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Year 12 News

Make the Holidays Count

The June/July holidays gives us all a chance to reflect on how the

year is going and to take stock. For some of you, there has been

success this semester while others have not achieved as well as

they should have. We have already passed the halfway mark and

the results seen in Term 2 reports will be an indication of the final

grade. You may think, “This isn’t what I’d hoped for,” or “Wow, I’m

happy.” Either way the holiday break is time to take a planned break

to refresh and revitalise yourself.

Plan a study program for all your subjects. For exam assessed sub-

jects, you should revise and consolidate. Write responses and

answer questions in the style expected in the final exam. Your

teacher will give you directions on this. Pay attention to your least

favourite subject. It will pay dividends next term.

If you are behind in any subject make sure you use this time to

catch up. See your teacher to find out what you need to do to stay

on top of your workload. If you feel you need extra help make sure

you get practice questions or you have all the materials necessary

to help you get up to speed. If you have a large external research

task or project do the research in the holidays or write your draft.

Organise with friends in the holidays to have a least one study date

then reward yourselves afterwards with some rest and recreation.

Eat healthy food; get regular sleep and exercise Five times a week

to help you feel good!

Refocus on your goals. What are you going through all this for any-

way? Make sure you know. There are only ten weeks to go.

Holiday Tutorials

A number of teachers are running tutorials during the four week break. Please make use of these tutorials. See next page.

Term 3

Term 3 will be crunch time particularly for those of you whose subjects have external examinations as those subjects com-

plete all summative tasks by the end of the term. You MUST attend every class! Some of you are missing lessons to finish

off assessment tasks on the day that they are due. This causes gaps in learning and ultimately makes it more difficult for you

to succeed. You also need to make use of your study lines and do not waste them through chatting with the mates or

nicking into town for some takeaway. Term 3 is not the term for a sleep-in on Line 1. Make a commitment to yourself to come

to school during school hours and follow through with getting to a quiet spot and actually working. You’ll be amazed how

much more you will get done.

Year 12 Graduation and Formal

The Graduation and The Formal will be held at the Convention Centre on Monday 24 November.

The Graduation Ceremony will occur in the Auditorium from 5.30pm until 7.00pm. This is a free event especially for parents

and families. The Formal will be held in one of the halls at the Convention Centre. This event is only for Year 12 students

from Darwin High School. Tickets will be on sale in Term 3 from the Finance Office. Students will be able to pay off their tick-

et gradually if they wish.

Trish Cryer, Assistant Principal Year 12

Ros France, Year 12 Coordinator

For Your Diary—Parent Teacher Night

Parent teacher night will be on 18 August (3pm—7pm) for all

year levels. Interviews will be a maximum of eight minutes

duration. We are once again using the internet-based book-

ing system called Parent Teacher On-Line (PTO). Make your

booking from 8 August.

ATAR Rules

The external component in all subjects is worth

30%. For some subjects this is an investigation, for

others a performance or an exam. Regardless of the

form of the external, it must be attempted for a

scaled score that contributes to an ATAR to be gen-

erated. If the external component is not attempted

then the score that contributes to the ATAR be-

comes 0.0 for that subject. A subject achievement

grade between A+ and E- is still obtained.

Consent to Release Form

Thank you to those students who have returned

their Consent to Release form. If you have not done

so already, please do so. The Form is available on

the website and is also present in the NTCET folder

in student public on the school network.

Signing the form is essential to release information

to SATAC and the school. This allows SATAC to

calculate ATARs and TAFE entrance scores from

the results.

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Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Week 1

June 23 9am -1pm Com-munity Studies (all classes) 9am -12pm Eng-lish Pathways Ms France 9am -11am Legal Studies Ms Barrow 8:30am –3pm Food & Hospitality Ms Potter

June 24 9am -1pm Communi-ty Studies (all clas-ses) 1pm –3pm English Studies & English Communica-tions (Bookshop, Smith St Mall Darwin) Ms Dupe 8:30am –3pm Food & Hospitality Ms Potter

June 25 9am -1pm Communi-ty Studies (all clas-ses) 9am -1pm Outdoor Education Mr Dalgleish 12pm –3pm Food & Hospitality Ms Potter 2pm –4pm English Studies & English Communica-tions (Bookshop, Smith St Mall Darwin) Ms Dupe

June 26 11am –2pm English Studies & English Communica-tions (Bookshop, Smith St Mall Darwin) Ms Dupe 10am –12pm Com-puter Applications Ms Dhir 9:30am -1pm Nutri-tion Ms Vale

June 27 11am –4pm Biology Ms Reimers 11am –2pm English Studies & English Communica-tions (Bookshop, Smith St Mall Darwin) Ms Dupe

