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CABRAMATTERS SCHOOL NEWSLETTER ISSUE 3 2017

IN THIS ISSUE:

Education Week 2017

CAPA Showcase

Iftar Celebrations

Drumming at Cabramatta High

Top 20

Artwork by Nina Odeysan Year 12

CABRAMATTA HIGH SHOWCASES ITS

TALENT!

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Education Week 2017

‘CHED’ was open to entry for all senior students at Cabramatta High, and was modelled on the popular and successful TED Talks format broadcast online. Broadening students speaking and leadership skills, CHED involved students writing and presenting a short 2-3 minute speech – on whichever topic they were most interested and passionate about. A wide variety of topics were canvassed throughout the student presentations and all students were highly engaged with their audience - sharing their own knowledge base with a group of peers and teachers. Students were judged on their public speaking and research skills, and the creativity of their speech delivery. Polin Tumrithy (Year 11) was ultimately successful overall, excelling in all aspects of the specified criteria.

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‘I Learn,We Learn’

During Education Week the faculties at Cabramatta High school held several events that were closely tied to the overall central theme of ‘I Learn, We Learn’See pages 12-13 for the full story on Education week 2017.

Cabramatta High School celebrates

... ‘The Best of the Best’

We gratefully acknowledge the generosity of this year’s sponsors:

Cabra–Vale Diggers,International Martial Arts Centres, LOTE Faculty, Peak Tutoring,McDonalds Family Restaurant, Plus Fitness, Margaret Milligan, Poke Bros,Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association,Iglesia Ni Christo Church of Christ, Eckersley’s, Mickey Chews, Event Cinemas, Sealife Aquarium, Wild Life Sydney ZooLNG Stone Pty Ltd, TLC Tutoring.

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Artwork by Beverly CorcoranYear 12

CAPA Shines!Year 12 Music and Visual Arts

students perform their best work. See pages 26-7

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Education week 2-3

Principal’s Message 6

Top 20 7

HSIE Newstand 8-11

Education Week 12-13

School Council Minutes 14 -15

English Excursion 16

Our Sponsors& Breakfast Club 17

SRC News Corner 18

Evan Yako’s Drumming& Iftar 19

Maths Matters 20

Peer Mediation 21

‘2nd Chance’ 22

The Science Lab 23

Careers Corner 24

Computers Corner 25

CAPA Concert and Showcase 26-27

Calendar Term 4 28

Contents:

Meet NAO the robot in our new ‘Computers Corner’p. 25

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Principal’s message by Ms Godwin

*Translations of the Principal’s message are available on the Cabramatta High School website

NAPLAN Results Parents will soon receive the NAPLAN results for their children in years 7 and 9. There has been a lot of media coverage about passing and failing and comparing Australian states to each other. Reading the results is somewhat complex and often creates confusion. NAPLAN can show that in what is referred to as growth in literacy and numeracy. The test results will also tell parents the areas their children need to have more assistance. If the reports that come to parents do not make sense the school will be able to help them understand the information.Cabramatta High School is very pleased with this year’s results. Year 9 numeracy and spelling results are above state average. Year 7 writing results are also above state average. In addition, the year 7 and 9 growth in all domains of numeracy and literacy are above state growth. Congratulations should go to all the teachers and students for their hard work and dedication to learning.An issue for year 9 NAPLAN is the need to gain band 8 to prequalify for the Higher School Certificate. This has caused a lot of anxiety for many students and their families. If the NAPLAN result does not reach band 8 it is not a disaster nor is it a failure. Students will be given more opportunities each year to complete an on-line test to demonstrate band 8 proficiency before and after they sit the HSC examinations. Education WeekEducation week was an outstanding success under the leadership of Mr Avery and a dedicated committee of teachers. The many faculty competitions challenged the students to step forward and show their talents. We thank the community for supporting the school by sponsoring prizes and showing that they value our school and education.ScholarshipsThere are many scholarships offered at our school. The year 10 students have just completed their applications for the ABCN scholarships. I was very impressed with the written applications and was delighted to write a reference for each of the students. More scholarship opportunities will soon be available through the Australian Education Foundation and our school. These will be mentioned on assembly, through our website, at school council and in year meetings. Scholarships range from $300 to $16000 and provide much needed support for deserving students.Staff appointmentsCongratulations to Mr Avery who is now the substantive Deputy Principal for years 7 and 8. Ms Raffie has received her permanent appointment in the HSIE faculty and we welcome her to our school.New facilitiesThis year we will see some new facilities and improvements in the school. We are creating an outdoor gym and a covered volleyball complex. The hall roof will be replaced and new verandas will be built on the Intensive English Centre buildings. The school council, students and staff have been consulted in these works and they will be of great benefit to the school.Year 12At the end of this term year 12 will finish school and begin their formal examinations. The school wishes them well in their studies and future. We farewell the captains who have represented their peers and the school with great pride and emotional intelligence knowing that they will be outstanding leaders in the community as well as at school.Beth Godwin

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TOP 20 by Mrs Pham

At the end of last term, Year 12 Top 20 students attended a creative writing workshop run by author Bernard Cohen. Bernard ran through a number of exercises with the students and gave tips and tricks to improve their creative writing skills for their Trial HSC.

