2016 Mitchell High School Annual Report · embarked on LiTuP– Project– Based Learning that aims to increase student engagement across the KLAs and promote the development of essential

Mitchell High SchoolAnnual Report

2016

8403

Printed on: 28 April, 2017Page 1 of 32 Mitchell High School 8403 (2016)

Introduction

The Annual Report for 2016 is provided to the community of Mitchell High School as an account of the school'soperations and achievements throughout the year.

It provides a detailed account of the progress the school has made to provide high quality educational opportunities forall students, as set out in the school plan. It outlines the findings from self–assessment that reflect the impact of keyschool strategies for improved learning and the benefit to all students from the expenditure of resources, including equityfunding.

Elena Marinis

Principal

School contact details

Mitchell High SchoolKeyworth DriveBlacktown, 2148www.mitchell-h.schools.nsw.edu.aumitchell-h.School@det.nsw.edu.au9622 8926

Message from the Principal

Our achievements during 2016 include, once again, outstanding results in the Higher School Certificate. Our value addedresults remain high with positive growth in areas of NAPLAN. Improvements to school infrastructure were undertakenwith the refurbishment of classrooms and the outdoor learning space.

The PBL team continued implementing the R.E.A.L initiative throughout the playground areas and into classrooms whilestrengthening systems and school promotional materials to support this initiative. We hosted a visit by our German andKorean sister schools, as well as visitors from Japan, and conducted a highly successful overseas excursion to theUnited States of America visiting our sister school in Minnesota.

The school continued to offer an extremely broad curriculum with 46 senior courses taught including 5 VET courses,acceleration and pathway options all catering for the diverse needs of our students. Self Select classes are in Years 7 to10 in all core courses.

The school received additional funding of $1,295,195 to bolster staff development in the teaching of literacy. All staffundertook professional learning opportunities such as Quality Literacy across in Secondary Curriculum, Writing program,Modification Kits, Super 6, etc. to enhance their leadership, teaching practice and pedagogy. In turn this includedincreased engagement and capacity for collaboration, improved literacy and numeracy in our students. We haveembarked on LiTuP– Project– Based Learning that aims to increase student engagement across the KLAs and promotethe development of essential 21st century skills such as collaboration, problem solving, creative and critical thinking andthe use of technology. ALARM – A Learning and Responding Matrix is another initiative implemented to promote deepunderstanding and quality responding across all stages.

The success of the programs at Mitchell High School can be attributed to the dedicated, hard–working teachers and theunwavering support from the entire school community. The school will receive substantial additional funding in 2017 tosupport the great programs already operating and to enable new initiatives to be implemented. The school has strongsupport from the local community, great outcomes for students and the best teachers I have ever had the pleasure towork with.

I certify that the information in this report is the result of a rigorous school self–evaluation process and is a balanced andgenuine account of the school’s achievements and areas for development.

Ms Elena Marinis

Principal


Message from the school community

The Mitchell High School P&C members meet eac term on the Wednesday of Week 5 at 6.30pm to exchange views andopinions with members of the School Executive throughout the year.

Mitchell High School values the contribution parents and community members have made in relation to students’ learningand welfare. At our meetings the P&C contribute to the formation of school policies and assessment processes. The P&Cwould like to commend the Senior Executive Team who endeavour to enhance the excellent reputation of Mitchell High.We acknowledge and thank the teaching and office support staff for their commitment to our children and widercommunity.

The P&C have been extensively involved in the consultation process for the development of the new StrategicManagement Plan and are confident that the directions taken will only help to support the students of Mitchell HighSchool. We, the P&C, support and encourage the innovative practices and look forward to meeting the challengestogether with the staff of Mitchell High.

This year we continued to campaign to receive funding for a new library facility to accommodate the ever changingpopulation at Mitchell High School and hopefully in 2017 we will continue to pursue this project for the benefit of thestudents. P&C members also contribute to ensuring that the uniform standard is maintained with strong support for theUniform Procedures and represent the school community in the selection process for advertised teaching and executivepositions. We also provide assistance and support to many school events including the Annual Presentation Day, Year 6Information Evening, Year 7 Orientation, and also provide funds to insure the Mitchell High School bus.

This year has been a rewarding year not just academically, but for the wider school community, which is reflected in thisAnnual Report.

We invite parents and community members to join us as part of the P&C Association of Mitchell High. We would like toacknowledge the dedication and support Ms. Elena Marinis has given the P&C over the year. We would also like tocongratulate the staff and students at Mitchell High School for their continued success and look forward to 2017.

Mrs Ann Brett

P&C President


School background

School vision statement

The Mitchell High School community aims to:

• deliver excellence through innovative and unique learning opportunities for student success.

• develop safe, respectful learners who achieve their potential through a broad range of experiences.

• nurture students to be confident and creative individuals, become ethically and socially responsible citizens with asincere sense of tolerance and inclusivity, prepared to make positive and valuable contributions to society.

• strive for excellence, welcome challenge and revere achievement.

• be resilient, resourceful and equipped with the necessary skills and attitudes to continue learning after secondaryeducation and be capable of meeting life’s challenges in their personal, professional and intellectual lives.

Mitchell High staff will continually:

• pursue professional learning to meet the aspirational objectives of the Mitchell School community.

• promote world– class curriculum, contemporary pedagogy and assessment to improve the outcomes of indigenous anddisadvantaged youth.

• develop strong partnerships and work in a mutually supportive, respectful and collegial environment enriched by thecontributions and commitment of parents and the community.

School context

Mitchell High School is a comprehensive high school serving the southern area of the Blacktown and Prospectdistrict. The school population is consistently above 1000 students with 80 teaching staff providing quality learningopportunities for the students. Mitchell High has a highly multicultural population; over 70% of the student cohort are fromEAL/D backgrounds and at least 10% of the students are of refugee background. The school has an excellent reputationin the community and achieves sound results in the RoSA and HSC. Mitchell High is noted for its excellence and traditionand expects students to have high personal standards in academia, personal appearance and behaviour. Mitchell Highis a Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) school and student learning is enhanced as a result. Provisions are made forhigh achievers and those needing additional support through an active Learning Support Team. The school has excellentICT facilities and a focus on developing ICT skills. The school is recognised as a leader in establishing international links,with 7 overseas high schools enjoying close ties with Mitchell High School. This outstanding program has led tohundreds of students experiencing different cultures.

Mitchell High places an emphasis on quality teaching and staff professional learning. The school utilises strong linkswithin the Nirimba Learning Community to facilitate the collegial sharing of ideas and programs and the Warali WaliEducation Group to improve transition from primary to high school and develop coordinated approaches to literacy andnumeracy. Mitchell High has strong links with the community, resulting in excellent transition programs for Year 10 intoYear 11 and post school transitioning. 91% of Mitchell High School students undertake studies at either TAFE orUniversity.

Our school offers traditional values within an environment of high expectations. Leadership is developed throughprograms and responsibilities within the school community.

Self-assessment and school achievement

Self-assessment using the School Excellence Framework

For schools participating in external validation processes:

This section of the Annual Report outlines the findings from self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework,school achievements and the next steps to be pursued.

This year, our school undertook self–assessment using the School Excellence Framework and participated in an externalvalidation. The framework supports public schools throughout NSW in the pursuit of excellence by providing a clear


description of high quality practice across the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading. During the externalvalidation process, an independent panel of peer principals considered our evidence and assessment of the school’sprogress, aligned with the standards articulated in the School Excellence Framework.

The results of this process indicated;

Learning

In the domain of Learning the school’s self–assessment is consistent with the evidence presented in three elements andis validated using the School Excellence Framework.

In the element of;

– Curriculum and Learning the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Delivering stage

– Assessment and Reporting the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Delivering stage.

Teaching

In the domain of Teaching the school’s self–assessment is consistent with the evidence presented in one element and isvalidated using the School Excellence Framework.

In the element of;

– Effective Classroom Practice the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Delivering stage

– Collaborative Practice the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Delivering stage

– Learning and Development the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Delivering stage

– Professional Standards the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Delivering stage.

Leading

In the domain of Leading the school’s self–assessment is consistent with the evidence presented in two elements and isvalidated using the School Excellence Framework.

In the element of;

– Leadership the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Sustaining and Growing stage

– Management Practices and Processes the evidence presented indicates the school is operating at the Sustaining andGrowing stage.

School determined next steps in the self–assessment process

As a result of the External Validation process we will focus on assessment, feedback and reflection for both students andstaff. We will clearly articulate in a written format the induction program for beginning teachers and the clear expectationsof all staff to engage will the professional standards. We need to formalise a process of collaborative practice within theschool including the parent body and extended community.

Our self–assessment and the external validation process will assist the school to refine the strategic priorities in ourSchool Plan, leading to further improvements in the delivery of education to our students.

For more information about the School Excellence Framework:

http://www.dec.nsw.gov.au/about–the–department/our–reforms/school–excellence–framework


Strategic Direction 1

Strengthening Engagement and Partnerships

Purpose

MHS knows highly engaged students with high expectations and strong links to the community become quality globalcitizens. The school provides an environment where students are respectful, engaged, active, learners (REAL),empowering them to experience success. Resilient, empathic and confident students maximise their academic and socialdevelopment.

Overall summary of progress

2016 has been an extremely productive year for the PBL team. The team has continued to teach fortnightly lessons tostudents on various topics relevant to the school community. There has also been on emphasis on continuing to promotethe use of the PBL language and our ‘Being REAL’ motto across the school.

Transition and alternate pathway opportunities have once again been a big focus for our school in 2016. We havecontinued to extend upon the many partnerships and contacts we have with many community organisations to provideoptions for students which have, on many occasions, been more suited their educational needs and goals for the future.

