From the Principal

Term 2 – A Busy Time Again!

Again this Term has been extremely busy. As Term 2 draws to an end it is interesting

to look at some of the many activities/events that took place over the last 10 weeks.

This list is certainly not exhaustive and in some ways only scratches the surface of

what occurs in the school:

Formal Anzac Day Ceremony

NAPLAN Exams for Years 7 and 9.

Parent and Teacher Nights- one for Years 7&8 and one for Years 9-12.

Two P&C meetings

Music Night

SRC organised Trivia Night

Numerous Sports Knockouts, as well as Grade Sport.

Year 9 Language camp

Year 7 Language day

International Student Guardians meeting

A variety of excursions organised by different KLAs

Visits by Executive and students of BHS to our five feeder Primary Schools.

Reports for all years written and distributed to parents.

The School Athletics Carnival – held this year at Sylvania Athletics field

100‘s of hours of Work Placement completed by VET students.

Term 3 sees this frenetic pace continue. Amongst a multitude of other activities we will have a Subject

Selection evening for Years 8 and 10. Year 12 will be sitting their HSC Trial exams and Year 11 will be

completing their Yearly Preliminary exams in the last two weeks.

SRC Trivia Night

Thanks to the SRC for organising the extremely successful Trivia night held on the 15th

of June. The night

was supported by a large number of staff, parents and ex-students. All who attended had a fun night with

challenging questions and activities. Many thanks to Sarah Butler and her team for their efforts in organising

the event and prizes. Also a vote of thanks to Peter Slater who performed wonderfully on the night as the

Master of Ceremonies. The night raised over $1000.

Half-Yearly Reports

By now you should have all received a copy of your child‘s half yearly reports. It would be great if you discussed

the teacher‘s comments with your child, especially the recommendations for improvement.

Primary School Visits

On the 12th

of June, Blakehurst High ‗took to the road’ to visit five of our local Primary Schools to talk to Year 5 and 6

students about coming to High School in general and attending BHS in particular. This is part of our Primary Links

Program. The schools visited were:

Hurstville South Primary School

Blakehurst Primary School

Connells Point Primary School

Baldface Primary School

Carlton South Primary School

N E W S L E T T E R

Blakehurst High School

Your Outstanding Local Comprehensive Secondary School

Term 2 Update – June 2012

270A Woniora Road BLAKEHURST NSW 2221 Ph: 9546 3281 Fax: 9547 1024 Email: blakehurst-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au Website: www.blakehurst-h.schools.nsw.edu.au

The ‗road show‘ consisted of Dan Ovens (Deputy Principal), Joanne Louey, Troy Van Munster (2013 Year 7 Student Advisers), five

Year 7 students (all of whom attended different Primary Schools) and myself. Topics discussed included:

What is different at High School?

Subjects undertaken in Year 7

Sport

Interact

Peer Tutoring

First days at High School.

The Year 7 students who addressed the Primary students were – Celeste Trpkoski, Alexander Ristevski, Cassidy Que, Alexia

Mouratidis and Rachel Huang. They all did a wonderful job and were great ambassadors for the school.

The Year 5 students will visit Blakehurst High later in the year for an orientation visit and partake of some ‗taster‘ lessons, which

could include a Science experiment, a Cooking lesson, a PDHPE lesson, or an Industrial Arts lesson.

Subject Selection Evening

On the first Wednesday back next term (18th July) we will be holding a Subject Selection Information evening for all Year 8 and 10

students and their parents. We are requesting that all students and their parents attend this very important meeting if they intend

studying at Blakehurst High School in 2013. The organisation for the evening is:

Year 8 Meeting in the hall promptly at 5-15pm for a short presentation – this will be followed by various KLA/faculty

displays of elective subjects available for Year 9 students in 2013. Teachers and Head Teachers will be available to

discuss the options available within their KLA (5-30pm until 6-30pm).

Year 10 Meeting in the hall at 6-00pm for a short presentation on HSC requirements and the subject selection process as

it operates at BHS. This will be followed by KLA/faculty displays to allow students and parents to discuss 2013 Year 11

subject options with subject teachers and KLA Head Teachers (6-30pm until 7-30pm). There will be TAFE teachers also in

attendance during this time.

Interested in Becoming a „Homestay‟ Parent/Guardian

I recently attended a conference run by the International Students Centre (ISC). At the conference, a plea for ‗Homestay‘ parents/guardians was made by both the ISC and Homestay organisers. A ‗Homestay‘ parent/guardian provides board and lodgings for International Students attending local schools/universities. Therefore, if you have a spare room and would like to find out more about what is involved in becoming a ‗Homestay‘ parent/guardian, please contact one of the organisations below. Homestay parents/guardians are paid approximately $300 per week per student.

School Fees

Thanks to the many families who have already paid their school fees for 2012.

These fees assist greatly in the running of the school, and all fees received are used to enhance your child’s education this

year. General contributions are used to pay for things such as photocopying, textbooks, teaching resources, library books etc. The

school would simply not have enough money to pay for all of these things without parents paying the General Contribution. So

again, thank you.

Subject fees vary in their amount based on the amount of consumerables used in the teaching of the subject. As a result, some

subjects have NO fees, but others such as Visual Arts, Woodwork, Construction, Food Technology etc have higher fees due to the

resources/consumerables required and used by the students undertaking these subjects.

The P&C Student Enhancement Fee is used by the P&C to fund worthwhile educational projects/resources around the school,

again to improve the educational outcomes of students this year. So far in 2012 the P&C has funded projects valued at over

$23000. These include the ongoing funding of the SMS Attendance System ($5000); Data Loggers for Science (over $8000);

Sewing Machines for TAS (>$5000); Block Out Blinds requested by English ($2400); and installation/servicing of Ecomist products

in the boys and girls toilets ($2000 annually).

If you have trouble in paying your fees, please feel free to contact Kim Morris (Office Manager) or myself to organise payment in

instalments, or to discuss other arrangements. All information provided will be held in confidence.

Oz Homestay

Elizabeth Walmsley Ph: 8765 9063

www.ozhomestay.com.au

Aussie Families Homestay Care

Christine Rose Ph: 9301 0900

MOB: 0419 628 168 www.auzziefamilies.com

Staydown Under

Rachel Whyte Ph: 8901 4499

www.staydownunder.com.au

Blakehurst High School PLEASE USE THIS FORM FOR CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS ONLY

Student Name: Roll Class:

Payment For:

PAYMENT DETAILS: {Please tick on box}

Please debit my credit card for $ Visa Mastercard Name on Card:

Card Number: PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY

Expiry Date: / Signature: (Receipts will be sent home with students)

STUDY SKILLS TIP FOR JUNE: REVIEWING YOUR WORK ON A DAILY BASIS

Did you know that if you don‘t look at what you are learning for a second time within 24 hours you forget 80% of the detail! This is

why your teachers encourage you to review what you learn each day when you get home from school.

One of the best habits you can develop is the following:

each afternoon, even before you start your homework, spend 10-15 minutes reviewing what you learnt at school that day.

There are lots of different ways you can do this review, here are some ideas

(and you can do something different every day):

Highlight the key points in each lesson.

Write down the top 3 things you learnt in each lesson (you could do this in a separate book or at the bottom of the day’s

classwork).

Make a mind map about what you have been learning in class.

Try and explain what you did in each lesson that day to a family member (or even to the cat).

Go on a Google adventure, do some quick research on one interesting thing from each lesson.

Write up on a white board one main idea from each lesson (a whiteboard in your room is a great tool for secondary

students).