Week 2

30 June 1 July 9:30am -12pm Spe-cialist Maths Ms Tan

2 July 9:30am -12pm Maths Studies Ms Tan

3 July 9:30am -1pm Nutri-tion Ms Vale

4 July

Week 3

7 July 9:00am -12pm Modern History Ms Bury

8 July 9am –1pm Commu-nity Studies (all clas-ses) 9:30am -12pm Spe-cialist Maths Ms Tan

9 July 9:30am -1pm Com-munity Studies (all classes) 9:30am -12pm Maths Studies Ms Tan) 10:30am –4pm Dance Ms Calver

10 July 10:30am –4pm Dance Ms Calver

11 July 9am –1pm Commu-nity Studies (all clas-ses) 9:30am –1pm Nutri-tion Ms Vale 10:30am –4pm Dance Ms Calver

Week 4

14 July 10:30am –4pm Dance Ms Calver 9am –12pm Mod-ern History Ms Bury

15 July 10:30am –4pm Dance Ms Calver 9am –2pm English Studies Ms Rehfisch 9am –12pm Modern History Ms Bury 10am –12pm Biology Ms Reimers

16 July 9am –1pm Commu-nity Studies (all clas-ses) 10:30am –4pm Dance Ms Calver TBC 10am –3pm Visual Arts- Video Ms Young 9am –3pm Music Ms Bryett

17 July 9am –1pm Commu-nity Studies (all clas-ses) 9:30am –1pm Nutri-tion Ms Vale 10am –3pm Visual Arts- Video Ms Young 9am –3:30pm Drama Ms Stephenson 11am –1pm —Indonesian Beginners Mr Northcote

18 July 9am –1pm Commu-nity Studies (all clas-ses) 9am –12pm English Pathways Ms France 10am –3pm Visual Arts- Video Ms Young 9am –3:30pm Drama Ms Stephenson

Sunday 13 July 12 – TBA Biology Mr Ergos

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Compulsory Elements of the NTCET Students tackle compulsory elements of the NTCET in each year level. At Year 10 this is the Personal Learning Plan; Year 11, a full year

of English and a semester of Mathematics and at Year 12, any three Stage 2 subjects. In all of the compulsory elements, students must

obtain a C grade or better in order to gain their NTCET.

As we complete one semester in all year levels, students should take stock of how they are progressing through their NTCET. Most stu-

dents have tracked well and achieved the required minimum of a C in their compulsories. For Year 12s, they should make sure they are

sitting on at least a C or better at this point in time in any three of the Stage 2 subjects they are studying.

If a student is in Year 10 or 11 and has not achieved a C or better in the compulsories in Semester 1, they should contact the relevant year

level Assistant Principal or NTCET Coordinator (Ms Donnelly) to see what we can be arranged to help them to meet the compulsory re-

quirement. If a student is in Year 12 and is not tracking to obtain a C or better in three of their Stage 2 subjects they should contact the

Year 12 Assistant Principal, the Year 12 Coordinator or NTCET Coordinator to discuss the issue.

All Talk at Darwin High School

There has been excellent participation, with some wins in

Public Speaking and Debating this Semester.

Debating

Two teams of debaters competed in the ten round Darwin

Secondary Debating Season, Darwin 1 made up of Court-

ney Buckley, Kiara Musco, Andrew Harding, Chetan

Ganesh together with Shannon Hunt and Lauren Northcote

when their sporting commitments allowed them to debate,

and Darwin 2 whose members were Saurav Kundu, Beth

Hubble, Yada Katonchaleekul, Sonya Fenton, Ryleigh All-

free, Ciara Collister and Aurora Jan. Darwin 2 reached the

semi-finals, but was defeated by Good Shepherd Lutheran

College 2 who ultimately won the trophy for Darwin Senior

Debating in 2014. Thanks go to Ms Schuman and Mrs Nai-

doo who put in so much time and effort coaching the teams

and, in Ms Schuman’s case, recording and keeping the

official scores.

On a high note, Beth Hubble from Year 11 was selected as

reserve for the NT Debating Team this year, and has al-

ready shown the positive results of training with the squad

for the national championships. Beth and Meika Liveris,

also Year 11, have started an in-school debating competi-

tion, running on Friday lunchtimes. Everyone is welcome, in

particular those who would love to debate but whose out-

side commitments prevent them from taking part in the Dar-

win Secondary Debating Competition on Wednesday after-

noons. Beth’s and Meika’s focus is on students’ develop-

ing debating skills – and having fun.

The NT Coach Zac Lurje has injected new energy and ex-

pertise into the competition over the past two years as the

performance of his teams demonstrates, so the standard

can be expected to continue to rise over the next year. The

topics Zac provided challenged the students, in particular

the Prepared Debate on the proposition that privatisation is

the way to go. Debaters are realising that all the fiery rhe-

torical skills in the world will not win them points if they do

not have extensive knowledge and significant understand-

ing of the subject matter under debate. The speakers who

are up to date with the news and opinion surrounding cur-

rent events are usually the most convincing debaters.

Note: Debating is excellent for those who enjoy controversy

and are concerned about the issues of the day. It is also an

important activity for those who wish to develop the perfor-

mance and presentation skills required so often in the twenty

-first century workplace. Our debaters are on the way to be-

coming the assured speakers and presenters of their gener-

ation.

