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February 2015

PRINCIPAL

Welcome new students and parents to another exciting year at Maitland Grossmann High.

A welcome barbecue was held on Wednesday 25th February for Year 7 parents and students. It was an

ideal opportunity to meet all the teachers who are working with your children.

We have installed a further two water stations, with chilled filtered water. Please encourage your child

to bring a suitable water bottle, which can be refilled during the day. One of these was donated by

Year 12, 2014 and the other by the P&C Association.

A special thank you to parents and carers for continuing to reinforce the high standard of uniform and

dress for all students. The in-school uniform shop is providing an excellent standard and service to all

students and staff. A reminder that shoes should be black leather and cover most or all of the foot.

Slipper like shoes and canvas shoes are unacceptable. Senior students who present out of uniform or

in the wrong footwear will be asked to go home to change or to phone home to have their correct

uniform/shoes provided to them before they go to class. We are happy to assist those who may

experience financial difficulties. Please approach me confidentially so I am able help. Please note,

shorts for girls are not part of our uniform but students in the junior school are welcome to wear them

to school on Tuesdays (sport’s day).

Our healthy food canteen, with the option of treat days, continues to provide students with the

opportunity to eat well and have treats at regular intervals. The canteen provides funding to the P&C

who have made a commitment to continue to provide air conditioning for classrooms. I know they

value their volunteers very highly, so if you have any time to spare, Lisa in the canteen would love to

hear from you. Please phone 49335792.

Thank you to all parents and caregivers who have already paid their fees for 2015 and given us the

opportunity to provide the best possible resources for their children’s learning.

I encourage you to make positive use of the school webpage by logging on to www.mghs.com.au to

keep abreast of the activities in the school, to have access to vital resources, such as your child’s

assessment schedules and tasks and to ensure you have direct links to important bodies, such as the

Board of Studies and many more.

We are in the process of reviewing and revising our webpage so information to parents and families is

more accessible. We will keep you informed.

We have had a lift installed in the school. Students with injuries can access the use of this lift through

the main office.

Dr Di Soltau (Principal)

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February 2015

CURRENT SPONSORS

WESTPAC BANK (Green Hills) Take out a loan and mention Maitland Grossmann High School. The school will receive a monetary contribution from the Westpac Bank.

ATHLETE’S FOOT (Green Hills & Charlestown) Become a Club Fit Member and the school will receive a monetary contribution from Athlete’s Foot.

CAREERS

Welcome back to 2015.

Year 10, 11 and 12 students received a Careers Calendar for Terms 1 and 2. This calendar includes

dates of careers events, courses and excursions that have been planned.

Money Talks, a financial literacy program, was held on Thursday 26th February for some Year 11

students. Representatives from many financial institutions gave valuable advice to the students.

Thank you to all concerned.

We were very fortunate to have the regional university representatives from Charles Sturt Uni,

Southern Cross Uni and Uni of New England visit on the 24th February and talk to interested senior

students. The Regional Uni Roadshow provided information on courses, scholarships, accommodation

and entry processes.

Other events this term include White Card Induction courses, Resume & Interview workshop, Defence

Force Recruiting visit and a tour to Newcastle Uni for interested Year 10 students. It is another busy

term!

The date for this year’s Hunter Valley Career Expo is Friday 22nd May. Students in Years 10-12 will

receive information at the start of next term. The website is www.hvcareerexpo.com.au.

https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/vetinschools/schooltowork/index.html

has a great Parent and Community section to assist parents and

caregivers.

It is very important for students to check their school email. This

is one way I can communicate to students, careers information I

have received.

Congratulations to students who have been successful gaining

part-time employment and to our ex students who have gained

permanent employment.

Lee Osborne

Careers Advisor 2014 HSC RESULTS

MORNING TEA

NEWSLETTER DATES FOR 2015

February 27th April 2nd May 22nd June 26th

August 14th September 18th November 6th December 11th

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February 2015

Tax File Number Applications

A tax file number is a unique nine-digit number issued to administer your tax when you have any job.

