greenwood grapevine
Transcription
greenwood grapevine
GREENWOOD GRAPEVINE Greenwood College — An Independent Public School 79 Coolibah Drive, Greenwood WA 6024 http://www.greenwood.wa.edu.au [email protected] Ph. 9243 9200 Fax: 9246 2456 ABN: 31 997 963 629 2014 Awards Night Winners Left: Anji Tao - Academic School Dux 2014 and Honours Society Winner Above: Vocational School Dux 2014 winner Joanna Starr Left: Honours Society Winners — Jessica Evans, Edris Hosseini, Rachelle Knox and Kun Li Greenwood College December 2014 Page 1 Principal’s Message “The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.” Arthur C. Clarke Reflection This final newsletter of 2014 prompts me to reflect on the myriad of events and activities of the year gone by. I am sure the Year 12 and Year 8 parents and students particularly, will join me in marvelling at how quickly time passes. The current Year 8s were reminiscing about their own induction day at the recent Year 7 and 8 induction days and many seem to find it hard to believe a whole year has gone by. Our Year 12 students too, even though many are really ready to leave school, find the thought daunting, insisting it only seems like yesterday when they were little Year 8s. It has been an extraordinarily busy year as we all continue to offer our students the very best in terms of experience and opportunities. Next year as we grow to 900 students, I am confident we can continue to maintain what I Mrs Joanne Harris believe is an excellent service to our community. We are extremely fortunate here at Principal Greenwood to have such a high calibre of staff and students. Our teaching staff are extremely professional and dedicated individuals who really work hard to bring out the best in our students. Our ancillary staff such as our Chaplain, Psychologist, Education Assistants, IT and office staff all band together to support and endorse our culture of a respectful and caring community. Pride Most impressive is the courteous and friendly nature of the majority of our students. Visitors to the school will always comment on the positive atmosphere that seems to pervade the school. Also contributing to this is the generous time provided by our parent groups and school volunteers. Thank you We recently held the volunteer‘s morning tea. Many thanks to all those who attended and well done to the parents and volunteers who were specifically recognised for their contribution. It is testimony to a number of our volunteers that they continue to generously give of their time even though they no longer have students at the college! To our wonderful parents who make up our numerous organisations such as the Dance parents, Music parents Volleyball parents and the P&C, our heartfelt thanks for your tremendous support and contributions throughout the year. We rely heavily on these very active groups to support our students and enhance the already highly successful programs across the college. Particular thanks to Greg Grundy (P&C president), Adam Davies (P&C treasurer) and Sandra Serafini (P&C secretary). The P&C strongly support college initiatives such as Student of the Week as well as providing specific financial support for small projects eg: cameras, new electronic school sign (should be installed by beginning of next year) and library furniture. Sandy Elliss and her band of untiring supporters have meant that students and parents can efficiently purchase uniforms through the college uniform shop. Your efforts have been much appreciated! Review A few weeks ago we underwent the Independent School Review which occurs at the conclusion of the first three year cycle as an IPS school. The review process is extraordinarily rigorous and is conducted by an independent group of reviewers. We were fortunate to have Dr Steffan Silcox and Mr Keith Newton come into the college for 2 ½ days. They were involved in interviewing staff, parents and students, visiting classrooms and asking lots of questions around our self review processes and college performance. A report will be generated that is submitted to the Director General of Education Mrs Sharyn O‘Neill and the Minister for Education Mr Peter Collier. The report will also be available for public scrutiny on our college website. We have not received our official report yet but the brief discussion at the conclusion of the review indicated we will receive an excellent one! College Board The College Board is an enormously important group within the college community. The board has now come to the end of the first cycle and next year will commence our 2015-2017 cycle. Sincere thanks to all those staff, parents and community members who have contributed so much as board members: Board Chair Brett Tooker (Public Prosecutor and former student), Andrea Mitchell (MLA), Professor Lynne Cohen (ECU), former Board Chair Darren Moncrieff (Cobham airways), parents Kevin Starr, Grace Burnside, Sandy Elliss, Greg Grundy, Mary Bell, Charmaine Anderson and staff David Mayes, Terry Dunn, Murray Williams. Thanks also to Liz Hunt board /college liaison officer. We are now calling for nominations for our next School Board and I would urge any parents interested to complete the nomination form that has been distributed by email and given to students at school. Incoming Students It was especially enjoyable to meet our 2015 Year 7 and Year 8 students at their recent induction days. They had the opportunity to experience a diverse range of activities, many of which were designed to show the different types of pursuits they can participate in within a secondary school. We also were mindful of providing these incoming students with the chance to engage in the specialist programs they may have opted for. Both days were highly successful if the beaming faces I saw are anything to go by! Within these two year groups alone, students came from 54 different primary schools so the induction was a real chance for students to make some new friends. We were all very impressed with the high standard of engagement and behaviour from these two groups and look forward to welcoming them back next year! Many thanks to the 7mate and 8mate students who greatly assisted in making these new students feel right at home! Greenwood College December 2014 Page 2 Principal’s Message cont. Drama Well done to the Year 9 and Year 10 drama students, the two plays they performed recently were virtually a sell out and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. I was very impressed with the hidden