Students in Year 11 this term attended a goal setting and study skills workshop. Year 12 completed an additional creative writing workshop after the trials, run by Mrs Vu in English, to help them improve even further for the HSC.

Congratulations to Nita Kong of Year 11 who was awarded at $6000 scholarship from Father Chris Riley’s Youth Off the Streets Foundation. This scholarship is highly competitive with only 20 given out Australia wide each year. In the October school holidays, Nita will attend a workshop and awards presentation at the University of Sydney where she will be officially presented with her scholarship and be introduced to a mentor. Congratulations Nita!

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HSIE NEwStaNd by Ms Raffie, Mr McCann, Ms Lam and Mr Keo

Mock Trialby Sarah Nguyen

On Friday the 2nd of May, the Year 10 mock trial team attended a mock trial held at Georges River Grammar School. Dychen Chan, Lucy Chhuo, Helena La, Felicity Nguyen, Sarah Nguyen, Wendy Nguyen and Katherine Pham participated as the Defence pleading for the verdict of self-defence while the prosecution were pleading for a case of deliberate affray. Six students out of the seven who attended played a crucial role in the mock trial. The team who participated consisted of two witnesses (Katherine Pham & Helena La), two barristers (Felicity Nguyen & Sarah Nguyen), a solicitor (Wendy Nguyen) and a Court Officer (Dychen Chan)“This was our very first mock trial so we needed to learn from the very basic skills but we were able to communicate and help each other. From this experience we were able to learn and acquire new skills and nurture our already existing skills.” (Sarah Nguyen)“This trial was an amazing learning experience as we developed skills which helped with the new environment we were placed in.” (Felicity Nguyen)The students had two weeks to memorise and create questions based on the scripts provided by The Law Society of New South Wales. Despite the two weeks of half-yearly assessments, the students stayed committed and worked hard which was reflected by their success, winning both the case and mock trial competition, 274 points to 235.

“This mock trial was an experience that enlightened me to the basics of what happens in a real courtroom. It helped me understand what it would feel like to really be in the position of a witness.” (Katherine Pham)“Despite the nervousness I had prior to the trial it was definitely an astonishing experience!” (Wendy Nguyen)“It was an eye-opening experience which allowed me to gain insight to the process of a court room. I can’t wait for the next mock trial!” (Helena La)The students will participate in another mock trial within the last week of school. This mock trial is against Northmead Creative and Performing Arts High School. We wish them all the best!

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A Day in Manly by Jessica Te and Julina Lim

On the 3rd of August, Year 9 took a two-hour drive to the Quarantine Station located in Manly. There we learned about the history of the area, its purpose, and its importance in Australian history. The station is in Sydney Harbour National Park and is surrounded by Australian bushland. The station was used as a place for quarantine from August 1832 to February 1984. During this time, a total of 570 people died at the quarantine station, although thousands more were taken there to be treated. The station was used to isolate those who were sick and infected from those who were healthy to ensure that infectious diseases did not spread throughout the population. Once patients were treated successfully, they could leave and return to their normal lives.When we arrived, we were greeted by tour guides who took us around the station and into different functioning rooms. They took us into the actual rooms where ill convicts would go through to burn their infected clothes, take acid showers, and be treated. They took us into the hospital rooms where the sick patients were treated and we learnt about how the station changed over time as people became more educated and hygienic with their work. It was a very practical excursion and the students were deeply involved in demonstrations and discussions. What amazed us was that the tour guides said it was possible for us to feel some spiritual connections with those who lived and passed away in the quarantine.Overall, it was a fantastic day and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The excursion really extended our knowledge about World War 1 and the treatment of sick people that were brought to Australia for quarantine.

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W estern Sydney University Young Entrepreneurs Business Skills Day by Polin Tumrithy, Azra Ghotbi and Sonali Sharma

On the 28th of June, 2017 a group of seven students visited Western Sydney University Parramatta campus, where many schools from all around Sydney had attended to partake in the activities of the day. The Business Skills day included competitions that allowed the students to expand their knowledge of entrepreneurship skills and put these skills into practice by planning for a creative, realistic and practical business idea. Cabramatta high school competed in mixed teams with other district schools. The top three teams which had designed the most creative business idea all comprised of students from Cabramatta. 1st placed team had Polin Tumrithy, 2nd Azra Ghotbi and 3rd Sonali Sharma. The students expressed their experience of the day saying “It was an amazing experience where we got to learn and enjoy the real world of business and its aspect. The experience was great and I also strongly recommend it to other students to try”.