UNYA NT Conference

UN Youth Australia is a national youth-led [organisation] that

aims to build the people’s movement for the United Nations

through the education and empowerment of young Australi-

ans. [They] seek to provide young Australians with a global

education, one that gives them a deep knowledge of the so-

cial and political problems confronting the world and the

skills to address them. [They] act to expand the opportuni-

ties for young people to make a difference in their communi-

ties. The NT Association is run for young people by young

people, most of them students who have found stimulation

and success in advocating for countries outside Australia at

the mock United Nations Assembly and Security Council

Conferences run by UNYA each year.

Thirty students from Darwin High School took part in the

United Nations Youth Association Conference in March, the

largest number ever, and Christopher Teng, representing he

People’s Republic of China, Krshna Capaque, representing

Mexico and and Ka Wai (Micki) Teng, representing Norway

won places as Northern Territory delegates to the National

UNYA Conference to be held in Canberra in July. Congratu-

lations to all three. This time, the students are advocating for

the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, South Sudan and

the Central African Republic respectively so the Conference

should be a most memorable experience for them.

Plain English Speaking Award

Christopher Teng, Krshna Capaque and Ka Wai

Teng are NT Delegates to the National UNYA

Conference in 2014

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This award requires speakers to prepare and deliver a six mi-

nute speech on a significant issue and present a three minute

Impromptu Speech on an unseen topic after four minutes prep-

aration. In addition, there is a five minute interview asking for

the speakers’ opinions on current issues in particular those in-

volving their own interests.

This year there was an exceptionally high number of speakers

from Years 11 and 12 competing for the four positions allocated

to Darwin High School in the Darwin Plain English Speaking

Semi-Finals held on Saturday, 17th May in the Theatrette. Au-

rora Jan, Mietta Russell, Saurav Kundu, Shannon Hunt, Court-

ney Buckley, Beth Hubble, Lauren Northcote, Matilda Lyons,

Nam Tang presented interesting and, in many cases

compelling prepared speeches which were polished and per-

suasive. The real challenge lay in the Impromptu Speech, and

their performance in this once again determined the selection of

Beth, Lauren, Shannon and Tilly to represent Darwin High

School in the Semi Finals.

Only three speakers

could proceed to the

NT Finals, from the

Darwin Semi-Finals,

so in a close con-

test, three adjudica-

tors chose Shannon,

Beth and Lauren to

compete for one

place as the NT

Plain English Speak-

er for 2014 in Alice

Springs on June 7.

The adjudicators

were very impressed

by all speakers, not-

ing that the overall

standard of presen-

tation was even

higher than in 2013.

All credit goes to the

students for this

achievement, but

thanks also go to the

staff who adjudicat-

ed and coached the

speakers so effec-

tively, in particular

Ms Schuman, Mrs

Dupe and Ms Stylis.

Congratulations to Shannon Hunt who won the NT Finals and

is off to the National Finals later this year.

Susan Cameron

Debating and Public Speaking Coordinator

A Unique Gift

For a number of years, Darwin High School has had the

use of a slouch hat from a member of the 2nd

Cavalry Regi-

ment based at Robertson Barracks. The hat is the centre-

piece of the Stage set up for the Anzac Assembly.

This year the Regimental Sergeant Major, RSM Craig

Cook, on behalf of the Regiment presented a slouch hat to

the School for use in further Anzac Assemblies.

The hat has quite a history. It was one of several (of vary-

ing sizes) taken over to Afghanistan last year when the

Regiment deployed there. They were used as gifts for the

Commanding Officer to give on behalf of the Regiment to

the Commanders of allied forces. The slouch hats with

plumes are very much prized by other armies.

As the Unit (2 CAV) is to become a part of 3 Brigade based

in Townsville in 2015, RSM Cook felt that it was fitting that

the hat should remain in Darwin, where it will continue to

adorn the Anzac Assembly Catafalque.

Paul McConnell

Defence Transition Mentor

Shannon Hunt, Beth Hubble and Lauren Northcote.

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Developing the North

Year 11 student Russ Kundu was one of five students chosen from North Australia to par-

ticipate in a TV documentary designed to promote the Development of the North. The

short clip went to air in the middle of May.

During filming, students were questioned on their attitude to the proposed white paper on

developing Northern Australia which is being produced for the Australian Government.

The Developing the North project aims to drive growth across the north by capitalising on the natural, geographic and stra-

tegic assets of the North. Broadly defined, it is the area north of the Tropic of Capricorn spanning Western Australia,

Queensland and the Northern Territory including Alice Springs.

The Northern Territory is leading the push to develop the North and is laying the foundations of what is likely to be the big-

gest period of growth in the Territory’s history.

Judy Boland

Languages/Business Faculty

North Sydney Girls Orchestra Visits Darwin High School DHS

On Wednesday 23 April, SIEU hosted 28 music students from North

Sydney Girls High who were travelling around the Northern Territory

as part of their centenary celebrations.

The orchestra consisted of ten violins, two violas, one cello, one flute,

two oboes, two clarinets, three bassoons, one trumpet, one trombone,

one tuba, two alto saxes playing the horn parts, drum kit and percus-

sion. The group performed music by Mozart, Bach, Grieg, Beethoven,

music from Pink Panther, Addams Family and Frozen as well as Bohe-

mian Rhapsody.

