Term 1 Newsletter - Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School
Transcription
Term 1 Newsletter - Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School
THE FARRER TIMES FARRER MEMORIAL AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL 2 April 2015 - Term 1 www.farrer.nsw.edu.au 585 Calala Lane, Tamworth NSW 2340 Ph: 02 6764 8600 Fax: 02 6764 8648 From the Principal’s Desk I t is pleasing to be able to complete the first term of 2015 by congratulating and thanking the many staff members and students who have represented Farrer with distinction in so many ways over the last ten weeks. The Year 7 Orientation Day and Camp at Keepit; Prefect Induction; Swimming Carnival; the school Captain’s dinner which we hosted for the first time; and the myriad sporting and cultural excursions and successes have meant an extremely busy and productive term. In this newsletter, and on the website, you will read of successes in Chess, Theatre Sports, cricket, the Science and Engineering Challenge, swimming, the Tamworth Show and many students gaining selection in representative teams. The diversity in our participation and success has been the most pleasing aspect and highlights my statement to the Year 7 boys and their parents when they arrived – ‘You can achieve in any area that you like at Farrer – but you must provide the effort and determination’. My thanks to all of the people involved in providing these opportunities and to the parents of Farrer students who have so soundly and consistently supported our efforts. This year promises to be busy and significant for a number of reasons. The development of a Strategic Plan will be completed this year, plotting the direction Farrer will be heading over the next three years and beyond. This is a priority that School Council members have had for some time and it will be pleasing to complete this project. School Council is also supporting the development of a Farrer Foundation to provide long term financial support to the school. Similar foundations have been established at other public schools, such as Sydney Boys High School, and have proven to be very effective. Work will commence later this year on the new Technology Block, to be located above the Trade Training Centre. This is a very exciting development for our school as the old Technology block will eventually be converted to a new dormitory. The funding of the school has also been undergoing some changes. The introduction of the Resource Allocation Model by the Department of Education and Communities to fund public schools has commenced and will be continued to be implemented over the two years. ‘You can achieve in any area that you like at Farrer, but you must provide the effort and determination’ Significantly for Farrer, it will change the nature of the funding of our boarding school and farm operations. In early March the principals of Farrer, Hurlstone and Yanco (the three residential agricultural high schools) meet with DEC officials to work on the establishment of these new funding models. Further work is required and I will keep parents informed of progress on this issue. The school executive has been focusing on the improvement of academic standards. There were pleasing results in the 2014 HSC including Band 6 Results in Advanced English, Extension English, Mathematics, Senior Science, PD/H/PE, Industrial Technology and Agriculture. Each faculty has undergone a detailed analysis of HSC results in their area and submitted this analysis to the principal for review. Faculties have also developed a plan to better engage boys within their teaching areas. These plans will be further refined next term and resourced appropriately. It is vitally important that parents pay their voluntary contribution to ensure that that the school can provide the very best resources to your son in the classroom. The OPAL system for Years 9 to 12 has been reviewed and refined – thanks to Mr Comi for his work here. Parents are reminded that OPAL scores can be viewed through Millennium (by both students and parents). It is easy to access Millennium through our Farrer website – just google Farrer. OPALs give valuable feedback regarding the level of student effort and engagement. The Student Learning Action Plan (SLAP) program, led by Mrs Joan Wood, involves staff mentoring Year 12 students through their last year of high school. The commitment of teaching staff to these student support mechanisms is commendable and essential and I thank all of them for their extra commitment and contribution. cont...page 2 The settling down period which begins each school year has been amazingly short in 2015. Our new Year 7 has impressed their teachers with their enthusiasm and diligence and the rest of the student body seems to have engaged in their studies and activities in a very positive manner. This augurs well for the coming year and our challenge is to maintain and improve on the present levels of commitment and participation. I am particularly impressed by the efforts of our new senior students and especially with the residential Prefects working with new students to Farrer. Tony O’Connor is doing a great job with Year 7 and I know that he and other welfare staff are very appreciative of the support and work that our Year 12 leaders are demonstrating. This group have certainly displayed a willingness to increase the profile of the whole Year 12 leadership group within the school through a variety of projects and planned activities. They are excellent role models and I encourage them to remain focused on their goals throughout the remainder of the year. The term has not been without some significant challenges. The use of marijuana by students at the beginning of the term was dealt with by involving police, and placing students on a long suspension while they found another school to enrol in. Farrer is a school but it is also a home. The use of drugs in our home will not be tolerated. Students involved in this type of behaviour may find themselves with a criminal record that affects the rest of their life in terms of career and travel. The local police dog squad has been invited to our school to educate students regarding the dangers