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Civics and Citizenship Forum by Juliana Tieng

Sarah Allouche and I were selected to participate in the Civics and Citizenship Program at the NSW State Parliament on the 16th of June 2017. The program informed us about changes implemented to solve contemporary issues within the Indigenous and broader Australian communities.We listened to interesting talks from famous people such as Dr. Lilon Bandler who is the daughter of the late Indigenous Australian activist, Faith Bandler. Their perspective on improving the Indigenous community and the actions they took to make this change was awe-inspiring. There were over fifty schools at the forum and we had the opportunity to meet and discuss topical issues with them. It was a very worthwhile and enjoyable experience that expanded as our knowledge about the world of politics.

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I Learn,We

I Learn,We Learn

Education Week 2017...I learn, We Learn

Education Week is a state-wide event which is recognised annually in order to celebrate public education in NSW. Education Week was held from 31 July to 4 August and the theme for this year was ‘I Learn, We Learn’. The week highlights the achievements of public education, communities that support public education and the success of our students. At Cabramatta High School, several events and competitions took place which showcased ‘The Best of the Best’ in talent at our school.

English Public Speaking Competition‘Speaking Eds’

The English Faculty held a public speaking competition ‘Talking Eds’ for students in Years 7 to 10. Students were required to present an engaging speech which reflected on the most important lesson they have learnt. It was fantastic to see the number of students who took part in this and we would like to congratulate the following students for winning. Mrs Simatovic

Year 7: Jessica SandersonYear 8: Andrew GuoYear 9: Ashlyn DoYear 10: Anh Mai

I Learn,We

I Learn,We

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I Learn,We

I Learn,We Learn

I Learn,We Learn

CHS celebrates ‘The Best of the Best’

Several students across years 7-10 competed in the PDHPE Decathlon. Students competed with great skill in a number of challenging activities testing their levels of strength, speed, agility, coordination, flexibility, balance, stamina, power, accuracy, and reaction time. All students performed to the best of their abilities and behaved commendably on the day. There were some standout performances; Wendy Flores scoring an amazing 8.4 on the beep test and Steven Luong displaying his elasticity in the sit and reach test scoring 41cm. However, there could only be a few winners. The year 9-10 group was tightly contested, only a few points separating the top five competitors. In the end Eldrick Laosy and Yigit Karadas could not be split, claiming first prize just ahead of Thomas Van Groesen, Anthony Mai and Jake Hall. Leo Chau and Thuy Chau Nguyen dominated their respective age groups, both claiming first prize. Leo’s power was evident in the standing long jump test, where he gained maximum points. Thuy also showed immense power, scoring an incredible mark.Congratulations to Helen Liew who narrowly beat Kayla Trinh to be victorious. Helen displayed exceptional balance and flexibility gaining maximum points in those respective events. Kayla performed admirably, but was only just beaten. A big thank you to Ms. M. Jansen who assisted on the day and my Year 8 and 10 helpers. Without their assistance, the day would not have been possible. Overall, it was an exciting day and it was really great to see all students competing with such joy and commitment. Mr. V. PhamIn Science, Miss Thich challenged Year 7 Science classes to build a model house that incorporated the use of renewable energy and resources. The model home was to be constructed using only recyclable items that were sourced from their homes and around the school. All the teachers are very proud of Year 7 and their exceptional effort. In particular, the teachers were very impressed by the well-thought out design and construction by one group. We would like to congratulate the winning team of George Batras, Tyrone Keo, Josh Liu and Alex Xu from 7SCIO on their excellent model. Miss Thich

‘History Masters’ was organised by HSIE and was a Kahoot quiz open to all students (Years 7-10) passionate about ancient and modern history, as well as world geography. Held in the lecture theatre, students organised themselves into individual or group teams and raced to get the correct multiple choice answer on a wide variety of historical and geographical topics. Ancient China, Japan, Greece, the Spanish Conquest of the Americas and World Flags were just some of areas in which students demonstrated their knowledge and competed to answer as quickly and as accurately as possible. The quiz was run through Kahoot, which provides real-time results and data that shows all students participating, the correct answer (after their attempt), thereby ensuring students also learn whilst they play.

Another event organised by HSIE was a ‘Commerce Challenge’, in which students practiced life skills beyond the classroom through a variety of activities. Students demonstrated the process of applying for and gaining a tax file number, a bank account, and a Medicare card. This task has a clear practical use beyond the classroom and is also knowledge of a skill that could be shared amongst students – thereby linking to the overall Education Week theme of “I Learn, We Learn”.

