129 Ravenshaw Street, Gloucester NSW 2422 / P 02 6558 1605 / F 02 6558 1229 www.gloucester-h.schools.nsw.edu.au / gloucester-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

GLOUCESTERHIGH SCHOOL

Quality education in a caring, innovative environment.

School Calendar 2020Tuesday 23 June HSC Study Day - Software Design & DevelopmentWednesday 1 July HSC Study Day - BiologyFriday 3 July Last day Term 2TERM 3Monday 20 July School Development Day P&C Meeting - 7pm School HallTuesday 21 July Students Return Wednesday 29 July HSC Study Day - Maths Extension

CANTEEN - Phone 65589963Monday 22 June ElonaTuesday 23 June JennieWednesday 24 June No VolunteerThursday 25 June Michelle CFriday 26 June Elona

Monday 29 June ElonaTuesday 30 June AlisonWednesday 1 July SusannaThursday 2 July Christina & CindyFriday 3 July Elona

NEWSLETTER Friday, 19 June 2020

Care Achievement Respect Effort Responsibilty

TIDDALICK DREAMTIME STORYOn Monday 15 June, Year 12 Drama student Kyle Clarke-Johnston presented a Dreamtime story in the Drama Room to Year 12 Drama and some invited guests.

The story, which was based on local Aboriginal folklore, was titled ‘Tiddalick - The Legend Of The Greedy Frog That Stole All The Water In Australia’.

Kyle wore face paint and had props of Australian animals, which he had constructed and painted himself.

The class and our guests were thoroughly entertained and engaged by Kyle’s performance.

Following is the text of the story.

Tiddalick - The Legend Of The Greedy Frog That Stole All The Water In Australia

Once upon a time in the Dreamtime, there lived a giant frog called Tiddalick. One morning when he awoke he said it to himself, ‘‘I am so thirsty I could drink a lake’’.

And that is what he did.

Then he drank a river and then a Billabong. Then a pond and then a stream but Tiddalick was still thirsty. All day long he searched for water. All day long he drank. ‘‘Slurp, gurp, gulp slurp’’. At last Tiddalick rested. He had to for his whole body was swollen with water. ‘‘That’s better’’, he said to himself and fell fast asleep.

When the sun rose the next morning there was not a drop of water to be seen. The rivers were dry. The lakes were dry. The streams were dry.

‘‘What are we going to do?’’, asked the birds and the animals. ‘‘Tiddalick has drunk all of the water in the world’’. ‘‘There is only one thing we can do’’, said the wise old Wombat. ‘‘We must make Tiddalick laugh!’’.

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TIDDALICK DREAMTIME STORY continued...The animals were puzzled. ‘‘What does he mean?’’ they ask. ‘‘When Tiddalick laughs’’, the Wombat explained, ‘‘he will open his mouth and all the water he has drunk will come spilling out!’’.

So the animals decided to stage a play. They all gathered around Tiddalick.

‘‘Let the play about begin’’, said the Wombat. Some animals told jokes. ‘‘When is water like a kangaroo? When it makes a spring’’. ‘‘Why do bees hum? Because they don’t know the words’’. ‘‘What did the mouse say when he broke his tooth? Oh cheese’’.

But Tiddalick did not laugh.

And some pulled faces. But Tiddalick did not laugh. And some did funny dances. But Tiddalick did not laugh. The birds sung the music. But still Tiddalick did not laugh.

Deep down in the burrow under the earth, Platypus awoke with a start. ‘‘What, what is that noise?’’.

Platypus had not joined in the play for she belonged to no animal tribe and kept to herself.

She had feet and beak like a duck, she swam under water like a fish and laid eggs like a snake. So she lived alone and rarely saw another creature but now Platypus was cross. She marched up the tunnel and into the day light.

‘‘Excuse me!’’ Platypus grumbled. ‘‘I was trying to get some sleep’’.

Tiddalick’s eyes pop out of his head. He never seen such a strange animal in all his life. He began to smile, and a few drop of water fell from his mouth.

And then Tiddalick laughed, how he laughed.

And from his mouth all the rivers and lakes and streams came swooshing out.

‘‘Well done, Platypus’’, said the Wombat.