Write down for each subject a question you could ask about what you learnt that day.

There will be a fabulous payoff to doing this, more of what you learn at school will stick in your head, you will have less to learn at

test time, and it will make your assignments and projects easier when you can recall what you have been learning.

Learn more about the Brain and Advanced Memory Techniques at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au.

User Name: blakehursths

Password: 186results

Mr B Lester Principal

Please ensure your

child has a reasonable

bed time so they can

be on time for

school

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL’S Report School Uniform

Your assistance in arranging for students to attend school in full school uniform is much appreciated. With the onset of colder

weather, jumpers and jackets often get lost. Clear labels on clothing will help the return of mislaid items.

Student Attendance

Everyone finds it harder to get out of bed in winter. Years 11 and 12 absences and lateness have worsened since the start of Term

2. Please encourage your child to get up at a reasonable time so that they can arrive on time by encouraging a reasonable bed

time. Students who miss Period Zero lessons can be missing up to 25% of their timetabled lessons. Students can not achieve their

best if they are not present for at least 90 to 95% of lesson time. Students who are late disrupt their own learning and the learning

of all other students in the class.

Junior students need to ensure that they arrive in time to attend rollcall (8:50am). Students who live closest to school, those who

walk, and those who travel to school with parents are often the last to arrive! Please ensure that your child is learning good habits.

As we know employers would not accept regular lateness.

The school will continue to communicate by SMS and mail, with parents of those

students who are absent. If you know that you child will be absent please contact

inform us by SMS, phone, email or note. This will ensure that you don‘t get the SMS

messages.

Year 12 – The End is in Sight

We are reaching a really important time for Year 12; many of whom are on target to

achieve their goals. Clearly however, the time has come for each of our Year 12

students to shift into gear and allocate real time to engage in examination practice to

consolidate their understanding of course work and accustom themselves to the

examination style questions that they will be asked to complete during the Trial Higher

School Certificate examinations commencing Week 3 Term 3, and the Higher School

Certificate examinations commencing Monday 15 October.

Past Higher School Certificate papers with markers comments can be found on the Board of Studies site at

http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/hsc_exams/

What is a good Band 6, Band 5 or Band 4 response?

http://arc.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/go/hsc/std-packs/ is a site where students can practice questions and compare these to

sample answers matched to the various bands. These sites provide students with plenty of options for examination practice in the

lead up to their trial and Higher School Certificate examinations.

Semester One Reports

Congratulations to all students whose Reports reflect that they have tried their best this semester. Year 7 students will receive their

Reports in the last week of term. If you have any concerns about your child‘s Report, please contact the individual teacher, the

subject Head Teacher or the Year Adviser.

Mrs Lyn Paton Deputy Principal

ENGLISH News

Mona Williams…….

….is a vibrant, much in demand storyteller. She covers a vast spectrum

of stories including myths, legends and heroic tales; folk, fairy and

wisdom stories, fables, riddles and autobiographical adventures. Her

action packed stories and dramatic presentations enthrall audiences of

all ages. Mona has taught English at Primary and Secondary Schools

and has lectured at University levels. She is also an author of 24

children‘s books and an Emmy Award winner for her television storytelling

program in the USA, ―Roots & Branches‖.

Tales with a Difference

On Tuesday 14 August there

will be a Year 7 school

incursion where students will

participate in a dramatic

presentation by Storyteller,

Mona Williams. This is an

integral part of the students‘

study of the Narrative, through the

themes of Fantasy, Myths and Legends.

This performance will take place in the Blakehurst High School Library during

Period 1 and part of Recess.

This is a compulsory component of Blakehurst High School‘s English Program. The

cost for each student is $4; to be paid to the Office and the permission slip, with the

receipt, is to be given to the student‘s English teacher by Monday 23 July, at the very

latest.

Mrs P Plessas

Year 7 English Coordinator

Mrs J Hinson

Head Teacher English

News from the LIBRARY All students

The school holidays are nearly here. All students are eligible to take advantage of the ―double borrowing‖ offer for the holidays. Students can borrow double the number of books that they can usually borrow so that they will always have something to read in the Holidays! The library has many NEW BOOKS ready for borrowing.

Keep reading your books for the 2012 PREMIERS READING CHALLENGE. Don‘t forget, Reading Logs need to be finalised in August.

Hurstville City Library has an extensive collection of resources for high school students. These resources are not only for HSC students, there are many that are of assistance to all years. The Library has recently acquired several databases that are accessible free from the Library‘s Website. Well worth a look! BLAKEHURST HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY is being re-

carpeted during the School Holidays. Come in for a visit next term to check out the new look!!

Jennifer Davoren

Relief Teacher/Librarian

Venus

News from SCIENCE

It was a cold and humid morning on the 6th

June, with the sky

patched with grey clouds and the sun a fuzzy orb that no sooner it

peeped into view than it disappeared again, as if in teasing. A breeze

was up too, mild and intermittent but perceptible enough to send tremors up

the solarscope and cause the projected image of the sun to occasionally

tremble and shake.

For someone out to observe the Transit of Venus, the conditions were far

from exemplary. But we stood our ground, no regrets there, and braved the

elements. The transit was an event not to miss, particularly when the next one

is not due until 2117. It was, literally and figuratively, a once-in-a-life

opportunity. Rain, drizzle or shine, we had to persevere.

On that particular morning, two solarscopes were in operation. A contraption

made from a lens, a mirror and a cardboard structure folded upon itself until it

resembled something futuristic—the first was won by the school following an

online competition, while the other was bought by the Mathematics and

Science faculties as a collaborative resource. The day before the transit, a

Year 11 Physics class had assembled both solarscopes, using the

instructions provided, and then took them out for a test run. On the 6th

,

more senior classes took part in the experience, with Mathematics and

Science taking the lead. Mr Bob Harrison, a guest speaker, was our

surveyor on the day. After introducing the field of surveying to a selection of

senior students, citing the skills needed and emphasizing the high

employability prospects of the field, he directed the same group outdoors

and in the lead up to the observation provided students with some hints on

how to correctly use a solarscope.

It was 8:30 am, and the transit had already begun. But the sun was

still masked by clouds and it simply refused to reveal itself. Time passed

one, one lengthy minute after the other. Overhead more clouds gathered,

further darkening the sky and adding to the collective angst. But then,

almost expectedly, a patch cleared out

above the eastern horizon and the

sun finally came into view.

Before another cloud would

creep in, students instantly

gathered around their

solarscopes and after some

adjustment watched the

image on the cardboard

sharpen and brighten up. The

projection was the size of a small plate, and equally bright.

There, against the white backdrop, was a small black sphere: our sought-after Venus.

What followed was a buzz of activity: fingers pointed; exclaims echoed; camera phones clicked; uniforms and

badges pressed and nudged as they vied for that better view of the celestial display in progress. Excitement hung in the air like

static. It was as if the beauty of Mathematics, the power of Science, the elegance of the Universe and the tenacity of the human

spirit in its eternal search for meaningful answers were all encapsulated in that simple display of shadow and light. It was ―strangely

exciting”, to quote a Head Teacher, ―seeing that black dot go across the sun”, and strangely exciting, indeed it was. Had I had the

time, I would have spent the whole day watching, but the bell had gone and it was time to move on. Such was life! Too many

chores to do, too little time to reflect. But on that day (June 6th

) the heavens had put on a show and we were out there to admire.

The Transit of Venus did not disappoint. It was a memorable experience for all involved. We had our moment of reflection, after

all.

On The Transit of Venus June 6

Projected Image of the Sun

Mr K Estephan

Science Faculty

Year 7 Science Excursion

Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife Park – Darling Harbour.

