The Valla Camp was once again a huge success. Year 10 Peer Support leaders travelled to Valla Beach Resort on Tuesday 13th March to complete training before Year 7 students arrived the next day. What then ensued was three days of intense learning and fun. The Peer Support groups worked together on anti-bullying and bonding activities, including  ‘Deep  Creek  Survivor’  and  the  ‘Mini-Olympics’. Lee  Winkler’s  Surf  School  was  a  hit  as  was  the  motivational  speech Lee gave to the students afterwards. Another highlight was almost 300 hundred students doing a hip hop dance in sync led by Mason Peronchik and Tess Connery. All  the  camp  activities   focused  on  our  school’s  values and students are expected to continue utilising these in creating a positive culture at Coffs Harbour High School. A big thank to staff who gave up time with their families to supervise at night and to Mrs Austin for providing wonderful meals each day. Year 10 Peer Support leaders should also be very proud of the way they facilitated their group sessions and cared for their Year 7 charges. The Peer Support Program will now continue in roll call for the remainder of semester one.

PRINCIPAL’S  REPORT

Our students and staff continue to seize opportunities to extend their learning.

Recent outstanding achievements include:

School Captain, Lucy Langfield, who won the RSL sub branch Anzac essay writing competition and will now deliver the address at the main service in Coffs Harbour.

Isabelle Capell Hattam who after attending the Rotary International Science Summer school in Canberra in January will now travel to Dublin in July for the Euro Science Forum.

Mason Peronchik, Year 10, Gabrielle Green and Rachael Fear, Year 9 who have been selected in the State Dance Ensemble and will perform with elite dancers in Schools Spectacular.

TAS teacher, Mr Shaun Hardy, who has just been awarded a University medal at SCU for his recently completed Bachelor Of Education degree.

Takisha Bale, Year 9, who was selected from the Coffs Harbour Army Cadets Unit to meet the Governor General, Ms Quentin Bryce on International  Women’s  Day.

Georgia Newell, Year 11, who captained the North Coast team, and was awarded the coach’s  medal at the Combined High Schools Volleyball Championships four outstanding leadership, sportsmanship and team work.

In education we are in challenging times with imminent changes at both State and Federal level. The Gonski report on funding of schools is in a second consultation phase and the results of this will be critical to the future of public education. At State level there have been two very important policy announcements, both of which will have significant impact on our school. The first of these is Local Schools, Local Decisions and the second, Every student, every school, concerning the provision of funding for students with a disability.

We are of course supportive of changes which allow us to improve the education of students and we support the need for reform of many management practices. At present what isn’t   clear   from   the   announcements   is   the   funding   that   will  support these changes. Without this information it is difficult to determine whether the changes are genuinely related to improving student outcomes or Treasury driven cost-cutting measures. I would encourage parents to follow the debate closely.

Patti Kearns

DEPUTY  PRINCIPAL’S  REPORT The school environment has been transformed again this term, as capital works have begun around the school. Two science classrooms, known as Lab 3 and Lab 4, are being upgraded. These rooms have recently been demolished and the initial work of installing the services has begun. It is anticipated that these learning spaces will be available for use by students before the end of Term 2. Throughout the school holidays work will be done in the playground to provide more suitable surfaces for wheelchair access between buildings. This requires the removal and relaying of some paved surfaces. Early next term we will see new access ramps fitted to several buildings, including the school hall.

Another important part of this work is the installation of a lift. Work for the lift can be seen currently from Edinburgh Street, as it will be positioned outside the English/CAPA block. This lift will provide wheelchair access to the front office, English rooms, Art rooms, and to the playground where we will have wheelchair access to the Science block, TAS rooms and Maths rooms. It is a large project, and we should see the lift shaft being constructed over the next few weeks. Similarly to the science rooms, the lift should be operational before the end of Term 2.

