Drawbridge - castlehill-h.schools.nsw.gov.au...1 Principal’s Message Drawbridge Special points of interest: Battle of the Bands Chess News Canteen News P & C Newstand Volume 10 25

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Principal’s Message

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Special points of

interest:

Battle of the Bands

Chess News

Canteen News

P & C Newstand

Volume 10 25 July 2014

Telephone: 96344199 Facsimile: 9899 6527 Email: [email protected] Website: www.castlehill-h.schools.nsw.edu.au

Another great opportunity to connect

The first week of school saw another opportunity for us to connect with the community. Two parent teacher evenings were held so that discussions about student progress could occur. As usual, your feedback about the school was excellent. Subject selection for Year 9 2015 Our work for next year has well and truly started. An Information Evening and personalised interviews were held for Year 11 2015 at the end of last term, and this week an Information Evening was held for Year 8 parents and students regarding subject selection for next year. Nineteen subjects are on offer for Year 8 from which they will select three to study for the completion of the ROSA (Record of School Achievement) in Year 9 and 10. HSC Trials – to commence in Week 3 Higher School Certificate students are at the business end of their studies with the trial HSC commencing on Monday July 28. This is a time for real determination and focus. As always, I have advised students to plan well, follow their plan, structure important breaks in their study schedule, eat well, get some fresh air and physical activity (so the brain is stimulated) and sleep for at least 8 hours at night with a regular sleep time from about 10.30pm. These kinds of strategies help to alleviate stress and anxiety, replenishing vital organs of the body so that meaningful learning can take place when study is involved.

Good luck to all, including parents who are also sometimes stressed at this time of year. New staff member I have pleasure in introducing Naomi Acheampong-Muller who joined us at the beginning of Term 3. Naomi is an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher who will be working to assist students with their English skills.

Annual Business Breakfast We take great pride in opening the school during Education Week every year to the

local business community. We host a wonderful gourmet breakfast, prepared and served by our hospitality students and teachers, to celebrate our

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connections with the community and give them a sense of what we value and believe. It’s always a terrific occasion.

This year, our guest speaker will be Scott Griffiths, an ex student of Castle Hill High School. Scott is currently doing a PHD in boys’ and men’s health and will provide a stimulating presentation on what his research is showing in this area.

Congratulations go to Aditya Pillai who came first

in the Junior Legacy Public Speaking Competition

recently. Aditya has a strong future ahead of him.

Vicki Brewer

Congratulations Maiiya Arthur

Maiiya has been selected for the Sydney West Regional Water Polo team to play in Wagga in November.

SCHOOL REUNION

Class of 1994

The CHHS “Class of 1994”

will be holding a reunion on the

16th August

at the Winston Hills Hotel

from 6.30 pm.

if you are interested in attending

then please RSVP

via email to

Katrina Crumpler

([email protected])

mailto:[email protected]

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“Battle Of The Bands” at Pacific Hills Christian College

“Young & Wreckless”

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The previously unknown Castle Hill Rock Band was invited to perform at the Battle of the Bands night alongside nine other local high schools. The invitation consisted of fifteen minutes total stage time, (ten minutes of actual playing with five minutes set up), in front of an enthusiastic crowd and a panel of judges that would give the performers feed-back at the end of their set. The prize up for grabs was a professional video recording of one of their performances. This group of talented Year 9 (and one Year 8) musicians organised, arranged and re-hearsed a set of three songs and adhered to the strict time limit imposed on performances. It should also be noted that they were the youngest band there on the night and were up against Year 11’s and 12’s. This situation propelled them to give it everything and deliv-er an energetic and electrifying Rock show. With instruments in hand and only moments to go before taking the stage, they finally decided on the band’s name:“ Young and Wreckless”.

The band launched into their first song “Moves Like Jagger” and within seconds they had a large excited crowd rush to the front of the stage. The atmosphere was electric.

