Principal David Hargrave

Deputy Principal Deputy Principal Mrs C Screech Miss D Plumridge

Liverpool Girls’ High School - Forbes Street Liverpool NSW 2170

Liverpool Girls’ High is a learning environment that sets high standards

Glides 2 May 2012

Article Page

Principal’s Message 3

Deputy Principal’s Report 4

Deputy Principal’s National Partnerships Report 5-6

National Partnerships: Classroom Practice and E-Learning 7-11

Commerce to the City! 12

How to Increase Your Marks By Andrew Fuller 13-14

My Hero 15

Amazing Facts About Warren Buffet: 3rd

Richest Man in the World 16

Liverpool Girls’ High School New Staff 17

Year 7’s Fun Day 18

The Red Room Company 19

Interesting Facts and Quotes 20-21

Beautiful – By Tori-Ann Cheatham 22

Careers Report – School to Work Initiatives 23

Become a Volunteer Host Family and an Article on Head Lice 24

From the Poet’s Corner: I Carry Your Heart With Me 25

“Work It – It’s Worth It” 26-27

Bring It On! 28

In Concert 2012 29

Alice In Wonderland’s Tea Party 30

A Mystery Guest? Who Told You? 31-33

2012 Junior Public Speaking Competition 34-35

Compulsory School Attendance 36-37

Set Yourself Up For A Great Year 38-39

5 Things That Maths Teachers Really Want Parents To Know 40-41

Careers News 42-43

Important Dates – Term 2 2012 44

Glides 3 May 2012

Welcome to a bumper edition of GLIDES for Term 2. We have had a busy and most successful term with many new things happening as a result of our National Partnership funding. Staff are very engaged in their own professional learning and meet for two periods each fortnight to learn about exciting ways to engage our students in the classroom. Staff have particularly been learning new ways to integrate technology in the classroom. Next term we will be exploring the use of SMART technology with the purchase of iPADS and iPODS as a learning tool in the classroom. As part of our initiatives all Year 7 students have been interviewed so we can begin working in partnership with them to focus on their own learning. Our process involves students having Individual Education Plans or IEPs. Mrs Duncan and a team of teachers conducted a very success IEP day. This process will gradually be put into place for all year groups. Year 10 will go through the process next term in conjunction with their subject selection for Stage 6 studies. There have been some changes to the School Certificate. Students will no longer sit Board of Studies Examinations for the School Certificate at the end of the year. Instead school based assessment will be submitted to the Board of Studies and students will receive their results graded from A-E in each of their subjects studied throughout Stage 5. This process will also begin from next year in Stage 6 Preliminary where students will receive grades A-E for each subject studied. Students who leave school before they complete the HSC will be given a Record of School Achievement (RoSA) certificate summing up their educational achievements to the date of leaving. We are presently working on creating a homework and tutorial centre “The Help Desk” which will begin operations early next term. Mrs Chyra is busy putting the concept together ready to help support our girls’ learning. Our school continues to provide varied opportunities for our students. Read with interest and find out the great things that are happening in our school in this edition of GLIDES. Thank you to our contributors for this edition. David Hargrave PRINCIPAL

Glides 4 May 2012

This term has been a busy term for all students and staff.

The History faculty conducted a memorable ANZAC ceremony. Congratulations to the students and staff involved!

On 11 May 2012, the Annual Cross County Carnival was held at Jackie Osmond Oval. The beautiful weather meant that there was a huge participation rate in all events. Congratulations to all involved!

For Year 12 Students and Parents: The next two terms are both exciting and stressful in the life of Year 12 students and their parents. It is a busy time both at home and school as the girls prepare for their Higher School Certificate.

A major focus this term will be supporting the girls in preparation for their Trial HSC exams commencing in Week 9. Before that time, girls will be working on Assessment Tasks.

In term 3, the focus will be on completion of major works, performances and practical HSC exams and finally graduation.

Ms Dokmanovic has also been interviewing Year 12 students about post school options.

Here are a few reminders to students and information to parents:

Please ensure that you read all Board of Studies documentation and in particular those relating to honesty in the HSC and submitted works.

Girls are able to access students online from the Board of Studies website. This offers them their HSC timetable, past exam papers, multiple choice tests, study plans and answers to frequently asked questions.

Attendance in class and at meetings during the next two terms is essential to deepen understanding and complete your work. Apply your efforts consistently across your subjects, not just your favourites.

Year 12 need to maintain their focus over the next two terms. Remember your goals and good luck with your preparation towards your trial exams.

Mrs C Screech Deputy Principal

Glides 5 May 2012

NATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS THIS TERM EVALUATION TEAM A lot has happened since the last issue of Glides. The team has been working hard on the first evaluation. The team designed surveys (using survey monkey) to gather data about the first evaluation project being Parent Teacher Evenings. Staff, students and parents were surveyed. Thank you to all who participated in completing surveys. The team has been working on the findings – collating results and writing a final report with recommendations. One of the findings relates to the format of Parent Teacher Evenings. The option most favoured is for one afternoon /evening with a dinner break. It is expected that reports will be issued on the evening and that teacher interviews will be held in the hall. Student entertainment may also be a feature. The next issue of glides will have a presentation of the results obtained. (IEPs) INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLANS This project commenced with year 7. All students in year 7 were interviewed by a member of the IEP team that were trained in interview skills and data entry. All IEPS are electronically entered on the school’s Sentral system and can be accessed by staff. IEPs are designed to assist students with their learning. During the interview students are asked if they need extra assistance in any subjects and if they are enjoying high school and how the school can further assist in their learning both in the classroom and in the many other extra – curricula activities the school organises. The girls enjoyed being interviewed and made comments like “it was really good – the teacher asked me if was enjoying my subjects and if I needed help”….”I met new teachers today that I never talked to”…….. “the teacher helped me with my problem”.