‘‘Thank you for making Tiddalick laugh!’’ said all the animals. Everyone drank their fill as the water returned to the Earth. After Tiddalick, there was no more giant frogs in Australia. Only smaller ones but like him, they can fill themselves up with water and save it for a dry day.

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PRINCIPAL’S REPORTOur students and families have been amazing during the COVID restrictions and have been very supportive in embracing their return to school.

Thank you to the parents who have ensured their child comes to school each day in full school uniform. The P&C have endorsed Gloucester High School as a uniform school. Thanks to Mrs Sally Maslen for organising the uniforms and in particular, organising long pants for both boys and girls. These can be purchased through the canteen for your convenience. Students were reminded last week and again this week about wearing the school uniform. I would like to remind families who are finding it difficult to budget for school uniforms, to see our office staff, Head Teacher Wellbeing, your child’s year adviser or myself to arrange help for you to purchase these items.

We are gradually getting back into the normal routine of school. It has been challenging for some students as they readapt to school structures after nearly 10 weeks of COVID restrictions. However, we have been revising with students, our school expectations and processes of referral for those students who are struggling with emotions, learning and behavioural interactions with peers.

School reports for Years 11-12 have been distributed and Semester One reports for Years 7-10 will be distributed toward the end of Week 10.

We are still finding that some of our students and families are unsure of the difference between teasing, being mean and bullying. I have included an article by Michael Hawton (psychologist and Parentshop founder) who explains that not every act of meanness is bullying and that ‘… calling every act of meanness bullying sends an unhealthy message: It says to kids, ‘You’re fragile. You can’t handle it if anyone is seen to be unkind to you.’ Through our many targeted and whole school wellbeing programs and support, we aim to build resilience and emotional maturity by defining behaviour correctly and have students respond appropriately. https://www.parentshop.com.au/meannessvsbullying/

Yesterday, the executive team had a planning day. The agenda included: Review of our school procedures in line with Department of Education updates; checking of the school calendar to align with COVID requirements and catch up with missed events; roles of executive; and plan a process for evaluating the current 3-year cyclic school plan. The next cyclic school plan will be over 4 years. The Department of Education will release the new model toward the end of this term for the executive staff and for teachers during the Staff Development Day Term 3 (20 July 2020). This staff development day has also been scheduled for staff to undertake Emergency Care and Anaphylaxis training.

Remember you can keep up to date with school events through our parent portal, web page and school sign.

Mrs Trudi Edman, Principal

RESTRICTIONS EASINGAll schools have returned to full-time on-campus learning. With updated health advice and changes to state and national restrictions, schools are able to recommence the majority of school-based activities from either 15 June 2020 or the start of Term 3 (20 July 2020).

Some activities are continuing to be considered.

Please refer to the full guide provided by the NSW Department of Education - A guide to NSW school students

returning to face-to-face learning.

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PARENT/TEACHER INTERVIEWS We need your assistance to help us plan for our Parent/Teacher Interviews that are usually conducted in Term 3, Week 2. We want to understand your needs and preferences of how we conduct these interviews, keeping in mind limiting COVID-19 transmission risks.

To assist, please click here to answer the 2 question/1 minute survey.

Final plan for Parent/Teacher Interviews will be communicated in last week of Term 2.

NAIDOC CELEBRATIONS POSTPONEDNational NAIDOC Week 2020 celebrations have been postponed to 8-15 November.

One of our activities planned for this celebration week was a ‘NAIDOC Colouring In and Design Competition’. This has now been put on hold until November, however entries are still available from Mr Wisely or Ms Nolan in the library at lunch time. Special thanks to Sarah Henderson in Year 8 for the great design.

Please click here for further information on date changes to National NAIDOC week 2020.

With thanks from the Aboriginal Education Team

END OF TERM CELEBRATION DAYAs official National NAIDOC Week 2020 celebrations have been postponed, we will now be holding a post isolation celebration day on Friday 3 July.

To celebrate this day students are welcome to wear mufti (non-school uniform) for a gold coin donation. Bring your money for a BBQ that will be available at lunch time. All proceeds from the day will go towards to our planned aboriginal garden.