As always we pride ourselves on having a very strong pastoral care program at our school and once again in 2016there was the provision of an extensive range of opportunities and programs for our students to engage in, which hasenhanced their overall wellbeing. Our partnership with The Smith Family and many other community groups hascontinued to be extended.

Progress towards achieving improvement measures

Improvement measures(to be achieved over 3 years)

Progress achieved this year Funds Expended(Resources)

• Increase the number ofstudents showing positivebehaviours for effective learning. • Increase the use ofcontemporary programs thatfacilitate student success. e.g:iTrack, Converge, DLA PiperPrograms, Sydney Uni Days. • Increased number of at–riskstudents successfully linked withcommunity programs. • Increase the number ofstudents, staff and parentsmeaningfully connecting withstudent wellbeing programs in theschool.

PBL data.

Monthly report indicating decrease in studentpopulation appearing in the top triangle.

Decreased number of suspensions based onMillennium data.

Improved attendance data.

Year group meetings to provide a forum for guestspeakers.

IncreaseD number of agencies and outsideproviders.

Continued development of the role of the SEO,ACLO, Aboriginal Tutor & Pacific IslanderCommunity Liaison Officer.

Continued development of community links andpartnerships.

Expanded the range of students accessing thevarious opportunities offered.

Increased use of Millennium to recordextra–curricular participation.

Beginning of the process of becoming a WhiteRibbon 'Breaking the Silence' School.

PBL Budget

Student EngagementOfficer

African Community LiaisonOfficer

Aboriginal Tutor

Pacific Islander CommunityLiaison Officer


Next Steps

Continuing to identify areas of need based on data to develop and deliver lessons.Continued development of classroom systemsPBL Action Team to continue to grow and develop.Year group meetings to provide a forum for guest speakers.Increase number of agencies and outside providers.Continue to develop the role of the SEO, ACLO, Aboriginal Tutor and the Pacific Islander Community Liaison OfficerContinue to develop the community links and partnerships.To expand the range of students accessing the various opportunities offered.Increase use of Millennium to record extra–curricular participation.To officially become a White Ribbon School



Creating a high performing and collaborative learning culture

Purpose

Staff will be high performing in a collaborative and dynamic school community that is inclusive, informed and engaged.

Teachers who are mentored,coached and model effective practice produce the highest quality teaching and learning forstudents.


Staff performing in a collaborative and dynamic school community that is inclusive, informed and engaged. Teacherswho are mentored, coached and model effective practice produce the highest quality teaching and learning for students.




• Goals from PerformanceFramework being achieved. • Increased % of staff completingAPTS qualifications – NST

– Lead

– Highly Accomplished • Higher number of staffimplementing / leading schoolbased initiatives and programs. • Teachers delivering high qualityand engaging lessons across theschool. • All staff engaging with BlueSkyprofessional learning tool.

PDPs set/entered on BlueSky. Peer lessonobservations completed and HTs met with Mentors.BlueSky reports downloaded and analysed forplanning for 2017.

Only NSTs have achieved accreditation. This is anarea for development in 2017.

Staff attended NLC PL day and a large numberwere involved as speakers and presenters atworkshops. A large number of staff continue to beinvolved in PL outside of the school.

HT/Peer reviews and observations.

BlueSky reports downloaded and shared with staff.BlueSky reports leading to planning for 2017.

Next Steps

Strategic Direction 2 will continue to be implemented across the school. Whilst most milestones were achieved across2015–16 some of them need to be carried over and/or further developed in 2017 in order to ensure success. Inparticular, work needs to start on the Accreditation Process for staff at higher levels. This will be done throughprofessional learning at school. BlueSky will continue to be a valuable tool to record all PL and personal and professionalobjectives and observations.



Explicit and future–focused learning

Purpose

To develop and implement a broad, flexible and challenging 21st century curriculum that is personalised and responsiveto diverse needs, allowing all students to be successful and to achieve their potential. Students are well–equipped forparticipation in 21st century social, educational and vocational contexts.


In 2016, explicit and future–focused learning was addressed through a number of key initiatives:

The cross–faculty Project–Based Learning Team (LiTuP) successfully implemented and evaluated engaging projectsdesigned in 2015, including projects in Year 8 and 9 English, Year 7 TAS, and Yr 9/10 Visual Arts. Evaluation data andfeedback from staff and students will be used to inform 2017 projects. New projects have also been designed for Year 7Geography and Year 9/10 Commerce.

Investigation into 21st century learning spaces continued and learning areas were redesigned in a number of facultiesincluding TAS, Mathematics and CAPA. The outdoor classroom, The REAL Space, was completed and provides aflexible and appealing venue for group work and student interaction.

A number of targeted programs ran to support reading and writing improvement for EALD and refugee learners andthose with additional learning needs. Learning Support staff were trained in ‘Rip It Up Reading’ and began delivering thisremedial program to 30 students once a week. Evaluation will be undertaken to inform 2017 implementation. Studentwriting improvement was supported through small–group instruction via the 7 Steps to Writing Success program. Themajority of students registered significant improvement following this program.

Further support for literacy and numeracy came in the form of a numeracy PL project undertaken by two Mathematicsteachers to facilitate better support for student numeracy development, while all staff participated in Secondary LiteracyPL modules delivered by English and Learning Support teachers. Both initiatives supported the building of staff capacityfor teaching and learning that support students’ literacy and numeracy development.

In pursuit of HSC improvement, the cross–faculty ALARM Team continued to support ALARM implementation throughfaculty experts and the development of models and resources.




• Improvement in students’literacy and numeracy skills suchthat > 52% of Year 9 studentsrecord above or expected growthin Reading (from 50.3), > 50% inWriting (from 47.6) and > 54%(from 51.5) in Numeracy in the2016 NAPLAN. • HSC improvement as persubject–specific targets detailedin faculty plans.

Staff trained in ‘Rip It Up Reading’ and programimplemented.

‘7 Steps To Writing Success’ training for two morestaff members.

5 Yr 8 and 9 ‘7 Steps to Writing Success’ groupsrun successfully. Refugee learners participated inproject to create a book.

2 x staff members completed ‘Improving NumeracyOutcomes’ project.

Redesign of learning spaces to facilitatecollaboration and technology use for learning.

ALARM Training and Implementation.

$8000 for training, programlicence + materials

$1100 for PL and cover

$200 for certificates andparent morning tea /presentation

Refugee program funding

$5000 of funding provided

$150,000 for outdoorclassroom

$10 000 ALARMimplementation

Next Steps


2017 implementation of discrete LANE (Literacy And Numeracy Enhancement) classes for Year 7 and 8 Literacy andNumeracy classes.

Continuation of ‘Rip it Up Reading’ and ‘7 Steps to Writing Success’ programs.

Extension of LiTuP project–based learning initiatives across KLAs.

Extension of support programs for EALD and refugee learners.

Continuation of literacy and numeracy PL.

Employment of extra team teaching staff to support improved NAPLAN results.


Key Initiatives Impact achieved this year Resources (annual)

English language proficiency EALD program evaluation Student yearlyresults (SBSR) / assessment on EALDProgression updated.

Additional EALD teacher employed abovestaffing entitlement.

Staffing $201,002

EALD Flexible $18739

Low level adjustment for disability SLSO timetables and diaries, Millenniumdata, Learning Support minutes.

$102, 127

Socio–economic background Increased student engagement.

Transitioning students into workplace,apprenticeships, traineeships and alternativesettings.

Additional learning support provided byemployment of SLSO staff.

Student assistance.

Student Engagement Officer.

Homework Centre.

$720,371

Support for beginning teachers • Beginning Teachers are on a reduced load 6 x 53minute periods a cycle, effectively (0.1). • Beginning Teachers are given periods off toassist in programming, report writing andmarking. • An experienced senior staff member has anallocation to support beginning teachers. • There are weekly meetings to guide andsupport beginning teachers. • A senior member of staff with extensiveexperience has 0.3 allocation to supportbeginning teachers. • An induction program is in place. • Beginning teachers meet weekly to discussprogress, school initiatives and feedback. • Beginning teachers are encouraged to seekprofessional learning activities that exist onmyPL as well as institute registeredprofessional development. • Beginning teachers are coached andmentored by either their Head Teacher ordesignated senior teacher in the faculty todevelop the appropriate procedures to makephone calls to parents, have face to facemeetings. Opportunities are provided forbeginning teachers to meet with parents bothformally and informally.

$42, 712.16

Aboriginal background loading Employment of Aboriginal Tutor to work withAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studentsto support them in their learning.

Liaison with community groups to facilitateengaging and culturally enriching programsand/or experiences.

Increased attendance and retention.

Total equity loadingAboriginal background$17,704

Targeted funding $32,155


Student information

Student enrolment profile

Enrolments

Students 2013 2014 2015 2016

Boys 508 505 506 517

Girls 507 487 486 464

Mitchell High School is a large public comprehensivesecondary school located in Blacktown in the WesternSuburbs of Sydney. The school has a multiculturalpopulation with 52.2% of students coming from 46language backgrounds other than English; over 10% ofstudents have a refugee background. There wereseven International Students in 2016 and ourInternational Student numbers are increasing in 2017.

