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Harbour Life

Term 2, Week 10

2017

In This Issue Page

Dates to remember 1

Write a book in a Day 1

Principal’s Report 2/3

Gold Award Excursion 3

NAIDOC Week 4

Deputy Principal’s Report 5

UN Youth Competition 5

Mind Matters Day 6

Careers Matters 7

IMP Jazz Orchestra 8

OzClo 8

Inter-House Sport 9

Sport Achievements 9

Sales Force Excursion 10

Staff Professional Development 11

Inner West Holiday Program 12

Upcoming events

Date

First day of Term 3 July 18

Year 7 & Year 10 Parent Teacher Night July 18

CHS Cross Country at Eastern Creek July 21

Year 8 Conference/ P&C meeting July 25

HSC marketplace for year 10 / OC Test July 26

Australian Maths Trust Competition July 27

ICAS Writing Competition Aug 1

Year 10 Ski Camp August 1- 4

Year 10 interviews for 2018 subject selection August 7-9

Year 8 gala and open bligh zone netball gala August 9

School Production rehearsal and performance August 10-11

Bligh Zone Badmington and Table Tennis August 15

Taronga Zoo / The Great Debate at Parliament House August 18

On Friday the 9th of June, myself and three other Balmain students met up at Blackwattle Bay Campus for the “Book in a Day” event. The “Book in a day” challenge is a competition between school teams where each team is given 12 hours to write a book. The winning team’s book from each age group then goes on to be given to sick children in hospitals, specifically children with cancer.

Once we got to Blackwattle Bay Campus library, Will Thomas, Emily Macandrew, Harley Nador and I were teamed up with a group of students from Leichhardt Campus and were tasked with the challenge of writing a book in 12 hours. We were given a prompt on the morning of the event which included the characters we needed to use and the key words we had to work into our story. The day started at 8am and by the end of it everyone was ready to go home, but aside from being tired we ended up with a great story. The finished book was called, “Panic in The Disco” and was written and illustrated completely by the juniors of the two campuses.

All in all, the Book in a Day challenge was a great experience for all of us, we made new friends and worked collaboratively to put together a finished book in little time. And what’s better, it is going towards a great cause.

Thanks to our teachers who spent the whole day with us and waited until 8pm on a Friday night.

By Grace Robinson

WRITE A BOOK IN A DAY

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Reports - Semester 1 Assessment Program: It was great to see so many parents present at our parent teacher evening for years 8 and 9 on Tuesday. Reports, in an updated format, were distributed on the night. If you were unable to attend, the reports, along with year 7 and 10 reports, have been posted home to families. We value opportunities such as these to work together in support of your child and their progress at Balmain Campus. Sydney Secondary College Faculty Review - Mathematics and Science: Sydney Secondary College is committed to the provision of high quality education to all students. Following on from External Validation in 2016, the College Management Group (CMG) chose to continue a college culture of ongoing program evaluation across our three campuses. The school evaluation process at Sydney Secondary College is used to determine how well the faculties and / or various school programs are serving its students and community. It is used to provide a valid and reliable foundation for whole school planning, identifying areas for future focus within faculties and to celebrate successes of the school. Following from previous reviews such as student welfare, assessment and writing, the 2017 reviews will be on the Science and Mathematics faculties across the college. These reviews will focus on:

quality of course delivery

student engagement in learning. The Science and Mathematics reviews were held at Blackwattle Bay Campus at the end of Term 2 and the team will move to Balmain and Leichhardt Campuses in Term 3. I will communicate information in Term 3 regarding the faculty review and our focus on ongoing improvement and sharing across the college.

Working With Children Check (WWCC) Requirements: At the P&C meeting this week, I spoke about the WWCC requirements and the implications for parents and volunteers/contractors within the school. Parent Volunteers: The NSW Department of Education requires that all parent volunteers who will be working with children to have WWCC documentation prior to their engagement at the school. The evidence is 1. Appendix 5 - Declaration for volunteers and non child related contractors https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/associated-documents/WWCC-Appendix-5- Declaration-for-volunteers-and-non-child-related-contractors_FINAL.pdf 2. Appendix 6: 100Points of ID https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/associated-documents/Appendix6-Proof-of- Identity.pdf Volunteers and Contractors: For all volunteers and contractors, the following documentation and clearance by the Office of the Children’s Guardian is required prior to your engagement at the school. 1. WWCC – There are two types of WWCC clearance; Paid Workers Clearance and Volunteer Clearance.