I Learn,We

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PRESENT:President: Dieu QuachPrincipal: absentCHS Staff: Lachlan Erskine, Isabel Pacho, Charmaine Walton, Linh Nguyen & Kim Keo.SRC: Lenghuy PheunInterpreters: Thao Le, Linda Siv, Anh Vuong, Trinh Mai & Jamal Alkarkhey.Guest: My Yen TranParents: Savuth Soun, Nelson Cabiera, Sopheap Bun, Chan Ven, Sokunthear Soo, Phung Lan Tran, Huong, Tu Lien Duong, T.X.Trinh, Kim Vo, Phuong Nguyen, Van Phuc Mai, Huynh Mai Ly, Hanh Bao Tra, Tuyet Phuong Le, Van Nguyen, Thao Pham & Jenny Hanh Vo.APOLOGIES: Beth Godwin

1.PRINCIPAL’S REPORT: Lachlan Erskine•Miss Godwin will be back term 3. Lachlan passed on best wishes from the parents at the meeting.•The new Deputy Principal (Ms Pacho) for Stage 5, Years 9 and 10 was introduced to the parents.•A video, showcasing the STEM Program targeting Primary School students in Year 6 was played.•The table tennis team won the Regional Championships and now move on to the State finals.•Year 7 students achieved first place in the local school cross country event.•Boys achieved second place in the Rugby 7s.•The IFTAR night was held at Cabramatta High with Islamic and non-Islamic people coming together. A successful night. The school hopes to do more of these events in the future.Athletics Carnival: Apologies made due to the bus breaking down and student lateness returning to school.•School Festival: (Cabra concert and Art display) at Cabravale Diggers held tonight (Wednesday) and Thursday night.•On Thursday, Year 6 students from Cabramatta Public and Cabramatta West will be sitting for the Advanced entry test.On Friday 16th June, Channel 9 Today Extra, did a story on the Breakfast Club which will be aired on Tuesday 20th June, 2017. Breakfast Club runs on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Channel 9 was very impressed by the students at Cabramatta High School. Three students are in the finals of the Brain Bee final competition.•Parent Teacher night and Subject Selection evening will be held on Tuesday 27/6/17.

2. GUEST SPEAKER Ms My Yen Tran SolicitorMs Tran spoke about divorce procedure and relevant legal aspects (child support, court procedures).• Divorce application and costs for concession and non-concession excluding legal fees• Time frame for processing

School Council Meeting Minutes 21.6.17

• Implications for partner agreements and non-agreement for divorce• Divorce is a separate procedure from parental orders or other orders• Defacto relationship and marriage• Family violence and AVOs impacts on parenting orders• Access to children• Child support• Family violence: What is it?• Parenting orders: The court considerations – the best interest of the child.

3. SENTRAL ACCESS FOR PARENTS: Mr Kim Keo• Copy of letter handed out. The letter lists the steps in setting up the account and accessinformation from Sentral.• Request for names of parents with no access code.• Each code is specific for each child and parent.• Parents need to have an email address to be able to create an account.• Mr Keo showcased the procedures to create the account.

4. FACULTY PRESENTATION Linh Nguyen - Head Teacher Languages• Faculty structure• Classes and courses offered• Faculty professional development (internal and external)• Student achievements (HSC)• The work of CLOs (number of calls made, translation, interpreting)

5. Mrs C Walton – Head Teacher Administration – Attendance• Staff and main roles including HSLO• Attendance monitoring: calls to homes• What to do if the child is away from school (doctor’s certificates, notes from parents, calls)• Uniform shop (new uniform)• Deputy Principal assistance role (second-hand uniform).

6. SRC REPORT: Lenghuy Pheun• Updates: Leadership conference to update students’ leadership skills• Fundraising event: selling cookies• Road safety to promote safety on and near the school grounds specifically before and after school times. Students will collect data, complete and analyse it. One suggestion includes using Gopro camera• Parent access to Sentral.

6. PRESIDENT’S REPORT: NIL

Meeting closed 8.00pm

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School Council Meeting Minutes 9.8.17

