28/10/2016 Page #1

Issue No. 17 belmont.hs@edumail.vic.gov.au Friday 28 October, 2016

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Farewell to the Class of 2016 It was a very special time for our Year 12 students as they said farewell to the staff and students of Belmont High School. During the past few weeks the Year 12 students have had valedictory dinners with their House Leaders and teachers. This was a very emotional time, with mixed feelings as they leave their secondary school and look forward to their next chapter in their life. The staff organised a breakfast for the students followed by a whole school assembly when we celebrated with them before they were dismissed from the school for the very last time. The VCE students have returned to meet with their teachers in preparation for their exams. We wish all the students every success in the future and hope that they think of their time at Belmont High School with fond memories. I would like to thank all the families of the Year 12 students, for their continued support to the school throughout the years.

Belmont High School Art Exhibition Our Art Exhibition was a spectacular event, demonstrating a large array of student work, ranging from paintings, photos, ceramic pieces, media productions, furniture pieces to beaded dress designs. The talent of our students was evident in their excellent work that was displayed throughout the library.

As tradition, I chose two paintings created by one of our Year 11 students, Joseph Doggett-Williams, that were portraits of his parents.

Mark Trinham helped us celebrate the opening of our Art Exhibition. He is a successful local artist and also the Artist in Resident that worked with our students a number of years ago to create the outdoor area that has our Eagle sculpture. In his speech, he reflected on his own journey to becoming an artist and emphasised the importance of continually learning through experiences and challenges.

Mark emphasised that skills in art can be developed by anyone that has a determination to continually learn and develop their skills.

PLEASE NOTE: Friday 11th November—Curriculum Day Monday 14th November—Year 11 Exams begin 21st Nov—2nd Dec—Year 11 & 12 2017—Early Commencement Program

24 hr STUDENT ABSENCE LINE

5241 0090

_____________________________________________________________________________Rotherham St Belmont Vic 3216 Ph: (03) 5241 0000 Fax: (03) 5241 0099 www.bhs.vic.edu.au

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

2016

Monday 31 October WEEK A 3.40pm finish

General Assembly Yr 7&8 cricket finals (if required)

Tuesday 1 November 3pm finish

Yr 8 Soccer comp Green vs Red, 12.45pm CASUAL DRESS DAY Gold coin donation Yr 8B Laser Tag, P3&4

Wednesday 2 November 3.15pm finish

Intermediate cricket finals Yr 8 Comm Bank Smart Start Yr 8P Model United Nationals Assembly, all day

Thursday 3 November 3.15pm finish

Year 7 2017 BYOD Information Night, 7pm, library Yr 7 baseballe, softball, volleyball Yr 8 cricket semi finals Yr 8 Comm Bank Smart Start AIME program, all day

Friday 4 November 3.15pm finish

Yr 10 CAT fortnight begins Yr 8 baseball, softball, volleyball Yr 7 cricket semi finals, tennis Yr 8 Comm Bank Smart Start Yr 8 Soccer comp Gold vs Blue, 12.45pm Yr 7-9 Bands, Belmont PS Fair, after school hours

Monday 7 November WEEK B 3.40pm finish

General Assembly Parents Association meeting, 7.30pm Yr 7R&B Biolab Junior School Captains—Halogen Young Leaders Conference

Tuesday 8 November 3.00pm finish

Yr 8G&R, Biolab Yr 9&10 Drama assessments, GPAC Yr 8 Soccer comp, winners from games 1&2 Yr 9/10 Drama excursion, Courthouse Youth Arts Centre, all day

Wednesday 9 November 3.15pm finish

Yr 7&8 cricket finals Yr 7P Biolab

Thursday 10 November 3.15pm finish

Finance Committee , 8am Yr 7-9 CAT fortnight begins Year 11 classes finish Yr 8N Biolab Yr 8 Soccer comp, winners from games 3&4