Follow the instructions on the Office of the Children’s Guardian webpage to obtain your clearance

http://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/child-safe-organisations/working-with-children-check

2. Appendix 11 - Declaration for child related work – Specified volunteer/child related contractor https://

education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/associated-documents/WWCC- Appendix-11-Declaration-for-child-related-work-

specified-volunteer-and- contractors_FINAL.pdf

3. Appendix 6: 100Points of ID https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/associated-documents/Appendix6- Proof-of-

Identity.pdf

New Finance System: Our office administration staff have been working hard to prepare for the transition to the new NSW public schools’ finance system and a new bank account on 24 July. This has necessitated changes to the way we accept parent/carer payments:

Direct deposits: As of 30 June we can no longer accept direct deposits. Please do not make any direct deposit payments after 30 June.

EFTPOS payments: Between 19 July and 24 July 2017 we are not able to accept EFTPOS payments. From 25 July 2017 EFTPOS payments will be accepted as before.

Cash and cheque payments: Between 19 July and 24 July 2017 we will not be able to accept payments by cash or cheque. From 25 July cash and cheque payments will be accepted as before.

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

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This is a change to a completely different financial system. Thank you in advance for your understanding as we undertake this transition. Taking payments and the provision of financial information may take a little longer as our staff become used to the new system. Uniform and Communications Survey: Early in Term 3 we will be sending out a survey to parents, students and staff regarding our current student uniform and communication pathways. This will be sent to the email address we have recorded at school. Please update this if you do not receive email communication from the school. The impact of privacy law on the information parents can be provided about other parent’s children: Our school holds information about our students. Some of this information is highly sensitive. The way this information is collected, used, disclosed and secured by our school is subject to NSW legislation including the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998, Health Records and Information Protection Act 2002 and the Chil-dren and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998. These laws limit the circumstances in which your child’s information can be disclosed to other parents. They also limit the

circumstances in which you can be provided with information about action the school has taken in relation to other

people’s children.

This means, for example, you may not be provided with complete details of the action the school has taken in relation to a

student who has engaged in unacceptable behaviour that has impacted on your child. You should not assume that no

action has been taken because you cannot be provided with information about what the school has done to deal with an

issue relating to your child’s interaction with another student.

Our school takes inappropriate behaviour from students very seriously and responds to that behaviour consistent with the

school’s student discipline and welfare procedures.

If you would like further information about the school’s general approach to inappropriate behaviour from students please

contact our Deputy Principals, Mr Catalanotto and Ms Swanson, or myself on 02 9810 0471.

Once again in this newsletter you will read about many wonderful achievements of our students and staff over the last few

weeks. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday.

Julianne Beek, Principal

Congratulations to the following students who received Gold Awards and attended the excursion at Broadway Cinema. It was a wonderful day!

Christian Voigt Cass Hardy Eleanor Vineburg Krishna Vemulapali Ethan Elcham Harry Sharpe Sarah Henderson Ella Zhang Rory Palmer

GOLD AWARD EXCURSION

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NAIDOC 2017 had the theme of ‘Our Languages Matter’. This allowed our students to explore the importance of their culture

and the various Indigenous languages that are represented within the Balmain Community. The students worked closely with

members from the wider community to learn about the theme and the best way to present it to the SSC Balmain community.

This years’ theme further allowed a celebration of diversity within our Indigenous students. The assembly included a speech

from Michael Peachey of the Nura Gili community that is associated with UNSW. Michael shared his connection and

experiences with language and further discussed the importance that the various Indigenous languages plays within Australia.

In Michael’s speech, he discussed how many languages are present within Australia and this gave perspective to all of the

representation of different languages that we have within Balmain. Two of our Year 7 students Brodi and Xzavier discussed

with the assembly why NAIDOC and languages is important to them. This speech was also presented when the students

attended Speak Out. Kegworth Primary School students performed to conclude the assembly and their performances

exhibited some of the native animals in Australia and the Shaker Leg. The performance was a great way to conclude this

year’s NAIDOC Assembly.

A big congratulation to the students involved in aspects of the assembly in particular, Chelcilee, Terri, Brodi and Xzavier.

Thanks also goes to Niwili and Danielle for their assistance leading up to NAIDOC Week and the work they completed with the

students. All students were able to participate in the activities that were put on at lunch on the same day including the BBQ

and the face painting. The face painting taught students about the different styles and the meaning behind them.

NAIDOC Week saw the unveiling of the silks that were created by students from Year 7, 2016 and the NORTA NORTA

students. Three of the silks are now hanging in front reception and the final silk can be seen in the hallway near the Deputies

offices. If you are at SSC Balmain please take the time to see the beautiful pieces art that were created last year.

