Newsletter volume 4 issue 04

2Suzanne Cory High School Newsletter Volume 4 Issue 4 | Week 3 Term 2, 2014

R e s p e c t | A s p i r a t i o n | C o n t r i b u t i o n

From the PrincipalWelcome back to all families after the Term 1 break. The start to term 2 has been marked at assemblies with recognition of Anzac Day. This is even more significant for our school this year as two Year 11 students, Luke MGnnix and Caroline Alchin returned from their Kokoda journey at the start of the term. Luke and Caroline have prepared an article for this

newsletter regarding their trip. We are very proud of their commitment to their training, fundraising and effort on the trek. Luke and Caroline will share their experiences with students at our next assemblies on the 12th May. It was encouraging to see so many parents and students attending parent-teacher-student interviews. I welcomed the opportunity to meet parents and share in your children’s achievements. These interviews provide teachers, parents and students with the occasion to have conversations regarding student progress and how we can all work together to help students succeed in school. Parents can always contact Home Group teachers and Year Level Wellbeing Leaders regarding their child’s learning program or wellbeing. Formal written reports will be sent to all parents at the end of Term 2. If there has been any change in address or contact details please notify the school via the link on the website or call the General Office.

Inter School SportThis term has already been very busy for our Sports teams with high participation and success across a range of sports. Congratulations to all students for your enthusiasm and willingness to represent the school as part of the co-curricular program.

Students supporting our communityOne of our school values is contribution. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our students. Alice Borde and Kim Do in Year 10 for their commitment to Redkite. Redkite is a cancer charity which supports children and young people with cancer, and their families. Redkite’s essential support programs include financial support, education and career assistance, information support and counselling.Alice and Kim set a target of raising $2000 for Red Kite and had their heads shaved as part of their fundraising venture. Alice and Kim made presentations at assemblies and donations were also collected from the out of uniform day on the last day of Term 1. An amazing total of $5150 was raised for Redkite. A wonderful effort from Alice, Kim their families, friends and the school community. Thank you to all those staff that also made donations to Redkite.

We had a very large contingent of 150 students represent the school at the Relay For Life over the Anzac Day weekend. Relay For Life is an overnight event that is an opportunity for the community to celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost to cancer, and fight back against this disease. Our students raised $3500 for the Cancer Council and are to be commended for their dedication to this event. Thank you to all of the students involved and the parents and teachers for supporting this student led event. Special thanks to Mr Jason Portelli who organised the team, supervision and stayed for the duration of the relay.

Student PerformancesThank you to the students who performed at the 2015 Parent Information evening on April 29th. It was very pleasing to see students engaged in performing for an audience with such skill and passion. The Instrumental Music program is growing every year and provides students with the opportunity to perform individually, and as part of ensembles and orchestra at assemblies and school events. Thanks to Ms Pam Scott and Ms Karen Morris, Instrumental Music teachers and Mr Jason Portelli, Head of Art, Design and Technology for their work on these performances.

SRCI witnessed many parents reading the statements from students who have nominated for the SRC on the Student Leadership board in the Agora. The enthusiasm and dedication shown by students across Year levels and their willingness to take on leadership responsibilities within the school has been outstanding. Candidates will be making speeches to the student body this week with voting to follow. Good luck to all candidates.

Exams and Study days in Term 2All students who are studying a Unit3 & 4 subject will be sitting the GAT (General Achievement Test) on Weds. 11th June. Students are only required to attend school on that day for the GAT. Year 11 and 12 students will also take

3Suzanne Cory High School NewsletterVolume 4 Issue 4 | Week 3 Term 2, 2014


part in GAT preparation days. Students in Years 9 – 11 will sit exams later this term. Timetables will be distributed to students for all exam periods and published on the school website. Students are only required to attend school for the exam times as published on exam timetables. Students are required to wear uniform on exam days. Study days are scheduled leading up to the exams. Students are not required to attend schools on study days.

Please check the Term 2 calendar for all exam and study days for Years 9 – 12. http://suzannecoryhs.vic.edu.au/events/month/

Study Space for Year 12 StudentsA silent study space will now be provided for year 12 students. This will increase the available study areas within the school and further support year 12 students in achieving success this year.