Over two cold winters mornings, all Year 7 students gathered at Hurstville Station to start an

amazing adventure into the realm of living organisms. The excursion to the Sydney Wildlife Park and Aquarium provided a stimulating experience and educational context

to the unit of work, Classifying Living Organisms, being studied in Term 2 by all

Year 7 students. After a quick train trip to Town Hall, it was a hop, skip and step down to Darling Harbour via the Queen Victoria building. The first stop was the Sydney Wildlife Park, where students screamed with excitement whilst being funneled through a

maze of dark walkways into the sweltering heat of the tropical enclosure. Students and staff were descended upon by a plethora of butterflies as they moved throughout

the tropics and forward to view the reptiles exhibit.

Sydney Wildlife Park – Ali Bassam Bazzi

The largest inhabitant and by far the most impressive was Rex, the 6ft long,

500 pound crocodile. Students witnessed Rex through a below ground viewing platform whilst Dave the keeper informed them of his history. He

has a viscous streak and in his time at the park has killed two of his former girlfriends. As a result, all attempts to prolong Rex‘s legacy through a mating program were abolished. Sydney Wild Life Park – Rex during his daily exercise routine.

Following a short break and bonus ―free sausage sizzle‖ it was a short walk to the Sydney Aquarium. The boys and girls were all buzzed up and

rearing to go after copious amounts of frozen coke refills and chips from the food court. The aquarium provided some spectacular observations of a variety of

marine habitats including The Great Barrier Reef, Tropical Bay of Rays, Northern and Southern Oceans and my personal favourite, The Discovery Pool.

The Discovery Pool was a fantastic hands-on exhibition that

provided the students with an opportunity to connect core knowledge of living organisms with real life sensations of

sight, touch and smell. On display were a variety of starfish, sea sausages, shark eggs and coral.

Overall, the staff and students had a wonderful experience over two days of superb weather. A big

thank you goes out to Ms Ware who organised the whole excursion, Ms Linda O‘Brien, Head Teacher

Science, for approving the excursion and all of the staff and practicum students that were in attendance. The students

represented the Blakehurst community with pride and should be commended for their exemplary behaviour and safety whilst on

public transport and walking through the streets of Sydney‘s busy CBD.

James Roff - Science Faculty Mrs Linda O’Brien Head Teacher Science

Every day we set out to satisfy our own personal needs with not too much thought of those less fortunate than us. I‘m hungry, I‘m tired, I‘m bored, I‘m busy… are a few of the narrow thoughts that went through my mind during the Easter holidays. Then it occurred to me, what do I do for others? Relatively little it seemed…..hmmm.

So, I began thinking about my upcoming ventures and how I

could incorporate them into a positive experience for people

less fortunate than myself. I decided to get the Blakehurst

High School community involved with the Charity event “The

Balmoral Burn‖ via student and staff involvement. Our Goals

were:

Raise $1000 for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation

Enter two teams - one boys‘ team and one girls‘

team in the schools relay category ―Head of the Hill‖

In a very short time frame and with the help of the dedicated

SRC team, Ms Butler, Ms Camilleri and Mr Smith we were able to organise

a Cupcake day to raise the funds required to enter a Senior Boys‘ Relay Team (as above). A fantastic effort by all involved.

The following results were achieved:

We fielded 1 team - Senior men‘s relay team – The ONLY public school entered

The boys‘ placed 23rd

out of 30 schools in the ―Head of the Hill‖ category

We raised $1105 for the Humpy Dumpty Foundation

Thank you to all those who donated:

On a personal note, I would like to express my immense appreciation towards the Blakehurst High community for getting behind

this event and giving the students an opportunity to help the less fortunate by participating in a positive community event. A huge

thank you to Mr Lester who has supported me throughout the whole process and was actually the first person to donate when the

fundraising page was created. Last but certainly not least, I would like to extend a massive thank you to Mr and Mrs Hughes for

getting the boys there on the day, taking a huge number of quality photos and making a DVD for all the boys - they were stoked!

Looking forward, I hope that this will be an annual event and I encourage every student, staff member, parent or caregiver to get

involved in 2013 and feel the burn!

helping put kids back together

Mika Zammit, David Hughes, Dylan McCuaig-Walton, Daniel Towe

Mr James Roff

Science Faculty

News from

Mathematics Faculty…

Venus came and w e n t!

What a great day! We recall looking out the window in the morning at the clouds and rain and thinking

we wouldn‘t have the opportunity to see Venus, but as Mr Estephan has reported elsewhere in the

newsletter the clouds did indeed open at critical times and we had the chance to be mesmerised by

that little black dot.

We are fortunate in the Mathematics staffroom that our windows face west, so all afternoon we left

the solarscope set up and we glanced at it often. A quite unique experience, and one we are grateful

that the wider school community got to experience.

Year 12 – Your time is approaching! HSC study days

It‘s time to take advantage of many study days that are being provided during the school holidays.

Remember these aren‘t holidays for you now – the Trial exams start in Week 3 of Term 3 so now is the time for serious ―trial‖

preparation. Time to find out what system will or will not work for you.

We recommend attending a seminar organised by your local council or one of the many Universities. Many of our Mathematics

students had the opportunity to attend a wonderful day at the University of Wollongong in late June – thanks very much to Mrs

Louey and Mr Yan for accompanying them.

HSC Mathematics Lock In – Kogarah Library

Friday 13 July, 7pm – midnight

Experienced HSC teachers will provide advice on all levels of HSC Mathematics. You can

have full access to library resources and free dinner and snacks. They are also doing English

on this night.

Registrations are essential and you can download from Kogarah Library‘s website

(www.kogarah.nsw.gov.au/library-services) else click directly on this link.

University Workshops

This website (http://hscintheholidays.com.au/workshops/) has links to lectures on many

campuses. They are low cost and cater for many subjects. They advertise using the phrase

“Sit for a day with the most qualified and experienced HSC teachers in NSW!” Who can

argue with that?!

………………………………………………………………….

Donate your blood! Others need it!!

In 2012 Blakehurst High School has started donating blood and we have made 72 donations

over the past 4 months. That‘s over 200 lives we have helped to save or improve…. absolutely

brilliant!

We‘ll be ramping up our awareness program during

Term 3 as we‘ll be having a great hit out in the 2012 -

2013 Vampire Shield; a friendly competition between St George and Sutherland Shire

schools. Our next donation days will be towards the end of Term 3, so watch out for the

posters around the school and presentations on Assembly.

Mrs A Peachey Head Teacher Mathematics

Testimony

of a

Student

Teacher

A Message from NSW Health re Vaccinations…..

……Each year NSW Health Public Health Units offer the vaccines recommended by the National Health and Medical Research

Council (NHMRC) for adolescents as part of the school-based program. If you have any medical queries re the vaccinations,

please contact the Public Health Unit on 9382 8333.

Parent Information Kits will be sent home to parents/guardians. To consent to the vaccination of their child, parents/guardians

are advised to read all the information provided and complete the consent form. Only consent forms signed by the parent/guardian

will be accepted. To ensure your child is vaccinated, please return all signed consent forms to the school as soon as possible after

receiving them.

Parents/guardians who wish to withdraw their consent for any reason may do so in writing to the school Principal. The

procedure for Withdrawal of Consent is available on the NSW Health website at:

www.health.nsw.gov.au/PublicHealth/Immunisation/school_prog/withdraw_consent.asp . Please note that for the HPV vaccine

only: parents/guardians must record their Medicare Number (including all 10 digits) on the consent form, as this is required to

record the student‘s health information on the National HPV Vaccination Register and link to the National Cervical Screening

Program.

