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Friday Newsletter
Goulburn Valley Grammar School
 From the Principal
Term 1, Week 3, 27 February 2015
 Around the School
Concert Under the Stars
The Concert Under the Stars is one of the great cultural institutions at GVGS. It was originally the
brainchild of Year 12 students in 2002 and has become a firm tradition since.
The aim of the event is for the Year 12 cohort to work together in presenting an evening of entertainment
for the School community in order to raise money for the Leavers Fund. The event of course, achieves
many other things such as bringing the School community together enabling the Year 12 cohort to
demonstrate their skills and talents.
Over the years, the evenings have displayed a wide range of entertainment including some memorable
musical and cultural performances of very high standard. It is also somewhat of an “under the stars”
tradition that the event includes some performances which may focus more on enthusiasm and
entertainment than technical quality.
The event requires considerable planning and effort from our Year 12 students who have already
completed a successful Valentine’s Day. The evening commences at 7.30pm in Telly Tubby and entrance
is $5 per head. Students and families from all year levels are very welcome. In addition, the Year 12
students will be selling food and drinks including BBQ and cakes. Tickets are available on the night
outside the Tuckshop area. All funds raised will go towards the Leavers Fund for 2015. The Leavers Fund is
used to support a range of charities and to provide a gift to the School.
 The Year 5s spending time with their Year 9
‘Buddies’
Fairley reigns in Dunlop at House Swimming
The 2015 House Swimming Carnival was an historic occasion with Fairley House bringing to an end the
five years of dominance by Dunlop House. The event was highly competitive with the margin between
fourth and first being halved.
The day was a great success overall with strong levels of participation from students of all year levels. As
usual, families eagerly supported the event with many parents and relatives attending and cheering on
competitors. The very warm conditions were a welcome change from last year’s chilly weather.
Congratulations to all our students on their positive approach in both swimming and supporting their
peers. Thank you also to the wonderful work of our staff who ensured the day ran smoothly.
Year 8 Camp
The Year 8 Camp was held at Merricks this week. Our intrepid campers had a wonderful time sharing
many memorable experiences. Staff commented on the very positive and supportive nature of the Year 8
students, particularly how they approached the activities in a most enthusiastic manner.
Special thanks to the Year 8 Tutors and teachers, trainees and Mr Harrison for leading the programme.
Friday Assembly
At today’s assembly, we will have the first of our Prefect Speeches for 2015. The Prefect Speeches are the
inspirational pinnacle of each assembly and represent a wonderful tradition of the School. The Prefect
Speeches are a formal method through which the School culture is expressed and celebrated. Each
Prefect is allocated one of the values of caring, respecting, learning, accepting responsibility and seeking
excellence. The Prefects then carefully create and prepare their speech and present it to the School at
Friday Assembly.
Assemblies are held on the majority of Fridays throughout the year. Most assemblies also feature a Prefect
Speech. It is a long-standing tradition that parents, family and friends are always welcome to attend
Friday Assembly. There is no need to book, simply be seated in the front rows near the doors or as
directed by staff or Year 12 students. If you have, any questions about assembly simply ring Reception.
 Mr Greg Reynoldsons’ PE class take a paddle
on Kings Lake
6th March Assembly Programme:
Middle Year Leaders Induction
Semper Ulterius
Mr Mark Torriero
Principal
[email protected]
Prefect Speech: Sophie Worsfold
Ph: (03) 5821 8155
www.gvgs.vic.edu.au
If you would like to receive your
Friday Newsletter via email please contact
[email protected]
 GVGS Student News
 Dates for your Diary
 Monitoring Academic Achievement via the Portal
At the Year 5, 7 and 12 welcome and information nights, families have been reminded about
the portal and its value in the educational partnership between school and families. Along with
phone calls from tutors to introduce themselves, the portal can be used in the early stages of
the year, as a form of contact with teachers and a means to determine whether any further
contact is warranted. Parent teacher interviews will also occur early in Term 2.