After the performance and sharing of a morning tea, SIEU students

performed drama acts for these students and the whole group then

participated in games to get to know the students better. The wonder-

ful “Mr Peter” organised the activities and fun was had by all.

Many friendships were created and we look forward to both schools

working together again in the future.

Below is an email sent by David Tomlin, the Principal of North Sydney

Girls High School.

“ We are all home safely and greatly enriched. Darwin High School

was the highlight in many ways and we are indebted to you and your

staff for your enthusiasm and efforts in making it such a great morning”

Trevor Read

Principal

Language Perfect World Championships

Many language students participated in the Language Perfect World Championships this term. This is a

competition where students complete activities relating to the language they are studying to earn

points. Schools from around the world compete in this every year. Darwin High students won a total of

28 awards. A special congratulations to the following students who received a Gold Award for scoring

over 3,000 points: Yiting Liang, Lana Laureles, Jessica Harpur, Nalin Jeenmuang, Kylie Lo and

Monique Samson. Congratulations to Monique Samson who was our highest scoring student with over

5,000 points.

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It was a right royal occasion

Year 12 student Shannon Hunt was one of eight Territory students

chosen to meet royal visitors Prince William and the Duchess of

Cambridge during their whirlwind visit to Australia in April.

Their Royal Highnesses spent a day at Uluru, and the Territory stu-

dents joined them at afternoon tea. The students who came from all

parts of the Territory had the opportunity to engage the Royal Couple

in conversation. Topics ranged from the Rugby World Cup which will

be held in London in 2015, through to their meeting the All Blacks

whilst in New Zealand and their experiences of university life.

Following this, students presented the Royal Couple with gifts, the

majority of which were for their son and heir, Prince George. Shan-

non offered a copy of the 2014 Darwin High School Yearbook, which

the Duchess accepted and then immediately began to look through it,

promising that she would read it thoroughly on the plane during the

flight back to Canberra.

The day finished in true Territory style with the Royal Couple watch-

ing the sunset while they sipped champagne on the back of a ute.

Judy Boland

Languages/Business Faculty

Year 11 Math Methods

Exam in the Tank

Career Development Faculty

Work Experience

Over 120 students

Year 10 students par-

ticipated in work expe-

rience as part of their

PLP. Not only were

there offers of part time

work, a number of stu-

dents have been of-

fered apprenticeships

as well. Thank you to all the business, organisations

and NT and local government departments who sup-

ported them.

VET News

Darwin High School congratulates

School Based Apprentice Liam

May. Liam has been shortlisted for

the School Based Apprentice of the

Year Award. We wish him every

success in September. Go Liam.

University Visits

April: West Australian University Roadshow held a

Parent information Evening. Murdoch, Edith Cowan,

Notre Dame, University of Western Australia and

Curtin University came to Darwin High and gave a

presentation on their course offerings, accommoda-

tion and scholarship opportunities. Bond University

visited later that month. Matt Stubbert, who is our NT

representative, reminded everyone about their appli-

cations and the scholarship opportunities through

the Collegiate Agreement.

May: University of Melbourne made its annual trip.

Nearly 80 students turned up. The Theatrette was so

full we had to ask students not to come in. There is a

copy of the presentation on student Pub for all to

see.

June: Charles Darwin University gave current Year

10 students an overview of local higher education

and VET/TAFE options and presented to all Year 10

PLP classes. Next semester they will return for the

next PLP group.

Former Student Visits

A big thank you to Rebecca Smith, currently study-

ing at Bond University, who volunteered her own

time to speak at a Year 12 workshop on writing

scholarship applications.

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Workshops

Rural Medicine and Allied Health Workshops: This continues to be a pop-

ular event. It was a hands-on interactive event involving a series of timed

activities with second year doctors, nurses, dentists, physiotherapists,

occupational therapist, speech pathologists, paramedics and health work-

ers.

2015 Higher Education and Training Application Dates for Year 12

NT: 5 August –30 September –Online applications open via SATAC

Each year SATAC, which administers NT and SA student admission to

university and TAFE SA, publishes a free guide. Every student at DHS is

entitled to one. There will also be course guides for the University of SA

and Flinders University available.

Queensland: 5 August –30 September –Online applications open via

QTAC. QTAC guides will be available from mid- June in newsagents.

New South Wales & Victoria: 6 August –30 September –Online appli-

cations open via UAC.

West Australia: 11 August –30 September –Online applications open

via TISC.

Tasmania: 1 August -30 September Direct online application to Univer-

sity of Tasmania.

Careers Expo in August

This year there is a new venue. It will be held in the Darwin Convention

Centre. All Year 10 students will be attending the Expo.

Term Three Year 12 Workshops

University and TAFE application workshops will be held every Friday until

the end of Term 3.

Happy holidays and don’t forget to relax and revise.

Filming for the History Channel

Four students had the opportunity of a lifetime

recently when they participated in the Sir Tony

Robinson Tour of Duty at the Darwin Military

Museum on Sunday 18 May.

Sir Tony Robinson (Time Team, Blackadder,

Worst Jobs in History etc) was in Darwin filming

a documentary for the History Channel com-

memorating a centenary of military service from

1914 to the present.