NAPLANYear 9 students will complete NAPLAN assessments this term. The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. All students in these year levels are expected to participate in tests in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. The tests provide parents and schools with an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests. They also provide schools, states and territories with information about how education programs are working and which

areas need to be prioritised for improvement. NAPLAN tests are one aspect of each school’s assessment and reporting process, and do not replace the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about each student’s performance at Suzanne Cory High School.Information regarding the NAPLAN program dates at Suzanne Cory High School is provided in this newsletter.

UniformStudents are required to wear their blazer to and from school. Blazers must also be worn to all assemblies. If your child has lost any items of uniform or school materials including textbooks, pencil cases, calculators and stationary please ask them to check the lost property stored at the General Office. We also have many pairs of glasses in lost property which can be collected by students or parents.

Notification of absencesWe have now provided an option for parents to notify the school of your child’s absences via the website. An email will be sent to the school email address and attendance records will be updated each day. Parents will receive a copy of the notification.(please see below). The link for the website is www.suzannecoryhighschool.edu.au

RegardsKay PeddleActing Principal

Student Absences

This issue’s cover was

submitted by Luke Mannix

Parents can report students absences via phone, email to the school email address or via the website.

If you wish to report absences via the website, look for the button below and complete the form.

Student absences still require a note from the parent upon the student’s return to school. If you have any queries relating to student absences, please contact the school.

Key DatesAll school dates are now available on the school’s website. This online calendar is the most up to date and includes all excursions, events and will also tell you

whether it is a Week A or Week B. Please take a look at http://suzannecoryhs.vic.edu.au/events/month/



Due to the large numbers of students sitting the GAT (General Achievement Test) on Wednesday 11 June at Suzanne Cory HS, additional VCE exam supervisors are required. People doing this supervision

need to be confident reading notices aloud to a group of senior students, and available from 8.00am to approximately 2.30pm on the day.

Any close relatives of students doing VCE Units 3&4 studies this year are ineligible for this employment. There is remuneration for the work at an hourly rate of about $25 or total of about $165 for the GAT.

It is compulsory that all supervisors who are not VIT registered teachers must have applied for a Working With Children Check (WWCC) for employment, not volunteer work—it is mandatory for any adult working or volunteering with children. Once obtained, the

WWCC is valid for five years. There is a cost associated with applying for a WWCC and if you are selected as a supervisor we will cover the cost of the WWCC application. Once completed and lodged at a post office, the back page of the form will be verified and stamped to become your application and receipt. This will need to be shown to our Chief Supervisor when you report for GAT supervision on June 11.

If you are interested, please email me on [email protected] Please type GAT supervisor and your name on the subject line of your email. Please include this information in your email:• Your full name• Your home address and postcode• Your preferred phone number: mobile, home or work• Whether you currently have a WWCC Stewart Milner Assistant Principal

VCE Examination Supervisors Needed for the GAT

The National Assessment Program: Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) nationwide tests for Year 9 students will be held next week in the mornings on Tuesday 13th May, Wednesday 14th May

and Thursday 15th May 2014. • Tuesday 13 May - Language Conventions and Writing (includes spelling, grammar and

punctuation) • Wednesday 14 May - Reading • Thursday 15 May - Numeracy Please do not make appointments (medical, dental or other) for your son or daughter at these times on these dates.

Year 9 NAPLAN



“Scientists do amazing things!” is the theme of this year’s Education Week, 18-24 May 2014.The Education Week website now features information for parents and students about the value of science education, and the diverse study options and rewarding career paths it can lead to. It also features science-themed activity ideas.To find out more about Education Week and where science can take your child, visit: www.education.vic.gov.au/educationweek

mystorymycontent.com



The Premiers’ Reading Challenge 2014The Premiers’ Reading Challenge 2014 is in progress. All Year 9 and 10 students are registered and have been sent their usernames and passwords to their Suzanne Cory High School email. Students can log in to their individual reading record by entering their usernames and passwords through the Premiers’ Reading Challenge website which can be accessed through the iCentre homepage.