The portal is a vehicle through which parents can gain some information about how a student is
progressing academically. Teachers have been asked to lodge accurate and honest assessments
of student achievement and any comments that may help students to improve their
performance. Often, the early entries in the portal are based on diagnostic testing, early
observations and results from formative assessments. For senior students, the gathering of
results for outcomes and SACs commences quite early. Feedback on preparation work for SACs
is also lodged. Parents can also ask students to see any feedback comments that teachers may
have written on the hard copy of work returned to students.
If parents are at all concerned about any comments or results, please feel free to contact
teachers for further advice. Teachers will welcome any assistance they can access from families
in helping students to progress. If parents are unclear about comments, then please contact
teachers for clarification. For any further enquiries about assessments and the portal in general,
please feel free to contact me at the school on 58218155.
Mrs Debbie Moore, Director of Teaching and Learning
 Year 10 News
The Year 10 Students have a busy few weeks coming up. It would be a good idea to check that
your child is using their diary to manage commitments and homework.
Tuesday 3rd March – Keys Please
Students will be attending this information session from 1.50pm – 3.00pm in Founders Hall. It is
presented by Vic Roads in partnership with the Victorian Police and the TAC.
Tuesday 10th March - Study Skills for Success
Students will have a session presented by an engaging and energetic speaker, Darren Pereira,
which will focus their attention on:Motivation
Managing distractions
Homework and study planning
Habit forming behaviour
Time management
Study skills
The session will run from 9:15am until 11:45am with no breaks.
Wednesday 11th March – OEG Student Session and Parent Information Session.
Students will meet with Jo Brockwell from OEG and Mr Shane McDonald to work through some
menu planning ideas, as well as get a general overview about the upcoming camp. This will be
conducted during period 5 and 6.
That evening at 7.30pm parents are invited to attend an Information Session regarding the OEG
camp. Jo Brockwell will be in attendance to outline specifics about the camp and answer any
questions you may have.
Mrs Nicole Bensch, Year 10 Coordinator
 Immunisations for all Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 Students
4 Mar
5 Mar
9 Mar
11 Mar
11 Mar
13 Mar
15 Mar
15-20 Mar
Production Rehearsal 3.30-5.00pm
ICCES Swimming Carnival
Labour Day holiday
Immunisations - Years 7-10
Production Rehearsal 3.30-5.00pm
Open Day (No Assembly)
Production Rehearsal 10.00am-2.00pm
Indonesian student visit
(Bintang Mulia and Krista Mitra)
17 Mar
Friends of Music meeting,
at 2.00pm in the Founder Hall Foyer
18 Mar
Production Rehearsal 3.30-5.00pm
19 Mar
House Athletics Carnival
21 Mar
Scholarship Testing
20-25 Mar Indonesian student visit
(Muhammadiyah)
22 Mar
Production Rehearsal 10.00am-2.00pm
25 Mar
Production Rehearsal 3.30-5.00pm
24-26 Mar Year 5 Camp - Sovereign Hill
24-27 Mar Year 6 Camp - Narmbool
27 Mar
Easter Service (No Assembly)
8 May
Years 5 and 6 Mother’s Day Picnic
21-23 May Senior Production (The King and I)
 Regional Visits
21 April
27 April
12 May
19 May
26 May
16 June
28 July
 Due Dates
Please note that the following deadlines may not include
ALL due dates for subject work. They are indicative only
and may also change due to special circumstances.
2 Mar
2 Mar
2 Mar
2 Mar
4 Mar
5 Mar
5 Mar
10 Mar
11 Mar
The Council’s immunisation team will visit GVGS on Wednesday 11th March.
This year, Year 7 students will receive HPV, Chickenpox and Boostrix. Years 8 – 10 will only
receive Boostrix. If you have not returned your immunisation cards it’s not too late.
11 Mar
 Year 12 Free Flu vaccination Offer
16 Mar
GVGS is offering Year 12 students free Flu vaccination on Tuesday 17th March. Vaccination
forms have been distributed during the week and require a parent signature. Completed forms
are to be returned to Student Services by Tuesday 10th March.
Mrs Susanne Bennett and Mr Bryant Ruska
School Nurses
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GVGS Friday Newsletter, 27 February 2015
Page 2
Yarrawonga Region, The Lake Café,
Corner Belmore Street & Irvine Parade,
Yarrawonga.
