to that article.
Click on any page number to
return to the contents page.
The “Community Newsletter”
banner on the cover takes you
to the contents page.
And click in the top left of any
page to go back to the cover.
Just click all over the
place, it’s hyper cool!!
LIBRARY
LATEST
DISTANCE EDUCATION
Distance Education has had a strong
start this year with all students well
under way in their studies, several
already having attended Camden
haven High School Dance Seminars
and a planned Open High School
of Sydney seminar day happening
before the end of the year.
While most Distance Education
applications are now finalised,
anyone looking to study subjects
not taught at SHS for next year,
especially languages, should
speak to the Distance Education
Coordinator in the library.
LIBRARY NEWS
Did you know that the Singleton
High School library works in close
partnership with the Singleton
Public Library, and all the libraries
in town regularly meet to discuss
how we can provide better services
to the town? The Schools in town
partner with the town library to
provide access to Data bases,
eBooks and online research.
If you or your child is not already
a member of the town library it is
essential to join, as more and more
class activities will require using
these resources in the Future.
8
SPECIAL EDUCATION UNIT
TEACHING OUR STUDENTS TO SUCCEED AT SCHOOL AND IN LIFE
KRISTEN PRINGLE
excursions . ancient china . delicious food . celebrations
autism awareness . cross country . friendship . community
9
LIFT - TAKING LEARNING HIGHER
LEARNING TO SEE RISK AND PROBLEMS IN PERSPECTIVE
On 10 and 11 March Singleton Youth
Venue provided three students from
Singleton High with the opportunity
to be part of the LIFT program.
The LIFT program is an inspirational
flying program, where the classroom is
over a kilometre off the ground. It is run
by a pilot/instructor from the Australian
Air Force with over 27 years of flying
experience and facilitated by staff who
are trained to work with young people.
LIFT offers students a unique opportunity
to look at everyday situations with a
new and different perspective. It assists
them in gaining self-confidence while
developing some important life skills.
Our students took part in a risk workshop
that focused on identifying potential
hazards. Students looked at what bad
risks look like and explored why these
bad risks are undesirable. They also
considered good risks which have ‘safety
nets’ in place and emergency exit plans.
They learnt about “fuel” for risk taking and
about the different drivers that encourage
or trigger individuals to take risks.
Following the lesson on ‘fuel’ the students
actually learnt how to safely fuel a plane,
with the obvious correlation that safety
checks are useful for both work and in
making life decisions. The acronym
IMSAFE was used as an effective tool for
this decision making, it stands for Illness,
Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue and
Emotion. When taking risks are any of
these factors will influence the outcome.
They also looked at pictures of a mining
truck up close, the tyres alone are over 3
metres high.
The analogy was that when a you have
problem or something is overwhelming
you, it can feel like you are standing in
front of one of these huge trucks, but
when you get in a plane and fly over the
trucks they are barely visible. Sometimes
you need to step back and re-evaluate
your situation. Each student was then
escorted on a flight where they were
briefly given the controls of the plane
and flew over some mines just outside
of Singleton, to see things from a vastly
different perspective.
When the students were not in the
plane the support staff discussed their
personal goals with them and offered
some strategies for goal setting. They also
discussed different strategies on acting
upon situations rather than reacting to
situations. The students were again given
control of the plane, they were taught how
to take off and how to stall and recover
the plane, which demonstrated to the
students to act rather than react in difficult
situations. Feedback from our students
about this program is very positive.
10
like dreaming with your feet
D
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S T U D I O
L E V E L 1
A B L O C K
T U E S D A Y
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11
HAVE A SAY DAY - DEMOCRACY IN ACTION
DAYNA COWMEADOW
The SRC would like to extend a huge
thank you to the school community for
its participation in the inaugural Have a
Say Day, held on Thursday 10 March.
The cupcakes the SRC members baked
for staff were a big hit, and the two SRC
donated prizes, an iPad mini and Bluetooth
soundbar were a great incentive for staff
and students to get involved in activities.
Congratulations to Mr Tim Merrick who
won the iPad mini, and to Blade Penman of
Y12 who won the Bluetooth soundbar.
I am extremely proud of the efforts of the
SRC who initiated and organised this event.