and penalties involved with illegal drugs, and to conduct a search of the boarding house if necessary. These actions has been supported strongly at PT&F meetings and also School Council. Parents should take the time to have conversations with their son about this important issue – please do not assume that it will never happen to your family. Another significant issue centred around students using mobile phones to take photos that were not appropriate and without the consent of the person being photographed. Again, this is not only against the school and DEC policies but also against the law. Students involved in these type of acts are referred to the police and placed on long suspensions. A mobile phone is certainly a useful tool but students need to be aware of their responsibilities in this area. During the last week of term the school organised for the Police Youth Liaison Officer to speak with our students regarding the use of electronic devices, cyber-bullying and sexting. Unfortunately the Officer was sick and this will be rescheduled for next term. We again encourage parents to talk to their children regarding these issues. The Farrer Website is currently being revamped and administration staff have been working hard at the end of the term to bring the calendar up-to-date and provide parents with the details for upcoming events. Please send an email if an event or item is not on the calendar that you require information on, or there is insufficient information on an existing event. We need to improve. The website is an excellent communication tool and it will be a school priority over the coming months to enhance this resource. I would like to thank to Mr. Tony Windsor for his recent occasional address at the 2015 Prefects Induction ceremony. It was wonderful to have a Farrer Old Boy so obviously enthusiastic and supportive of our school give the occasional address - his speech was well received by students, parents and staff. Thanks also to Mr Adam Marshall (a former school captain) who was the guest speaker at the Tamworth Principal and Captain’s dinner. Adam’s talk was outstanding – he spoke of leadership in general, but also specifically about student leadership. He was very engaging, and highly complimentary of his time at Farrer. Could I encourage all parents to contact the school should they have any difficulty, concern or enquiry? In most cases, an explanation or additional information will alleviate any worry or will precipitate action to ensure that a satisfactory outcome is quickly reached. Please do not hesitate to communicate with the school immediately when necessary. I would like to wish all Farrer families the very best for the Easter break. I look forward to catching up with many Year 7 and 12 parents at the interviews at the beginning of Term 2. Take care Mr Clint Gallagher, Relieving Principal Providing quality legal services since 1891 Partner: Roger Butler, OAM LL.B (Syd) Solicitors: Sylvester Joseph LL.B (Bond) Dr Peter Reddy, PhD, M Crim, LL.B, BLJS Para-legals: Jackie Legg, Margaret Shelton The solicitors of the firm have a close and proud association with Farrer High School Roger Butler: All of his 4 sons attended Farrer: Nigel (1979-82), Julian (1979-84), Giles (1981-86), Damien (1985-90) Dux 1990. Peter Young attended Farrer 1968-73 - Dux 1973. Deidre Foreman - her three sons attend Farrer: Ross (1979-84) Dux 1984, Craig (1980-85), Peter (1982-87). Jeremy Brigden a solicitor employed by the firm attended Farrer 1995-2000 and was winner of the Cole & Butler Solicitor’s Prize. 63 Frome Street,Moree P.O. Box 419, Moree 2400 E-mail: [email protected] Ph (02) 6752 1677 Fax (02) 6752 1899 F Boarding Report irstly can I thank everybody for the warm welcome I have had to Farrer. The positive nature of the school is obvious as soon as you arrive. This positive attitude is created by the students within this school. Coonabarabran was the community I grew up in and I returned there after university to spend 17 years working in this community. Over the last three years my family has lived in Tamworth and I have travelled to Gunnedah each day to work at Gunnedah High. During my last 18 months at Gunnedah I acted as the Relieving Deputy Principal. I am heavily involved in Schoolboy Rugby League, however, am I interested in just about any sport. During the last month of last term in 2014 I travelled to England and France with the Australian Schoolboys Rugby League team which was an amazing experience. I am also currently the Convenor of NSWCHS Rugby League which means I coordinate the University and Buckley Shield competitions, the State Trials and our NSWCHS teams which attend the National Championships. As in most schools this has been a very busy term with a lot happening within the school. The new school leaders have made an excellent start. The Prefects within the dorms are forging strong relationships with the students in their dorms and their positive attitude has been of great assistance to me as I settle into this new role. The term has obviously been a very big and exciting one for our new Year 7 students. They have settled into the school well and are interacting appropriately as a cohort. Mr O’Connor has done a massive amount of work to ensure a positive start for these students. They have undertaken a range of weekend activities which have been coordinated by Mr Oxford and the Sport and Recreation team. These have included visits to Green Valley Farm, Tamworth tour, Motor Bike Museum, Marsupial Park, Barraba Pool, Ten Pin Bowling and a Pool Party. The Year group also undertook a camp at Keepit Dam for 3 days. This was coordinated by Mr Guider and a number of staff travelled out with the group. They undertook a range of activities and one of the most popular was a ride in the boat belonging to Mr Swan. Thanks must go to Mr Swan for donating his services to give the students this experience. The boarding school has had a change in the inspection processes in the morning before breakfast. The students now have the same person undertaking the inspections each day. This has been found to be very successful as it has brought consistency for the students in the expectations placed upon