Woolgoolga High School · 2021. 2. 5. · Woolgoolga High School Newsletter Issue 1 .5 February...

Woolgoolga High School

Newsletter Issue 1 . 5 February 2021

CENTENARY DRIVE WOOLGOOLGA 2452 . 6654 1500 . [email protected] . www.woolgoolga-h.schools.nsw.edu.au

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

From the Principal P.2

Coming events P.3

Elevate P.3

Yondr FAQ P.4

Swimming Carnival P.5-6

Best Start Year 7 P.6

Congratulations P.7

Information for parents & students P.7

Careers P.8

Sport P.9

Year 7 vaccinations P.10

Community notices P.11

WHS introduces a phone-free space to improve teaching and learning!

We will be using a system called Yondr to achieve this goal. Yondr

has been used across the world in over 1,000 schools, as well as at

concerts, comedy shows, businesses, camps, weddings and special

events of all kinds. The goal of these spaces is to encourage people

to engage with each other and their surroundings.

We believe that mobile phones have great utility. We have also

found that learning and social behaviour improve drastically when

students are fully engaged with their teachers and classmates.

The Yondr Program employs a simple, lockable pouch that

stores a mobile phone. Every student will secure their phone in a

personally assigned Yondr pouch when they arrive at school.

Students will maintain possession of their phones and will not use

them until their pouches are opened at the end of the school day.

Students are required to bring their Yondr pouch to and from school

each day and are responsible for their pouch at all times.

Students will receive their phone pouches during school on Monday

8 February.

https://www.overyondr.com/

Woolgoolga High School Newsletter 2 5 February 2021 . Issue 1


Welcome back to a new school year. I am hoping that life

will be a bit closer to normal and we can welcome parents

back into our school as restrictions ease. Please refer to

our school website where we have a link to the updated

guidelines for schools and families.

We have had lots of new enrolments for the start of the year

and I have asked all our students to make them feel

welcome.

Staff new to the school this year:

Mr Dylan Kinninmont – TAS/Industrial Arts

Mr Gavin Whitburn – Agriculture/Science

Mrs Margot Brissenden – Mathematics

Ms Britt Hargreaves – Support/Skilled Class

Congratulations to Sophy Simson who achieved our highest

ATAR last year so is our 2020 Dux. She also achieved sixth

place in the state in Textiles. What an amazing achieve-

ment. I look forward to hearing from Sophy at our Annual

Presentation Assembly in December.

Taryn McCarthy, Year 12 2020 was nominated for and won

the Coffs Harbour Young Citizen of the Year award at the

Australia Day awards ceremony. This is in recognition of

her ongoing selfless contribution to the school and the

broader community. Congratulations Taryn, very well

deserved.

From the Principal’s Desk

Welcome back to a new school year. I am hoping that

life will be a bit closer to normal and we can welcome

parents back into our school as restrictions ease.

We have changed the way house captains are elected

and aim to give the role greater responsibility and

more prestige. Students self-nominated late last year

and online voting was carried out by senior students

last Friday. The results are listed on page 9 of this

newsletter. Congratulations to these students on their

election and thank you to all students who nominated.

We have already hosted our 2021 swimming carnival

and the weather was much kinder than expected.

Student participation was excellent and the atmos-

phere was very positive and supportive. Thank you to

our house captains for your efforts on the day and to

Mrs Hart and her Year 12s for the fabulous catering.

Next week will see the introduction of the Yondr

mobile phone pouch system. A letter will be sent home

to all families and the procedure document will be

published on our school website. Please familiarise

yourself with the process. It will be explained to

students in detail on Monday when they receive their

pouch.

Lu Nickell

Relieving Principal

Academic Achievement Centre

A learning initiative for our students voluntarily staffed by teachers across a range of subject areas.

Thursday 3.15pm – 4.30pm

Transport will need to be arranged by parents to and from the school for their child to participate in the program.

Permission notes available from the office.



2021 NSW term and

vacation dates To support a strong start to 2021, school staff will now

have two school development days at the beginning of

Term 1.

