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May 2016

PRINCIPAL

Maitland Grossmann High School has spearheaded the introduction of the iSTEM

program and curriculum across NSW. The iSTEM course was developed at Maitland

Grossmann High School with support of the ME Program Director, Dr Scott Sleap, in

consultation with local industry, and is now a School Developed Board Endorsed Course,

with endorsement from BOSTES until 2019. Maitland Grossmann High School through

its partnership with the ME Program has made iSTEM available to other schools

throughout NSW and over 75 schools across NSW have been endorsed for iSTEM. The

school has benefited greatly from ongoing funding from the Program, providing essential

STEM equipment, teacher professional learning and delivering STEM career opportunities

for students.

Significant improvements in female participation in STEM education have been observed

at Maitland Grossmann High School, where iSTEM has 50% female participation and

enrolment in physics has increased significantly. West Wallsend High School, also an ME

partner school, has observed significant improvements in female participation in iSTEM,

with 60% of chemistry students being female compared to 45% in NSW, 50% for

physics compared to 21% in NSW and 40% for engineering studies compared to 5% in

NSW. Hunter River High School, which is in its first year as an ME partner school, has

observed a significant increase in the engagement of the Year 10 students, who are in

the inaugural iSTEM class.

The winter months are approaching, and you are encouraged to get warm clothing for

your child from the uniform shop. Anyone experiencing difficulty in providing uniform is

welcome to contact the school for assistance and support. Please note that hoodies are

not an acceptable form of uniform for either boys or girls and as a general rule should

not be worn to school. Additionally footwear must meet WHS requirements so that your

children can participate in Science, Industrial Arts and TAS subjects.

Our athletics carnival was an outstanding success with 87 athletes chosen to represent

our school at the zone carnival. Maitland Grossmann was successful in winning the zone

cross country championships and we have significant representation at the regional

carnival.

NAPLAN testing for Years 7 and 9 was recently conducted. This important testing allows

the school to receive vital funding to assist and support student learning in literacy and

numeracy. It also helps teachers to tailor teaching and learning to meet the specific

needs of students. Results for this should be available from the BOSTES in Term 4.

We are hosting a visit from our sister school in Japan, Sukagawa High School on 1st-8th

August, 2016. We are seeking families to billet the thirty one students who will be

visiting us during this time. Mr Brown announced this week that we are commencing

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May 2016

planning for us to visit Japan in 2017. This gives interested students from Year 7 to 11

time to consider whether they are interested, and time to save to participate in this

exciting cultural exchange.

Our choral group, under the direction of Mr Robb Dennis continues to experience

outstanding success being winner of the regional choral festival for the third year in a

row. Congratulations to all involved.

Dr Di Soltau

Principal

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.

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

After a busy and successful Term 1 we have enthusiastically started a new term. It is

pleasing to see the majority of our students present themselves in correct uniform. With

the colder weather just around the corner, it is important that students continue to wear

the correct uniform. Some students are beginning to wear non-uniform tops and

jackets. We urge parents to check what their children are wearing before they leave

home for school in the morning. If your child cannot wear their full uniform on any

particular day then they need to bring a note from home signed by a parent. This note

needs to be presented to a Deputy Principal before school or a classroom teacher to

obtain an ‘out of uniform’ pass.

Please note that sports uniform is not the correct uniform for students to wear on

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. If students have PE practical lessons on these

days they must change into their sports uniform NOT wear their sports uniform to

school. Sports uniform should only be worn on Tuesday the designated sports day. If

there are any queries about the correct uniform please see the MGHS website, where the

full uniform is clearly stated.

On Thursday 7th April, 31 students from Years 10, 11 and 12, and three staff headed off

on our Languages excursion to Europe. I have heard nothing but the highest of praise

for everyone who participated in the excursion and I would like to congratulate all

involved in being such wonderful ambassadors of MGHS. Organising and conducting an

overseas excursion is an incredibly difficult and sometimes stressful task, particularly

taking 31 young people to the other side of the world and being responsible for them. I

would like to extend to Mrs Blatchley and Mr McLuckie my congratulations on another

highly successful overseas excursion giving students the opportunity to visit Europe and

bring their studies to life.

