Term 3 – Consolidation and Planning

Term 3 is a time when we consolidate our teaching and learning in the

school.

Year 12 sat their Trial HSC in Weeks 3-5. For most of the students this marked

the final school assessment in their subjects for the HSC. The feedback

received from these exams is critical to success in the HSC. Students are

expected to act on the suggestions by their teachers for improvement.

Attendance for all Year 12 students remains compulsory until their graduation on

Thursday the 22nd

of September. Please reinforce with your child that there is still

plenty of time to improve subject knowledge as well as exam technique, and that

regular attendance is important to get the best help from their teachers.

Year 11 students will sit their final exams in weeks 9 and 10 this Term. This marks the

end of the Preliminary HSC course. Students who have satisfied the requirements of

the Preliminary courses will start their HSC course on Day 1, Term 4. It is important to

note that all assessment tasks from that point onwards WILL count towards the HSC.

Years 7-10 are now more than half way through their courses. I would be expecting all

these students to be implementing the suggestions made by their teachers in the recent half

yearly reports.

Term 3 is a very busy time for teachers at Blakehurst as it is the start of planning for the 2012

school year. We have been using student subject selections for 2012 Years 9 and 11, to

determine our staffing mix for next year. From this point we will start to prepare the timetable for

2012.

State Award

I am pleased to announce the Blakehurst High was a recipient of a State Sustainability Award. This award will be accepted by Ms Jane Camilleri (who worked on the nomination with students from

the Environmental team), Ms Raquel Spratt and student Environmental Team representatives at a function in western Sydney next week.

This award is just another acknowledgement of the fantastic work the Environmental Team has been

doing over the past few years.

New Staff to Blakehurst High School

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Mr. Scott Reeve to Blakehurst High School. Scott has been

appointed to the Mathematics staff. He was previously at Port Hacking High School.

Year 9 and 11 Subject Evening

In the last week of Term 2 the school held a subject selection evening for 2012 Year 9 and 11 students.

Hundreds of students and parents attended the evening. Both groups were addressed separately by the Senior

Executive, before moving off to a subject market conducted by each of the Key Learning Areas (KLAs).

Feedback on the evening from both parents and staff was fabulous. All were pleased to have the opportunity to

give and gather information regarding the subject choices available.

The aim of the evening was for all students to make well informed choices now, which minimises the need for

changes of subjects in the future. Thanks to all staff who assisted in organising the evening, particularly Mr. Ovens

and Ms Paton. Thanks to parents who attended the night and also to all the staff who manned the information stalls.

Blakehurst High School

Your Outstanding Local Comprehensive Secondary School

Term 3 Update – August 2011 N E W S L E T T E R

270a Woniora Road BLAKEHURST NSW 2221 Ph: 9546 3281 Fax: 9547 1024 Email: blakehurst-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au Website: www.blakehurst-h.schools.nsw.edu.au

Change of Canteen Lease

The Department of Education requires schools that rent out their canteen to publically tender the service every 3-5

years. Our long serving canteen operators‟ lease ended on the 6th of August this year. Following DET guidelines a

canteen committee was established (made up of two staff members, a representative of the P&C and myself) and the

Tender was advertised in the local newspaper. We received 20 tenders for the service. The committee reviewed

each, based on the amount of the weekly lease offered, the variety and cost of food as well as the experience of the

operator.

On the basis of this process, the committee awarded the new 3 year lease (with a possible 2 year extension) to

„Canteen for Teens‟. „Canteen for Teens‟ presently operates canteens at two other High Schools (Marrickville and

Tempe) and until recently was also at GRC Oatley and Beverly Hills High Schools. Welcome Lena and Daisy!

I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the school community to acknowledge and thank our previous

operator Angela Morfitis, for all her hard work and dedication over the years. I would also like to wish both her and her

staff all the very best for the future.

P&C Meetings

A reminder to all parents that you are most welcome to attend the school‟s P&C meetings. They are held on the

second Wednesday of each month.

The next meeting is the 14th of September at 7pm in the Staff Common Room.

At the August meeting, parents were addressed by the Relieving Head Teacher VET, the Careers Adviser and the

Transition Adviser. Information about relevant school matters were also discussed by the Deputy Principal and

myself.

The P&C also approved funding of school projects which included a new computer for use by the Transition Adviser.

This money paid by parents as the P&C Student Enhancement Fee.