• Term 1 – Wednesday 27 January to Thursday 1 April

• Term 2 – Monday 19 April to Friday 25 June

Term 2 and 3 Staff Development Days remain on the

first day of term

• Term 3 – Monday 12 July to Friday 17 September

• Term 4 – Tuesday 5 October to Friday 17 December

The last day for all students will be Thursday 16 Decem-

ber 2021

• Summer vacation – Monday 20 December to Thursday

27 January 2022

COMING EVENTS

Fri 5 Feb • SMILE training day

Mon 8 Feb • Yondr pouch distribution

• ELEVATE Education

Tue 9, 11 and 12 Feb • Best Start

Wed 10 Feb • Swimming Carnival—competitors only

Tue 16 Feb • Lions Youth of the Year student interviews

Thur 18 Feb

• University Road Show

• Lions Youth of the Year club finals

Mon 22 Feb • MNC Zone swimming

Thur 25 Feb • School photo day

Fri 26 Feb • Grafton pool Year 7

Tue 2 Mar • NC Regional swimming

Fri 5 Mar • School photo catch ups

Thur 18 Mar • RYDA Year 11

Fri 19 Mar • Year 7 vaccinations

Thur 1 April • WHS cross country

• Last day Term 1

Fri 2 April • Good Friday

On Monday 8 February the Elevate team will again

be speaking with students in Years 10, 11 and 12.

We have had great feedback from students and

parents over many years about the benefits of this

program.

Founded in 2001, Elevate has spent over 16 years

benchmarking the habits of the country’s top

students. This research has identified 13 areas where

the habits and study processes of the top students

differ from middle and lower performing students.

Elevate seminars introduce students to these 13

“top student” skills.

What makes Elevate different?

Young presenters students can relate to who have

recently gone through the experience themselves.

Short, high impact sessions maximise student reten-

tion rates and isolate a handful of skills to implement

immediately, encouraging student skill adoption.

Woolgoolga High School

Photography Day

Thursday 25 February 2020

in the school library

Please be in attendance and

in full school uniform.

For more information visit

the WHS Events page

or follow this link

https://woolgoolga-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/events/2021/2/school-photography-day.thursday_25_february_2021.html



Uniform Shop

OPENING TIMES

8.30am to 11.30am Wednesdays and Fridays

Pricelist on the school website or follow this link

What if I want to reach my child during the school day?

We want our students to be engaged in their learning. Please refrain from contacting your student during the school

day unless it is an emergency. Contact the main office on 66541500 to reach your child.

What if there is an emergency?

In case of an emergency, we direct our students to safety first. School staff will be able to unlock a Yondr pouch in a

matter of seconds for students once they are in a safe and secure location.

Will my student’s phone be safe?

Students are in possession of their phone - in their Yondr pouch - for the entire school day. We will advise students

to store the pouch in their backpacks where it is completely safe.

What if the Yondr pouch gets damaged?

The Yondr pouch is property of Woolgoolga High School. If a student damages or tampers with a Yondr pouch,

they will be held responsible. The student’s phone will be confiscated by the school until a parent/guardian comes to

the school to pick up their child’s phone and a replacement pouch purchased. The student will only be allowed to

bring a phone back to school if they pay a $10 fee to replace the damaged school property.

Note: Damage consists of any signs that the physical integrity of the pouch has been compromised, whether inten-

tional or unintentional, as determined by the school or Yondr staff.

How can I clean my student’s Yondr pouch?

In adherence to CDC guidelines, Yondr pouches can be washed in cold water for a short cycle and dried on a short

cycle and/or air dried. Pouches can also be cleaned with a disinfectant cleaner.

Yondr—frequently asked questions

Monday 8 February

students receive their

Yondr phone pouches

WHS introduces a phone-free space to improve teaching and learning!

https://woolgoolga-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/doe/sws/schools/w/woolgoolga-h/localcontent/2019/Uniform_shop_Order_Form_2019.pdf



Day 2: Wednesday 10 February is for Competitors only. Notes must be collected and returned to

Mr Murtha (PDHPE staffroom) to attend.

Surfing for sport 2021 -

1. You must have done your OSSA (Surf Survival) in the past 4 years.

2. If you did OSSA prior to Term 4 2020 you will need to re do your 200m timed swim on

Day 2 of the swimming carnival.

Swimming Carnival Day 1



What is Best Start Year 7?

Best Start Year 7 is an online literacy and numeracy assessment for students on entry to Year 7. It is optional and was

first made available to NSW secondary schools in 2019.

Best Start Year 7 is designed to:

• provide teachers with a snapshot of literacy and numeracy skills students demonstrate on entry to Year 7

• help teachers identify students who may require additional support with the development of key literacy and numeracy

skills useful in accessing learning across the curriculum

• help inform teacher planning and programming to meet the learning needs of all students.

The Best Start Year 7 assessment

The Best Start Year 7 assessment includes two online assessments:

• reading assessment

• numeracy assessment

Each assessment has 30 multiple choice questions and can be administered by any secondary teacher. Each assess-ment is designed to be completed within a usual school period. There is no prescribed time for each assessment – stu-

dents may work at their own pace.

Schools have the flexibility to schedule and complete each assessment anytime during the assessment window to suit school and timetabling needs. The scheduling of assessments may be staggered and students do not need to sit all the

assessments at the same time.