Glides 6 May 2012

The IEP team member included the yr 7 Adviser and the yr 7 Assistant Adviser, HT Welfare, STLA staff and ESL staff. The staff valued the opportunity to interview the girls and to assist them also in welfare matters. It is expected that the next group to have their IEPs set up will be year 10. It will become part of their subject selection process in term three. EDUCATION SUPPORT TEAMS Part of the role of the Evaluation Team includes the formulation of a review process that evaluates faculties in the school. The first review will be held on Tuesday 12 June to Thursday 14 June. The faculty is Mathematics. A panel has been formulated to conduct the internal review. The process is a very positive one identifying the achievements of the faculty and establishing future directions that will guide the faculty in its growth and development towards meeting the needs of students in the area of mathematics. Students and Maths staff are interviewed, lessons observed, and a tour conducted. Data is gathered and analysed and a report presented with recommendations made to the faculty and Principal. The faculty will aim towards fulfilling the recommendations over the next three years. Mrs C Duncan Deputy Principal National Partnerships

Glides 7 May 2012

http://briannamilne.edublogs.org/.

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is a framework to understand and describe the kinds of knowledge needed by a teacher for effective pedagogical practice in a technology enhanced learning environment. Therefore it is the relationship of these three forms of knowledge technology, pedagogy and content knowledge that can have a greater impact on student learning. Education has evolved over the years and Liverpool Girls’ High

School is committed to keeping up to date with the times.

Glides 8 May 2012

This year, Ms Normand has accepted the position as Head Teacher Classroom Practice with a focus on assisting and supporting staff to implement strategies in their lessons aligned with 21st Century practice. Ms Lumkin’s role as Head Teacher E-Learning, is to provide training for teachers to build confidence in the application and integration of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in their classrooms as well as to examine different strategies with teachers to develop and implement innovative project based learning units of work. Ms Normand and Ms Lumkin meet with teachers individually during the school day to assist them to apply creative teaching strategies and to successfully integrate technology for authentic and engaging learning in the classroom. Professional Learning Teams at LGHS Evidenced-­‐based learning and teacher professional learning are the most significant areas for student improvement. Teachers from different faculties attend fortnightly learning team meetings during school hours to share ways to improve student engagement and participate in action research to provide equal opportunities for students to achieve quality learning outcomes in their classrooms. Embedding professional learning in the school day and in the classroom that is active; coherent; content/context focused and participatory can provide opportunities for powerful discourse. Hence, teachers are participating in professional learning during school hours that is catering to their personal professional learning plan, individual teaching and the needs of their students. There is much discussion during these learning team meetings on current educational trends, hands-­‐on activities in classroom practice, constructive feedback, visits to local primary schools and high schools, ICT hands-­‐on workshops and ways to make teaching and learning engaging and fun. Some of the areas of action research and professional learning that teachers are undertaking are:

• Student engagement -‐‐ Developing meaningful surveys to find out where students are at and then examining directions in which our school can engage and motivate them;

Glides 9 May 2012

• Girls’ education -­­ Researching current theoretical frameworks on how girls’ learn best and reviewing ways to apply these theories and methodologies in the classroom through the quality teaching framework which includes higher order thinking, inclusivity, meta-­‐language and substantive communication.

• Transition from Year 6 to Year 7 -‐‐ Focusing on how we can make the transition from Year 6 to Year 7 at Liverpool Girls’ more seamless. A few learning teams have visited local primary schools, investigating learning styles of primary students.

• Visible cross faculty Year 7 scope and sequence – Examining the bigger picture of the education and inclusivity of Year 7 at Liverpool Girls’ and creating a visible map of learning across all curriculum areas. This scope and sequence chart will consider literacy and numeracy skills development, assessment and learning outcomes and the interrelationship between all key learning areas. This will address our students learning needs on CONNECTING, INFERENCING and APPLIED COMPREHENSION.

• Online learning – Reviewing effective structures for online learning spaces such as MOODLE in order to enhance face to face teaching and learning through a ‘blended’ learning environment. Implementing different ways to use innovative digital tools to develop skills in collaboration, creation and connection.

• Inquiry-­­based and project-­­based learning – Exploring ways for students to engage with real-­‐world problems and challenges to make learning active and engaging and student-­‐centred.

• Differentiation of student learning -‐‐ Deconstructing Year 10 units of work through backward mapping methods to address the following questions:

-­­ What experiences do we want our students to have? -­­ How do we create a need to know for our students?

Creative sculptures made by teachers in one of the learning teams reviewing feedback for students

Glides 10 May 2012

New Scheme Teachers Program Teachers who commenced their teaching after 2005 are considered New Scheme Teachers and must be part of the NSW Institute of Teachers. This institute is designed to encourage quality teaching across NSW schools and requires staff to meet an accreditation process. Ms Normand is looking after this process at Liverpool Girls’ in 2012 and assisting staff to complete evidence samples and reports according to the standards of the Institute. Teachers in their first few years of teaching must complete an evidence report showing quality teaching in their classroom and how they are demonstrating knowledge of the syllabus and classroom management skills. After completion of this report teachers are required to complete 100 hours of professional development over five years and another report demonstrating the development in their teaching skills over this time. This five year process continues for the remainder of their career. Liverpool Girls’ has many young and enthusiastic teachers who are part of this accreditation process.