New Uniform Items Approved

Following suggestions by parents, staff and students I have been negotiating with our uniform provider, Lowes, to introduce some new items to the school uniform. These items include:

1. A black micro fleece jacket embroided with the school logo,

2. A skirt for junior girls (to be worn with a white shirt embroided with the school emblem) Please note, the junior

dress can still be worn.

3. A new style of girls brown pants (includes pockets)

The students gave each item a vote of approval at a recent SRC meeting and all parents at the August P&C meeting agreed they would be a welcome addition to our uniform. I will let students know when they are available to buy at Lowes. This could be as soon as a couple of weeks for the jacket. The other items may take a little longer as they need to manufacture them from the samples.

School and Subject Fees

Thanks to all families who have paid their 2011 school and subject fees.

These fees are used to purchase resources for your child‟s education this year. Unpaid fees can be paid at the front

office. If you wish to apply for assistance for your child‟s fees, or you wish to pay them in installments, please contact

Kim Morris in the front office, or myself, to discuss. All information provided by you will remain confidential.

Mini Bus Drivers required.

From time to time the school requires drivers to take students to and from sporting events or excursions in the school

mini bus. The number of teachers with the appropriate drivers license is limited and we are reluctant to take them off

their other classes too often. Therefore if you or another family member has a light rigid (LR) or higher level drivers

license, and would be prepared to give up some time to support the school we would greatly appreciate the offer.

Please note the students will always be under the supervision of a teacher. Please give me a call if interested.

Congratulations Angela Liley of Year 11 has been selected as a member of the Taronga Zoo Science Week Mentoring Program. Her role is to write and deliver lessons to younger students at the zoo. Well done Angela.

Education Tax refund now covers school-approved uniforms.

As you well may be aware, the Education Tax Refund provides up to 50% back on a range of children's education

expenses. For information regarding your eligibility for this refund, please go to;

http://www.educationtaxrefund.gov.au/am-i-eligible.html

For the 2010–11 tax year refunds may be as much as $794 for every child at secondary school. The amount of the refund increases each year by the Consumer Price Index.

The Government has changed the Education Tax Refund to include school-approved uniforms, purchased from 1 July 2011.

Items of clothing including footwear and sports uniforms approved by a school as its uniform may be claimed from 1 July 2012.

So from 1 July 2011 start keeping receipts for school uniform items so you can claim them next year.

Parent Tips Published in the Department of Education Newsletter

Mr B Lester Principal

Exam Stress Busters The HSC has officially begun, with the oral language exams underway. If your teenager is sitting the HSC this year, help maintain a calm, quiet and relaxing environment at home to allow for relaxation between study. Encourage your teenager to get enough sleep, eat healthy food and exercise. For more useful study tips go to the NSW Board of Studies website: http://studentsonline.bos.nsw.edu.au/go/tips/study_tips_and_materials/ For smart ways to combat exam stress go to: www.schools.nsw.edu.au/gotoschool/highschool/stressexams.php , or http://au.reachout.com/find/articles/exam-time-hints-for-managing-stress

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL’S Report

Deputy’s Report

As you read this newsletter, Year 12 students have finished their Trial HSC and are in the final weeks of their

secondary education. For some parents and students this is a very stressful time but for all of us, teachers included, it

is an important time. We need our Year 12 students to be in every class right up until the end of term. These last few

weeks (we can finally count the days and lessons) are very important.

For those parents who can‟t possibly imagine their younger students ever getting to the end of their schooling, please

help us assist them to be more successful learners. One of the best things you can do for your children is to take an

ACTIVE INTEREST in their education. If you want to keep up-to-date with what is happening at school read the

school webpage, ask your children about events at school and what they are doing in class and encouraging them to

do as well as they can. The web page has all dates listed so that you can know what is coming up.

We all know that when you ask a child, “What did you do at school today?” most kids will answer, “Nothing.” Try

instead to ask them what they learnt. If they answer “Nothing” you probably need to delve a little deeper with “What

lessons did you have?” to start the conversation. We all like the important people in our lives to take an interest in

what we do.

Strategies to help your children have a happy day at school:

Have a good start to the day. One of the biggest problems that we see at school is students who find it difficult to start

the day as they have not had enough sleep. Teenagers should be getting nine hours sleep, as this is the time of both

physical and social growth. Please encourage them to go to bed earlier and not have distractions such as phones,

computers or TVs in their bedroom.

Help them be organised:

They need to have a clean uniform and a packed bag ready to start each day. This certainly doesn‟t mean that mum

(or dad) has to get this ready. Part of being in high school is them

learning to take responsibility for themselves.