Best Start Year 7

Best Start Year 7 assessments will be completed by Woolgoolga High School students on

Tuesday 9 February (Literacy) and Thursday 11 February (Numeracy).

Students are asked to bring earbuds or headphones for these two days of testing.



Attention Dancers

2021 Woolgoolga High School Dance Ensembles will commence in Week 3. Please see Mrs O’Halloran in the PDHPE staff room to register your interest and

collect an information letter.

Junior Dance Ensemble (Years 7-8)

Thursday Morning 8:20am - 8:55am

Senior Dance Ensemble (Years 9-12)

Wednesday Morning 8:20am - 8:55am

At this stage open to all students. If numbers exceed quota, participation will

be based upon audition.

If students are unable to arrive by 8:20am please see Mrs O’Halloran to discuss

options.

Performance Opportunities: Mid North Coast Dance Festival Coffs Harbour Dance Eisteddfod WHS MADD Night (Due to COVID performance opportunities

are unknown at this stage).

Cost: No cost for rehearsals, however, there may be a costume fee of $30 for performances and possible transport to

venues. More details to come.

Important information regarding the school carpark

Parents are asked not to drive into the carpark after school to collect their child. This causes significant congestion. Please park below the bus bay. Perhaps delay your pick-up by five minutes to avoid the rush.

Attention parents of Year 11

2020 Year 10 VALID test reports are available via email. Please

let the Front Office know if you would like your child’s report.

School Sport

Usual sport will commence Wednesday, Week 4,

17 February. Students are to make sure they have

returned their sports forms and know what sport they

have been placed in ready to participate in full uniform.

Surfing for sport 2021 -

You must have done you OSSA (Surf survival) in the past

4 years.

If you did OSSA prior to Term 4 2020 you will need to

re do your 200m timed swim on Day 2 of the swimming

carnival.

2020 Dux

Congratulations to Sophy Simson who achieved the high-

est ATAR at Woolgoolga High in 2020.Sophy also placed

sixth in the state in Textiles. What an amazing achieve-

ment. We look forward to hearing from Sophy at our

Annual Presentation Assembly in December.

Congratulations

Taryn McCarthy, Year 12

2020 was nominated for and

won the Coffs Harbour

Young Citizen of the Year

award at the Australia Day

awards ceremony. This is in

recognition of her ongoing

selfless contribution to the

school and the broader

community.

Congratulations Taryn, very well deserved.



Infrastructure Traineeships for

Year 12 2020 School Leavers

Infrastructure Traineeships are currently on offer to Year 12 2020

school leavers wishing to study and work in Business, Project

Management, Procurement, Surveying or Conservation. The two-

year full-time paid traineeship program combines TAFE studies

(1-2 days per week) with practical experience working for NSW

Government agencies and private sector industry employers. Over

the two-year paid traineeship, trainees will rotate between different

organisations, government agencies, contractors and consultant

organisations to provide them with a valuable foundation and un-

derstanding of what infrastructure is about. Successful applicants

will obtain a nationally recognised Certificate III or IV qualification

from TAFE NSW, vital workplace experience, and will have no

fees to study.

The traineeships are paid, office-based roles, and trainees will get

to visit sites and learn about how different roles play a part in

delivering major projects, such as schools and hospitals. Trainees

will earn while they learn, being paid a salary of $35,371 per year

plus super. No experience is necessary to apply, you just need to

have completed Year 12 in 2020. There are more than 100 places

available, but applications are closing soon and the traineeships

commence this month.

Traineeships to choose from include Cert IV in Business, Cert IV

in Project Management Practice, Cert IV in Procurement and

Contracting, Cert III in Conservation and Land Management, and

Cert IV in Surveying. Upon completion, trainees can go on to

further study or full-time employment. For further information or to

apply for a traineeship visit https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-

schools/career-and-study-pathways/infrastructure-traineeships.

Careers

Online Courses for Year 12 2020 School Leavers

An expansion of fee-free Summer Skills training courses is now available for 2020 school leavers, with more online short courses on offer, as part of the NSW Gov-ernment’s Skilling for Recovery initiative. The Summer Skills program, launched in November, has expanded to include seven TAFE NSW online short courses targeting last year’s Year 12 school leavers. Enrolments are open for Summer Skills online training in:

• Cyber Concepts • Introduction to working in the health industry • Construction materials and Work Health and

Safety • Mental health • Business administration skills • Introductory to business skills • Digital security basics

All the courses come from the $320 million committed by the NSW Government to deliver 100,000 fee-free train-ing places as part of the Government’s contribution to the JobTrainer initiative. Full details on all available fee-free courses on offer as part of the NSW Summer Skills program is available here, and more information on the JobTrainer initiative is here.