LGHS MOODLE: http://web1.liverpool-­‐h.schools.nsw.edu.au/moodle/ MOODLE is an open source online course management and learning management tool that can successfully support face to face learning and provide opportunities for students to work individually and collaboratively in a virtual space anywhere and anytime. This year, our new MOODLE site has slowly evolved aesthetically and recently we have transitioned to the latest MOODLE 2.2 version that will offer our teachers better ways to structure activities, information and lessons and provide ongoing feedback to their students. LGHS MOODLE allow our students to utilise many collaborative learning tools such as blogs, forums and wikis in a safe and secure online learning environment.

Glides 11 May 2012

In addition, within LGHS MOODLE there are many sections such as Professional Learning Resources for teachers; My Career section which includes up to date career information and study pathways for students; updates from our School

Library and relevant information Student Welfare and support connections. We are looking at ways to include a Parents and Community section, to create new ways of communication and sharing information. You will notice on the front page of LGHS MOODLE there is a live Twitter feed. Liverpool Girls High School is now connected to the world through Twitter. Our Twitter name is @LiverpoolGirlsH. There will also be a changing QR code with useful and relevant information about what is happening at Liverpool Girls High School on the front MOODLE page. QR Codes can store up to 4,700 characters. You will need a Smart phone with a free QR code reader application installed such as one found on this site: http://reader.kaywa.com/ Exciting times ahead in the way n technology will be used to enhance learning at Liverpool Girls High School. Ms K Lumkin Ms J Normand Head Teacher E-Learning Head Teacher Classroom Practice

Glides 12 May 2012

On Thursday the 29th of April, we lucky Year 9 Elective Commerce students went to an excursion to the city! We first walked all the way to the station and then caught a train to Paddy’s Markets. The train was for both us and the public so we all were on our best behaviour… Seriously, we were. Anyways, while we explored the market and tried to not get lost, we also had to fill in a booklet about the shops in Paddy’s Markets After that we went a level up to Market city, (where they had Nandos! Lol Nialler!) where we had our recess and also got to answer more of the questions on the booklet. We also got to explore the place and bought a few little things as well. We then caught a Monorail (which was lucky because it was about to shut down) and headed all the way to Harbourside. That’s where we had our lunch and also had time to fill out the rest of the booklet which were questions about us comparing which centre is better, and which one we would like to shop at. After a long day of wondering around, we all (very slowly) walked all the way back to the station using up the last of the energy we had. Some of us were lagging so bad, but as we went up an escalator, it shook and many of us thought we were going to die! But we were kind of over exaggerating and being very dramatic about it! It was such a laugh as we walked back to catch the train and enjoyed the beautiful view of the city. We had such a fun day and an amazing experience and hopefully we would get to have excursions like these more often! Julie (Vu) Tomlinson Year 9

Glides 13 May 2012

Getting better marks has a lot to do with how you approach studying. The twelve most powerful ways to increase your marks don’t involve you working harder but they do involve you working smarter.

1.Study in silence. This is the single most powerful way to increase your marks. Spend at least 20 minutes of your study time in silence. No texting, music or computer screens. Outcomes improve when you practice in the same conditions you want to perform in. In the exam room there won’t be music, mobile phones or computer screens.

2. Organise & transform the information you want to learn. Just reading your notes over and over again doesn’t really work. Your memory stores information best when you organise or transform it. This means organising your notes so that the main idea is highlighted on each page. Then take your notes and turn them into a flow chart or a mind map or see if you can fit them to a song you know well or make it into a sound recording. The more times you can transform and reorganise the information the more firmly it is remembered.

3.Put off pleasurable activities until work is done. This is a painful one but if you play computer games before you get down to studying, the levels of dopamine in your brain lessen and you will lose the drive and motivation you need to study effectively. Work first, play later.

4.Talk yourself through the steps involved. One of the things that highly successful students do is to explain out loud to themselves the steps involved in completing a task. This applies to every subject area. By saying out loud, “ First I have to do…. Then I have to do….” and so on, any part that you are uncertain about becomes clear and you can then use this to guide where you need to do more.

5. Ask for help. Teachers want their students to be interested and to do well. You will be amazed if you ask a question how many other people don’t understand it either. If you are really scared about asking questions in class, have a private talk to your teacher about this.

Glides 14 May 2012

6.Take notes. Just writing down the ideas that you have makes a powerful contribution to your marks. Don’t just write down what the teacher writes. Make notes of any ideas you have as well. Never rely only on the worksheets given out by teachers or your own capacity to remember information later.

7.Write & re-write key points. Writing the main points of the area you are learning helps you to remember them. If you can add in re-organising and transforming them into different formats (drawings, flow chats, podcasts etc.) that makes it even more powerful.

8.Make lists & set priorities. Make a “to-do” list each week. Write down in your diary the most important things to be done in each subject each week. High scoring students do a little bit on each subject, a lot rather than doing a lot of work on one subject every so often. If you are doing subjects that involve presenting a folio or preparing a presentation, it is still important to do work on the other subject areas.

9.Prepare for class. Become knowledgable about the area you are learning about by doing your own research. If you can learn about the area before you start not only will you have an advantage, it will also make more sense to you as you begin

classes on it. Take notes on your own research. If you can, read over your notes before class to re-fresh your memory.

10. Keep a record of how much study you have done. It increases motivation when we can tick things off lists and when we can see how much we have done.

