In this issue
- Principal's message
- National Science Week
- Donation drive
- NAIDOC assembly
- Library news
- Careers hub
- Wellbeing
- Lost property
- Community news
Principal's message
Dear parents and caregivers,
I hope all the students had an enjoyable break and are ready for Term 3.
Term 3 is important in many ways as it is the last teaching term for Year 12 and for Year 11 it is the last term of their Preliminary HSC course before they start the HSC course in Term 4.
Key dates for Term 3
Year 12 Trial Exams - 1st to 8th August
Year 12 Graduation - 22nd September
Year 12 Picnic Day - 23rd September
Leadership Assembly - 19th September
Regional Athletics - 2nd and 3rd of August
Year 12 Music Showcase - 23rd August
Year 11 Final Exams - 8th to 16th September
Year 7 Vaccinations - 16th September
Year 8 into 9 Subject selection event - 30th August
Staffing update
We continue to be impacted by staffing issues related to COVID-19 and general staffing shortages state wide. I anticipate the staffing challenges will continue throughout Term 3.
There are a few staffing changes in Term 3:
Kurt Fryer (PDHPE) replaced by Olivia Gooch
Robert Baggaley (Visual Arts) replaced by Samantha Whittingham and Eva Kritikos
Upgrades and improvements
The school was busy over the holidays with significant refurbishments occurring. There are other refurbishments and upgrades also allotted to the school in the near future.
- The roof in F-Block has been replaced
- Carpets in the library and selected classrooms have been replaced
- Upgraded floors in H-Block with painting to follow soon
- The decking in the courtyard in G-Block is to be replaced in the coming months
- All lights in the school have been replaced with more environmentally sound lights
- Electrical upgrade of the school has been completed
- A new commercial kitchen is to be installed in J-Block this semester
- Lighting and Audio is to be upgraded in the hall
- Netball court to be resurfaced
- Outside volleyball court to be resurfaced.
The P&C has also submitted a grant application to re-seal the outside basketball courts and install a covered walkway to the side entrance to the hall.
OUTLEARNING The opportunity to make connections with expert mentors in the community and apply learning to practice is a powerful and compulsory aspect of the Big Picture learning design. Every week from the age of 14, students attend an internship with an expert mentor in a field that is of interest to them. Over 90% of students participate in outlearning experiences that include internships, field work, external coursework, sporting or cultural events and volunteer or part time work.
Student Quote: “LTI’s [internships] are a great place to not only learn but also show and apply that learning in your work. It helped me get my first job!”.
Reminder that applications for the Big Picture Education program at South Sydney High School close next Friday.
The Butterfly Foundation spoke to all staff on Staff Development Day last week. The Butterfly Foundation is the national charity for all Australians impacted by eating disorders and body image issues, and for the families, friends and communities who support them.Unfortunately, due to the pandemic there has been a significant increase in the number of children and teens experiencing body image concerns, disordered eating and eating disorders.
As the saying goes, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ and to help our students reach their potential. Supporting a young person to foster a positive relationship with their body, eating and physical activity is incredibly important, as is knowing what to look out for and what to do if concerned if or when they are struggling. For more information visit the Butterfly Foundation website.
Uniform expectations
I congratulate the majority of students who have returned in Term 3 in the correct uniform within our school uniform policy. Our uniform forms part of the high expectations we have of our students to present themselves within school and in the wider community. We continue to work with the uniform provider to solve the supply issues for some uniform items, please contact Mrs Walton if you have any issues with the uniform provider.
COVID-smart settings in Term 3
These have been developed in consultation with NSW Health and are aligned to the NSW Government’s general community settings.
Many of our existing COVID-smart measures continue into Term 3, including:
- staying home if unwell, even if you have a negative RAT, until you are free of symptoms
- rapid antigen testing for symptomatic students and close contacts able to return to school
- strongly encouraging mask wearing, particularly for the first 4 weeks of term
- strongly encouraging all eligible students and their families to get vaccinated for COVID-19 and the flu
- maximising natural ventilation
- good hygiene practices
- strict requirements for close contacts attending school including regular testing and the wearing of masks
- responding to local COVID-19 conditions
Please note - students are still required to wear masks on public transport.
Some things are changing this term,including:
- COVID-19 vaccination policy update - the mandate requiring COVID-19 vaccination will be lifted for staff in most school settings from 1st August 2022. We will continue to encourage all staff, students and our school community to keep up to date with their vaccinations, including getting a booster shot when eligible.
We hope to continue to provide all the scheduled events and activities this term but will be prepared for modifications as required.
As we move forward on our Term 3 learning journey, reflect on the following words:
“We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself.” Lloyd Alexander
Stay safe and stay well.
National Science Week
National Science Week is coming up! It is during Week 5, 13th - 21st August. The school theme for National Science Week in 2022 is Glass: More than meets the eye. It is based on the UN International Year of Glass. It will celebrate the many roles that glass plays in our lives - from phone screens to optical fibre to glassware in labs - plus investigating glass as a part of our sustainable future.
We have some activities planned for Science Week including scavenger hunts, escape rooms, glass bending experiments, a drama performance by Perform Education: ‘Windows to the world: A STEM story’ and a student vs teachers quiz. We are looking forward to it!
We are also looking forward to a Year 7 excursion to Taronga Zoo in Week 4 as a part of the classification topic they are studying. We are reminding Year 7 students to arrange payment and bring their permission notes back as soon as possible.