The filming was an ”Antiques Road Show” type

format, and the Darwin High school was invited

to bring along two World War II relics, of which

the School has custody.

During the filming Nat Kelly and Brodie Fraser

spoke on camera about the rifle which was

found by students some years ago and is now

on loan to the Darwin Military Museum whilst

Taylah Peters and Amy Chittick told the story of

the Bomb Fragment.

When completed, the film will air on the History

Channel early in 2015.

Judy Boland

Languages/Business Faculty

Christian Discussion Group

The Christian Discussion Group gives students the opportunity to talk

about what they believe and to hear what is actually written in the Bible.

The group now mostly meets in room B15 every Tuesday lunchtime. Stu-

dents bring their lunch with them.

The Anglican Youth Minister, Rev. Bruce Chapman also comes to the

meetings and assists with the program. The group had a successful sau-

sage sizzle fundraiser to help raise the funds to sponsor a child in India.

The group is growing and the students who attend are, enthusiastic, from

all year levels and from varied ethnic backgrounds.

Any questions can be directed via email or in person to

rosie.reimers@ntschools.net.

Convener Rosie Reimers

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SIEU at the 2014 Refugee Day Celebration

With the start of the Football World Cup scheduled for

Saturday 14 June, it was decided that this year World

Refugee Day would be celebrated at the Darwin Football/

Soccer Stadium at Marrara on the same day. And so it

was, with food and information stalls, stage performances

and ceremonies, a youth and kids special areas and a

continual football round robin competition. The day was

successfully coordinated by the workers and volunteers

from Melaleuca and many people attended and enjoyed

the day.

SIEU contributed by having a coordinated program of planned projects

that were designed to make a worthwhile contribution to the whole day

event. The Intermediate Community Arts class, along with Ms Sandy, one

of our SIEU Bilingual Officers, and their friends organised a display and

information booth on the activities held at SIEU and Minh Tran, Salma

Manreal and Manop Thammawongsa were particularly busy and helped

set it up. Tharirat Chatram, Pijitra Sartwet and Jiraporn Minthaisong also

helped out with the information display and in addition presented a terrific

modern dance over on the stage that was very well received.

George Ballah, Minh Tran and George Kambourakis organised football

teams and competed in what was a very well-constructed program and a

huge finale of the day was seeing George’s team win and receive a huge

Refugee World Cup. The place went crazy and there were a lot of happy

faces!

The SIEU has received a delightful letter from Sophie Edwards, the WRD

Coordinator, thanking SIEU for their significant contribution and each stu-

dent involved should feel proud of their efforts.

Peter Stretton

SIEU Community Arts Teacher

2014 The Australian Business Studies Competition

On 15 May 2014, Year 11 and 12 students sat for the Australian

Business Studies Competition organised by the Australian School

of Business, UNSW

It was a great opportunity for students to test their business stud-

ies skills and knowledge against other students from all across

Australia.

All participating students will receive a certificate signed by a rep-

resentative from the University of New South Wales. In addition,

top students will receive monetary prizes. Prizes are $50, $75,

$100 & $250 for each of the State Winners. State and National

Winners will also receive engraved trophies.

Jayant Prakash

Business, Enterprise and Technology/LOTE Faculty

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Business is

Booming

Year 11 Business and

Enterprise students

had the opportunity to

run their own business-

es once a week for 4

consecutive weeks

during Term 2.

They developed a

Business Plan and

took out a loan from

their Year 11 Business

Account established by

the Finance Office.

The businesses repaid

the principal amount of

the loan with 10% in-

terest. The profit made

from individual busi-

nesses was shared

amongst the partners.

The nature of busi-

nesses ranged from

iphone covers to hot

foods, freshly made

iced chocolates, muf-

fins, snack foods, milk

shakes, smoothies,

frappes, car wash,

Greek cakes etc.. A

total of 17 businesses

operated.

In a short time, stu-

dents were able to gain

knowledge, skills and

some experience in the

general operation of a

small business. The

main aim was to ex-

pose the students to some important elements of running a business such as setting goals, marketing, communication, man-

agement, financial record keeping and evaluation.

The students operated during lunch time and did well considering the limited time constraint. The students conducted the

businesses with great professionalism and should be very proud of their efforts.

Jayant Prakash and Matthew Atfield

Business and Enterprise Teachers

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Anzac Activities 2014

Students again had a busy time with their involvement in a variety of Anzac activities and associated media events. The An-

zac Assembly featured a special tribute to Prisoners of War, and the stories of three Darwin POWs were told. As the stories

unfolded, students from the Year 10 Dance class provided a visual representation to accompany the monologue.

The NT News reported the Assembly as follows:

“The annual Anzac Assembly was a touching service attended by VIPs and Veterans. The [Darwin High School] Assembly is

one of the largest and best attended in the Top End. It included a Catafalque Party made of Army cadets — of which some

members were students at the School.”

Principal Trevor Read said, “The Assembly was a highlight on the School’s calendar.” “It’s an opportunity for students to

learn more about the sacrifices made by those diggers 99 years ago, and to pay their respects,” he added.