A few weeks ago I attended two days of the very successful Year 7 Valla excursion. Students at this camp were assisted by Year 10 Peer Support leaders to learn about anti-bullying strategies, positive relationships and our school values. The leadership that the Year 10 students displayed was wonderful, and all of the Year 7 students who attended gained a great deal from the camp. Special thanks go to the teachers who gave up their time to attend the camp and stay overnight, and particularly to the Year 7 Year Advisor, Ms Amanda Joyce, for her hard work in organising the camp.

Tony Wilson

Uniform The vast majority of students are abiding by the uniform code. Parents, we would be grateful for your assistance in ensuring students wear full school uniform.

Our main areas of concern at present are junior girls wearing ruggers or tube skirts, unsafe footwear (particularly canvas slip on shoes) and the reappearance of hoodies.

The Coffs Harbour community makes judgements about our school based on the appearance of students. Very short skirts or shorts do not create a positive image.

Hoodies are banned for safety reasons as we need to be able to identify students (or intruders) at all times.

Safety requirements for practical subjects, especially TAS and Science, demand STURDY footwear.

For any families struggling with the costs of uniform please contact Mr Chris Browne for assistance.

CAREERS 2012 has already seen a number of educational events organised by the careers teachers. On Tuesday 20th March special guest and former Australian cricketer, Max   ‘Tangles’  Walker, delivered a motivational speech about the merits of striving to succeed. He proved a hit with the students and many came away with a desire to try their hand at any one of the many different skills Mr Walker has pursued over the years.

On Thursday 15th March, students in Years 11 and 12 were invited to attend the University Roadshow at Orara High School. Representatives from Southern Cross University, University of New England and Charles Sturt University provided advice on courses, accommodation and entry requirements to Year 12 students interested in pursuing tertiary education. Upcoming events include:

Year 10 Work Experience – 4th – 8th June 2012 Work Experience is a compulsory learning opportunity for all students in Year 10. This year students are required to source their own host employer for the week of 4th June- 8th June 2012. It is an opportunity for students to develop independent skills in approaching employers in seeking out employment opportunities. For most students the work experience program gives them an insight into real life working conditions and hands on experience in a field that they feel they would like to pursue after completing their schooling. In week 10 of term one, all students were given an introductory package which includes a letter of introduction, insurance paperwork, information for parents and information for employers. We ask that students use the Easter school holidays to approach prospective employers and secure a placement. Please note there are deadlines for paperwork completion which are outlined on the reverse of the parent information leaflet given to students.

OH&S White Card Training – 11th May 2012 This accreditation course is a must for any Year 10 student wishing to undertake their work experience placement within the building industry. Without this certification, students are not able to enter a worksite and gain valuable skills and experience. Coffs Harbour High School is holding an OH&S White Card course on Friday 11th May 2012. The course costs

$100, considerably less expensive than undertaking the course with outside providers. Permission notes are available from the Careers Office.

University of New England– 4th May 2012 Coffs Harbour High School Year 12 students will be invited to attend an excursion to the University of New England along with students from other local schools. The excursion gives a glimpse of the university and what it has to offer prospective students. Places are limited, so when information is released we suggest students secure their involvement as quickly as possible by contacting the Careers Office.

Youth Directions Career Expo – 8th May 2012 Career Expos are excellent opportunities to talk to employers and representatives from TAFE about varied career opportunities. Students in Year 10 will all be invited to this year’s   event   to   be   held   at   the   Racecourse.   Students  will   be  encouraged to make enquiries about courses and subject selections that will assist them in pursuing rewarding careers. Students from Years 11 & 12 are also welcome to attend after consultation with their year adviser. Additional information will be sent home closer to the date.

Tax File Numbers The school has information and application forms for students who require tax file numbers for employment and Centrelink purposes. Should any student aged over 14 years of age need to apply for a tax file number, please contact Mrs Court within the Careers Office. Dionne Court

Careers Advisor

SWAP Work Experience Program Coffs Harbour High School continues to support students who wish to participate in one day a week work experience during term time. This year the school has introduced a new initiative called  the  ‘SWAP’  program. The Student Workplace Assisted Program requires students to fulfil certain criteria before going out into the workplace. Students must prepare a resume which will be shown to their employer before they commence and they will complete a skills check list whilst on work placement. This new initiative has been well received by students, so much so that there are an ever-increasing number of students seeking to become a part of the program.