Friday 11 November 3.15pm finish

STUDENT FREE CURRICULUM DAY

28/10/2016 Page #2

He commented on the maturity of the work that was displayed and praised both the students and the teachers for their work throughout the year. A number of our students received awards and certificates. Congratulations to all students who had art displayed at the Exhibition and to the teachers who have worked throughout the year to inspire and work with each student. I would like to thank the large number of families and community members that attended the exhibition. Their support and encouragement of our students and teachers was great to see. Sandra Eglezos Principal

SEALP NEWS Year 8 SEAL Hub day DEAKIN University- Model United Nations On Wednesday 2nd of November 8 Purple will be participating in a SEAL Hub day with Matthew Flinders Secondary at the K.D. Stewart Centre Annex. This activity will run all day and enable students to engage with their Humanities program exploring the function of the General Assembly at the United Nations whilst representing their chosen country on the issue of health, nutrition and refugees. The students will debate a proposed resolution and vote for or against its suggested aims based on their country’s position. It is a lively format for deep level discussion of global issues raising student awareness of diplomatic, social, economic and political factors that weigh individual country’s decision making and active when engaging in active global citizenship. Students are encouraged to dress up in national costume and bring a plate of traditional food from their represented country to share for morning tea. It promises to be a fun day! V.C.E. Exams We wish the very best for our Year 10s, 11s and 12s who are embarking on their exam journey over the next couple of weeks. Be sure to touch base with your teachers for last minute tips and guidance. Forming collective study groups may also be a way to break the monotony of solo revision. Research shows that students working together can greatly enhance their own learning. SEAL Conference A group of SEAL teachers will be heading to University High on Thursday the 23rd November to participate in the SEAL Conference with key note speakers Ruth Phillips speaking about predicting and understanding under achievement in gifted programs: differences in attitudes to school, self-efficacy and social coping strategies between achieving and underachieving gifted students., Bronwyn MacLeod, from the University of New South Wales will talk about local and global perspectives on differentiated curriculum for gifted learners. Other sessions will focus on tapping into key learning areas focusing on teaching and learning strategies for SEAL students. Coming up! Year 6 into 7 Parent Information Evening Thursday 17th November This evening is for the new students and parents of our 2017 SEAL cohort. The information session provides an opportunity to introduce some of the teachers and students teaching within the current SEAL program whilst promoting discussion about the SEAL curriculum. 7.00 p.m. School Library. TAASS SEAL Academy Visit Rob Newton the executive officer of the SEAL Academy will visit the school to review our current SEAL program on the 9 th of November. Year 8 EXPO 8th December Parents will be invited to attend a student led conference to review the year’s work in SEAL. It is an opportunity for students to share and reflect on their efforts and consider their progress at this stage of their learning. Going all the way with Algorithms!- Student led Learning On the 26th a group of students from years 7 to 10 participated in the first stage of Hex, a tournament of computer programs designed to help students further their algorithmic thinking and programming skills. The day was organised and run by several students from year 9 and 10. The day was a resounding success. Good luck to all involved in several weeks’ time when their bots match off against each other. Ewan Breakey -9 Mango Mark Dooley SEAL Manager Leader of Learning: Acceleration and Enrichment

SECONDHAND BOOK/UNIFORM SALE - Thursday 8th December 5pm - 8pm

If you have any text books or uniform that you would like to sell please bring these in to the office anytime before noon on Thursday 8th December. You will receive 70% back from the sale price!! If you have any questions please email belmonthighpa@gmail.com

JUNIOR SCHOOL DEBATING ‘The government should increase funding of the arts’ was the topic for round two of the Junior School Debating Program, and on Thursday 20th October the affirmative team, Alex Collier, Baillie Murray and Emma Baker, all of 8 Ebony, convinced the audience and adjudicator at St Ignatious College that this was true. They had a convincing win over Geelong College and put forward some exceptionally well written arguments. A big congratulations to all the debaters and a special mention to Baillie Murray for winning overall best speaker on the night. Well done! Miss Erin McKenzie

28/10/2016 Page #3

Welcome to Compass! From the beginning of first term in 2017 Belmont High School will have transferred to a new learning

management system, Compass, replacing our current provider, Daymap. We have been working with

Compass over the past semester to ensure that this transition is smooth and effective for everyone.