It was a big challenge. They were able
to develop a range of leadership skills;
mainly perseverance and determination.
I am excited to be working with a
courageous and determined team of
young people who are striving towards
positive change within their school. They
are certainly not afraid of stepping outside
their comfort zone.
The overflow effect of Have a Say Day saw
record numbers of Y7 students nominating
for the SRC. Elections were held Monday
21 March and it is with great excitement
that we welcome them to the 2016 SRC.
Congratulations to Zoe Tudor, Kaleigh
McAlpin, Dan Melamed and William Hall.
You can see a photo of these students on
p3 of this newsletter.
12
TELL THEM FROM ME
IMPROVING TEACHING AND LEARNING
I am delighted that this term,
our school, like many others in
the state, will participate in a
Department of Education initiative:
the TELL THEM FROM ME student
feedback survey.
The survey aims to help improve
student learning outcomes and
measures factors that are known to
affect academic achievement and
other student outcomes.
The focus of this NSW survey is on
student wellbeing, engagement and
effective teaching practices. More
information about the survey is
available by clicking this LINK.
The survey is a great opportunity for
our students to provide our school
with valuable and quick feedback on
what they think about school life, how
engaged they are with school and the
different ways that teachers interact
with them.
Schools in Australia and around the
world have used the Tell Them From
Me survey to help improve how they
do things at school.
I want to assure you that the survey is
confidential and school staff will not
be able to identify individual students
from their responses.
The survey is conducted online and
will typically take less than 30 minutes
to complete. It will be administered
during school hours between 14
March and 8 April. Participation in the
survey is entirely voluntary.
A non-consent form and a list of
frequently asked questions (FAQs)
for parents/carers about the survey
is available from the front office or on
our school website.
If you do not want your child or
children to participate, please return
the consent form to school by Friday
1st April.
The FAQs and copies of the consent
form, including translated consent
forms, are available from the website
using the link mentioned above.
Mr Henderson
School Coordinator
SONGLINES & DREAMTIME
THE LIVING NARRATIVE OF OUR NATION
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people, the Dreamtime
describes a time when the earth,
people and animals were created
by our ancestral spiritual beings.
They created the rivers, lakes, plants,
land formations and living creatures.
Dreaming tracks crisscross Australia and
trace the journeys of our ancestral spirits
as they created the land, animals and lores.
These dreaming tracks are sometimes called
‘Songlines’ as they record the travels of these
ancestral spirits who ‘sung’ the land into life.
the Central Desert out to the West
Coast while others connect the Gulf
of Carpentaria with the Snowy
Mountains near Canberra.
Aboriginal language groups
are connected through the sharing
of Songlines with each language group
responsible for parts of a Songline.
Through songs, art, dance and ceremony,
Torres Strait Islanders also maintain creation
stories which celebrate their connection to
land and sea.
These Songlines are recorded in traditional
songs, stories, dance and art. They carry
significant spiritual and cultural connection
to knowledge, customs, ceremony and Lore
of many Aboriginal nations and Torres Strait
Islander language groups.
Songlines have been passed down for
thousands of years and are central to the
existence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people. They are imperative to the
preservation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander cultural practices.
Songlines are intricate maps of land, sea
and country. They describe travel and trade
routes, the location of waterholes and the
presence of food. In many cases, Songlines
on the earth are mirrored by sky Songlines,
which allowed people to navigate vast
distances of this nation and its waters.
We invite all Australians to learn more
about Songlines and explore those which
have created the Country in your region.
Learn how Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander communities are today using
digital technologies and modern mediums
to record and celebrate these ancient
Songlines or dreaming stories.
The extensive network of Songlines can vary
in length from a few kilometres to hundreds
of kilometres, crossing through traditional
Country of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander language groups. For example, the
Seven Sisters Songline covers more than
half the width of the continent, from deep in
Through learning more about Songlines and
how they connect people to Country and
the Country to people – we celebrate the
rich history and diversity of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander cultures - the oldest
continuing cultures on the planet.