Student attendance profile

School

Year 2013 2014 2015 2016

7 93.6 94.8 92.7 93.2

8 91.9 90.8 92.9 90.7

9 89.7 90.8 90.2 91.7

10 87.8 88.4 88.6 87.7

11 89.8 87.9 87.2 90.2

12 92.7 92.3 89.8 91.9

All Years 91 90.9 90.2 90.8

State DoE

Year 2013 2014 2015 2016

7 93.2 93.3 92.7 92.8

8 90.9 91.1 90.6 90.5

9 89.4 89.7 89.3 89.1

10 87.7 88.1 87.7 87.6

11 88.3 88.8 88.2 88.2

12 90.1 90.3 89.9 90.1

All Years 89.9 90.2 89.7 89.7

Management of non-attendance

The school's overall attendance for 2016 was 90.80%which was an improvement from 2015 whereby theattendance was 90.20%

Post-school destinations

Proportion ofstudents movinginto post-schooleducation, trainingor employment

Year10%

Year11%

Year12%

SeekingEmployment

15 10 3

Employment 23 36 50

TAFE entry 2 4 12

University Entry 0 0 28

Other 0 0 5

Unknown 0 5 2

NB: The above percentages are based on the studentpopulation of Year 10 (160), Year 11 (157) and Year 12(141).

Year 12 students undertaking vocational or tradetraining

Mitchell High School provides various pathways forstudents; such as an academic pathway to university.The school also provides a TAFE pathway withsignificant opportunities to participate in TVET, SchoolBased Apprenticeships and Traineeships, as well asalternative pathways to employment.

In 2016 Mitchell High School offered 4 VETframeworks; Hospitality (49%), Construction (25%),Retail (19%) and Business Services (14%). 7%completed an SBAT and 7% studied a TVET course.

Year 12 students attaining HSC or equivalentvocational education qualification

Our year 12 cohort comprised of 141 students in which68% of students obtained an ATAR, and 32% had anon ATAR plan of study.

The top 5 university degrees chosen by our studentswere; Science (8%), Teaching (5%), Sports Science(4%), Communication (3%) and Policing 3%. While thetop 5 universities chosen were; WSU (14%), UNSW &Macquarie University (5%), USYD, UTS and ACU (3%).

Workforce information


Workforce composition

Position FTE*

Principal 1

Deputy Principal(s) 2

Head Teacher(s) 11

Classroom Teacher(s) 50.2

Learning and Support Teacher(s) 2.6

Teacher Librarian 1

Teacher of ESL 2.2

School Counsellor 1

School Administration & SupportStaff

12.17

Other Positions 1

*Full Time Equivalent


Mitchell High School employed an Aboriginal Tutor in2016 to assist students with learning support as well asa number of Student Learning and Support Officers(SLSO) to assist students to engage with their studies.

Teacher qualifications

All teaching staff meet the professional requirementsfor teaching in NSW public schools.

Teacher qualifications

Qualifications % of staff

Undergraduate degree or diploma 100

Postgraduate degree 30

Professional learning and teacher accreditation

In 2016 Mitchell High School had seven BeginningTeachers successfully submit their evidence andannotations to achieve proficiency. Of those seven, themajority were teachers on contract employment, ratherthan permanent staff. Each person was individuallyguided and supported throughout the Accreditationprocess. In 2016 two permanent members of staffcompleted their second cycle of Maintenance while anadditional 30 others are continuing to update theirprofessional learning in their current Maintenancecycles. Eight Beginning Teachers started the inductionprocess in 2016 and those who are still employed atMitchell High School in 2017 will continue that processthrough regular meetings and professional learning.

Financial information (for schoolsusing OASIS for the whole year)

Financial information

This summary financial information covers funds foroperating costs to <insert date> and does not involveexpenditure areas such as permanent salaries, buildingand major maintenance.

Income $

Balance brought forward 551 129.41

Global funds 864 733.99

Tied funds 1 143 838.20

School & community sources 522 292.40

Interest 13 968.35

Trust receipts 32 278.87

Canteen 0.00

Total income 3 128 241.22

Expenditure

Teaching & learning

Key learning areas 216 302.97

Excursions 78 440.96

Extracurricular dissections 192 289.15

Library 475.00

Training & development 918.18

Tied funds 1 258 648.79

Short term relief 256 147.55

Administration & office 229 151.77

School-operated canteen 0.00

Utilities 114 087.01

Maintenance 114 729.89

Trust accounts 67 164.89

Capital programs 195 962.73

Total expenditure 2 724 318.89

Balance carried forward 403 922.33

A full copy of the school’s financial statement is tabledat the annual general meetings of the parent and/orcommunity groups. Further details concerning thestatement can be obtained by contacting the school.


School performance

NAPLAN

In the National Assessment Program, the results acrossthe Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy andnumeracy assessments are reported on a scale fromBand 1 to Band 10. The achievement scalerepresents increasing levels of skillsand understandings demonstrated in theseassessments.



The My School website provides detailedinformation and data for national literacy and numeracytesting. Click on the link http://www.myschool.edu.auand insert the school name in the Find a school andselect GO to access the school data.

Higher School Certificate (HSC)

The performance of students in the HSC is reported inbands ranging from Band 1 (lowest) to Band 6(highest).



Parent/caregiver, student, teachersatisfaction

Each year schools are required to seek the opinions ofparents, students and teachers about the school.

In 2016 we continued to facilitate Parent InformationEvenings where we could inform parents of upcomingevents and programs in which their children couldpotentially become involved. As a school we arecontinually looking at ways in whichto engage parents/caregivers in school events and toprovide opportunities for the school community toprovide feedback.


Policy requirements

Aboriginal education

The Aboriginal Education Action Team is committed toclosing the gap for Indigenous students and to providethem with a variety of opportunities and support tothrive and excel in their educational goals. The actionteam meets on various occasions during the schoolyear to report on progress and to set future goals. Theteam focuses on the following key areas to enhanceAboriginal Education. These include:

•Implementation and monitoring of PersonalisedLearning Plans (PLPs)

•Promotion of Aboriginal programs

•Curriculum data analysis

The range of programs to assist students withacademic progress include:

•An Aboriginal Tutor employed through Norta Nortafunding. The tutor has been instrumental in assistingwith the development of the Aboriginal Educationprogram at Mitchell High School. The tutor has helpedguide the development of Personalised Learning Plans(PLSs) and made links with the parent community.

To maintain our good retention of Aboriginal studentswe have:

•Engaged in the Australian Indigenous MentoringExperience (AIME)

•Developed Personalised Learning Plans (PLPs)

•An Aboriginal Education Action Team

•A Timetable of Cultural Celebrations

•Developed university and community links

To assist with transition we have enlisted the supportof:

•An Aboriginal Tutor

•Teacher Mentors

•A Transition Co–ordinator

•The Careers Adviser

•The Student Engagement Officer

•The Head Teacher Welfare

All Aboriginal students have an opportunity to create apersonalised plan for success. Aboriginal students canconcentrate on developing literacy or numeracy skills orimprove their cultural knowledge such as dance ortraditional languages and set personal employmentgoals surrounding their chosen focus area.

Students are assisted by members of the Aboriginalcommunity, parents and teachers to create individualgoals that the students would like to work on in thecoming semesters. The strategies that are required toachieve them are recorded in an electronic template.AIME provides a dynamic educational program thatgives Indigenous high school students the skills,opportunities, belief and confidence to finish school atthe same rate as their peers.

AIME has proven to dramatically improve the chancesof Indigenous students finishing school. AIME alsoconnects students with post year 12 opportunities,including further education and employment. AIMEprovides students with leadership opportunities, suchas the AIME Ambassador Project.

The Sydney University Experience Day for Year 8 and9 students was very successful. This yearly eventco–ordinated by Sydney University through theCompass Program provided an opportunity for ourIndigenous students to experience university life. Thestudents took part in tutorials, presentations,demonstrations and practical sessions, as well asspeaking to current indigenous students and tour thecampus.

The school encourages students in their sportingendeavours. Daniel Dellow competed for the SydneyThunder in the Indigenous T20 Cup Cricket in Orange.Daniel’s team won the competition. The design on hisplaying shirt tells the story of his journey to playing. Thesmaller circles represent family, the larger circlerepresents the team on the field and the linesconnecting the two symbolise the path to playingcricket.

The school’s Indigenous students and members of theAboriginal Education Team participate in Heritage Day.Indigenous culture is shared through food withstudents, staff and guests to the school. It is anopportunity to open and create dialogue in a social and


Multicultural and anti-racism education

EALD Program

EALD students were assisted in 2016 primarily throughin–class support from EALD teachers and SLSOs,small–group teaching sessions, individual support forassessment tasks, ESL roll–call and senior mentoring.These interventions are designed to aid students tobuild their capacity in reading, writing, speaking andlistening in English, as well as developing theknowledge and skills relevant to the subjects theystudy. Students’ English language proficiency isassessed and monitored using the EALD Progressionto track progress and determine future support needs.In addition, EALD teachers assist teachers across allsubject areas to modify lesson materials and activitiesto cater for the needs of EALD learners.

International students attending Mitchell HS in 2016were supported by the International Students’Coordinator who attended to any wellbeing or learningneeds that arose. Morning teas and other events wereheld to provide informal opportunities for internationalstudents to connect and discuss any relevant concernsand successes.

Refugee Support

Students from refugee backgrounds received ongoingsupport from EALD teachers and other school staff in2016 to ensure wellbeing and learning needs were met.The Curriculum Access Program (CAP) ran in Terms2–4, offering students the opportunity to work in a safe,supportive small–group environment to write andillustrate a book about their personal journeys, ‘Life’sAn Adventure’. This initiative allowed students todevelop key literacy skills as well as form positive peerrelationships through group work and excursions.

Other school programs

STUDENT WELFARE

The school has participated in and implemented a widevariety of welfare initiatives and programs in 2016 tosupport student needs and provide opportunities to helpstudents strive for success.