them each morning. Congratulations should go to Mr Parker, Mr Dodds and Mr Daley who have been involved in these inspections. The school has had a major investment of new screens being placed over windows in the dorms. These will ensure the insects are kept out and also ensure the students are kept in as the open windows were a safety concern for the school. They are made of extremely durable material meaning that the ongoing maintenance costs of damaged screens will now be avoided. The school was involved in the Red Cross Door Knock on 22 March. We had around 150 students out in South Tamworth undertaking this charity work. The Year 12 students who took a leadership role in the activity are to be thanked for their efforts. The school raised $2538 for this charity. D uty Office Reminders • Students must ensure that they sign in and out when they are coming into or leaving the school. • When students go on leave they must ensure that they wear their greys to leave school and re-enter school. Year 12 must wear a collared shirt and closed in shoes. Khakis are not to be worn when going on leave. • Students need to have paid the facilities levy by next term if they wish to access the buses and other facilities which are offered by the school. David Gale Relieving Deputy Principal Boarding New look coming for the Website Homepage We are currently working on a new look to our Farrer Website home page so keep an eye out for this. Here are links to the articles that have been posted on the website this term: Tamworth Show Results http://farrer.nsw.edu.au/index.cfm?page_id=1045&display_news_id_1191=1094 Maules Creek Visit http://farrer.nsw.edu.au/index.cfm?page_id=1045&display_news_id_1191=1093 Chess Tournament http://farrer.nsw.edu.au/index.cfm?page_id=1045&display_news_id_1191=1092 Property Planning Competition http://farrer.nsw.edu.au/index.cfm?page_id=1045&display_news_id_1191=1091 Science & Engineering Challenge http://farrer.nsw.edu.au/index.cfm?page_id=1045&display_news_id_1191=1090 Breeza Station Visit http://farrer.nsw.edu.au/index.cfm?page_id=1012&news_display_year_2720=2015&display_news_id_2720=1089 Premier’s Reading Challenge http://farrer.nsw.edu.au/index.cfm?page_id=1012&news_display_year_2720=2015&display_news_id_2720=1088 And there are more on our website... Just go to the Newsletters tab and scroll down the page. W Agriculture Report hat a busy start to the year. The students have participated in a range of activities including an excursion to their Farm Case Study farm at Andrew Pursehouse’s property at Breeza; The Property Planning Competition excursion to Tarriaro Stock Reserve at Narrabri and a follow up tutorial in Tamworth; Pickles Motor Auction where oldboy James Wiggan spoke about purchasing machinery and equipment through the auction system; Teys Abbatoir Tamworth; Brewongle for a range of Beef Cattle activities; Tamworth Show for Steer Judging; Meat Sheep Judging; Merino Judging; Sheep Fleece judging with many creditable results; five students going to RYAG Sheep at Walcha as well as the numerous activities that occur daily with each teachers’ class. Mr Peeters and I travelled to Victoria and southern NSW to visit four leading Angus studs prior to purchasing replacement cover bulls for the Angus herd. We have usually purchased two bulls each year - recently the AI program has had a remarkable increase in conception rates in the last two years and so we have only purchased one bull from TeMania this year. These visits are very important for the staff to maintain industry currency, to discuss industry issues and trends and have helped to raise the profile of our stud with leading breeders. The support and advice of these stud masters has been an important mechanism for determining the future breeding direction of the stud. This program has seen all faculty staff involved in the program with Mr Drenkhahn planning to go with Mr Peeters next year. A couple of people have asked why we don’t show our Angus bulls. We are not opposed to showing and indeed are actively involved with our steer team showing and parading at Singleton and New England Schools steer competitions and our sheep at Dubbo and New England Schools Lamb Competitions. With regards specifically to the Angus stud it is necessary to grain feed cattle to prepare them for the show ring. This means that those animals cannot be compared to their cohort using objective measurement and their value would be greatly diminished at sale time as there would be no confidence in their figures for Estimated Breeding Values for a range of traits. Our buyers use the catalogue and figures extensively to select bulls for purchase and so confidence in the accuracy of these figures is critical. Our stud is being operated on a commercial basis and showing is not a viable proposition. Charts of genetic progress of the herd see the outperforming nature for our selected traits as a trend compared to the breed society. The importance of the involvement of the Beef Cattle Primary industries Cert III students in all aspects of selection, management and marketing can be seen in the demand from employers throughout Australia. I have been involved in finalising discussions with many stakeholders about the expansion of the AGCAPS program to include Cert II, III and IV pathways with a range of employers including Teys who operate Tamworth and other abattoirs and are keen to engage Farrer students in their business with a view to providing future leaders in their industry and organisation. This program will create a range of career pathways to University through partnering with other providers such as CB Alexander College (Tocal) who will provide training in areas where we have trained staff however are unable to provide training due to DEC regulations including in Quads, Motorbikes, and Chainsaws etc. These Vocational Pathways are now seen by industry as an important new way of meeting the needs of industry with people who have both a practical and theoretical basis to their training. Mr Darren Smith has been very involved with the exciting developments in marketing and promotion of the White Suffolk breed. This is still to be announced to the general public. His