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CLONTARF ACADEMY STARTS
EDUCATION, DISCIPLINE, LIFE SKILLS, SELF-ESTEEM, EMPLOYMENT
GARDENING GROOVE
WORKING FOR A BETTER SCHOOL
On Friday 11 March Liam Toner and Brendan Petterson from the Clontarf Academy
addressed a community meeting on the establishment of a Clontarf Academy
at Singleton High School. This Academy will be for all Aboriginal boys enrolled
at Singleton High. The establishment of this Academy is a huge coup both for
Singleton High School and the whole community of the Singleton area.
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SPORTS SHORTS
OPEN LAWN BOWLS
For the first time in many years Singleton
High entered the Opens Lawn Bowls
knockout competition. The team consisted
off Lachlan Earnshaw as skip, Jack Turner
as lead and Glenn Winsor as Second. The
boys drew Rutherford High who had the
CHS captain in their team and were last
year’s winners. After a nervous start by the
squad it was second bowler Glenn Winsor
who really started to heat it up with some
impressive groupings with his bowls. In
combination with the other boys Singleton
had a 3 point lead with only 5 ends to
play and the Rutherford supporters were
getting worried for a massive upset result.
After a marathon 21 ends of play enduring
3 hours Rutherford won the meet 24-22.
It was an excellent performance from
the Singleton boys in their first bowls
competition, we’re looking good for 2017.
OPEN GIRLS CRICKET
Singletons opens girls cricket side played
their annual first round rivalry match
against Scone High at Cook Park. After
a ladylike agreement Singleton were to
have first use of the wicket and Scone
were more than happy to bat on a 30+
degree day. With many new faces in the
Singleton side the girls were enthusiastic
DANIEL HIGGINS
and helped each other to successfully
bowl Scone out for 84. There were many
notable performances with the ball
including Ebony Butler’s double hattrick. That’s correct 4 wickets in 4 balls!
Her performance was well supported
by Ellie Oldham who took 2 wickets,
Chantelle Smuts 2 wickets including their
state representative batsman and Marley
Woods who also bowled economically.
The Singleton Girls confidently chased
down the 84 runs thanks largely to Player
of the match Ebony Butler (40 not out),
Marley Woods and Caitlin Yallop. Overall
it was an excellent team performance and
the girls are eagerly awaiting the winner
of Maitland Grossman and Rutherford for
their next opponent.
BAKER SHIELD CRICKET
Our U14s boys cricket side hosted Cardiff,
Dungog and Mt View High for their first
2 rounds of the Merv Baker Shield T20
competition. Drawn against Mt View in
the morning match in hot conditions the
boys lost the toss and were sent in on a
surprisingly juicy cook 4 wicket and lost
2 early wickets. This brought player of
the day Mick Taylor to the crease who
after taking his time setting himself early
bludgeoned an unbeaten 60 runs.
Jack Shade contributed with an aggressive
30. These two batsmen took the game
away from Mt View with excellent running
between the wickets and positive stroke
play taking the team total to 130.
OPEN BOYS TENNIS
Like many other sports this year, Singleton
High drew Mt View in the open boys tennis
knockout competition. And once again
Singleton proved far too strong.
The domination continued with the ball
for Singleton bowling Mt View out for
30. Some tidy bowling from Makenzie
Simmons (in his first match ever), Sam
Harrison and Andrew Knox ensured the
first round win.
With the experienced squad of Cameron
Ries, Patrick Bagley, Isaac Barry and Mitch
Egan, the boys dominated every match not
dropping a single set all day.
Round 2 match versus the other morning’s
winners, Dungog, proved to be a much
more competitive affair. After again losing
the toss in 30 plus degree heat Singleton
were asked to bowl.
With wickets proving hard to come by the
boys focused on restricting runs. The solid
Dungog openers despite looking good
were not taking the game away from us.
Singleton knew anything under 100 in this
form of the game on a very flat wicket was
below par. Singleton didn’t take their first
wicket until around the 15th over however
some economic bowling from Mick Taylor
and Sam Harrison restricted Dungog to 85.
On the back of last years success
Singleton can continue to be an improving
and dominant performer in boys tennis.
Last year the squad finished runners up in
the regional final at District Park.
OPEN GIRLS NETBALL
After defeating Scone and Muswellbrook
to qualify, our open girls netball team
played at a gala day in Newcastle on
Friday 18 March.
At the gala day the girls played a high
quality game against Great Lakes College
and, in a close contest, lost narrowly.
