Wanganui Park Secondary College 16th October 2014 No. 16 P.O. Box 4010 SHEPPARTON 3632 Principal: Ken Murray Assistant Principals: Xavier Tanner Gerry Vecchio Nancy Harcourt Telephone: 58209900 Absence: 58209977 Excursion: 58209988 Fax: 58209900 Website: www.wanganuipsc.vic.edu.au Email: [email protected] Emily Kittlety – Year 11 Photography The Principal Report – 16th October 2014 YEAR 12 GRADUATION Our Year 12 students are about to enter their final week of classes and for the majority of them, this culminates six years of schooling with us. For those sitting exams in the coming weeks we wish them well and we hope they are rewarded for their consistent efforts. Others are moving directly into the workforce, and they do so well prepared for the next challenges in their future. The Graduation Assembly is an annual highlight on the school calendar, and parents, family and friends are most welcome to join us in the Visy Centre next Thursday 23rd October at 9am to farewell our 2014 graduates. IMPORTANT END-OF-YEAR DATES Monday, 10th November – Friday, 14th November Year 11 Exams: Monday, 17th November – Friday, 21st November Year 12 Orientation Program (for 2014 Year 11 students) Friday, 21st November Last day for Year 11 students Friday, 28th November Last day for Year 10 students Monday, 1st December Year 11 Course Enrolment th Monday, 8 December Year 10 Course Enrolment Thursday, 11th December – Tuesday, 16th December - End-of-Year Activities Program Tuesday, 16th December Last day for Year 7 – 9 students Wednesday, 17th December (evening) Wanganui On Show (at Eastbank) END-OF-YEAR ACTIVITIES Planning for the end of year “Activities Program” has commenced and these events will take place from Thursday, 12th December to Tuesday, 17th December. Students have had an opportunity to select either full day or half day activities, some of which are free and others will incur a cost. All Year 7 to 9 students are expected to take part in the end of year activities and we look forward to your support with this program. SPA CYCLE 5 These reports will be sent to parents early next week. We are finding that this report provides a very accurate snapshot of student progress, and we encourage you to discuss this report with your child. VMG UNIT SELECTIONS FOR 2015 Students have just finished their unit selections for Semester 1, next year. This is the first time we have used the new online system of selection and it seems most students have handled it well. Next year will see us take this further with no green sheets being used at all. Students will go online to see the units they have completed and make their choices based on their teachers’ advice. Thank you to all parents who took the time to support their children with this new process. We are happy to take any feedback that will see this process improved again. Contact Mr Tanner at the school with this feedback. Ken Murray Principal Xavier Tanner Assistant Principal Gerry Vecchio Assistant Principal Nancy Harcourt Assistant Principal CALENDAR OCTOBER 17th VSSSA Athletics 21st CCAFL Written Examinations 22nd Valedictory Dinner - Eastbank 23rd Graduation Assembly “Music on the Deck” – Mid level Band Lunchtime Concert 29th School Council Commencement of Year 12 Examinations Year 11 O/E Sailing Camp (29, 30, 31st Oct) GV Passport Kenny Year 9 – Pd 1 & 2; Melba Year 9 – Pd 3&4 30th Newslink Canteen Roster th st Monday 20 Oct Tuesday 21 Oct Natalie Garner Mandy Simpson Greg Barr Rhonda Marino th th nd Wednesday 22 Oct Jane Crowe Lisa Newbound th rd th Thursday 23 Oct Friday 24 Oct Karen Hampshire Di Giddens Suzanne Jones Kath Payne th st Monday 27 Oct Tuesday 28 Oct Wednesday 29 Oct Thursday 30 Oct Friday 31 Oct Michelle Curnow Robyn Parker Kim Mann Sharon Geraghty Lisa Eliason Jacqui Pinder Brent Evans Fiona Hughes Leanne Muir Kathy O’Brien School Reports Here at WPSC, we aim to continuously improve our systems and processes. In 2013, we introduced the Student Performance Average cycles to provide students and parents with more frequent assessments of progress across each semester. At the end of this semester, we are using the Xuno portal as a means to more efficiently distribute reports in PDF format. Parents will by now, be very familiar with the statewide AusVELS semester report format which was mandated by the Department for use in both primary and secondary schools. However, you may also have seen recent news reports indicating that schools are now able to devise their own reporting formats to best suit their needs. We would like to canvass parent and student opinion on the information