PRESENT:President: Dieu QuachPrincipal: Beth GodwinCHS Staff: Lachlan Erskine, Bethaney Waters and Michelle West.SRC: Interpreters: Thao Le, Linda Siv, Anh Vuong, Trinh Mai and Jamal Alkarkhey.Guest: Robyn El-Khair and Arnold Tammekand.Parents: Savuth Soun, Geoff Lumley, Diane Sanderson, Chan Ven, Sokunthear Soo, Sithy Sao, Sok You Tang, Mara Men Som, Savourn Chhay, Phary Soth, Rennea Soth, Phung Lan Tran, Huong Luu, Kim Binh Tran, Tu Loi Huynh, Van Nguyen, Tuyet Phuong le, Huong Nguyen, Jenny Hanh Vo, Trinh Thi Xinh, Tra Bao Hauh,Yen Van Hy, Kim Vo, Ly Khon, Muthanna Al-Badri and Taghreed Al-Khadadi.APOLOGIES: Toni Robinson, Nelson Cabiera, Irene Shchupak, Dijana Stevic and SRC representatives.School Council President Dieu Quach, welcomed back Beth Godwin.1.PRINCIPAL’S REPORT: Beth Godwin• Year 12 Trials begin this week. School Captains at home studying this evening.• Sporting teams are doing very well. Students have made it to the State finals for table tennis.Volleyball girls placed 4th in the State and volleyball boys placed 6th in the State.• New works happening: For three years the school has been saving money to spend on school buildings and facilities for students. This week the Department of Education Assets group was able to start the following contracts:1.Building 4 volleyball courts with a cola over them $650,000 2.Creating an outdoor gym with strength training $40,000 3.Hall roof replacement $200,000 – original building built in the 1960s. 4. Verandas on the IEC $125,000. This was not done when the school was refurbished due to costs of total project.1. CAPA PRESENTATION Bethaney Waters• Beautification project – ceramics Yr 9 Digital Media, totem poles• Kiln has melted – school to purchase new kiln• CAPA showcase of HSC works, all parents invited to attend.2. FAIRFIELD HOSPITAL PRESENTATION Arnold Tammekand – General Manager• Increase in number of patients in emergency in Winter 2017 and 50-60% increase in ambulances going to Fairfield Hospital.• $7 million upgrade to Fairfield Hospital – 12 months building works.• New Cafeteria opening in 1 week. Robyn (Community

Participation Officer).Community network meeting every month.• Brochures are translated into community languages.Friday lunch 1pm community meeting – free lunch (25th August)

• Hope to have network representatives from each community group• Tour groups and career talks available for students and patient liaison officer employed to look at any patient issues.• Rights and responsibilities for patients.3. HOME ECONOMICS PRESENTATION Michelle West • STEM unit in Home Economics• Teachers who wrote unit put on to Year 8 classes.• Currently 50% of Year 8 have completed unit.• Baking unit based on levening, students explore science behind baking.• Unit explored sugar and changes in chemistry when melted.• Design process – students had to create sweet or savoury muffins.• Maths element, students had to create a package to hold their muffins.• Short survey with students after Term 1 – over 48% highly enjoyable, 40% rated as enjoyable, 68% enjoyed the experimental element of the unit, introduced an additional unit on egg whites and their ability to hold air.4. SCHOLARSHIPSApplications are currently being submitted to ABCN for scholarships. Year 10 need to write an essay and have a Principal statement written. Scholarships are worth $7000.Other scholarships are now available through the Australian Education Foundation. Interested students have met with teachers who are helping them to write applications.Later in the year there will be school based scholarships ranging from $300 to $5000 that students will be invited to apply for. A written application, teacher/principal reference and interview will be required. Many of the scholarships are for the senior school as we recognise that there are more expenses in Years 11 and 12.5. SCHOOL SECURITYStudent safety is a high priority at this school. Over 80 cameras have been installed so that issues can be tracked. Late last week a community person entered the school through Sussex Street during the day and went into buildings and the staff building and stole credit cards from teachers’ desks and left the school. The cameras were able to track this person and give footage to the police. An increased security measure is being developed. All external gates will be closed during the school day and all access to the school after 9.15am must be through Aladore Avenue and then to the front office.Teachers already wear fluro vests and carry bright orange umbrellas on playground duty and other identifying features for teachers and staff not on

playground duty will be introduced.

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Cabramatta students endured the hour long train journey to Milson’s Point, crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, to watch the play ‘Neville’s Island’ at The Ensemble Theatre. Several other south-west Sydney schools also attended the special production and as the lights in the theatre dimmed, the students cheered with anticipation as the play began.The first half of the play about four men marooned on a deserted island during a work team building exercise was full of laughter and jokes as the castaways came to terms with their situation. The men’s very different personalities and idiosyncrasies was the source of much of the humour. There was Neville, the team leader who would rather not have to make any decisions; Roy, who had recently had a year off work recovering from an emotional breakdown; Angus who is very insecure and must have the latest gadget and the cynical and bullying Gordon whose acerbic nature created much of the drama and humour. The play was then paused for the interval. Students and teachers were treated to a generous lunch of sandwiches, lamingtons and fruit.The second half of the play took a dark turn as the characters confronted their differences, insecurities and individual flaws before coming to a stunning and confronting climax.The students enjoyed the performance and the message of the play which resonated with them. The Q and A with the actors at the end of the performance helped students to understand the play and the work that goes into creating a theatrical performance from the set design to how an actor prepares for their role.The students who had the privilege to attend ‘Neville’s Island’ at Ensemble Theatre would like to thank Ensemble Theatre, Foodbank and Tip Top for inviting us to the performance and providing the lunch and showbags.