JOB VACANCIES

• Apprentice Chef at White Salt, Woolgoolga

• Full-time Apprentice Chef at The Box Factory Burgers, Woolgoolga

• Apprentice Chef and part-time Front of House staff at Surf St Café, Emerald Beach

• Tyre Fitting Traineeship at Coffs Harbour through Novaskill

• Junior Business Admin Trainee part-time at Coffs Harbour through Novaskill

• Warehouse Trainee at Coffs Harbour through Novaskill

• IT Trainee at North Boambee through Novaskill

• Business Admin Trainee at Coffs Harbour through Novaskill

Please visit the Woolgoolga High School Careers website to obtain further information about these new jobs at https://woolgoolgahighcareers.com/.

Attention Year 12 2020

school leavers

https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/career-and-study-pathways/infrastructure-traineeships

https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/career-and-study-pathways/infrastructure-traineeships

https://education.nsw.gov.au/campaigns/summer-skills

https://www.myskills.gov.au/jobtrainer/NSW?js=8

https://woolgoolgahighcareers.com/



SPORT DATE CARNIVAL VENUE TERM

Wed 3 Feb

Wed 10 Feb

WHS Swimming Carnival – Whole School

WHS Swimming Carnival – Competitors Woolgoolga Pool 1

Swimming Mon 22 Feb MNC Zone Swimming Carnival Grafton Pool 1

Tue 2 March NC Regional Swimming Carnival Coffs Harbour Pool 1

Wed 28 Apr to

Fri 30 Apr NSW CHS State Swimming

Olympic Aquatic

Centre Homebush 2

Fri 1 April WHS Cross Country Woolgoolga 1

Cross Fri 7 May MNC Zone Cross Country Nana Glen 2

Country Fri 28 May NC Regional Cross Country Lismore 2

Thur 15 July NSW All Schools State Cross Country Eastern Creek 3

TBA

WHS Athletics Carnival - Day 1

WHS Athletics Carnival - Day 2

Woolgoolga Sports

Ground 2

Athletics Thur 10 June MNC Zone Athletics Carnival

Coffs Harbour Inter-

national Stadium 2

Thur 29 July NC Regional Athletics Carnival Cudgen 3

Wed 25 Aug Fri

27 Aug NSW CHS State Athletics Carnival Homebush 3

2021 SPORT CARNIVAL DATES

PLEASE NOTE: DATES AND VENUES ARE CORRECT AT TIME OF PRINTING BUT ARE

SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PLEASE CHECK CLOSER TO EVENT.

Sport

CAPTAIN VICE CAPTAIN

Mullaway Nathalie Warden, Harrison Mower Hannah Phoonie, Taiga Harada

Emerald Talisha Harboe, Isaac Fowler Aleisha Quay, Jack Nelson

Diamond Georga Gonzalez, Corey Pickett Aheisha McPhillips, Kris Doolan

Arrawarra Erinna Watson, Mitch Batty Helena Oates, Fynn Robins

Congratulations 2021 House Captains



Term 1 Friday 19 March

HPV (dose 1) and Boostrix

Term 4 Friday 12 November

HPV (dose 2)



Change of Details

Please notify the Front Office if you have

not informed the school of any change of

details. It is vital the school has up to

date records should you need to be

contacted in case of an emergency.

Form is available from the front office.

Safety First

Parents, carers and students are

reminded not to use the staff car park for

dropping off or picking up their children,

unless using the disabled parking bays.

Our car park is very congested,

especially on rainy days, directly before

school begins and after school finishes.

Parking is available at the front of the

school for safety and a covered walkway

for students’ convenience leads from the

bus bay into the grounds.



Available At Woolgoolga High School

A secure Westpac banking facility has now been added to the Woolgoolga High School website to allow

parents/carers to make online Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card payments for things like voluntary school

contributions, excursions, sporting activities or sales to students.

To make a payment click on the link and go the “Make a Payment” tab: http://www.woolgoolga-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/

We hope you will find this payment option convenient. Payments can still be made at the Woolgoolga High School

Office by cash, cheque or EFTPOS before school and during break 1.

Woopi High Canteen

fresh food daily

Volunteering in the canteen is a great way to give back and the

students always love seeing their family members helping out.

We are flexible with days and hours as any help is always

appreciated. Ring the school on 66541500 to speak to one of

the canteen team.

To view the menu and price list click here

http://www.woolgoolga-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/

https://woolgoolga-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/doe/sws/schools/w/woolgoolga-h/localcontent/student-and-parent-information/CANTEEN_MENU.pdf

Woolgoolga High School · 2021. 2. 5. · Woolgoolga High School Newsletter Issue 1 .5 February...

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