Attendance:

Encourage your children to be at school every day. Keep your children

home only if they are sick. Advise the school of any absence (Keep a

diary). See the doctor and dentist outside school time.

Uniform

Blakehurst High School is a uniform school and it is great to see the

vast majority of students wearing the correct school uniform. Students‟

uniforms are checked at roll call every day. If they wear the wrong

clothing they will be given a uniform from the clothing pool which they

will be expected to return clean and ironed. When you enter a school and see students in the correct uniform it

creates a very positive impression of the school. The school uniform is just like a uniform worn in the workplace. If

you are working at McDonalds and you arrive for a shift in –“almost the right uniform” – you will be sent home. It is an

important habit to develop.

The few students that regularly wear incorrect uniform, mostly shoes or jumpers, don‟t like teachers asking them about

it. It often starts the day badly. It is not OK to wear PE uniform to school on any day except Wednesday. It is never

OK to wear anything other than black leather shoes with their uniform. Please help us help them by ensuring they

leave home in correct uniform.

Lyn Paton Relieving Deputy Principal-Welfare/Learning

Teenagers should be getting nine

hours sleep, as this is the time of both

physical and social growth

ENGLISH Report

Exciting Debating News

Our Year 9 Debating Team has participated in two exciting

competitions this year. The first was the Macquarie Intermediate

Schools Tournament which has been hosted and run by Macquarie

University Debating Society since 2000. Many Private and Public

schools compete in this tournament over one day. Our team, consisting of Mario Andreone, Jasmin Huang, Rebecca

Luhur and Alexander Woof, battled two Private schools and won! As the day went on, the feedback and coaching

session provided by the Macquarie University Debating Society made for great improvements in our team‟s arguments

and rebuttals and prepared the team well for its final debate.

The day finished with a debate against a tough Selective school. The team‟s debating coach could not have been

prouder as the team came very close to proving that the wizard

community of Harry Potter should not reveal itself to the Muggles!

The team enjoyed arguing this highly unique and fun topic against a

team which made them step-up their game. Unfortunately, we just

missed out on the finals, however, the three adjudicators dubbed the

debate “the best debate of the day”. All in all, it was a great

tournament and we look forward to next year!

In other news, the team is still competing in the Premier’s

Debating Challenge. An even score between the three teams in

our zone meant that we had to host a Debating Play-off to determine

the winner. The Play-off took place on Monday 1st August against the

Year 10 team from Moorefield Girls High School. The team was

successful and the adjudicator commented on how much each

speaker had improved. This means we are now through to the Knock-

out stage of the competition. Do stay tuned to see how far we go!

Ms N. Nozica Debating Coach and Coordinator

Mosaic Fusion Forum at UNSW - 5 August 2011

The 5th of August was meant to be a school day at Blakehurst but instead

thirteen Year 10 students had the opportunity to participate in the Sydney

Region‟s Mosaic Fusion Forum at UNSW.

When we arrived at UNSW Round House, our group leaders led us to our area

and several ice-breaker games began. The majority of these games had

aspects of multiculturalism, reflecting Australia‟s diversity of ethnicities.

After lunch, we were given a tour around the University. Wow, it was like a

little community with different shops and a massive library which we were told,

houses millions of books.

The day had come to an end with a debriefing session on what we are supposed to be working on for our Mosaic

projects. It had been an interesting and engaging experience for our group.

Rachel Chia/Year 10

Mrs J Hinson English/Head Teacher

News from the LIBRARY

Once again there are lots of things happening in the Library this term. Book Week is 20-26 August this year with a

theme “One world, many stories”, and the following week is Literacy Week. To celebrate these special events, the

author Scott Monk will be running a series of writing workshops with selected Year 9 students during Literacy Week.

A little about Scott Monk -

Scott Monk is respected for his ability to get even the

most reluctant readers to pick up a book, Scott has

written four novels for teenagers, including Boyz'R'Us,

Raw, The Crush and The Never Boys. His latest

novel is a contemporary fantasy novel Beyond the

knock knock door. When he isn't busy hunting

monsters, he works as a sub-editor for The Australian

newspaper or watches his footy team being smashed.

(from Random House author information.)

