moorebank high mhs website school newsletter issue 1

Moorebank High School Newsletter— February 2017 1

Bangalow Ave

Moorebank 2170

Ph.: 9601 3999 /Fax: 9822 5096

email to: [email protected]

MOOREBANK HIGH

SCHOOL NEWSLETTER Issue 1

February 2017

MHS WEBSITE

Principal’s Report - Ms Grego

In this issue - Faculty Focus: HSIE; Swimming carnival report; Library

upgrade; Australia Day performance; Skoolbag app info.

Welcome to 2017 academic year at Moorebank High School. I would like to extend a warm welcome to all our new Year 7 students and their families. I would also like to welcome back students and families from Years 8 – 12 and staff.

We had a wonderfully successful year in our 2016 HSC results. We were ranked 127th in the State and we achieved 88 Band 6s and 206 Band 5s. We had three students that achieved an ATAR over 99 - congratulations to Karyn Nguyen, Malika Bhoopasamudram and Emma Pham. Karyn and Malika also made the all-rounder list for achieving Band 6 or E4 in 10 or more units. William Blackmore made the top achievers list, ranking 14th in Mathematics General 2. Fatima Olumee received a high distinction for her PIP in Society and Culture. Her PIP will be published and available in the State Library.

The school would also like to thank our outgoing Captains, Vice Captains and Senior Prefects: Tara Blackmore, William Blackmore, Fatima Olumee, Humzeh Hoblos, Thomas Blackmore and Peta Harpas for their outstanding leadership in 2016. Congratulations to all our 2016 HSC students. The school wishes you all the best in future aspirations.

On the second last day of 2016 the student leadership groups coordinated and managed another amazing school festival day. Students were engaged and thoroughly enjoyed the activities organised for them. I was extremely humbled to receive a call from a parent whom reported that the first comment made by their child in the afternoon was “That was the best day ever!” Thank you to our wonderful student leadership groups and our staff that support them for facilitating such a wonderful and memorable day. The bar has been set for 2017!

I would like to welcome new staff to our school who were all successful in the merit process. Mr Mohammed Khodragha - Head Teacher Secondary Studies, Ms Cassie O’Connor - Head Teacher Science and Mr Peter Lewis – Careers Adviser. I would also like to welcome Christine Zabackly who was appointed to MHS as a permanent Mathematics Teacher.

On Monday 20th February we held a hugely successful Year 6 into 7 information evening where parents and students were able to interactively engage in demonstration lessons. Below are some important dates for parents to remember now that they are preparing for their child to enter high school in 2018:

9th March EOIs distributed to Year 6 parents

17th March EOIs returned to primary school

Commencement of EOI to local or Choice 1 non local schools (application process on MHS website)

31st March last day to forward EOI to local and Choice 1 non local schools.

Early / Mid May Panel meets

26th May enrolments begin

July first round offers for selective high schools

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.moorebank-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/


Years 7, 9 & 11

Deputy Principal’s Report

Uniform The School's new uniform policy and procedures have been implemented this year. At this stage the vast majority of our students are attending school in uniform. Those who do not are given uniform to change into for the day. This will continue for the rest of the year. There are a few students who have been out of uniform several times this term. If this per-sists, a Deputy Principal will make contact with parents to discuss the uniform issue.

Yr. 11 All My Own Work A note went home this week about year 11 completing the All My Own Work program. For students final enrolment in their preliminary subjects to go ahead, they need to complete this program. The HSC: All My Own Work program is designed to help Higher School Certifi-cate students to follow the principles and practices of good scholarship. This includes un-derstanding and valuing ethical practices when locating and using information as part of their HSC studies. Students at Moorebank can either complete the program in their own time or on Tuesday 28th February between 12.30 and 2.30pm in one of our computer labs. Please see the note that went home for more details.

Yr. 7 Camp I am looking forward to going to camp with year 7 in week 6. Please be mindful of our re-turn time and ensure you make adequate arrangements for your child's pick up with their camp gear. Students will be tired and the last thing they need is to have to hang around longer than necessary after the buses return.

Dr Susan Griffin Deputy Principal Yrs. 7, 9 & 11

I am also extremely pleased with the community response to the school’s new uniform policy. I would like to thank the

support given by both the parents and students and the dedication of the staff in implementing the new policy. Our

students not only look good but have ensured a safe learning environment, both inside and outside of the classroom. The

safety of your children is paramount to the school. We are also conscious of the rising cost of living and the struggle that

some parents may experience in buying appropriate footwear. Leather shoes can be quiet expensive. In light of this, the

school has recently developed a partnership with Maishoes Pty Ltd located at Unit 1/53-55 Governor Macquarie Drive

Chipping Norton. We have developed this partnership to support families seeking good quality leather shoes (inside and

out) at a reasonable price.