New process! Students complete an online application form, print off the summary and then visit,

within 30 days, an Australia Post Office outlet and have your identity verified.

Apply and visit

https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Ind/Apply-for-a-TFN-on-the-web/?fb_locale=es_LA

Proof of Identity documents found at

https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Ind/Apply-for-a-TFN-on-the-

web/?anchor=Proof_of_identity#Proof_of_identity

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February 2015

ENGLISH

Changes to Classes in Years 8 & 9

There has been some movement of students between classes in Years 8 & 9 due to a shift in

timetabling structures in 2015. English classes have been tied to Science, History, Geography and PE

classes. As a result, some students have sought class changes based upon, for example, ability in

Science compared to English. We have tried to accommodate these requests but movements are

limited due to class sizes and the streaming of classes. Please be aware that the classes in each

stream are equal, for example, 9EAB1 is parallel class to 9EAB2 and 9EAB3.

Bell Shakespeare

An upcoming excursion for Years 7 & 8 is the Bell Shakespeare Midsummer Madness. The excursion

will take place on 16th March, 2015 in the school hall. After a 50-minute performance, the students will

have a Q&A session with the actors. Cost is $10 and must be paid at the front office by Friday, 6th

March.

Year 12 Extension 2 Seminar

On the 11th February, Year 12 Extension 2 English students attended Newcastle Grammar School for a

seminar. It included talks from Felicity Plunkett and Tony Britten. They learnt how the HSC Extension

2 course works and how to write a reflection statement. Advice was given from ex-students, teachers

and special guests. On the day, the students moved around as a whole group and shared ideas. Each

student can create a film, short story or script for their Extension 2 project. Mrs Tannock accompanied

the students on the day and said that “the kids really enjoyed it”.

By Lizzie Loduku and Emily Gilmour

CAPA

CAPA has had a very busy start to this year and we would like to thank everyone who has supported

our extracurricular activities.

All of our ensembles have already started for this year, but it is not too late to join.

Glee Club is run by Mr Squires and Mrs Alford. You will learn lots of singing techniques and will

be able to sing the songs you love! Come along on Wednesday lunchtimes and Friday

mornings at 8:30!

Band is run by Mr Dennis and if you wish to join please enquire at the music staffroom. Practice

is on Wednesday mornings at 8:30 and Friday lunchtimes.

The Elite Vocal Ensemble is also run by Mr Dennis. To audition, please speak to Mr Dennis at

the music staffroom. This ensemble performs at lots of school events and festivals. Practices

are Monday mornings 8:30 and Thursday lunchtimes.

Notices and upcoming events:

More Year 7s needed at Glee.

Places still open for male students in the Elite Vocal Ensemble.

First Vocal Ensemble performance was on 25/02/15 at the year 7 BBQ.

This year we are fortunate enough to be represented in the Hunter Wind Ensemble by Emily

Tenorio, Gabbi Cadenhead and Chloe Matthews.

Chloe Matthews also successfully auditioned for the Newcastle Hunter Youth Orchestra. We

would like to congratulate these students. This is a big achievement and we wish them all the

best.

Recently at our school we have had a darkroom upgrade for our photography students.

Thank you to Dr Soltau for approving and paying for the darkroom upgrade, which has now

been finalised. We would also like thank Les Porter from Les Porter Photography for all of his

wisdom, and guidance. The students have enjoyed learning how to create traditional

photography using black and white film. The Les Porter Award will be granted to the

photography student of the year and presented at the end of year presentation assembly.

Thank you for all the support!

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February 2015

There is a current debate whether there shall be a Musical or MADD night at the end of this

year. What would you prefer? See Mr Dennis in the Music staffroom to give your ultimate

opinion.

By Maddy Battese and Issac Timonin

INDUSTRIAL ARTS

F1 in Schools - Counting down to the 12th Australian National Final of F1 in Schools

The countdown to the 12th Australian F1 in Schools National Final has begun. Between 12th and 15th

March, students from across Australia will assemble at the 2015 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix

in Melbourne.