Junior Judges –

A small group of students from our Book Café have

been reading even more books than usual for the

Australian Book Council‟s Junior Judging awards. Students have read the

shortlisted books and will have the opportunity to vote for their choice according to

the criteria set by the Book Council. They will also be involved in a Connected

Classroom session with students from Gymea Technology High School to discuss

their nominations. The Awards come out during Book Week. Students involved were:

Year 7 - Natasha Fong, Natalie Wong, Cody McKenzie

Year 8 - Rebecca Grey-Schwarz, Michelle Kuang, Erin Bayas, Danielle Rossen

Year 9 - Alex Woof, Mimi Lee, Jing Xu, Cecilia Wong, Karen Poon, Mario Andreone

You may

borrow twice

the normal

number of

books for the

holidays and

receive a

bookmark

Book Week August 20 – 26 with a theme

“One World, Many

Stories”

Some of our Junior Judges

Michelle Kuang, Rebecca Grey-Schwarz , Alex Woof

We have almost come to the end of the Premier’s Reading Challenge for 2011.

Students should have registered their books read, printed out a copy of their Reading

log, asked you to sign it, and then handed it into their English teacher. Their teacher will

then give it to me to „validate‟ the reading log. We have a number of students who

should receive their Gold awards this year, and some medallions, so the „paperwork‟

must be done correctly!

All students completing the Premier's Reading Challenge will receive a Premier‟s Reading Challenge certificate and

appear in the Honour Roll in a supplement of the Sun Herald. The certificate shows the student's name and school.

Only the students' name will appear in the Honour Roll with no other identifying factors. Participating schools appear

as a separate list. If you do not want your son/daughter’s name to appear in the paper (and they will not receive

an official certificate) please contact me before 25/08/11.

Congratulations to the following students who have now completed the Reading Challenge (and all the paperwork):

Year 7: Nurtasya Afalon, Michelle Chen, Fattoum Diab, Elisabeth Doukerides, Rhiannon Dunk, Richard He, Wilson

Ko, Ashley McCuaig-Walton, Jeremiah Muriwai, Kathleen Nguyen, Mateja Ostrugnaj, Abby Poposki, Christine

Potross, Michael Qin, Victoria Rorris, Danea Roubekas, Ellen Koutsoukos ,Louie Sun, Sophie Ward and Jayden

Xabregas.

Year 8: Kelly Abraska, Remy Blatch-Williams, Michael Cheng, Michael Chu, Roshan Cosgrove, Aaron Dole, Alissa

Farran, Jason Ho,Roger Hu,Ellen Huang, David Hughes, Tamika Kosasih, Peter Koutsoukos, Michelle Kuang, George

Melas, Kishain Pather, Andrew Tong, Richard (A) Wang.

Year 9: Rebecca Luhur, Liberty Carter,Alex Chen, Eliza Dolatowski, Jasmin Huang, Sarah Irving, Mimi Lee, Katerina

Markovska, Dylan McCuaig-Walton, Costa Rorris,Emma Schofield, Cecilia Wong, Alex Woof, Laurence Xian, and

Gary Xu.

Amanda Alchin Teacher/Librarian

VET & TVET Buzz

Year 11 students were diligent in preparing for their second Work Placement assignment which took place in week 3.

Work Placement is a valuable experience for Business Services students, as it provides authentic office experience

and gives them a taste of the „real world’ outside the school environment.

Dimitri Petrou, Year 11, reflects that Work Placement “prepared me for the real world – it showed me what was out

there and what it takes to survive”.

During Work Placement, students participate in a variety of office tasks. Andrej Ristovski, Year 11, learnt many new

skills including; filing, answering the telephone in a professional manner, faxing, writing business letters and learning

to communicate in a professional, business manner. Well done to all Business Services students in Week 3!

Ms Spratt Relieving Head Teacher VET

‘CAPA Column’

Well....here we are in Term 3 - and we‟ve „hit the

deck running‟!! There is so much happening this term

– I don‟t quite know where to start!!

It is a HUGE term for our Year 12 students. Trial

exams, HSC Performance exams and submissions of

all HSC works – Visual Arts, Drama and Music.

The Year 12 Drama Project submission date is 22

August and HSC Practical Exam is Thursday 25

August from 11.00 – 4.30pm. Good luck to all our

Drama students!

Year 12 Visual Arts Body of Work submissions are due

for completion on 29 August, will then be packed and

forwarded on to the Board of Studies for marking.

Music 1 and 2 Compositions and Musicology Essays

are due for completion on 5 September and forwarded

to the Board of Studies by 12 September, and HSC

Performance exam date - yet to be advised - will occur

between 5 and 19 September 2011.

Good luck to all our CAPA Year 12 students in you

upcoming practical exams!

And now to the more fun things....Concerts and

Performances.

Expanding Horizons Gala Concert

Students in the BHS Choir performed at the Sydney

Region Expanding Horizons Gala Concert on Monday

15 August at the Sydney Opera House. The night was

a great success and the student‟s performances were

excellent.