Compass will allow you ease of access, both to connect with your child’s teachers and to see current

feedback on your child’s learning throughout the year. This is where student attendance, reports, learn-

ing and homework tasks as well as parent teacher interview bookings will be managed.

Some parents may already be familiar with the Compass package from use at primary or other secondary

schools. We are confident that this new system will allow for improved communication and efficiency,

both within the school and between Belmont High School and home.

What does Compass do? Some of the features included with Compass are:

Monitor your child’s attendance, and enter an explanation for absence or lateness

Communicate with your child’s teachers, and update your family contact details

View your child’s timetable and the school calendar

Monitor your child’s homework and assessment tasks and view feedback from their teachers

Download and view your child’s interim and semester reports

Book parent-teacher interviews

How do I access Compass? Compass is internet based and is available on any modern web browser or by using the Compass iOS or

Android apps (search for ‘Compass School Manager’ in the app store)

Every family will receive a separate login to Compass during term 1 of 2017, and the parent portal will

be accessible through Belmont High School’s website or by typing in http://schools.compass.edu.au

To log into Compass, you will need to use your unique family login, changing your password the first

time you log on.

More information on Compass and how to utilise it to its full potential will become available on Belmont

High School’s website in the coming weeks and you will be able to refer to that at any time once our

Compass link is live at the beginning of 2017.

Sandra Eglezos Scott Hucker Emily Gaito

Principal Assistant Principal Leader of e-Learning

28/10/2016 Page #4

CHANGES TO WAURN PONDS SCHOOL BUS SERVICES Effective 1st Term 2017 As a result of a review of the Waurn Ponds school bus services, there will be changes for students who, in 2016, caught the following buses –

Waurn Ponds school bus – operated by McHarry’s Bellbrae School bus – operated by McHarry’s (Please note, students catching the Winchelsea 2 bus from the Waurn Ponds Drive area are not impacted by this change.)

Two new school bus services commencing in Waurn Ponds will replace the above services. Timetable, route information and maps are available on the McHarry’s bus lines website under “Look up your myki school route”. Students must have a myki card to access these services. The bus service for Belmont High School is the N24 – Waurn Ponds to Christian College (Senior and Middle Campuses), Belmont High School and St Joseph’s College (Aphrasia St) – AM and PM service. There are also public timetabled services from Waurn Ponds to Belmont High School (via route 42).

THE LANGUAGES CORNER

Language disguises thought. - Ludwig Wittgenstein,

Host Families Wanted We are looking for host families to provide accommodation for a number of students from Padua (Italy). The tentative dates of the homestay are 22nd July – 2nd August 2017. This is part of the exchange program with our sister school Liceo Curiel. This would be an ideal opportunity for families with students of Italian, as they would engage with a native speaker who will support and foster their language skills and confidence. For more information, please contact Prof Gregory or Prof Cologni (gregory.antoinette.a@edumail.vic.gov.au, cologni.federica.f@edumail.vic.gov.au). Pizza and Espresso This week Year 11 Italian VET students are learning how to make espresso for their upcoming speaking task. They will be required to train a classmate in a workplace setting by teaching them how to make the perfect brew using the target language. The VET languages program has a syllabus with a focus on employability skills which are transferrable across a variety of industries. VET will be available to our 2017 Year 10 languages students as part of the Certificate II in Applied Language. Meanwhile, our Year 8 students of Italian have been working diligently this year, and some classes have been celebrating their achievements with a pizza lunch. A big GRAZIE (thank you!) to student David Mekonnen (8 Gold) for assisting with the organisation of this special lunch.