11.Use memory aides. These are tools that help you to remember information. For example, “Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit” help people remember that EGBDF are the lines of the music staff. The rhyme, “thirty days have September, April, June and November” helps us to remember the calendar. School requires more memory skills than any job you can think of. The best way to remember something is to transform it. If it’s visual put it into words, if it’s verbal, create a picture or graph of it, use lists, acronyms, tables, graphics, and link new information to things you already know. Long-term filing works best if you go right to sleep – the minutes before bedtime are crucial,

12. Set study times The last method is to decide when you are most alert and to set aside some time at that time of day to study. If you wait until you are in the right mood before beginning to study, you may wait forever.

Copyright Andrew Fuller www.andrewfuller.com.au

Glides 15 May 2012

The fire beneath me burned

Boiled like hell Stinging me to death

With all its power, the power of satan

Smelling the smoke burned through my nostrils The fear had crept through me

My mother screaming My father screaming

Screaming for me to get out Get out Tracy Get out Tracy

I heard them, but could not move

Then an angel had held me through the fire I looked up and couldn’t see his face that well

As we got out, I saw him He looked amazing

Broad, big brown eyes with black frosty hair But his face was black because of the smoke

This man was my hero The man that is now

The father of my children My husband, my hero

You are my hero You are my hero

The END

By Hayat Chourbaji Year 11

Glides 16 May 2012

Warren bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!

He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.

He still lives in the same small 3 bedroom house in mid-town Omaha, which he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.

He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.

He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company.

His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis.

Warren Buffet has given his CEO's only two rules. Rule number 1: Do not lose any of your share holder's money. Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.

He does not socialize with the high society crowd. After he gets home he makes himself some popcorn and watches television.

Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half an hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.

Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.

His advice to young people: Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself.

He has donated $31 billion (85% of his fortune) to charity.

By Maria Naseer, Year 10

Glides 17 May 2012

Hello everyone,

I am really excited that I have been given the opportunity to come on board with staff from Liverpool Girls High. I have been teaching in the public education system for the last 33 years. I began my teaching career at Blacktown Girls High in the late 1970's. From there I went to Fairfield Girls High and then the school amalgamated in 1981 to what we now know as Fairfield High. For the last 10 years, I had the responsibility of Head Teacher of Performing Arts. My involvement as a musician, allowed me to develop a multicultural band. The students acquired the skills to become multi talented in the area of Latin American music as well as Middle Eastern music.

On a personal note- I have two daughters. The eldest completed a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Human Resource as well as global company law. She is Vice President for JP Morgan ( the second largest investment bank in the world) in the human resource field. She currently runs Australia as well as New Zealand for the organisation. Our youngest daughter completed a double degree in Law/Business Management. She is employed with Australian Business Lawyers Chambers, and her strength is in employment law. She has been given the opportunity to work for News Limited for a period of time and then will move back to the Chambers.

During my teaching career, I instigated a number of programs that further developed student skills. I have entered many students for auditions within regional and state levels as well as community councils. These students have always had gained a first or second place in the finals. As well as this, there are many programs set by the Department of Education. Some of these are the Prestigious Talent Development Program and as well as the Director Choice Awards. These programs are specialised whereby students not only improve their confidence skills as a performer, but are actually tutored by professional musicians.

I will be working at Liverpool Girls High School for one day a week on Wednesday with the National Partnership team. Our staffroom is located in the Teaching and Learning Centre (near the Cafe). My role is to develop and facilitate a "Help Desk" Centre for students. This will be in the form of a homework centre as well as a group tutorial centre that will run in the library after school until 4.30 pm. It will allow students to receive extra tuition in subjects, so that they will take on the responsibility of improving their subject content knowledge, but also to improve their assessments with the skills gained such as literacy and numeracy skills.

I look forward to working with students, staff and parents in this wonderful and vibrant school. Mrs Maria Chyra Help Desk Co-ordinator

Glides 18 May 2012

On 4th April, Year 7 went on their first Fun Day in High School. We departed from school at about 9:45 am. We went by bus to Villawood AMF Bowling Centre. We had to stand outside for 5 to 10 minutes, to let the other bus arrive. When we were waiting, all of Year 7’s attention was dragged to Go Kart Racing. Many wanted to go inside but the second bus arrived.

The day started with bowling. While people were bowling, two groups were taken to play Laser Tag for 15 minutes and then two other groups played until everyone had a turn. After everyone had a turn at Laser Tag we had lunch. We had soft drinks throughout the break, spring rolls and chips. Everyone enjoyed bowling and many talked about Laser Tag throughout the day.

There was also, a canteen was there for us to purchase extra food. After lunch, we were given rechargeable game cards. It had some money on it paid by the school. If you wanted to play extra, you could use your own money. The arcade games were great, everyone enjoyed them. The popular game was Deal or No Deal, played by most of the students. Everyone had so much fun, but we were still admiring Go Kart Racing. We arrived at school at about 2:15 pm, and until the bell rang, we all talked about who got the highest score in bowling. By Amritkaur Kinot Year 7

Glides 19 May 2012

Calling all Passionate Poets, Come and work with the

Liverpool Girls High School has been lucky to be selected as a pilot school to participate in a program run by the The Red Room Company. The program allows our students to participate in working with a poet in residence writing their own poetry about place. The most exciting part of the project is that each student will be a published poet at the conclusion of the project. Their poetry will be uploaded to an App which will be available for free. It will allow people to examine the places around our school. Each place will have a relevant poem attached written by one of our students. When the place is selected the poem attached will appear on the screen. This is an amazing opportunity and I am looking for all students who are interested in writing poetry and working with a highly acclaimed poet. So, if you are a passionate poet or have an interest in learning to write poetry please see Mrs Harris to register your name.