Echuca Region, Coriander Functions,
Northern Highway, Echuca.
Euroa Region, Alberts Café, 44 Binney
Street, Euroa.
Kyabram Region, Morocco Café,
165 Allen Street, Kyabram.
Cobram, Tocumwal, Finley Region,
Cobram Hotel, Crn Station & Main
Street, Cobram.
Benalla Region, North Eastern Hotel,
1-3 Nunn Street, Benalla.
Nagambie, Seymour, Murchison
Region, venue to be confirmed.
Yr 11 History Outcome 1 .......................... HLG
Unit 3 PE Outcome 1 Case Study ............ CRP
Unit 3 Economics SAC 1.2 .......................... JKG
Yr 10 Humanities Outcome 1 ................... JKG
Unit 3 PE Outcome 1 Test ......................... CRP
Unit 1 PE Body Systems Test OutcomeMLH
Yr 9 Linear Algebra Test .....................................
....................................JAC, DKB, GTT/SDM, MAM
Yr 12 History SAC 1.1 .................................. DVG
Unit 3 English Language SAC 1a Informal
Language– Short answer test ...................... SFT
Unit 3 Indonesian Outcome 1 Imaginative
and personal writing ........................................RD
Unit 3 Software Development SAC 1 ... NFB
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 Parent and Friends Bulb Fundraiser
Parents and Friends invite you to take part in our first fundraiser for 2015. Tesselaar allow us to
keep 40% of money raised in bulb sales for fundraising. Please refer to attached order form. If
you would like to order some bulbs please fill out and return with payment to Mrs Pam Pogue by
Friday 13th March so that orders can be filled and returned to you before Easter.
Mrs Louise Brown
Parents and Friends President
From March 15th to March 20th we will be hosting 5
students from Krista Mitra (Semarang) and 17 students from
another of our sister schools in Indonesia; Bintang Mulia
(Bandung). The visit to GVGS by students from these two
schools is an annual event and provides a wonderful
opportunity for the students from the three schools to
interact. On March 20th we have an additional ten students
from a Muslim school in Surabaya staying with us from
March 20th to March 26th.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
8.30 am -11.30am
1pm - 4pm
1pm - 4pm
1pm - 5pm
Closed
Winter Uniform
In accordance with the Uniform Policy, Winter Uniform is
compulsory in Term 2, after ANZAC DAY.
As our trading hours will be limited over the school
holiday break, we encourage all new students to visit the
shop before the end of this term for their winter uniform
fitting. Individual appointments are not required and
students are able to visit the shop during recess on
Monday and during lunchtime Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday as well as after school. Payment is accepted by
cash, cheque (payable to Noone Imagewear) EFTPOS or
credit card. Should students require payment to be
made by credit card we encourage the use of our order
form on which credit card details may be authorised.
Parents are also welcome to accompany their child at
any time during our trading hours.
For our GVGS students the additional benefit is to begin to
develop a context for developing their Bahasa Indonesian
language skills.
If families are in a position to have 1 or 2 students from our
Indonesian sister schools stay for the week in March then
please contact Mr Leon McLeod (Deputy Principal) either by
phone on 58218155 or email: [email protected]
Applying wax in the
Batik process
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Our regular Pelican Shoppe trading hours are:
The trading hours, Uniform Policy, Price List and Order
Form are available from the Goulburn Valley Grammar
School website via the Uniform Tab.
 Visiting Students from Indonesia
Mr Leon McLeod
Deputy Principal
 Pelican Shoppe News
Please note that the shop will be closed on Labour
Day, Monday March 9th.
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If you have any queries regarding the purchase of
uniform or the sale of second hand uniform please
contact us by email [email protected] or
phone on 5821 9959.
Mrs Sally Young, Ms Kerrie Sweeney, Mrs Rika Beeton
Pelican Shoppe
 Tuckshop News
Monday 2 Mar
Tuesday 3 Mar
Wednesday 4 Mar
Thursday 5 Mar
Friday 6 Mar
Rice harvesting.
International Exchange Programme 2015
Year 10 students have the opportunity to apply for a place in the International Student Exchange
Programme with schools in Scotland, England, Italy, USA and Canada. The students who are
successful in their application are able to spend approximately 4 weeks at one of our partner
schools from mid-November . This will mean they will be away from school during our ECP
Programme and will need to be prepared to complete any missed work either during their time
away or when they return to Australia.