A Record of Vaccination will be provided to each student vaccinated at the clinic. Parents/guardians should ensure that this

record is kept for future reference and should not assume that their child has been vaccinated if they do not receive this Record of

Vaccination. It is also recommended that you inform your GP so they can update your child‘s records.

What happens if your child misses a dose of the vaccine at school? Provided you have returned a signed consent form,

any student who is absent from school and missed a dose vaccine will be caught up with at the next scheduled

vaccination clinic at your school throughout the year.

Vaccinations Year 7 Vaccinations Year 10

Mrs J Smith Welfare Co-ordinator

A Record of Vaccination…

…will be provided to each student vaccinated at the clinic. Parents/guardians should ensure that this

record is kept for future reference and should not assume that their child has been vaccinated if they do not

receive this Record of Vaccination. It is also recommended that you inform your GP so

they can update your child‘s records.

Visit 1 30/03/12

Hepatitis B Vaccine (dose 1 of 2 dose course) Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (HPV) (dose 1 of 3 dose course - GIRLS ONLY)

Visit 2 29/06/12

HPV Vaccine (dose 2 - GIRLS ONLY) Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis booster – (single dose) Varicella Vaccine (chicken pox) – (single dose) HPV and Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis vaccine –‗Catch ups‘

Visit 3 16/11/12

Hepatitis B Vaccine - dose 2 (for those who received dose 1) HPV Vaccine – (dose 3 GIRLS ONLY) HPV and Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis vaccine – ‗Catch ups‘

Visit 1 30/03/12

Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis booster vaccine - (single dose)

Visit 2 „Catch Up‟

29/06/12

Year 10 Students

who miss the Visit 1

Vaccinations, can

‘Catch up‘ on Visit 2 or 3 Visit 3 „Catch Up‟

16/11/12

From the CAREERS Adviser

Parents Supporting Their Student

Quite often I receive phone calls from concerned parents anxious to help their

child as much as possible with their future career plans. As a parent myself I

fully understand the anxiety, the concern and the desire for their child to be well

prepared for their future.

While we sometimes don‘t think we are getting through to our teenage children,

research tells us that families and in particular parents are the single biggest

influence on our young people‘s career choices, but how do we keep up with all

the changes that have taken place in education since we were at school.

There are a number of excellent websites that can help us help our children.

The most comprehensive site that is user friendly and specifically aimed at

students, teachers and parents is: www.myfutrure.edu.au.

It is set-up in three sections:

It is this third section (Assist Others) which targets teachers and parents and where you will find a vast wealth of information that

you can use to help your child with these life changing decisions.

I also subscribe to a web service call ―MHSCareers‖ and as a parent attached to the

school, it‘s a simple matter to also register to receive their email alerts. I regularly edit

the information and email Newsletters to all Year 10, 11 and 12 students via the

Department‘s email system. I‘m sure if your child in these years were to check their

emails regularly they would find a number from me with these Newsletters and

numerous other career items as I receive them. The registration details for

―MHSCareers‖ are given below.

Students or Parents Registering for Email Alerts

Please send an email to the address below for the state (or states) that you are registering for with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Please include your name, school or college and whether you are a student or parent.

NSW/ACT – nsw@mhscareers.com

NSW/ACT Newsletters ONLY – nswnewsletters@mhscareers.com

With this option you will only receive one email a week but you will miss some news. I hope this information has been useful,

particularly with Subject Selections coming up and Year 12 contemplating the next step in their career journey.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants has requested the following information be included in this Newsletter, for

the attention of Students and Parents of Years 10 & 11.

Mrs Centorrino Careers Adviser

My Guide The Facts

Assist Others

Come Along to Meet the Business Leader Event for 2012 This is your chance to meet with young professionals from a wide range of Industries and gain

an insight into their real life experiences. When Wednesday 22 August 2012 from 4:30pm Where Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, Level 1, 33 Erskine Street Sydney Who Year 10 & 11 students Dress Smart Casual Cost Free Register – www.charteredaccountants.com.au/Studnets/Whats-on/Eventlisting/NSW/NSW-Meet-the-

Business-Leader.aspx

Students need to Register as soon as possible as spaces are limited

Year 7 Graffiti Bin Project

The Environmental Team recently completed their

latest project, The Graffiti Bin Project. Some of the

Team cleaned school bins and selected Year 7

students to paint them on Friday of Week 7 and

Thursday of Week 8. The aim of the project was to

encourage students to put rubbish in the bins by

making the bins appealing to look at. We wanted

Year 7 to continue their good habits from primary

school and help make the school more attractive.

All Year 7 classes were asked to participate in a design competition, and

then the best 28 designs were selected to be painted onto bins. In the

process of painting and designing, students were reminded about the

importance of the 3Rs - Reduce Reuse Recycle! Reducing our

waste by putting our food into Reusable containers instead of plastic

bags/wrap; using Reusable drink bottles instead of buying water;

Recycling both paper in the appropriate box in the classroom and

objects at home.

The project was fun for all students involved and the finished product of

the bins look great! We also created a 5 minute video for the Enviro

Inspiro! Competition based on this and other projects carried out by the

Team.

Rebecca Gray-Schwarz, Stina Alevris, Erin Bayas

Environmental Team

Finished bins from first and second painting session

Ms Jane Camilleri

Environmental Team

SRC Report

Multiculturalism Project ….Diversified – Unified

One of the major on-going projects by the SRC of Blakehurst High for 2012 is the Multiculturalism project. The slogan for this year‘s

project is „Diversified - Unified’.

The purpose of this project is to raise awareness of the different race and nationalities present in our school and also to break down

the barriers between cultural groups.

We have interviewed teachers of different racial backgrounds to help us gain a better insight of what life is like for a non-Australian

background person to be living in this country. In these interviews, the teachers speak about what it means for them to integrate

with ―mainstream‖ Australian culture, while still practicing their own. We then present these interviews to the school during

Assembly (the first of these were shown to the school on June 28th). Students start to understand different views of other cultures

and will start to realize that despite the different racial backgrounds, we are not too different after all.

The Multiculturalism Team will begin a different theme next term, based on cultures. We will be focusing on things such as the

festivals, values and beliefs that different cultures hold. The purpose of this is to help students appreciate the wide variety of

cultures present in Australia.

The SRC, in conjunction with the Senior Prefects, have also taken on the Acculturation project, which is a program to help new

students, especially International students, to adapt to our school. We plan to commence this project in Term 3.

The SRC believe that the Multiculturalism project will impact the Blakehurst High School community in a positive way, and our goal

of having a peaceful, harmonious and unified student body will be achieved sooner rather than later.

Charlene Su, Year 11 SRC Member and Multiculturalism Project Leader 2012.

Miss Sarah Butler SRC Co-ordinator

Another busy and productive few weeks have passed by quickly. Most of the

‗Get into VET’ course attended by quite a few Year 10 students, finished last

week. The feedback has been very positive from both students and TAFE colleges.

This experience will help the participants with their subject selections for next year.

Other students and their parents will be helped by advice from teachers and various

stakeholders when they attend the upcoming Information Night next term and

through the course counselling that the school provides.

Other Year 10 and 11 students attended the St

George Career Compass Day at Hurstville

Entertainment Centre.

Many RTOS (Registered

Training Organisations),

TAFE, Universities, and

Apprenticeship Providers

had stalls, with lots of

information disseminated

for curious and enthused

students.