Glides 20 May 2012

1. You’re reading this right now. 2. You’re realizing that is a stupid fact. 4. You didn’t notice I skipped three. 5. You’re checking now. 6. You’re smiling. 7. You’re still reading this even though it’s stupid. 9. You didn’t realize I skipped eight. 10. You’re checking again and smiling about how you fell for it again. 11. You’re enjoying this. 12. You didn’t realize there’s only supposed to be ten facts.

Glides 21 May 2012

Glides 22 May 2012

You have a beautiful voice let it be heard, make all the noise you can,

don’t let anyone underestimate you in anyway, you’re beautiful just the way you are.

No one can tell you otherwise, no one can believe their eyes,

they lie to you when they say you’re ugly, stupid, annoying and you’re only letting them get the better of you,

because you’re you.

It doesn’t matter what they say, you’re better than that, much better, but sometimes when life gets hard,

you have to believe what they say – have trust in faith, but have no trust in yourself.

By Tori-Ann Cheatham

Year 7

Glides 23 May 2012

CAREERS FAIR Liverpool Girls’ High School annual Careers Fair was held on Thursday April 26th 2012. It proved to be a great opportunity for our students to gather information and speak to representatives from over thirty service providers including universities, TAFE, private colleges, employment agencies and traineeship and apprenticeship companies.

These events are important in allowing students to become familiar with the range of institutions available so they are better able to make well informed choices and be ready to move forward in a positive direction when they leave school.

Congratulations to all students who attended on their excellent behaviour. The positive feedback from representatives attending was very uplifting. They were highly impressed by our student’s level of interest, maturity and behaviour and were extremely keen to return again next year. Well done girls!

UTS HANDS ON ENGINEERING DAY Senior Science students attended The University of Technology Engineering Hands On Day on Friday April 27th 2012 to experience a broad range of engineering interactive activities. Students attended a number of workshops where they learned the principles of making shoes, floatable housing, racing cars, bridge building and robotics. The day highlighted the numerous career opportunities that studying a course such as engineering can offer.

YEAR 12 CAREERS INTERVIEWS This term I will be interviewing all Year 12 students to assist them in their post school planning process. Students are to see me to arrange an interview time as soon as possible. Ms Dokmanovic Careers Adviser

Glides 24 May 2012

World Education Program (WEP) is inviting you to experience another culture in your own home by becoming a volunteer host family to an international student. Students from Italy, Belgium and The Netherlands are looking forward to experiencing life in Australia, making new friends

and becoming a member of an Australian family. Find out more! Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity and contact WEP today to receive a full information pack for your family. Chantel Woods

Inbound Exchange Administrator

Phone: 1300 884 733

Email: wep@wep.org.au

Online: www.wep.org.au

It is head lice season, so here is some timely advice about how to deal with a head lice situation. Tips for tackling kids head lice

Use hair conditioner and a fine head lice comb. Apply conditioner to the hair and comb through with a wide-toothed comb

to remove the tangles. Then use a fine metal lice comb to remove the lice and pull the nits off the

hair. The conditioner helps slow down the louse and makes it easier to comb out.

For more information go to the "Nitbusters" website www.health.nsw.gov.au/headlice

Glides 25 May 2012

I carry your heart with me I carry it in my heart I am never without it

anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling I fear no fate

for you are my fate, my sweet I want no world

for beautiful you are my world, my true and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows

here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide

and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart I carry your heart

I carry it in my heart —-E. E. Cummings

Calling all passionate poets and readers of poetry. Join our group on Edmodo

and upload one of your own poems or a poem written by somebody else. We can read and post comments about the poems that are included.

The Edmodo code is: 948las.

Glides 26 May 2012

Hi all. Mr Matheson and Ms Quigley here.

Who would have thought that we would be asked to do a regular column. After the overwhelming response to our first contribution to Glides, two people read it that we know of, we’ve been invited back!

The girls from Year 12 PD/H/PE have been busy preparing for the letter section of our column, studying hard on all facts related to sport, fitness, beauty, nutrition and mental health.

We have drawn two letters from the barrel and these lucky students will not only get their question answered, but they are now the proud owners of the ‘One Direction’ tickets that we have as this week’s prize. (Tickets are for the concert to be held in the year 2034). Wow – what a prize!

This week, Veronica, Rasha, Mary and Kajal will answer the questions – so here we go:

Our first question is from Gloria in Year 10, who asks:

“The school cross country carnival is coming up, and I don’t know if it is better to run fast at the start, then walk for a while until I feel better, then run fast again OR just jog at the same pace for the whole race. Which way will get me the fastest time?”

Veronica and Rasha have the following suggestions for Gloria:

Gloria, if you run as fast as you can at the start, you will get the wonderful feeling of leading the race for a while. This will be great for your self-esteem, but it won’t be great for your muscles – because they will create a substance called lactic acid – which has the effect of causing you to feel very heavy in your legs and will cause

you to stop exercising. This ‘stuff’ also cannot be removed from your muscles easily and as a result you will not be able to run very well for another 15 minutes or so. So Gloria – take the hint. Use snail mail when it comes to cross country – slow and steady wins the race, so jog at a comfortable pace and you will get a better result. With this plan, we anticipate a Glorious result.

Glides 27 May 2012

Our second lucky winner of One Direction tickets is Andrew from staff, who asks:

“I’ve heard that Mr Matheson is running a ‘spin class’ on Friday mornings on the new bikes. What is a spin class and how would it help me get fit?’