Year 11 ‘English Advanced 1’ goes to the Ensemble Theatre

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Proud Sponsors of Cabramatta High School

Academy Photography

Bowlarama, Wetherill Park

Cabramatta Bowling Club

Cabra-Vale Diggers

Cabramatta Rugby Leagues Club

Chinghai Meditation Association

Ching Hai International Association

Committed to Coaching (C2C)

Faz Uniforms

Iglesia Ni Christo Church of Christ

International Martial Arts Centres

Languages Other Than English-CHS

Lifeline Macarthur

Margaret Milligan- School Canteen

McDonalds, Liverpool Megacenta

Peak Science

Plus Fitness Cabramatta

Taylors Pharmacy

The Australian Association of All Nationalities of China Inc. - Chinese Language School

Top Class English Tutoring

What The Fudge

White Doves ‘R’ Us

Breakfast Club goes on the TODAY show!

On Friday 16th June, Channel 9 Today Extra, did a story on the Breakfast Clubwhich was aired on Tuesday 20th June, 2017. Breakfast Club runs on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Channel 9 was very impressed by the students at Cabramatta High School.

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S.R.C. What comes to your mind when you hear the abbreviation SRC? Is it a group name? Does it stands for School Rubbish Cleaner or Student Representing Cabramatta? NOPE! All these answers are incorrect.

In Term 1• We have donated $500 towards the ‘Rural Fire Relief’.• On Thursday 23rd March, a few SRC members volunteered to stay back after school to participate in the Year 7 Parent engagement evening. The SRC’s responsibility was to give parents a school tour and communicate with them about high school life.• On Thursday 6th April, all SRC students went on a Community Engagement excursion where we walked around John Street in Cabramatta to give out free Easter Eggs as a thank you gift to the community for their support towards our school.• The SRC have raised $285.60 from selling Pearl Milk Tea on the school’s Food Fest day. This money was then donated towards the Leukaemia (Blood Cancer) foundation.

In Term 2• We attended the annual ANZAC day dawn service event held at Cabra-Vale Park on Tuesday 25th April, to remember those soldiers who have fought in the past for our world peace today. Breakfast was provided by the Cabra-Vale Diggers Club at the end of the commemoration event.• On Friday 19th May, four SRC students (Kelvin, Andrew, Julina and Jessica) attended a Student Leadership Conference at Prairiewood High School. They participated in team building activities and workshops, collaborated and engaged in mixed Youth group sessions. They also had an opportunity to network with student leaders from schools throughout South Western Sydney (SWS).• 4 of the SRC members along with some year 11 students got a chance to attend a Youth Leadership Mentoring Day ran by the Fairfield City Council at Wakeley on Thursday 29th June. (For details on what we did on the day, please read the article written by Mr Ven).• Again, we have raised approximately $150 for this term’s Food Fest.

In Term 3• On Monday 14th August, several SRC members represented the school by participating in the 2017 Victory Celebration march at Cabra-Vale Park to rejoice the end of the war that threatened Australia and all Australian citizens. The Governor of NSW, His Excellency the Hon. General Davis Hurley AC DSC, was the honoured guest at the event. We also enjoyed refreshments provided at Cabra-Vale Diggers Club at the end of the Ceremony.• We welcomed the Fairfield council Mayor Frank Carbone to our school assembly on Monday 21st August, to present an artwork that was created at the Youth Leadership day.

SRC News Corner by Winston Tri

SRC Members at SRC MeetingLocation: Block 8 Meeting Room

Photo taken by Mr Pillay

S.R.C. stands for Student Representative Council. The SRC team consists of four members from each year group (year 7 to 12) and the four school captains who are responsible for running the weekly SRC meeting on Monday. Mr Pillay from Industrial Arts and Ms Schmidt from the Intensive English Centre are the two teacher co-ordinators for the 2017 SRC. Within the SRC team, we take many different roles including Chairperson, President, Secretary, Treasurer, Publicity Officer and Roll Marker. What have the SRC done so far this year?

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Healing Through Evan Yako’s Drummingby E. Pickering

