2017 Mitchell High School Annual Report · Introduction The Annual Report for€2017 is provided to...

Mitchell High SchoolAnnual Report

2017

8403

Printed on: 26 March, 2018 of 29 Mitchell High School 8403 (2017)

Introduction

The Annual Report for 2017 is provided to the community of Mitchell High School as an account of the school'soperations and achievements throughout the year.

It provides a detailed account of the progress the school has made to provide high quality educational opportunities forall students, as set out in the school plan. It outlines the findings from self–assessment that reflect the impact of keyschool strategies for improved learning and the benefit to all students from the expenditure of resources, including equityfunding.

Elena Marinis

Principal

School contact details

Mitchell High SchoolKeyworth DriveBlacktown, 2148www.mitchell-h.schools.nsw.edu.aumitchell-h.School@det.nsw.edu.au9622 8926

Message from the Principal

Our achievements during 2017 include, once again, pleasing results in the Higher School Certificate. Our value addedresults remain high with positive growth in areas of NAPLAN. Improvements to school infrastructure were undertakenwith the classroom upgrades and the outdoor learning spaces to support new syllabus.

The PBL team continued implementing the R.E.A.L initiative throughout the playground areas and into the classroomswhile strengthening systems and school promotional materials to support this initiative. We hosted a visit by our Germansister school as well as visitors from China, Japan and conducted a highly successful overseas excursion to Europe,visiting our German sister school.

The school continued to offer an extremely broad curriculum with 46 senior courses taught including 5 VET courses,acceleration and pathway options all catering for the diverse needs of our students. The Self Select classes are in Years7 to 10 in all core courses.

The school received additional funding of over $812,000 to bolster staff development in the teaching of literacy. All staffare involved in a Teacher Professional Inquiry program in collaboration with Western Sydney University Academics.Project Based Learning (LiTuP) and A Learning and Response Matrix (ALARM) have been embedded in Key LearningAreas. Specific strategies to teach literacy and numeracy skills to all students to meet the National Education AuthorityStandards bench marks were implemented.

The success of the programs at Mitchell High School can be attributed to the dedicated, hard working teachers and theunwavering support from the entire school community.

The school will receive substantial additional funding in 2018 to support the great programs already operating and willenable new initiatives to be implemented. The school has strong support from the local community, great outcomes forstudents and the best teachers with whom I have ever had the pleasure to work with.

I certify that the information in this report is the result of a rigorous school self–evaluation process and is a balanced andgenuine account of the school’s achievements and areas for development.


School background

School vision statement

The Mitchell High School community aims to:

• deliver excellence through innovative and unique learning opportunities for student success.

• develop safe, respectful learners who achieve their potential through a broad range of experiences.

• nurture students to be confident and creative individuals, become ethically and socially responsible citizens with asincere sense of tolerance and inclusivity, prepared to make positive and valuable contributions to society.

• strive for excellence, welcome challenge and revere achievement.

• be resilient, resourceful and equipped with the necessary skills and attitudes to continue learning after secondaryeducation and be capable of meeting life’s challenges in their personal, professional and intellectual lives.

Mitchell High staff will continually:

• pursue professional learning to meet the aspirational objectives of the Mitchell School community.

• promote world– class curriculum, contemporary pedagogy and assessment to improve the outcomes of indigenous anddisadvantaged youth.

• develop strong partnerships and work in a mutually supportive, respectful and collegial environment enriched by thecontributions and commitment of parents and the community.

School context

Mitchell High School is a comprehensive high school serving the southern area of the Blacktown and Prospectdistrict. The school population is consistently above 1000 students with 80 teaching staff providing quality learningopportunities for the students. Mitchell High has a highly multicultural population; over 70% of the student cohort are fromEAL/D backgrounds and at least 10% of the students are of refugee background. The school has an excellent reputationin the community and achieves sound results in the RoSA and HSC. Mitchell High is noted for its excellence and traditionand expects students to have high personal standards in academia, personal appearance and behaviour. Mitchell Highis a Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) school and student learning is enhanced as a result. Provisions are made forhigh achievers and those needing additional support through an active Learning Support Team. The school has excellentICT facilities and a focus on developing ICT skills. The school is recognised as a leader in establishing international links,with 7 overseas high schools enjoying close ties with Mitchell High School. This outstanding program has led tohundreds of students experiencing different cultures.

Mitchell High places an emphasis on quality teaching and staff professional learning. The school utilises strong linkswithin the Nirimba Learning Community to facilitate the collegial sharing of ideas and programs and the Warali WaliEducation Group to improve transition from primary to high school and develop coordinated approaches to literacy andnumeracy. Mitchell High has strong links with the community, resulting in excellent transition programs for Year 10 intoYear 11 and post school transitioning. 91% of Mitchell High School students undertake studies at either TAFE orUniversity.

Our school offers traditional values within an environment of high expectations. Leadership is developed throughprograms and responsibilities within the school community.

Self-assessment and school achievement

Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework

This section of the Annual Report outlines the findings from self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework,school achievements and the next steps to be pursued.

Learning


In the domain of Learning the school’s self–assessment is consistent with the evidence presented in three elements andis validated using the School Excellence Framework.

In the element of;

Learning Culture – the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Sustaining and Growing stage

Wellbeing – the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Sustaining and Growing stage

Curriculum and Reporting – the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Sustaining and Growingstage

Assessment and Reporting – the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Sustaining and Growingstage

Student Performance Measures – the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Sustaining andGrowing stage

Teaching

In the domain of Teaching the school’s self–assessment is consistent with the evidence presented in one element and isvalidated using the School Excellence Framework.

In the element of;

Effective Classroom Practice – the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Sustaining and Growingstage

Data Skills and Use – the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Sustaining and Growing stage

Collaborative Practice – the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Sustaining and Growing stage

Learning and Development – the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Sustaining and Growingstage

Professional Standards – the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Sustaining and Growingstage.

Leading

In the domain of Leading the school’s self–assessment is consistent with the evidence presented in two elements and isvalidated using the School Excellence Framework.

In the element of;

Leadership – the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Excelling stage

School Planning, Implementation and Reporting – the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at theSustaining and Growing stage

School Resources – the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Sustaining and Growing stage

Management Practices and Processes – the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Excelling stage.

For more information about the School Excellence Framework:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching–and–learning/school–excellence–and–accountability/sef–evidence–guide


Strategic Direction 1

Strengthening Engagement and Partnerships

Purpose

MHS knows highly engaged students with high expectations and strong links to the community become quality globalcitizens. The school provides an environment where students are respectful, engaged, active, learners (REAL),empowering them to experience success. Resilient, empathic and confident students maximise their academic and socialdevelopment.

Overall summary of progress

There have been significant steps made forward with regards to Strategic Direction 1 in the area of PBL, Transitionprograms and wellbeing programs which promote engagement at our school.

PBL has become more embedded into each of the faculty areas and across the school community. The classroomlessons which are being developed and implemented by the PBL Action Team and delivered to the students have had asignificant effect on creating a settled school setting which promotes a safe and inclusive learning environment for allstudents.

In the area of community partnerships and transition, this has developed into a real strength of the school community.The links which have been formed with local businesses and organisations have had an immense impact on thetransition results we have had on the students at our school. Students have been exposed to educational opportunities toexpand on their learning experiences. These experiences can lead to greater engagement in the school setting orpotentially apprenticeships or traineeships.

Student Wellbeing has continued to be a pivotal focus of Mitchell High School and there have been many programswhich have been coordinated for the various Year groups to promote engagement, leadership and developing overallwellbeing. We continue as a school to develop wonderful partnerships with both the local and wider community toultimately provide learning experiences for our students.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Improvement measures(to be achieved over 3 years)

Funds Expended(Resources)

Progress achieved this year

• Increase the number ofstudents showing positivebehaviours for effective learning. • Increase the use ofcontemporary programs thatfacilitate student success. e.g:iTrack, Converge, DLA PiperPrograms, Sydney Uni Days. • Increased number of at–riskstudents successfully linked withcommunity programs. • Increase the number ofstudents, staff and parentsmeaningfully connecting withstudent wellbeing programs in theschool.

PBL Budget

Student EngagementOfficer

African Community LiaisonOfficer

Aboriginal Tutor

Pacific Islander CommunityLiaison Officer

The CREW – Staffing

PBL Data

Monthly report indicating decrease in studentpopulation appearing in the top of triangle.

Improved attendance data

Increased number of agencies and outsideproviders.

Expanded the range of students accessing thevarious opportunities offered

We are now fully recognised as a White Ribbon'Breaking the Silence School'.

Next Steps

To continue to embed our school wide processes and systems with PBL.

To expand on the staff involved in the PBL team to get input from all faculty areas


To expand upon our community partnerships and links to enhance the learning opportunities and experiences forstudents at Mitchell High School.

To begin to place a focus on Staff Wellbeing in the Strategic Plan as well as Student Wellbeing. This is an area which wewould like to develop further and look at support strategies and networks that can benefit staff.



Creating a high performing and collaborative learning culture

Purpose

Staff will be high performing in a collaborative and dynamic school community that is inclusive, informed and engaged.

Teachers who are mentored,coached and model effective practice produce the highest quality teaching and learning forstudents.


Staff have engaged in many Professional Learning opportunities over the duration of this Strategic Plan. It has led tomany taking on leadership roles across the school and the Nirimba learning Community and within ProfessionalNetworks. Teachers have not engaged with the accreditation process except for the New Scheme Teachers.

The majority of staff have engaged with their PDP’s and achieved the set goals. This has been documented through theuse of BlueSky, along with peer observations and professional learning.

Training has been completed over the 3 year period in 7 Habits, Super 6 and Writing that is now being implementedacross the different faculties, ensuring high quality and engaging lessons are happening.