attendance at the Leading Breeders conference in Adelaide further cements our position as one of the leading White Suffolk studs in Australia. This stud is an intimate part of the Animal Management course for year 9 and 10. Farrer wrote this course and it is now being used by Yanco as well. Mrs Dawson has been away for the majority of the term so far and her senior classes have been taken by Mr Harris and Mr Smith, while her junior classes have been taken by Mrs Gamble and Mrs Evans. Parent Teacher interviews for Year 7 should be with Mrs Evans and Year 12 with Mr Harris. We wish Mrs Dawson a full recovery. Thanks to Ms Tolley and Mr Drenhkahn for their efforts with the steers and also in nursery production. The school is hosting Saint Nicholas’ junior classes for a paddock to plate practical study day at Farrer. I have no doubt that there will be increasing demand for these types of outreach activities with the implementation of the new technologies national curriculum over the next couple of years. We have had relationships with many kindergartens visiting in spring to look at the animals, however, this is the first visit with planned practical activities including plant propagation. The Faculty, and staff, has also passed the QA2 audit for our VET programs. Graeme Harris Head Teacher Agriculture Year 11 Geography Excursion to Apsley Falls F ieldwork has begun for Year 11 Geography with a visit to Apsley Falls in the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park. The purpose of the trip was to see first hand how the earth, atmosphere, water cycle and living organisms interact with each other and the effect this has on the surrounding environment. The falls, on what was a hot day, were not at their best. The low recent rainfalls had significantly reduced the flow. This however provided an excellent opportunity for the boys to undertake field sketches and photos of the impacts of water on the gorge face. The variety in landforms from erosion and hydraulic action was clearly evident in some of the large slabs of rock that had fallen away from the face of the falls. The lack of water also exposed the varying complexity of vegetation that occurs as a result of nutrient level changes moving away from the falls. The 10 km walk around the gorge showed a variety of landforms that were a result of both tectonic and volcanic activity millions of years ago. The unique processes in the gorge have had a significant effect on the environment. The Apsley Falls are the headwaters of the Maclean River catchment area. The climate patterns within the gorge have established and maintained the remnants of the Gondwanna rainforest, another interaction between the atmosphere and the environment. The trip was a valuable experience for the boys, helping to reinforce the processes studied in class. Mr Dave Olrich HSIE Teacher Year 9 Commerce - Market Garden Enterprise A s part of the topic “Running a Business” the students of Year 9 Commerce have started their own market garden. The students are in the process of planting winter vegetables to grow, harvest, market and sell. As part of this process students have researched the growing seasons of a number of winter vegetables. They have also started researching ways to fund their business costs including debt finance (loans that need to be repaid) and equity finance (selling an ownership stake in the business). Below are some photos of the students hard at work building their market gardens and filling them with mulch and potting mix. Planting is planned to take place next week, so let’s hope for a great season, a bumper harvest and a truckload of profit! Dan Daley - HSIE Teacher Deputy’s Diary - Easter-Time A s Easter approaches it is appropriate to give thanks for the students, parents and staff who we have at our school. I would like to thank all the people that play their part in making Farrer a great place to be for our boys. Tony O’Connor has performed an outstanding job in coordinating his Year 7 boys. I must also thank the prefects and staff who have assisted our newcomers to settle into their new environment. The importance of laying a strong foundation with Year 7 cannot be over-emphasised and now that their hardest term is behind them I look forward to them becoming valuable contributors and future leaders. Thanks to our welfare team ably led by Head Teachers Jeff Guider and Charlie Colclough and our hard working year coordinators Gina Watt (8), Sarah Allen (9), Robert Arranz (10), Chris Train (11) and Danne Levy (12). Their efforts (often behind the scenes) in assisting their cohort through many varied, and sometimes sensitive, issues are essential and greatly appreciated. Our OPAL system has been revamped in 2015 with major changes including a set of OPAL performance descriptors and a clearer redemption system for students. These changes have been welcomed and embraced by staff and students and I am impressed with the way that our boys in Years 9 to 12 have strived to maintain their high OPAL scores throughout the term. In some years over 30% of students are achieving blue OPALs (a score of 8.5 or greater) It is also encouraging to see dialogue occurring between staff and students regarding how they are currently performing, where they want to be and how they’re going to get there. Assemblies have been a great opportunity to remind our boys about the four habits of Social Intelligence: Tolerance of others, Thinking before you act, Playing by the rules and Respect. Boys who are regularly practising these habits are receiving REF awards (Respect-Excellence-Fairness). Staff members are nominating students, each assembly, who display some or all of these attributes. Students are also receiving merit awards from staff if they consistently display good habits. O "Good, better, best - never let it rest - till your good is better and your better best." This rhyme was originally placed on the Furphy water cart in 1898 by John Furphy and has been espoused at assemblies as well as being adopted by many of the boys in many aspects of their schooling. Students are generally good with their social habits such as being respectful to others around them. They are better at wearing the