Over the past four years a large number of students from both the High School and the IEC have been involved in a ‘Healing Through Evan Yako’s Drumming’ program. The skill of the drummers has become so well known that different groups have been invited to perform at numerous places and special events including Canberra and the NSW Parliament House.On the 2nd March, a group of eighteen students travelled to the city to perform at the Hilton Hotel. The occasion was an international conference on mental health. The students were given a huge applause and many positive comments. Afterwards, the group was treated to a delicious Hilton Hotel lunch. The students represented the school proudly with their amazing performance and impeccable behaviour.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, by which Muslims around the world fast (not eating or drinking), from sunrise until sunset. It is a time of reevaluation, to forgive and make peace with those who have wronged us and strengthen ties with family, friends and the wider community. The physical effects of the fast act as a reminder of those who suffer throughout the world- those who are poor, homeless, refugees and those who cannot meet their basic needs. It reminds Muslims not to be wasteful and to feel empathy for those who face hunger on a daily basis. The fast is broken every day at sunset, and this is called Iftar. Iftar is a community dinner, and it is recommended and often done as a community, with people gathering to break their fast together. For the first time Cabramatta High school held an Iftar on Thursday 8th of June, at the school hall. It was a great success, with about fourty attendees . There was a mix of current students and former students, their families as well as a number of staff, all of different backgrounds and faiths. We enjoyed delicious food and desserts, and we had inspirational talks by our special guests, who thanked and congratulated our school for hosting an inaugural Iftar. We also had refugee students performing speeches, comparing their experiences of Ramadan in Australia and overseas. We hope that this will be a tradition that our school can adopt, as it is essentially people sharing a meal together and being thankful for the great school community we have.

Inaugural Ramadan Iftar at Cabramatta High School by Mrs Hussayni

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Nita Kong (second from the right) with other participants from the UBS Young Women’s Leadership Academy.

Maths Matters by Mr Powers

The Life of PIStudent’s memorisation abilities are tested by a Pi reciting contest. Students entering the competition are given 15 seconds to review the value of Pi. Students are to recite the number Pi to as many digits as they can remember. The student who recites the most number of correct digits is the winner of the competition. The winners were:Year 7: Katrina Huynh and Rami Al-BadriYear 8: Nelson Nguyen and Vi Tieu

Rami Al-Badri recited 366 digits!!!!!

Talented Students DayStudents from Cabramatta HS, Cabramatta PS, Cabramatta West PS, Harrington Street PS, Canley Vale PS and Lansvale PS participated in a mathematics talented students’ day on the 2nd August. It involved individual and team competitions with hands-on activities. Mr Ly and Miss Chhabra organised the day and were very impressed with the enthusiasm of the students and their passion for Mathematics.

It requires you to tune in to the topic. Avoid distractions and focus on your work. Try to anticipate what the teacher will say next, especially if you are familiar with the topic. This will help you to organise and connect with things you already know. Pick out the main ideas in the teacher’s explanation.2. Mathematics is a practical subject and much of your time needs be spent practicing your skills. Select questions from the textbook or the past papers. In mathematics you learn from your mistakes. You can only improve by studying where you went wrong and will learn very little from the mistakes of others. A mistake is anything that is wrong. If you do not fix your mistakes you will make them again and again.3. Studying mathematics involves reading your lesson notes, doing extra problems, making a record of mistakes with the correct solution, updating your summary, listing your topics and formulae in short form, and testing yourself with definitions and problems. Find a quiet place away from the family where you can study regularly. Research has shown that students do not study better when accessing social media during their study time. The extra distraction interferes with your concentration for learning. Develop a pattern of regular revision. Without revision, everyone forgets. 4. A summary needs to be made for every topic in mathematics. A summary contains definitions, formulae, special questions, typical exam questions, and a list of your mistakes. Remember if you revise your mistakes the night before a big exam you will not repeat the error. A list of your mistakes must include the problem, your error, and the correct solution.

Study Skills – Learning MathematicsThe first step in learning mathematics is in the classroom. A top student makes the most of that time. Time used efficiently in the classroom is time saved when studying.1. Listening to your teacher is the first step to develop understanding

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Peer Support with Year 7 by Mr Mansour

Peer support is a program that has been running for a number of years at Cabramatta High School. The program involves the entire year 7 cohort who are mentored by a selection of Year 10 Peer Leaders. The program aims at helping Year 7 students through the transition process into high school. Some of the focal points of the program include topics such as: bullying, dispute resolution, maturity, friendship groups, leadership and story sharing. The Year 10 leaders have done an excellent job over the course of the semester and are respected by their younger peers as they lead by example.

Some quotes from Year 7 students about the program:

‘I have learnt to be more mature’‘I have learnt how to avoid conflict’‘I have learnt how to make friends’

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2nd Chance...Helping the people of Ethiopia by Mrs Goodfellow

Year 12 Construction Class

This year a dedicated team of volunteers from within the school and wider community have been working to raise enough money to build a school in Ethiopia. The land and services of a teacher have already been secured by the Eloi Prison MinistryThis school is for children whose parents are in jail and who have no alternative but to live with their parents. Through providing a school for these children they will gain basic education and become literate and numerate. They will have a chance to make their way in the world.The school has been making greeting cards and selling them in the community throughout the year raising $3000.00.Special thanks to Stampin up Australia, Mrs J Godwin and Ms J Wicks for donating products and card kits which has helped make over 1000 cards this year.A fundraising dinner was held in October where items were raffled, cards, paintings and Ethiopian crafts were also sold. The dinner was kindly provided by Margaret Milligan and team from the school’s canteen and we wish to thank her for her generous support.A total of $6000.00 was raised at the dinner and with additional donations the school has raised a total of $21630.17 this year which will be enough to build the school.We would like to thank the students and staff, their families and friends for their dedication to this cause.We would also like to thank the community and our many sponsors for their ongoing support and generosity.