I am looking forward to 2017 being a stronger and enriching experience for students and staff alike.

Our next MCFG meeting will be held on Monday 13 March commencing at 7.00pm in the School Library. I welcome all to

attend.

Vally Grego

Principal


Head Teacher Secondary Studies

Introducing new Teachers

Coming back to Moorebank High School is an exciting time in my teaching career. Having left here at

the end of 2010 and teaching in the Inner-West at a partially selective senior high school and regional

office for the past 6 years, I am confident in assisting students and staff in my capacity as Stage 6

Coach and Learning and Support Coordinator. This will involve assisting students develop study

timetables and techniques and working with staff in applying stronger HSC Standards and assessments

in line with NESA requirements.

I look forward to working with the various stakeholders at Moorebank High School for many years to

come.

Mr Mohammad Khodragha

Head Teacher Secondary Studies

Careers Report

My name is Peter Lewis and I have been appointed to Moorebank High School as Careers Adviser. I look forward to working with students and parents to determine suitable post school destinations and guidance for planning pathways to achieve these goals. As Careers Adviser I can provide advice and support for: Subject selection Career advice ATAR explanation and advice Scholarship information Organise work experience Apprenticeship / traineeship information University / TAFE course information Assistance with resume writing Mock interview practice Job application advice Part time employment advice Information on jobs and apprenticeships currently available SBAT and TVET information All current information on apprenticeships available is being placed on the noticeboard outside the library and information relating to university and scholarships is being placed on the noticeboard in the senior annex in the library. I welcome any enquiries from students or parents. My office is located on the lower floor at the rear of the library.

Careers Adviser


Year 7 History

HSIE

The staff in the HSIE staff room welcome year 7 to History and look

forward to meeting parents at the Celebration of Learning Evening.

Despite the heat wave, Year 7 have started History with great

enthusiasm. Their first topic of study is: ‘Investigating History’.

Students have been working collaboratively in groups to learn

about primary and secondary sources. Year 7 are looking forward

to learning about Ancient Greece in the weeks to come. Please see

a list below of the upcoming topics and assessments for Year 7.


Year 11 Ancient History / Year 10 Commerce

HSIE

As a year 10 Commerce teacher, students in my class have been working studiously since the beginning of the course. They are looking forward to the year ten course as there are many exciting opportunities that awaits them this year. Some of the students in my classes have volunteered to share their input on the upcoming year:

"This forthcoming year, Year 10 commerce students are studying the fundamentals of Law and Society. Recently, we have been exploring the need and significance of the legal system and its impacts on our lives. We as students, are enthusiastic about the upcoming excursion to the Courtroom, as it will be a noteworthy experience, where will we gain further knowledge and skills. As eager to learn students we are also keen to participate in the Year 10 Market Day! We can’t wait to have the opportunity to learn the skills of leadership, and entrepreneurship as we work as a team to run our own business and discover the hardships of the trade industry. It will surely be a day to remember.

These approaching events will allow us to build upon the knowledge we gained from the previous year’s commerce course. Last year, we focused on the world of advertisement and the luxury of travel. Those topics were able to broaden our understanding of the constantly developing world in which we live. Watching and analysing advertisements in class was eye-opening and granted us the ability to make intelligent decisions regarding our purchases. The Travel Assessment Task made us feel as if we were on vacation! As we researched the exotic and beautiful locations around the globe, we learnt the importance of budgeting and planning before travelling. This year we hope to have an even more enjoyable time during commerce.

Written by Angela Salazar and Raveena Sidhu

Exploring Archaeology in Ancient History

Year 11 Ancient History students are currently

undertaking studies in methods of investigating the

past. A large area of this is focused on both

excavation and preservation techniques. In order to develop the skills necessary to

the study of ancient history, students have been lucky enough to complete their

very own small archaeological digs. Each group was provided with a dig site and

the tools needed to undertake excavation work. They were then required to use

the information and findings to compose a site report outlining the artefacts found

and what could be determined about the society from this information. As the term

progressed, students will also undertake other hands-on activities such as the

mummification process using apples and oranges to test preservation methods.


Year 11 Legal Studies

HSIE

Mock Trial Competition

Mrs Callahan is busy organising Year 11 students who are currently being selected to participate in the The Law Society of New South Wales' Mock Trial competition 11, the program aims to introduce students to the NSW judicial system by providing practical experience into the running of a court case in a true-to-life adversarial setting. Students learn advocacy, debating and problem-solving skills.

Mock Mediation

Mr Wang will be running the Mock Mediation team this year. He

will be updating us on the progress and coaching the students in

skills they need to resolve conflicts without a courtroom.


SOCIETY AND CULTURE

Year 12 Society and Culture have had a busy start to the year

researching, interviewing and surveying participants for their

Personal Interest Project.