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/prc/

All students who meet the challenge will receive a certificate signed by the Premier and their names will be published on an online honour roll. Individual and group achievement prizes will be awarded to participants who contribute to this year’s Challenge. Congratulations to our first achievement prize winners for 2014: Anna Maria Antonijevic 9A, Michael Ye 9B and Anna Dokuchaev 10G.

At Suzanne Cory High School, the Premiers’ Challenge students receive house points for contribution to the Premiers’ Reading Challenge. The winning house is awarded a trophy and the points are included in the overall house tally.

Students can list any books read from January 1st 2014, until the close of the challenge on Friday September 12th 2014. Books may be chosen from the Year 9 & 10 challenge list, many of which are available to borrow from the iCentre. Students may then enter their own choice under the ‘My choice’ category. English class texts will be entered into all students reading lists, when completed later in Term

2. Students must enter a minimum of 15 books to be eligible for successful completion.

Parents are encouraged to discuss their child’s reading list with them and to be involved in the Premiers’ Reading Challenge verification process, which will occur later in Term 2 and Term 3. Library and information Week 19 -25 May 2014 Library and Information Week is a celebration of library and information professionals across Australia. This year’s theme is “Join the dots”. Traditionally days such as National Library Technicians day, Simultaneous storytime and Cancer Council’s biggest morning tea are celebrated during Library and information week. There will be a program of “dotty ” activities in the iCentre for students each day of Library and Information week and lots of prizes.

Library week is a good opportunity for students to join their local public library, if not already members, or why not join State library, Victoria’s largest public library? It's free to join the State Library and you can take advantage of a range of benefits. Although not a lending library, everyone can search the catalogue to find items including ejournals, newspapers and ebooks online.

Students can click on the following link to join the State Library of Victoria online. They may also choose to have a membership card mailed home:https://psr.slv.vic.gov.au/Fiona StarfordiCentre Manager

iCentre



Congratulations Karla Quinton 10H from Year 9 Competition Writing Co-curricular class (2013) who was shortlisted for Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia in the Somerset Novella 2014. Karla submitted her novella “Dream State” in December last year. The Somerset Novella is an annual national writing competition, organised in Queensland and sponsored by Bond University and Penguin group, where students are required to write a novella of between 6,000 and 10,000 words.

This is an excellent result for the Somerset Novella competition. Not only did Karla correctly follow competition guidelines, but also made the extra effort required to write a novella. Look out for copies of “Dream State” during Library and information week 2014 at the iCentre. If students are interested in entering the Somerset novella 2015 more information can be found at: http://www.somerset.qld.edu.au/celebration-of-literature/competitions/Fiona StarfordCompetition Writing

Competition Writing News

Senior Boys & Girls Netball

They played extremely well, winning all of their three games in their pool. They played a hard game in the final but lost to a very strong Werribee Secondary College. Overall they came third out of eight teams. Alex Carroll

Intermediate Girls Netball

Year 10 students will soon be participating in the Australian History Competition. The competition ties in with the new Australian Curriculum for History and has a primary goal of providing an interesting and challenging competition for students. The competition will be run under exam conditions for 45 minutes on Wednesday, May 28. This is run on the back of the very successful Geography Competition which was held at the end of Term 1. Good Luck to all students.

Year 10 History Competition



On the 19th of March, Darcy Hales, Stasha D’Souza, Akshi Malhotra, Joshua Cordina, Tarra Co, Sandali Kulathilaka, Petros Koutroubinas, Rahik Ahmed Sayid, Tim Eastwood and myself, accompanied by Miss Chui, were lucky enough to represent Suzanne Cory at the Wyndham Youth Forum. The Wyndham Youth forum, is a forum designed by the Wyndham Council and Youth Services. This forum stands with the purpose of raising awareness through talks and discussion on some of the largest issues our current generation faces; but also to listen to the voices and thoughts of the students of the schools in the area. Upon arrival, we were gathered into the common

area for an opening speech that explained the running and purpose of the day. Following that, we all broke off into our assigned discussion groups. In these groups we discussed various matters from mental health to turning ideas into actions. Hearing the opinions of students from other schools, we were given a chance to broaden our own knowledge and opinions on such issues, and how we can implement this new found information, to benefit our schooling life. It was truly an honour to attend, as it was a fulfilling day that was not only informative but inspiring. Kristine Carlos 10A