He said that the chance to be a part of the Catafalque Party at their own school event was an honour for the students.

As part of the Assembly, students laid wreaths before lighting candles for slain diggers from Darwin.

Year 11 student Aurora Jan said that it was important for her to be involved in the assembly directly.

“I had relatives fight at Gallipoli, so it’s very special to me,” she explained.

She said that she enjoyed the assemblies not just for the service and the

commemorations, but for the opportunity to speak to

Veterans of war about their experiences.

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Fellow Year 11 student Brodie Fraser said his Dad had been in the Army for more than two decades. “I love listening to his

stories, and I try and go and speak to the Vets. It’s amazing hearing their stories,” he said. “It’s also important for us as stu-

dents to remember what happened nearly 100 years ago.”

World War II Veteran and former German POW Charlie Parrott said he had attended every service at Darwin High since

returning to Darwin about 20 years ago.“I wouldn’t miss them for the world,” he said. “It’s great to see the students interest-

ed in what happens during war.”

Mr Parrott was taken POW by the Germans on the Greek island of Crete in 1941. He spent four years down in the coal

mines in Poland, before the Russians — who he thought were friends — took him POW a second time in January 1945. He

was eventually picked up by the British and taken back to London, before getting married and returning home.

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The Spirit of Anzac Competition

As part of the Anzac Centenary Commemora-

tions, the Northern Territory Government will

support the 2015 ANZAC Spirit Study Tour

which will take students to Gallipoli to join

commemorations at ANZAC Cove.

The Study Tour will be open to students in

Years, 9, 10 and 11. Nominations are open

until 15 August and students are invited to

submit an entry in any medium that addresses

the question:

The ANZAC spirit arose from the actions of

soldiers 100 years ago. Given their passing,

what is it that keeps the ANZAC spirit alive?’

Four lucky students will attend the Centenary

Dawn Service. Further information about the

program is available on the Northern Territory

ANZAC Centenary website:

http://www.dob.nt.gov.au/EventsAwards/anzac-spirit-award.

Assisting the Chief Minister to announce the event at the Darwin Military Museum were Shannon Hunt and Lauren North-

cote who were the 2013 Chief Minister’s Anzac Study Tour Recipients. Both girls visited the battlefields in France.

Judy Boland

Languages/Business Faculty

Students, Shannon Hunt, Luke Jettner and Amy Chittick with Bob Parker—

Kapyong Veteran

Later that afternoon Shannon Hunt, Amy

Chittick and Luke Jettner spoke at the

Kapyong Commemoration, and on Anzac

Day more than 40 students represented the

School at the Dawn Service where they as-

sisted with seating the Veterans and VIPs,

distributed poppies and laid a wreath on be-

half of the School.

Later they distributed flags to children gath-

ered in Knuckey Street, prior to the march.

Judy Boland

Anzac Events Coordinator

Smart Phone Media

Stage 1 Media produced advertisements using stop motion

production techniques with smart phones as part of their

course work this semester.

Stage 2 Indonesian Beginner students enjoying an

Indonesian lunch at Sumatra Cafe

15

Three trips have gone out so

far this semester. We started

things off with the Stage 2

Climbing trip at the end of

Term 1. Four exchange stu-

dents joined 15 Stage 2 stu-

dents from DHS and four

from O’Loughlin College to

tackle the Hayes Creek cliffs.

Falling at the end of the wet

season the trip is always a

hot one. Despite rock that

was so hot it burnt your

hands, the students pushed

themselves, most climbing

more than ten climbs with an

aggregate vertical height of

about 150m. I, on the other

hand, suffered from the

dreaded Hayes Creek Rash

and a 24 hour bug that I can

attribute to my one year old

daughter. Somewhat out of

action, the students stepped

up showing great maturity

particularly with respect to

risk management.

At the end of May 2 Stage 1

trips headed out to Kakadu to

walk the Yurmikmik escarp-

ment behind Motorcar Falls.

Late wet season rains threat-

ened the first trip but, despite

giving the gardens of Darwin

a welcome drink, it managed

to steer clear of Kakadu. The

students were meant to walk

the Tabletop Track at Litch-

field but burning was still tak-

ing place in the Park so the

students had to tack the more challenging off track walking of Kakadu. They proved they were up for the challenge. With the

students learning to navigate, no track to guide the way and some tough terrain, the average walking speed was about one km

per hour. The waterholes were a welcome relief from the ten hour days. On the third day we stumbled on an old art site as we

searched for a way down a cliff. The style and colours of the art indicate it could have been thousands of years old. It was a

timely reminder to us all that people have lived in this rugged country for thousands of years without the technology that we

needed to survive for just four days. On the last day the pace picked up as all new only half a day of walking and a four hours

hour drive separated us from a warm shower, comfy bed and air conditioning.

There is still one trip to head out this semester. The Stage 2 students will be doing their practice hike at Barramundi Gorge

(Muguk) Kakadu. They have 5 days to learn to learn how to run a bushwalk and to navigate before doing their self-reliant trip

in Term 3.