Following this they played Hunter
River High School, who they defeated
convincingly. Congratulations to all the
girls who represented the school they
were a credit to our whole community.
After a few solid connections from opener
Harry Moore and No 3 Andrew Know
momentum was with Singleton. Mick
Taylor and Jackson Shade again proved
unstoppable in a 50 run partnership.
After Shade departed wickets fell
consistently around Taylor with only 2
wickets left in the shed and 7 runs still
required Captain Taylor capped off an
impressive 100 run day with the winning
runs and another unbeaten 50. The boys
now play Warners Bay High in Round 3.
15
HORSE SPORTS NEWS
MURRURUNDI SHOWGROUND 4 MARCH & QUIRINDI SHOWGROUND 18 MARCH
Our school has been involved in Horse
Sports competitions for many years.
Until 2016 Bruce Withers took the team to the
events, which are held in various locations
around the Upper Hunter Valley and beyond.
Bruce did a wonderful job helping these very
dedicated students. He has left a wonderful
legacy for the school, so I thought that I would
take up the reins on Bruce’s retirement. What
an experience I have let myself into!
Imagine this if you can: you get up at 3am in the
morning, feed the horses and prepare them
for their long journey, which includes rugging,
leg bandaging, tail wrapping.You pack saddles
and bridles (there are two bridles and saddles
per horse), halters, lead ropes, horse feed and
water into the vehicles.You are on the road by
4am, with sleepy children aboard.
You arrive at the venue by 7am, offload the
horses, set them up with feed and water, plait
manes and tails, blacken their hooves, and
generally polish them to within an inch of
their lives. Riders then get ready in jodhpurs,
white shirts, ties and the Singleton High
School jumper, helmet and riding boots. They
too are well polished. Why do I tell you all of
this? Because the parents of the students who
attend Horse Sports events do all of this - they
frequently miss a day of work or change shifts
to get their children to the events.
They drive the floats and usually do the
plaiting, they make sure everything is
organised, they run events at the Horse Sports,
they sometimes take their own horses to
ride as one of the team of parents who are
supervising on horseback.
The logistics in getting these events underway
and attending are impressive. I am indebted to
this wonderful group of people for getting me
through my first two Horse Sports events. They
are an inspiration!
These days are well organised by teachers
and parents of the schools running the event.
The day begins with a gear check, to ensure
all safety standards are adhered to. Then it is
hack and riding events, followed by pleasure
hack, which requires a bridle change and
riding with one hand. Then, if there is time, a
quick break for lunch and then sporting events
in the afternoon, which includes activities
such as barrel racing, key hole, letterbox drop,
bending and other various activities that test
the riding skills of the students.
The results are also good; at Blandford Horse
Sports at Murrurundi Piper Hodge (7) won
Champion Girl Rider 13 years and Aidan
Sargent won Champion Boy Rider 14 years.
At Willow Tree Horse Sports at Quirindi
Renee Attfield won Reserve Champion Girl
Rider 14 year and Aidan was awarded with
a commendation. At this event Aidan rode
against the 15 year olds and performed
excellently, achieving placings in every event.
All students have received placings in most
of the events that they enter. I am proud that
Singleton High is represented by such a
wonderfully talented and respectful group of
students. And hats off to the parents, whose
commitment to the sport and their children is
an inspiration to all.
There are students from many Primary schools
who skilfully guide their ponies around the
courses, and the High School students who
ride their horses at often frightening speeds
around the barrel races. These students are
exemplary in their focus and attitude to horse,
judges and parents.
So far this year Singleton High students have
attended two Horse Sports events – the first
at Murrurundi Showground for the Blandford
Public School Horse Sport day on 4 March 2016
and Willow Tree Public School Horse Sports,
Quirindi Showground and Racecourse on 18
March 2016. The six students who attended
both events – Madison Sargent, Josie Brown,
Candice Gardener, Renee Attfield, Aidan
Sargent and Piper Hodge - represented our
school admirably. Their care of their horses
and skill in riding is to a very high standard.