• Goals from PerformanceFramework being achieved. • Increased % of staff completingAPTS qualifications – NST

– Lead

– Highly Accomplished • Higher number of staffimplementing / leading schoolbased initiatives and programs. • Teachers delivering high qualityand engaging lessons across theschool. • All staff engaging with BlueSkyprofessional learning tool.

Western Sydney UniversityEnquiry Based LearningProject –

Nirimba LearningCommunity combined StaffDevelopment Day –

PDPs set/entered on BlueSky. Peer lessonobservations completed across the school. BlueSkyreports downloaded and analysed for planning in2018.

Only NSTs have achieved accreditation. This is anarea for development in 2018.

Staff attended NLC PL day and a large numberwere involved as speakers and presenters atworkshops.

HT/Peer reviews and observations.

All staff at MHS participated in a year longprofessional enquiry project with the University ofWestern Sydney.

Next Steps

Over the next School Planning Cycle we are expecting

– Improvement in the teaching and learning practices that will be seen through setting, achieving and maintaininggoals from the PDP process

.– An increased number of staff engaging with the accreditation process as we have all moved to the Proficient Stage.This will be supported through the School Action Team that has been established to support all staff through theaccreditation process.

– Staff will be engaging more regularly with the use of BlueSky and myPL to ensure all PL is tracked and documentedfor the accreditation process.



Explicit and future–focused learning

Purpose

To develop and implement a broad, flexible and challenging 21st century curriculum that is personalised and responsiveto diverse needs, allowing all students to be successful and to achieve their potential. Students are well–equipped forparticipation in 21st century social, educational and vocational contexts.


In 2017, explicit and future–focused learning was addressed through many key initiatives:The cross–facultyProject–Based Learning Team (LiTuP) developed and implemented additional projects, expanding into more year groupsand subject areas including Year 7 Geography and Science, Year 8 and 9 English and Year 9/10 Commerce, leading toincreased student engagement and enhanced 21C skills.

A number of targeted programs ran to support reading and writing improvement for EALD and refugee learners andstudents with additional learning needs, including peer tutoring, Rip It Up Reading and 7 Steps to Writing Success. Moststudents recorded significant improvement as a result of program participation.

The LANE program (Literacy And Numeracy Enhancement) was developed and delivered to Year 7 and 8 classes,explicitly teaching targeted skills such as inferential reading, persuasive and narrative writing, fractions and percentagesand mental arithmetic. Many students produced quality work samples at the conclusion of the program and demonstratedimproved mastery of targeted skills in post–testing, but a changed mode of delivery is to be implemented for 2018 tomaximise learning.

As part of LANE, in support of whole–school literacy and numeracy improvement, ACER PAT testing was run as anadditional assessment and tracking tool to monitor student progress and diagnose gaps. Results were sent home withSemester 2 reports for Years 7–10 to allow students and parents to participate in the tracking of literacy and numeracylearning.In pursuit of HSC improvement, the cross–faculty ALARM Team continued to support ALARM implementationthrough faculty experts and the development of models and resources in each subject area.

Refugee learners were further supported by the Healthy, Wealthy and Wise initiative in which important future–focusedlife skills were taught through Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food and the Commonwealth Bank’s Smart Start program.





• Improvement in students’literacy and numeracy skills suchthat > 52% of Year 9 studentsrecord above or expected growthin Reading (from 50.3), > 50% inWriting (from 47.6) and > 54%(from 51.5) in Numeracy in the2016 NAPLAN. • HSC improvement as persubject–specific targets detailedin faculty plans.

Staffing – $150,000

Professional Learning for allstaff

Review of Assessmentstructure

WSU Project

Value added student performance aboveexpectations.

Increase student engagement.

Staff accredited hours towards maintainingaccreditation.

Next Steps

Assessment/Reporting Feedback

Cross KLA Project Based Learning

ACARA Progression

Literacy/Numeracy


Key Initiatives Resources (annual) Impact achieved this year

English language proficiency Staffing – $156 306

EALD Flexible – $18 739

EALD program evaluation.

Student Yearly results/assessment on EALDprogression updated.

Low level adjustment for disability $357 144 SLSO timetables and diaries, Millenniumdata, Learning Support minutes

Students requiring support academically wereable to receive assistance from the SLSOstaff

The Learning Centre was staffed again toensure students have an optimal alternatelearning space available.

Socio–economic background $679 998 Increased student engagement

Transitioning students into workplace,apprenticeships, traineeships, and alternatesettings.

Additional learning support provided byemployment of SLSO staff.

Student Assistance

Student Engagement officer

Community Liaison Officers (African,Aboriginal)

Homework Centre

Support for beginning teachers $30 837 Beginning Teachers are on a reducedteaching load.

Beginning teachers are given periods off toassist in programming, report writing andmarking.

An experiences staff member has anallocation to support beginning teachers.

An induction program is in place.

Beginning teachers are coached andmentored by either their Head Teacher ordesignated head teacher in the faculty todevelop the appropriate procedures to makephone calls to parents, have face to facemeetings. Opportunities are provided forbeginning teachers to meet with parents bothformally and informally.

Aboriginal background loading $24 883 Employment of an Aboriginal Tutor to workwith Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderstudents to support them in their learning.

Liaison with community groups to facilitateengaging and culturally enriching programsand/or experiences.

Increased attendance and retention.


Student information

Student enrolment profile

Enrolments

Students 2014 2015 2016 2017

Boys 505 506 517 506

Girls 486 486 464 457

Student attendance profile

School

Year 2014 2015 2016 2017

7 94.8 92.7 93.2 91.9

8 90.8 92.9 90.7 91.8

9 90.8 90.2 91.7 90

10 88.4 88.6 87.7 91.2

11 87.9 87.2 90.2 85.9

12 92.3 89.8 91.9 92.6

All Years 90.9 90.2 90.8 90.6

State DoE

Year 2014 2015 2016 2017

7 93.3 92.7 92.8 92.7

8 91.1 90.6 90.5 90.5

9 89.7 89.3 89.1 89.1

10 88.1 87.7 87.6 87.3

11 88.8 88.2 88.2 88.2

12 90.3 89.9 90.1 90.1

All Years 90.2 89.7 89.7 89.6

Management of non-attendance

Mitchell High School's attendance data has remainedquite steady over the past four years. In 2017 ourattendance across the whole school was 90.60 which isabove the State average of 89.60.

We have a a very active and efficient Wellbeing Teamat Mitchell High School which with the management ofa range of staff including the relevant Deputy Principal,Head Teacher Administration, Head Teacher Welfare,Year Advisors and SASS staff ensure that attendanceissues are identified early so that appropriate supportstructures/strategies can be implemented.

As a school we will regularly liaise with the HomeSchool Liaison Officer (HSLO) to ensure that studentswith attendance issues are identified and managedearly.

There are always a range of Wellbeing programs beingimplemented at our school to engage students so thatthey feel more connected with the school communitythus wanting to attend school regularly.

Post-school destinations

Proportion ofstudents movinginto post-schooleducation, trainingor employment

Year10%

Year11%

Year12%

SeekingEmployment

9 6 11

Employment 4 17 79

TAFE entry 1 12 25

University Entry 0 0 44

Other 6 7 0

Unknown 0 0 10

NB: The above percentages are based on the studentpopulation of year 10 (179), year 11 (135) and year 12(149)

Year 12 students undertaking vocational or tradetraining

Mitchell High School provides various pathways forstudents; such as an academic pathway to University.The school also provides a TAFE pathway withopportunities to participate in TVET, School BasedApprenticeships and Traineeships, as well asalternative pathways to employment.

This year we had 3 x SBATs and 3 x EVET students.

Year 12 students attaining HSC or equivalentvocational education qualification

The top 5 University degrees chosen by our studentswere; Business (10%), Science (12%), Teaching (7%),Engineering (6%) and Policing 4%. While the top 5Universities chosen were; WSU (29%), ACU (4%),USYD, UTS (3%) and ACU (3%).


Workforce information

Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal 1

Deputy Principal(s) 2

Assistant Principal(s) 0

Head Teacher(s) 11

Classroom Teacher(s) 49.3

Teacher of Reading Recovery 0

Learning & Support Teacher(s) 2.6

Teacher Librarian 1

Teacher of ESL 1.4

School Counsellor 1

School Administration & SupportStaff

12.17

Other Positions 1

*Full Time Equivalent

The current composition of Aboriginal staff members atMitchell High School is one Aboriginal Tutor employedat the school. Mitchell High School enjoys a closerelationship with our local Aboriginal EducationalConsultative Group.

Teacher qualifications

All teaching staff meet the professional requirementsfor teaching in NSW public schools.

Teacher qualifications

Qualifications % of staff

Undergraduate degree or diploma 100

Postgraduate degree 30

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

At Mitchell High School we currently have the followingstaff working towards the various levels of theAccreditation process;

28 permanent New Scheme Teachers maintainingaccreditation.

10 casuals/part–time NSTs maintaining accreditation.

4 permanent NSTs working towards proficiency.

4 part–time/ temps working towards proficiency.

Financial information (for schoolsusing both OASIS and SAP/SALM)

Financial information

The three financial summary tables cover 13 months(from 1 December 2016 to 31 December 2017).

The financial summary consists of school incomebroken down by funding source and is derived from theschool Annual Financial Statement.

Receipts $

Balance brought forward 404,061

Global funds 516,902

Tied funds 606,360

School & community sources 344,902

Interest 7,341

Trust receipts 9,892

Canteen 0

Total Receipts 1,485,396

Payments

Teaching & learning

Key Learning Areas 96,397

Excursions 69,846

Extracurricular dissections 179,089

Library 492

Training & Development 0

Tied Funds Payments 667,002

Short Term Relief 153,010

Administration & Office 176,944

Canteen Payments 0

Utilities 67,813

Maintenance 177,543

Trust Payments 12,921

Capital Programs 0

Total Payments 1,601,055

Balance carried forward 288,402

Figures presented in this report may be subject torounding so may not reconcile exactly with the bottomline totals, which are calculated without any rounding.