Aaron Dalgleish

Outdoor Education Teacher

16

A resilient young man aiming to achieve

It was smiles all around when Ibsa Margasa walked in to the

SIEU a few weeks ago. Without hesitation, teachers immedi-

ately stopped their classes and proudly introduced Ibsa to

their students. There he stood, a confident young man,

dressed in long sleeves and long trousers, speaking in a

relaxed and engaging way in front of a large group – English

being, at the very least, his third language. The students

were inspired by his story and the teachers could hardly hold

back their tears of admiration and joy.

Ibsa arrived in Australia in August, 2008 and started at

Sanderson Middle School. (Back in Ethiopia, he had com-

pleted Year 6 in his first language, Oromo.) He came to

SIEU in 2009 with little English, no computer skills and gaps

in his learning and set out determinedly to complete Year 12

and gain his NTCET. And that he did, graduating in 2011.

When he finished school, he eventually was successful in

getting a job as a technician with Telstra. He tells us that, at

the interview, he was asked why he wanted the job as he

had little formal qualifications to support his application.

“I told them that I just

want to give it a try. I

think I can learn and

do the job, but if I

can’t I’ll just stop!

They must have

been impressed with

him for they took him

on, trained him and he found himself working in places all

over the NT.

Now, he is newly married to a lovely young woman studying

bio-medicine, and he is moving to Perth to be with her. He is

taking up an Electro Technology course at Edith Cowan Uni-

versity in Perth.

Ibsa carries with him very fond memories of being in the

SIEU. “It's a beautiful environment and very supportive.

That's what made me feel that SIEU was my second home.”

He added humbly, “My happiest moment was Graduation

Day. Because of my English, I wasn't expecting that I would

ever reach that level.”

“The advice I have for SIEU students is that you should nev-

er say no to anything that you would like to do and always

tell yourself that if you work hard and keep trying, you can

achieve.”

We look forward to hearing more from this resilient young

man.

Robyn Northcote

Learning to step up and be heard

The Stage 1 Legal Studies classes attended an excursion

as part of one of their assessments this term. With the

help of Karen Parker, students participated in the Step Up

Be Heard Program which allowed students to view the in-

ner workings of Parliament. From their tour of the Hansard

rooms, to the chambers, students were provided with an

opportunity to see how the NT Government functions. Af-

ter attending sittings at Parliament House, students had an

opportunity to discuss and debate topics that affect Aus-

tralians today.

Late last term, both

classes participated in

elections held by the

Northern Territory

Electoral Commission

in conjunction with

Parliament House.

Campaign speeches were presented and staff and stu-

dents participated in the voting to elect a new government.

Once the Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition

were chosen, the classes picked topics that they felt were

relevant and current. Ms. Wilton’s class looked at the Eu-

thanasia issue, while Ms. Barrow’s class focused on the

Education Reform Act. The Honourable Michael Gunner,

Member for Fannie Bay, met with the classes to provide

tips for the students to use during their presentation of

their speeches.

Despite the nervous tension that thrummed through them,

the students did a fantastic job presenting their Bills before

Madame Speaker. The presence of some parents helped

to bolster their confidence. This program provided stu-

dents with an opportunity to experience first-hand the func-

tions of government. It also emphasised the importance of

our democracy and was a reminder to appreciate the legal

system within Australia.

The Legal Studies teachers would like to thank everyone

who contributed their time and effort to this program.

17

18

SIEU: After School Swimming Classes 2014

This year, the Secondary Intensive English Unit (SIEU)

are running after school swimming classes for students

who either want to learn to swim or wish to improve

their swimming skills.

This semester, approximately 25 students have

learned to swim by attending this program.

In Term 3, DHS invites swimmers to participate in the

City Cluster Schools Swimming Carnival. If you wish to

participate and have never thought you had the skills,

then these lessons are a way to prepare for the event

in October.

Mrs Trish Cryer has done an awesome job coming to

the pool each week to be our ‘spotter’.

Ms Vida Goodvach

Teacher and Swimming Instructor

.

19

Defence Transition Mentor News

Education Assistance

If your child requires tuition assistance with their studies

while at Darwin High School, the Department of Defence

may be able to help. For more information and an applica-

tion form, contact the DTM.

Year 10 ADF Students’ Lunch

A lunch was held for Year 10 Darwin High School Defence

students and their classmates. We discussed the role of the

Defence Transition Mentor, Term I reports and possible

activities that students may be involved in during the year.

ADF Cadet Information Session

Students Aiden Hernandez -Edgar, (Airforce Cadets), Laura

and Lailani Triffitt , (Navy cadets) pictured helped present

an information session to SIEU students at Darwin High

School. The students spoke about the activities that they

participate in and how belonging to the cadets can help de-

velop leadership skills, improve teamwork, make new

friends and learn a range of skills that can benefit their fu-

ture careers.

Defence Family Hotline

The Helpline operates 24-7 and is staffed by qualified hu-

man services professionals including social workers and

psychologists. The Helpline can assist with managing dur-

ing deployment, posting and relocation, support for part-

ners’ employment and education, support services in the

community and assistance

with children’s education,

childcare options and support

for children with special needs.