Blakehurst High School Concert Band

The Concert Band rehearsals have changed from

Mondays, Period zero (7.30am – 8.45am) to afternoon

rehearsals (3.15pm – 4.15pm). We decided to trial the

new time to see if we could encourage a few more

participants! So if time was the issue for all you

instrumentalists who could not make the morning

rehearsals – afternoons may hopefully suit you better!

We still need many more players. Don‟t be shy –

come along and join us!

See Ms Jacobsen in the CAPA Staffroom or email me

- judith.jacobsen@det.nsw.edu.au - or just come along

to a rehearsal!

NSW Police Band Workshop and Performance

On Tuesday 23 August Blakehurst High School

Concert Band are participating in a „Blow-In‟ and

Workshop with the NSW Police Band and a number of

local Primary School Bands, at Blakehurst Primary

School. This should be a fun day for the students and

a wonderful opportunity for them to work with members

of the NSW Police Band, learning a new piece and

getting a few hints and tips from professional

performers. Parents and friends are most welcome to

attend for the performances on the day. For more

information please contact Ms Jacobsen at school or

by email: judith.jacobsen@det.nsw.edu.au

Sydney Region Festival of Choral Music

Jessie Bao (Year 12) will be making her „debut‟ public

performance at the Sydney Opera House on

Wednesday 24 August. She is performing Chopin‟s

Waltz in C to a „full house‟ at the Opera House.

Congratulations once again Jessie! I am so proud of

you!

Year 11 and 12 Showcase Performance Evenings

On Wednesday 31 August and Thursday 1 September

we will be showcasing outstanding performances for

2011 for our senior students. The students will

prepare 1 or 2 pieces for these concerts, and parents

and friends of our senior students will be invited to

attend.

BABY NEWS!

Congratulations on the safe arrival of Beau Raymond!

Ms Kerrie Golding delivered her gorgeous son on

Friday 1 July 2011. Mum and bub doing very well and

dad Glenn is over the moon!!

Ms Judy Jacobsen/Head Teacher & the CAPA Team

PDHPE – Sports Report Grade Sport Winter Grade Sport competitions are coming to a close and a number of Blakehurst High School teams remain in contention for Premierships. As a result of the wet weather during Terms 2 and 3, the St George School Sports Association Executive Committee has decided to extend all competitions by one extra round. This means all grade sport competitions will not have semi-finals and teams that finish first or second will play a straight final. Good luck to all teams. CHS Cross Country Congratulations to Anthony Penglase, Matthew Edenborough and Julia Glavincevski on their selection in the Sydney East Schools Cross Country team. They represented Blakehurst High School with distinction at the NSW CHS cross country championships in trying conditions at Eastern Creek. NSW Futsal Good luck to our U/14 Boys and Girls Futsal teams which are attending the NSW Futsal Championships. Both teams qualified after successful tournaments at the Sydney Secondary Schools Futsal Championships. The Open Boys Futsal team will also be attending NSW Futsal Championships later in the term. Athletics Recent wet weather did not stop Blakehurst High School competitors from some outstanding performances at the St George Zone and Sydney East Schools Athletics Carnivals. Performances of note were:

St George Zone Athletics Results

Boys Girls

Michael Veljanovski Julia Glavincevski 1

st 16 yrs High Jump 1

st 13 yrs 800m

2nd

14 yrs 1500m James Downie 2

nd 14 yrs 3000m

2nd

12yrs 100m 2

nd Shot Put Nina Glavincevski

3rd

80 M Hurldes 1st

15 yrs High Jump

Matthew Edenborough Natalie Bakrdanikoska 2

nd 16yrs 800m 2

nd 15 yrs 800m

3rd

1500m 2nd

15 yrs 1500m 2

nd 15 yrs 3000m

Braydon Pilot 2

nd 14yrs High Jump Brooke Anderson

2nd

15 yrs 100m Mika Zammit 2

nd 15 yrs 200m

3rd

15yrs High Jump Nicola Calder-Little Dylan McCuaig-Walton 2

nd 13 yrs 200m

2nd

15yrs 1500m 3

rd 3000m Mai Soliman

2nd

13 yrs 80m Hurdles Anthony Penglase 2

nd 17+ yrs 1500m Sheridan Smith

2nd

12 yrs 800m Rhys Puckett 3

rd 17yrs + 3000m B Anderson, T Gardiner

N Bakrdanikoska, I Jazeva

A Moubayed 2nd

16 yrs 4 x 100 Relay 3

rd 17yrs + Shot-Put

Joel Spence 3

rd 15yrs 1500m

Drew Aftanas 3

rd 13yrs 800m

Sydney East Athletics

Results

Boys

Dylan McCuaig-Walton

2nd

15 yrs 1500 Walk

Girls

Julia Glavincevski

1st

`14 yrs 1500m

1st

14 yrs 3000m

2nd

13 yrs 800m

A Bronze Medal in the NSW Combined High School Table Tennis Competition On Monday June 27 2011, the NSWCHSSA Table Tennis Competition was held at the Sydney Indoor Sports Centre, Homebush. The table tennis team from Blakehurst High School fought courageously and was successful in winning the Bronze medal. To qualify at the State level, our team had to win the Sydney East School Sport Knock-Out Table Tennis Competition. In an exciting finish, Blakehurst High fought tenaciously to beat Sydney Boys High in the Finals. At the NSW State competition, schools were represented from nine different regions and Blakehurst High won seven out of the nine rounds to be placed third. Unfortunately, we were out maneuvered by Kingscliff High and the formidable reigning champions, James Ruse Agricultural High School. Congratulations to all members of the team, for their fine efforts, good sportsmanship and competitive spirit. You make us proud! Finally, on behalf of Blakehurst High School, I would like to extend my gratitude and thanks to a former Blakehurst High School Mathematics teacher, Mr Quah, for giving up his precious retirement time, for the team and for the love of the sport, to be coach and mentor. Mrs Wong Table Tennis Co-ordinator

LOTE Report

On Friday August 12, 2011, a group

of Year 7 & Year 8 boys competed

in the Mind Marathon competition

at East Hills Boys High. Tables of

six boys from Years 7 & 8 from various High Schools were invited to participate in activities that extended their

knowledge in the following areas: Construction and Design, Science, English, Mathematics, History and General

Knowledge.

The boys who participated from Year 7 were: Joshua Fitzmaurice, Patrick Huang, Zachary Khamhing, Thomas

Lambropoulos, Aleksandar Petkovski and George Watts. There were two teams in Year 8 and the boys were: Kelly

Abrakasa, Lusanjav Batbold, Remy Blatch-Williams, Andrei Bliuc, Peter Koutsoukos, Kishain Pather, Braydon Pilot,

Nevenko Stankovic, Andrew Tong, Nicholas Vosnakis and Richard A Wang.

There were 67 schools competing in the Mind Marathon. Our boys were up against some great competitors and after

a grueling day managed to come in the top half of all the schools competing. The day was a great success. The boys

performed admirably bringing credit to themselves, their families and school community.

Ms R Evangelinos Co-ordinator

Mind

Ben Yelavich Sports Co-ordinator

Top: Mr Quah, Bryan Hung, Aubrey Young, Mrs Wong Bottom: Nicholas Chen, Philip Tong, Matthew Fong

GREAT RESULTS FOR OUR GREEK LANGUAGE STUDENTS!!!

Congratulations to our students in Modern Greek who sat for

the Examination for the Certificate of Attainment in Greek in

May this year. They all did extremely well and our school

had 100% success in this examination!

The Certificate of Attainment in Greek is organised by the

Centre for the Greek Language of the University of

Thessaloniki, Greece, and it is the only officially recognised

state certificate for Greek as a second/foreign language.

Hundreds of students take part in this examination every

year in examination centres all over the world.

Once again congratulations to our students Mario Andreone,

Constantino Kokkinidis, Christopher Basetas and Spiridoula

Anogianakis who sat for level A1 for adolescents,

Nicholetta Danas and Antoni Angeli who sat for level A2, Antony Atsas who sat for level B2 and Nikolaos Triantafyllis

who sat for level C1, one of the highest levels of attainment in this exam. We are proud of all of you!

Mrs a Mangraviti Head Teacher/LOTE

School Ski Trip – Years 10 & 11 Blakehurst High Schools' annual Ski Trip to Thredbo

was held on Sunday 31st July until Wednesday 3rd

August. This year over 60 students attended, which

was a massive turn-out compared to previous years.

Mr Slater, Miss Turnbull, Mrs Spratt and Mr Yelavich

were the supervising teachers on the trip. The

intended 6 hour trip to Thredbo took over 9

hours, due to a few too many pit-

stops, along with a very long pit-

stop in Cooma where

everybody stocked up on

lollies and chips at

Woolworths. When we

finally arrived at

Jindabyne, we had a

quick briefing on what

would be expected of us

over the next few days.