The competition will be intense as the students vie for the opportunity to represent Australia at the F1

in Schools World Final in Singapore in September. Having won the World Championship 4 times with 4

Seconds, 3 Thirds, 2 Fourths, 4 Fifths and 3 Sixths over the past 10 years the level of passion in our

students is very high.

Australia produces the best STEM students in the world

As the profile of F1 in Schools grows around the world, so does the interest in the achievements of the

students. The Sky Sports report on last year’s F1 in Schools World Final, highlighted the effort

required by students to compete in this very competitive program

Come and join us at the 2015 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix

REA will have a purpose built marquee in the Industry and Innovation Precinct, which is located in

Legends Lane behind the Mark Webber Stand. The event will also feature Paper Races from students

as young as 5, and 4x4 Over the Top racers, where visitors will be able to view students as they drive

up and over a large amount of obstacles in their attempt to compete for the opportunity to represent

Australia.

By William Lewis and Andrew Robertson

By William Lewis and Andrew Robertson

TECHNOLOGY AND APPLIED STUDIES

2015 Staff

The following is a list of our present staff:

Suzanne Ross -Head Teacher

Karen Blatchford -Year 8 Adviser

Trudy Brumby -Year 7 Adviser (Mon, Tue, Wed and Thurs)

Karen Goward

John Grimes

Anne MacKinnon -Year 12 Adviser

Nicole Ross

Jennifer Sellers-Fogarty -Transition

Katie Walmsley (Fri)

Kathy Bertwistle -Assistant

Karen Maughan -Part time assistant

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February 2015

Outstanding HSC Results

Each year we are pleased with our HSC outcomes. Last year’s HSC results included a very significant

number of outstanding academic results. Some noteworthy achievements were:

Food Technology Chloe Riley Band 6

Food Technology Leah Stork Band 5

Textiles and Design Lillian Cassidy Band 6

Industrial Technology (Multimedia) Brent Crow Band 5

Industrial Technology (Multimedia) Kehani Webster Band 5

Hospitality Jessica Burg Band 5

Hospitality Emma Harvey Band 5

Hospitality Nicholas Kostyk Band 5

Community and Family Studies Jordann Coote Band 5

Community and Family Studies Brianna Foote Band 5

Community and Family Studies Mikaela Fredericks Band 5

Community and Family Studies Kate Hanna Band 5

Community and Family Studies Sophie Mordue Band 5

Community and Family Studies Courtney Nichols Band 5

Community and Family Studies Leah Stork Band 5

Many more students achieved their personal best in our area and quite a few have moved on to further

education in TAS subjects. Congratulations to all of these people!

Food Course Requirements

Please be aware of the following:

1. Covered leather shoes- We request students wear covered leather shoes for every food practical

lesson. If a parent is unable to supply covered leather shoes for their son or daughter due to financial

hardship an application can be made through the Principal to assist families with genuine problems.

Students will not be allowed to cook without correct shoes.

2. Food brought in from home- From time to time students may choose or be required to bring in

food from home to enhance a practical experience or as part of a design brief. If this causes any

problems please speak to the class teacher. Due to risks of allergy and anaphylaxis students must

not use peanuts, tree nuts (which includes almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts,

hickory nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts and others) or any nut products

in curriculum or during extracurricular activities. This does not include foods labelled as “may contain

traces of nuts”. Please do not send any of these products to school. Students are not allowed

to use alcohol.

3. Fees- Students are required to pay a set fee to cover the cost of food and other consumables.

Without this payment we cannot operate our practical lessons. We request parents pay their fees

promptly and if they are experiencing financial difficulty contact the school to organise a payment plan

or fees assistance.

CURRENT SUBJECT ACTIVITIES

Year 7 Technology

Students are currently engaged in studying design and technology following the themes of “Healthy

Snack Foods” or “Theme Parks”. We look forward to their magnificent creations.