The two lead vocalists, Megan and Sophie, had suddenly transformed from nervous Year 9 students into confident singers that interact-ed and engaged with the crowd and boosted the band’s presence. Within seconds of the applause fading from the previous song, the band started up and delivered a solid rendition of “Locked Out Of Heaven”. The rhythm sec-tion was tight, led by the relentless technical drumming display of Wang Su, locking in with Angus’s fat driving bass and filled out by Sa-rah’s lush keyboard lines and Thomas (Year 8) battling through on rhythm guitar. This was followed by their last song for the evening, “Are You Gonna Be My Guy (girl)” which fea-tured the dazzling fret-board pyrotechnics of Sam on lead guitar. The energy and intensity remained throughout their blistering ten mi-nute performance and at its conclusion, the crowd was begging for more. The band had actually surpassed their previous achieve-ments, and are now a very confident, tight and focused group, improving every time.

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The judges made special mention of the excellent stage presence and offered con-structive criticisms on technique and stage craft that can be addressed for future performances. Although they didn’t win (this time), they probably had some of the older bands worried because of the confident delivery by such a young band and the sheer intensity and ener-gy between the band interacting with the crowd.

“Young & Wreckless” are:

Megan Robinson and Sophie Panayi - vocals Sarah Wanstall - keyboard

Angus Bevan - bass Thomas Carlick - rhythm guitar

Sam Lee - lead guitar Wang Su Lee - drums

This was an excellent opportunity to perform in a

different environment than school and it was set

up professionally with lighting, sound, large stage

and stage crew to resemble that of a real gig. I

wish you the best of luck next time.

Nick Powning (Year 9 Rock Band Director / Manager / Roadie / Driver……………)

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CHESS NEWS

What an exciting first semester for Chess! Not only did the Semester One Autumn Tourna-ment attract eleven competitors but five of these chess players - Shaalv Ram, Jason Xu, Joel Randell, Joshua Hall and Darnell Pose represented the school in the NSW Interschool tournament. To date this tournament consisted of games against Baulkham Hills High, Delany, Girraween, Cerdon College and Quakers Hill. Ahead in the third term will be games against King’s College A and C teams and a last game against Holroyd.

Our players have been able to gain 13 points and the leader is Baulkham Hills who has 16 points. There are three matches left before the overall final marks will determine the winner of the Metropolitan West region. Jason is to date the only player to maximise his points as he has won all of his matches. In the School Tournament, after a battle of wits and manoeuvring of chess pieces on the board to positions of importance to outwit the opposi-tion, four distinct players came to the front to be involved in the semi-finals. These included Shaalv Ram, Jason Xu, Lucas Yeo and Darnell Pose. After playing in the semi’s, the finalists include Jason and Lucus in first and second position and for third and fourth position, games will be between players Shaalv and Darnell. D. Singer Chess Coordinator

CANTEEN NEWS

At the end of last term we decided to hold an Italian Day in the canteen. This was the first time we had attempted anything like this and we vastly underestimated the enthusiasm it would generate. There were literally hundreds of stu-dents waiting in line to be served (their patience is to be commended). Just when we thought we couldn’t possibly cope with the numbers, a group of our Year Twelves came into the canteen to help. What fantastic young people this school is helping to produce. They recognised a problem and didn’t hesitate to offer help. Thank you so much to all those involved. You are a credit to yourselves, your families and your school. …more good news. What’s better on a cold day than a warm cup of homemade soup? From this week, the canteen is making a “Soup of the Week” – lovely soup made with fresh ingredients and available daily (order only at $3 a cup). The variety will change weekly so just check the notice board outside the canteen to find out what is available. We are starting with pumpkin soup. Yummmmm Another addition to the menu is a delicious Persian style wrap ($4) – tasty pure lamb bites, lettuce, tomato with or without a sauce. Again, order only, so you can have it as you want it. Now that is service!! Any questions (or inquiries on how to join our happy group of canteen volunteers) call the canteen on 9634 1188). Joanna Sutherland Canteen Co-ordinator

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On Saturday 30th August

the P&C will be holding a

Trivia Night.

We had a great range of

prizes in 2012 at our last

trivia night, all kindly

donated by local business

and parent contacts.

Castle Hill High School P&C

CHHS P & C Committee Member Dr Priyanka Bandara featured in Channel 7 News Story on the

On June 17, 2014 Dr Pri-

yanka Bandara, a Bioethics

researcher and key member

of the Castle Hill High

School’s Committee on elec-

tromagnetic radiation expo-

sure, appeared in a news

story during the Channel 7

Evening News.