‘Relay  For  Life’  2012 After a very successful  ‘Relay  for Life’   in  2011,  Coffs  Harbour  High School will again enter a school team in the Cancer Council’s   annual   fund-raising event. This year the event will take place on the weekend of the 5th and 6th May and whilst we are still in the planning and confirming numbers stage, the expression of interest has been fantastic. We are hoping to involve more students this year and raise more money than last year. I look forward to providing an update in the next newsletter.

Trina Neville English

ENGLISH

Spellodrome Most English classes will by now have been introduced to Spellodrome.

Following the success of Mathletics, we have subscribed to Spellodrome to offer fun and engaging online spelling games and activities to our students. Spellodrome enables students to create their own avatar and play spelling games against other students from around the world. They can challenge themselves and test their spelling skills in order to earn points and credits along the way. As well as being fun, students (and their parents) can keep track of their progress each week and watch their spelling results improve! The program can of course be accessed from home as a homework activity, and teachers can provide subject specific spelling lists for their classes. Students use their Mathletics username and password to access Spellodrome.

As some of the games involve listening, we ask that all students keep a set of earphones or earbuds in their bag for use when on Spellodrome.

You can find more information about Spellodrome on their website: http://www.spellodrome.com.au/

Author Visits In conjunction with The Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival, and as part of our GATS program, we were very excited to offer some of our talented young writers the opportunity to participate in workshops with professional authors this term.

Sophie Masson, Kate Forsyth and Colin Falconer visited the school to work with our top English classes in Years 8, 9 & 10, providing ideas, advice and strategies to improve the creativity   and   originality   of   our   students’   writing.   The  workshops were a wonderful enrichment opportunity for our students and we look forward to reading the stories inspired by these valuable sessions.

ICAS This year we are offering students the opportunity to enter several international competitions.

ICAS (International Competitions and Assessments for Schools) provides an opportunity for all students in Years 3 to 12 to gain a measure of their own achievement in an external testing situation. The competitions offered this year include: Computer Skills, English, Mathematics, Science, Spelling and Writing.

All students receive a certificate and an individual student report indicating which questions they answered correctly and their score compared with the rest of the students tested. The certificate and individual student report are suitable for your child to include in a portfolio when applying for scholarships and courses.

We have strongly encouraged all students in the Enrichment and A stream classes to participate in these competitions. Other interested students have also been encouraged to participate.

A note was sent home in Week 8 with the sitting dates and costs of these tests. This note has also been available on the school website. The note, together with payment, was to be returned to the front office by 2nd April.

Deanne Ion English HT

Congratulations Year 9 student Takisha Bale was honoured to meet the Governor-General, Ms Quentin Bryce. Takisha, who is a Lance Corporal in the 27 Australian Army Cadet Unit was chosen to celebrate International Women's Day at Admiralty House. Takisha, who has been a cadet since 2010, has earned the respect of her peers and Cadet Officer Staff. She has taken the initiative to study on her own and seeks out mentors to help her learn about Army policies and procedures. She shows good leadership skills. 27 ACU started at Coffs Harbour High in 1939. It is the only Cadet unit that can wear the blue lanyard on the left side of formal dress due to this unit being the only one from the three services that served in World War 11. It was also the first unit to initiate a programme for girls. This occurred in 1942 so 2012 year marks 70 years of female cadets. Congratulations Takisha!

Takisha, second from right with Governor General,

Ms Quentin Bryce, Chief of Defence Force, General David Hurley and other cadets.

Year 10 History students had a ball at the 1950s HOP event held in the school hall in March. Some outfits were spectacular as was the dancing. Thanks to Mrs Bailey, who did much of the organisation, and to Mason Peronchik who provided invaluable help on the day with music and film.