Mitchell High School is in the process of becoming aWhite Ribbon School. This involves developing andsustaining a culture of respectful relationships, in

concurrence with programs embedded in the school.This is a whole–school commitment to the prevention ofmen’s violence against women and a strengthenedculture of respect. The project has engaged the schoolleadership as partners in the program and enhancedunderstanding of men’s violence against women andthe detrimental mental health and physical effects onwomen, family members and friends of the victims.Mitchell High is about saying NO to violence and YESto respectful relationships.

We have begun to share this awareness through Year7–10 Health lessons, PBL roll call lessons, schoolassemblies, a dance performance and participation inthe Youth Off the Streets ‘Walk Against DomesticViolence’. The 2nd of December saw teachers andguests, including Superintendent Garry Merryweatherwho is a White Ribbon Ambassador, and Ric Seretis,Director of PSNSW Nirimba, enjoying a White RibbonBreakfast to officially launch the beginning of ourjourney to White Ribbon status.

We have continued our strong relationship with TheSmith Family and the University of Sydney which hasled to numerous programs and opportunities beingoffered to our students. The following programs wereoffered to students in partnership with The SmithFamily:

Fourteen students from Year 10 took up the opportunityto attend ARUP, an Engineering Consulting Firm, aspart of the Work Inspirations Program. This is a threeday program to introduce students to the world ofengineering in a meaningful and inspiring way so theycan make positive changes in the world. ARUP havedesigned and worked on sites such as the BarangarooPrecinct, the Opera House and the Cube in Beijing. Thestudents were involved in a range of activities such asthe multi–disciplinary design of a new school, Blast andImpact engineering and Python Coding where thestudents excelled. The students interviewed ARUPstaff, created career boards and did a DVDpresentation where they each talked to their 30 year oldself.

The Work Inspiration Program at DLA Piper, aninternational law firm, aimed to expand the vision ofemployment opportunities for fifteen Year 10 students.The program created an active learning environment tobroaden horizons and allow students to experience thesteps required when applying for jobs or entry intofurther education. The primary aim is to expand thevision of students to encompass a variety ofemployment opportunities available and consider themeans by which those opportunities can be realised.The focus is on interpersonal skills, interaction andinterview skills. The students were involved in a rangeof activities including workplace tours, interviews withstaff, workshops, problem solving and looking behindthe scenes of a large corporation and the opportunitiesavailable in such a company. It is an opportunity forstudents to thrive in an enriching environment.

The ‘Converge’ program seeks to explore and developstudents own musical identity, creativity and potential.The program is a partnership between theConservatorium of Music, The Smith Family and


Westpac. The Smith Family worked with three schoolsfor six workshops which led to a performance at theConservatorium of Music.

Five Year 12 students had the opportunity to attend theB’Inspiring Business and Leadership Conference, aninteractive three day experience focused on businessrelated subjects and leadership topics. Students werementored and had the opportunity to learn about keybusiness trends and related careers from guestspeakers and university sponsors. The conferenceculminated in a pitch competition where the studentstackled a business related challenge using the skills,knowledge and confidence gained through theexperience.

Year 11 students had the opportunity to participate in aThinking Ahead Workshop, providing them withvaluable information about the types of scholarshipsand admissions pathways available to university.Presented by a Sydney University Compass staffmember and two student ambassadors, participantsanalysed typical extracurricular activities in terms of theleadership skills employers and scholarship committeeslook for in an application. The aim of the session was tohelp students build stronger application skills,confidence and motivation to apply for university.

A Boys Education Camp was offered to all males inYears 8 and 9. Twenty boys went to Tea Gardens for athree day camp which was a ‘Rock and Water’program. ‘Rock and Water’ is an evidence basedprogram that offers students a framework forrecognising and dealing with their sense of self, theirpurpose and motivation in life, as well as dealing withthe actions of others. The ‘Rock and Water’ programfocused on the following areas:

•How students can centre and ground themselves

•The knowledge needed to diffuse situations

•Self–defence

•Focus and communication skills.

The boys engaged in a range of outdoor activities overthe three days, many of which were challenging bothmentally and physically. Overall, this was a wonderfulcamp which the boys thoroughly enjoyed.

The school engaged the Boys Mentoring Program runby the Conviction Group for small groups of students inyears 7–10. The organisation aims to encourage youngmale students to re–evaluate their perspectives onpivotal issues concerning young men’s health, whilstequipping them with the relevant tools to enhancedecision making. Conviction topics include:

•Respect

•Resilience

•Boy meets Girl

•Definition of a Man

•Expectations of Mates

•Consistency vs Motivation

•Mental Health

•Leadership

•Mateship

A Girls Education Camp was offered to all females inYears 8 and 9. Fifteen girls went to the SydneyAcademy of Sport and Recreation at Narrabeen toenjoy an outdoor educational experience. The focus ofthe camp was ‘Nothing adventured, Nothing Gained’.The program explored issues such as self–esteem,body image, anti–bullying, media messages, positiveself–talk, social media, relationship building andpersonal safety. During activities such as abseiling,high ropes, sailing and even canoeing the groupworked as one to encourage and support each other toparticipate and go above and beyond in some of theactivities. During activities the girls showed greatsupport towards each other. Encouraging their friendsand others they may not usually socialise with. Theyurged them to take that step, leap or opportunity to trysomething they may not have the opportunity to doagain.

Once again, the CREW has had a highly productiveyear in 2016. Led by Barry Stooke and assisted byWayde Szumyn, the CREW takes in a new group ofstudents each semester to learn construction andgardening techniques with the aim of beautifying theMHS grounds.

The main projects of 2016 included a 30 metre longgarden leading towards the administration block of theschool that includes a variety of plants and hedges.This garden creates a beautiful approach to the schooland will only look better over time as the plants becomemore established. Accompanying this garden is a newset of four pergolas painted in the REAL colours thatprovide additional seating for our senior students.Outside the hall, a new European style ‘knot garden’has been planted, inspired by Mr Stooke’s travelsabroad. Accompanying this garden is a colourful screenthat was built by the CREW to help camouflage the airconditioners on D block. This also serves as abackdrop for photographing student leaders, guestsand staff during formal assemblies. Additional gardenshave been built between the basketball courts and theCOLA. These gardens consist of six individual planterboxes, doubling as seating for students and are filledwith various flowering plants as well as pear trees thatwill provide ample shade as they mature. Surroundingthe outdoor gym a new garden border has been built aswell as an additional garden outside the entry to Ablock.

Throughout the year students involved with the CREWhave learned many valuable skills such as using powertools, topiary, gardening, concreting and painting just toname a few. Beyond the practical skills that will last alifetime, students in the CREW get a great deal out ofthe program. They develop the ability to work as ateam, learn to show respect for one another and to staff


and also to take an enormous sense of pride in seeingthe fruits of their labours for many years to come.

The High Resolves Global Leadership Program, ran forthe duration of 2016. The program inspired andequipped a group of twenty–five Year Nine students tobecome active in their school and community. Theintended outcome of the program was to prepare andtrain the students to become effective leaders, workingcollaboratively with other students and to promote asocial issue within the school and community. Thestudents were involved in the launch of White Ribbon atMitchell High School. They worked to prepare andcreated videos that called for their fellow students tostand up against domestic violence, create a hash tagthat was used for the school launch day and promotethe issue around the school. A selection of these videoshas now been incorporated into the year meetings ofeach grade. The program has assisted students tobecome more acutely aware of their rights andresponsibilities as global citizens and more aware thattheir individual choices and individual actions make adifference. Feedback from the students indicated thatthey greatly enjoyed the program and found it aworthwhile initiative.

In 2016, the school introduced a Pacific IslanderCommunity Liaison Officer, Joe Tau. He has broughtenthusiasm and motivation to our Pacific Islanderstudent population through his programs andcommunity connections. Joe has introduced the schoolto community programs such as the Raw Challengeand the FistsDown Conference. The FistsDownConference focused on inspiring youth to make betterdecisions.

The school continued to work with Mathew Madit as ourAfrican Community Liaison Officer. He provides supportto our African students one day a week. Mathew helpedthe students and forged some links with communityprograms.

A Student Wellbeing Officer was appointed to theschool as part of the Chaplaincy Program for 2016.This person supports the team caring for students andany issues they may encounter socially, emotionallyand spiritually. The Student Wellbeing Officer wasavailable half a day a week via self–referral, staffreferral or in the playground at break times.

In addtion to the Breakfast Club run on Wednesdays,another group, The Hope Chapel, have continued tosupport the students in 2016 to provide a nutrionalbreakfast on Friday mornings for our students whochoose to utilise the service. As well as food, The HopeChapel team provided an opportunity for conversationand helped give the students a positive start to theirday.

The first Girls Education Camp took place atNarrabeen Sport and Recreation Centre in November2016. Although the program we were expecting to run(which had included journaling, risky behaviours,relationships etc) was not explicit in its delivery, theyoung women that attended were certainly able todiscuss issues such as these during the activities.During activities such as abseiling, high ropes, sailing

and even canoeing the group worked as one toencourage and support each other to participate and goabove and beyond in some of the activities. The courseinstructors were amazing with the students. Each mademention of how they appreciated the girls’ maturity,conversation and positive attitude towards all activitiesand each other. Many times staff and other schoolteachers complimented me for the respectful andpositive behaviour of our girls.

During activities the girls showed great supporttowards each other. Encouraging their friends andothers they may not usually socialise with. They urgedthem to take that step, leap or opportunity to trysomething they may not have the opportunity to so doagain.