thespian talents of many of our students, an entertaining performance all round! Farewell Lastly this time of the year brings some sadness as staff leave us. Two of our extremely long term people are retiring. Mr Geoff Heasman has been in public education for 39 years, 20 of those years at Greenwood. As the Head of the English faculty Mr Heasman has been an inspirational leader who has cherished traditional educational values and standards and mentored his staff to produce outstanding student results in English subjects. Mrs Bev King has been our wonderful canteen manager for 26 years. She has worked tirelessly to maintain the excellent standard of the canteen in terms of operations, service and product. Bev has been remarkable in her ability to create a positive and welcoming atmosphere whilst adhering to the highest standards, she will be sorely missed. We are extremely sad to see these two valuable staff members leave but I am sure you will all join me in wishing them all the best for the future. 2015 Lastly a reminder that school finishes for students on Thursday 18 December and resumes on Monday 2 February 2015. A number of important dates for 2015 have been included in this newsletter (see below), please note particularly the School Development or pupil free days for next year as well as the open parent reporting days. Our full calendar will be published on our website which is currently being revamped. I would like to sincerely wish all members of our Greenwood College community a happy and festive season and staff and students a well—deserved enjoyable holiday! School Information Calendar for 2015 (Dates may vary) 2015 Term Dates School Development Days (Pupil Free Days) Public Holidays Term 1 Mon 2 Feb—Thurs 2 April Thursday 29 January Friday 30 January Monday 2 March Friday 3 April Tuesday 31 March Reporting Parent Open Day Students early closure 12.30pm Parents welcome 12.30-7.30pm Term 2 Tues 21 April—Fri 3 July Monday 20 April Wednesday 1 July Reporting Parent Open Day Students early closure 12.30pm Parents welcome 12.30-7.30pm Term 3 Tues 21 July—Fri 25 Sept Monday 20 July Term 4 Tues 13 Oct—Thurs 17 Dec Monday 12 Oct Friday 18 Dec Greenwood College December 2014 Monday 27 April Monday 1 June Page 3 Student Services Summary Mr Williams Student Services Manager Year 9 Co-ordinator You know it‘s almost holiday time when you start hearing Christmas carols on the radio and spot homes in the suburbs with Christmas lights adorned everywhere. Hence this is my final newsletter article for 2014. 2014 Attendance Competition Results Drum roll please……………………………………..and the winner is; Year 12 (92.34%) Year 8 (91.57%) Year 10 (90.08%) followed by Year 9 (89.52%) and Year 11 (89.21%). Well done to the Year 12 group. Historically, Year 8s have always had the best overall attendance average, but this year, the 12s are in front…just. 100% Attendance Students Wow! Imagine going to school every day of every week of every month. Well, the following students did just that. What an effort. Ye{r 8 – Minjeong K{ng, Rhys Wooll{rd, T{yl{h Smith Ye{r 9 – S{umya Patel, Emma Brockett, S{kura Koy{ma Ye{r 10 – Aid{n Pover Well done guys. Year 12 Dinner Tradition at Greenwood College was broken by Ms Hollis yet again when the Leavers‘ Breakfast was changed to a Graduation Dinner. On Thursday 13 November, 63 students and 24 staff attended an evening of awards and goodbyes at the Joondalup Resort. Pre-dinner drinks were served on the terrace before staff and students were escorted into the dining room. All students except two had finished their examinations and were ready for leavers‘ week/jobs/travelling/playing on the computer etc so the evening was relaxed and informal. A number of staff presented awards and Mr Ward was the hit of the evening with his sharp sense of humour. Students mingled with staff, each other and a good time was had by all that attended. Greenwood College would like to wish the 2014 Year 12 cohort all the best for the coming years and our parting last words are ―don‘t be a stranger‖. Huge thanks to Ms Hollis who was brave enough to break with tradition and do something different this year. It was clear by the number of students present that she is respected by her Year 12 group. Well done Ms Hollis for organising such a great evening! End of Year Fun Day - Adventure World On Wednesday 17 December, students from Years 8/ 9 & 10 will finish the year off in the best possible way by enjoying a fun day at Adventure World. We do this each year because it is so popular with students and staff. Only students with ―good standing‖ will be allowed to attend. The cost is $40 which I know is pricey, however entrance fees plus the cost of travel to and from the venue, mean the cost has to be set at that. I do encourage/urge students to bring their own food and drink. Adventure World‘s food prices are very expensive. Parent letters and consent forms are available from Student Services. I would appreciate an honest appraisal of your child‘s swimming abilities when completing the consent form. Adventure World is a big place with a large body of water. If you are in doubt as to your child‘s ability, please note this on the form and swimming assessments will be conducted. Greenwood College December 2014 Page 4 Student Services Summary cont. Student Services Planning Day On Wednesday 3 December, the entire Student Services Team met to discuss what went right, what went not so right and what we can do better for 2015. The opportunity to meet and chat with such a large group of people is invaluable. We didn‘t spend too much time on the negatives. That can be a trap. We discussed our successes and found solutions to problems. There were a few innovative ideas uncovered which will be in place for next year. As always, our priorities will be Attendance, Behaviour and Pastoral Care. 7mates/8mates It is now very common knowledge that Year 7 student students will be in secondary schools as of next year. There are already a handful of secondary schools which have had 7s on site for many years, but in general terms, this is a new concept for most high schools. To make sure the Year 7s and the Year 8s are especially looked after, we have trained up 25 students from Year 9 to act as 7mates and 8mates. Liesl Mahood from YouthCare and our very own Mrs Kristy Hart spent two days in mid-November at Ern Halliday Camp School, delivering a program to up skill these students in how to work with and offer support to the 7s and 8s. The two days were extremely successful and put into great effect over the two transition days held on Monday 1 December (Year 6) and Tuesday 2 December (Year 7). I would also like to thank Ms Kristy Fenner for her outstanding work in planning the two Transition Days and attending the 7mate/8mate training days and also Ms Hollis for her support also. And thanks to the Year 10 students who assisted with the Year 7 Transition Day. The 7mates and 8mates students will spend more time welcoming the new 7s and 8s early in Term 1 next year, including days at The Great Escape water slides at Hillarys. 