The students who are selected to participate in this programme are likely to be required to host
their partner for a similar 4 weeks in either July/August this year or February next year. The
estimated cost of the progamme is $5000 although this is influenced by the value of the
Australian Dollar and airfares.
Interested families are invited to attend an information session in the GVGS Library on Tuesday
March 3rd commencing at 7.30pm.
Leon McLeod, Deputy Principal [email protected]
GVGS Friday Newsletter, 27 February 2015
Alana Kimberlin
Terri Cowley
Di Brock
Jenni Sorraghan
Donna Ford
Melinda Fitzsimmons
Jodie Fleming
Cathy O’Brien
Help needed x3
With the warm weather more students will be bringing
food from home. If you have a salad you would like put
in the fridge remember to drop it into the tuck shop
when you arrive at School. It must be in a plastic
container, with your name on it, and NO glass please.
Also remember all foods requiring heating need to be
left at the Tuckshop before School or at recess. No glass
please.
The Tuckshop is open from 8am every morning.
Students are welcome to come in and purchase drinks,
toasted sandwich or fruit and can order their lunch.
If you’re not already a Tuckshop volunteer and would
like to join the wonderful team of helpers, please give
me a call. We would love to see some new faces. Please
contact me on my mobile number 0403473448 or ring
the school on 58 21 8155.
Mrs Marlene Rutherford
Tuck shop Manager
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 Community News
 Health News
 Shepparton Motor Show Volunteers
 Preparing Your Child for Sport
Days
Saturday 14th March. The organisers are seeking around 7 volunteers to assist their team. So if
you are interested in engines and revved-up cars, this may be for you. An opportunity for
Community Service. If interested, see Mr McDonald for contact details.
 Could you be a permanent care parent?
There are a number of children supported by the Department of Health & Human Services who
require a family for life as they are unable to live with their birth families. We are seeking
committed and motivated people who would be interested in learning more about providing a
permanent family for a child.
Assistance payments are made to the Permanent Care family to assist with the day to day
expenses of caring for a child/young person. Assistance payments are considered to be a
reimbursement for expenses and not an earned income.
We are also keen to speak with families who are particularly interested in caring for children up
to the age of 10 years.
Information sessions are being held on:
3th March at 6:00pm-Department of Human Services, 43-47 Rowan St, Wangaratta
5th March at 6:00pm - Department of Human Services, 163-167 Welsford St, Shepparton
For further information: Adoption & Permanent Care Program 5832 1559 or 5832 1713.
Exercise is a trigger for over 50% of people with
asthma, so asthma exacerbations are common on
sports days and carnivals. Parents can take several
steps to help manage their child’s asthma, and to
prevent them from having a serious asthma attack.
Ensure the school has an updated Asthma Action
Plan
Teach your child to recognise early asthma
symptoms, and help them to feel confident to selfadminister reliever medication using a spacer
Encourage your child to notify staff if they
experience asthma symptoms, even if they selfadminister reliever medication and feel comfortable
returning to activity
Be aware that if your child is unwell or has poorly
managed asthma, they are more likely to experience
 Introduction to Broadcasting ONE FM Workshop
 2015 Be Heard Programme
Are you a student in Years 9-11? Do you like Music? Are you able to commit to a weekend
workshop to find out how a Radio Station operates?
Would you like to :
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Learn about Music as a medium
symptoms during exercise.
For further information, please contact the Asthma
Foundation of Victoria on 1800 645 130 or email
[email protected]
Meet like minded young people
Contribute to your local community
Learn how to present your own program live to air?
Date: Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th April Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm
Where: ONE FM Studio 47 Parkside Drive Shepparton
Contact: 5831 3131
 Virtual Forest
A free community art event facilitated by Splinter Contemporary Artists in conjunction with the
Shepparton Festival.
Date: Saturday 7th March 2015
Time: 9am – 5pm
Where: Maude Street Mall, Shepparton
Splinter Contemporary Artists will work with the community to create a temporary art
installation in the Maude Street Mall. This will be a celebration of the forested river country of
the Goulburn Valley.