We were warned of Mr

Slater's resolve; the rule was

to be in the rooms by the 10:00

pm curfew. If anyone stepped out of

their rooms past 10:00, their lift passes

would be taken, meaning that they would have to walk

up the slopes. Of course Mr Slater's resolve had to be

tested, which resulted in the taking of ski passes.

During our free time between dinner and the curfew we

walked around the grounds looking for Kangaroo's and

gazing at the stars. On the first night everybody stayed

up as late as possible, which meant that Miss Spratt's

6:00 am wake-up call was definitely not welcomed.

The 40 minute bus ride to Thredbo seemed to take

forever, but once we arrived we were all anxious to hit

the slopes. We had two hour lessons every morning

where were taught the basics; how to stay upright, how

to turn and most importantly how to stop. After lessons

we had lunch, then after lunch we had free leisure

time, until 4:00 pm where we would head back to the

lodges. During this leisure time is when

most people fell over on the slopes.

Someone fell in a hole on the

Easy Does It slope, whilst

another fell underneath

the conveyor belt on the

Magic Carpet, and

another collided into

another skier.

Everybody was dead-

tired by the time we

came back from the

slopes, but that didn't

mean that people didn't get

up to mischief. The Year 11's

played pranks on the Year 10's and

the Year 10 boys and girls played pranks

on each other. By the end of the trip everybody knew

how to ski fairly well, and we didn't want to go home,

we just wanted to keep skiing. Overall the trip was

immensely enjoyed by all that attended; snowmen

were made, pranks were played, there were snowball

fights between teachers and students, falls on the

slopes that were incredibly funny and memories that

will last a lifetime.

S Manola – Year 10

Environmental Team Report

The Blakehurst High Environmental Team has

continued its efforts to improve our school by making it

a more environmentally sustainable and friendly

community.

There are many projects that we have achieved during

semester 1. A focus has been reducing our waste by

eliminating disposable water bottles from school. This

has involved the installation of chilled water fountains

outside the PDHPE staffroom and in the Canteen area,

funded by the school Environmental Team and P&C.

We have also stopped the sale of disposable water

bottles from the school Canteen in order to reduce our

waste. We are working towards the installation of a

third water fountain to increase access to water.

Reusable drink bottles with the school emblem were

also introduced in semester 1. All students

participating in winter grade sport and school leaders

have received a school drink bottle. Other students

are awarded a bottle for demonstrating School

Citizenship, For example, bringing their lunch in

reusable containers, as this shows care for the

environment. The Environment Team organised a

photo competition to encourage the use of reusable

school drink bottles. The competition winners were

Natasha Fong (Year 7), Emma Schofield (Year 9),

Sheridan Smith (Year 7) and Matthew Fong (Year 9).

Clean up Australia Day was another project

this semester and it was

a huge success as the

students participated with enthusiasm. We would like

to thank all the teachers and students who helped out

on this day. Also The Environmental Team

participated in the „Say No to Bottled Water Forum‟ at

St George Girls High School where we presented a

short speech and PowerPoint about the process of

introducing our new reusable bottles. This encouraged

other schools to adopt a similar project.

The Environmental Team is proud of the achievements

made and looks forward to completing more projects to

make Blakehurst High School a more environmentally

sustainable place. Ongoing projects throughout the

year include „Flick off Friday‟, where students remind

teachers and students of each classroom to turn off

electricity over the weekend. Also the Herb Garden,

continued from last year will soon have herbs growing

within the school to support the TAS Home Economics

staff and students.

The Environmental Team is a rewarding school activity

and we encourage all students to participate to help

innovate ways to improve student awareness of the

environment and sustainable school practices.

Nina Glavincevski and Jennifer Jusmin (Yr9)

Photo Winners

Matthew Fong – Yr9

Natasha Fong – Yr7

Emma Schofield – Yr9

Chilled Water Fountain in Canteen area and outside PDHPE staffroom

Sheridan Smith – Yr7

SCIENCE Report

The Science faculty has been very busy setting and marking HSC Trial Papers. More than one hundred students are

enrolled in one or more of the three senior science subjects taught at Blakehurst High School (Biology, Chemistry and

Physics) and the staff looks forward to some pleasing results.

A number of field trips, excursions and incursions have been run and are planned for this term: Year 11 Earth and

Environmental Studies is visiting Mount Keira to study fossils and vegetation. 8S1 and 8S2 have an excursion

planned for the Wollongong Science Centre and a “Grime Scene” investigation on the shoreline at Sans Souci. Mrs

Mason organised a visiting guest speaker to talk to students about the hot topic of Climate Change, which all found

very enlightening.