2015 Student Council Team Voting was completed earlier this term and the results are in. I am very pleased to announce the Student Council Team for next year. Year 9 – Myri{m Ouldely, H{yden Shillito. Year 10 – Emilie Bell-Tentori, G{vin Anderson. Year 11 – C{rys Hunter, Isha{n Bhatia. Head Girl – Jessica Laden. Head Boy - Brend{n Burnside (pictured below with Principal Joanne Harris). The voting was extremely well supported by all students this year and the results were very tight. The Year 7 and Year 8 Student Councillors will be selected early in 2015. Thank you to all 2014 Student Councillors who will not be a part of the team next year, for your outstanding commitment to the role and to your year groups over the past year. As I sign off on my last newsletter article for the year, I would like to wish all staff, students and families a very Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, a safe and enjoyable holiday and I will see you back here in 2015. Greenwood College December 2014 Page 5 Raylene Shipham Chaplain Chatter Chaplain Direct line: 9243 9237 I cannot believe that this is the last newsletter for 2014! The older I get the faster the years seem to go by. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all our newly elected Student Councillors for 2015. I am really looking forward to working with you in the New Year. Student Services have been spending the last few weeks preparing for the intake of two year groups and we have established mentors for both our Year 7s and 8s called ―7 mates‖ and ―8 mates‖. Our upper school have embraced this opportunity to be involved and assist our incoming students. Mr Williams and I attended the Mayoral Prayer breakfast with our Year 10 and Year 11 Councillors and we had the wonderful privilege of hearing from Father Chris Riley who heads up ―Youth Off The Streets‖. He really inspired me to think about showing love in action to everyone regardless of culture, race or religion. We were all touched by his message. Congratulations to all our Year 12s who have finished and have graduated. We have been able to farewell them with their graduation ceremony and a beautiful dinner at Joondalup Resort. We wish you all the very best as you enter into a brand new season in your lives. Christmas is a time of showing and receiving love and I thought it would be appropriate to share an article about how to do this in a practical way. I read this book many years ago and it really revolutionised my way of thinking and relating to people. I hope that it assists you with your children in a practical way as you start thinking about Christmas and gifts. It is often the little things that make a big difference. Love Languages and Your Teen by Dr. Gary Chapman To find Dr. Chapman's free quiz, go to Love Languages and Your Teen. Visualize that inside every teen is an emotional love tank. When the teen's love tank is full — that is, she genuinely feels loved by her parents — the teen can make her way through adolescence with minimal trauma. But when the teen's love tank is empty, she will grapple with many internal struggles and will typically look for love in all the wrong places. Therefore, discerning your teen's love language is essential. Greenwood College December 2014 Page 6 Chaplain Chatter cont. Here is a brief description of each of the five love languages. Physical touch Hugs, kisses and tender touches are given in abundance when a child is young. However, some parents feel more awkward about touching as their child enters adolescence. If a teen's primary love language is physical touch, those appropriate touches are no less important during the teen years than they were in the earlier years. Words of affirmation Using words to encourage and affirm is at the heart of this language. When a toddler is learning to walk, we stand just two feet away and say, "That's right! Come on; you can do it." And when that toddler falls, we encourage her to get up and try again. Why do we forget the power of affirming words when kids become teens? Quality time This love language involves giving your teen undivided attention. For some teens, regardless of what you're doing together, nothing is more important than when a parent gives focused attention. Mindy's primary love language is quality time, and at 17 she still feels secure. Giving and receiving gifts Some parents speak this language almost exclusively and are often shocked to find that their teen does not feel loved. Although gift giving is not the love language of all teens, gifts speak loudly for many. Acts of service Parents are continually doing actions designed to assist their kids, but if these acts of service are to be expressions of love, they must be done with a positive, caring attitude. Few things are more important for parents than discovering and speaking their teen's primary love language. The teen needs to receive love in all five languages, but focusing on the primary love language will fill the love tank much faster and more effectively. Consider your teen's love language. If his language is not obvious, my online assessment quiz may help you. To find this free quiz, search "Love Languages and Your Teen" on ThrivingFamily.com. Dr. Gary D. Chapman is the senior associate pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, N.C., and the author of The Five Love Languages of Teenagers. This article appeared in the December 2012 issue of Thriving Family magazine and was titled "Speaking the Right Love Language." Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Gary Chapman. Used by permission. ThrivingFamily.com. I wish you all the very best for the Christmas season and rest and restoration for when we return to yet another busy year in 2015. Raylene Shipham Chaplain Direct line: 9243 9237 Greenwood College December 2014 Page 7 Congratulations! Students of the Week Congratulations Tanya Johnston (Year 11) for gaining the top mark in the class on the Excretory System test and the Health and Smoking assignment (for Human Biology). The way that Tanya has included in text and end of text references is to be highly commended. Well done to Rory Becker (Year 8) for his helpful, calm and compassionate manner in assisting a staff member caring for a student requiring First Aid. Student of the Week and a $25 voucher goes to Nikita Starr (Year 10) for generously volunteering her time to help out her school community in many ways. IEC —Nycolle Paes Leme Da Fonseca and Moses Mayuom Hello. The IEC Graduation Day is coming up on 17 December. Some of the IEC students will be moving to different schools and some of them will be staying at Greenwood College. Graduation has good and bad things. Bad because some of our friends will be moving to different schools, and good because in mainstream we will all make new friends. After our graduation ceremony all of the graduating students will be going to Xtreme Ice in Mirrabooka. Students will have a lot of fun ice skating and for some of us it will be the first time. We are very glad that Ms Duncan chose us to be IEC Student Councillors because we have had a good time and it has been a great experience learning to speak in front of the whole school. We would like to thank Ms Duncan and Mr Williams and the rest of the Student Councillors for their support and help. Finally, we would like to say goodbye to all the students and teachers and wish everyone a happy holiday. Year 8—Rachael O‘Meara and Tasman Tawhai Hello everyone, We‘re nearly at the end of 2014. This week we have seen the Year 7s and 8s coming in for transition and it makes me realise that our first year of high school is almost done. This term has been busy with tests and assignments getting us ready for next year. In the next two weeks we‘re looking forward to finishing the year with some fun activities. The Dance department have been invited to watch Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The Science department are taking a group of students to Scitech on the 11 December. Our final reward activity is going to Adventure World on the 17 December and we‘re all looking forward to it. Tasman and I are both signing off as Student Councillor‘s. We both feel like we have been successful in this role and have grown in our leadership skills. We wish everyone a happy Christmas and safe New Year. Signing off for the last time, Rachael and Tasman. Greenwood College December 2014 Page 8 Year 9—Despina Koulianos and Gavin Anderson Greetings everyone. This will be the last official newsletter for Term 4, 2014. I hope that everyone had a fantastic school year but it is almost time to wrap up as we only have few more weeks until school is over. We can then start our 6 week holiday, in time for Christmas and the New Year. This year was a wonderful time for all Year 9s and we believe that our year group grew as a whole. We went through a lot of new things this year. To start off we experienced our Year 9 camp all the way back in February. This camp was a blast! New friendships were made which is a great outcome especially at the start of the year. Other new experiences that helped some year nines bond was the Volleyball program and especially the several tournaments the Year 9s competed in. There were around four tournaments this year that the Year 9s competed in and they did not only bring us closer as a team but as friends as well. On the topic of Volleyball, the Year 9/10/11 girls Volleyball team left for Melbourne at 9am on Friday 5 December for the biggest School Volleyball Competition in Australia. We also finished our last NAPLAN test which I bet everyone was stoked about. But sadly this year it actually counted towards the OLNA test, which we need to pass to be able to graduate in 2017. We would also like to mention that the ―7 mate‖ program was very successful. There was a two day training ―camp‖ where 26 students attended the camp. It went very well and we need to give special thanks to Liesl Mahood and Mrs Kristy Hart for giving up their time and teaching us how we can best look after the new Year 7s and Year 8s next year. Lastly with a new year comes a new change. The future Year 10s will have a different Year Coordinator. Ms Hollis will take over the responsibility of guiding us for the next three years. Finally, we farewell Despina Koulianos who wishes to express her gratitude for the opportunity to represent the Year 9 students as Student Councillor this year and enjoyed the role immensely. We say thanks to everyone that supported us and special thanks to Mr Williams for putting up with us this year and last year. Merry Christmas everyone and have a safe and relaxing holiday. Year 10—Bella Peardon and Thomas Larkins Hello everyone! 2014 has been a very busy year for the Year 10s. We have done many activities and social events. Many of the Year 10s have grown and matured throughout the year. We would like to thank our Year Coordinator Mrs Strahan for organising the social events during the year. The dinner dance was our major social event during this year. It was our first formal event to prepare us for our major senior school events; the formal and ball. During this year we have had many camps, barbeques, excursions and performances. The Dance/Drama students went on a primary school tour performing many dances and a drama play. We went to seven different primary schools, representing our school to younger children. Also recently, the Year 10 Drama students put on a play over two nights called the Canterbury Tales. Well done to all of the performers for putting on a great show! Next year we will be preparing for challenges and obstacles including apprenticeships, exams and getting the best score for your ATAR. Next year the Year 10s will really need to concentrate on our classes as we are no longer in lower school and every class will matter. Senior school will be the time to achieve your goals. Next year there will be a brand new cheerleading team called The Knights. This team will be travelling to the Gold Coast next year to compete in the Cheerleading Nationals. We have already started training this term as we are determined to perform to the best of our ability and represent our school in the best possible way. We will keep you updated on how the team goes next year. Lastly, Tom and I will not be the Student Councillors for 2015. We have both given up the role of Councillors and the two new representatives are Ishaan