The information provided in the financial summaryincludes reporting from 1 January 2017 to 31December 2017.

2017 Actual ($)

Opening Balance 0

Revenue 1,406,290

Appropriation 1,143,398

Sale of Goods and Services 75,726

Grants and Contributions 186,517

Gain and Loss 0

Other Revenue 0

Investment Income 648

Expenses -988,741

Recurrent Expenses -988,741

Employee Related -472,401

Operating Expenses -516,339

Capital Expenses 0

Employee Related 0

Operating Expenses 0

SURPLUS / DEFICIT FOR THEYEAR

417,549

Balance Carried Forward 417,549

The Opening balance for the 2017 school financial yearis displayed in the OASIS table as Balance broughtforward. The financial summary table for the yearended 31 December 2017 shows the Opening balanceas $0.00 because the Opening balance for the 2017school financial year is reported in the OASIS table (asBalance brought forward).

The amount displayed in the Appropriation category ofthe financial summary table is drawn from the Balancecarried forward shown in the OASIS table and includesany financial transactions in SAP the school hasundertaken since migration from OASIS to SAP/SALM.For this reason the amount shown for Appropriation willnot equal the OASIS Balance carried forward amount.

Financial summary equity funding

The equity funding data is the main component of the'Appropriation' section of the financial summary above.

2017 Actual ($)

Base Total 8,677,911

Base Per Capita 149,831

Base Location 0

Other Base 8,528,080

Equity Total 1,218,330

Equity Aboriginal 24,883

Equity Socio economic 679,998

Equity Language 156,306

Equity Disability 357,144

Targeted Total 32,308

Other Total 157,177

Grand Total 10,085,726

Figures presented in this report may be subject torounding so may not reconcile exactly with the bottomline totals, which are calculated without any rounding.

A full copy of the school’s financial statement is tabledat the annual general meetings of the parent and/orcommunity groups. Further details concerning thestatement can be obtained by contacting the school.

School performance

NAPLAN

In the National Assessment Program, the results acrossthe Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy andnumeracy assessments are reported on a scale fromBand 1 to Band 10. The achievement scalerepresents increasing levels of skillsand understandings demonstrated in theseassessments.


The My School website provides detailedinformation and data for national literacy and numeracytesting. Go to http://www.myschool.edu.au to accessthe school data.

<Use this text box to comment on mandatory reporting


requirements in accordance with the Premier'sPriorities: Improving education results and StatePriorities: Better services – Improving Aboriginaleducation outcomes for students in the top twoNAPLAN bands>

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Higher School Certificate (HSC)

The performance of students in the HSC is reported inbands ranging from Band 1 (lowest) to Band 6(highest).


Subject School2017 SSSG State

SchoolAverage

2013-2017

Biology 66.3 69.0 70.9 69.4

BusinessStudies

66.2 65.2 68.2 67.4

Chemistry 66.3 69.7 72.1 67.8

Community andFamily Studies

70.1 69.6 70.7 71.3

Economics 64.3 70.2 73.6 64.3

English(Advanced)

76.2 76.3 77.6 75.1

English(Standard)

64.5 65.3 65.6 63.3

FoodTechnology

60.7 66.4 69.3 65.4

FrenchBeginners

75.3 0.0 75.3 79.5

HospitalityExamination(Food andBeverage)

70.8 72.6 71.5 71.5

InformationProcesses andTechnology

65.0 66.1 69.4 66.3

Legal Studies 70.3 70.3 72.1 68.2

Mathematics 70.6 69.8 73.2 71.2

MathematicsGeneral 2

61.8 62.8 63.6 63.7

Modern History 65.3 64.9 69.6 72.5

Music 1 71.5 78.8 79.7 74.6

PersonalDevelopmentHealth andPhysicalEducation

69.3 66.4 67.7 66.9

Physics 63.5 68.2 70.4 63.0

Senior Science 66.5 68.6 68.3 68.6

SoftwareDesign andDevelopment

64.1 63.5 71.5 65.7

Studies ofReligion II

55.6 60.3 69.6 65.8

Visual Arts 77.5 75.8 77.7 75.9


Parent/caregiver, student, teachersatisfaction

Each year schools are required to seek the opinions ofparents, students and teachers about the school.

In 2017 the school sought the opinions of the parentsand the students in many ways. Some of these arelisted below; • During our Parents and Citizens Association

meetings parents provided feedback and opinionson various school based matters.

• Feedback is provided by students regularlythrough our Student Leadership Body.

• Parents indicated appreciation with regards to ourstrong Transition programs and links withBusinesses and organisations in the localcommunity.

• Feedback from the student body through ourregular Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)lessons which are conducted fortnightly.

Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

The Aboriginal Education Action Team is committed toclosing the gap for Indigenous students and to providethem with a variety of opportunities and support tothrive and excel in their educational goals.

The action team meets on various occasions during theschool year to report on progress and to set futuregoals.

The team focuses on the following key areas toenhance Aboriginal Education. These include:

Implementation and monitoring of PersonalisedLearning Plans (PLPs)

Promotion of Aboriginal programs

Curriculum data analysis

The range of programs to assist students withacademic progress include:

An Aboriginal Tutor who has been instrumental in

assisting with the development of the AboriginalEducation program at Mitchell High School. The tutorhas helped guide the development of PersonalisedLearning Plans (PLSs) and made links with the parentcommunity.

To maintain our good retention of Aboriginal studentswe have:

Engaged in the Australian Indigenous MentoringExperience (AIME)

Developed Personalised Learning Plans (PLPs)

An Aboriginal Education Action Team

A Timetable of Cultural Celebrations

Developed University and Community links

To assist with transition we have enlisted the supportof:

An Aboriginal Tutor

Teacher Mentors

The Careers Adviser

A Transition Adviser

The Head Teacher Welfare

All Aboriginal students have an opportunity to create apersonalised plan for success. Aboriginal students canconcentrate on developing literacy or numeracy skills orimproving their cultural knowledge such as dance ortraditional languages and setting personal employmentgoals surrounding their chosen focus area.

Students are assisted by members of the Aboriginalcommunity, parents and teachers to create individualgoals that the students would like to work on in thecoming semesters and the strategies that are requiredto achieve them and record them in an electronictemplate.

AIME continues to provide a dynamic educationalprogram that gives Indigenous high school students theskills, opportunities, belief and confidence to finishschool at the same rate as their peers. AIME hasproven to dramatically improve the chances ofIndigenous students finishing school. AIME alsoconnects students with post Year 12 opportunities,including further education and employment. AIMEprovides students with leadership opportunities, suchas the AIME Ambassador Project. Three studentscompleted their HSC in 2017. They all received AIMEhoodies in recognition of their commitment to the AIMEprogram and sharing their culture.

The Sydney University Experience Day for Year 7and 8 students was very successful. This yearly eventco–ordinated by Sydney University through theCompass Program provided an opportunity for our


Indigenous students to experience university life. Thestudents took part in tutorials, presentations,demonstrations and practical sessions, as well asspeaking to current indigenous students and touring thecampus.

The school’s Indigenous students and members of theAboriginal Education Team participate in Heritage Day.Indigenous culture is shared through food withstudents, staff and guests to the school. It is anopportunity to open and create dialogue in a social andharmonious environment.

Aboriginal Education Virtual Reality Experience

As part of our Aboriginal Education Program, studentsin Year 7 were able to experience Aboriginal culture ina unique and engaging way. They participated in somediscussion and a question and answer session. Thenthe students thoroughly enjoyed watching videos usingVirtual Reality and also playing a game that addressedspecific aspects of Aboriginal dance, language, food,weapons and art.

Multicultural and anti-racism education

EALD students were assisted in 2017 primarily throughdedicated Year 7, 8 and 11 English/EALD classes,in–class support from EALD teachers and SLSOs,small–group teaching sessions, individual support forassessment tasks, ESL roll–call and senior mentoring.These interventions are designed to aid students tobuild their capacity in reading, writing, speaking andlistening in English, as well as developing theknowledge and skills relevant to the subjects theystudy. Students’ English language proficiency isassessed and monitored using the EALD Progressionto track progress and determine future support needs.In addition, EALD teachers assist teachers across allsubject areas to modify lesson materials and activitiesto cater for the needs of EALD learners.

International students attending Mitchell HS in 2017were supported by the International Students’Coordinator who attended to any wellbeing or learningneeds that arose. Morning teas and other events wereheld to provide informal opportunities for internationalstudents to connect and discuss any relevant concernsand successes. Selected extra–curricular activities alsoallowed our international students to engage in newsocial and cultural learning experiences.

Refugee Support

Students from refugee backgrounds received ongoingsupport from EALD teachers and other school staff in2017 to ensure wellbeing and learning needs were met.The Refugee Transition Program (RTP) ran in Terms2–4, offering students the opportunity to work in a safe,supportive small–group environment while taking part ina ‘Healthy, Wealthy and Wise’ initiative. This involvedparticipating in Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food Cooking

Program where, over seven weeks, students gainedknowledge and practical skills in nutrition, foodpreparation and cooking. Students also attended asuite of Start Smart workshops led by theCommonwealth Bank. The workshops exploredfinancial responsibility and decision making, the valueof saving and goal–setting, and also offered practicalstrategies for saving money. These initiatives allowedstudents to develop key skills and practices whichextend beyond their school lives, as well as to formpositive peer relationships through group work andexcursions.

Refugee Support Leadership Strategy

The Refugee Support Leader (RSL), appointed by theDepartment, was situated within the Mitchell HighSchool Learning Support Faculty. This position worksacross Principals’ Networks to build the capacity ofschools in their support for refugee students and theirfamilies. The Refugee Support Leader’s involvementwith Mitchell High School during 2017 covered manyaspects of the school community. The S.T.A.R.S. inSchools – Supporting Students From RefugeeBackgrounds 5–hour Professional Learning Coursewas run with Executive Staff. The rest of the school willcomplete this course on Staff Development Days. TheRefugee Readiness Audit was completed with theLearning Support Faculty and some recommendationshave been made and actioned. The RSL presented asession on refugee awareness to the new teachers ofMitchell HS. Year Advisors also participated in asession on the transitioning process for refugeestudents. The Year 12 Legal Studies classes alsoparticipated in a session focussing on the legal aspectsof Australian and International Refugee Law.