Mary and Kajal have the following suggestions for Andrew:

Andrew, the spin class that Mr Matheson and Ms Quigley are conducting on a Friday morning is open to all Year 10, 11 and 12 girls as well as staff. They start the class at about 7.40am and it goes for about 40 minutes. It would be an excellent activity for ‘burning fat’ and also excellent for ‘general fitness’. In recent weeks, Ms Normand, Ms Silva, Mr Hargrave, Ms Screech and Julia Gillard have

been seen in the fitness room – all working on toning the tum tum, exercising the gluteus maximus and planning healthy public policy. We recommend this type of exercise for all people looking to improve cardio-respiratory fitness and planning to improve muscular endurance and strength.

So Andrew, if you are in Year 10, 11, or 12 or on the teaching staff at the school, come along and join in – you never know- you might get fit, just like some of the PE teachers in the school like Mr Vaux. And you might have some fun also.

Well folks, that’s all for this edition. Keep those letters coming in to Glides, and don’t forget –

“Work it – it’s worth it”.

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On the 15th April, both dance and music students came together to perform at Bring It On! Bring It On is a festival performed by talented dancers and singers from around the area showing and bringing what they’ve got to the table. From hip hop to singing and bands, Bring It On shows the best of the performers. Bands are judged on how they perform and then given a place. Bring It On is a time where you have fun and are seen doing what you love. At Liverpool Girls’ we love singing and dancing. We also had a chance to watch and learn about other people’s talents that were being shown. We got to hang out with our friends and have fun! We listened to talented singers and musicians and our own LGHS SupaBand definitely stood out with their song ‘Starlight’. Liverpool Girls’ High School Hip Hop crew choreographed and performed a hip hop performance. The music was a mix of the latest hip hop songs. These two groups have been rehearsing after school, at lunchtimes and a couple of days in the holidays to make their performances. Ms Normand and Mrs Querin were very proud of our school and all the students who performed. I just can’t wait till next year. By Ece Demir Year 8

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Liverpool Girls’ High School had the unique opportunity of performing at Sydney Town Hall on Monday 7th May with 500 other vocal students from around the state. All students had to learn repertoire by famous composers such as Vivaldi, Bartok and Sondheim and had the opportunity to work with the state schools symphony orchestra. The most amazing aspect of the concert was that all students had the opportunity to work with the prestigious conductor and music educator Mr Richard Gill. He is admired in the music industry for sharing his expertise and love of music with students. Liverpool Girls’ High School Choir students represented their school with pride. Congratulations! “It has been an amazing experience. All the schools get together to sing and it sounds awesome!” Holly Robinson “It’s really cool to meet new people and learn new songs that we wouldn’t usually learn in our school choir” Veronica Burkiewicz “Richard Gill is an amazing conductor. He was really inspiring to work with. He was funny and very clever to making amazing sound from all the students performing”

Karmina Macasero, Ayra Anin, Casey Byrne, Aleen Sleiman.

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In Art with Ms Land, we are studying the works of Alice In Wonderland series by Charles Blackman. We have also studied Blackman’s techniques in painting and learnt colour mixing and how to handle paint. We have also looked at various films of Alice – from John Tenniel to Arthur Reckham to Tim Burton’s interpretation in making Alice still popular today. Our current project is to design a hat to wear to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, which we are having this term. Through this, we are also designing costumes, invitations and posters and making cakes for our Tea Party. Our hats will be also influenced by shapes from Charles Blackman’s Alice scenes. I would like to say thank you Ms Land, you have inspired me so much in Art. How can I ever thank you! By Maleeha Imran Year 9

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The rumour mill has been running at full capacity (or will be) after hearing that our quaint cafe is having a MYSTERY PERFORMER. Rumour has it that it’s a teacher. I know that it’s a teacher, so I went and hunted the Mystery Guest down. Donning the hat of an interviewer, I questioned the guest until I could question no more. So, ladies, gentlemen and Zoidberg, I present to you an interview with the most sought after Mystery Guest in our school’s history!* (*Transcript has been edited for length.) This is a GLIDES exclusive. -Start- I: How long have you been able to play an instrument or be in a band? MG: Aah, well I was in a band; it was a couple of years after I’d started teaching. I started teaching in ’94, so it would have been about ’97, ’98? And we made a band with a couple of teachers at school and I was a singer in the band. I got bored when I wasn’t... There were two singers and when I wasn’t singing I had nothing to do so I decided to teach myself how to play guitar. I: Oh, have you always had an interest in the guitar? MG: I always wanted to do music... I wanted to do music at school, but got pushed into the more academic subjects so I ended up doing physics instead of music. It was always something I regretted. I like music, music and m---- go very well together because music is a lot of counting, a set number of bars per beat, etc. I wouldn’t exactly say that I’m the most intuitive musician in the world, I can only play rhythm guitar. I can’t sort of do anything too flash. I’ve done that for almost ten years. I stopped performing in the band when my first child was born in 2006. I: So it hasn’t been that long. Do you still play, or..? MG: My partner plays guitar as well, so we have a little jam every so often. I: Do you think your children are going to be interested [in music]?