LEARNING SUPPORT

Mitchell High School’s Learning Support faculty,comprising the HT Teaching & Learning, Learning &Support Teachers (LaSTs), English as an AdditionalLanguage / Dialect (EALD) teachers and SchoolLearning Support Officers (SLSOs) worked to meetdiverse student learning needs in a number of ways in2016. Main initiatives included:

The Learning Centre

This vibrant alternative learning space provided supportto numerous students from Years 7–12 throughout theyear. Staffed by a LaST and an SLSO each lesson,students utilised this venue to access individual orsmall–group assistance with assessment tasks,classwork, exam preparation and the completion ofwork to clear N–Award warnings. Students with ‘TimeOut’ cards also accessed the Learning Centre whenrequired to meet their need for a calm, positive space to‘cool off’ and refocus on their learning. The LearningCentre continues to provide a positive, encouragingspace for students to receive the support they requireto build skills and confidence.

Peer Reading

The Peer Reading program continued to be a highlysuccessful initiative in 2016, providing support to 34selected Year 7 and 8 students who benefitted fromdaily one–to–one assistance with their literacy,numeracy and communication skills. Each student ismatched with a trained Year 10 tutor who works withthem every morning during roll–call on learningresources drawn from a range of subject areas.Feedback from the Year 7 and 8 students and theirYear 10 tutors indicated progress in spelling, readingfluency, confidence and comprehension, andenjoyment of the program. Many Year 10 tutors alsotook the opportunity of TAFE training and attained aCertificate in Peer Literacy Tutoring from NirimbaTAFE. Peer tutors were rewarded and acknowledged ina morning tea and certificate presentation ceremony inNovember.

Seven Steps

The 7 Steps to Writing Success program was run in2016 with four small groups of students in Years 8–9


whose NAPLAN and school–based assessment resultsrevealed a need for refinement of writing skills. In thisprogram, students learned and applied the seven keycomponents to effective narrative writing throughengaging activities. Post–test results showed greatimprovement in student writing and Year 9 students inthe program attained results up to two bands higher inNAPLAN. Student surveys indicated enjoyment of theprogram. Certificates were awarded to all students whocompleted the program at a presentation in November.

Rip It Up Reading

A group of students targeted through NAPLAN andschool–based assessment as needing additionalsupport for reading were invited to trial the Rip It UpReading program which involves a half–hourone–to–one tutoring session once a week. Theprogram is based on research into working memoryand relies on repetition of key letter sounds and blends.Learning Support faculty staff were trained in Rip It Uplate in Term 2 2016 and the program was launched inTerm 3. The program will be expanded in 2017 andstudent progress monitored every ten weeks.

Additional Support Programs & Practices

The Learning Support faculty also supported studentlearning throughout 2016 by:

• Identifying students with additional learning needsusing data from sources such as NAPLAN, studentreports, school–based assessment tasks and welfaredata

• Developing Learning Support Plans for identifiedstudents with student and parent input, nominatingappropriate support strategies

• Supporting staff in all subject areas to modifyresources, lessons strategies, exams and assessmenttasks to cater for student needs, including thedevelopment of a modification kit and deliveryof professional learning

• Running special programs such as SACS (Social andCommunication Skills) for students who need additionalsupport to overcome issues with interpersonalrelationships and communication and boostself–esteem and confidence

• Applying for and implementing special provisions forstudents who require additional support to undertakeHSC examinations

• Initiating a Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA)cycle for a small number of students to diagnose andmodify problem classroom behaviours.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP BODY

2016 has been a successful year for our StudentLeadership Body.

Change in structure and name

A change to the SRC and Prefect Body was proposed

in Term 4 2016 to encourage wider participation anddevelop the leadership capabilities of the MHSstudents. A hierarchy system was developed toexplicitly outline student leadership roles, to eliminatestudent disengagement and to provide multipleopportunities for all students willing to be a part of theLeadership Body. The system included a Leadershipbody of 28 students who were divided into twocategories – Senior Leaders and Junior Leaders. “MHSLeadership Body” was the new name to replace thepresent SRC and Prefect titles. The use of one titleeliminated the segregation between SRC and Prefectleaders and meant that all members had the same roleand responsibility to uphold.

Camp 2016

The student leaders were given the opportunity toattend a three day camp in 2016 where they took theopportunity to get know each other during team buildingactivities. This was a great opportunity for new studentsjoining the leadership team in 2017 to build positive andstrong relationships with existing team members.

MHS Gives Back

The SLB organised a charity run in December 2016 forToongabbie United Church. Students and teachersfrom Mitchell High School donated food items, clothing,books and toys and in turn learnt the gift of giving. Thevolunteers at Toongabbie United Church were verygrateful for the donations.

National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence

On the National Day of Action Against Bullying andViolence awareness and understanding was raised bythe student leadership body that bullying and violenceis not ok. During Roll Call students participated inactivity where they designed an anti–bullying poster toenter into a competition. The winning posters werecopied and posted around the school. During lunchMHS students signed a banner pledging to stand upagainst bullying and violence.

Battle of the Bins

Battle of the Bins was a great activity that brought thehouse groups of MHS together in an attempt to reducethe level of rubbish around the school. Differentcoloured bins were purchased in red, blue, yellow andgreen representing MHS house colours. At the end ofeach day the amount of rubbish put in each bin wasmeasured by student leaders. The house with the mostcollected rubbish by the end of the term won thechallenge and all members received a prize for theirefforts.

Health Awareness Week

Similar to Wellness Week 2015, MHS student leadersworked together in 2016 to implement and promotepositive everyday health choices within our school.Activities were designed and ran during Roll Calllessons that focused on alcohol abuse, sun safety,physical activity and eating a balanced diet. Thestudent leaders contributed some great ideas for the


week, as well as helping to promote the week–longinitiative through assembly speeches and postersposted around the school. This initiative raisedawareness and money for the Australian charitiesincluding; RedKite, Cancer Council, Cystic FibrosisFoundation.

Orientation Day

Orientation Day can be a daunting time for prospectiveYear 7 students for 2017. Attending a new, largerschool with older peers and classroom changes can bescary and confusing. Thankfully, the Leadership Bodywas present on the day to help hand out informationpacks and take groups of students around the school toparticipate in taster lessons for various faculties. Ourthen SRC and Prefect students did a wonderful job astemporary mentors for the day as well as setting primeexamples for the students at Mitchell High School.

Focus

Female leaders took part in the Focus Program in 2016with JP Morgan. Focus is a program for female leaderswho are in, or aspiring to be in, leadership positionswithin the school or their extra–curricula activities. Theywere joined by other students from another school toincrease networking skills.

Senior Citizens Lunch

Mitchell High School SRC students enjoy helpingothers out in the community and the Blacktown SeniorCitizens Luncheon was a perfect opportunity for us togive back. Held in November, students attended theluncheon held in Blacktown which is run by Rotary andthe Inner Wheels Clubs of Blacktown. The event is heldannually and invites all nursing homes in the area tocome together for a day of entertainment, deliciousfood and socialisation. Our students were commendedon their positivity and eagerness to help throughout theday and all students said they thoroughly enjoyed theirday helping out the elderly in our community.

Walk Against Domestic Violence

A member of the student leadership body was a part ofthe Youth Off The Street, Blacktown Outreach YouthAdvisory Group that committed hours of their own timeto planning, organising and coordinating a WhiteRibbon Day Registered event in taking a stance againstdomestic violence. Mitchell High School and otherschools in the community were involved in the eventthat supported and created awareness of domesticviolence.

Imagination

Student leaders attended a seminar called Imaginationin December (formerly known as The National YoungLeaders Day). This seminar is targeted at a communityof young leaders who aspire to lead themselves as wellas others. Through this program of keynote speakersand leadership insights MHS student leadersdiscovered what constitutes a great leader and wereinspired to make a difference in their school andcommunity.

Commitments around the school

Our student leaders are always busy participating indaily duties around Mitchell High School. They areresponsible for locking and unlocking the toilet gatesand issuing table tennis equipment daily. On Fridaysthey run music during their lunch times to encouragesocial wellbeing around the school and on Wednesday,Thursdays and Fridays they volunteer their afternoonsto help out at the homework club. They are also usedregularly as ambassadors of the school – attendingcommunity events and helping out with events withinthe school such as Year 6 into Year 7 Information Nightand White Ribbon Day/breakfast.

FIRST LEGO LEAGUE

FIRST Lego League is an international competition forstudents in primary and secondary schools. FIRST (ForInspiration and Recognition of Science andTechnology) is a non–profit organisation that strives toimprove educational outcomes for students throughscience and technology programs. Teaming up with theLego Corporation, the FLL Challenge is a fantastic wayto get students thinking creatively and critically, workingcollaboratively and developing positive educationaloutcomes.

2016 saw another successful season for [email protected] students walked away from the regionalcompetition with two trophies. In our seventh season ofcompetition, teams MHS Blue & Purple were taskedwith finding ways to enhance human interaction withour Animal Allies. This theme required students to thinkabout the relationship with, and impact on animals andtheir habitats that we have, as humans. Frombee–keeping and zoo maintenance to assistanceanimals, their robots needed to navigate some toughchallenges on the field. Both teams showed positivedesign and problem–solving skills to master severalchallenging obstacles with their autonomous robots.

In the research task, teams were asked to considerhow they could improve the interactions betweenhumans and animals in a specific situation of theirchoosing. Both Team Blue (Danny Makhoul, ClaytonHahn, Dale Lee–Eyles, Bojan Gutic, Aidan Yasa &Alexandra Nguyen) and Team Purple (Amy Hardie,Pauline Deliso, Yvette Ou, Aidrian Bruzzesse, SamConstantine & Cristene Catacutan) chose problemssurrounding domestic pet ownership and how we canensure the happiness and wellbeing of our belovedfurry friends. For the research presentation, Team Bluewas successful in being awarded the Research Trophyfor their simple, yet innovative device to help guinea pigowners safely and easily exercise their pets.