Bhatia and Carys Hunter. We wish you the best and we know you‘re going to do a great job. I would like to say good luck to Tom who has been my partner for the past two years as he will be leaving Greenwood. I wish you the best at your next school and thank you for everything you have helped me with. We hope everyone has enjoyed this year. Merry Christmas and have a wonderful New Year. That‘s all from us! 2014 Student Year Book - Due to circumstances outside our control, the 2014 Student Year Book will not be available for collection until 1st week of school in 2015. We are sorry for the delay. Greenwood College December 2014 Page 9 Secondary Schools Tax File Number Program Ch{nges 2015 Changes to the Secondary Schools Tax File Number Program in 2015 The Secondary Schools Tax File Number (TFN) Program will not continue beyond 31 December 2014. This means that School TFN forms will no longer be processed beyond this date. How students can apply for a TFN from 1 January 2015 The Australian Taxation Office in partnership with Australia Post is making it easier for individuals to apply for a TFN. Students can now apply for a TFN online and have their identity verified through an interview at a participating Australia Post office. Applying online is the fastest and most convenient way for students to get a TFN. More information on applying online can be found at ato.gov.au by searching for 'QC27248' Students who are unable to visit a participating Australia Post office will need to complete the application form Tax file number - application or enquiry for individuals form (NAT 1432). More information about lodging this form can be found at ato.gov.au by searching for 'QC22604' The ATO will continue working with teachers to educate students about tax and superannuation. The curriculum resource Tax, Super & You is a free, easy to use, online educational resource aligned to the school curriculum of each state and territory. This resource can be accessed at taxsuperandyou.gov.au In the coming weeks we will provide more information by email on how students can apply for a TFN and the educational services we can provide. In the meantime if you require any further information you can phone 1300 130 282 between 8:00am and 5:00pm Monday to Friday. Scholarships for 2015 Mr Dunn IEC Deputy Scholarships to help families with children in secondary school are now available for 2015. The Department of Education coordinates scholarships that provide financial support to eligible children in secondary schools to help with their studies. Applications for a number of these scholarships are now open for next year (2015) and close on Wednesday 31 December 2014. Further details and application forms are on the education.wa.edu.au website . If you do not have access to the internet, please let the front office know and we can send you the details or you can come in and collect them. 0407 087 450 Parents are reminded that they can advise the school of their child’s absence by SMS. Failure to contact the school will result in your child/children being marked as UNEXPLAINED on their attendance record. sms Punctuality/Absentee Greenwood College recognises that punctuality and regular attendance at school is a major factor affecting student academic success and building positive habits for their future. The College therefore adopts a zero tolerance approach to unexplained absences and lateness to school. Students who are late to school without an acceptable reason provided by parent note, phone 9243 9200 or SMS 0407 087 450 to the school will be placed into lunch detention. Late students MUST report to the relevant Deputy Principal or Student Services Manager to explain their lateness and receive a lunch detention notice. Teachers will not allow late students into class without a formal late note. Mr D M{yes—Deputy Princip{l Greenwood College December 2014 Page 10 Mrs Kington Library 2014 Libr{ri{n/Teacher Another busy and exciting school year is coming to the end. The Library staff has worked hard to make the Library a vibrant and a comfortable place for students and staff to work and relax. Some of the more visual changes included the new modular seating and Opac - search terminal stands made possible with a generous contribution from the P & C. The Library was opened before school and at lunch time when students were able to participate in both recreational and educational activities. Activities included playing chess and Uno, reading magazines and books, catching up on the latest news reading newspapers, plus homework and socialising. After school on Mondays and Wednesdays the Library was open for students who wanted help in both mathematics and other school work. Students work has been displayed throughout the year and changed regularly to keep it fresh and interesting. This has included work from several departments and has showcased the many talented students at our school. For instance, the photo right sees our current library display of Ms Peroomal‘s Year 8 Society and Environment students showcasing their colourful paper models of ―My Suburb/Ma Banlieue‖. Worldbook online was successfully trialled this year which has enabled students to use this online encyclopaedia to research from home and school. The Library staff wishes everyone a good, safe and relaxing holiday. The uniform shop will be open for students on Frid{y 30 J{nu{ry 2015 from 10{m—3pm. This is a ―once only whole day event‖ so m{ke sure you write it in your di{ry. Please remember the uniform shop only t{kes CASH. et! rg o f t n’ o D Staff Emails [email protected] Principal [email protected] Deputy Principal (Upper School—Years 11/12) Academic Issues [email protected] Deputy Principal (Intensive English Centre/International students) [email protected] Manager Vocational Education, Training and Career Advisor [email protected] Manager of Student Services, Behavioural Attendance, Pastoral Care [email protected] Head of Learning Area—Society and Environment [email protected] Head of Learning Area—Maths [email protected] Head of Learning Area—Science [email protected] Head of Learning Area—Physical Education [email protected] Enrolment Officer and General Enquiries Greenwood College December 2014 Page 11 Police Rangers at Greenwood College A Police Rangers unit has operated at Greenwood College for more than fifteen years. Over that time the police officers running the unit have enabled many students to develop their life skills and so become more effective members of the