An excursion to Wet’n’Wild has been organised on 4th December to compliment the Theme Park unit.

Please put this date in your diary.

Year 8 Technology

Year 8 students are developing skills in design and technology through the use of textiles as a medium

for self-expression (Decorated Bags) or food as a means for celebration (Party Foods).

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February 2015

Year 9 Food Technology

Students are completing a unit on ‘Why I need Food?’ They learn to prepare healthy foods and analyse

foods that meet their growing needs.

Year 9 Hospitality

Students are being very creative in designing a recipe journal which reflects the influence of their

Restaurant/Café theme.

Year 9 Child Studies

Students are currently investigating concepts behind preparation for

parenthood and many have had the opportunity to wear the “Pregnancy

Belly”.

Year 9IST

Captivate is the software students are working with initially to create a

technology timeline.

Year 10 Food Tech

Students are currently working on a ‘Food for Special Occasions’ unit and we

look forward to their cake decorating and party planning later in the term.

Year 10 Hospitality

Students are designing a sustainable restaurant and will be producing a

signature dish as a practical task later in the term.

Year 10 Textiles and Design

Students are working on textile art and colouring samples in preparation for the creation of a wall

hanging.

Year 10 Child Studies

Food and Nutrition is the topic studied by students at the moment. They will have the opportunity to

make and compare baby food and then prepare foods for special dietary considerations.

Year 10 IST

Students have been learning about databases. They will be creating a personal movie or music

database and later in the year use their skills to program an interactive quiz.

Year 10 IT Multimedia

Year 10 have begun working with HTML and CSS coding to design and create their own websites.

Year 11 Textiles and Design

Students are experimenting with textiles techniques which will be translated into skills for decorating a

textile art piece based around a corset.

Year 11 Multimedia

Photoshop is the initial focus for students as they develop their skills and knowledge with the software

and incorporate them into various tasks. The practical nature of the subject will lead to audio editing

and animation later in the term.

Year 11 IPT

This course hasn’t run at MGHS for a few years so it is exciting to have a class this year. Students are

currently becoming familiar with the software associated with the seven information processes.

Year 11 Hospitality

Year 11 students have commenced their course with the development of practical skills in the Gaol

commercial kitchen. Precision cuts of vegetables, knife sharpening techniques and basic food

preparation activities have been completed. All Year 11 Hospitality students should now have

purchased their full chefs uniform and covered in leather shoes. This is a mandatory requirement

for all students undertaking this course.

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February 2015 Year 11 Exploring Early Childhood

To enhance the curriculum, Year 11 students will be visiting the Kindy Patch Day Care Centre in East

Maitland. Students will examine the structure of the centre, policies and teaching programs designed

to support the health and wellbeing of the children in their care.

Year 11 Food Technology

Students are currently working on ‘Food availability and Selection in Australia” and are trying a range

of foods from different cultures.

Year 12 Food technology

Students are working on a ‘Food Product Development unit’ and will be developing their own food

product as an assessment task.

Year 12 Exploring Early Childhood

Students are currently studying a unit on “Children with Disabilities”. Students will have the

opportunity to visit the Hunter River Community School and work with the Support Unit at MGHS.

Year 12 Textiles and Design

Students are working well on their Major Textiles Projects. They are at the design development stage

creating a calico toile and experimenting with techniques.

Year 12 Multimedia

It is very exciting to witness the growth in skills, knowledge and confidence in these students as they

work on their major projects. Projects range from websites to house designs and 3D animations to

game creations and Year 12 memorabilia videos. We wait in anticipation of the high quality of their

final products.

Year 12 Hospitality

Students are currently working on an assessment task called “Light Luncheon” where they will plan,

prepare and cook a light luncheon to be served to staff members.

Suzanne Ross

Head Teacher TAS

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February 2015

PEER SUPPORT

On the 12th and 13th February, Year 7 students and Year 10 peer support leaders attended Maitland

Federation Centre for Peer Support. On the first day the students were separated into groups with

their leaders, to get to know each other. On day 2 they completed fun activities, such as the wedding

dresses made from newspaper and the fashion parade. Mr West definitely made a stunning bride!