Splinter Artists will bring to the Mall approximately 200 tree-shaped branches. Each ‘tree’ will be
placed in a ball of clay to keep it upright. People are invited to paint or wrap a tree, using biodegradable paints and recycled fabric. Each one will be placed in the centre of the Mall. These
will, over the day grow into a ‘virtual forest.’
All materials and equipment supplied. Everyone welcome to participate.
For more information, please contact Kaye Poulton 0437 254 112.
Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes
wrinkles, skin and eye damage, ultimately leading to
skin cancer.
UV cannot be seen or felt. It is not like the sun’s light
which we see, or the sun’s warmth (infrared
radiation) which we feel. Our senses cannot detect
UV so it can be damaging without us knowing. There
is a huge variation in UV levels across Australia. The
UV level is affected by a number of factors including
the time of day, time of year, cloud cover, altitude,
proximity to the equator, scattering and reflection.
The SunSmart app for iPhone, iPad and Android
enables daily checks for your location. The app lets
you know when you do and don't need sun
protection, making it easier than ever to be smart
about your sun exposure all year.
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GVGS Friday Newsletter, 27 February 2015
 SunSmart IPhone, IPad and
Android App
Page 4
 Celebrate Sustainability at Play in the Plaza
 Library Bytes
Date: Saturday 28th February 2015
Time: 10am onwards
Where: Stuart Mock Place—Tatura
Book Review for Year 8 and above
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Sustainable Living Festival aims to inspire and empower people to accelerate the uptake
of sustainable living. The Festival raises awareness and provides tools for change by
showcasing leading solutions to the ecological and social challenges we face.
Many local sustainability groups will be at the event, including Shepparton-based group
Beneath the Wisteria, Dhurringile Landcare Group with a local critter display, GV Community
Energy, and the Tatura Anglican Church with an Easter Community paintings display. A ‘Been
there, done that’ stall for sustainable buildings and renovating projects will also be at the
event.
Energy will be a big talking point for the day, and GV Community Energy will have an
information table highlighting outcomes of the Tatura Energy Opportunity Study which has
just been completed, while Transition Tatura will have an Energy Descent Action Plan stand.
Both groups will have representatives on hand to discuss energy and the way forward for
Tatura.
So bring along your games (no batteries or electricity), join in the Veggie and Produce Swap,
browse the sustainable living displays and stalls, and check-out the creatures we share our
environment with.
For more information on Transition Tatura, visit Facebook (Transition Towns Tatura) or call
Ross Musolino on 0407 845 247.
For those who like their dystopian
fiction this first novel in the Maze
Runner series is a real page turner.
The main protagonist, Thomas,
awakens in The Glade, a huge stone
walled open expanse. He has no
memory and does not know why
he is here. But he is not alone. As he
discovers there are others in The
Glade, all with the same
experience, no memory of their past or how they got
there. Every day the stone doors are opened, every
night they are closed and every thirty days a new boy
enters The Glade. Outside the stone walls is an ever
changing maze- impenetrable and inescapable. After
thirty days a new person is sent into The Glade, for the
first time a girl, and with her an ominous and terrifying
warning…
The Maze Runner has been made into a movie,
released in 2014, with more to follow. The series is a
captivating read and keep your eyes open for the
latest in the series, The Fever Code, which will be
released in 2016.
Reviewed by Mrs Jodie Keady
New Books
 FORSYTH, Kate – Book 2 and
3 in the Impossible Quest
series. Danger surrounds and
after escaping the bog-men,
the four unlikely heroes,
Sebastian, Quinn, Elanor and
Tom once more battle the
hideous beasts that lie in wait.
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 CONNELLY, Michael – The
Black Box. Harry Bosch is a
homicide detective who is
determined to solve a cold
crime that was committed 20
years before.
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 FORKAN, Rob and Paul –
Tsuanami Kids: the Gandy
brothers. This is the true story
of two Brothers who lost their
parents in the Tsunami that
devastated Sri Lanka and their
trek to find out what
happened.
Ms Janette Burns
Library Coordinator
GVGS Friday Newsletter, 27 February 2015
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