Year 10 Boys Jumpstart,

run by the Pole depot‘s

Youth Zone, finished last

Friday. The boys learnt a

lot and came away inspired to focus on their future

education and career. A group of Year 10 girls will be

completing a similar course next term. Some of you can

expect a permission slip to come home this week. Please

don‘t hesitate to contact me at the school if you need to

know more or would like your daughter to attend.

A highlight of last week was a visit to Yamaha

Corporate Headquarters at Wetherill Park. The Yamaha

Young Mechanics Partnership which also involves CBCC

and Oatley Senior College, Hurstville and Peakhurst

Campuses, has some of our Year 9 students competing

for one of the limited places in the Students‘ Grand Prix,

held next term. The students had to complete several

technical (mechanical) tasks and computer based tasks

involving motor bikes, both off road and on road;

outboard motors and wave runners. These tasks

simulated the type of skills required by Yamaha

technicians. The Yamaha technicians will study the

results of the written work and confer on how the students did on the technical tasks to decide who goes ahead to the Grand Prix.

The boys had a great day and worked hard on their various tasks.

The Yamaha Young Mechanics Partnership also involves offering work experience opportunities to students from Years 10, 11 and

12 who have given me an EOI. This will be happening during Semester 2.

Transition Adviser’s Report

Janelle Lyons Transition Advisor

Year 11 Hospitality students

completed their Prepare and Serve

Espresso Coffee competency at

Barista Basics, George Street

Sydney. During this course the

students had a great opportunity to

learn and prepare 5 different types of coffee. These valuable skills will be used

when they come to running the Blakehurst High School Café which is now known

as Café 2221.

Reminders for Year 11 VET Students:

Work Placement is MANDATORY. You will receive an N-award in your VET

subject if you do not complete Work Placement.

Second Work Placements for all Frameworks are coming up at the beginning of

Term 3.

Hospitality Term 3 Week 2

Business Services Term 3 Weeks 3 and 4

Construction Term 3 Week 5

Once again, for insurance purposes it is essential that all paperwork is

completed correctly. No students will be permitted to attend Work

Placement unless all signatures have been collected on the required

forms and these are returned to the class teacher prior to the

placement. For further information on Work Placement please use the

following link:

http://stgeorgeswl.mycms.com.au/Parents.aspx

Reminders for Year 12 VET Students:

Work Placement is MANDATORY. You will receive an N-award in your VET

subject if you do not complete Work Placement. If you have not completed 70

hours of Work Placement by 31 August 2012, your VET subject will not count

towards your HSC. Please see your teacher or Mrs Simpson ASAP to

organise this.

Trial HSC Examination are MANDATORY, however, if you want to opt out of the

HSC Examination you must see Mrs Simpson after the Trail Exams.

Keep completing your class work to ensure you get the most out of your

training, i.e. your Certificate II. If you have not met the requirements in some

competencies please see your teacher for the work that is outstanding.

Attention all Year 12 Students

….who may be interested in completing a Responsible Service of Alcohol and/or

Responsible Conduct of Gaming course. This Course has been booked for August

15 and 22, 2012. Please see Mrs Simpson for a permission note.

Cost: RSA $110, RCG $80 or both $180

You will need both of these if you intend to work in a Pub, Club, etc.

Mrs J Simpson Head Teacher VET

Tianni Vigh

Cindy Cheung & Melissa Tan

HSIE Report

The Global Leaders Convention was a one-day leadership

event held by World Vision for students in Years 10 -12 who

want to be a voice for justice in the world. The Global

Leaders Convention for Sydney was held on Friday June 1 at

The Big Top, Luna Park. This year Blakehurst High School

selected four Year 10 students – Chris Choe, Kamal

Marfatia, Sarah Irving and I, to attend the convention.

We arrived at The Big Top at 8:45am where we had to line

up to have our school‘s attendance marked off. After this

we received a name tag with different company names or

countries, and were then assembled with the rest of the

schools in the hall area.

As soon as all the schools were seated, we were welcomed

by two chefs/hosts who told us what we were going to do for

the day. They only told us that we were going to play a game

called ―Chopping Board‖ which involved all students

gathering together with other students with the same

company or country on our name tags. ―Chopping Board”

was a game where you had to build your own mini food box,

and collect the correct amount of cut-and-paste food for each

round and then place it into the boxes in order to win a prize.

If you were unsuccessful and didn‘t collect the right amount

of food you were then eliminated, and could only be eligible

to win the prize if you scored double the points of the next

round. When the game finished we had to assemble back

into the hall, to find out the prize for the winners.

Afterwards we listened to the two ―chefs‖ speak, and they

revealed to us that they weren‘t chefs, but that they were

actually two World Vision workers. They then explained that

the game had no prize, and that it was a game designed to

show us the struggle for food and how hard it is to attain.

Everyone quickly realised how hard it was to share the food

around, so that each group member would be able to obtain

the same amount of food. They proceeded to show us

videos of the famine and poverty occurring in Africa, with

heartfelt stories of some children and their families living

through these hard times.

The New South

Wales World Vision

Youth Ambassador

also gave a speech,

telling us the story of

her trip to Ethiopia.

Her speech was

inspiring, but the

story about what is

going on in some

parts of Ethiopia was

saddening. After a

break, we were given

information about the 40 Hour Famine and how we, as

students could help get our schools involved. When they

finished giving us some information, we were dismissed. All

in all, The Global Leaders Convention was a very

inspirational, informative and empowering day. It taught me

many valuable things that I didn‘t know, but also showed me

that everyone has a chance and a choice to do something,

and be a voice to help change this world.

Blakehurst

High School

will be running

the 40 Hour

Famine next

term. All

students are

welcome to

participate in

this event to

raise aware of the

food crisis overseas and

help raise funds to support people in need.

Ken Khamhing

Year 10

Food parcels on their way overseas to help

those in need.

World War II did not just involve men fighting overseas but

also greatly impacted men, women and children at home.

Imagine an excited bride wearing a wedding dress made out

of a parachute and sharing it with three other women

because materials were scarce. Blakehurst High School

Year 9 History 1 and 2 classes learned about these effects of

war on the Home Front from 1939 to 1945 at an exhibition at

the Museum of Sydney on 28

May. We also attended

Susannah Place Museum

in The Rocks as a site

study. During these visits

we learned many different

historical facts about how

Australian lifestyles have

changed over time.

When we visited the Susannah Place Museum we were

warmly greeted by two guides who provided us with

information about the living conditions of people over a

century. We took a tour

around the terrace houses

which consisted of layers

from different time periods.

The houses were very

different to modern times

because of the structure.

The houses were narrow

with narrow stairs, rooms

and low ceilings. There

were many things we

would not use today such

as a chamber pot, a bed

warmer and an outside

toilet. The guides also told us

about air raids during World War II, which happened when

they thought an enemy plane was flying over and an alarm

rang, this meant everyone had to close their blinds and turn

all lights off. It was a similar process for people driving at the

time because they would

apply a cover over the car

lights which had horizontal

lines that made the light

shine down so it did not

attract any planes flying

overhead.

The exhibition at the

Museum of Sydney was all

about the experiences of

people at home during

World War II. We watched

a documentary about the

work women did and what

type of contribution they

made at the time. Women were given the right to be involved

in the War, participating in jobs such as sewing, food

preparation for the soldiers but also in more skilled and

typically male jobs such as building aircraft. Women were not

just housewives but instead they got to explore their options

in different jobs. The guides took us around the

exhibitions

from the start

of the war to

the end, and

gave as a brief

insight into

women‘s lives

and people on

the home

front. The

exhibition also

showed many

artifacts such as children‘s board games which showed that

children were also affected during the war. It also showed

paintings of the Defense Forces on beaches which

demonstrated that people‘s lifestyles were changed. Another

artifact was recruitment posters to persuade women to get

involved in

the War.