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STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL NOMINATIONS Any students who are wishing to apply for SRC in Years 7-10 can get a nomination form from Miss Donaldson in the English/HSIE staffroom.

Nomination forms need to be in by Wednesday 1 July.

This year there is an exciting change. We are looking for the best people for the job and not a set number of boys and girls.

From each year we are looking for:

• Year 7- 4 people

• Year 8- 4 people

• Year 9- 4 people

• Year 10- 6 people

Students will need to present a speech in front of their year group for approximately 2-3 minutes.

So if you want to help create a positive change in your school and want to develop your leadership skills then this is an opportunity for you!

MATHS CORNER QUESTION (for students and parents)

Question:

I have 30 coins consisting of 5c coins and 20c coins. The total value of the coins is $3.45. How many coins of each kind do I have?

Previous Answer:

She paid out $10 + $20 = $30. She received $15 + $25 = $40. She made $10.

* Maths corner questions have been provided courtesy of ‘Australasian Problem Solving Mathematical Olympiads (APSMO) Inc’ an advanced problem solving course currently being undertaken by some of our Year 7 & 8 students.

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TELL THEM FROM ME STUDENT FEEDBACK SURVEYI am delighted that this term, our school, like many other public schools in the state, will participate in a Department of Education initiative: the Tell Them From Me student feedback survey. The survey measures factors that are known to affect academic achievement and other student outcomes. The focus of the NSW-wide survey is on student wellbeing, engagement and effective teaching practices.

More information about the survey is available at: http://surveys.cese.nsw.gov.au

The survey is a great opportunity for our students to provide us with valuable and quick feedback on what they think about school life, how engaged they are with school and the different ways that teachers interact with them. More than 6,300 schools in Australia and around the world have used Tell Them From Me to survey 5.4 million students. Capturing the voices of our students will help improve how we do things at our school.

I want to assure you that the survey is confidential. The survey is conducted online and will typically take less than 30 minutes to complete. It will be administered during school hours between 9 March and 8 May. Participating in the survey is entirely voluntary.

If you do not want your child or children to participate, please contact the school office for a consent form and return the form to school by Friday 26 June. Copies of the form and FAQs are available from: http://surveys.cese.nsw.gov.au/information-for-parents.

The consent form and FAQs are available in 23 languages.

Mrs Trudi Edman, Principal

YEAR 7 WELLBEINGOn Monday, Year 7 Wellbeing took some time out to complete a mindfulness activity outside.

“The sunflowers are blooming so we thought we would take advantage of them and the beautiful day.” Ms Layne Ross

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LIBRARY NEWSThe library is gradually moving back to normal operations and limited numbers of students can now use the space at lunch time to complete assignments with computer access (cleaning measures in place).

We also have a great selection of new books ready to hit the shelves. Some new books and a generous donation of Young Adult fiction from the Hooke family, many thanks for adding to our collection.

Tess Nolan, Teacher Librarian

SCHOOL COUNSELLING SERVICE AT GLOUCESTER HIGH SCHOOL The role of the school counsellor is primarily to support students. We also may provide support to parents/carers, teachers and sometimes other family members.

Life is a bit of a roller coaster and there are often changes in our lives that can bring challenges including learning difficulties, engagement, academic progress, attention and concentration difficulties, coping with workload or other stresses, social and/or emotional issues, behaviour/mood changes, friendship and family unrest.

Support can take various forms including –

• Counselling one on one, pair and group

• Specific programs on social skills, self-esteem, anger management

• Liaising with or referring on to other services/agencies as needed

• Assisting parents/carers to make informed decisions about their child’s education

• Assisting schools to identify and address disabilities that affect student’s learning

• Assessment of cognitive ability, achievement, adaptive functioning, literacy, numeracy, behaviour, mood dysregulation, language skills

Confidentiality is assured unless risk of harm/safety is a concern.

To contact your school counsellor, Roziye Delaney, simply phone the school or if you are talking to a staff member, they can also refer on. Students can make an appointment by knocking on the counsellor door or telling a trusted teacher, year adviser or executive. You are welcome to contact us at any time. Please be mindful that your school counsellor does not work every day at our school.