community. At a time of parental dismay at the anti-social behaviour of some young people, the work of the Police Rangers provides a useful way of channelling young people‘s energies in a positive direction. Important ideals of loyalty, duty and service are central to the ethos of the Rangers. There are many recreational activities provided by the Rangers and they have been arranged so that students can proceed at their own pace. Some of the activities involve drills, radio communications, navigation, community service, leadership training, camping and physical challenges. Membership of the Rangers is open to all students in Grades 7 to 12. No fees are payable, although a small contribution is requested to cover the cost of the Big Camp which last year was held in Coral Bay. The Rangers meet at Greenwood College on Mondays during the school year from 4.15 pm to 6.15 pm. Inquiries should be directed to Tessa Morawski on [email protected] or mobile 0430 383 603. Secondh{nd Uniforms Uniform Shop The Uniform shop has a range of second hand items for sale at a discounted price. Please help by donating any unwanted or outgrown uniforms you may have to the Uniform Shop. The Uniform Shop is open Tuesdays and Fridays from 8.20—8.45am. All donations are gratefully accepted. Secondhand Books The Greenwood College Melbourne Tour Volleyball Fundraising Committee will again be taking second-hand books for sale. A letter will be sent out shortly, with any books that are for sale to be returned to the office. These books must be put in a plastic bag along with the form supplied in the letter, listing all the books you wish to sell. Details will also be supplied in the letter regarding where and when secondhand books can be purchased for the up coming Year 11 and Year 12 students. If there are any further queries, please contact Sharon McGorlick on mobile 0403 125 285 after 6pm or at [email protected]. Greenwood College December 2014 Page 12 Dance and Cheer News Mrs Merrin D{nce Teacher Cheerleading On 8 and 9 November, the Greenwood Titans competed in the CUA Stars ‗n‘ Stripes Nationals. They were both very long days for all involved starting at 7am and finishing up at 9pm. However all members of the team worked very hard and came out with excellent results. Senior Lyric{l Solo- Amy Fletcher 1st place Second{ry Jazz Duo- Melody Fricker {nd Amber Rollo- 2nd place Second{ry Lyric{l te{m- 1st place Second{ry Jazz te{m- 2nd place Second{ry Hip Hop te{m- 5th place Second{ry Level 2 Cheerleading te{m- 2nd place Well done to the Greenwood Titans of 2014. You had an excellent year with very successful results in all competitions! The Cheerleading program at the college recently held auditions for next years‘ teams. With the growing popularity of the program we will now have two cheerleading teams, The Greenwood Titans and The Greenwood Knights. Well done to everyone that tried out for a team, we had 55 students attend and only 20 places on each team. The calibre of students was very high this year and we look forward to having two very strong teams in 2015. The Knights have already started training for next year as they will be heading off to compete in the National Championships in June next year. Congratulations to all students that gained a place on a team for 2015! Parent Support On Saturday 22 November the parent support team participated in a stock take of all of the costumes and accessories in the Dance department. There was a great turn out which meant the stock take was completed in record time. Thank you to all those parents who helped out your support is greatly appreciated. I would just like to thank the parent support team of 2014 you have been a massive help to the dance department with sewing costumes, making head pieces, selling raffle tickets, organising sausage sizzles, making hampers, volunteering for stocktake and a range of other jobs. Your support throughout the year is greatly appreciated and it gives the students enrolled in dance more opportunities and better facilities. I look forward to working with you again next year! Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Greenwood College December 2014 Page 13 On behalf of all the staff at the Home Economics Dept, have a great Christmas and holidlay break. Home Economics Christmas Recipes Christmas Shortbread Ingredients 3/4 cup pl{in flour 2 tbsp. castor sug{r 100g butter 1/4 tsp. v{nilla essence 2 tsp. rice flour Method Set over at 160 degrees. Sift flours, add sugar and rub in butter. Add vanilla essence. Work into a stiff dough with a kitchen knife. Turn onto a lightly floured bench top and knead well. Divide mixture into two. Roll each piece into rounds—1 cm thick and the size of a saucer. Pinch edges. Using an egg slice, lift onto an oven tray. Mark each round into 8 pieces halfway through dough and decorate with a fork. Bake at 160 degrees until pale fawn colour 20-25 minutes. Cool on cake cooler. Decorate with icing when cool. Apple Christmas Tree Parcel Ingredients 1 sheet puff pastry 20g sult{nas 1 gr{nny smith {pple 1/2 tsp. cinn{mon 1 tbsp. castor sug{r Method Preheat oven to 210 degrees. Grate apple and squeeze out excess moisture. Add sultanas, cinnamon and sugar. Cut 2 x Christmas tree shapes into the puff pastry sheet. Place one piece of pastry on baking tray and carefully pile the apple mixture onto the centre.. Leave a 1cm border of pastry free around the whole tree. Place the second piece of pastry on top, press edges with a fork and glaze with egg and milk mixture. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle with icing sugar when cool or glaze with icing. Mrs Aylene Lawrance Year 8 Morning Tea Home Economics During the past three weeks, the Year 8 Home Economic students had to organise, prepare and host a tea party for their parents/guardians. Each student had to make an invitation for a special guest. Students made sausage rolls, cupcakes, pizzas and scones for their special occasion. On the actual day, each student had a specific job to make the party a success i.e.: heating the sausage rolls, whipping cream and setting up the drinks. As you can see by the photo, it was a complete success! All the guests agreed it was delightful and the food was delicious. Everyone left with a smile. A special thanks to the guests, taking the time to come and enjoy the tea party and be hosted by the Year 8 Home Economics class. Congratulations to the Year 8s for working well together as a team. Well done!! Greenwood College December 2014 