HSIE Term 1 has been a busy time for everyone in HSIE and Languages. Years 8-10 have completed diagnostic tests. The results give us valuable information about the standard of students’   Geography   and   History   skills   and   enable   us   to  inform our teaching programs to improve these skills.

Fifty Year 8 History students had a fun attending Celtic Thunder. Colin Phillips and Ray Ellington donned their medieval gear and delighted their audience with a hands-on medieval experience. This program will run again in August for those studying History in Semester 2. Given what a great show it is, we are hoping that all students will choose to participate.

Year 11 Ancient and three Modern History students travelled to Sydney to participate in the Big Dig, run by Sydney Learning Adventures. Students stayed at The Rocks YHA and spent the day being guided through important archaeological sites around The Rocks as well as completing a hands-on session with artefacts found in various locations. Congratulations to all students for surviving that long over-night train trip, a full day on their feet and the return journey!

Mrs  Laurens’ Year 10 and 11 students have been having fun learning how to use mind-mapping tools popplet and spiderscribe. These are great tools for getting concepts straight and showing how the details of a topic are linked.

Some Year 9 and 10 and all Year 11 Geography students participated in a Climate Change presentation run by Andrew Turnbull of National Parks and Wildlife. The focus of the presentation was the impact of projected climate change to 2050 on ecosystems in the Coffs Coast and hinterland. This presentation complemented the work students are doing for the   topic   ‘Biophysical   Interactions’.   Thanks to Mr Andy Core for organizing this event.

Forty Year 9 Mandarin students attended a presentation by Bellingen Festival Writer, Kit Kellen. Kit was able to share his experiences of living in China and answer students’  questions  about life and culture in China today. Thanks go to Kit, Mrs

Paula Madigan for organizing this opportunity on behalf of the   Bellingen  Writers’   Festival   and to Mrs Burnham for her organisation at the school end.

Year 8 Mandarin students are taking their first steps in this fascinating language and we are very happy to announce that Mrs Sheree Burnham has joined the Languages Faculty as a full-time, permanent member of staff. As CHHS is part of the Australia-China Bridge project, Mrs Burnham has just returned from northern China where she spent three weeks at Shandong Middle School in Jinan. Temperatures in January are often well below zero, so it was a challenge! However, Mrs  Burnham’s  visit  has   cemented   the   relationship  between  our two schools and we are expecting to formally become sister-schools in the future. When this happens, exchange visits by students and staff will be on the agenda! Mrs Burnham has been particularly busy over the last three Wednesday  afternoons  hosting  a  Transition   ‘Taster’  program  for students from four of our partner primary schools. The kids had a ball learning some Chinese numbers, getting to grips with Chinese characters and making masks.

Not only do we have our first Year 10 Elective class in Mandarin this year, with 20 students studying the subject for their School Certificate, we also have 50 students in Year 9 Elective Mandarin. Now that all Year 8 classes have moved to Mandarin, there are approximately 240 students at the school studying this all-important Asian language. Preparations are on track for the China Beijing Tour in September. This ground-breaking visit has been organized by the Year 10 teacher, Mrs Jane Wilson who has put in an enormous amount of effort to ensure its success.

Rosemary Laurens Head Teacher HSIE and LOTE

Year 10 History 1950’s  Hop

PD/H/PE

Open Girls Softball Congratulations to the Open Girls Softball Team who won their game against Orara High in the second round of the knockout. The game was played in pouring rain and as a result some fantastic mud slides into 3rd plate and home base were made. The final score was 13 – 11. The girls play Bellingen in the next round. Team members are: Taylor Vandenberg, Kodie Vandenberg, Callie Winsor, Fiona Whalan, Eliza Hall, Brianna Jamieson, Kristen Firth, Tamara Skinner, Georgia Neef, Greta Smith. A special thank you to Mitchell Hall and Lachlan Skinner for umpiring in the rain. Also thank you to parents - Mrs Vandenberg, Mrs Winsor, Mrs Corbett and Mrs Neef - for assistance on the day.