NAIDOC WEEK

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Year 10 Transition to Blackwattle Bay Campus: The Balmain to Blackwattle transition program for Year 10 students is well underway. Thank you to all the families and Year 10 students for attending the Blackwattle Bay subject information night on Thursday 22nd June. The evening gave students and their families an opportunity to come and see the Blackwattle Bay campus and speak to teachers at the senior school about subject options. The evening concluded with a formal presentation providing a detailed explanation of the HSC offering at Blackwattle Bay that includes a broad range of subject choices, access to a large number of TAFE courses and overseas learning opportunities. The formal presentation concluded with a musical performance and student speeches about personal transition stories and experiences. Thank you to Mr Floriani and Mr Glynne and other Balmain teachers that provided assistance on the night. The following day (Friday 23rd) all Year 10 students went on excursion to a Careers Expo AT Homebush. Student feedback indicated the day was very valuable in getting information about possible work opportunities as well as information regarding further study at TAFE. Thank you to Mr Arvidson, Mr Floriani and Mr Glynne for their organisation of this excursion. A reminder - the next important dates are Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th August (Week 4 Term 3). During this week subject interviews will take place at Balmain regarding subject choices for Year 10 students going to Blackwattle for the 2018 school year. These interviews are crucial as they are designed to help students make the best possible choices for their final two years of high school. Students need to take six courses of study for Year 11. English is the only compulsory subject. Therefore students must choose five other courses. Blackwattle Bay has many subject choices so it is important that students start thinking now about the subjects they may want to take. Students can review the subject information they received at the Information evening. Or they can click on this link: http://www.sscbwattle-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/our-school/enrolment/senior-course-guide to get information about the subjects. If you missed out on an information booklet please ask your son/daughter to come and see Mr Glynne or myself.

TJ Catalanotto, Deputy Principal

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

On the 31st of May, Louis Travis and I met at the Presbyterian Ladies’ College Croydon to compete in

Evatt NSW, a diplomacy competition run by United Nations Youth. Students from many different

schools come together to participate in Evatt NSW at various locations across the state and build on

their public speaking, debating, negotiation, research and problem solving skills. In this competition,

each student is assigned a nation on the UN Security Council and must conduct research on their

country before attending. Louis and I were given Ethiopia – we had a lot to learn! We were given two

resolutions to look over and research before attending (a resolution is a piece of legislation that is put

before the Security Council to debate).

Once we arrived, we took our places at the table marked ‘Ethiopia’ and read over our research. Debate

soon began. It was difficult at first to get used to the procedure but it was enjoyable listening to the

others debate. We joined the debate on issues such as the USA Electoral Interference by Russia, the

issue of Crimean Annexation near Ukraine and the propagation of fake news.

Evatt NSW was an extremely exciting event which we both enjoyed attending. We furthered our

knowledge of current political and international affairs and honed our public speaking and on-the-spot

thinking skills. It was challenging, it being the first time for both of us, but a valuable experience. We

both are looking forward to competing again next year with a better understanding that will help us

prepare more efficiently and perform better on the day. I would encourage other students to check out the programs of UN

Youth and look out for the Evatt NSW competition next year as it is a really worthwhile opportunity. Take a look at

unyouth.org.au.

By Oscar Iredale

UN YOUTH COMPETITION

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MindMatters is a mental health initiative for secondary schools that aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people. It is referred to as a 'framework', in that it provides structure, guidance and support while enabling schools to build their own mental health strategy to suit their unique circumstances. On June 29th 2017, our entire school became a MIND MATTERS school as we celebrated the first Mind Matters Day. The day consisted of two performances from Zeal Theatre called ‘Lucky’ and ’The Stones’, which were then followed up with engaging and thought provoking Mind Matters lessons led by Mind Matters facilitators. For Years 7 and Year 8 the focus was on developing relationships; and for Years 9 and Years 10 the focus was on building resilience. Thank you to the Inner West Council for your generous support in order for this day to have happened. Below are some photos from the day as well as quotes from student feedback forms. We look forward to implementing Mind Matters modules next term and holding another fantastic Mind Matters Day in term 4.

MIND MATTERS DAY

The show ‘Lucky’ was really

funny at times but also sad. It

raised issues about tolerance,

acceptance and supporting

others. Great acting!

I really liked ‘The Stones’

play. It was pretty

confronting and made me

think about making better

choices . The follow up

lesson about building

resilience was really good

too.

The Q&A discussion after the

shows were great and made

me think about different

situations. I really liked the

fact that the play was based

on a true story and they

were able to tell us more

about the real event.