Page 14 Volunteer Awards Morning Tea Greenwood College is very fortunate to be supported by many hard-working volunteers who contribute across the school. Our Greenwood College volunteers truly enrich the school environment, and are involved in a variety of areas - by sitting on the School Board, coaching volleyball teams, mentoring students at risk, helping out in the canteen, uniform shop, sewing dance costumes, contributing to school committees, hosting visiting students, attending school camps and organising fundraising activities. We would be lost without our volunteers! The tireless efforts and dedication demonstrated by these generous people were recognised at the annual volunteers morning tea, held in the college library on Tuesday 18 November. Volunteers enjoyed delightful food prepared by the canteen staff (thank you canteen staff!) and had the opportunity to unwind and share their stories and reflections on the year. Ms Kristy Fenner Public Relations Officer Congratulations to the following recipients of the annual Volunteering Awards - Volunteer Appreciation Awards Bev Wilson (pictured left) – For dedicating m{ny ye{rs volunteering at the school c{nteen. Irene Di-Rosso (pictured below left) – For dedicating m{ny ye{rs of service through volunteering at the school c{nteen. Jo Connor – For dedicating m{ny ye{rs of service through volunteering at the school c{nteen. Sandra Serafini – Being a proactive member of the p{rent Music committee, assisting in the uniform shop {nd Secret{ry of the P&C. Zoe Hendrie (pictured right) – For tireless volunteering in the D{nce department. Zoe helped sew m{ny costumes, cut out costumes, org{nised the drinks for the Bunnings s{usage sizzle {nd made {ll the h{mpers for the choreogr{phy night. She {lso assists with helping in the c{nteen at d{nce events. Julian Pearsall - Being a proactive member of the Music committee, helping to rep{ir, tag {nd test v{rious school {ppli{nces, active member of the P& C {nd sh{res his expertise in the Robotics club. of service through Mentor of the Year Liz Fisher (pictured right) – Continuous emotion{l {nd academic support for a Greenwood College student. Thank you to all of our volunteers - your contributions to Greenwood College have been invaluable and will continue to be, sincerely appreciated. We wish you all a safe and happy Christmas and look forward to seeing you again in the New Year. Mrs Griffin and her Care Group 8C1 would like to spread festive cheer and merriment to all… Have a safe holiday. Greenwood College December 2014 Page 15 China Visit 2014 (Part II) Mr Dunn Intensive English Deputy Four Greenwood College teachers travel to China for exchange activities with our Sister School. The report part two continues our journey…. Jinling High School displays a number of inspirational messages throughout the school. Many of them are quotes taken from the famous Chinese philosopher and teacher Confucius. Confucius's principles had a basis in common Chinese tradition and belief. He championed strong family loyalty, ancestor worship and respect of elders by their children. He also recommended family as a basis for ideal government. He espoused the well-known principle "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself", an early version of the Golden Rule. These virtues that are proudly displayed and embraced by the staff and students at the school. The sense of fairness and caring for each other was evident whenever we interacted with students and staff. Whilst they seemed to work hard and endured long hours, they remained cheerful and engaged. This was quite obvious when we were invited to the students‘ karaoke competition. The finalists in the competition sang a wide variety of Chinese pop songs and were enthusiastically applauded after each performance. Towards the end of the competition a hush came over the audience as it was announced that as a special treat the Australian guests were going to join in and sing a song themselves. We were quite unprepared for this and my mind went blank trying to think of a song I could sing. We are not performers and were put on the spot. Fortunately Mr Bowdell rose to the occasion as his colleagues pointed in his direction to ‗take one for the team!‘ Mr Bowdell was superb, as he had the audience clapping along with him and all without any musical backing. Well done Mr Bowdell, you saved us and represented our school with distinction. Changxing Jinling School is an Art Specialist school and we saw students and staff involved in a variety of artistic pursuits. We saw many Art styles ranging from traditional Chinese ink calligraphy and prints to portrait painting. The area around Changxing was surprising in that it bore all the signs of a developing and industrialised economy and also retained many of the cultural relics of Chinese Dynasties that have appeared and disappeared through the ages. Changxing was the home of the Chen Dynasty and the Emperor resided within the palace complex shown in the photos here. It was fantastic to see the importance placed on preserving ancient artefacts for future generations to appreciate the long and rich history that has influenced life in China all the way through to the modern age. Greenwood College December 2014 Page 16 China Visit 2014 (Part II) cont. About an hour by high speed train is the old capital of China, Nanjing formerly known as Jinling in Jiangsu province. We were fortunate to complete a day trip to Nanjing. As we drove into the city centre we could see the remains of the old city wall still prominent in the city. We wandered through some spectacular waterways and gardens and finished the day with a visit to the memorial museum to the victims of the Nanking massacre. This museum was particularly moving as it serves as a notice to all about the brutality and lack of humanity that war brings. The sculpture at the front of the museum was full of emotion, depicting a mother holding the lifeless body of her child trying to escape the invading Japanese army. We travelled to Beijing after our visit with Jinling school where we met Mrs Armstrong who was on holiday at the time in the capital. Mrs Armstrong is an authority on China and a devoted fan of its history and culture. She had prepared a full programme of sightseeing in Beijing and was eager to share her passion for China with our group. With a twinkle in her eye she told us to be prepared to be amazed. Amazed we were! We had a driver and a guide and were primed to see the iconic