Teachers believe both days were successful and all students were engaged in all activities.

By Lizzie Loduku and Emily Gilmour

SPORT

This term for sport, there have been a lot of events happening. Thirty four students competed at zone

on the 18th February. Results will be published in the next newsletter. Cross country will be held on

the 31st of March. All of year 7 will participate as well as interested athletes. In 2014, we had a big

increase in participants, which led to us becoming the Zone Champions. The school sends best wishes

to basketball, cricket, lawn bowls and rugby league knock out teams, which will be competing up until

May. Congratulations to Patrick Magann and Dion Marsh who will be playing cricket at the NSW CHS

State Carnival.

By Ebony Greathead and Lucy Du Rietz

Swimming Carnival

2015 swimming carnival went off with a bang on Tuesday the 10th February. Five hundred and seventy

students made their way down to East Maitland to participate in the school’s annual swimming

carnival. The day was full of excitement and joy with Watson stealing the show by over a hundred

points, Grossmann came weakly second with only 204 points, then Brewster and Campbell. Some

highlights of the day were the house swims, the watermelon race, serious competitors, and the tug of

war. All of the serious competitors were impressive and a select few made the headlines. The age

champions being:

Male

12 years- Peter Walsh

13 years- Reece Jankovic & Daniel Taylor

14 years- Lachlan Sandy

15 years- Zak Taylor

17 years+- Max Schumacher

Female

12 years- Bianca Cooke

13 years- Sophie Sorenson

14 years- Emily M Davies

15 years- Emily Morgan

16 years- Alyssa Andrews

17 years+- Teagan Goldman

All of these students and 22 others qualified for the zone swimming carnival.

On the day there were many original and amazing costumes that all deserve praise; however, Watson

was a standout and came out on top during the costume competition.

The SRC and the Year 12 students both made amazing contributions to the day, including running the

BBQ, organising the watermelon races and the tug of war and were consistent with getting the younger

Years involved in cheering for their house.

A big thank you to the teachers, specifically Ms Turner, for setting up the day and making sure it was

as enjoyable and safe as possible. Ms Turner has also stated that she does not believe there is a need

for any changes next year due to this swimming carnival being one of the best of recent years.

By William Lewis and Grace Ahrens

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February 2015

DEPUTIES

MAITLAND GROSSMANN HIGH SCHOOL SMS MESSAGING AND ATTENDANCE

It is a legal requirement for schools to account for a student’s whereabouts at all times during school

hours. Please follow the procedures described below.

Unless otherwise advised, you are expected to attend every lesson on every day. An electronic roll is

marked at the beginning of every lesson. When arriving late, for any reason, you must first go to the

attendance office and sign in with the office staff.

If you are away for any period of time, or if you need to arrive late or leave early on a particular day,

you must provide a letter from a parent/carer outlining the reason for the absence, or a medical

certificate. This must be given to the attendance office on the day or within 3 school days. Anytime

you arrive after 9.00am and leave before 3.19pm, you must speak to the office staff.

You are NOT to leave the school premises during the school day. This is considered truancy and you

will be formally cautioned for breaching the DEC Compulsory School Attendance Policy.

If you feel sick during the day, you are NOT to leave the premises. Report to the administration

office where a staff member will contact your parent/carer to receive permission for you to leave. If

this procedure is not followed, absences will be recorded as truancies.

Under NO circumstance should students contact parents.

If a student is away from school, parents will be informed by mobile phone Short Message Service

(SMS).

At Maitland Grossmann High School, student attendance is a high priority. We know that students who

attend regularly are more likely to be successful and safe at school.

To improve our attendance procedures, we will be informing parent/caregivers about any unexplained

absences for their child.

The school expects parents/caregivers to contact the school in advance if they know their child is to be

absent.