CHHS Swimming Team Congratulations to the following students who raced at the Mid North Coast and North Coast Swimming Carnivals. All competitors swam their fastest on the day, achieving places in events for the next level. Two swimmers were Age Champion for the Zone Carnival; Kai Onley, 13 Years Boys, who swam in 8 events and Jed Venn, 16 Years Boys, who swam in 7 events. Six relay teams made it through to North Coast. North Coast Team: Kai Onley, Jacob Blay, Taylor Blay, Keegan Sellings, Donovan Taylor, Paige Thornber, Jed Venn, Luke Matheson, Georgia Sellings, Teagan Austin, Emily Joseph, Jack Churchill, William Patterson, Brooke Alchin, Cy Thompson, Callie Winsor, Fiona Whalan, Matthew Patterson, Marley Parkinson, Billy Pinch Sheridan, Gaberiel Ellicott and Alex Pearson. The following students qualify for CHS State Swimming at Homebush on the 1/4/12 to 3/4/12. Kai Onley: 100m Breaststroke 13 Years boys,

12 – 14 Years 400m freestyle, 12 – 14 Years 200m Individual medley 13 Years Boys relay

Keegan Sellings: 50m freestyle 15 Years Boys 13 Years Boys Relay team: William Patterson, Jacob Blay, Jack Churchill, Kai Onley. 15 Years Girls Relay Team: Callie Winsor, Taylor Blay, Fiona Whalan, Cy Thompson. We wish you the best of luck in your events

Jenny Pearce PDHPE

CAPA

Senior Sydney CAPA Excursion 2012

The Senior Music and Visual Art students were inspired by their recent trip to Sydney. First stop was at Olympic Park Stadium to see Artexpress at the Armory. After that it was off to our excellent accommodation at the Rocks in Sydney. From here it was a

short walk to the Opera House that night to see Encore, a concert by the best HSC Music students from 2011. The atmosphere was electric and the students were treated to a wide variety of performances ranging from original compositions   scored   for   an   orchestra   to   ‘The   Perch   Creek  Family  Jug  Band’  consisting  of  washboard,  banjo  and  an  actual  jug. The following day all students went to the Art Gallery of NSW in the morning to see Picasso before breaking into two groups. The Visual Art students stayed at the gallery with Mrs Margetts and Ms Chivas to see Artexpress and have an education tour of the new contemporary Art section and the Music students went with Mr Smith to a lunchtime concert at the City Recital Hall. Here they heard an amazing rendition of Beethoven’s   Piano   Sonata   in   F   minor   Op.57   (Appassionata)  performed by internationally acclaimed pianist, Gerard Willems. The City Recital Hall was again the venue for an evening performance   by   the   world   famous   British   ‘Hilliard   Vocal Ensemble’   accompanied   by   the   ‘Australian   Chamber  Orchestra’.    The  Music  students  were  exposed  to  a  variety  of  music they may not have listened to before, ranging from Gregorian chants to modern contemporary compositions. The next morning the students went to Artspace to see a video installation. After this it was a quick lunch at the famous Harry’s   Café   de   Wheels   at   Woolloomooloo   before   heading  home. The students must be commended for their excellent behaviour and manners and were great ambassadors for the school.

Year 9 Song Writing Workshop On Monday the 26th of March Year 9 Elective music students were treated to an inspirational Song Writing workshop by Irish Singer/Songwriter, Poet and Author Andy White. Andy was in town for the Bellingen Writers Festival and took time out thanks to Mrs Paula Madigan to run a workshop for our students. Andy simplified the compositional process and then set the students  a  task  to  write  a  short  song.    To  our  student’s  credit  they came up with some catchy tunes, which were performed in front of Andy and the forty students who attended. Thank you to the staff who made the workshop a success and I’m  sure  we  will  be  hearing  some  hits  songs  in  the  future.