sights of Beijing on a very tight and full schedule. We piled into our transport with great expectation and experienced one of the daily wonders of Beijing immediately. A massive traffic jam that extended behind and in front of us for many kilometres. Our first lesson, Beijing is one of the most populous cities in the world! After breaking free of the jam we travelled towards Mutianyu, one of the points of entry to see the famous Great Wall of China. In a rare display of sunshine we were treated to an unforgettable experience. The light on the scene before us and the sight of the wall snaking off into the distance was a sight to behold. We spent two hours walking and soaking in the atmosphere, imagining the warriors of old in extremes of weather prepared to fend off the invading Mongol armies. Our next stop was ―The Sacred Way‖ and the Ming tombs. In the front part of the imperial necropolises, there is a Sacred Way (or Divine Road) which means the road leading to heaven. The Emperor, known as the Son of Heaven, who came from Heaven to his country through the Sacred Way, also would return to Heaven through this road. It was lined with stone statues, both animals and mythological creatures. Here we see Mr Filidei (a horse enthusiast) stopping to admire a statue along the Sacred Way. Wangfujing Street in Beijing are the famous night markets. Shoulder to shoulder with tourists and locals we were mesmerised by the variety of gifts and trinkets on display, but even more impressed when we approached the food stalls set up along the sides of the streets and alleys. Some of the aromas made my mouth water, and some of them necessitated a quick step past while I held my breath. There were scorpions on a stick still alive or roasted. Snake meat, pork, chicken and other kinds that were best to remain a mystery. Greenwood College December 2014 Page 17 China Visit 2014 (Part II) cont. We visited Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City and The Summer Palace over the next few days. Each site steeped in history and really interesting to learn about as our guide showed us around. One of my favourite photos was taken in Tiananmen Square near the monument to the people‘s heroes. You can see the man in the foreground looking forward, matching the forward stance of the monument. We left Beijing on the high Speed train for Shanghai. Another great experience as the train reached speeds of more than 300km per hour. Several hours later and we were in cosmopolitan Shanghai. We stayed in the French concession which was very leafy green and clean. Walking along the bund in Shanghai was memorable on such a beautiful day. You can see the river and the famous Pearl Tower in the background. Sadly our time in China had come to an end. We had spent about 10 days in China, interacting with our sister school community and taking in the sights. As a group of colleagues we travelled and worked really well together, we learnt a lot and had a great experience. We all came back with our own unique impressions of China and its people. Personally I have since followed up with a lot more reading about China and felt that I gained a new appreciation for how friendly the people are and how beautiful the country is. I hope that efforts will continue to preserve the China of old and the rich culture that abounds. I also hope that the generous spirit and cheerful nature of the people will remain unaffected in this era of rapid development. Ultimately, for Greenwood College students to experience a trip to China in 2015 would be the realisation of long term goal. Learning opportunities beyond the classroom and textbook are rare and in many ways priceless. I am pleased to say that preliminary planning has begun. Keep an eye on school notices early in 2015, an opportunity to participate in such a trip will be one of those rare opportunities for personal development and learning that can be life changing. As they say, stay tuned and watch this space ! Greenwood College December 2014 Page 18 Art Student Spotlight Aaron Pignatiello (Yr 8) Student Spotlight Jordan Woodward (Yr 10) Greenwood College December 2014 Page 19 Ye{r 11 Cubist P{inting Amazing Art Rylen Laraya Rachel Parker Taneeka Hall Callan Avis Tessa Zollner Florence Baitio Greenwood College December 2014 Page 20 Ye{r 11 Cubist P{inting Amazing Art Amakou Domkoc Nathalina Gabriel Suphakit (Earth) Bunchuai Intishar Shaban Natcha Chaimee Amanda Ellis Wachira (Dream) Boonpok Greenwood College December 2014 Page 21 The talented Year 10 Art students have drawn on their imaginations and dreams to create interesting surrealist paintings….. Mrs Papasergio Year 10 Art Miah Harvey Draper—Jam Rolls Tomoka Mishima—Liberty Alyssa Batuyong—Invasion Carys Hunter—We walk among others Alyssa Hutchins—Messages from the Universe Nan Sripakdee—Dream on Shivang Patel—3 wisemen Bogdan Rabulea—The Garden of Eden Kim Gaunt—A Maze in the Woods Godfrey Kenyi—City of Carter Andy Nguyen—The Church Maddi Uchino—A Catcher full of Dreams Greenwood College December 2014 Page 22 Community Advertising Need a helping hand? Babysitting We can connect you with a local university student who is studying to be a nurse or teacher. Event Staff Need someone to pass out food and drinks at your next function. A handy helper can also do the dishes! Gardening Is it time to clean up the garden for the Christmas season? Handy helpers are motivated and hardworking. Whatever type of helper you are looking for you will find them. Find casual, local university students at handyhelpers.com.au Greenwood College December 2014 Page 23 Community Advertising Congratulations to Florence Baitio (Yr 11) who is a finalist for the 2014 WA Youth Awards. Her nomination stems from her work as a youth support worker with the Assoc for Services to Torture and Trauma Survivors. The article above was published in the Community Newspaper during the month of November. Well done Florence! Start 2015 with Confidence ENROL NOW IN ACADEMIC TASK FORCE JANUARY SCHOOL HEAD START PROGRAM AND ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN 2015 HEADSTART FOR YRS 11 & 12 HEADSTART FOR YRS 7 - 10 AVAILABLE syllabus overview – confidence building – refresh your understanding – study skills – essay writing 2 day courses / 6 hours per course Jan 15 – Jan 28 2015 Venues: Churchlands SHS and Rossmoyne SHS Enrol Now: www.academictaskforce.com.au Email:[email protected] Please phone for further information: (08) 9314 9500 Greenwood College December 2014 Page 24