We held our ANZAC commemoration assembly on the Thursday assembly in Week 1, to

acknowledge and honour our veterans. Olivia Cowie our School Captain provided the

assembly with a thoughtful account of the relevance of ANZAC day. I congratulate all

students on their exemplary behaviour, as students showed the utmost of respect for the

speakers and to the commemoration of the ANZAC proceedings.

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May 2016

The school Athletics Carnival took place in Week 2 this term. Our athletes excelled at

their chosen events. The brilliant weather and exemplary behaviour of our students,

culminated in a very successful day. Thank you to the PDHPE faculty, in particular Mr

Paul Anderson, for their superb organisation of this whole school event and to all staff

and students for their efforts on the day.

If students are absent from school or arrive after 9:00am to school for any reason, a

note/email or phone call explaining the reason for the absence is required as soon as

possible. The office will send an SMS each day if your child is not at school. Please reply

to this SMS with a reason and no further documentation will be required. All students

between 6 and 17 years of age are required to attend school. Parents are asked to try

to make student appointments after school hours if possible to avoid disruption to

student learning.

As part of the established timetable for the school, timetabled lessons finish at the end

of Sport (on Tuesdays) and period 7 on Thursdays. Students who plan to travel home

by bus on Tuesday and Thursday are expected to remain in the school grounds, at the

front of the school or near the library where supervision is provided. Because of legal

issues associated with duty of care, students are not permitted to leave the school

grounds to visit local shops and then return to the school to catch buses. If parents wish

to vary these arrangements they should contact the school.

Lois Wakem

Deputy Principal

Congratulations must go out to all of our wonderful students who have received STAR

Awards this year. To date 1152 awards have been issued to students for a range of

reasons, including sporting success, cultural awareness and academic success or

achieving a personal best. The STAR Awards were developed after extensive

negotiations with parents, students and staff. An agreement was made to acknowledge

our students as a means of thanking them for their personal contribution to Maitland

Grossmann High School.

Every time a student achieves 5 STAR Awards a letter is sent home from the Principal’s

desk. Please encourage your child to keep these as they are a reflection of your child’s

success when sitting in job interviews.

I also want to encourage parents to like ‘Maitland Grossmann High’ on Facebook as the

page has dozens of interesting stories about past and current students. It is also a

useful tool for keeping in touch with school events.

I hope we can all enjoy a successful and productive Term 2

Neil Fara

(DP Years 8 & 10)

PHOTOS

Occasionally photographs are taken of individual students or classes at school.

Please notify the school in writing if you do not want your student

photographed.

REMINDER TO PARENTS When parking/stopping outside the school please be mindful of the residents

living in the area. Could you please ensure that there is adequate room for

residents to enter and exit their premises at all times during the day.

Thank you.

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May 2016

CAREERS

Careers

It has been a very busy time for Careers at MGHS in the months of April and May,

starting with the Careers University Visit for Year 10 students looking ahead, toward a

university degree. These students were taken on a scenic drive around the Callaghan

Campus to orientate themselves as to where different faculties were situated. Students

were also given extensive information on the degrees and services the UON has to offer

and then lunched at the extensive array of eateries.

May was dedicated to the Careers Expo which saw 200 Year 10, 11 & 12 students go to

Maitland Federation Centre to discover post school career and study options. This is

always a very popular event and the centre was a buzz with students from all over the

Hunter, all vying for information from participating RTO’s (Registered Training

Organisations). This was a great opportunity, especially for Year 10 who came out of the

Expo full of ideas of what their future could be.

Work Experience is just around the corner and a number of Year 10 students are

looking forward to experiencing the world of ‘work’ for a week. There are 3 scheduled

weeks dedicated to Work Experience in 2016 and students are encouraged to discuss

these dates with possible host employers and the Junior Careers Adviser, Mr Harris, who

can be located in the TAS staff room.