Jan Chivas H/T CAPA

P & C NEWS

Hi again everyone, and so another term has finished and it has been a very busy one, with back to school, excursions, new teachers and of course the P&C AGM. With that noted, I would like to extend a huge thank you to all outgoing members, especially Leanne Bourke who has happily held the President position for 3 years. I, myself, have enjoyed the partnership and the team spirit that surrounds our P&C. Both Leanne and I would like to thank our wonderful P&C family, including the voluntary members who are not executives but consistently putting their hand up to help. The quiet achievers are the backbone of our family. And of course our executives who are always communicating to upgrade our position, for the good of our school and the wonderful students and families that make up Coffs Harbour High School. Congratulations to our P&C Executive team for 2012

President: Jude Turner Vice Presidents: Jenny Woschitzka

Leanne Bourke Secretary: Sally Bryant

Treasurer: Karen Bryant Committee Members:

Bonnie Capell Lisa Holley

Sharon Vandenberg Jacquie Young Lindy Franklin

Sally Malouf-Grice Publicity Officer: Sally Malouf Grice

We all wish Jude the very best in her new position as President and offer her our full support. The P&C association has grown and each meeting brings a new level of devoted parents and friends who want the best for our school. We would also like to thank Karen Davies, who has been our Canteen Administrator for many years. Thank you Karen for the years of service and support in the canteen. Maryanne Spiteri will be taking up the position of Canteen Administrator, a position familiar to Maryanne as she has been of valuable support in the canteen for many years. The Dance Eisteddfod will be in June on the long weekend. We are hoping our cupcake makers will be ready for another “Cupcake   Drive”,   or   even   your   favourite   slice!!!! We appreciate all the help we can get. If you could drop the frozen cakes into Gail at the canteen before the Eisteddfod weekend, this will help Gail and the girls be organised for a huge weekend. Last year our canteen took over $10,000.00 for the school. We had many lovely parents and helpers baking last year (thank you for that) so let’s do it again!! We also require volunteers for that weekend - could you please ring Gail 66524637 and let her know if you could help out. We also need help in our school canteen. To all new

parents, if you were thinking how could I help out - once a month   at   school???   The   canteen   needs   you   and   it’s   a  wonderful way to stay in touch with your child at High School, as well as be part of our school’s fundraiser. The P&C would like to thank Jill Hobson for her voluntary commitment to our association. Jill has offered her services each year by auditing our books on a voluntary basis and we appreciate her generosity. The P&C continually enjoys being part of a support system and funding exciting changes and offering financial assistance in many areas to help our students. We will continue to enjoy doing this through 2012.

CANTEEN NEWS

Thursday: Nachos $4.50 Salads, Sandwiches and Wraps priced FROM $2.00 If any parent requires a price list, it is available at the canteen. Jumpers and Zip-Up Jackets are now available in many sizes at the canteen. Yummy Winter Treat Next term, the canteen will be selling CREAMY PASTA on Tuesdays!! Our next P&C meeting will be held on Monday 7th May in the school library at 7pm. We welcome new faces and look forward to a fun & informative meeting as usual. Easter Holidays are just upon us and on behalf of the P&C; I would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter. More importantly, enjoy the holidays with your family and friends.

See you all next term Yours in Smiles

Sal Malouf-Grice Publicity Officer

Dates To Remember—APRIL/MAY 2012 23rd April Professional Learning Day - staff

24th April Students return Term 2

24th April School ANZAC Day Service

25th April ANZAC Day Public Holiday

1st May Parent/Teacher Evening Year 7, 11, 12

4th-5th May Year 8 Chinese Excursion

7th May P & C meeting 7pm library

8th May Parent/Teacher Evening Year 8, 9, 10

14th May Year 7 Immunisation

15th–17th May NAPLAN testing Years 7 and 9

23rd-25th May Self-Select Science Excursion Years 9 &10