you would like to be included in reports. For example: • What do you find useful in our current reporting process (semester, SPA and parent–teacher interviews)? • Is the timing of these various reporting methods appropriate? • What could be improved? Contact Nancy Harcourt Assistant Principal: [email protected] or Ph: 5820990 Year 7 Poetry In term three, in Year 7 English we began our study of poetry, and have created some wonderful poems we would like to share! The students were not given any restrictions in their writing, allowing their creative thoughts to flourish in all directions. A common theme that emerged amongst much of the class was the appreciation of friends and family, as embodied in the quote below. Here are a select few of the poems representing these ideas; I wish I could include them all! Well done to everyone in 7G for all your hard work! - Phoebe Nicolopolous “I wrote our names in the sand, and the water washed it away. I wrote your name in my heart, and forever it will stay.” - Jorja Freer Thank you Mum Thank you Mum, For everything you have done, Thank you Mum, For making each day so fun. Untitled You’re the strawberry to my cheesecake, You’re the chocolate to my milkshake, The happy to my ‘ness, And the friend to my best. Thank you Mum, For showing me the way, Thank you Mum, For smiling every day. It doesn’t matter where you are, There’s a space for you inside my heart. Thank you Mum, For always being there, Thank you Mum, For showing how much you care. I know sometimes I may not show, But I hope you always know, That I love you With every bit of my heart. - Jorja Freer Best Friends Best Friends until the end, I never have to pretend, I love having someone like you, You’re the one that gets me through. You always put a smile on my face, You’re always there just in case, You never ever put me down, You never ever make me frown. Thank you for standing by my side, You are my all and my pride. - Lilly Scimizzi - Millie Lucattini F ight for you R espect you I nclude you E ncourage you N eed you D eserve you S tand by your side - Ellie Chadwick Untitled You’re my best friend, You were from the start. Together we stand strong, We never shall part. We found a friendship, So powerful and true, That I know it will last forever, No matter what we do. - Hafza Bakhiet Latest from the Library The Library is constantly buying new books, both fiction and non-fiction. These are just a few of the recent arrivals: Plenty: A place to call home – Ananda Braxton-Smith Maddy Frank has always lived in Jermyn Street. Always. But now her mum and dad are making her move from the city, far away to some place called Plenty. How will Maddy survive without everything and everyone she knows? Nobody understands. But what about her mysterious new classmate, Grace Wek, who was born in a refugee camp? Could Grace actually understand how Maddy feels? Treasure Hunters – James Patterson The Kidd siblings have grown up diving down to shipwrecks and traveling the world, helping their famous parents recover everything from swords to gold doubloons from the bottom of the ocean. But after their parents disappear on the job, the kids are suddenly thrust into the biggest treasure hunt of their lives. They'll have to work together to defeat dangerous pirates and dodge the hot pursuit of an evil treasure hunting rival, all while following cryptic clues to unravel the mystery of what really happened to their parents--and find out if they're still alive. Temple run: Doom Lagoon – Chase Wilder A choose-your-own-adventure style book, Doom Lagoon is a hunt for sunken treasure. You are an intern and will be accompanying the curator of an antiquities museum during school vacation on a dive to a newly discovered historic shipwreck. Depending on the choices you make, you will either be stranded at sea, drown, explore the wreck, or discover buried treasure. You decide! Believe – Sally Pearson Olympic champion Sally Pearson has shown her remarkable career that competitiveness and passion have hardwired into her very being. Believe is the inspiring story of her journey to the top of her field and her path to recognition by her peers as the best in the world. This is Nick McKenzie and Dylan Sutton their task was to drop an egg from two meters and using only duct tape, one sheet of paper and 50 straws land it without breaking the egg. Nick and Dylan have built a parachute with straw basket. On Thursday 9th October we held the VCE Arts Exhibition in our new SLC (and officially opened the Centre at the same time). Below are some photos of the evening: Science Chelsea