Dates for Work Experience

Term 2 Week 7, 6th-10th June

Term 3 Week 5, 15th-19th August

Term 4 Week 6, 14th-18th November

Transition

Transition has developed a number of programs to upskill MGHS students, commencing

with the 1ST Aid and CPR course which was run over 2 days. There were 16 students,

all achieving competencies. This program has been so popular that there will be two

further programs, with the last being post Year12 HSC, so Year12 students can upskill

and not worry about the course interrupting their HSC study regime.

May has also seen the commencement of the Plan-it Youth program. This is a

holistically orientated mentoring program with a focus on student vocational support.

Students meet with mentors once a week for 11 weeks and go on a number of

excursions which expose them to possible post school study and career options. This

program concludes with a celebration where parents and caregivers are invited to enjoy

their child’s achievements.

Plan-it Youth 1st AID Course at MGHS

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May 2016

FROM THE JOURNALISM CLASS

Debating Report

On the 2/5/16, Maitland Grossmann’s Year 12 Debating team hosted Cessnock High to compete with

their Cessnock counterparts.

MGHS’ team consisted of:

First Speaker, Katie Gordon

Second Speaker, Ben Lewis

Third Speaker, Max Schumacher

Fourth Speaker, Jess Alexander

The topic of the debate was “International sporting events should only be held in democracies”,

Maitland Grossmann had to debate in the negative; however, despite this, our team was able to come

away with the victory.

With this victory they were able to proceed to the next round of their tournament.

This was held on the 9/5/16.

Maitland Grossmann’s debating team travelled to Hunter River High school to debate the topic, “Betting

companies should not be able to advertise at sporting events”.

Our debating team had to debate as the negative and proved themselves to be the better, claiming

victory over Hunter River High School.

MGHS now moves onto the zone finals. Date is unknown at this time.

Congratulations to all of the speakers from all three teams, and the teachers who made it possible.

Written by William Lewis

School Magazine

It has finally arrived! The 2015 School Magazines have been shipped in and are ready to collect. The

Year 10 Journalism class apologises for the late announcement, the magazine ran into a little technical

difficulty. You may come to collect your magazine from G001. If you are not sure if you have paid for

a magazine, please check at the front office. If you have a sibling who has finished school and has not

yet received their magazine, you may collect it for them.

Written by Elizabeth Loduku

Careers Report

On 5th April 2016, a group of Maitland Grossmann Year 10 students visited Newcastle University. The

students spent the morning looking around the university and investigating possible degree options

when they leave school.

On 5th and 6th May, sixteen students received training in first aid and CPR. Once the course was

completed, students received their certificate for first aid and CPR.

On 20th May, Year 10, 11 and 12 students will be travelling to the Maitland Federation Centre to attend

the Hunter Valley Career expo. At the event the students will be looking at post-school study options

for when they leave school.

Plan-it Youth has also commenced this term. Eleven students have been looking at vocational

pathways with their mentors. This will provide them with greater opportunities when they leave

school.

Keep an ear out on assembly for information on the Barista Course.

Written by Selena Woodward and Laura Watts

CAPA

Year 7 are going on an excursion to Maitland Art Gallery on 6th June, to learn about traditional

Aboriginal dance and art.

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May 2016

On 2nd June, the senior art class and a select number of Year 10 art students will be visiting the White

Rabbit gallery to view its contemporary art. They will also visit the Museum of Contemporary Art to

view the modern Chinese art. After that the students will be able to attended Vivid. Vivid is an annual

outdoor light festival held in Sydney.

School Musical

We are pleased to announce that our hard working and very talented drama students are putting on a

school musical on 23rd and 24th June, in the school hall. Maitland Grossman will be performing High

School Musical Jr. The performance will be fun and full of energy with an all-star cast, be quick to

secure your seats.

Ticket prices are:

Adults: $17

Senior/Student/Child: $12

Written by Katie Gorton

Science Report

The highlight for the Science Faculty this term has been the Year 7 and Year 12 Biology excursion to

Taronga Zoo. May 3rd turned out to be a magnificent day in terms of the weather, and the warm

sunshine beside the harbour was enjoyed by everyone.