Both the

museums

gave

everyone

great visual

insight of

Australian

life during

the 19th

and 20th

Centuries.

Roshan Cosgrove & Angela Isajlovska

Year 9

Year 9 Students behind Susannah Place Museum

HMAS ‘KATTABUL’ MEMORIAL SERVICE

South Hurstville RSL and Sub Branch invited five Year

12 Modern History students to attend a

commemorative service in recognition of the 17th

Anniversary of the sinking of HMAS Kuttabul on 31

May 1942 during WWII. The Kuttabul at the time was

permanently berthed at Garden Island providing

accommodation for Allied sailors.

During the Japanese midget submarine attack on

Sydney Harbour, torpedoes were fired towards two

principal target ships however neither was hit. Instead

the Kuttabul was sunk for the loss of twenty one lives.

Ms Camilleri took Sara Petkantchin, Jennifer

Ognenovski, Illia Klianev, Bronte Luff and Adam

Moubayed to Darling Harbour. On arrival we were

welcomed by Mr John Burns, from South Hurstville

RSL sub branch, where to our great surprise we

boarded the grand ‗Bella Vista’ cruise boat for a

memorial service followed by an appetising lunch.

Directed by Chaplains Colin Tett and Rabbi Jeffrey

Kamins, the memorial was led with a commemorative

prayer followed by a Naval Hymn and an Ode to

remember the lost servicemen. A roll of honour was

presented, recognising each man who lost his life on

the night of the midget submarine attack with a poppy

laid in a wreath by a relative or member of the Royal

Australian Navy. A wreath was laid by Sara

Petkanchin and Illia Kilianev on behalf of South

Hurstville RSL, the school and local community.

The memorial was followed by an exquisite lunch

accompanied by a tour of Sydney Harbour and the

Garden Island Dock with historian Stephen Cuther‘s

exposition about the Japanese attack and the

discovery of the third midget submarine in 2006. This

excursion was a very valuable and enjoyable learning

experience for all the Modern History students who

were lucky enough to witness this unique way of

commemorating the past.

Special thanks to Mr John Burns, South Hurstville RSL

and Sub Branch, Office of Veteran‘s Affairs, Chaplain

Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins and Chaplain Colin Tett RAN.

Bronte Luff

Year 12

HMAS Kuttabul after the explosion 1942

Sara Petkantchin, Illia Klianev, Mr Burns

Illia Klianev, Adam Moubayed, Jennifer Ognenovski, Bronte Luff,

Sara Petkantchin on the ‘Bella Vista’ deck

MODERN

HISTORY

EXCURSION

TO SYDNEY

JEWISH

MUSEUM

On Tuesday 22 May,

Year 12 Modern

History students

attended the Sydney Jewish Museum in Darlinghurst to learn

about Nazi Germany and World War II.

The day began with us being introduced to Holocaust

survivor, Kuba from Krakow, Poland. Kuba described his

first hand experience of the Holocaust as a child separated

from his family and forced to work for the Nazis. We were all

touched deeply by Kuba sharing his experiences.

After Kuba answered our questions we independently

explored the Museum where we could see artifacts from the

period of the Nazi German regime such as Nazi propaganda

and personal Jewish belongings, which came from ghettos

and concentration camps. We were able to view

photographs of Jews who were in the ghettos and in

concentration camps, which opened our minds to the

perspective of how Jewish people suffered during the

Holocaust and the horrors that were encountered.

While we explored the Museum we came across a memorial

dedicated to Jewish children who passed away during the

Holocaust which was very emotional.

After we had explored the museum we attended a seminar

about German strategies during WWII. This seminar was

very interesting with the use of filmed interviews of

eyewitnesses and written documents to educate us further

about the practices of the Nazis during this time.

Overall, our visit to the Jewish museum was an amazing

experience. It helped us to understand the impact of Nazi

racial policies towards the Jews during WWII. We were able

to pay our respects to the Jews who suffered throughout

Europe during the Holocaust.

Ana Stanojevic and Celeste Winters

Year 12

Mr P Slater Head Teacher HSIE

CAPA ‘Column’

“Music! Lights! Action!”

Music Night - what a fabulous ‗note‘ on which to

finish a very busy Term!

On 20 June, the students of Blakehurst High School

presented a first class afternoon and evening of musical and

dance entertainment. The matinee performance was

presented to an audience of enthusiastic students from

Blakehurst and Baldface Primary Schools, and an audience

of approximately 400 parents and friends of our students

enjoyed the evening performance.

We were overwhelmed with the number of students who

auditioned this year for our musical event, so we decided to

hold a matinee and an evening performance to showcase the

extraordinary talent of our students.

The Year 11, Music 1 class, began the audition process early

in the Term and selected 11 acts for the matinee

performance and 13 acts for the evening performance, both

shows ending with a ‗finale‘ involving all performers for each

concert.

I would like to personally express my thanks and

congratulate all performers for their outstanding effort in

presenting a polished concert performance. And very special

congratulations the Blakehurst High School Cheer Leading

Girls, under the expert direction of Ms Belinda Berrett -

who incidentally also choreographed and rehearsed the

Finale with all performers! This was the debut

performance for our Cheer Leaders, who did themselves

proud with their precision movement and lift routines!

An event such as Music Night doesn‘t just happen – it is a

lot of practice and hard work over a long period of time,

and the unfailing support and encouragement of all

Blakehurst High School staff. Thank you to all the staff

who supported us on the night and to all the staff who

supported and encouraged our students throughout the

journey, allowing them out of class to rehearse and

perfect their acts. And of course a huge thank you to Mr

Lester, Mr Ovens, Mrs Paton and the front office staff, who

were ‗entertained’ every day for at least the last two weeks

before the show. They were all very encouraging with their

comments and not once complained about the fact that they

had probably heard each song at least 40 times prior to the

concert!!!

The stage crew were equally amazing! They managed to

keep the show rolling smoothly, changing all the sets and

equipment, microphones etc in a timely manner, and with a

minimum of fuss. We were also very privileged to have the

expert filming services of Cameron Gaubert (Year 11), who

has not only given us a fantastic collection of still

photographs of the event, but also recorded the whole show.

The filming will be

edited, and

DVDs of the

show will

be

available

for sale

early in

Term 3.

We will keep

you posted

about the DVDs! This

is a fantastic experience

and opportunity for our students and hopefully will encourage

more performances on a regular basis for all our talented

students. Congratulations to all students for a fantastic job!!!

Meanwhile, back in the CAPA staffroom, we are very

pleased to welcome Ms Sophia Psarakis to our team. Ms

Psarakis will be teaching Drama while Ms Helen Elakis is on

maternity leave. I am sure you will all join me in wishing Ms

Elakis all the very best as she eagerly awaits the upcoming

birth of her twin babies!

A very warm

welcome back

to Mrs Kerrie

Codey, who has

recently

returned to our

team (part time)

following the

birth of her little

boy Beau. Mr

Anthony Jenkins

will continue to job-share with Mrs Codey for the remainder

of 2012.

On behalf of

the CAPA

team, I wish all

the students a

safe and

restful break,

and look

forward to

working with

you all again

in Term 3!

Ms Judy Jacobsen & the CAPA Team

TAS Home Economics Update

What a busy Term this has been! I don‘t think we‘ve had

time to breathe with so much going on. All our students

and the TAS Home Economics staff have been working

extremely hard this term.