school uniform with pride and caring for their environment by reducing their litter or damage to property. They are good at following the phone policy and better at looking after each others welfare. Some students are performing at their best, however, for many this is yet to come. I must thank the staff and year 12 boys who are striving to maintain high standards both in and out of the classroom and generally leading by example. The new senior blazers have been well received by students and are already being worn. The new khaki long chinos and the weatherproof green Farrer jacket will be here by the start of Term 2 and will be welcome additions to the winter uniform. The new black silky sports shorts complete with Farrer badge will also be available from the start of Term 2 in readiness for this year’s football season. These shorts along with the black silkies + pockets are acceptable wear for sports uniform. It is pleasing to see students wearing the correct sports shoes so far this year. The new sports socks in particular are very popular. All these uniform items are available from the clothing pool. Please ensure that your son comes to school equipped with the correct uniform as there are consequences for failing to comply. I must thank all the staff who assist our students by coaching/ managing an activity whether it be sporting, agricultural or cultural. These activities complement our academic program by building student/staff relationships and promote a balanced approach. They need to be nurtured and developed at every opportunity so that staff and students can benefit. I hope that everyone has a happy and safe Easter and a restful holiday. Go the Drags! Mr Gus Comi – Deputy Principal - Day Worlds Greatest Shave nce more our Year 12 students will be donning their Farrer beanies as the Worlds Greatest Shave rolls around. The Farrer Year 12 students have been participating in this worthwhile fund raiser for over 15 years and it has become some what of a ritual. In the last six years this fundraiser has become an annual event at the school raising over $35,000 for the Leukeamia Foundation. The Worlds Great Shave will take place on Centre Lawn on Thursday 23rd April commencing at 11:15 am. Two local hair dressing salons, Cody & Co and Cutting Point have volunteered their time to come out and shave the boys. This is one of the many fund raising events our senior students participate in; last year alone the students raised over $16,000.00 to give back to the community. These students will then rally with the rest of the school and participate in the local ANZAC Day March on Saturday 25th April. Good on you boys, you make our school and the local community proud of your valuable efforts. If you would like to donate please contact the coordinator Mr Dave Olrich on 6764-8670. Combined High Schools Swimming Championships Report S even boys from Farrer travelled to compete at the Combined High Schools Swimming Championships held on 26-28 March 2015 in Sydney. Farrer 14 Years Relay Team: Kelby McLean, Bradley Froud, Thomas Kable & Connor Roberts The 14 year old boy relay team, comprising of Kelby McLean, Conner Roberts, Bradley Froud and Thomas Kable took over 5 seconds off their seed time and beat the other two schools from the North West Region in the event. The following boys swam in individual events: Kelby McLean swam strongly in the 400m Freestyle. Connor Roberts took over 9 seconds off his seed time in the 200m Freestyle. Kyle Short swam in the 12 years 100m Freestyle, Breaststroke and Backstroke and 200m Freestyle, taking 7.4 seconds off his backstroke time. Luke Johnstone swam well in the 15 years 100, 200 and 400m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly, Breaststroke and Backstroke. Luke took over 4 seconds off his 400m Freestyle time and nearly 9 seconds off his 200m Freestyle seed time. The most outstanding performance of the team was Ned Hoath, who placed third in two events. Ned placed 3rd in the finals of 12 years 100m Butterfly event with a time of 1:12.52 and 12 years 100m Backstroke event with a time of 1:17.66. This qualifies him to swim at the NSW All Schools Swimming Championships being held on 18 May 2015. Ned also swam strongly in 12 years 50m and 100m Freestyle. We wish Ned all the best at the All Schools Swimming Championships. Again the boys were great ambassadors for their school in their behaviour and effort. Article courtesy of Susanne Kable (Mother of Thomas Kable, Year 8) Important Notice to Parents from the Farrer Finance Office Unfortunately, we are still receiving payments through direct deposits that I cannot identify. Could you please check your records and let me know if you feel you have a discrepancy on your account, relating to a direct deposit. Please remember to clearly identify your direct deposit: Your reference must be your Family Code. If you are making a deposit over the counter at the bank then you need to put your telephone number as the reference and let me know (by Fax or phone call) so that we can identify your deposit. Also, please be aware that with any payments made by direct deposit we are working at least a week behind the Bank Statements. Some parents are still putting money into the wrong accounts – Hostel - (Gold form) is ONLY for Board & Boarder Levy BSB: 032 001 A/c No: 166295 Ref - your Family Code School – (Green form) any sporting activity, School Contribution, ODAS etc BSB: 032 001 A/c No: 153734 Ref – your Family Code and what you are paying for eg ROG001 Touch Canteen – (Blue form) BSB: 032 001 A/c No: 166287 Ref - your Family Code Building Fund – (Pink form) BSB: 032 001 A/c No: 166244 Ref – your Family Code Library Fund – (Cream form) ONLY for Laptop Loans BSB: 032001 A/c No: 166252 Ref – your Family Code Unidentified Money – Are you the owner of any of the following Hostel – Reference – 1. 