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CAREERS NEWSHow Volunteer Work Can Assist With a Resume or Job Application Many employers like to know you have found some time to assist others around you. The reason for this is because most businesses provide some type of service for others, their customers. A business can succeed or fail if the worker doesn’t consider the needs of their customers.

Community service is also important because it allows you the opportunity of giving to others who need assistance around you. Perhaps you know of other options that are not on the list below. You can plan to do a community service of your own by volunteering to help at a place that you know could do with a hand.

Task1: Write up what you did in your volunteer work here and then remember to add this into your resume.

Task 2: Make sure to ask someone at your volunteer workplace if they could write you a reference. Add their details into the Referees section in your resume and include the reference into your Personal Folder that you take to your job interviews in the future.

Bosses truly respect and hold a person in high esteem if that person has done something for someone other than themselves. There are many ways you can assist others around you. It may be in school or out in your community. It is important to take advantage when the opportunity arrives because it doesn’t always present itself to you again.

Here is a handy list of some activities to help others that you may find available to you:

● School Events Excursions and field trips

● Open days - Hosting visitors from another town or country

● Community Events

● Clubs Parades (fashion, music)

● Cultural and religious meetings

● Sport Sporting teams

● Sporting carnivals

● Creative Processes: Design, Act, Play music, Construction projects

● Leadership Opportunities: SRC membership, Address school assemblies, Lead groups or teams,

● Representing the School or Community, Debating, Science comps, Mathematics comps, Musicals, Fundraising, Service to the School & Community

● Farm Hand

● Computer maintenance

● Canteen service

● Office runner

● School club membership

● Awards, Certificates of merit

● Further Study

● St Johns Ambulance or Red Cross

● First Aid Training

● WHS Certificate

● Boat licence

● Touch typing certificate

● Car licence

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CAREERS NEWS continued...2021 Australian Government Digital Apprenticeship Program The Australian Government Digital Apprenticeship Program is for Australian citizens who are passionate about digital technology.

You don’t need a degree or any prior study for the program. You just need to be interested in digital tech and solving problems. So if you’re looking for a career change or finishing year 12, this program is for you.

If you enjoy pulling apart or building PCs, setting up home networks, building apps, finding trends in data or simply problem solving and making things simple, then you should consider applying.

Government agencies have many different digital and technical roles. These roles support the core functions of each agency and are always changing. Past apprentices have worked in the following areas:

Eligibility: Applicants must be Australian citizens, and must have completed Year 12 (or equivalent, for example any Cert III or higher) or be able to complete it by January 2021.

Australian Space CareersThe space industry in Australia is taking off. Launch Your Space Career here.

Careers with STEM have some great articles related to space careers, including drone careers, using space data to tackle the planet’s problems, inspiring space careers that don’t involve leaving earth and even scholarships.

You can also complete a QUIZ to discover your perfect space career!

Discover real people working within the space industry and see many of the different areas you can have a career in!

● Cyber security

● User research

● Programming

● Interactive media

● Software engineering

● Big data

● Networking

● Systems analysis and design

● Web development

● Data analytics

● Systems testing

● Infrastructure support

● Networking

● Help desk

● Applications development

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CAREERS NEWS continued...Year 10 Work Experience 2020We will provide an opportunity for any Year 10 student to complete Work Experience during Term 4 Weeks 6-10. If students wish, they will be permitted to complete up to four weeks of Work Experience. It will not be a mandatory requirement; it’s just an option for those students who are keen to gain some practical experience.

If a student is fortunate enough to gain a particular opportunity to complete Work Experience through a particular program or promotion outside of the allocated time, I will be happy to support them and make internal arrangements to ensure they are meeting the requirements of their individual subjects.

I originally said we would use the original Student Placement Records (SPR) that students completed in Term 1 and we can simply change the dates. This is no longer possible. Directive from the Department of Education states the newest version of the SPR must be used and dates cannot be altered. This change has to do with the COVID 19 response which ensures employers are making arrangements to account for the pandemic. Unfortunately, all paperwork will have to be initiated once again. I will begin handing this out in Term 3.

Please call me at school if you have any questions or concerns regarding this information.