Senior Students

This term has continued to be an extremely busy term

for our senior students, in particular, our Year 12 Textile

and Design students who have been busy working on

their Major Design Projects.

Textile students

.. in Years 9 to12 attended the Craft and Quilt Fair in Darling Harbour. The

Year 11 students attended workshops to help them with their Major Textile Project design folios.

All our students had an enjoyable day gathering lots of

inspiration from all the stalls on display.

Year 12 CAFS class

….has had the opportunity to participate in the Baby Think It

Over Program as part of their learning experiences in the

Parenting and Caring module. They have all taken Baby Blake

home for a 24 hour period and have been required to provide

care for him. Baby Blake will cry and as his parent the Year 12

student needs to determine whether he needs to be fed, burped,

rocked or have his nappy changed. They have all had a very

realistic experience into the world of parenthood and what the responsibilities are to be

parents.

Year 11 Exploring Early Childhood class

….went to Hurstville Private Hospital Birthing Unit where they had the opportunity to speak

with new parents and midwives. They also saw new born babies being cared for by

midwives.

CAFE

Our Year 12 Hospitality students have been extremely busy running the School‘s Cafe on a

weekly basis all term. A big thank you to all the staff who continue to support our Cafe every

week! We have also begun the rollout of our Loyalty Cards to our loyal customers!

Junior Students

Our junior students have also been working hard this term across all our subjects and

producing a range of quality projects.

As we head towards the end of Term 2, I want to wish all our students and their families a

safe holiday break. On behalf of the TAS Home Economics staff we look forward to seeing

you all refreshed and energised to begin Term 3 with Gusto!

Mrs N Dexter

Head Teacher TAS Home Economics

LOTE Report

Language Camp 2012 On Thursday May 31, the Year 9 Languages classes attended a two day

Language Camp at Stanwell Tops. There were 67 students from the

Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Italian and French classes who made their

way to the National Park, with their language teachers to begin a fun-filled

two days of language immersion.

Thursday began with the students being divided into 2 groups to ‗experience‘

the infamous High Swing and Cart Racing. Mr Nassif assures us that the High

Swing is an unforgettable experience for all who try it!

The students then spent the afternoon making their language costumes. The

Italian students impressed everyone

with their fabulous ‗gelato‘ outfit.

Another activity session was

followed by a disco on Thursday

evening, whereby students

enthusiastically decorated the

hall in the colours of their

respective country.

Friday morning saw the students

participate in an International

Trivia competition and then they

assisted their teachers in making

some exquisite food. The pizza

went down a treat as did Mrs

Loizos‘ bougatsa. Mrs Mangraviti and

the French class made some delectable crepes, with the Japanese and

Chinese students not to be outdone with their chicken teriyaki and fried

rice.

The feast of food was then followed by a cultural performance by each of

the language groups. The French Can-Can was memorable as was the Greek

Zorba. Mr Nassif honed the voices of the Italian class to ensure that it was a fabulous performance. Mrs Huang and

Mrs Smith also entertained the students with their original Chinese and Japanese performances.

A very tired yet happy group of students returned home on the Friday, having enjoyed a very educational yet fun-filled

two days. So come on Year 8 let‘s see you all learning a language next year!!

Commedia dell-Arte Puppetry

Dennis Murphy

1 May 2012

―Dennis Murphy is Australia’s leading exponent of Commedia dell‟Arte, the

riotous Italian Mask and Puppet Theatre that was the forerunner of modern

irreverent Comedy.”

Students of Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 Italian and Year 7 Latin had the opportunity to see

him perform in both Mask and Puppetry. The

students found his performance entertaining as they

thoroughly enjoyed themselves from beginning to

end. It is important for students to have a cultural

understanding and awareness of the language they

are learning. Prior to the show, students were treated

with a special Italian lunch that consisted of a pizza

and a drink. I would like to thank all staff and students

who helped make this incursion a success.

Jessica Laubhan, Gina Famiglietti, Peter Koutsoukos, Samantha Michels

好hǎo

味wèi

道dào

！Delicious! - Yum Cha…

On Friday of Week 9, the Year 7 and 8 Chinese classes ventured into the city to visit the Chinese Friendship Garden and Chinatown where they enjoyed Yum Cha.

There was more food than we could eat, so some families may have enjoyed Chinese Dim Sim that evening.

Mrs Anne Mangraviti Head Teacher LOTE

Jayden Xabregas, Camran Hashmi,

Patrick Horvat, Philip Naumoski

Jessica Jiang, Ashley Yang, Sophie

Ward, Jake Moore, Pearl Zhang

Year 7 Theory – Body Wise Including:

Healthy Eating

Physical Activity

Access to Health Services

Components of Health

Practical – Cross Country, Athletics, Soccer, Touch

Assessment – Half Yearly Written Examination

Year 8

Theory – Positive Relationships including:

Respectful Relationships

Conflict Resolution

Connectedness

Positive Relationships

Practical – Cross Country, Athletics, Netball, Basketball

Assessment–Relationships in the Media Research Task

Year 9

Theory – “What‘s the Big Issue?‖ includes:

Body Image Healthy Eating Drug Education Negotiating Safe Sexual Relationships Practical – Cross Country, Athletics, AFL, Touch/OzTag

Assessment – Blooms Task-Drug Information for Young

People

Year 10 Theory – Protective Strategies including:

Resilience Binge Drinking Safe Sex Practices Practical – Cross Country, Athletics, Basketball, Volleyball

Assessment – Harm Minimisation Campaign

PDHPE Faculty – Report

Coles Sports for Schools Program

Our school has once again entered the Coles Sports for

Schools program. Last year we were able to acquire some

much required sporting equipment due to the wonderful

support from, parents, carers, students and staff. The

collection box will once again be placed outside the PDHPE

staffroom so it would be great if we could have the same

magnificent support that was evident last year.

The Final Weeks for Year 12 Students

….are fast approaching and it is extremely important for

students to be using this valuable time to summarise, revise

and study all work from Cores 1 and 2 and the two options

for the HSC course. Remember your teachers, Mr Smith,

Mrs Johnson and Ms Berrett are your most valuable

resource as a means to understanding and learning all you

need to know in your course. These teachers are very

knowledgeable, competent and approachable and they are

more than happy for you to ask about any areas of your

study that you may be struggling with. I know that all PDHPE

candidates have been prepared well for the upcoming exams

and I hope that all students attain the results that they

require to pursue their interests after school, be it University,

TAFE or employment.

Year 11 Study Day

Year 11 have recently completed a study day at Sydney

University which was well attended and highly successful. All

students behaved very well and gained many benefits from

the information offered. Special thanks to Ms Berrett and Mr

Kemp for your efforts in organising this day. It is also timely

to remind all students that your Preliminary Course is fast

coming to an end before Year 12 starts in earnest at the

beginning of Term 4. Your final exam will have a major

bearing on your results and it is important that you are

revising all course components to ensure that you achieve to

your full potential. Whist the Preliminary Course work is not

examined in the HSC it is assumed that you understand

concepts that will be expanded upon in Year 12, therefore it

is very important for you to have a sound knowledge of all

work studied throughout Year 11.

Year 7 to 10 PDHPE

These courses have some compulsory requirements in order

for students to be able to satisfactorily complete Outcomes:

1) The PE uniform must be brought to school and changed

into for all practical lessons

2) All equipment must be brought for all theory lessons

including: laptops (Years 9 & 10), note books, previous

handouts and writing equipment

3) Students must participate in both practical and theory

lessons to the best of their ability and complete all work

as instructed by class teachers

4) Students must complete all Assessment Tasks and

Assignments to the best of their ability and hand them in

by the due date.