Mitchell High School will benefit from the extension ofthis position into 2018.

Other school programs

STUDENT WELFARE

The school has participated in and implemented a widevariety of welfare initiatives and programs in 2017 tosupport student needs and provide opportunities sostudents can thrive and succeed in a safe andrespectful environment. In 2017, Mitchell High Schoolofficially achieved White Ribbon status. This involvesdeveloping and sustaining a culture of respectfulrelationships, in concurrence with programs embeddedin the school. This is a whole school commitment to theprevention of men’s violence against women and astrengthened culture of respect. The project hasengaged the school leadership as partners in theprogram and enhanced understanding of men’sviolence against women and the detrimental mentalhealth and physical effects on women, family membersand friends of the victims. Mitchell High is about sayingNO to violence and YES to respectful relationships.

We have continued to share this awareness throughYear 7–10 Health lessons, school assemblies, shortfilm presentations and the support of the GlobalLeadership Program, where the participants elected to


have domestic violence as their focus topic. Staff,school leaders and guests from the community enjoyeda White Ribbon Breakfast in support of this importantcommunity issue.

Year 7 and 8 students were involved in the YWCANSW developed Y–PEP Child Protection EducationProgram that is funded by the Department ofEducation. The aim of the Y–PEP program is tostrengthen the existing child protection educationcurriculum outcomes delivered by teachers. Theprogram is aligned to the PDHPE Syllabus and focusedon three key themes:

1. Recognising abuse – types of abuse (domesticviolence, physical, sexual and emotional)

2. Power in relationships – rights and responsibilities,trusted adults, power in relationships

3. Protective strategies – identifying and respondingto risk, communication and support.

As a result of the program, students have an increasedawareness of safe and respectful relationships; anincreased knowledge and understanding of rights andresponsibilities in relationships; increased skills inrecognising, assessing risk and responding to unsafesituations.

The following programs were offered to students inpartnership with the University of Sydney WideningParticipation and Outreach Program (WPO):

Year 12 students had the opportunity to gainunderstanding of the work required in accessinginformation and applying for a university scholarship.The Promote Yourself Workshop is designed to offeradvice and feedback on general application writingand/or answering questions about the University ofSydney E12 Early Offer Program. Students wereinstructed by University of Sydney Compass trainedfacilitators on how to write persuasively and effectivelyabout themselves. Students also learnt about alternateentry pathways and special admission schemes.

Year 11 students had the opportunity to participate in aThinking Ahead Workshop, providing them withvaluable information about the types of scholarshipsand admissions pathways available to university.Presented by a Sydney University Compass staffmember and two student ambassadors, participantsanalysed typical extracurricular activities in terms of theleadership skills employers and scholarship committeeslook for in an application. The aim of the session was tohelp students build stronger application skills,confidence and motivation to apply for university.

Students from Year 11 had the chance to attend aCreative Writing Workshop to get the most from thecreative writing section of the English Area of Studypaper and who want to develop pieces of writing thatexplore Discovery in an original manner. Students tookpart in activities based on characterisation, storystructure and integration of stimulus material. Studentscame away from the workshop with tools to developtheir creative writing in preparation for their HSC. The

workshop was run by staff from the Sydney StoryFactory.

The University of Sydney facilitated a SMASH EssayWriting Workshop for Year 11 students. The studentsreceived key tips and strategies to improve their essaywriting skills for the HSC.

Forty Year 10 students participated in the SydneyUniversity Study Skills Day which was run bymembers of Compass. Students had the opportunity totake part in hands on tutorials, presentations, practicalsessions and spoke to current university students abouttheir experiences and paths of study. The excursionwas also an opportunity to gain insight into bestpractice when preparing for English, Mathematics andgeneral study skills. A follow–up session was held atschool for the students that attended the study day atthe University of Sydney. The session consisted ofsmall group activities facilitated by University ofSydney, pre–service Bachelor of Education students.

The Compass Year 9 Spectacular Science Day wasoffered to thirty students. Students participated in ahands–on science activity and met real scientists whoshared what they are discovering about the worldaround us. The program is designed to spark students’interest in the diversity of science.

The University of Sydney’s Compass program invitedfifty Year 8 students to participate in the Investig8 Unievent. The purpose of the day was to help students toidentify links between their interests, choices in highereducation and potential careers. A range of activitieswere offered on the day in labs, seminar rooms andlecture theatres around the campus. The programaimed to have students know their interests, strengthsand motivations and how their interests can link tofuture study and career options.

Other Welfare programs include:

A Boys Education Camp was offered to all males inYears 8 and 9. Twenty boys went to Tea Gardens for athree day camp which was a ‘Rock and Water’program. ‘Rock and Water’ is an evidenced basedprogram that offers students a framework forrecognising and dealing with their sense of self, theirpurpose and motivation in life, as well as dealing withthe actions of others. The ‘Rock and Water’ programfocused on the following areas:

• How students can centre and ground themselves

• The knowledge needed to diffuse situations

• Self–defence

• Focus and communication skills

The boys engaged in a range of outdoor activities overthe three days, many of which were challenging bothmentally and physically. Overall, this was a wonderfulcamp which the boys thoroughly enjoyed.

Peer Support continues to run with our Year 10 leadersproviding assistance to the Year 7 cohort. The students


participated in relationship building, problem solvingand also began working with each other to deliverlessons on REAL. During training teachers modelled avariety of ways to interact and encourage participationin students. Throughout the Peer Support programMitchell High School implemented activities & trainingon:

• Transitioning into high school, self–esteem, schoolexpectations and learning styles

• Building relationships and the distinction ofacquaintances and close relationships

• Anti–Bullying and Cyber Bullying

• Identity, strengths and resilience

It has been another busy year for the CREW in 2017.The successful applicants to the program this year hadthe opportunity to learn valuable skills in gardening,construction and landscaping while at the same timebeautifying the school and creating new spaces for ourcommunity to enjoy. Led by Barry Stooke andsupported by Wayde Szumyn, the CREW is now into itsthird year. Projects implemented this year haveincluded

• A new garden bed that includes four decorativeplinths built from brick and rendered to resemblesandstone at the entry to the school off Keyworth Drive

• A new garden has been built leading up towards theadministration block which features areas that werepaved by the students and also features a backdrop ofazaleas and large pots containing cascading plants

• A new outdoor learning area beside the basketballcourts is also under way and should be completed bythe end of the year. This will also include a whiteboardand sheltered seating for PE lessons outside.

• A new deck has also been constructed as anextension of the outdoor gym. This deck providedstudents the chance to use various power tools, learnmeasurement skills and accurate cutting and how toconstruct concrete footings for timber structures.

The High Resolves Global Leadership Program, ranfor the duration of 2017. The program inspired andequipped a group of thirty Year Nine students tobecome active in their school and community. Theintended outcome of the program was to prepare andtrain the students to become effective leaders, workingcollaboratively with other students and promote a socialissue within the school and community. The studentswere involved in supporting the White Ribbon campaignat Mitchell High School. They worked to prepare andcreate videos that called for their fellow students tostand up against domestic violence, make posters topromote the issue around the school and were integralin the fundraising efforts of the school in support ofWhite Ribbon Australia. A selection of these videos hasnow been incorporated into the year meetings of eachgrade. The program has assisted students to becomemore acutely aware of their rights and responsibilitiesas global citizens and more aware that their individual

choices and individual actions make a difference.Feedback from the students indicated that they greatlyenjoyed the program and found it a worthwhile initiative.

The Coding, Careers and Creativity Program is anonsite experience that involves students taking part in avariety of activities. These include solving puzzles in avirtual reality world, gaming design, the development ofmuseum interactive displays and an introduction to'ThinkerShield'. Employees from the PowerhouseMuseum and Microsoft will take part in the activities asmentors, providing students with the chance to find outabout career opportunities in technology.

Mitchell High School continues to employ a PacificIslander Community Liaison Officer, Joe Tau. Hehas brought enthusiasm and motivation to our PacificIslander student population through his programs,including Pacific Waves and BEACON, and communityconnections with organisations such as PCYC. Joe hasencouraged the school to participate in programs suchas the Raw Challenge. Fifteen students participated inthe Raw Challenge which provided an opportunity forthe students to build team spirit and self–confidence.The challenges encouraged participation, acting as oneunit and using positive reinforcement. It is a mental aswell as a physical challenge. The course is 3–4kilometres, comprising of 30–40 obstacles. The KilikitiCricket program gave the students the opportunity toplay against another school in the spirit of culturalconnection, team work, fair play, respect and unity. TheLean On Me Program focused on youth wellbeing,self–esteem and awareness of others and broughtcommunity members into the school inspiring hope andsupport for and amongst the students.

The school continues to value the employment of ourAfrican Community Liaison Officer, Mayor Cagai. Heprovides support to our African students throughout theweek. He has sought community connections includingPCYC, improved parent understanding of the schoolsystem and is a positive role model for all as he instillsrespect and belief in all students that they can achievesuccess and achieve their goals. An afternoon tea forparents was organised to help share the school’s goalsfor all students and provided an opportunity for parentsto ask questions and give feedback.

A Student Wellbeing Officer, Bec Kenny, wasappointed to the school as part of the ChaplaincyProgram for 2017. This person supports the teamcaring for students and any issues they may encountersocially, emotionally and spiritually. The StudentWellbeing Officer was available two days a week viaself–referral, staff referral or in the playground at breaktimes. She also facilitated small group programs tosupport student needs.