Many Year 12 students attended a lecture at the education centre where they had the opportunity to

get up close to a number of native animals including a spotted python, ring tailed possum and bearded

dragon. Afterwards they had the opportunity to assist the zoo keeper with a very shy long nosed

bandicoot and talk to some researchers who were teaching echidnas to count!

Year 7 had an exciting time roaming the zoo from top to bottom, whilst completing their worksheets

which will be used in their upcoming assessment task this term.

Our only regret was that the day was not long enough and we had to board the buses by 2pm to get

home at a reasonable hour.

Canteen

The new Winter Menu has arrived, and will be available throughout Terms 2 and 3. The Winter Menu

now brings back Butter Chicken, Lasagne, Spaghetti Bolognaise, and Potato Wedges. So get down to

the Canteen during Recess and Lunch to get your hands on these delicious food items.

The Canteen staff would like to thank all of its existing volunteers for their hard work in the canteen,

and would like to encourage seniors who would like to volunteer to head to the Canteen and see Lisa.

It would be greatly appreciated!

Now the news everyone has been waiting for… The dates of Red Day for Term 2! Red Day will be on

the 2nd and 16th June, so start saving your money!

Support Unit

The Biggest Morning Tea EVER! is being held by the Year 11 Work

and Community Skills class on the 26th May at the School Hall

between 12:30PM and 2PM. There will be a variety of treats

available, such as biscuits, cakes, scones, tea, coffee, cordial and

much more. This event is to raise money for the Cancer Council

and a gold coin donation is required to attend. So come along

and have a great morning tea, knowing you have helped the

Cancer Council!

Written by Issac Timonin

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May 2016

SPORT

It’s been a busy month at Grossmann on the sporting fields. Students have been given lots of

opportunities to get involved with two carnivals, gala days, knockout teams and individual trials.

Term 1, Week 11 saw the running of our annual Cross Country Carnival. All of our Year 7 students

were involved and participated in the running of the course, as well as a large number of nominated

entrants from Years 8-12. Congratulations to Brewster House who took out the carnival points score

win.

Forty seven MGHS students have since competed at the Coalfields Zone Cross Country, with all

students showing great pride and passion. We had a number of fantastic results, with five students

winning their age group event and a further 28 students progressing through to the Hunter Region

Championships.

In Week 2, Term 2, 411 Grossmann students attended the annual Athletics Carnival at Smyth Field. A

beautiful sunny day greeted our students, with spirits high and enthusiasm and participation

outstanding. Brewster House chased down the early leaders, Watson, for carnival points score win.

Congratulations to the following students on their achievement of Age Champion:

Boys Age Girls

David Ecimovic 12 Samantha Taylor

Aiden Hoffman 13 Charlotte Friis

Justin Rhind 14 Sophie Sorensen

Corey Eslick 15 Caitlin Worboys

Kamilo Tuivaiti 16 Belle Leonard

Mitchell Budden 17+ Sara Mason

Grossmann will once again be represented very strongly at the Coalfields Zone Carnival, with 75

students qualifying across all events.

Good luck to all of those students, and those involved with all teams across the school.

Mr P Anderson Sports Organiser

UNIFORM SHOP

MGHS UNIFORM SHOP OPENING TIMES

TUESDAY: BETWEEN 8.00AM-12.00PM

THURSDAY: BETWEEN 1.00PM-5.00PM

CASH EFTPOS MASTERCARD VISA ACCEPTED AT

UNIFORM SHOP

ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE SHOPPING (THROUGH

SCHOOL WEB SITE)

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May 2016

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May 2016

NEWSLETTER DATES FOR 2016

JUNE 29TH AUGUST 17TH SEPTEMBER 21ST

NOVEMBER 9TH DECEMBER 14TH

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May 2016

Take a moment to consider opening your heart for a child in Foster Care.

Nearly 1 in 100 children in Australia are living in out of home care. Foster carers are urgently needed so why not give us a call and find out how you can get involved! Phone Challenge Children’s Services on 02 401 57300 or apply online at www.challchildren.org.au

“Protecting children is everyone’s business.”