Donation drive
South Sydney High School and our SRC are running a donation drive in support of the Bayside Women’s Shelter. The Bayside Shelter is a best practice women’s shelter in South East Sydney responding to women and families in crisis, and working with the community towards education and prevention of domestic and family violence.
We are asking the school community to donate any canned foods, sanitary items, women’s deodorant, etc.
Please bring any items for donation to the Student Centre where they will be made into gift packs.
NAIDOC assembly
A lovely NAIDOC Assembly was held yesterday, led by Aboriginal students Leah, Jayden, Ava, Kyleigha, Byron and Taylor.
This was followed by a morning tea for students, parents and invited guests.
The theme for this year's NAIDOC week is Get up! Stand up! Show up!
Library news
Celebrating 25 Years of Harry Potter competition winners
Congratulations to Zoe (Year 7), Chloe (Year 7) and Charlie (Year 8) for insightfully sharing their memories and what drew them into the Harry Potter world for the 25 Years of Harry Potter competition. They have won vouchers and a book of their choice from the Harry Potter series.
New fiction highlights
Click on the links to take you to the Oliver library catalogue.
Cop and Robber by Tristan Bancks
Tristan Bancks has produced another wonderful action thriller. When your Mum is a cop, and your Dad is a robber in need of money, what’s a boy to do? A great story about how doing the right thing is not always easy.
The Snow Laundry (The Towers #1) by Mette Jakobsen
This is the first instalment in a fast-paced, dystopian series that sees homeless children round up and put to work by the government. But when they realise they are lab rats, they know they must try and change things! A scary and intense novel.
Sixty Seven Days by Yvonne Waldron
A debut novel by Yvonne Waldron, the 2022 NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year. An intense and mesmerising story of first love and longing, infused with Wiradjuri Dreaming, family and culture, about a future dreamt and a future taken.
Completely Normal (and other lies) by Biffy James
A terrific novel about love, grief, mental health, the diversity of family lives and friendships. Full of emotion, it is very hard to put down. Best suited to readers aged 15 and above.
Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf
The world of Scrabble tournaments can be competitive. But are they also deadly? Queen of the Tiles is a fast paced mystery that you will find hard to put down. It’s a story of grief, and the changing nature of friendships, all tied together around the mystery of Trina’s death, and also tackles the dark side of social media.
A heart-warming story of two wonderful, brave kids who face all their fears together and let nothing stop them. It is a story of friendship, love, hope, family and learning that even if you stumble and fall, you just need to get back up and try again.
Borders by Thomas King and illustrated by Natasha Donovan
An intriguing tale of a Blackfoot boy and his mother who are stuck on the border between Canada and the US after refusing to identify as citizens of either country. This is an eye-opening graphic novel about taking pride in your ancestry, identity and belonging.
Ms Maddocks, Teacher Librarian
Careers hub
Year 10 Careers workshop
Today, all Year 10 girls were involved in a Careers workshop. The workshop was run by Inspiring the Future Australia.
There were six volunteers who spoke to the students about their career pathways.
I would like to thank the volunteers and the organisers Adriana and Jennie for providing this opportunity for the students.
Year 10 subject selections - Careers counselling
During the past two weeks, Year 10 students have been involved in careers counselling after submitting their subject choices for 2023. The process involves checking if students are following an ATAR pathway or non-ATAR pathway and if their choices meet the NESA requirements.
It has been a highly successful event and I would like to thank Mr Patmore and Mr Yasaman for their support throughout the process.
I would also like to thank Jovana, Rojda and Daniella for helping as my assistants throughout the process.
I know that I still have a small number of students who need to have careers counselling. Please see me asap so I can work with you in going through your subject selections for 2023. This will provide valuable advice for Year 11 and your future pathway.
Google Classroom – Careers
A timely reminder that Google Classroom – Careers is my main method of communication with everything related to Careers. It is particularly important for all students in Years 10, 11 and 12 to be in the Google classroom.
Thank you to those students who have already joined.
If you have not joined the codes are:
Year 10 2022 – hy6bgaa
Year 11 2022- nkkbpwj
Year 12 2022 – c4mpcrp
Apprenticeships and School Based Apprenticeships/Traineeships (SBAT)
I am reaching out to the community after the Year 10 subject selection night. There are some Year 10 students interested in leaving school to pursue an apprenticeship pathway.
There are also students who have expressed an interest in a School Based Apprenticeship or Traineeship.
I am hoping that there are members of our community who have the capacity to take on South Sydney students or you might have mates or your local trades people looking for an apprentice.
I believe in helping our young people to find the right pathway and set them up for the future.
Please reach out to me with any details. Your support is greatly appreciated.
meredith.mattock@det.nsw.edu.au or 0455 124 584
Ms Mattock, Careers Adviser
Wellbeing
South Sydney High School is proud to be a part of Australia’s largest body image movement - Body Kind Schools.
We are encouraging everyone to be Body Kind. To their own body and to others, face to face and online.
Lost property
There is still a lot of lost property remaining from Term 2. There is some school uniform, but please check the photos below to see if anything else belongs to you. Items may be collected from the front office.
Any item not collected in the next two weeks will be donated to the second hand uniform shop, or to charity.
Community news & events
We acknowledge and pay our respects to the Bidjigal people, the traditional owners and custodians of the land we work on. We also pay respect to Aboriginal elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to other Aboriginal people.
Contact us:
Telephone | 9349 3868
Email | sthsydney-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
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