Dr Bandara is quoted as

saying that there are many

experts who are fearing that

Wi-Fi will become the asbes-

tos of the 21st Century.

According to John Lincoln,

an Electrical Engineer inter-

viewed in the news story, he

gets complaints nearly every

day from people who are nause-

ous and have neurological prob-

lems, which they can only trace

back to their Wi-Fi.

Reporter Pippa Gardner stated

“Australian Wi-Fi safety stand-

ards were last updated over ten

years ago.” She goes on to state,

“Because the technology is so

new, the Government admits it

cannot be 100% sure there are

no long term health risks.”

Castle Hill High School

P & C News Stand

...where Parents and Community stay informed

Parent to Parent

Did you know the Uniform Shop and Can-

teen at Castle Hill High School are run by

the P&C?

All profits that are generated by the Uni-

form Shop and Canteen are returned to

the school through improvements to the

Canteen, programs for students, speakers

at student assemblies, and contribution to

building programs.

Purchasing uniforms through the school,

and utilising the canteen for recess and

lunch orders benefits the whole school

community.

Dates to Remember

Next P & C Meeting 20 August 7:30 PM

Trivia Night 30 August 7:00 PM

To watch the full Channel 7 News story, please see https://

au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/video/watch/24259747/is-wi-

Should you be in a position to

donate any goods or services that

can be used as prizes, auction

items etc. on the night please con-

tact Allan on the P&C email ad-

dress [email protected]

Please also keep the date.

Tickets will go on sale early in

August.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/video/watch/24259747/is-wi-fi-bad-for-our-health/https://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/video/watch/24259747/is-wi-fi-bad-for-our-health/mailto:[email protected]

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Telstra Mobile Phone Tower on top of Castle Hill RSL Upgraded, EMR emissions to increase by 50%

On Friday 11th July 2014, Telstra upgraded the Mobile Phone

Tower on the roof top of the RSL. The Telstra Tower now

has 4G capability. Telstra have agreed to come to Castle Hill

High School and formally measure emissions shortly. Emis-

sions will be within the Australian Radiation Protection &

Nuclear Safety (ARPANSA) guidelines. However, Electro-

magnetic Radiation (EMR) emissions will now be approxi-

mately 50% greater than they were previously.

No more Telstra upgrades are planned now till January 2015

when the LTE700 (long term evolution) spectrum becomes


P & C News Stand


Building Fund Improvements to the Hall bathrooms, dressing rooms complete.

Members of the P & C recently toured the newly refurbished

bathrooms and dressing rooms in the school hall.

Not upgraded in over 40 years, the bathrooms now look invit-

ing and well kept.

Considerations in the bathrooms have been made for baby

change facilities, accommodating both parents to the school,

and community members from primary schools and commu-

nity groups who regularly use the hall.

available to carriers. This spectrum is the new spectrum

which comes as the direct result of the government sell off

of the analog TV network. The LTE700 is meant to be

used for data transmission more than voice transmis-

sion. EMR emissions will again increase once this up-

grade occurs.

For more information, please visit www.rfnsa.com.au and

type in the RSL Tower Site Number 2154020.

Alternatively please visit our website

Tax deductible donations to

the P & C Building Fund

may be made to the follow-

ing bank account: Westpac Castle Towers

Branch

Account Name: CASTLE HILL

HIGH SCHOOL P&C ASSOCI-

ATION BUILDING FUND

BSB: 032 173

Account No: 483270

Please send an email detailing

your donation to

[email protected] so we can

send you a Tax Invoice

The original Ladies’ toilets, left, and the refurbished Ladies’ toilets, right.

The P&C is grateful for donations that have in part contributed to this work.

mailto:[email protected]

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P & C News Stand


Calling all Castle Hill Public School Parents, Students, past & present!

Payment will need to be made in

advance, please email Lisa Stokan

for instructions on payment.

If you know of any ex-parents/

canteen volunteers who might like

to participate in these events,

please feel free to pass this infor-

mation on. We would love to see

canteen volunteers from Carol’s

early years at CHPS as well as the

current volunteers.