In addtion to the Breakfast Club run on Wednesdays,another group, The Hope Chapel, have continued tosupport the students in 2017 to provide a nutrionalbreakfast on Friday mornings for our students whochoose to utilise the service. As well as food, The HopeChapel team provides an opportunity for conversationand helps give the students a positive start to their day.The two organisations have also worked together toprovide Christmas Hampers to those in need in our


community during the holiday period.

Year 7 were thoroughly engaged with the recentperformance of ‘Sticks and Stones’ by BrainstormProductions. Two energetic young actors explored thedifferent forms of bullying at school, in the street and athome. The performance and discussion providedstrategies for conflict resolution, anger management,assertiveness and breaking the cycle of violence. Thisis a program we will include in next year’s welfareprogram for Year 7.

As part of our Welfare program, students in Year 10had the opportunity to see ‘Wired’. This performanceslooks at the physiology and causes of stress anddepression associated with the pressures of exams,relationships and everyday life. The two characters areadolescents with extremes of behaviour, metabolism,hormones, goals and perspectives are spiralling intodifferent directions – one into stress and overload andthe other into depression. Their lives collide and theyare forced to change course. Year 10 had theopportunity to see the characters play out their options.The script and contemporary music were engaging andinspiring.

Students from Year 10 had the opportunity to attend aDrug and Alcohol Education Workshop run by theIndependent Drug Education Australia group. Thesession provided students with preventative andreactive skills, tools and strategies they can use toprotect themselves and their friends in a variety ofalcohol and other drug–related situations.

Twenty Year 10 students participated in the PreventAlcohol and Risk–Related Trauma in Youth (PARTY)Program that aims to help young people recognise riskand make informed choices about their future activitiesand behaviour. Students met the people that care fortrauma patients. Through DVD and PowerPoints,interviews with patients and family members andsimulated clinical scenarios, students learnt abouttrauma injuries and had hands–on experience withequipment used in trauma care and rehabilitation. Thisprogram will continue in 2018 with more studentshaving the opportunity to be involved.

2017 saw a new cohort of students participate in theSocial and Communication Skills program. This cohortsaw a mix in ages and need with students from Year 7to 9 invited to the program. Topics covered for thisgroup were:

• Greeting people

• Positive topics of conversation in different scenarios

• Expressing yourself in a polite and articulate manner

• Managing difficult emotions & who to seek supportfrom when in need

• The distinction between friends and acquaintances& information sharing with these groups

• Body language, displaying, reading & predictingbody language

The ages and needs of this group were broad but allstated they felt they had gained something from theprogram at its completion. Through observations andstudent feedback it was clear the group werecomfortable, safe and enjoyed the sessions and wereable to discuss difficult topics and practice skills thatare beneficial in class and life.

LEARNING SUPPORT FACULTY

Mitchell High School’s Learning Support faculty is madeup of the HT Teaching & Learning, Learning & SupportTeachers (LaSTs), English as an Additional Language /Dialect (EAL/D) teachers and School Learning SupportOfficers (SLSOs). The team worked to meet diversestudent learning needs in a number of ways in 2017.Main initiatives included:

The Learning Centre

This learning space is provided to support studentsfrom Years 7–12. Staffed by a LaST or classroomteacher and an SLSO each lesson, students utilise thisvenue to access individual or small–group assistancewith assessment tasks, classwork, exam preparationand the completion of work to clear N–Award warnings.Students with ‘Time Out’ cards or medical passes alsoaccessed the Learning Centre when required to meettheir need for a calm, positive space to ‘cool off’ orrefocus on their learning. The number of students usingTime Out was lower this year while small group projectsincreased as the way the Learning Centre is beingutilised is undergoing a restructure in anticipation of thenew year. The Learning Centre continues to provide apositive, encouraging space for students to receive thesupport they require to build skills and confidence.

Peer Reading

The Peer Reading program continued to be a highlysuccessful initiative in 2017, providing support to 36selected Year 7 and 8 students who benefitted fromdaily one–to–one assistance with their literacy,numeracy and communication skills. Each student ismatched with a trained Year 10 tutor who works withthem every morning during roll–call on learningresources drawn from a range of subject areas.Through observations throughout the year we haveseen an increase in confidence in reading, throughgreater use of decoding skills and support from thetutors. Comprehension, spelling and reading fluencyhave also improved for many students. Peer tutors willbe rewarded and acknowledged for their efforts overthe year in a morning tea and certificate presentationceremony in early 2018.

Seven Steps

The 7 Steps to Writing Success program was run in2017 with two groups of students in Years 8–9 whoseNAPLAN and school–based assessment resultsrevealed a need for refinement of writing skills. In thisprogram, students learned and applied the seven keycomponents to effective narrative writing throughengaging activities. Student surveys indicatedenjoyment of the program and recall of the key


concepts taught. Writing samples collected at theconclusion of the program indicated improvement innarrative writing skills. Certificates were awarded at apresentation in November.

Rip It Up Reading

2017 has been the second year of implementation ofthe Rip It Up Reading Program. Students who identifiedthrough NAPLAN and school–based assessment asneeding additional support for reading, were invited totrial the Rip It Up Reading program which involves ahalf–hour one–to–one tutoring session once a week.The program is based on research into workingmemory and relies on repetition of key letter soundsand blends. Learning Support faculty staff run thesessions with identified students and, through testing,improvements are evident. It is also evident in classwhere students are using the RIp It Up strategies forword attack.

Additional Support Programs & Practices

The Learning Support faculty also supported studentlearning throughout 2017 by:

• Identifying students with additional learning needsusing data from sources such as NAPLAN, studentreports, school–based assessment tasks and welfaredata.

• Developing Learning Support Plans for identifiedstudents with student and parent input, nominatingappropriate support strategies.

• Supporting staff in all subject areas to modifyresources, lesson strategies, exams and assessmenttasks to cater for student needs, including thedevelopment of a modification kit and delivery ofprofessional learning.

• Providing in–class learning support through theSLSOs

• Running special programs such as SACS (Social andCommunication Skills) for students who need additionalsupport to overcome issues with interpersonalrelationships and communication and boostself–esteem and confidence.

• Applying for and implementing special provisions forstudents who require additional support to undertakeHSC examinations, particularly catering for the increasein students presenting with anxiety.

DEBATING

2017 was a wonderful year for Ms Beckett’s Year 10Debating Team. After some excellent debates againstother teams in our zone, Lachlan Bryan, NataniaMaltese, Bojan Gutic and Yee Mon Khin emerged asZone Winners. This was a wonderful victory,particularly as this involved a win against GirraweenHigh school, a team which had previously producedsome trepidation within our debaters. Unfortunately wesuccumbed to Colo High School in our final debate,although it was very close. Well done Year Ten!

The Year 8 and Year 9 Debating Teams demonstratedgrowth in their debating abilities in 2017 working withMrs Brown and Miss Davies. The Year 9 teamconsisting of Ashley Solomons, Sasha Nguyen,Elizabeth Grogan–Fsadni and Nana Koranteng–Gyasiwon two out of their three debates, however, they wereunsuccessful in progressing from the zone rounds asthey were defeated by Mitchell High School’s own Year10 team. The Year 8 team, comprised of TaraMilivojcevic, Cayla Dryden, Yianni Mamouzelos andSamuel Scheerhoorn–Davis, were unfortunatelydefeated in all three of their rounds this year, however,their humility, co–operation and teamworkdemonstrated their level of maturity. Their confidence inpublic speaking and their ability to craft refinedarguments and rebuttals developed throughout theyear, and should continue to progress into 2018. Welldone!

ELECTIVE BIG HISTORY

2017 was the second year for Big History at MitchellHigh School. This initiative, which began as anundergraduate unit at Macquarie University 27 yearsago, is an international inter–disciplinary course, whichasks students to consider the vivid and dynamicnarrative that is humanity. Big History is taught inprimary schools, high schools and university, right up toPhD level. Big History is a blend of science, history,mathematics, social science and philosophy, using theskills of these disciplines to understand our universeand our civilisation. The course has given students theability to think in an inter–disciplinary way and toacknowledge the links between knowledge learned intheir other subject areas. With positive reviews from ourYear 9 /10 students, we look forward to sharing BigHistory with more students in the future.

HIGH ACHIEVERS

The High Achievers’ class focuses on developing thecritical thinking skills of each individual and alsoemphasises the importance of co–operative learning.The students are involved in several elite academic andpractical challenges. The High Achievers class, inconjunction with Year 7 and Year 10 students alsoparticipated very successfully in Tournament of Minds.We had 5 teams competing across three disciplinesand were awarded First Place in EngineeringMathematics and Tournament Honours in two otherdisciplines. One team was also successful in bringinghome the Kenworthy Memorial Shield for another year,recognising a team who demonstrates outstandinghistorical awareness in their presentation. OurEngineering Mathematics team went on to challengethe winners of that discipline from all over NSW andacquitted themselves very well.

A team of two students designed and built animpressive bridge for the Aurecon Competition, testingits strength and design structure at the Art Gallery ofNSW where they represented the school with pride.Eight teams of students from Years 9 and 10 alsocompeted successfully in the Science and EngineeringChallenge at the University of Western Sydney.


The High Achievers completed an independentresearch project, which required the development ofdeep knowledge and deep understanding. Theirresearch was presented to a variety of students andteachers employing a range of oral and technologicalskills. They also presented their findings to their parentsand ex–students in a formal speech and multi–mediapresentation. Over the year the students developedtheir skills and employed a range of learning strategiesin preparation for accelerating into a Preliminary HSCCourse in 2018.