Nicholson's science class was working on buoyancy. The students had to make boats out of tin foil and then fill them with washers to see how many it took to sink. Koran Atkas (photo below) took 35 washers to sink his boat which was way over what he estimated. Georgia Goode, Annalise Opresnik and Tayte Earle took 24 washers to sink their boat Congratulations to two staff members: Ms Kate Doyle and Ms Natasha Boyko who both celebrated their Weddings during the last holidays. Below: Kate Doyle and her Year 12 Psychology class Natasha Boyko and her husband, Shane. http://www.parentingideasschools.com.au/getattachment/2ba61727-9695-41cd-8979-36012ad93498 Parental Support Services Students are frequently reminded about maintaining a regular sleep pattern, healthy diet and a balance between work and relaxation. There is plenty of research to back up this advice. However, we may sometimes overlook the impact of the home environment on the students’ health and the support that may be required by parents. I have just read a summary of a research article posted on the website Generation Next taken from the journal Development and Psychopathology. The authors followed more than 1000 families for just under 5 years and found that high levels of household chaos especially disorganisation was associated with a lowered ability of a child to recognise emotions Not surprisingly sustained levels of parental conflict and aggression were linked with children’s ability to regulate their own emotions of sadness fear and withdrawal, leaving them at increased risk of anxiety and depression later on. There may be few simple solutions to some of the causes of conflict and family disruption caused by overcrowding, frequent moves, and noise levels at home, but those parents who seek help to more effectively manage their own coping skills and lifestyles may help their children develop more effective lifestyle skills that teachers advocate Support for parent relationships can be provided through various services: Relationship Australia: 634 Wyndham Street, Phone: 5820 7444; Open: Mon, Wed, Thurs 9 to 5pm, Tue 9 to 8pm  offers counselling for relationships in all their aspects  has a family dispute resolution service  offers family and relationship services for men including counselling and men’s groups  offers services and programs which are aimed at families at all stages of life  workplace services  multicultural services Family Care: 19 Welsford Street ,Phone: 5823 3200; Open: 9 to 5 weekdays Child first child and family information referral and support team can link you to information and services so you can  talk about your child’s behaviour if it is worrying you  manage stress or issues you are facing  learn to become more organised with your routine and parenting  find parenting support for your children  manage everyday tasks  feel more confident  develop skills to care for your baby  build strong family relationships GV Pregnancy Support and Family Service is having their Opening Day on Thursday 16th October at their new premises, 15A St Andrew’s Road, Shepparton, (the old St Andrew’s Kindergarten off St George’s Road) from 2 pm. This will be an opportunity to see our new offices and learn about the work we do. Everybody is welcome - light refreshments will be served. RSVP 13th October, 2014 to 5821.0826 or [email protected] KEYSTONE TENNIS – Enrol Online: Term4 2014 – Creating Meaningful Opportunities Website: www.keystonetennis.com/enrol Email: [email protected] Phone: 0407 476 041 Twitter: @KeystoneTennis Facebook: www.facebook.com/KeystoneTennis CUDGEE PRIMARY SCHOOL – Celebrating its 150th Anniversary with a Morning Tea on Sunday 30th November – 10.00am. Following this there’ll be a BBQ lunch at the Cudgee Hall – gold coin donation. Please RSVP to the school by November 15. Please contact Fiona Selway (Principal) or Matt Dodson (Classroom Teacher) for more information about this event. Phone: 5567 6346; Email: [email protected]; Website: www.cudgeeps.vic.edu.au Please take some time to look at the link below. The Council is keen to hear from families, and would like you to fill out the survey. The Shepparton City Council’s ‘Summer Recreational Activity & Swimming Pool Review’ is underway and we need your assistance to fill out the survey, and also to spread the word throughout your school! The following link provides an outline of the review, a link to the online survey (or a printable version) and the option to download the ‘bulletin’ for more information. http://greatershepparton.com.au/summer-recreational-activity-and-swimming-pool-review