Wyndham Youth Forum

The Asia Education Foundation at the University of Melbourne recently provided students at SCHS with a unique opportunity to hear from their Asia ambassadors through their program Opening a Door to Asia. Twenty of our student attended to hear from a variety of professionals of their experiences of how learning an Asia language has helped to position them to take advantage of unique career pathways connected with Asia. Joshua Nelson’s reflection follows.

Last week I and 19 other Chinese-LOTE students attended the Asia Education Foundain at the University of Melbourne to hear about the careers of professional

who have worked in Asia, and continuing learning an Asian language after high school. When we got there, we heard from a teacher about courses we could take to learn Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, and more at the university. We then talked with two people who had worked in China, and they told us why, and how they had benefited from it. We then spoke to a university student who was currently learning Chinese, and she talked to us about how she was learning the language, and how it was good to learn it. Personally I thought it was a helpful experience, and allowed me to really see why I should continue Chinese into VCE.

Opening Doors to Asia



Redkite CharityThe Suzanne Cory High School community is so proud of our students Alice Borde and Kim Do for their fundraising efforts. The girls are pictured here before and after shaving all their hair off for charity Redkite.

Kokoda for me (without trying to sound too clichéd) was life-changing. At the time it was tough, but looking back I can see how it made me a stronger person and changed me for the better.

My Kokoda journey was far from comfortable as I had gastro the first two days and then no energy for the next day-and-a-half as I was unable to keep any food down. However, this in itself was a blessing in disguise. It taught me that the mind is stronger than the body as I was able to push through each day without complaining. It also gave me something to compare my situation to in the coming days. If I was having trouble or wanted to stop I could tell myself that at least I was not sick and tired like I was at the start. This is something I will be able to use for the rest of my life now as I made it through Kokoda under some of the worst conditions our tour guide had ever done it in (that being her 50th time trekking Kokoda).Kokoda itself is a very beautiful place that is as rich in culture as it is in history. Every village we went through had its own charm and clear sense of

K O K O D A

community. Plus, the kids were funny when they came up for a high-five and punched your palm instead of high-fiving it. A highlight for me was the night we were at Menari (the village whose hospital we raised over AU$13,000 for) and the villagers sang to us as their way of saying thank you. The looks on their faces when they found out how much we had raised for them and how grateful they were for what we had done will be another of those unforgettable

Kokoda moments. As physically demanding as Kokoda is, it is more of a mental challenge and it was moments like this that raised our spirits and gave us the energy to wake up the next morning and finish what we had started. I did not realise how big a mental challenge Kokoda was until I was over there but I was glad that I was able to finish it. Kokoda was an experience I will never forget. Luke Mannix Yr 11.



Students and teachers from across Victoria will be selected as members of a Victorian contingent, for a five day tour to Turkey to attend the Gallipoli 2015 ANZAC Day Dawn Service on 25 April 2015.

All students enrolled in Victorian government, Catholic and independent schools, in Years 9–12 in 2015, are eligible to apply for one of the 80 student places.

Teachers of secondary students with a minimum of five years’ experience, are eligible to apply for one of the chaperone places.

Go to www.anzaccentenary.vic.gov.au to read the student and teacher eligibility and selection criteria and download the guidelines and application forms.

Applications close on 13 June 2014.

A group of unidentified Australian and New Zealand soldiers in a front line trench on the Gallipoli Peninsula,

1915. Photo courtesy of the Australian War Memorial

Gallipoli 2015 ANZAC Day Dawn Service Tour



Everyone in the school will be sitting for the challenging one-hour Australia-wide competition, on Thursday 22 May.All students will receive a certificate, detailed performance feedback, and also go into a draw to win hundreds of iTune and movie vouchers! The Big Science Competition is organised by

Australian Science Innovations, a non-profit organisation committed to providing high quality science extension programs that inspire, challenge and raise the aspirations of students in science. For more information please visit www.asi.edu.auMr. Jeff Kerry PLT Leader, Science & Maths.