A SMS text message will be automatically sent to the mobile phone of parents/caregivers explaining

that our records show your child is absent from school. The message will read as follows:

The message will arrive on the phone displaying the number “0428937348”. Parents should store this

number in their mobile phone under ‘Maitland Grossmann High School” so when the message arrives,

the parent is aware the message has come from the school.

Parents have the option to reply on their mobile phone when a message is received from the school

and add your son or daughter’s name, year, date of absence and the reason they are absent or late.

E.g. Nick Frame, Year 11 was sick yesterday (Tuesday 15th November)

Text Version = “Nick F yr11 sick tues 15 nov”

OR by phoning the school office or sending a note explaining the absence.

Once we fully implement MessageYou for absences, some of the other uses could include notification

of:

Announcements or reminders of meetings or forthcoming events

Band/Choir/Music lesson reminder

Broken down or delayed School Bus

Reminders to volunteer workers

MGHS records show Nick Frame is absent TUES 17/02/15. Pls reply SMS

student name/reason/abs date

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February 2015

Thank you for your assistance and co-operation. We look forward to making this exciting transition

and to improving our communication with you.

EARLY LEAVE & SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

At Maitland Grossmann High School we believe that student attendance is paramount to school

achievement. Students should only be absent from school if sick, have an unavoidable

appointment or family business. Leaving early for work is not an acceptable reason. Students are

required by the Department of Education to complete a specified number of hours for Sport. Students

who do not complete their sport hours may not complete the School Certificate requirements. Please

do not absent your child from Sport without a good reason. When we have over 50 students apply for

an early leave pass, we must question the validity of the leave. Parents may receive a phone call to

check on the early leave of their child. Any child who misses Sport more than 3 times in a term

will be required to make up the sport hours. If you have any queries about leave requirements,

please contact the school.

By Mr Heaney and Grace Ahrens

SRC

Welcome to 2015. We hope everyone had a great holiday and are excited to be back and ready for the

year ahead.

The SRC began the year with a Valentine’s raffle. We sold raffle tickets at school for a chance to win a

teddy bear or chocolates.

Mitchell and Caleb are currently organising the annual Year 7 handball competition. Year 7 are

enthusiastic for the competition and have been practicing their skills each recess and lunch. We look forward to seeing who the 2015, girls and boys champions will be.

Enjoy the year ahead; we look forward to our many fundraisers.

Jessica Alexander and Freya Proctor

YOUTH EXCHANGE PROGRAM

Rotary International Youth Exchange Program

To have the opportunity to study abroad is a life changing experience. The Rotary Youth Exchange

Program provides this opportunity.

If you are in years 9, 10 or 11 and aged between 15 and 17, an opportunity for a Rotary Youth

Exchange in 2016 is possible.

If you are interested there will be an information session held at Club Macquarie, Argenton on

Wednesday 4th March, 2015 starting at 6:30pm.

Application forms are available from the website www.youthexchange.net.au and close April 1st.

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February 2015

A reminder to parents to notify the school about your child’s health

We welcome information from parents about their child's health, even if you are not requesting specific

support from the school. The school asks for medical information when you enrol your child. It is also

important that you inform us if your child’s health care needs change or if a new health condition

develops.

Information about allergies, medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and other health care related

issues (including prior conditions, such as medical procedures in the last 12 months) should be

provided to the school. Please provide this information in writing to the Principal. This will assist the

school in planning to support your child’s health and wellbeing.

Student Individual Health Care Plans (IHP) are reviewed annually. Letters explaining this have been

sent to the relevant parents/carers along with their child’s IHP. It is essential that parents review the

IHP and follow the instructions on the accompanying letter.

Remember to check the expiry date of any medications your child carries in their bag, including

Epipens and renew prior to the medication’s expiry date.

Notify office staff of any changes to your or the emergency contact details.

We appreciate your assistance in this regard and assure you that information provided will be stored

securely and only be used or disclosed in order to support your child’s health needs or as otherwise

required by law.

Wendy Stephan & Lyne Matthews

Head Teachers Welfare

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February 2015

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February 2015