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Coming up @ PPHS

THE POINT

21 February 2020

P i c n i c P o i n t H i g h S c h o o l

PRINCIPALS REPORT Congratulations to our Year 12 HSC class of 2019 on their great results, a special mention to the Dux of the Year, Chris Liu who achieved an

excellent ATAR of 94.10.

Other high achievers include; Shi-Yao Li (ATAR 91.90), Priscilla Spalding (ATAR 91.65), Jasmine Zande (ATAR 90.35), Cameron Piniros (ATAR

90.05) and Molly Miller (ATAR 89.55).

All High Achievers were formally recognised at our High Achiever’s Assembly on 21/02/20.

I continue to seek the support, encouragement and assistance of parents in ensuring the best academic and social outcomes for all of our students

across years 7-12 in 2020.

Mrs Sharon Byron

Term 1 Weeks 3 & 4

WEEK 5

Monday 24.02 Support Unit Swimming-Sutherland Pool

Tuesday 25.02 Yr 7 2020 Information Night

Wednesday 26.02 Yr 7 Immunisation

Zone Swim Carnival

Thursday 27.02 Photos - Staff, Yr 12, Group Photos

Friday 28.02

WEEK 6

Monday 02.03 IO Community Access

School Photos Day (Main Day)

Tuesday 03.03

Wednesday 04.03 Yr 7 Peer Support Session 3 - P3

Thursday 05.03 Scripture Periods 1 and 2

Friday 06.03 Yr 10 Formal Assembly - P1

Your Community School Promoting

THE POINT

FEATURED ACTIVITY

I’m very excited to be part of “The Point” newsletter and hope to provide information and the odd suggestion that might support

you and your child.

Let’s call it as it is – parenting is one of the most complex and challenging roles. I can tell from having spoken to many parents over

the years that the issues confronting you in your household are similar to what others are also experiencing AND I’m a parent as

well and often don’t have all the answers.

So, how well do we really understand our children? Mission Australia at the end of 2019 had 25,000 respondents (15-19 years of

age) to a Youth Survey Report. The top 3 most important issues in Australia today according to them were: mental health, the

environment and, equity and discrimination. Coping with stress was the NUMBER 1 personal concern.

These results are hardly staggering particularly when you consider the data around anxiety and depression. Interestingly, we have

never lived at a time of such success – life expectancy, medical research, technology, wealth – across the board these are at levels

unprecedented. Why is it then that every family statistically in the course of a year has one family member impacted by mental

health?

For adolescence the answers are more complex. We live in a perfect world, everyone wants to be connected, liked and successful in

everything they do. Failure was once a learning curve for later success, but not anymore it is intolerable and embarrassing within

peer groups. We know these are unsustainable. Consider this, research tells us that the amount of information processed by the

adolescence brain in 1 week is the equivalent of what you and I at a similar age would have taken 52 weeks (1 full year) to process.

That is mind blowing.

Good Practices

1. Maintain good, open and honest lines of communication and don’t be afraid to talk about mental health.

2. Maintain boundaries and structure for as long as you can – no technology overnight in bedrooms, curfews, meals together as

a family, chores around the house.

3. Use on-line resources with tips for helping you with parenting and dealing with mental health (Beyond Blue, Reach Out, Black

Dog Institute).

4. Encourage your child to talk to someone about their problems (It’s ok if it is not you). They can self refer to a school

counsellor and there is no duty for us to report back to a parent (except in case of significant risk).

I understand that broad based recommendations are not a “one size fits all”. If you’d like to communicate with me to follow up

anything in this article please do so on email rory.mcrae@det.nsw.edu.au

At the start of this term I was asked to provide counselling support for schools affected by the devastating bushfires. I spent 2 weeks

at Moruya High School, about 25km south of Batemans Bay. Those communities have been traumatised over a long period (fires

down there began at the end of November). People have lost properties, been evacuated on multiple occasions and on a daily basis

lived with great uncertainty. These communities have been devastated. Lifeline report a 10% increase with incoming calls and have a

direct line to deal with this crisis. These communities are so grateful for the support provided by people that donated food, water,

clothing, gift cards. I spoke with a Year 12 girls and she received a car from someone in Canberra. We see the very best of people in

a crisis and as a community we should be very proud. Well done.

Rory McRae

School Counsellor

PROJECT BASED LEARNING (PBL) Year 7 Song

Students who participated in the music PBL project during year 7 transition worked collaboratively to create a motivational song.

All 30 students took on the task with enthusiasm and gave it their all naming the band Paradoxx 7. Together they wrote the lyrics

and accompaniment to an original song. Students took on different roles in the project splitting into instruments; percussion, vocals,

piano, trumpet, guitar and ukulele. The project was very successful and the song was premiered to year 7 students and parents.

Well done Paradoxx 7!

YEAR 7 TRANSITION PROGRAM 2020

All our Year 7 students have settled in well to high school after having completed the 8 day Transition Program. Year 7 were

involved in team building activities and lessons on mindfulness, growth mindset and how to be organised for high school. The

Project Based Learning task on the new theme 'Learning for Life' focused on preparing the students to think critically and

conceptually about their learning and to explore their role within their own education. It was wonderful to see many parents on

the last day of the program to celebrate the project work all students were engaged in throughout the week. Student feedback has

been very positive with many students rating the projects as the best thing they liked about the Transition Program.

Ms Vicki Stavros Deputy Principal

VERSE 1

When things are tough,

you huff and puff

When you can’t see the light

Be the star and shine bright

Try your best,

Live up to the test

Year 7s the best

Very soon you will see your success

VERSE 2

United as one

171 of us we come

Standing together side by side

2020 we will turn the tide

Reach for the sky

Year 7 pride will never die

We will be friends until the end

Up in the clouds we will never

descend

CHORUS

Sing loud, Sing Proud

Fight your way through the crowd

When you put your mind to it

promise you can do it

Sing loud, Sing Proud

Fight your way through the crowd

When you put your mind to it

promise you can do it

RAP

My friend was in a fight, but he wasn’t

in the right.

The pressure was tight, and he didn’t

have the height.

told him that’s not what friends are about, I

told him that we are all

stronger together without a doubt.

Been there for each other standing side by

side.

Helped each other out through our tough

times.

To keep a good relationship, you need to

have respect

Don’t disrespect each other, no ifs or

buts

Friends are glad when you are happy and care

when you are sad.

Treat them with pride and treat them fair.

Especially when they are going

through tough times.

True friends stay together and never say

goodbye.

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