It’s on again!

On Tuesday the 30th of April, the Senior Girls Soccer team played 2 games of soccer back to back in the District stage. Lyn, Anela, Jenny, Nicky, Julia, Racheal, Fiona, Lynne, Elif, Kimmy and I first played Manor lakes, who we won against with a score of 2-0 with Lynne scoring both goals! Our second game was against Tarneit Senior (which we played in the pouring rain). At half time we were down 0-1. But as soon as the second half started Lynne kicked another goal! The scores were even until Anela kicked a goal and then Jenny scored another! We could not have won without Ms Ladd, she is an awesome coach! I am so proud of all the girls in the team and I can’t wait until the next round! Also congratulations to the Senior Boys Soccer team who drew their first two games and won their second! Goal scorers for the boys were Trishpal, David and Sam. Well done boys! Tori Kovach

Senior Interschool Soccer Competition



This year’s Great Victorian Bike Ride begins on Satur-day November 29 in Albury and involves riding through Bright and the Victorian High Country on the way down to Lilydale. This an-nual event is a highlight on

the Suzanne Cory calendar. As a school we have en-tered a team in this event for the past three years and look forward to a highly enjoyable ride once again. There are three, five and nine day riding op-tions. Regardless of which option students choose, the ride is physically and mentally challenging and requires a genuine commitment to regular training. A training program has been established and will

begin shortly. At this early stage we have over 25 interested students but would welcome further ex-pressions of interest. See Mr Bourke or Miss Fenby for more information.

The cost to register for the ride is:

Event Adult Youth (13-18)9 days $925 $6755 days $625 $4653 days $475 $350 These costs are based on early bird registrations (prior to 28 July). Entries after this date increase by $100.

Great Victorian Bike Ride

The senior boys tennis team played some stellar tennis last Wednesday, 30th of April competing in the senior WMR tennis finals. Our very own tennis hot shots, Sid Shanker, Jimmy Tran, Matt Lagamba, Ckyever Gaviola and Gabriel Lirios braved the wintery conditions, going up against MSA in the first round.

The team rose to the challenge, playing hard and fighting till the end against the team deemed the toughest competition of the day.

The boys took the loss in their stride as they went on to smash both rounds 5-1 against Lakeview and

Belmont. The team showed excellent technique and embodied a fantastic team spirit and sportsmanship. The team placed second in the finals, ranking as one of the ‘teams to beat’. The team returned home victorious but not without a celebratory feast at McDonalds, as per tennis tradition, courtesy of Mr.Bourke.

All in all, the day was a wonderful success and the senior boys tennis team deserves a huge congratulations on their efforts.

Suzanne Cory Hot Shots (SCHS)

The intermediate tennis team faced some tough competition in the Western Metropolitan Regional tennis finals on Monday 28th April. After confidently making it through the Wyndham Region round, the team expected a much higher level of competition. Even with this expectation on their minds, the team played with determination and vigour throughout each match, despite winning only a few. Overall, the students had a really fun day, got to know each other a little better and formed new friendships. A big congratulations to the team on making it this far and exhibiting a positive attitude and good sportsmanship throughout the day. See you next year! Ms Marissa Chui

Intermediate Tennis Finals



As we move into term 2 our house competition is in full swing. The new leaders have been active in engaging students in their house in key competitions and developing house spirit.

At the end of last term we gave students the opportunity to take ownership of the area of the school where they have their homegroup and tutorial sessions by decorating it. As is often the case the students far exceeded our expectations with original art work, hand made logos and origami decorations all around. The eventual winners of the very close competition were Rothwell with their Carnival themed area.

Students have recently been active in a range of citizenship activities which we encourage by the award of house points. During the holiday around 30 students fundraised for the Good Friday Appeal and we had over 150 students participate in the Relay for Life. All participants are commended for their contribution to the wider community through these activities.