Team Purple was awarded a prestigious Judges AwardTrophy for their impressive teamwork, researchpresentation and their illustration of FLL Core Values.They were recognised as a team with skill as well as apositive, gracious attitude. While we hope for similarsuccess in future competition, the most rewardingelement is seeing our students being R.E.A.L in theirteamwork, problem solving and professionalinteractions with opposing teams and producing an


outstanding level of work in research and robotics.

We look forward to what 2017 brings.

HIGH ACHIEVERS

The High Achievers class focuses on developing thecritical thinking skills of each individual and alsoemphasises the importance of co–operative learning.The students are involved in several elite academic andpractical challenges.

The High Achievers class, in conjunction with Year 7and Year 10 students also participated verysuccessfully in Tournament of Minds. We had 5 teamscompeting across the 4 disciplines and were awardedFirst Place in Applied Technology and TournamentHonours in two other disciplines. Our AppliedTechnology team went on to challenge the winners ofthat discipline from all over NSW and acquittedthemselves very well.

A team of three students designed and built animpressive bridge for the Aurecon Competition, testingits strength and design structure at the Art Gallery ofNSW and finishing fourth overall. Eight teams ofstudents from Years 9 and 10 also competedsuccessfully in the Science and Engineering Challengeat the University of Western Sydney.

The High Achievers completed an independentresearch project which required the development ofdeep knowledge and deep understanding. Theirresearch was presented to a variety of students andteachers employing a range of oral and technologicalskills. They also presented their findings to their parentsand ex–students in a formal speech and multi–mediapresentation. Over the year the students developedtheir skills and employed a range of learning strategiesin preparation for accelerating into a Preliminary HSCCourse in 2017.

MATHEMATICS

Maths STAR

This year the Mathematics Department introduced theMaths Star Reward Program to recognise and rewardstudents in years 7 to 10. Students are selected fromeach class who have demonstrated REAL Mitchell HighSchool values in maths classes. Over 200 studentswere recognised by their teacher this year for tryingtheir best in the maths classroom.

Tutoring for General Mathematics

Tutoring was offered at no cost to senior students afterschool on a Wednesday afternoon and years 7–12 on aThursday afternoon. Students took advantage of over300 sessions with the maths teacher (111 sessions withsenior students on Wednesday and 191 sessionsattended on Thursday). Students reported that theyappreciated the extra support and assistance with theirmathematics.

Australian Mathematics Competition

On 28th July, one hundred and thirteen students fromacross all years participated in the AustralianMathematics Competition, achieving 3 distinctions and19 credits. The competition is open to all Australiansecondary schools and is the largest single event onthe Australian education calendar. By participating inthis program, Mitchell High School was highlighting theimportance of Mathematics as a curriculum subject andgiving students an opportunity to discover talent inmathematics.

Australasian Problem–Solving Mathematical Olympiad

Two class groups participated in this competition – 8M1and 8M2. Students participated in five separatecontests, one per month from May to September,demonstrating commitment to working mathematically.Three students placed in the top 10%, four students inthe top 20%, one student in the top 25%, three studentsin the top 30% and four students placed in the top 50%.

Numeracy programming

In 2016 Mitchell High School successfully applied for anumeracy grant of $5000 towards teacher professionaldevelopment. Mr Allam and Mrs Vigneswaranparticipated in extensive online training and a two dayconference on the latest numeracy techniques. Thisproject will continue in 2017 with the teachers writingand publishing programs that they have been workingon. The Mathematics Department has also beeninvolved in writing numeracy programs for a newcourse for Year 7 and 8 students to begin in 2017.

Luna Park Excursion

On 2 December, 109 students from Year 9 participatedin an excursion to Luna Park to explore mathematics ina fun, real–life setting. The excursion was organised byMr Lam and Mrs Vigneswaran and offered to all Year 9students. The students completed a work bookletdesigned to help them put their mathematical learninginto real–life perspective, while rewarding them for ayear of hard work at school.

SOCIAL SCIENCE

Year 7 Blue Mountains Excursion

Once again year 7 students had the opportunity to visitScenic World in the beautiful Blue Mountains. This visitcompliments their study of Global Environments andWorld Heritage Sites by visiting one located in theirbackyard. Students rode the Scenic Railway, walkedthe forest floor and glided from cliff top to cliff top on theScenic Sky Way.

Business Services and Retail Services Work Placement

As part of their course of study Business Services andRetail Services students successfully completed theirwork placements throughout the year. Work placementprovides all students with an opportunity to apply theskills and knowledge they have gained in the course asthey work towards completing all competencies andultimately achieving their Certificate II in their chosencourse.


Year 12 Business Studies Excursion – Taronga Zoo

To complement their study of Marketing, Year 12Business Studies students attended a ‘It’s ZooBusiness’ workshop at the famous Taronga Zoo. Theyengaged and interacted with Educational Officers at theZoo who provided a valuable insight into how thebusiness operates in the highly competitive tourismindustry. Students then completed a business reportevaluating the effectiveness of Taronga Zoo’smarketing mix.

9/10 Commerce Market Day

In 2016, as part of their unit of study on Running ABusiness, Year 9 and 10 Commerce studentssuccessfully participated in a Market Day, selling theiredible goods and providing entertainment to the MHSstudent body. In their groups, these students needed todevelop their business plan, determine a product to sellto the market, budget for ingredients and supplies,determining the best way to manufacture their product,develop a promotional plan and sell, sell, sell! This yearstudents earned over $1000 for their hard work andnatural business ability, which was donated to ‘Shavefor a Cure’, their charity of choice.

SCIENCE

The Science Faculty celebrated Science Week inAugust 2016 – providing lunchtime lessons tointerested students in Room 13. The lessons that theScience Faculty volunteered to teach during their lunchtime break throughout the week were – Can Crushing,Floating Magnets, Making Sherbet, Making Ice–Creamand Making Stress Balls. Students had a lot of fun and,more importantly learned the Science behind theexperiment.

Science and Chemistry Competitions

This year the Science Faculty coordinated the ICASScience Competition (Year7–12) and the ChemistryNational Competition (Year 7–12). 51 students fromMitchell High School participated in the NationalChemistry Competition on the 21/7/16. 15 students inYear 7; 2 students in Year 8; 21 students in Year 9; 8students in Year 10; and 6 students in Year 11. Theywere asked 30 multiple choice questions and had 1hour to answer them in. Congratulations to all forparticipating and for giving it a go!

Excursions/ Camps

The Science Faculty ran many excursions across mostyear groups in 2016, including a Year 10 Camp for 2days to Mt Echo, Jenolan Caves and Mt Tomah. OnThursday the 12/5/16, 98 Year 10 Science Students leftMHS at 7.30 am for a 2 day Camp to Katoomba – EchoPoint and Jenolan Caves. Students:

• walked around the lookout at Echo Point and saw theThree Sisters;

• walked to the Skyway and rode across to ScenicWorld;

• went on the Scenic Railway;

• walked around the Coal Mine exhibits;

• investigated the Scenic walkway – boardwalk;

• went on the Cable Way;

• caught the bus to Jenolan Caves;

• did the Lucas Cave night tour;

• had the option to do the Nettle Cave and Blue LakeSelf–Guided Tour;

• and walked through Mt Tomah Botanic Gardens

A big “thank you” goes to Mrs Shaw who organised thelogistics of the Camp and Mr Campbell, Mrs Davey andMr Turner for assisting. The Camp was a greatsuccess, both the students and staff enjoyedthemselves and we will definitely be running it againnext year.

CAPA.

CAPA Variety Night was amazing, with a largeaudience group who cheered on as studentsperformed. Students and teachers in Music, Drama andDance worked hard and it was fantastic to see therewarding support from parents, students and thecommunity. Student performances were wonderful.Music students also performed at the Conservatoriumof Music in Converge, a program organised by TheSmith Family to provide tutoring and performanceexperiences for young vocalists.

Miss Kwan continued to run the Anime Club with anoverwhelming interest from students across the school.The Anime Club allows students to learn about theJapanese culture and immerse themselves in Anime,Manga and Cosplay Talk. Every Tuesday Visual Artsteachers facilitated ‘6 Links’ with partnered Year 6schools to create Contemporary Aboriginal artworks.The purpose of ‘6 Links’ is to help Mitchell High Schoolmaintain links with their local primary schools. This alsogives the primary school students an insight into thesubject.

The Annual Art exhibition was a success with selectedworks by Year 7 through to Year 12 students. Studentsdisplayed their skills across a variety of media includingdrawing, painting, printing, sculpture, photography anddigital media. Throughout the year students’ work wasdisplayed in the CAPA display cabinets, instillingconfidence in student ability and skill. This created awalk–through gallery in the corridor where it generatedpositive recognition of the talents of our students.

Katerina Sadek’s, Riki Libunao’s and Zhiqiang Xue’sartworks were selected for the Nagoya Art ExchangeExhibition. The exhibition features outstanding artworks from NSW public schools. Selected artworks areexhibited in Nagoya, Japan, along with works bystudents in Nagoya, Sydney, Los Angeles, Mexico Cityand Ninjing.


Kayla Flaxman’s body of work was selected for ArtExpress, an annual exhibition featuring a selection ofoutstanding art developed for the artmaking componentof the HSC examination in Visual Arts in NSW.

PDHPE

The PDHPE faculty has had a busy year with manydifferent things taking place across the year. TheSALSA (Students as Active Lifestyle Activists) programwas up and running again with an outstanding group ofYear 10 students teaching valuable lessons to our Year8 students. Students were mentored and taught onrelevant health issues such as active lifestyles,communication issues and collaborative team work. This not only allowed our Year 8 students to develop, italso enabled our Year 10 students to reassess whatthey do themselves. The students all enjoyed thesessions and we look forward to continuing ourpartnership with Western Sydney University next year.