Carol Coyle is retiring …

After almost 30 years of serving the

CHPS community, our wonderful Can-

teen Manager Carol Coyle will be hang-

ing up her apron and moving onto the

next phase of her life. To celebrate this

wonderful achievement and to show our

appreciation, we are holding a couple of

events:

Luncheon at CHPS

Date: Thursday 31st July,

Time: 12:30pm – 1:30pm

Venue: School Hall,

Castle Hill Public School

RSVP : Please RSVP to Annette

([email protected]) so we have an

idea of the numbers attending. Please

bring a plate of food to share.

Celebratory dinner at Full Moon Thai

restaurant

Please join us for a night of laughter and

30 years of canteen memories!

Date and Time: Friday 1st August,

7:00pm till late

Venue: Full Moon restaurant, 3/33 Ter-

minus Street Castle Hill

Cost: $35pp for a set menu

RSVP: Monday, 28th July,

Please email Lisa

([email protected]) as soon as possi-

ble if you would like to attend the din-

ner, so we can book enough tables at the

restaurant. Please include any special

dietary requirements.

CHPS Community Present for Carol

Whether or not you can attend one of

the functions, if you would like to con-

tribute to the present, please email Lisa

([email protected]).

- Castle Hill Public School P & C

We hope to see you at one or both

of these events for Carol.

News from the Primary schools in the

Castle Hill Community:

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UNIFORM SHOP NEWS

Weeks 2-9 Monday and Friday 8.15am—11.30am


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Now Available

Tights – Black 70 denier Sizes Mids and Talls $10.00 Anniversary Polo Fleece Scarves $10.00 Sleeveless Wool Blend Pullovers Sizes 16, 18 & 20 only $40.00 Boys Long Sleeve Shirts Sizes 34 – 40 $45.00 Girls Long Sleeve Shirts Sizes 6G, 8G, 12G $45.00 Second Hand Items Second hand items are very welcome either as a donation or part payment on a new item. Please wash and iron before presentation. OPENING HOURS: TERM 3 Weeks 2-10

Monday and Friday 8.15am to 11.30am

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Disclaimer: Advertisements placed in the school’s Fortnightly Newsletter do not reflect an

endorsement or otherwise by Castle Hill High School of that product or service.

CASTLE HILL COMMUNITY NEWS AND ADVERTISING

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17 Mulheron Ave Baulkham Hills 2153

For discount prices see

www.brennandrivingschool.net.au

http://www.brennandrivingschool.net.au

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CALENDAR

Week 4A Monday 4 August Year 12 Trial HSC Exams

Tuesday 5 August Year 12 Trial HSC Exams

Wednesday 6 August Year 12 Trial HSC Exams

Seaworld Resort Excursion

Assembly Years 7-12 - 10.20am

Thursday 7 August Year 12 Trial HSC Exams


Friday 8 August Year 12 Trial HSC Exams



Week 3B Monday 28 July Year 12 Trial HSC Exams

Tuesday 29 July Year 12 Trial HSC Exams

Year 8 & 9 Subject selection due online

ICAS English

Wednesday 30 July Year 12 Trial HSC Exams

Business Breakfast 7.30am

Assembly Years 7-10 Gym

Year 10 Shakespeare Excursion 11 am

Thursday 31 July Year 12 Trial HSC Exams

Friday 1 August Year 12 Trial HSC Exams

HSC Practical Exam PDHPE

Year 11 First Aid Course PDHPE

Jeans for Genes Day

Week 5B Monday 11 August Year 12 Trial HSC Examinations

Tuesday 12 August

Wednesday 13 August Year 11 Information for Year 12 – Gym

Assembly Years 7-10 Hall - 9.35am

Apprenticeship and Traineeship Expo

at Hornsby 4 pm—7 pm

Thursday 14 August Scripture Seminar Years 7-10

Friday 15 August Group Photo Day

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Documents

Drawbridge - castlehill-h.schools.nsw.gov.au...1 Principal’s Message Drawbridge Special points of interest: Battle of the Bands Chess News Canteen News P & C Newstand Volume 10 25