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MG: Yeah, both my kids do a music appreciation sort of thing when they’re little. My daughter’s learning to play the keyboard, wouldn’t say she necessarily likes that but nobody does when you’re learning all the boring parts. I: Are you feeling a bit apprehensive about playing in the cafe? MG: Yes, I would say that. I’m hoping Mr. Girgis is going to give me a decent time alert before he tells me when he wants me to play... Because I haven’t performed, per se, for at least six years and so I might have to learn a few things that people would know these days. I: Do you think the crowd will be big when people find out who’s going to play? MG: I don’t know, it could be very big or very little depending on which way around it [the rumour] goes. I: Normally, the cafe is a bit crowded. MG: I’ve seen that. I’m sure there’s the ‘who-the-heck’s-that-guy-and-what’s-he-doing?’ factor. It’s funny when you’re performing, sometimes you learn to perform to very small rooms then you end up performing in a big room. I: The students at the school are still getting to know you, so I suppose they’d be a bit interested? MG: I’m sure I’ll see a few kids from my classes in there. I’ve gotta say, I don’t get down to the cafe very often, but the couple of times that I’ve wandered past and seen kids [performing], it adds to my nervousness because there are some very good performers there. I: Do you still stay in contact with the rest of your band members? MG: Yeah, I do a little bit, ‘cause the majority of them are teachers and teachers run into other teachers at various times. I’ve run into them at the different schools I’ve worked at since I moved on from that particular school. I: Do they still continue [playing]? MG: The band I was playing in... the original band sort of broke up but then some of us kept going and got some new members as bands do. The original band, some of those members are in other bands performing but the band that I was in, when we kept going, they just play without me now. I: Does the band have a name? MG: Yes, it was called ‘Hired Goons’. Off a Simpsons episode, I don’t know if you remember that one, where a guy knocks on the door of the Simpsons house and Homer says ‘Who’s there?’ and he says ‘Hired goons’...

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Our original band was called ‘Silverhair’ because the lead guitarist, who was the guy who kind of formed the band, had silver hair. And then we found out there was a ‘Silverchair’ tribute band that had the same name. We used to have a problem finishing at the same time. We’d finish the song then somebody would play an extra note or something else. And one day we accidentally finished at the same time, so I thought ‘Ok, we should call ourselves ‘Accidental Finish’’. So that was our proper name for a while. And then we split and called ourselves ‘Hired Goons’. And yes, they still perform up in Blue Mountains mostly. The original group of people all came from Penrith, lower Blue Mountains type areas. They perform in a pub in that area. I: Is there anything you’d like to say in particular? MG: Not that I can think of... I’d say that it wouldn’t be my first time performing in a school because the very first gig that we ever played was at a Year 7 barbeque. I: Have you ever played solo at any other school? MG: I bring my guitar in sometimes and play to Year 12’s towards the end of things. Or if somebody else had a guitar, I’d borrow it for a minute and have a little muck around. I’ve done something at every school that I’ve been at. I certainly don’t mind making a fool of myself. I: Ok, so thank you for your time. MG: Thank you. -End- So remember, folks, be at the cafe* to see this Mystery Guest in the flesh. They may not be One Direction, but they’re worth coming to see! (*Time and date yet to be announced.) By Ashika Dass Year 11

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On Tuesday the 5th of June, twenty-six girls one by one stood up and faced a crowded hall of their fellow peers and teachers. They spoke about entertaining and moving stories of loved ones, their opinions on the world and current issues. These twenty-six girls were part of the 2012 Junior Public Speaking Competition. It was a competitive but friendly competition and in the end everyone received a certificate of participation and the top three of each year group received prizes from Smiggle. The Year 7 competitors had a choice of the following topics: All you need is Love, Save the World, The internet is taking over, TV is good for you and you should vote me as Prime Minister. First place went to Lavin Ibrahim of 7E with her speech on All you need is Love. Second place was awarded to Kayla Woolfe of 7O who spoke about you should vote me as Prime Minister. Third place was claimed by Anjali Kalambe of 7G and her speech on Save the World. Following the year 7’s the year 8 competitors took stage and shared a biographical speech on a significant family member or friend in their life with a focus on their life achievements. In the end the triumphant winner was Rachaele Sabu of 8E with her speech on her Great Aunt. Second place was claimed by Apeksha Ghasti of 8A who spoke about her Father. Third place was awarded to My Linh Nguyen of 8A with her speech on her Brother. The Year 7 and 8 Public Speaking Competition is an excellent event where the competitors are able to improve their public speaking abilities and have a great time. We hope that Year 7 and 8 of 2013 will try their best to get a place in next year’s public speaking competition. Thank you to the adjudicators Mr Houghton, Ms Craig, Mrs Knott and Sarah Hajjar (Year 12 Extension English Student) for adjudicating the Year 7 competition and Mrs Plumridge, Ms Lyons, Ms Karountzos and Ann (English Prac Teacher) for adjudicating the Year 8 competition. It was an excellent day for all of Year 7 and 8 as we were fortunate enough to have them as our audience. Thanks Ms Russell for organising such a great, successful event. By Lavin Ibrahim (7E) and Rachaele Sabu (8E)

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Sometimes it can seem that teachers and parents are pulling in opposite directions regarding a child’s maths education. It shouldn’t be that way! With the right encouragement on both sides, we can work in partnership for the benefit of all concerned. Here are 5 things parents can learn from our perspective that will help your child with maths.

1. Mathematics is really important. I mean, really, really important. When your child is comfortable with using mathematics in a variety of situations, she can apply it “across the curriculum”. This means that when we are measuring liquids in science or drawing a graph to represent data collected in a geography

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lesson, for example, the child can see the mathematics that is needed, and use it correctly to make sense of things.

This isn’t true just in the classroom. Your child’s teacher can see that the things your child will need as an adult revolve around having confidence in a wide range of skills, many of which depend on mathematical thinking.

2. Mathematics is a language which everyone needs to speak Your child’s teacher sees mathematics as a language your child needs in order to understand parts of the world into which she is growing. Just as if you visited another country without knowing the language, if you delve into mathematics without speaking the lingo you’ll be unable to talk to the people you meet, unable to read the signs around you – basically you will be isolated from engaging in that world.

Sadly, teachers see children every day who face this isolation whenever there is mathematics to be done. The teacher says “Let’s use maths to work that out”, and the students look as if he or she’s suggested that they walk on hot coals! Can you help by encouraging your child to see how knowing the language of maths is really important?