The project is carried out throughout the duration of the HSC

course and allows students to conduct important social

research on a topic of their choice. This year we have a range

of interesting topics that have been drawn from a myriad of

social and cultural research areas from technology and the

media, to contemporary gender issues.

In the coming weeks, students will visit the NSW State Library

to examine the collection of award winning Personal Interest

Projects and learn how to conduct effective academic

research using the libraries extensive resources.

We are so proud our students’ progress with their projects so

far and are excited about the invaluable skills they will develop

in the coming months.

Year 12 Society & Culture

HSIE

Society and Culture Awards Night

On Friday the 17th of February, at the NSW State

Library, the Society and Culture Association hosted their Annual Awards Night. The night was a special occasion held to celebrate the highest achieving students in Society and Culture, 2016. The night recognised the top eight ranking students in the state in the HSC exam, and the top eight ranking students in the Personal Interest Project. Amongst that latter was Moorebank High School’s former school vice captain, Fatima Olumee. Fatima received a high distinction for her 40/40 Personal Interest Project entitled, ‘One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’. This is an exceptionally great achievement. Fatima worked tirelessly on her project, deciding on a topic she felt had contemporary relevance and accessibility for people her age. She completed xxtensive secondary research which included the reading of copious journal articles, and synthesised those findings with the data from her primary research. Fatima interviewed psychologists, surveyed peers and completed an extensive content analysis to com-plete her PIP. Her achievement strongly reflects her own personal commitment to excellence, the unity and drive of her 2016 Society and Culture class, support of her family, and the high achieving culture of Moorebank High School.

In her work, Fatima states that, ‘our society is prone to falling prey to the cultural narratives represented on television [and] these narratives then form toxic social attitudes, particularly in the realm of mental illness.’ She says that, her research ‘hypothesis; “television depictions play a toxic role in the perpetuation of society’s stigma surrounding mental health, negatively skewing public response to the issue of mental illness” was proven to a large extent’, and that her overall experience of completing the Personal Interest Project ‘contributed to a greater appreciation of the Society and Culture course, and a broader understanding of its relevance in contemporary society through identifying elements of inaccuracies in societal myths regarding mental illness’. Fatima’s Personal Interest Project is now available in the NSW State Library, and will serve as a teaching resource, and outstanding reminder of her dedication and thorough research, for many years to come.


Fatima Olumee

submitting her

PIP to the NSW

State Library.

Fatima Olumee receiving

her award from former

SCA President,

Jodie Arrow.

Society and Culture’s award

winning students waiting for their

formal group photo.


20

17

Sw

imm

ing

Car

niv

al On the 6th Feb Moorebank High

School held its annual swimming carnival. On this day, not only were the races competitive but done with determination and enthusiasm. The hardworking swimmers were pushed to their limits by their supportive house teams. Their cheers and excitement spread like wildfire through the hearts of many swimming warriors. Even though the scorching sun sizzled like the sausages House cooked, our spirits were still high. Goals were met and records were broken when our swimmers competed against one another. All in all, everyone had a fantastic and humour-filled time, enjoyed the races and cherished the summer heat. Everyone’s hard work and dedication is truly something to be commended. We hope to have even more successful swimming carnivals in future years. Now to reveal the house points; In fourth place was Gold House with 173 points. In third place was Red House with 496 points. In second place was Green House with 585 points. And finally in first place was Blue House with 640 points. Congratulations to all participants.


Australia Day Performance

Congratulations to Kali Rowe of year 10 who, as a member of VIP (Vocal

Identification Program for ATSI students), performed at the recent Australia Day

celebrations in Sydney.

The group began the day by singing the Australian National Anthem for the

Welcome ceremony at Barangaroo. That night they performed at the concert on

the steps of the Opera House, singing and dancing to a traditional song

“Djapana”.

Kali Rowe middle row centre


NEW LOOK LIBRARY

STUDY ROOMS

UPSTAIRS READING AREA

YEAR 12 STUDENTS AT THE NEW STUDY TABLES

NEW DISPLAY BOARD

Our School Library has had a major revamp over the holidays with new lounges installed in the upstairs reading area

and study tables set up downstairs . A new display board enhances the front entrance and much of the older style

shelving has been replaced. The Library staff invite all students to come to the Library at recess or lunchtime to work,

read, research or relax. Mrs Tierney & the Library staff.


Moorebank High School utilises the Skoolbag app to keep Parents/Carers informed about events, excursions

and activities happening at the School. Follow the instructions below if you would like to subscribe to Skoolbag.


The ARCO at Moorebank High School is Ms Patricia Paring. She can be contacted at

school on 96013999.

moorebank high mhs website school newsletter issue 1

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