Special thanks to our major sponsors:Donnelly ConstructionsCabra-Vale DiggersMargaret MilliganStampin up AustraliaBing Lee BurwoodSTARTTSPowerlandSheryl RumballNancy Nicholls

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The Science Lab by Ms Piesse

ICAS Science Competition

This year we had over 70 students from Year 7 to 11 participate in the ICAS Science Competition, which was coordinated by Mrs Pham. This test is a 1 hour multiple choice exam that tests students’ knowledge and understanding, ability to analyse and interpret data and their higher order thinking skills.

Congratulations to the following students who received credits:

Year 7 – Kathleen Trinh and Belinda HuorYear 8 – Timothy ToYear 10 – Juliana Tieng, Kevin Le and Kim Chang

NSW State Finals for Brain BeeAt the end of last term Vanessa Chai, Annie Nguyen and Wendy Nguyen from Year 10 attended the NSW State Finals of the Brain Bee Competition at the University of New South Wales with Mrs Pham. The Brain Bee Challenge is a competition for high school students to learn about the brain and its functions, neuroscience research and find out about careers in neuroscience. The students first had to complete an online quiz under exam conditions at school. Students with a high score from the quiz are then invited to UNSW for the state finals where they complete two rounds of questions against students from other schools. Vanessa, Annie and Wendy were fortunate enough to attend a sound workshop and check out the Museum of Human Disease on the day as well. Whilst the girls did not make it to the final round, they should be very proud of their efforts and performance on the day.

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Careers Corner by Ms Shchupak

Fifty Year 10 students attended a Uni Day at Western Sydney University as part of the STEPS Program.The students spent a day on campus and participated in a variety of activities aimed at providing them with practical information about studying at university. They attended workshops where they had the opportunity to work with university students and match their interests to future career pathways. They also attended information sessions about the different courses they could undertake at university.One of the real benefits for students participating in this program is the access to free online tutoring that the university is providing for them. The students have gained a better understanding of their higher education options.

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Computers Corner by Mr Hallab

Excursion to the Australian Museum

First On-water session

Year 11 Robotics ExcursionThe year 11 Software Design and Development class went to the Whitlam Library in Cabramatta to learn about the NAO robots. These humanoid robots can be programmed by specialised software to do many things. The robots can respond to speech, sense stimuli with various sensors, play sounds, teach tai chi and even dance. The students were able to use the programming software and see a virtual robot to see what their code would make the robot do.

Year 12 Microsoft Excursion Year 12 Information Processes and Technology students went on an excursion to the Microsoft store so see various multimedia technologies in action. Our school broke a record last year for being the first school in the country to get a demonstration of the HTC Vive virtual gaming console, and this year we broke another record. Our year 12 students were the first students in the country to get a demonstration of the Microsoft holographic computer. Students were able to wear and explore with the device. They were able to see 3D objects in a virtual 3D space and manipulate them. In this 3D space, the user is able to create objects for 3D printing. Students were also able to see the Surface Studio and use the all-new Paint 3D, which comes with the Windows 10 Creators, update. All the staff at the Microsoft store worked very hard on the day to make sure that each student was engaged in the learning. Students really enjoyed the day and learnt valuable pieces of information, which they can use to help them in preparation for their HSC examination.

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CAPA Puts on a Concert...and excels in the HSC Body of Works

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Drawing by Jack Ho

Drawing (detail)by Weiliang Xu WinnerPeople’s ChoiceAward 2017

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2017 TERM 4 SCHOOL CALENDAR

WEEK Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Sat/ Sun

October 1 9 First Day Term 4

10 11HSC begins

12 13 14/15

October 2 16PAT TestingYear 9

17PAT TestingYear 7

18PAT TestingYear 8

19PAT TestingYear 10

20 21/22

OctoberNovember

3 23 24 25Twilight PL3:30-6:30pm

26 27 28/29

October/November

4 30Peace Day

31 1 School Council Meeting 6pm

2 3 4/5

November 5 6 7 HSC concludesYear 12 Sign Out Day

8 9 10 11/12

November 6 13 14Year 12 Formal

15 16 17 18/19

November 7 20 21Year 11 Report Afternoon

22 23 24 25/26

November/December

8 27 28 29 School Council Meeting6pm

30 1 2/3

December 9 4 5Year 7 Orientation Day

6 7 8 9/10

December 10 11 12 13 14PresentationDay

15 16/17