ENGLISH

This year has been another productive one for theEnglish Faculty. We have focused on developing ourprogrammes to incorporate a range of priorities,including project–based learning. We have nowdeveloped two projects in Stage 4 English (Year 8) andStage 5 English (Year 9). Our Stage 4 PBL Taskfocused upon developing persuasive writing inpreparation for NAPLAN. While our Stage 5 PBL Taskconsiders how advertising utilises subtle forms ofmanipulation and persuasion. We were generallypleased with the results of these two projects but arelooking to innovate this process in 2018. Both attemptto develop collaborative skills, as students workeffectively in groups. We have also focused upon therefinement of information and communicationstechnology skills, as students research and createpresentations that will demonstrate their understandingand lead to more positive assessment marks. Staff inthe English faculty have been working to plan andproduce units for the new HSC Syllabus starting in Year11 2018. Staff have undertaken professionaldevelopment and worked in teams to createmeaningful, engaging units of work ready for the newyear.

We have continued to offer students the opportunity toparticipate in external competitions, such as ICAS(International Competitions and Assessments forSchools). We had some very pleasing results this yearand general participation rates were very encouraging.Similarly, students participated in the DorotheaMacKellar Poetry Competition, in order to develop theircomposition skills. We also continue to offer students inYears 7 to 10 the opportunity to participate in theWordflyers Programme. This targets skills in readingand language conventions. Students are encouraged towork through the programme set by their teacher athome, in order to develop and refine their skills.Students enjoy the programme and we have purchasedit again for 2018. This year saw many studentsparticipate in the Premier’s Reading Challenge. Thischallenges invites students to read for leisure andexpand their experience of literature. We had a numberof students who completed the challenge successfully.

MATHEMATICS

Maths STAR

The Mathematics Department has continued the MathsStar Award program to recognise and reward studentsin Years 7 to 10. Students are selected from each classwho have demonstrated REAL Mitchell High School

values in maths classes. Over 200 students wererecognised by their teacher this year for trying their bestin the maths classroom.

Tutoring for General Mathematics

Tutoring was offered at no cost to senior students afterschool on a Wednesday afternoon and years 7–12 on aThursday afternoon. Students took advantage of over450 sessions with the maths teacher. This represents inexcess of a 50% more students taking advantage of thefree tutoring than in 2016. Students reported that theyappreciated the extra support and assistance with theirmathematics.

Australian Mathematics Competition

On 28th July, one hundred and ten students fromacross all years participated in the AustralianMathematics Competition, achieving 3 distinctions and23 credits. The competition is open to all Australiansecondary schools and is the largest single event onthe Australian education calendar. By participating inthis program, Mitchell High School was highlighting theimportance of mathematics as a curriculum subject andgiving students an opportunity to discover talent inmathematics.

Australasian Problem Solving MathematicalOlympiad

Two class groups participated in this competition – 8M1and 8M2. Students participated in five separatecontests, one per month from May to September,demonstrating commitment to working mathematically.Three students placed in the top 10%, four students inthe top 20%, one student in the top 25%, three studentsin the top 30% and four students placed in the top 50%.

Numeracy programming

In 2016 Mitchell High School successfully applied for anumeracy grant of $5000 towards teacher professionaldevelopment. Mr Allam and Mrs Vigneswaranparticipated in extensive online training and a two dayconference on the latest numeracy techniques. Thisproject has continued in 2017 with Mr Allam, MrsVignes and Mrs McMillan writing and utilising programsthat they have been working on, with Years 7 and 8.

Luna Park excursion

On 17th November, 96 students from Year 9participated in an excursion to Luna Park to exploremathematics in a fun, real–life setting. The excursionwas organised by Mr Lam and Mrs Vigneswaran andoffered to all Year nine students. The studentscompleted a work booklet designed to help them puttheir mathematical learning into real life perspective,while rewarding them for a year of hard work at school.

New Mathematics Standard Syllabus

In 2017 the new Mathematics Standard syllabus waspublished, replacing the Mathematics General syllabus.The Mathematics faculty attended familiarisation andinformation sessions to learn about new topics. Ms


Burness–Cowan and Mrs Walia completed onlinetraining to prepare the new course for implementationwith year 11 in 2018.

SCIENCE

The Science Faculty at Mitchell High School have allworked tirelessly throughout the year to provide quality,enriched and inspiring Science lessons and learningopportunities to all students at Mitchell High School – togrow and develop their knowledge in Science.

The Faculty is led by Mr Debrincat (Head TeacherScience) and is supported by eight wonderful ScienceTeachers and one Lab Assistant – Mrs Karen Klein. Weas a Faculty are driven and passionate in both oursubject area – Science, and in providing QualityTeaching to all our students and their learning needs ina safe and comfortable learning environment. Thefollowing report will provide a snapshot of some of ourachievements and milestones.

HSC Analysis:

In 2017 the Science Faculty did exceptionally well withthe HSC results. We had a total of 93 studentsattempted one or more HSC Science Subject in 2017(94 in 2016), (72 in 2015). 36 students in Biology, 14students in Chemistry , 0 students in Earth andEnvironmental Science, 19 students in Physics and 24students in Senior Science. 33 students (35%) scored aBand 4–6 and for 17 students (18%) of the studentsScience was their best subject in the HSC. Weachieved 0 Band 6’s, 12 Band 5’s and 19 Band 4’s.

Victor Chang Recipient

The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute ScienceAward is one of Australia's pre–eminent researchorganisations with both a national and internationalreputation for excellence in biomedical research andtraining. To foster and encourage interest in scienceand a career in science, which requires the highestlevels of educational achievement, innovation, creativityand hard work, the Institute has established a ScienceAward to recognise the efforts and achievements ofAustralian Secondary School Students. The 2017recipients of the Victor Chang Award went to LoganPaske, Jackie Zhou and Zhihuan (Mike) Luo .

Science Week

The Science Faculty celebrated Science Week inAugust 2017 – providing lunch time lessons tointerested students in room 13 and in the Year 7 area.The lessons that the Science Faculty volunteered toteach during their lunch time break throughout the weekwere – can crushing, making sherbet, makingice–cream, made pop corn and blew–up plastic drinkbottles with dry ice. Students had a lot of fun and moreimportantly learned the Science behind the experiment.

Chemistry Competition

This Year the Science Faculty coordinated the ICASScience Competition (Year7–12) and the ChemistryNational Competition (Year 7–12).Over 88,678 students

from 1,350 schools from 17 countries took part in thisyear's Competition – a truly International event inChemistry education. We had 45 students from MitchellHigh School participate in the Competition this year.Theawarding of certificates of merit is described below:

• HD Excellence – Award of Excellence foroutstanding performance

• High Distinction – The top 10% of students in thestate

• Distinction – The next 15% of students in the state(10% – 25%)

• Credit – The next 15% of students in the state (25%– 40%)

I’m proud to announce that this year we received: 1Distinction and 1 Credit – Well Done!!

CAPA

• Congratulations to our students and teachers whomade the 2017 CAPA Variety Night a success.Students from Music, Drama and Dance trained hardthroughout the year to impress a large schoolcommunity audience. We would like to thank the schoolstaff and community for supporting our students.

• As teachers we have the honour and responsibilityof teaching future artists and we encourage ourstudents to participate in various art competitionsthroughout the year. In 2017 a Year 10 student,Akshkumar Patel, was selected for the 2017 Joy EwartScholarship Exhibition. He submitted a portfolioimpressing the selection panel.

• The Photography and Digital Media teachers ran anew excursion this year to the Blue Mountains. Thisprovided an opportunity for students to capturesceneries that they cannot achieve inside the schoolgates.

• The Annual CAPA Art exhibition was a success withhundreds of works by Year 7 through to Year 12students. Students displayed their skills across avariety of media including drawing, painting, printing,sculpture, photography and digital media. Displayingstudents’ work is important as it instils confidence.Throughout the year, we displayed students’ work inthe CAPA display cabinets. This created a walk throughgallery in the corridor where it generated positivechattering and recognition of the talents of our studentsin this faculty.

• Miss Kwan has been leading a very successfulschool rock pathway project. A rock painting stall wasorganised during Heritage Day. There was a hugeturnout from the day with students, teachers, staff andthe local community joining in with painting a design.The rocks will be used to create a permanent fixtureoutside the school hall.

• CAPA continues to offer transitional lessons forprimary school students. Every Tuesday, Miss Kwanand Miss Davies teach art lessons to Year 6 students


from our main feeder school. The purpose of 6 Links isto help Mitchell High School maintain links with theirlocal primary schools. This also gives the primaryschool students an insight into the subject.

• Ms Petroni organised an excursion to King StreetTheatre. Students were excited to watch the CarloGoldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters (Commediadell’arte) play. This performance provided students aninsight into acting and production.

• Ms Petroni, Ms Van Trier and Mr Weston have beenbusy providing performance experiences for our youngvocalists. They have organised school assembliesthroughout the year, Heritage Day studentperformances and flag ceremony. Year 12 musicstudents have been given the opportunities to performat Bert Oldfield Public School for the ChristmasConcert. They were also provided with the opportunityto participate in a Year 12 HSC Study Day at Rooty HillHigh School.

LANGUAGES

2017 has been a successful year for the LanguagesFaculty. Of importance are our efforts through theclassroom to improve the perception of the relevance ofLanguages learning in our school and the widercommunity. This can be somewhat difficult but certainlyit is a worthwhile project and one which has the fullcommitment of Mrs L Larkin, Ms A Mehic and Ms TPetroni who make up the Languages Faculty.

Students in year 7 have had the opportunity to learn alittle French, German or Italian. With only threeLanguages lessons per cycle, our focus for year 7 wason raising cultural awareness and playing with theforeign language words via speaking skills exercises,as well as encouraging students to make connectionsto the related English words.

The compulsory foreign languages element of the NSWcurriculum was covered in Year 8 by students selectingto study either French, German or Italian for the wholeyear. Their focus was on developing their pronunciationskills within a range of phrases related to everydaysituations, as well as some singing and taste– testing,along with some movie watching and even ‘Death byGerman’.

The 9/10 German class may have been small innumber but they were mighty. They had theopportunity to look in greater depth at an interestingrange of cultural awareness activities and quality workwas produced in assessable tasks.