The Mind Matters lessons

were really interesting and

made me think about

sense of belonging and

developing relationships.

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Are you ready Year 10? What are my options? What am I good at? Would I survive another 3 or 4 years of study? Do I want to go to university? Do I need to go to university? Is TAFE a better option? Do I want to do labour intensive work or am I suited for office work? Which careers interest me? Which subjects interest me and which ones am I good at? These are some of the many questions you should be asking yourself in preparation for choosing subjects for Years 11 and 12. Week nine of Term Two has seen an increase in activities to help Year 10 make informed subject selection choices. These include:

Subject selection presentations by Sydney University and TAFE NSW to Year 10 students

Blackwattle Bay Campus Subject Information Evening for Year 10 students and their parents/carers.

Western Sydney Careers Expo at Sydney Olympic Park.

University of Sydney Student Ambassadors Year 10/11 subject selection presentation Teachers and students from Blackwattle Bay will be staffing information stalls to provide further subject selection advice to Year 10 students early in Term 3. The subject selection interviews will be conducted in early August. Other resources to explore: Bullseye posters: these can help students to identify occupations that link with subjects studied at school and indicate what level of education and training is required to find employment. Go to: https://www.education.gov.au/career-bullseye-posters To enable students to gain as much information as possible to help transition from school to work, we have subscribed to an excellent careers website called jobjump.com.au Here students can complete a questionnaire to help them identify which careers might interest them. JobJump then emails regular updates regarding their areas of interest with upcoming events and opportunities. Go to: www.jobjump.com.au The University Admission Centre (UAC) has an excellent link for Year 10 students which includes UAC’s University Entry Requirements for Year 10 Students and tips for Year 10 students on choosing their HSC courses. Go to: http://www.uac.edu.au/schoolink/year-10.shtml

Work Experience: Work Experience will be held for one week starting on Monday 4 December, 2017. Students are encouraged to finalise details with their host employer as soon as possible to ensure that their application is competitive. Also, some Work Experience placements require prolonged processes. To avoid disappointment do not leave it to the last minute. University of Sydney Student Ambassadors Year 10/11 subject selection presentation Teachers and students from Blackwattle Bay will be staffing information stalls to provide further subject selection advice to Year 10 students early in Term 3. The subject selection

interviews will be conducted in early August. Remember there is no one way. If you are travelling and the road to your destination is blocked you find an alternative path. The same applies to your career - explore every avenue If you don’t know where you’re going every road will lead you there. I can be contacted on 9810 0471 (Ext. 127) or email hugo.floriani@det.nsw.edu.au I look forward in meeting you at upcoming school events and activities

Careers Noticeboard (outside sick bay) Hugo Floriani, Careers Adviser

CAREERS MATTERS

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On Sunday May 28th, the IMP Jazz Orchestra participated in the NSW Band Festival Frank Coughlan Event at the Australian

Institute of Music in Surry Hills. The event was hosted by John Morrison, world-renowned jazz drummer, educator and

brother of trumpeter James Morrison. The guest musician and adjudicator was Denis DiBlasio, American saxophonist/flautist

and music royalty who has worked with many of the biggest names in jazz over the last 30 years. Denis heard our musicians

perform, workshopped ideas and suggestions with them and even joined them for a jam afterwards. The IMP is so lucky to

have the opportunity to play with such high-profile and inspiring musicians and educators!

IMP JAZZ ORCHESTRA

OzClo is a linguistic competition that was a fun learning

experience. We were two groups of Year 10 students who

worked very hard to practise for the exam since last year.

The best part about it were the teamwork and the sense of

accomplishment after the test. Although it was sometimes

stressful and there were some disagreements about

answers, OzClo was a great experience that I definitely

recommend to others.

Photo:

Front: Nathanael Teh, Reilly Seet, Ariel Hou, Soren Saville

Scott

Back: Felix Gerber, Angus Clift

Absent: Simone Titterton

OZCLO

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In Week 8 of Term 2, the Balmain Campus Sport Leaders organised a series of Junior and Senior touch football games to encourage students to participate in sport and show house spirit. The games show that sports don’t have to be competitive and that sport can be enjoyable and fun. Many students came up onto the top oval to support their friends and team members. Music would be played on the top oval and all the students had a lot of fun. Thank you to all the teachers who helped to referee and supervise the games on both Thursday and Friday. Overall, all teams did extremely well and it was an enormous success with students showing great house spirit and sportsmanship. Congratulations to the students who received Most Valued Player. We look forward to future inter-house sport games and to see the final result. Bring on Term 3!!