22/2/15 - Internet Online Banking 2148671 payment ODAS Have you started making payments towards your son’s ODAS excursion? Deposits are due by 2 April 2015. If your son is not going to attend ODAS then a letter must be sent to the Principal for approval. (This is a legal requirement by the Department). All payments HAVE to be finalised by the end of Term 3 (17 September) Many thanks - Kerrie Rogers, Finance Officer T Technology and Applied Studies and metal machining skills and completing the manufacture of a hacksaw. The Industrial Technology Engineering classes are currently working on designing and production of super-fast CO2 powered cars. These cars will be tested for speed in a head to head competition in the school hall early next term. erm One commenced with all students completing Work Health and Safety (WHS) requirements. This involved teachers demonstrating the safe use of equipment and having class discussions about the importance of safe work practices. Students are also required to complete safety tests relevant to their subject area. Year 9 classes are enjoying their experiences of having the opportunity to do elective TAS subjects. These subjects include Food Technology, Information Software Technology, Engineering, Matthew Hamblin, Darcie Metalwork and Woodwork. Alley & Samuel Barden Students enjoy learning of Year 10 through practical exercises that involve the production of projects while documenting the planning, production and evaluation of those projects. Year 12 Industrial Technology students have been working on their Major Projects in Timber, Metal and also Multimedia. The Engineering Studies class have been working hard completing their HSC modules including Civil Structures and Transport. The Year 11 Industrial Technology classes have been developing their practical skills through exercises that involve the use of both hand and power tools. They have also been busy working on homework tasks gaining knowledge and understanding of industry processes and systems. This should help to maximise their results in exams. The Year 7 & 8 classes are currently rotating through Technology areas and are experiencing lessons in Timber, Metal, Graphics, Computing and Cooking. These opportunities help gain skills and knowledge about the use and impact of Technology on our lives. Year 10 Industrial Technology Timber classes are putting their finishing touches on their designer mirror frames while Industrial Technology Metal classes are refining their welding Aaron O’Shea Col Philp - TAS Teacher Lachlan Finlay Sam Carberry Darcy Budd Maths Challenge I n our previous mail-out we sent home a Maths Challenge sheet and are pleased to say that we had 16 returned on the first day back to school. These students were given a raffle ticket and, on assembly that week, the winners were presented with a canteen voucher. Congratulations to Patrick Turner, Year 8 & Hamish McAdam Year 9. There is another challenge sheet in this mail-out and we are hoping to double the amount of replies we receive this time around. Happy calculating Mr Scott Baker. At left: Mr Gallagher, Hamish McAdam, Mr Baker, Patrick Turner & Mr Wade What’s Happening with Careers ? Work Health and Safety Contruction Course running at Farrer Students from Year 9 and above are encouraged to enrol in a WH & S course which is held at Farrer by TAFE NSW. The next course will be at the beginning of Term 2 and the cost is $80 payable to Mrs Rogers at Admin. The course is subsidised by the Careers Faculty at Farrer and it is an essential course for any type of work in the construction industry. We encourage the students to start obtaining some qualifications, such as this, that look good on a resume and that show initiative. We ususally run three courses thoughout the year and they are conducted at the Farrer Clubhouse during school. Senior First Aid and CPR updates Students are strongly encouraged to undertake a Senior First Aid Course organised through Farrer and run by Parasol. This qualification is valid for 3 years and requires a CPR update every 12 months to keep the certificate valid. CPR updates are also organised by Farrer before the 12 months lapses. This course is strongly recommended and, apart from being a skill for life and something that may aid the community one day, it is also very favourably looked upon by employers when recruiting young people. Cost is $85 payable to Mrs Rogers at Admin. See Matron Stubbs or Mr Arranz for further details. See Mr Arranz for further details. Stay up to date with Careers happenings at Farrer. Go to Facebook, “Careers Farrer” and “Like It” Pi Day - Freshly baked O n Friday 20th March, Year 7, along with fifty Year 10 volunteers, took part in the inaugural Pi Day which was held in the SMC. The day involved the students being in teams of five and competing in a variety of mathematical and problem solving activities. The first activity was a timetable challenge where the groups had to complete as many sheets as possible in 20 minutes. This was followed by a jigsaw puzzle where each student was given a clue and they had to put their information together to solve the problem. The final activity, before recess, involved the students working together to solve a variety of problem solving activities which saw students frantically working and delivering their answers to the marking tables. After recess the students were marvelled by Mr Dodds and his ability to recall pi to 100 decimal places. Following this the students competed in ‘Magic Square Madness’ where the students were given the opportunity to score between three and six points for each magic square correctly completed. The final event was a construction activity where each group was given 15 sheets of paper and a roll of sticky tape; they had to build the tallest tower possible. Some groups were able to build some very impressive towers. The day concluded with the winning prize being awarded to Team 18 and second prize going to Team 23. A huge thank you goes to the Year 10 volunteers. Without their assistance the day would not have been able to be run - they did a fantastic job. Thanks also to the staff involved with their assistance on, and leading up to, the day. The day showcased excellent team work and problem solving skills Mr David Gale Deptuy Principal Residential (Relieving) Mr Clint Gallagher Principal (Relieving) and we hope to make this day an annual event on the Farrer calendar. Mrs Chambers – Maths Faculty Mr Gus Comi Deputy Principal - Day Sport and Recreation Report Term 1 has been primarily