28/10/2016 Page #5

SENIOR BOYS BASKETBALL This year the Senior Boys Basketball team has gone strength to strength. Arguably the best basketball team Belmont High School has ever had, the boys won both the Geelong and Western Conference Divisions and competed for a State Final this year. When Mr Mac thought the season was over the boys had an idea though! Why not Nationals?? So as this goes to print we just finalised the team and their entry. The Nationals are to be held in Melbourne this year at the State Basketball Centre from the 4th – 9th December. This is the first time Belmont High School has entered a team. How can you support?? As 4-9th December is during school time unfortunately attendance may be out of the question, but I’d encourage you all to hop onto Instagram and follow the account _BelmontBasketball_ - the school-run account not only has information regarding school basketball but also how the boys will be travelling and competing in the lead up to Nationals this year. I’d like to take this time to also recognize our partnership with TWP (teamworksperformance). The locally run Geelong business are the Premier Sponsor of our team for the event. They provided the team with incredible personalized uniforms, so if you need sports uniforms look no further than TWP!! Our sub-sponsors Pirtek Geelong, Geelong Financial Group, TTS Electrics and Lyons Construction also made financial contributions in order to see our boys compete at the highest level. It’s important to note that without the support from these local businesses the boys wouldn’t have been able to attend. Please parents vote with your feet and support the businesses that have supported us! Big thanks to the following Senior Boys players; Matthew Johns Darcy Stiles Jordan Hucker Tom Pupavac Jamieson Hultgren Matthew Jennings Jacob Curtis Dion Marinovic Hunter Lovell

Moving forward I wish the boys all the best for the Nationals. It’s going to be a pleasure coaching you and representing Geelong and Belmont High School with you. Don’t forget “Strive for the Highest”. Let’s get to work…. Mr Mclauchlan

28/10/2016 Page #6

YEAR 12 GRADUATION Graduation tickets will be available to collect from the school office next week. A reminder of details: Venue: The Arena, North Geelong Date/Time: Tuesday 22nd November, 5.45pm for 6.30pm start. Students are required to be there at 5.00pm. Evening concludes at 11.30pm Dress: Semi formal (jacket and tie) Please contact the office if you have any enquiries. CANTEEN HELPERS’ AFTERNOON TEA An invitation is extended to all Canteen Helpers to an afternoon tea on 16th November, 2.15-3.15pm in the School Conference Room. Please RSVP by 9th November to the office staff, 5243 5355, or to Julie Picklum.

BOOK REVIEW Eugene Lambert’s “The sign of one” The Dystopian world of Wrath (set up as a dumping place for unwanted citizens) has an unusually large number of identical twins. The births were initially seen as blessings to establish a new society. However, suspicion was aroused when it was revealed that one twin always had twisted blood which enabled them to heal quicker and run faster than their weaker pureblood “ident” (short for identical) sibling. Idents were tolerated until the Twists rebelled and tried to rise up against the purebloods. Thankfully a man - The Saviour - was able to restore calm and initiate the annual Peace Fairs. Idents now have the little finger on their left hand amputated shortly after birth and are taken from their parents to live in camps. Every year, child and teenage idents are taken to the Peace Fair to attend the Cutting and Unwrapping ceremonies. They are both cut and bandaged, then a few days later, the bandages are unwrapped. The twin whose cut has healed is obviously a Twist and is hanged on the spot. The surviving twin is branded with a P for pureblood, which never heals and which forms a scab, so they are known as Scabs. This book – the first in a trilogy - is a little bit Hitler (the Saviour has soldiers called “Preservers of Human Purity”, nicknamed Slayers) meets Star Wars meets The Hunger Games. Lee Suter Teacher Librarian

GEELONG’S BEST BUSKER COMPETITON The Geelong’s Best Busking Comp is the perfect platform for unsigned artists to showcase their talents to a previously untapped regional audience. The Comp is held in and around Little Malop Street Central-Geelong in February 2017 with live performances and acts from musicians and performers from the Geelong region for the chance to take out the prize. This exclusive, sought after competition is designed specifically to give unsigned artists an opportunity, providing a key stepping stone for their career development. There are countless prizes available for the performers. The heats will be held on the 7th, 10th and 14th February 2017, and the Final will be on Saturday 18th February. For further information contact Steve—0400 028 854, email stevethew@ymail.com https://www.facebook.com/geelongsbestbusker/

28/10/2016 Page #7

28/10/2016 Page #8

28/10/2016 Page #9

NumberWorks'nWords Geelong Specialist Maths and English Tuition, ph. 5245 8846