Year 10 2012

….will be the first cohort that will not sit for the School

Certificate. They will instead attain the RoSA-Record of

School Achievement. This has not changed dramatically for

PDHPE students who will still attain a grade according to

their successful completion of the Outcomes associated with

the work studied. It is therefore very important for all

students to work to their full potential so that they may be

able to attain a high grade for this course. This means that

students need to participate in all lessons and complete all

Assessment Tasks and Assignments to the best of their

ability by the due date. Effort and a positive attitude are

highly valued in PDHPE. Students showing these attributes

usually attaining creditable results.

Years 7 to 10 PDHPE

These Year groups have completed or are completing the

following units of work in Term 2.

Yours in Sport,

Mr T Yelavich/Head Teacher

& PDHPE Team

Girls / Boys

12 Years

Jelena Drakulovic / Anthony Lu Gurnoor / Singh

13 Years

Laura Seib

14 Years Julia Glavincevski / Drew Aftanas

16 Years

Natalia Bakrdanikoska / Martha Spilioti Nina Glavincevski

Dylan McCuaig-Walton / Billy Cai / Zdravko Majkic

17 Years Tayla Gardiner / Matthew Edenborough

18 Years

Angela Liley / Lily Gasparini Mark Langley / Stefan Radulovic / Rhys Puckett

PDHPE Sports - Report

Term 2 has been a very busy time for many students

competing in various sports and competitions over the past

six to eight weeks. Unfortunately, two sport weeks in early

June had to be cancelled due to the wet weather, however

the good news is that with most sports teams performing

exceptionally well, we are on our way to qualifying for the

semifinals which begin in Week 5 Term 3.

Cross Country

On Monday 21 May, the St George Zone Cross Country was

held in glorious sunshine and with the enthusiasm shown by

all competitors, a great day was had by all. Congratulations

to the following students who qualified through to the

Regional Carnival -

On Thursday 14 June, the above students competed at the

Regional Cross Country Championships which were held at

Miranda Park in wet and soggy conditions, and I am very

pleased to announce that we have two outstanding runners

who will be running at the NSWCHS Cross Country to be

held at Eastern Creek Raceway on Friday 20 July. These

students and their results from Regional were –

Julia Glavincevski – 1st

Dylan McCuaig-Walton – 2nd

Good luck to these two gifted runners and congratulations for

qualifying through to State.

Athletics Carnival

The Blakehurst High School Athletics Carnival was held at

Sylvania Athletics Track on Tuesday 29 May on a damp but

otherwise successful day. With near record numbers

attending, and the events running smoothly, we had a

number of outstanding competitors and a number of records

broken.

Congratulations to the following students who were

rewarded for their terrific efforts by being crowned Age

Champion for 2012.

The following students must be congratulated and

recognised for breaking existing records and now having

their names etched in history as the best in their age group

from the school. These students and their records are –

Sarahpheinna Woulf – U/12 Girls Discus (18.80m)

Julia Glavincevski – U/14 Girls 1500m (6.49min)

Drew Aftanas – U/14 Boys 1500m (5.31min)

Dylan McCuaig-Walton – U/16 Boys 1500m

(4.48min)

Peter Zourdis – 17+ Boys Shot Put (13.76m)

The Champion House on the day was Freeman, so

congratulations to Ms Berrett, and House Captains Eliza

Dolatowski and Chadwick Aryana.

At the time of writing this report, the Zone results are still

being finalised, and I would like to thank Mr Roff for being

Team Manager over the two day Zone carnival and for

providing his professional help in assisting our athletes to

compete at their best. Congratulations to all students who

qualified for the Regional carnival to be held in Week 3 Term

3.

Table Tennis

Congratulations to the following boys who won the Sydney

East Secondary Schools Table Tennis Championship held at

Homebush during the middle of Term 2 and are now again

the Regional Champions for 2012. These boys are –

Aubrey Young, Nicholas Chen, Bryan Hung

Bob Zhang, Alex Fang and Matthew Fong

These boys then went on to compete at the NSWCHS

Secondary Schools Table Tennis Championship held at

Homebush on Monday 25 June. These boys competed

exceptionally well at such late notice and came 2nd

in the

tournament. This is an amazing result from a talented group

of boys, and I would like to give a big thank you to Ms Chen

for going out of her way to ensure these boys were able to

compete. Congratulations!

Gymnastics

Congratulations to Rebecca Luhur of Year 10 who recently

competed at the Australian Rhythmic Gymnastics

Championships and placed a very credible 7th

overall.

Rebecca placed 4th

in the Ribbon and 4th

in the Ball events.

Congratulations also to Shoji Isomoto of Year 12 who

competed at the Australian Gymnastics Championships and

his results were– 2nd

Level 7 Open Pommel, 4th level 7 Open

Girls / Boys

Sarahpheinna Woulf / Ishayat Hayat – 12 Years Emeline Mafileo / Hayden Smith – 13 Years

Julia Glavincevski / Jeremiah Muriwai – 14 Years Pauline Beard / Braydon Pilot – 15 Years

Shannon Suryawan / Dylan McCuaig-Walton – 16 Years Tayla Gardiner / Danil Goloubev – 17+ Years

Vault, 3rd

Level 7 Open High Bars. Congratulations to these

very talented gymnasts and we wish them every success in

the future.

Upcoming Events

NSWCHS Cross Country Championships – Eastern

Creek Raceway, Friday 20 July

Regional Athletics Carnival – Sylvania Athletics

Track, Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 July

NSWCHS Athletics Carnival – Sydney Olympic

Park Athletic Centre, Thursday 6 – Saturday 8

September

St George Zone Winter Grade Sport Finals –

Wednesday 15 August and 22 August

NSW Interschool Cheerleading Championships –

Friday 10 August

Sport web sites

The following sport web sites are useful for School Sport

notices, Zone Sport information and Sydney East Knock

Outs and representation.

Blakehurst High Sport Information – http://www.blakehurst-

h.schools.nsw.edu.au/sport

St George Zone Sport Information –

http://www.stgeorgesssa.com.au/

Sydney East Sport Information --

http://www.sports.det.nsw.edu.au/syd_east/welcome.htm

Regards,

Mr N Smith

Sport Organiser

June Road Safety Tips

As the weather gets colder, it is good to consider our children‘s safe travel strategies -

A brightly coloured raincoat can help your child be

visible in wet weather.

Remind children to look both ways before crossing

the road.

Even if it is raining, please walk slowly and choose

a safe gap in traffic to cross the road.

An extra pair of socks and a plastic bag in your

child‘s school bag can allow them to change after

walking to school in wet weather.

If children are wearing several layers of clothing,

they will stay warm even if they are a bit wet. This

is better than running in the rain.

It is easy to sleep in on cold mornings. Please

allow enough time for a relaxed drive to school to

avoid making up time when driving.

Remember that everyone‘s child is special and to

drive slowly, patiently and carefully near schools.

If it is raining or overcast, using the headlights can

make it easier for drivers and pedestrians to see

your vehicle.

Please always park legally for the safety of

everyone. If there is a pick-up queue, park legally

and walk or wait several minutes before trying

again.

While adults sometimes find rainy weather stressful,

remember that kids can enjoy it. Instead of queuing

or rushing, perhaps a cheery walk in the rain in

raincoat and gumboots followed by a cosy evening

inside the house might be a way to share a laugh

together during winter.

A car maintenance check of tyres, brakes and wind

screen wipers is a good idea before rainy weather.