The Outdoor Gym was installed at the beginning of theyear allowing students in PE, PASS and SLR to utilisethis space to develop strength and overall fitness. Thestudents have enjoyed using this space with manyusing it within their own teaching assessments. It iswonderful to have this valuable resource at MitchellHigh School.

In Term 2, we had a personal trainer come to theschool and run after school fitness sessions. Thestudents were also educated on nutrition and ways tomaintain balance in their lives. It was wonderful to seeso many students stay back after school and getinvolved in this program. We hope they carry theseskills forward as they become adults and makeconscious decisions on their health.

The Friday lunchtime sporting competitions were amassive hit this year. The 4 different sports playedwere Touch Football, Soccer, Basketball and with theinstallation of the new REAL space, Volleyball was runin Term 4. It was a great way to end the week for notonly the students but the staff who got involved.Students were able to join a team with their peers andget out there and have fun. It is so nice to be able tosay the teachers were given a run for their money eachweek, displaying the absolute talent we have at MitchellHigh School.

After walking around the school it was noted that ouryoung ladies are more involved in social networkingwith their peers rather than being involved in sport. So,based on this, the Thursday Lunchtime Girls Initiativestarted. It was a massive hit and many of our girls gotinvolved. The atmosphere was very welcoming and thegirls really enjoyed the social aspect of it. Female staffalso took an active role in the initiative and many usedit as their own ‘get fit’ program. The level ofengagement and the smiles on the girls’ faces reflectedthe success of it. We hope to continue this next year.

This year, Year 9 had an assessment task where theyneeded to create a health food product and write areport on it. We were amazed at the quality of work

which was produced by some of our students. Theattention to detail was outstanding and the students areto be commended on their level of commitment tolearning.

Year 11 PDHPE and SLR students went to ManlyBeach at the end of Term 4. Students were taught thedangers of the ocean, rips, currents, tides and surfrelated skills. The students came away from the dayfeeling more confident and eager to go back and dosome more surfing.

Year 10 Crossroads Camp to the Great OutdoorsBushcamp at Tea Gardens took place at the end ofNovember. There were 100 students that attended thecamp and they were pushed beyond their comfort zone.Some of the activities the students were involved inincluded the Giant Swing, Abseiling, Commando Run,Sea Kayaking, Sailing and High Ropes. Not only did thestudents complete these activities but they wereinvolved in the mandatory Crossroads Program. Thefocus of the program was on providing students withthe opportunity to discuss issues that are important tothem. Discussions on relationships, drugs and theireffects, responsible behaviour surrounding drugs,intimate relationships and sexual health took place, withthe hope that through role–playing situations studentsare equipped to make healthy decisions within thefuture. Year 7 Water Activities – the Year 7 studentswere taken to Ripples at St Marys to be taught valuableswimming and lifesaving skills. This was a verysuccessful 3 day program and by far the greatestinvolvement we have had to date. Students developedconfidence not only in their own swimming but inhelping others out of dangerous situations. Year 11PDHPE and SLR students were crucial in the runningof the lessons as they worked alongside the teachers indelivering this program. The staff involved were veryimpressed with their level of maturity and application toteaching the students within their groups.

The Outdoor Table Tennis Tables were installed andthey look amazing. Each of the tables reflect the housecolours of MHS. Students quickly jumped onto this atrecess and lunchtimes, playing one another. It is greatto see them being used and the interest certainly hasn’twaned. Students are often seen running from theirprevious class to claim a table for the lunchtime break.

With Mitchell High School becoming a White RibbonSchool the PDHPE department developed and taughtlessons on positive relationships. The focus was onchanging the attitude and behaviours that lead to andperpetuate men's violence against women. It enablesyoung men to lead the prevention of violence againstwomen. The program was engaging and the studentsreally enjoyed the lessons.

SPORT

Sport at Mitchell High School was organised into schoolsport and recreational sport. Students who elected toparticipate in school sport were placed in sport groupsand enjoyed many different school sports. Students inrecreational sport enjoyed Tenpin, Rock Climbing,Swimming and Tennis. Students in Year 7 and 8participated in the annual Blacktown Zone Gala Day in


Soccer, Touch Football and Netball. We received thePremier's Sporting Challenge Grant once again, whichallowed the purchase of sporting equipment for schoolsport. NSW CHS Knockouts Competitions were enteredwith many teams reaching the third round before beingknocked out. The biggest highlight was the BoysCricket team making it to the 4th round before beingknocked out. Mitchell HS participated in the BlacktownZone Swimming, Cross Country and AthleticsChampionships and despite only have a small teamrepresenting the school we placed third overall in thezone. Many students went on to compete at the SydneyWest carnivals and three students represented MitchellHigh school at the NSW CHS Championships – GavinBloomfield (Swimming) and Deyana Trikialiotis (CrossCountry and Athletics). Deyana Trikaliotis and KaitlynHulley received a sporting Blue from Blacktown Zoneand Kaitlyn Hulley received the Pierre De CoubertinAward for her contribution to sport. The studentsshowed their talents at sport organisation by assistingat the Sydney West Swimming and Cross CountryChampionships: no task was too big or too small forthem and many teachers from other schoolscommented on their excellent behavior and service toschool sport. One student achieved their Bronzeand one student their Silver Duke of Edinburgh award.Year 7 participated in the Swim and Survive Program,learning either how to swim or rescue techniques.

DANCE REPORT

Stage 6 Dance – Yr11–12

Yr11 Dance worked hard all year on Performance,Composition and Appreciation elements of the coursein preparation for the HSC course. Students performedtwo items at Variety Night, A Drop in the Ocean, andBurlesque. Students were fortunate enough to attendthe Callbacks Excursion and the Our Land OurPeople’s Stories by Bangarra Dance Theatre. Studentsalso had the opportunity to participate in a workshopwith Sue Healey one of the choreographers studied inthe HSC.

Callbacks

On Friday 12th February ten Year 11 Dance studentsattended the Callbacks performance at the SeymourCentre, to showcase exemplary works from 2015 HSCDance. The students viewed a range of performancesin Core Performance, Core Composition, MajorPerformance and Major Composition, all relevantcomponents of HSC Dance. Year 11 Dance had theopportunity to stay back and listen to question andanswers at the end of all the performances, which thenfurther developed their understanding of the works theyhad seen performed. Students left the performancefeeling inspired and with a greater understanding ofwhat HSC markers are looking for in the Performanceand Composition components of HSC Dance.

Bangarra Excursion

On Wednesday 29th June, the Year 11 Dance Classvisited the Sydney Opera House to watch Our LandOur People’s Stories performed by Bangarra DanceTheatre. Year 11 Dance have been studying Dance in

Australia in their Appreciation Unit, and have beenviewing past Bangarra works. The students thoroughlyenjoyed the live performance, and, left feeling inspired.The two works viewed, Macq and Miyagan, focused onthe history and stories around the Appin Massacre of1816 and the family and kinship systems withinAboriginal societies. Students were able to make directlinks between the characteristics of Aboriginal Dancediscussed in class and the live performance. Allstudents who attended displayed appropriate theatreetiquette whilst viewing the performance andrepresenting Mitchell High School.

Synergy Dance Festival

On Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 15th of June the MHSDance Ensemble performed two lyrical dance items atthe Synergy Dance Festival, held at Penrith Panthers.Each student involved demonstrated an outstandinglevel of performance quality and technique. They are tobe commended on the professional manner in whichthey conducted themselves. There was positivefeedback received from teachers, parents, fellowstudents and organisers of the festival. The MHSdancers were exemplary in representing Mitchell HighSchool.

Schools Spectacular

On Friday 25th November and Saturday 26thNovember, 2016, 15 Dance students from MHSperformed in the Schools Spectacular. Students spentthe whole week at rehearsals, perfecting theirchoreography for their segment ‘Is This a Fantasy?’where they danced to Bohemian Rhapsody. Studentswere very fortunate to be a part of this years School’sSpectacular as the finale was record breaking. The newrecord for ‘Largest Amateur Variety Act’ was achievedwith 5,322 students performing. All students whoparticipated in the Schools Spectacular conductedthemselves in a professional manner and acted asREAL students.

Variety Night

On Wednesday 24th August, all the Dance studentsparticipated in the MHS annual Variety Night. Therewere performances from all dance classes and groups,including; Dance Ensemble Years, 7 and 8 DanceGroup, MHS Hip–Hop Dance Group, Elective Danceand Year 11 Dance. The night showcased the talents ofdance students in not only performance, but alsochoreography. Each student gave wonderfulperformances on the evening.

HERITAGE DAY

Another fantastic Heritage Day was held on Friday 26thAugust. This annual event is held for the whole schoolcommunity to celebrate the vast diversity andmulticulturalism within Mitchell High School. Studentsand teachers were asked to dress in attire related totheir culture. It was wonderful to see some of theoutstanding colourful costumes that presented on theday. The day began with performances from some ofour very talented students. We were entertained byPunjabi dancers, Phillipine performers, Maori song,


Asian dancing, African dancers and a very movingperformance by the Maori boys with a tribute Hakka.The finale of the performance was Mr Murphy and the‘girls’ from St. Francis Xavier College. This wasdefinitely a crowd pleaser and set the tone for the nextsession.

After a quick recess break the students settled in towatch the Latin Dancers. The crowd were entertainedby their outstanding athleticism and ability to move allover the stage. Then the Lebanese Drummers cameout and the intensity increased. Crowd involvementtook place and we got to see some of our students upon stage performing various moves and putting theirhand to the drums. Here the students were dismissedfrom the hall to the COLA area where the afternoonconsisted of feasting on a wide variety of food fromdiffering cultures that were run by the teachers. Musicwas played under the COLA and students activelyparticipated in a variety of dances. To add to the funand excitement, once again, there were carnival ridesfor the students and teachers to ride. These includedthe Slide, Sizzler and Chairs.