INTER-HOUSE SPORT

Pearce(red)

Stewart(blue)

Savage(yellow)

Woods(green)

Sydney East Cross Country

The Sydney East Cross Country was held a few weeks ago. Fantastic results include:

Emma Olson-Keating: 1st in 13 Years Girls Lauren Young: 4th in 14 Years Girls

James Olson-Keating: 1st in 15 Years Boys.

Pierre de Coubertin Award

James Olson-Keating was recognised at the Pierre de Coubertin Awards ceremony on the 16 June. An all rounder, James has represented Balmain with distinction across a number of sporting pursuits.

SPORT ACHIEVEMENTS

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Class 8R of Balmain Campus went on an excursion to Sales Force. Not only did we all have an extremely enjoyable time but we were able to learn a little bit about coding and what the work space was like.

Sales Force is located in the city, so we needed to take a bus there. On the bus there was a buzz in the air, we where all very excited and all eager to get there. When we finally arrived we were taken into a spacious corridor with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. From there we where taken up to a common room where we were treated to morning tea. While eating our morning tea we were introduced to people from different departments, people from marketing and engineering. We also learnt how they got into interested in their current occupation.

Once the introductions were done, we were split up and where taken for tours around the office. At sales force they want their workers to feel comfortable because of this they had rooms such as a game room which included board games, a pool table and giant televisions. They had a meditation room where people were brought to relax if they were stressed and a beautiful garden where people could bring their lunch and eat.

After our tours we where brought back to the room and were brought more food!! Which we were all extremely happy about, while nibbling away on our food we watched a presentation on what Sales Force was and what they did. We also learnt about each profession and job in sales force and what role they played. One woman from the engineering department really got my attention. She talked about how women where the minority in engineering. Even though we live in the twenty first century, still woman can be the minority in certain jobs. I was extremely inspired by this woman because of what she said and what she had achieved even with all the obstacles that had presented themselves.

For the last hour we did coding. It was very basic but still fun. We had to make a path for characters from movies and games to follow. While doing this, my friends and I had a little competition to see WHO finished first, unfortunately I lost but we all had a good time learning how to code.

Because of this excursion I was inspired to do try new things even if they are difficult for me. The excursion itself was extremely enjoyable and in my opinion a valuable learning experience. I really hope that other years will be able to go through the same experience we did and have just as much fun.

By Asha Angus

SALES FORCE EXCURSION

SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR SCHOOL PRODUCTION

17th & 18th August

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STEM: The STEM team (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) represented our school at the two day STEM Academic conference and graduation. On day 1 our staff presented to the other schools involved in the project, receiving very positive feedback. On the second day the staff were given planning time and were shown robots used in agriculture and on Mars. Congratulations to our team.

COLLEGE EXECUTIVE MEETING: Executive from Balmain, Leichhardt and Blackwattle Bay

campuses reviewed statistics on student transition and subject choices in the context of

the program of support our year 10 students are currently completing. Balmain

executive returned to this at the following executive meeting and looked at the current

processes and ways to enhance so as to best support our students.

MIND MATTERS: The Wellbeing Team presented a session on Mind Matters and ran through activities for the upcoming Mind Matters Day on June 29th. Mind Matters is an important tool to support the mental health of our students. Improved mental health will have positive wellbeing and academic impacts for our students. Many of the strategies discussed in the modules are useful for staff as well.

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AFTERNOON: All staff participated in activities led by members

of the Learning Support Team. Activities focused on: Accessing learning and support at SSC

Balmain, Making adjustments, National Disability Data Collection, Supporting students

integrating into your class, Strategies to cater for EAL/D students in your class, 8 Ways of

Aboriginal Learning and the Disability Standards Online course Modules 1-4

LMBR TRAINING: The office staff have been attending LMBR training (Learning Management and Business Reform) this term in readiness for our ‘Go Live’ date – Monday Term 3 Week 2. There are many preparation tasks that staff in the office have been undertaking including informing our suppliers, updating information on our system from finance to health care and data. Office staff will be very busy over the next 4-6 weeks as we commence on the new system. Thank you for your understanding during this very busy time.

PEP PROFESSIONAL LEARNING: All staffinvolved in delivering the sessions for PEP (Peninsula Engagement Program) were involved in a professional learning day. This was designed to support our staff to develop engaging gifted and talented programs that cater to the needs of primary school students.

STRETCH TRAINING: Our school hosted the STRETCH training which focused on safe manual handling for students and staff. This was a very engaging and valuable session and the content will be redelivered to the entire Support Unit faculty at the start of term 3.

STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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