3. Doing well in mathematics will help your child to solve all sorts of problems Mathematicians are often the butt of jokes, often about their focus on abstract things and their lack of social skills. But the fact is, someone really, genuinely brilliant at mathematics is likely to be one of the most logical, reliable, focused individuals you’ll ever meet, with an ability to hold multiple pieces of information in his or her mind simultaneously while working out a problem’s solution. Your child will need abilities to reason, to make connections, examine underlying assumptions and find the answers to seemingly intractable problems, whatever their chosen career might be. We all need maths, basically.

4. Maths is everywhere! Children don’t see the mathematics that is all around them, until they are attuned to it. And if they struggle with school maths, they probably try to avoid thinking about it at all. You can show your child the maths you use every day in a hundred different ways (at least!). When you are making the family’s lunches, you could talk about the shapes you cut the sandwiches (“Do you want rectangles, or triangles?”) or the fractions of cut fruit (“I’m going to cut your apple into quarters, so it is easier for you to eat”).

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5. You can have FUN with maths – yes, really! Again, this is really important if your child says that she or he “hates maths” or that “maths is boring”. Sometimes teachers make the mistake of using maths as a punishment – do you remember having to write out your times tables because you were talking in class? While knowing your times tables is vital for success in mathematics, the problem here is that this sends the wrong message – that mathematics is boring, hard work, something you do that stops you having fun doing something you enjoy, etc.

How can you make mathematics fun? Actually, it is easier for parents than for teachers. You can do maths in the middle of other fun, family activities, away from the pressures of curriculum and the hectic work of the teacher. How about playing a game of monopoly? Of course, this should be the “old fashioned” version with paper money and no calculator!

Playing Monopoly is great practise for children in addition and subtraction as they exchange money. Sports are another great source of lots of mathematics. Some parents reward their sport-playing child with a certain monetary reward per goal or point they score. Or Dad and his daughter can enjoy working out the winning margin while they enjoy watching a game together on the TV. (adapted from an article by Peter Price) G. Langford Head Teacher Mathematics

UTS Women in Engineering and Information Technology School Visit. Yr 11 Science students enjoyed finding out about different courses and career pathways in the Science, Engineering and Information Technology areas. First year UTS student ambassadors and scholarship winners in Information Technology provided an insight into the benefits and opportunities of the UTS Scholarship Program and encouraged students to apply for scholarships and to aim high in their academic endeavours. Fourth year engineering students provided interesting insight into working on different engineering areas such as road /civil engineering and railway construction. These students dispelled myths about working in male dominated fields and described the many rewards that a career in engineering can bring. A fun aspect of the talk was looking at the technological evolution of the size of the mobile phone and a computerised dog provided some amusing entertainment!

Healthwise Prairiewood High School

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Students interested in a career in the health field attended Healthwise a careers expo focusing on different career opportunities in the Health industry. The program included lectures by doctors talking about their personal experiences and career paths and a play performed by students set in an emergency ward. Students could also see current health technologies and examples of modern laser scalpels and blood pressure monitoring equipment. Representatives from NSW Health also provided current information about nursing pathways and career opportunities in the allied health field.

TAFE School Visit for LGHS International students Our International students were able to hear about new developments in TAFE course delivery for next year and were informed about new degree courses offered by TAFE in the following areas: Financial Planning, 3D Art animation, Design, Early Childhood and Information Technology. These courses are also available to domestic students and are as academically rigorous as University study with less expense involved. The TAFE Diploma to Degree program was also explained with a further understanding of credit transfer to university courses achieved.

Subject Selection 2012 The subject selection process has begun for Year 10 students. Careers lessons with a focus on subject selection have started and will continue till the end of term. Students need to choose appropriate patterns of study in the senior school that comply with Board of Studies regulations as well as suiting their skills and abilities. The chosen combination of subjects also needs to prepare students for their pathway post school. Each student will be supported through this process and be provided with as many opportunities as possible to pursue their interests.

Refugee Transition Program Refugee Week 17-23 June 2012 was marked by our students attending the Liverpool Festival where they were able to celebrate the achievements and successes of people from a refugee background in the Liverpool area. It was a chance to share experiences and value contributions made to our society by people from a diverse range of countries from around the world.

Refugee Youth Summit – Auburn Town Hall The Summit was an opportunity for different community groups to come together and share their knowledge and experience regarding matters concerning refugee youth. A youth panel discussed areas of need for refugee youth in the community and allowed for opinions and personal stories to be presented with a view to start making recommendations for solutions to problems young refugees are facing in the transition from their home country to the Australian society.

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July

18 Year 10 Careers Search

Excursion

18 SLC Youth Leadership Summit

18 Year 9 GAT Science Excursion

18 Parent/Teacher

Afternoon/Evening - Hall

23 Science Incursion

23 French/Language Day

23 Family Partnership Meeting

24 Year 10 GAT Science Excursion

25 Year 10 Career Discussion Day

25 Year 11 & 12 Studies of

Religion Excursion

August

1 Regional Athletics Carnival

2 Regional Athletics Carnival

8 Shakespeare Day in the Hall

August cont.

8 Year 10 IEP Day

9 Family Partnership Meeting

16 Year 8 Mind Matters Day

24 Post HSC Options Conference

28 Year 12 Soiree

29 Year 12 Soiree

September

4 Year 10 Vaccination

4 Year 10 Exams Commence

10 Year 11 Exams Commence

18 Year 12 Graduation Rehearsal

19 Year 12 Graduation

20 Family Partnership Meeting

21 Year 11 Exams Conclude