ENGLISH

This year has been another productive one for theEnglish Faculty. We have focused on developing ourprogrammes to incorporate a range of priorities,including project–based CPBC learning. We have nowdeveloped two projects in Stage 4 English (Year 8) andStage 5 English (Year 9). Our Stage 4 PBL Taskfocuses upon developing persuasive writing inpreparation for NAPLAN. While our Stage 5 PBL Taskconsiders how advertising utilises subtle forms ofmanipulation and persuasion. We were generallypleased with the results of these two projects. Bothattempt to develop collaborative skills, as students workeffectively in groups. We have also focused upon therefinement of information and communicationstechnology skills, as students research and createpresentations that will demonstrate their understandingand lead to more positive assessment marks.

Another initiative we have started to develop is theprogramming of ALARM (A Learning and ResponseMatrix) strategies, in order to support our students intheir composition of extended responses. As Englishrequires a slightly different, more extended formulationof the matrix, we have yet to fully integrate thisapproach. This is our aim for 2017. However we havehad some success with the mapping of shorter, moreobjective responses.

In 2016 we also offered a Boys’ Class in Year Ten,which allowed some of our male students theopportunity to engage more deeply with a range of textsthat would inspire critical and creative thought.Students enjoyed working individually and in groupsand produced some pleasing compositions andcontributions to whole–class learning.

We have also continued to offer students theopportunity to participate in external competitions, suchas ICAS (International Competitions and Assessmentsfor Schools). We had some very pleasing results thisyear and general participation rates were very

encouraging. Similarly, students participated in theDorothea MacKellar Poetry Competition, in order todevelop their composition skills. We also continue tooffer students in Years 7 to 10 the opportunity toparticipate in the Wordflyers Programme. This targetsskills in reading and language conventions. Studentsare encouraged to work through the programme set bytheir teacher at home, in order to develop and refinetheir skills. Students enjoy the programme and we havepurchased it again for 2017. Once again we also hadsome students participate in the Premier’s ReadingChallenge. This challenges invites students to read forleisure and expand their experience of literature. Wehad a number of students who completed the challengesuccessfully.

In 2016 our Year 8 and 9 Debating Teams competed inthe Premier’s Debating Challenge. They bothperformed very well and demonstrated great growth ascohesive teams that are able to perform across a rangeof areas within a debate. The Year 9 Team defeatedtwo teams in the Blacktown Zone, one of which was asuperb Year Ten team from Blacktown Boys HighSchool. Unfortunately, they met their match in anexcellent Year Ten team from Blacktown Girls HighSchool, who went on to become Zone Winners. Whilethe Year 8 Team were defeated in their division theBlacktown Zone, they went on to win the one dayRound–Robin Contest against local schools. In a toughfinal against Doonside High School, the girlsdemonstrated how far they had grown throughout theyear with informed arguments and great confidence intheir debating skills. Our Year 8 and 9 teams are to becommended for their maturation as debaters, who takeargumentation seriously, and seek to represent MitchellHigh School with aplomb.

In order to extend our engagement with dramatic formsin English, we also offered excursions to the theatre, aswell as supporting incursions at Mitchell High School,which allowed the viewing of theatrical forms andtechniques. Students attended 'The Tempest'Symposium, which allowed them to view extracts fromthe play, listen to a lecture, and then participate in aquestion and answer session. This was a very fruitfulactivity for our Advanced English students. StandardEnglish students also attended a production of TheShoehorn Sonata, which allowed them to consider howstaging techniques vary according to productionpriorities. We also took a range of students to see'Macbeth', 'Othello' and 'Romeo and Juliet' at RiversideTheatre, The Seymour Centre and The Opera House,thereby exposing students from Years 9 to 12 to theatrethrough Shakespeare.

ELECTIVE BIG HISTORY

2016 was the first year for Big History at Mitchell HighSchool. This initiative, which began as anundergraduate unit at Macquarie University 26 yearsago, is an international inter–disciplinary course whichasks students to consider the vivid and dynamicnarrative that is humanity. Big History is taught inprimary schools, high schools and university, right up toPhD level. Big History is a blend of science, history,mathematics, social science and philosophy; using theskills of these disciplines to understand our universe


and our civilisation. The course has given students theability to think in an inter–disciplinary way and toacknowledge the links between knowledge learned intheir other subject areas. With positive reviews from ourmaiden class of Year 9 & 10 students, we look forwardto sharing Big History with more students in 2017.

LANGUAGES

Students in junior years have had the opportunity tostudy the foreign languages of French, German orItalian. Classes focus on developing their pronunciationskills within a limited range of phrases related toeveryday situations, such as introducing yourself,talking about family, friends and school.

Congratulations are extended to the 2016 HSCBeginners French students who worked consistentlyand with enthusiasm throughout their two senior years.They employed a range of strategies in preparation fortheir written exams and, in addition, they mastered theirnerves to perform very well in their one–on–one Frenchconversation with an unknown examiner. A dauntingprospect for anyone, they had only been learningFrench for about 18 months at that stage. All wereconfident that they had understood the questions andwere able to give some rich responses.

The class of 2016 have maintained the tradition of thelast 5 Beginner's graduation classes’ outstanding HSCresults, achieving 3 Band 6 and 2 Band 5’s, for each infact French was their best HSC result.

Ms Mehic and Mrs Larkin wish each of the studentsmuch success in their future endeavours in life beyondthe classroom.

TAS

Year 12 Textiles and Design – Collette DinniganExhibition at the Powerhouse Museum

On 16 February 2016, as part of the ContemporaryDesigners Unit of work, Year 12 Textiles and Designstudents had the opportunity to attend the ColletteDinnigan Exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum. Thisgave students an insight to various collections by thedesigner showing the transition from concept via moodboards to the finished product. There were numerousapparel items on display that the students could get upclose to, in order to see the intricacy of the designs, aswell as read the written information on the item. Thestudents also had the opportunity to see the itemsbeing worn on the runway during various fashionparades which were displayed on large screens aroundthe exhibition. The students thoroughly enjoyed theexhibition, gained a better understanding of the designprocess and were inspired in numerous ways which willassist with the completion of their Major TextilesProject.

Kurrambee School for Special Needs school visit

Year 12 Exploring Early Childhood was excited to visitKurrambee School for Special Needs in March 2016.They enjoyed meeting the Deputy Principal Mrs KimWaters who briefed them on what is involved in

meeting the needs of children with special needs. Theyalso had the opportunity to observe, interact and beinvolved in lessons and activities with the special needschildren and teachers. Students were able to collectvaluable resources and knowledge to help them betterunderstand the unit of work they were studying "YoungChildren with Special Needs".

Exploring Early Childhood – In The Wild Child CareDay

On Friday 2nd September 2016, as part of theExploring Early Childhood Assessment Task, the Year11 students took on the challenge to transform Room11 into a “IN THE WILD” theme Child Care Centre.Some staff and parents from our local communityvolunteered to send their 3–5 year olds to the centre forthe day.

The day was filled with interesting activities such as aphoto booth where students could get their picturetaken in a safari car; numerous craft activities; a gameof memory; feeding the hungry jungle animals; a safarihunt; musical chairs; jewellery making; bowling; andoutdoor play. I would also like to make a specialmention to Karen Klein for bringing in her beautifulbearded dragons to show the children.

The children thoroughly enjoyed the day. The Year 11students had a wonderful experience as child careworkers and are to be congratulated on theiroutstanding effort.

Hospitality– Take a Break Café

Year 12 Hospitality students undertaking the Food andBeverage course successfully completed their last Caféservice period, where the students planned, preparedand served High Tea for 28 members of staff, whichconsisted of various sandwiches and sweets, as well astea and coffee. Teachers were seated in ourtransformed dining room and were entertained by ourtalented music students. This event was a hugesuccess and the feedback received from the staffmembers was overwhelmingly positive. Other serviceperiods over the duration of the course includedbrunch, lunch and catering for the ExecutiveProfessional Learning Day luncheon. Students alsogained valuable experience in greeting/welcomingcustomers, taking and processing orders and servingthem professionally. Whilst participating in thesepractical opportunities, students have gained valuableexperience working in a team environment, resolvingconflict, problem solving and developing theiremployability skills in delivering services to industrystandards. Completion of these service periods hasenabled our Hospitality students to meet therequirements of the Holistic Unit: Use Hospitality SkillsEffectively, which is a mandatory requirement for thecompletion of Certificate II in Hospitality.

Senior Citizen Luncheon

On November 30th, our Year 11 Community andFamily Studies students and School Leaders, excelledand did our school proud, when they volunteered theirtime to help at the annual Blacktown Seniors Citizens


Christmas Luncheon.

Each year, Rotary and Inner Wheel Clubs of BlacktownCity invite many of the local nursing homes in theBlacktown area to attend a luncheon at Bowman Hall,where they are served a two course hot lunch by ourstudents. They also helped to assist the elderly to theirseats on arrival at the venue, serve tea and coffee aswell as asking many of them for a dance on the dancefloor.

Guests were entertained by our talented DanceEnsemble students, a local primary school and a guestappearance of Santa. In previous years, our studentshave displayed exemplary behaviour and cooperation,so much so that the organisers have invited ourstudents again next year.


Documents

2016 Mitchell High School Annual Report · embarked on LiTuP– Project– Based Learning that aims to increase student engagement across the KLAs and promote the development of essential