focused on Year 7 settling into the Farrer lifestyle which proved successful. The second part of the term was broken up by the Tamworth Show, Scone Rugby League Carnival and Red Shield Appeal. Activities we managed to do included Ten Pin Bowling, Barraba Pool, Green Valley Farm, Trout Fishing and Kayaking. Week one saw us take Year 7 to Sheeba Dam for a day of kayaking, swimming and games. With beautiful weather, and fun staff, this proved to be a successful and tiring day for the school’s newest faces. Week two saw as try our hand at Ten Pin Bowling, visit the Powerhouse Motorcycle Museum and have a massive water bomb fight. It is safe to say that the water bombs never last as long as the boys hope but the excitement was certainly at an all-time high. Week three saw Year 7 complete a scavenger hunt based around Farrer history, notable Old Boys and key buildings. We also to travelled to Barraba Pool to try the Waterslide and 3m diving board. Some of the boys managed to attract some attention from the local girls with Jack P. even managing a number. Week four was the last weekend for the year 7 program so we made a trip up to Green Valley Farm where the boys tore up and down the giant water slide all day. Turned out to be a very successful day with just a couple of minor bumps and bruises. After the Leave Weekend we went trout fishing, kayaking, played indoor sport and tried our hand at the Longyard Driving Range. Coming up next term are activities such as the Kayaking, Fishing, Putt Putt, NRL Game, Lazor Tag and much more. Information regarding up-coming activities will be emailed out through the schools distribution list. HELP ME, help your son become social, physically active and try new things so he can get the most out of Farrer MAHS. Chris Oxford Sport and Recreation Officer Q FEVER VACCINATIONS AVAILABLE AGAIN IN 2015 Parents please consider that if your son/s is 15 years or older and handles sheep or cattle, whether it be at home or while at Farrer that they be vaccinated against Q Fever. You will need to contact your family doctor to establish if he is able to carry out these procedures, as they are not all qualified to do so. The procedure is that two doctor’s visits are needed. The first visit consists of a skin and blood test to establish if you have been in contact with Q Fever, one week later you skin and blood test is checked, if clear the vaccine is then given. Current fees for these visits are $90.50 ($74.00 consult + $16.50 skin test) for the first and $184.00 ($74.00 consult + $110.00 vaccine) for the second depending if the vaccine is given. These must be paid for at each visit. The medicare rebate is applicable to the consult fees but not the skin test or vaccine. These can be claimed on your tax. You may get an account from pathology for the blood test, sometimes they will bulk bill. Vaccines are no longer free. If there is sufficient interest through the school I can arrange for the boys to attend a Q Fever Clinic as a group. Please remember they must be 15 years and older. If you have any questions and are interested in this service please give me a call, Monday to Friday 7am - 4pm on Ph: 02 – 6764 8615. Leeanne Stubbs RN Matron – Farrer M.A.H.S Let's help Shane to decorate his wheelchair Thanks to those students who have brought in sheep tags for Shane. Please keep them coming and I’ll post them to Shane early in Term 2 - Mrs Klepzig Paver Fundraiser Landscaping Project We need some help ... In 2014 our Year 12 cohort raised money by selling commemorative pavers for our 75th anniversary pathway. These pavers have been made and we are now at the landscaping stage of the project. To this end, we would like to hear from anyone who could help with this. Perhaps there is a Dad or Mum out there who has a paving/landscaping business who could offer some helpful advice. Please phone Jenni Goodridge if you can assist in any way—6764-8611. Many thanks. UPCOMING EVENTS Mon 20 April Boarders return after 3.30pm Parent/Teacher interviews years 7 & 12 only Tue 21 April Lessons resume Sat 25 April ANZAC Day March - All students encouraged to march. Meet in Greys with akubra - Bourke Street at 10.00am Fri 15 May Whole School Cross Country Fri 15/16 May Dubbo Boarding Schools Expo Thu 21 May Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea Clothing Pool Opening Hours for Terms 2 & 3 As usual our Clothing Pool will only be open on a Monday during Terms 2 & 3. (It will not be open on the Friday.) The Clothing Pool will be open on Tuesday 21st April, which is our first day back to school. After that it will open every Monday from 10.30am - 2.00pm. THE ‘REV’ W elcome to the back of the newsletter. The Rev’s mission is to inspire you with words of wisdom and stories from our school community. If it’s worth knowing, the Rev is happy to spread the word. A big welcome to all our new students, new staff and new families and welcome back to our existing students, families and staff. There has certainly been a shuffling of the chairs amongst the executive with the pending retirement of Mr Cooper. The relieving Principal, Mr Gallagher, has been replaced by Mr David Gale as relieving Deputy Boarding and Mr Charlie Colclough (pronounced coke lee) is the relieving Head Teacher Welfare for the senior school. The Minister for Education, Mr Adrian Piccoli visited the school earlier in the term to announce funding for a range of projects at the school. Mr Piccolo hails from the Riverina area and during his visit he was pleased to catch-up with his former rugby buddy, Mr Comi. An epic, nostalgic journey down memory lane ensued leading to the Member for Tamworth, Mr Anderson, having to interrupt so that Mr Piccoli could catch his return flight. Old Boy and former federal parliament member, Mr Tony Windsor was the occasional speaker at the school’s prefect induction. Mr Windsor captivated the audience with his heart felt stories of his pride in his school days and his admiration for the quality of the students when they leave. Captain Greg Prowse thanked Mr Windsor for his kind words and then led the prefects and seniors as they were inducted into their leadership roles. Speaking of great assemblies, Tye Barry, Matt