The current points standing is shown below along with the names of those students who have embodied the school values and been awarded values cards in the past month.

House Update

Values Cards:Josh 12DElyssa CarlosElif Yidiz x2Elysia Ton-Nu 9CAmy Blake 9BElizabeth VuAnupama NayakElise Zsidei

Sharon ZamanElif Yildiz x2Elyssia Carlos x2Sofia PachecoJosh JarabaBrian TruongAngela Setjadinin-gratTarra Co

Yasintha PereraKevin XuMichelle TramAndy ChungAths helpers: Monica TranAlex Truong x3Josh Jaraba x2Megan Le

Genevieve 9CIsabell 9CChristine 9CYashna 9CAhnaf 10EYasintha PereraAaron AndresAngela Setjadinin-grat 10D

Natalie NguyenTarra Co x 2Faris GundalNida AjaniShimran KumaranGayatri JunejaEric NgBianca LeeGeoffrey Cuevas

Values Cards: John DoDeveesh Shammv-ganathanTony HaLahiri Welgama x2

Joshua CaduaSiantelle Johns x 2Dilshara Samara-naykeHayden RichardsAbhi Manadhar

Josh 9FLahuri WelgamaDan 9FMichelle 9FKara QuintonNancy Yoo x 2

Kawal ModiAngela 11ELahiru 9FSarfaraz NouriAman 9FJoshua Cardinai

Melissa 9FZoe Agius¬

Values Cards:Jimmy BuiAshwin SelvanathFarhan MajunderSamara 9B9G

Zoe CookKristine Carlos x2Ajisha Kizha-kumtalaStasha D'SouzaJimmy Bui

Aths helpersLin TranKenny Le x2Zoe Cook x 2Harry Tran x3Nicky Phung

Naomie 9GMicheal YeSahan Luvis FenandoeRiley 9GJoey Chen

Rawand AlkameRhys BerryKim DoZoe CookHarry TranDanish Bassi

Values Cards:Jasmine VoKimberley Tran x2Tiffini Tran

Dinushi 10BTony DingTimothy Eastwood10B

Grace LawTu LeSofia NguyenCindy Ho

Tanvi KumarGajani MohanJarrah ConradiMichelle Phan

Kade KimVevaan NguyenAnna Dokuchaev

BLACKWOOD: 860

KOROROIT: 910

COTTRELL: 845

ROTHWELL: 795



The School Wide Positive Behaviours Team had such a fantastic Term one, with the introduction of the new look ‘Values Card and School Matrix design. ’The “Values Card” system has been introduced to reward positive behaviour at anytime, before school, in class, during recess/lunch, after school or on excursions.

At the end of last term, we introduced a new rewards system, and it has been very well received by both students and staff. At the final assembly of each term, all the values cards that have been awarded for that term are put into a box and two cards (one for years 9/10 and one for years 11/12) are pulled out at random by a Student Management Leader. The winning students are then allowed to select a prize from the ‘Rewards Menu’. The winners for Term 1 one were Julie Nguyen (9G) and Kenny Le (11A). Congratulations and keep up the fantastic work!

In tutorial there is a big focus for all year levels on preparation for exams, study skills and also a look at subject selection and careers. For the senior students we have ‘Elevate Education’ coming in to work with students. Over the last 12 years Elevate’s quest has been to unlock the secret to the final years of school: Why do the top students get the top marks? Having carried out an exhaustive process of benchmarking the study habits of thousands of past students, we have identified a number of areas where the practices of the top students differ from average or lower performing students. It is their belief and experience that any student can improve their marks by tapping into, replicating and using these study skills and techniques. If you would like to know more about what they offer the website is http://au.elevateeducation.com/parents/home

Looking forward to another fantastic and rewarding term! Laura Ruddick

School Wide Positive Behaviours

House Competition



library & information week

19–25 MAY 2014

www.alia.org.au/liw

library & information week

19–25 MAY 2014

www.alia.org.au/liw

Newsletter volume 4 issue 04

Documents

Transcript of Newsletter volume 4 issue 04