The results for the International Science Competition were posted to the faculty this week. Mr Estephan put a lot of

effort into organising this event and the faculty would like to extend their thanks for all his hard work. The students who

achieved a distinction or a credit are listed below. Congratulations to all participants!

Mr Estephan’s Report - International Competitions and Assessments for Schools

ICAS is one of the most reputable assessment tests made available to

schools. Organized and distributed by UNSW, it has an international appeal

and attracts more than 2 million students worldwide each year. This year,

more than 50 Blakehurst High School students from Years 7 to 12

participated in the science component of the competition. Among the

results were 6 Distinctions and 16 Credits.

The award recipients are:

Distinction:

Year 12: Kevin Lo (Top 2%), Bryn Jenkins (Top 4%), George Chen (Top

6%), M Cheung (Top 11%).

Year 10: Daniel Bu (Top 7%), H Alexiadis (Top 9%).

Credits:

Year 7: Jack McDonnell, A Petkovski, Daniel Saeed,

Year 8: Luke Auciello, Kishain Pather, Handry Tjo, S Wu

Year 9: Mimi Lee, K Protacio,

Year 10: J Brigui, R Chia, S Parvez, W Tjo,

Year 11: J Peng, Zi Ying Su

Year 12: Y Zhang

In each year group, the overall average exceeded that of the state. This is a collective effort, and students who have

missed out on an award this year need to be particularly congratulated for participating and contributing to such a

commendable result.

Well done, Blakehurst High - looking forward to equally pleasing results in ICAS 2012.

Students sitting the test in the School Hall

Kevin Lo & George Chen Distinction Recipients

Meet Some Year 7 2011 Students

Harley Lee My story so far: I am very athletic (I like running, cricket, soccer and basketball). I do very well in school and got a good Half Yearly report. I travel a lot in the summer holidays with my aunt (places I go to: Perth, Hong Kong, China and places in Australia). I really enjoy life!!! The things I like most about Blakehurst High School are: being with my friends, learning new things every day, attending classes (most of the time), and all the sports they offer. My plans for the future are: Firstly to become a police officer, then a lawyer. I want to have two kids – one daughter and one son.

Sheridan Smith My story so far: I was born in St George Hospital in 1999; I am twelve years old. I have travelled to many places like: America, Fiji, The Whitsundays and Vanuatu. I would love to go around the world for swimming (competitions) one day, or even play netball for Australia. The things I like most about Blakehurst High School are: the great excursions and the fun mufti-days. One of the best things is that the students are really nice and so are most of the teachers! My plans for the future are: I hope to swim at the 2016 Olympics and maybe even play netball as well. Let’s hope!

Natalie Wong My story so far: I was born in Hong Kong, China and migrated to Australia when I was six years old. Our family background is Chinese. I have one younger brother who is 9 years old. I have never been anywhere else except for China and Australia. The things I like most about Blakehurst High School are: BHS has very nice teachers like Ms Poulos, Ms Pappas, Ms Lambert, Ms O’Brien and many more! I like Maths the best, but every subject is fun. My plans for the future are: I want to study hard and make my family proud. I want to become a lawyer or a fashion designer when I grow up. I also want to become an artist because I love drawing Manga (Japanese anime). I’m not sure what might happen since I’m not a fortune teller, but I hope I can have a bright and happy future.

Alex Wong My story so far: One thing about me is that I have a brother who is eighteen years older than me (and that is not really common). The things I like most about Blakehurst High School are: The thing I like about this school is that all my teachers make things easier for us and they are really helpful as well. They all make lessons really fun, especially in Science we get to do all these amazing pracs. Also we have a big library which has a lot of books and I like the basketball courts as well. My plans for the future are: I plan to get a good education and make a lot of friends. In my future I also want to achieve things that I mightn’t have been able to achieve up to now, and also to have a lot of fun.

Jade Chen My story so far: I was born in Australia, but my family is Chinese. I have a younger brother who is eleven. I once went to an island for a holiday called Hamilton Island and also to my ‘home’ country, China. I have also travelled to a few places in Australia. The things I like most about Blakehurst High School are: I like all the nice teachers like Ms Pappas, Ms Poulos, Ms Lambert and Ms O’Brien, and lots more My plans for the future are: In the future I want to make it into the fashion industry or maybe even a really strange job like food tasting, or becoming a toy tester!!

Linda O’Brien Head Teacher/Science