16
17
$
TERM #1 CANTEEN PRICE LIST
BEFORE 9AM
$
DRINKS
$
ICE BLOCKS
0.50 RAISIN TOAST
1.00 SLUSHIES
0.50 ZOOPER DOOPER
1.00 HASH BROWNS
2.00 WATER 600ML
0.50 FROZEN PINEAPPLE
2.00 BREKKIE WRAP
2.00 JUICE SMALL
1.00 TNT SOUR POPS
2.00 MUFFINS / FINGER BUN
2.50 SOFTDRINK 374ML
1.00 LEMONADE TWIST
2.00 BANANA BREAD
3.00 WATER 1 LITRE
1.00 ICY POLES
3.00 FLAVOUR MILK SMALL
1.50 FANDANGLES
1.50 GARLIC BREAD *
3.00 JUICE LARGE
1.50 ICE CREAM CUP
1.50 SALT N VINEGAR TENDERS *
3.00 MINERAL WATER LARGE
2.00 FROZEN YOGHURT
2.00 SWEET CHILLI SUBS *
3.00 ICE TEA
2.00 MINI MAGNUM
2.50 PIZZA ROUNDAS
3.50 HOT COFFEE
2.00 PADDLEPOP SHAKE
2.50 HOT NOODLES
3.50 HOT CHOCOLATE
3.20 GOLDEN GAYTIME
3.00 CHICKEN NUGGETS
4.00 POWERADE
3.80 MAXIBON
3.50 SAUSAGE ROLL - JUMBO
4.00 DARE ICE COFFEE
4.00 MEAT PIE - LEAN
4.00 FLAVOUR MILK LARGE
HOT FOOD
4.50 CHEESE & BACON PIE
HEALTHY MEAL DEAL
5.00 SALAD SANDWICH +JUICE + FRUIT
SNACKS
DAILY SPECIALS
5.00 CHICKEN BURGER
1.00 GRAIN WAVES
5.00 MON: FRIED RICE & SPRING ROLLS
5.00 BEEF BURGER
1.00 JUMPY’S CHIPS
2.50 TUE: TOASTIES
5.50 SWEET CHILLI WRAP
1.00 SMITHS CHIPS
2.50 TUE: COOKIES
1.00 RED ROCK DELI SMALL
3.50 WED: HOT DOGS
4.00 EGG & LETTUCE
2.00 TWISTIES LARGE
2.50 THU: MINI PIZZA
4.00 CHEESE & TOMATO
2.00 PRETZELS LARGE
2.50 THU: CARAMEL SLICE
4.50 CHICKEN & LETTUCE
2.00 RED ROCK DELI LARGE
2.50 THU: VANILLA SLICE
SANDWICHES
4.50 HAM CHEESE & TOMATO
STATIONERY
3.00 FRI: CHICKEN CAESAR WRAP
4.50 SILVERSIDE & PICKLES
BASIC ITEMS FROM 50c
6.00 FRI: CHICKEN CAESAR CUP
6.00 SALMON SALAD WRAP
SUCH AS PENS PENCILS RULERS
6.00 TURKEY CRANBERRY WRAP
BOOKLETS ERASERS POST-ITS
*
NOT EVERY DAY
18
Living now,
looking back
in Jerrys Plains
Food - Music
Entertainment
History - Info
Stalls
FRIDAY 8
Jerrys P
TH APRI
lains Re
10am
10.15am
11am
12.30pm
1pm
2.30pm
creation
L 2016
Ground
FREE morning tea
Welcome to Country
Performance by Aboriginal Dance Group
Performances by Jerrys Plains Public School and
Milbrodale Public School
Tell your story - bring a piece of your own personal history
and share its story
Local entertainment
FREE lunch
Heat Wave Awareness presentation by Hunter Councils
Event close
Pick up information from service providers, government organisations and health
groups. Food and gifts available for sale.
19
Adult Literacy Tutor
Training at your Library
Singleton Library is offering a free two day course qualifying
participants as adult literacy tutors. It’s intended that participants
will then be able to support a library program organising one on
one tutoring for adults who identify as requiring literacy support.
Attending both days is required for successful completion.
Please BYO lunch.
Venue: Singleton Library
Saturday | April 2 | 9.30am - 4.30pm
Sunday | April 3 | 9.30am - 4.00pm
Bookings Essential
www.singleton.nsw.gov.au | 8-10 Queen St Singleton | Phone 02 6578 7500
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