The Defence Family Helpline

is: 1800 624 608 or email:

Helpline@defence.gov.au

The Top Ender

The June/July edition of the

Top Ender is now available and contains excellent articles

relevant to Defence Families. If you are not receiving the

Top Ender magazine, you can organise delivery by email-

ing: thetopender@aapt.net.au.

DTM working hours

A reminder to ADF parents that my working days at DHS

are Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, howev-

er I am generally available

most days of the week to dis-

cuss any issues regarding your

child’s wellbeing.

Paul McConnell

Defence Transition Mentor

An inspirational speaker visits C4E Maths

In Term 2, the Year 11 Centre for Excellence Mathemat-

ics class welcomed Mark Thiele, an engineer with more

than 20 years of experience. In this brief presentation,

Mark not only talked about engineering but also showed

the class the opportunities that engineering gave him and

will potentially give us.

Mark explained to the class that engineering was a way

to use maths, physics and logic as tools to solve prob-

lems and to predict the future. The class was fully en-

gaged in Mark’s interactive presentation because we

were completely awed by the complexity, excitement and

challenges that engineering could offer.

The class also got a chance to look at a motor that used

electromagnetic technology. Mark even brought along an

electromagnetic motor, rare earth magnets and a model

made from a 3D printer for the class to examine. Mark

explained that instead of having to use a program that

requires two days to calculate if the motor was slanted,

we could use simple mathematics like trigonometry and

Pythagoras’ Theorem to solve the problem. By allowing

us to realise that the simple calculations were just as im-

portant as the complex ones, he couldn’t have made en-

gineering a more appealing prospect to a Mathematics

class. We were amazed at seeing the different fields of

engineering such as civil, chemical, mechanical, software

engineering, etc.

But apart from all the glory of engineering, the class

learnt that it was not only about profit and job opportuni-

ties but was also a chance to explore cleaner living. One

option to consider is to use tidal energy by constructing

water turbines in the sea in the Northern Territory. Mark

taught the class that as an engineer of great things, we

will feel not only job satisfaction but also the responsibil-

ity. “There are no little mistakes in engineering”.

It was a pleasure having Mark talk to us about engineer-

ing and I think that the whole class agreeded that Mark

did not just give us a presentation, he gave us inspiration.

Micki Teng

20

Sports News

Basketball

DHS had seven teams participate in the Top

End Cluster Tournament held at the Darwin

Basketball Association’s stadium on Wednesday

30 April. Five boys teams played and finished

3rd,4th,5th,8th and 9th. All the lads had a great

time with good skill levels, team play and team

spirit displayed. Our two girls teams were sensa-

tional in placing 1st and 6

th. Members of our win-

ning team were Sabrina Stroud, Laura Triffitt,

Leilani Triffitt, Katerina Thompson, Rachel Park

and Annelies Kersemakers.

Soccer

The Top End Seven-a-Side Football (soccer)

Tournament was played on Tuesday May 13 at

Bagot Fields. Darwin had two boys teams and

one girls team. Our lads were placed 3rd

and 7th

while our girls again outshone the rest to place 1st. Our team members were Emily

Stephenson, Themelina Roditis, Katrina Thompson, Dabassavin Smith and Georgia

Halkitis.

Touch Football

DHS had two teams in the Cluster Touch Tournament held Wednesday June 4 at the

Fanny Bay Race Course Fields. Our first team won the Senior Schools Mixed Com-

petition through patience and an excellent display of touch football skills. This side

was undefeated against five other teams, winning each game easily. Standout play-

ers on the day were Tipene Shepherd (Year 11), Junior Mungawai (Year 11) and first

time touch player – soccer convert- Matti Crookes (Year 10).The full team was: Char-

lie Marrington, Maleli Motonicocka, Viliami Panuve, Kieran Roth, Josh Morters, Ben-

jamin Morters, Riccardo Smith, Mattie Crooks, Alyssa Eres, Jenzen Lazaro, Tipene

Shepherd, Junior Mangawai, Jack Brannelly and Rafaet Farhan.

Cross Country

The Top End Secondary Schools Cross Country Championship was run over eight

Wednesday afternoons over three kilometre courses around Dripstone Beach. The School had eight students compete

over the time and our team placed second overall out of eight schools. Our team comprised Lauren Northcote, Matilda Ly-

ons, Tilly Lucas, Shannon McSkimming, Amy Messenger, Riley Julicher, Edward Moore and Christopher Milikins.

Representative Sport

Rugby League - Congratulations to Rein Moyle and Angus Warhurst for their selection to, and participation in NT 17 Years

team who competed at the Combined Affiliates State Championship in Adelaide, 4-9 June where NT was equal first.

SSNT Netball - Isabella McDonald was been selected for the School Sport NT team for the Australian Schools Champion-

ship to be held in Term 3. Earlier this year, Isabella was selected for an Australian squad following the U17 Nationals and

she participated in a training camp at the AIS.

AFL – Marcus Valastro, Matthew Blake and Thomas Brown have been selected for the School Sports NT team to contest

the Australian Schools Combined Australia Football Championship from July 16-26.

Steve McGugan

School Sports Coordinator