The true stars of the Languages Faculty in 2017 simplyhave to be the HSC Beginners classes. Both theFrench and German groups were equally passionateabout their studies of a European language. The 10German students extended their exposure to thelanguage by watching movies and listening to Germanmusic outside of school hours. The French group of 16were also keen to use YouTube, movies and listeningto French chanteurs as a strategy to support theirpronunciation skills. All of which helped both groups tominimise their nerves when performing in their HSC

one–on–one conversation test with an unknownexaminer. This is a daunting prospect for all of thestudents who only have had about 18 months oflessons before doing their HSC exam. All were happythat they had understood the questions asked and wereable to give some interesting responses.

Judging by their application to work over their senioryears and the students’ feedback after completing theirwritten HSC papers in French and German, we areanticipating that the 2017 graduates in EuropeanLanguages will continue the tradition of some strongHSC results, above the State exam average, with someband 5 and 6’s in the mix. Ms Mehic and Mrs Larkinwish them only the best in their pursuit of happiness inlife beyond the classroom.

We hope to extend on the positive profile Languageshas in the minds of many of our junior students, as wellas to encourage greater participation in the SeniorSchool via Beginners courses, where students do nothave to have any previous experience in foreignlanguage learning.

In the words of the wise … ‘Learning a Language is likeOpening the Door to a Bigger World!’

TAS

Kurrambee School Visit

Year 12 Exploring Early Childhood were excited to visitKurrambee School for Special Needs in February 2017,where they had the opportunity to observe, interact andbe involved in lessons and activities with the specialneeds children and their teachers. Students were ableto collect valuable resources and knowledge to helpthem better understand the unit of work they werestudying "Young Children with Special Needs". Afterthe visit for some of the students, this is career thatthey are very interested in pursuing.

High Tea

During weeks 2 and 3 this term, Year 12 Hospitalitystudents planned and organised High Tea Functions forstaff members. The students worked very hard toprepare for the two events. 24 staff members wereserved on each occasion with yummy morsels of foodcarefully arranged and decorated and a range of sweetand savoury food items was offered. This enabled thehospitality students to cater for and serve in a realsituation to satisfy part of their competencyrequirements for the Serve Food and Beverage unit ofwork. The High Tea functions provided a greatopportunity for our students to work in a food andbeverage service environment and gain confidence inperforming front of house and back of house duties.

A Day at the Farm

On Wednesday 23rd August 2017, as part of theExploring Early Childhood Assessment Task, the Year11 students took on the challenge to transform room 11into a “Farm Yard” theme Child Care Centre. Somestaff and parents from our local community volunteeredto send their 3–5 year olds to the centre for the day.


The day was filled with interesting activities such as aphoto booth where students could get their picturetaken in a cardboard tractor, numerous craft activities, agame of memory, feeding the hungry farm animals, afarm yard dance, musical chairs, jewellery making,bowling and outdoor play. The children thoroughlyenjoyed the day and the Year 11 students had awonderful experience as child care workers.

School Industry Partnership Award

On Tuesday 5th September, two Year 12 VocationalEducation students were awarded certificates for theiroutstanding performance during work placement and aconsistent effort in their respective subjects over theperiod of two years. Katya Floyd and NanahenmaO’GareyLarbie received awards for Hospitality Foodand Beverage. These awards were presented at theSchool Industry Partnership Awards function held inPenrith.

Wool4School Design Competition

Each year The Woolmark Company runs a designcompetition open to all Year 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 Designand Technology, Textiles and Design, and Visual Artstudents nationwide, to design an original outfit utilisingAustralian Merino wool.

This year’s challenge was for students to design anoutfit which not only reflected their own style, but alsothe perfect outfit suitable for musician to wear onstage.

One of our Year 11 Textiles and Design students,Sarah Cupitt, took up this challenge and designed anoutfit suitable for Rejected Dimension to wear on stage,where she received a NSW Finalist Award for hersubmission.

“New Beginnings” Textiles Art Piece Challenge

During the year, 9/10 Textile Technology had to selecta theme of their choice based on the concept of “NewBeginnings”. The students had to design and constructan Art Quilt which was 40cm X 40cm in size for a hometextile art product that displayed at least 2 decorativetechniques. From the class, two students were selectedto take part in the Textiles Art Piece Challenge “NewBeginnings”.

Suliat Olayiwola was awarded 1st place for her wallhanging and Hawraa Farhat’s project was highlycommended. Both projects were photographed in theTechnology Educators Association Inc Magazine andwill be presented with an award early next year at theStitches and Craft show at Rosehill Racecourse.

Eat the Streets

Our Year 9 and 10 Food Technology students havebeen busily working on a new Project Based Learningunit of work where they worked in groups to design andproduce a range of suitable food products to be sold intheir very own food truck. During weeks four and five ofterm four, at recess and lunch many of our students at

various cuisines the students produced. This event wasa huge success, with students raising over $1000. Thismoney was used to purchase items for ChristmasHampers for families in our local community.

William Angliss Institute

On Friday 27th October, Year 11 Hospitality studentsvisited William Angliss Institute in Surrey Hills wherethey took part in a tour of the facilities at one ofSydney’s premiere hospitality training institutions. Theday was a sensory delight with the students taking in allthe sights, sounds and smells of the different kitchensat the facility and also got to see some of the students’sugar work that had been created for a competition.

Technology Showcase Evening

On Wednesday November 29th the Technology andApplied Studies Faculty hosted their first TASShowcase Evening. It was an outstanding night wherethe exceptional works made by our students were ondisplay for families and the community to see. It wasgreat to see the large number of people who attendedto congratulate our students on their excellent work.

Gardening Group

Kylie from Bunnings Blacktown visited the GardeningGroup during sport as part of a community initiative.Kylie spoke with the students about seasonal planting,companion planting and soil nutrient replenishmentbefore we ventured out and got our hands dirty. Thestudents enjoyed using their new tools to plant our newspring crop with varieties such as capsicum, zucchini,chilli, heirloom tomatoes, gourmet lettuce, sorrel andmore. All of these items were generously donated byBunnings Blacktown.

PDHPE

The PDHPE Faculty has had another busy year in2017. The lunchtime sporting competitions were a hitagain this year with Touch Football, Volleyball andNetball our focus. With the SLB students playing musicat lunchtime and the sporting competitions taking placea wonderful vibe was created to end the week. Both thestudents and the teachers enjoyed the competition andit was wonderful to see the talent highlighted eachweek at Mitchell High School.

The Outdoor Gym has been utilised in our Electiveclasses of PASS and SLR. The students enjoy thecompetitive aspect of using their body weight toimprove their strength. With the installation of the deckwe are now able to multi task and incorporate a varietyof exercises and circuits in this valuable learningspace.

The SALSA (Students as Active Lifestyle Activists)program was up and running again with an outstandinggroup of Year 10 students teaching valuable lessons toour Year 8 students. Students were mentored andtaught on relevant health issues such as activelifestyles, communication issues and collaborative teamwork. This not only allowed our Year 8 students todevelop, it also enabled our Year 10 students to


reassess what they do themselves. The students allenjoyed the sessions and we look forward to continuingour partnership with Western Sydney University nextyear.

The Year 10 Crossroads Camp was taken to a newfacility this year in Fitzroy Falls. This valuable camptook place from the 29th November until the 1stDecember. There were 80 students that attended thecamp and they were pushed beyond their comfort zone.Some of the activities the students were involved inincluded the Giant Swing, Abseiling, Commando Run,Sea Kayaking, Sailing and High Ropes. Not only did thestudents complete these activities but they wereinvolved in the mandatory Crossroads Program. Thefocus of the program was on providing students withthe opportunity to discuss issues that are important tothem. Discussions on relationships, drugs and theireffects, responsible behaviour surrounding drugs,intimate relationships and sexual health took place, withthe hope that, through role playing situations, studentsare well equipped to make healthy decisions in thefuture.

Year 10 were also involved in the Blue DattoFoundation incursion on Wednesday 22nd November.This program focused on the premise of keeping ourstudents safe. Keeping Safe is an industry–leadingroad safety program delivered to schools in NSW. TheProgram is an interactive analysis of travel safety risksfor young people and examines the influence of family,friends and the social environment on the choices theymake. The overall aim of Keeping Safe is to teach safebehaviours, encourage self–belief and empower youngpeople to make better choices on the roads as driversand passengers. The students were involved invaluable discussions with the half day programaddressing the requirements of the curriculum whilstencouraging lasting positive behaviour that encouragedstudents to build confidence in speaking up in riskysituations.

The valuable life–saving Year 7 Water Activities wasrun in December at Ripples St Marys. Students weretaught a variety of skills from learning to swim throughto helping to save a life. This was a very successful 3day program with students developing confidence notonly in their own swimming but in helping others out ofdangerous situations. Year 11 PDHPE and SLRstudents were crucial in the running of the lessons asthey worked alongside the teachers in delivering thisprogram. The staff involved were very impressed withtheir level of maturity and application to teaching thestudents within their groups.

With the ongoing focus of White Ribbon and MitchellHigh School standing up for violence against women,the PDHPE faculty focused on positive relationshipswithin their lessons. With this issue being a major factorwithin the society we live, our students are to becommended on their positive stance and willingness toembrace respect for one another.

The elective courses were taken to Manly Beach to betaught how to surf. It was a wonderful opportunity forour students to experience a different sport and bepushed outside their comfort zone. The students

thoroughly enjoyed the day and it was fantastic to seeso many stand up on the boards and catch somewaves.

In Term 4, an excursion to Liverpool Hospital took placeto be involved in the PARTY program. The PreventAlcohol and Risk–Related Trauma in Youth (PARTY)Program. It aims to help young people recognise riskand make informed choices about their future activitiesand behaviour. Students met the people that care fortrauma patients and were involved in simulatedscenarios. We hope that the students take a look attheir own behaviours and reassess their attitudes to risksituations.