Mr Michael De Angelis, Careers Adviser

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1

ARE YOU OVER 18? DO YOU HAVE A DESIRE TO SAVE TOWARDS YOUR CHILDS/OWN EDUCATION? DO YOU WANT TO RECEIVE UP TO $500 SIMPLY FOR SAVING UP TO $500 FOR 10 MONTHS? DO YOU WANT TO GAIN QUICK AND EASY BUDGETING AND SAVINGS TIPS? DO YOU RECEIVE A COMMONWEALTH SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT, PAYMENT OR ALLOWANCE AND HAVE A HEALTH CARE CARD OR PENSION CARD? DO YOU HAVE AN INCOME OR RECIEVE CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS (INCLUDING PRIVATE COLLECT)? DO YOU HAVE A CHILD AT SCHOOL/ABOUT TO START SCHOOL OR ARE YOU STUDYING YOURSELF? HAVE YOU NEVER COMPLETED THE SAVER PLUS PROGRAM PRIOR AND DOES THIS SOUND INTERESTING? IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS, JOIN THE SAVER PLUS MATCHED SAVINGS AND FINANCIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM TODAY!

How to join the Saver Plus Program?

• Fill out an Online Enquiry Form - https://www.bsl.org.au/saverplus - your Local Saver Plus Coordinator Claire Rowe will make contact

• Or contact your Local Saver Plus Coordinator from The Smith Family directly: Claire Rowe – Mobile: 0438 648 670 / 1300610355 Email: Claire.Rowe@thesmithfamily.com.au

• Or complete a Saver Plus Referral Form with your Organisation

Principal Mrs Trudi Edman Deputy Principal Mr Mik WiselyAddress: 129 Ravenshaw Street, Gloucester NSW 2422Telephone: 6558 1605 Fax: 6558 1229Email: gloucester-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au Web: www.gloucester-h.schools.nsw.edu.au

SCHOOL VISION STATEMENTGloucester High School aims to develop a supportive learning environment that engages all students,

teachers and community in the pursuit of excellence.

Participants receive up to $500 from ANZ in matched savings for education costs for themselves or their children.

Offered in communities across Australia in every state and territory.

What is Saver Plus?A free ten-month savings program providing financial education, budgeting and savings tips.

Delivered by Brotherhood of St Laurence, Berry Street, The Benevolent Society and The Smith Family and other local community organisations.

* many Centrelink payments are eligible, please contact your local Coordinator for more information.1 RMIT University, 2018. A number of Saver Plus program evaluations have been carried out since 2003.

For more information see anz.com/saverplus

Saver Plus is an initiative of the Brotherhood of St Laurence and ANZ, delivered in partnership with Berry Street, The Benevolent Society and The Smith Family and other local community agencies. The program is funded by ANZ and the Australian Government Department of Social Services. Go to www.dss.gov.au for more information.

A Saver Plus Participant’s Journey

Who can join?Participants must meet all of the below criteria:• Be 18 years or over• Have a child at school or starting next year, or attend vocational

education themselves• Have regular income from paid employment (themselves or

their partner)• Have a current Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card• Be in receipt of an eligible Commonwealth social security benefit,

allowance or payment*

EducationCompletes the MoneyMinded financial education program

with support from a Saver Plus Coordinator

SavingOpens an ANZ

Progress Saver account and makes regular

deposits

GoalTalks to a Saver Plus Coordinator from a community organisation and, if eligible for the program,

sets a goal to save a regular amount of money over

10 months

MatchingReaches savings goal and

receives matched funds, up to $500, for their own

or their children’s education costs

Benefits for participants1

continue to save the same amount or more 3 to 7 years after completing the program

87%were better equipped for unexpected expenses

78%

reported increased self-esteem

had more control over their finances

80%88%

How did it start?Saver Plus began in 2003 as a Brotherhood of St Laurence and ANZ pilot program with 268 participants in three sites across Victoria and New South Wales.

Since then, the program has expanded to all Australian states and territories, reaching more than 40,000 people, making it the largest and longest-running program of its kind in the world.

Since 20031:40,000+ participants

$23m+ total amount saved by participants

$18m+ matched funds paid by ANZ

Find out more1300 610 355saverplus@bsl.org.ausaverplus.org.au@SaverPlusAU