Thompson, Isaac Laird and Corey Manicaros have paraded down a catwalk and showed off the summer and winter range of Farrer uniforms. The guys looked splendid and drew oohs and aahs from the Thursday assembly crowd. The parade was an initiative to promote the school’s values of respect, excellence and fairness. On the subject of assemblies, the school conducted a Harmony Day and a Bullying Day assembly to raise awareness of the need for positive behaviour. The students viewed an audiovisual presentation and then students were randomly selected to interview each other and share interesting facts about each other. Thanks to Mr Colclough and Mr Comi for arranging the activities. Year 7 enjoyed a three day orientation camp at Lake Keepit prior to their first leave weekend. A full summary of the camp has been on the Farrer website including some pictures of the boys at play and work. The website is undergoing some construction work at present and when finished the Year 7 camp summary will again be accessible through the Year 7 link. Log on to the Farrer website and view the homepage to catch up with what is happening. Current items include the Tamworth Show, the Chess Tournament, the Science and Engineering Challenge and some recent excursions. 2015 is a significant year for historians as it is the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings. A small contingent of staff, parents and students will be making the trip to ANZAC Beach, Turkey, Belgium and France this year at the end of term 2. Mr Barbara will be leading the group on what will be his fourth trip to the Dardanelles. The students have been practising their marching skills in preparation for this year’s ANZAC Day march in Tamworth. Points are allocated to each house and Oxley continues to be the best turned out house each week. Well done to their seniors for setting such a good example to the junior years. Students on gold level were given the opportunity to go on a trip to Newcastle in week 9. Mr Baker and Mr Colclough arranged a beach, ocean, dining and sporting trip as a thankyou to the students on the highest level of our school level system. The trip included deep sea fishing and an afternoon at Hunter Stadium supporting the Knights or the Panthers. Sam Naismith and Jake Lloyd from the Sydney Swans visited the school to conduct a community coaching clinic for 60 boys from Farrer and the NIAS Development squad. AFL has been played at the school for a number of years under the guidance of former players, Mr Arranz and Mr Maloy. Former Farrer parent, Brett Nies, is the acting president of the Tamworth Show Society after being on the show committee for 30 years. Mr Nies was delighted with the number of young people involved in the cattle, sheep, pig and fleece junior judging at the recent show. In fact, the schools had to do a ‘cull’ to get the number of eager entrants down from 800 to 500, to make it more manageable. It was great to see Farrer students involved in the various competitions. It was also great to see Farrer part time agriculture teacher, Mrs Niaomi Evans, along with her husband, win the first place ribbon in the ‘two cows competition’. Ten years can go quickly was the cry when 2005 school captain Martin Lewis visited the school recently. Martin was visiting his nephew Nicholas at Farrer and catching up with his former teachers. Martin had a few seasons of rugby league at Parramatta before pursuing a business career. Fellow Old Boy, 2010 Australian RL representative, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs has joined the Melbourne Storm and recently played first grade. Old Boy Martin Lewis was most impressed to hear that his former house, Macarthur, had won the swimming carnival. Martin wasn’t a champion swimmer but he remembered that winning the carnival was all about having a go which he always did. The school has conducted a number of fire drills at the beginning of the year and it was a surprise to hear the evacuation bells ring a few weeks later during prep. Dutifully the students and staff assembled in the emergency area and names were checked. What was more difficult to identify was the cause of the alarm. It took some time to realise that a football had rolled onto one of the alarm switches in the duty office. Adam Cruickshank has scored an amazing 76 runs off 22 balls to help Farrer defeat McCarthy in the final of the open cricket Ron George Cup. Farrer scored 7-165 and McCarthy scored 4-146 in reply. The competition uses some modified rules which enable a batsman to score ten runs for a second 6 in an over and all scoring shots on the last ball are doubled. Adam scored 2, 6, 10, 10 and 20 off five balls and racked up 48 runs off a single over. Wow!!! The, seven week, Year 7 cricket competition has concluded and it is time to thank the coaches. Well done to our parent coaches, Messrs Pitt, Rodgers, Heeney, Haling and Pennell as well as teachers Mr Dunston and Mr Blanch. Winter sports have arrived and basketball, volleyball, rugby league, football, rugby union and Oz-tag trials have commenced. The Rev got word that in open sports the First XV have been having a 10s competition, the First XIII have played a trial against Wauchope and defeated Tamworth High in the University Shield. The basketball team had a good win against Inverell and the volleyballers won the regional trial competition. Well done to all the players and coaches and all the best for a good season. The Arinya Zone and North West trials are also being conducted and Farrer students have performed well at each trial. Until next time ... SCOTT STEWART EARTHMOVING PTY LTD MOREE • A locally owned and run business for all your earthmoving needs that can supply:Tractors and Laser Buckets Excavators Bobcat and Tip Truck Scraper Graders “Carrick” Duri-Winton Road, Duri 2344 • • Email: [email protected] • AH: 6760 4242 • Mob: 0428 178 220 Please contact Scott on 0429 663014 Fax: 6760 4242 or Jill on 0428 663014 “Lakeview”, 57 Mallee Road Moree NSW 2400 KARL ADAMS RTA Accredited Driver Instructor and Assessor Cars to B Doubles Bus and Coach Authority Courses Phone: 02 6762 3336 Mobile: 0438 623 333 Fax: 02 6762 3338 Please contact Karl to arrange pick up point