SPORT

Carnivals

The Swimming and Athletics carnivals were held inearly 2017.This year we saw the highest studentattendance and participation at these carnivals. We hadsome stand out performers Lauryn Kasozi, GavinBloomfield and Ashlee Bloomfield who representedMitchell at Blacktown Zone, Sydney West and NSWCHS level.The Cross–Country carnival saw animprovement with a new and extended running routearound the school and neighboring Mitchell Reserve.

School Sport

The introduction of online sport selection has allowedfor a more streamlined and interactive way for ourstudents to select their sport. The School Bytes (SportSelection) software was introduced in term 2 and sincethen the feedback to students on allocations and themonitoring of student movement has improvedimmensely. Sport at Mitchell High School wasorganised into school sport, club and recreational sport.Students who elected to participate in school sportenjoyed sport on school grounds and remained in thesport for the 10 week period. Club sport is for studentswho wish to represent the school at a competitive level.This provides the players and coaches an opportunityto work on formation and group cohesion beforecompeting in knockout and gala competitions.

The Club Sports include Soccer, Rugby League,Cricket, Netball and, more recently, Volleyball. Dancealso falls under the Club Sport banner where MissSand can prepare her students for various events.Students in recreational sport enjoyed tenpin, rockclimbing, swimming and tennis. Although, rock climbingdid not run in term 3 and 4 due to the venue requiringupfront payment, which deterred a lot of students fromthis selection.

DANCE

Stage 6 Dance – Yr11–12

Year 11 and 12 Dance worked hard all year onPerformance, Composition and Appreciation elementsof the course. Students performed at Variety Night andthe Year 12 Dance Showcase. Students were fortunateenough to attend the Callbacks Excursion andBennelong by Bangarra Dance Theatre.


Callbacks

On Friday 9th February ten Year 11 Dance studentsattended the Callbacks performance at the SeymourCentre, to showcase exemplary works from 2016 HSCDance. The students viewed a range of performancesin Core Performance, Core Composition, MajorPerformance and Major Composition, all relevantcomponents of HSC Dance. Year 11 Dance had theopportunity to stay back and listen to question andanswers at the end of all the performances, which thenfurther developed their understanding of the works theyhad seen performed. Students left the performancefeeling inspired and with a greater understanding ofwhat HSC markers are looking for in the Performanceand Composition components of HSC Dance.

Bangarra Excursion

On Wednesday 26th June, the Year 11 Dance Class,along with members of Elective Dance and the DanceEnsemble visited the Sydney Opera House to watchBennelong performed by Bangarra Dance Theatre.Year 11 Dance and Elective Dance have been studyingDance in Australia in their Appreciation Unit, and hadbeen viewing past Bangarra works. The studentsthoroughly enjoyed the live performance and left feelinginspired.

Elective Dance

Elective Dance students spent the year learning aboutperformance, body alignment and safe dance practice,how to create a group composition, Ballet andContemporary dance, contact improvisation and TheBangarra Dance Theatre. The group performed atVariety Night.

Dance Ensemble

The MHS Dance Ensemble was made up of 16 dancersin 2017, ranging from students in Years 7–11. Thisgroup represented Mitchell High School in a variety ofevents ranging from festivals, eisteddfods, performanceshowcases and charity functions.

Synergy Dance Festival

On Tuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th June, theDance Ensemble performed two lyrical dance items atthe Synergy Dance Festival, held at Penrith Panthers.Each student involved demonstrated an outstandinglevel of performance quality and technique; they are tobe commended on the professional manner in whichthey conducted themselves. There was positivefeedback received from teachers, parents, fellowstudents and organisers of the festival. The dancerswere exemplary in representing our school.

The Hills Dance Spectacular

On Sunday 12th September, members of the DanceEnsemble represented Mitchell High School in the HillsDance Spectacular. Students competed in the SeniorSecondary Modern/Contemporary section with theirdances 'After the war' and 'The Outcast', however,

unfortunately, due to the stiff competition on the day,they did not place. All students represented MitchellHigh School in a professional manner and performed toa high standard.

Celebrating The Arts

On Tuesday 12th September the MHS DanceEnsemble participated in the Celebrating The Artsdance festival. Students performed all three of theirensemble dances 'The Outcast', 'After the war' and'She Wolf'. They all performed to a high standard andwere complimented by teachers from other schools andthe organiser of the festival for their excellent behaviorand for acting as role models for the primary studentsalso participating.

School’s Spectacular

On Friday 24th November and Saturday 25thNovember, 2017, 16 Dance students from MHSperformed in the School’s Spectacular. Students spentthe whole week at rehearsals, perfecting theirchoreography for their segment ‘Beyond the waves’where they danced to songs from Moana. All studentswho participated in the School’s Spectacular conductedthemselves in a professional manner and acted asREAL students.

Hip–Hip Dance Group

Iverson Dela–cruz, Paris Uata and Brooke Azzopardiran this group. These three students taughtchoreography to a group of students throughout theyear so that they could compete in the Bring it onHip–Hop Competition. These students worked with anoutside mentor named Cat, who assisted with thestudents leadership skills.

Bring it on

Students participated in the heats in June and woncrowd's vote to secure a position in the finals, wherestudents performed well, but didn't place.

Year 7 and 8 Dance Group

The Year 7 and 8 Dance group was started in 2016 dueto many dancers in these year groups auditioning forthe Dance Ensemble. As ensemble numbers werelimited, this was a group that anyone in Year 7 and 8could join and they had the opportunity to perform atyear assemblies and Variety Night. This dance groupwas run by senior dance students in Years 10 and 11 in2017.

HERITAGE DAY

Another fantastic Heritage Day was held on Friday 25thAugust. This annual event is held for the whole schoolcommunity to celebrate the vast diversity andmulticulturalism within Mitchell High School. It waswonderful to see the outstanding colourful costumesworn by students and staff. The day began with a flagbearer ceremony and performances from some of our


very talented students. We were also entertained byprofessional Asian, Serbian, Chinese, African andPolynesian Island dancers.

Later in the afternoon, students were able to try a widevariety of food from differing cultures. Music was playedunder the COLA where students could participate in avariety of cultural dances. To add to the fun andexcitement, once again, there were carnival rides forthe students and teachers to ride.

This year, the local community were invited toparticipate in the festivities within the day including theSchool Director, Principals from local Primary and HighSchools, P&C members, PCYC, Police Youth Officer,School Leaders from local primary schools and familymembers of our students.

REWARDS DAY

430 students from Mitchell High School were rewardedon Friday 8th December 2017 for not receiving any‘negative’ Millennium entries on our computer systemthroughout the entire year. They did this by beingconsistent with our Core School Values – that is, to bea REAL student @MHS (Respectful, Engaged, ActiveLearner).

To qualify and become a successful recipient of suchan award, the students followed all school procedures,for example – they wore their school uniform correctly,handed in all of their assessment tasks on time, arrivedto school on time, were respectful towards otherstudents and teachers, followed teacher instruction andused their technology appropriately..

Students received a Certificate signed by the SchoolPrincipal, Ms Marinis and the Engagement TeamLeaders Mrs Spadina and Mrs Depalo, a Hoyts movievoucher, a free BBQ lunch and their names publishedin the school newsletter and uploaded on our skoolbagapp.

Congratulations to all recipients from of all the staff atMitchell High School. Looking forward to a fresh startnext year and hoping that we can get more than 430students receiving this award in 2018.

Mr Debrincat – Engagement Team member

INTERNATIONAL LINKS

A Trip in a Lifetime………

During the end of term three and the September schoolholidays, Mr Debrincat and Mrs Depalo took 16students, as well as their own families, to the other sideof the world for an amazing European Adventure. Ourgroup landed in Rome and spent the first 8 daystravelling our way through Italy, staying in Rome,Sorrento, Florence and Venice. We got to see andexperience firsthand many historical monumentsincluding the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Pompeiiand the statue of David. We spent the day at the beachin Positano and Amalfi, went to amazing art galleriesand churches and also got to see the back canals ofVenice on a gondola. We ate lots of pizza and the

occasional gelato too. After Italy we made our way toSalzburg (Austria), travelling there by a very fast nighttrain, and spending two days visiting Mozart’sbirthplace and singing numerous songs whilst on theSound of Music tour. After Salzburg we hopped overthe border into Wertheim, Germany and met our hostfamilies, with whom we spent 5 nights. Our time inGermany included a day trip to Stuttgart where wespent the day at the Mercedes Benz museum whichwas awesome!!!! We all wanted to buy one. We spent aday at Dietrich–Bonhoeffer–Gymnasium andexperienced various lessons in Visual Arts, English,Science and Engineering. Our students were not usedto 1.5 hour lessons. Later we walked through Wertheimto their local council where we were greeted by theMayor's representative and we were told about thehistory of Wertheim (pronounced as Vertime, as the"W" sounds like the letter "V"). Many of us from thegroup visited Heidelberg Castle where the view wasgreat, however, the walk up was a little tiring. Thestudents spent the weekend with their host familiesseeing the sites of Germany. Many long lastingfriendships have been made and many of the studentshave organised to return in two years’ time. We endedour time in Europe with three days in Singapore. It wasextremely hot and humid. We visited the zoo, spent aday of fun at Universal Studios and Gardens by theBay. The students came back lighter in weight from allthe walking and sightseeing that we'd done over the 21days, but their luggage definitely came back a lotheavier thanks to all the souvenirs they bought asreminders of our amazing trip.

I just would like to add, what a wonderful group ofstudents to travel with. We are so proud of them and ithas been a fantastic experience. The students and staffhave not only had a memorable experience touring as agroup through Europe and Singapore but we alsoestablished a supportive and caring relationship thatwill be treasured and will never be forgotten. It was alife changing trip for all involved and I wouldrecommend all students to consider going on one of theinternational trips Mitchell High School offers ourstudents.

"We are Mitchell!!!!"


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