Bowral High School

EXCELSIOR April 2018 Volume 3

EXCELSIOR April 2018 Volume 3 Page 1

This is my final message to you as Principal of Bowral High School. I warmly welcome Jason Conroy to the school and wish him every success in the role of principal of our wonderful school. It has been a privilege and an honour to serve the Bowral High School community for 8 years as principal and 13 years as a classroom teacher. The school has been, and will remain an important part of my life and I will follow with interest and pride its continuing story into the future.

My time at Bowral High School has been full of many highlights. PBS days, performing arts nights, carnivals and year 7 taster days have provided memorable moments. Walking through the playground, engaging with the students has always brought me so much pleasure. Our students are friendly, loyal and funny and I will miss them.

I will also miss the staff with whom I have worked so closely over the past eight years. Dedicated, professional and collegial, I have valued the relationships I have formed with all of the teaching and support staff at the school. I want to particularly thank my deputy principals, Nic Morris, John Staats and Kim Kelly for their support and collegiality. The administration staff, ably led by Marie Freeman has been an invaluable support every day and I thank them for always having my back.

Finally, I want to thank the parents and community members for their support without which we would not be able to work effectively. The school is well placed to continue to move forward and I wish everyone connected with it the very best for the future.

Kim Paviour Principal

Performing Arts News !

The Term 1 Performing Arts Night was held on Wednesday 4 April and attracted a stellar line up of over 30

performers including many musicians from Years 10—12. Year 9 Drama students presented a tableau work and

Year 10 dancers choreographed their own energetic performance. The evening depended strongly on the

expertise of the Year 11 Entertainment class who put in an 11 hour day working alongside the Performing Arts

staff on sound, lighting and stage management. Congratulations to all involved! See the photos on page 4.

The Great Australian Rock Musical is fast approaching. Put these dates in your diary: June 15 and 16.

Rehearsals are going well and our cast will have the audience singing along to 17 great Aussie classics. Tickets

go on sale at the beginning of Term 2.

Term 1 has been busy, with our musicians performing at the inaugural Combined High Schools Music Festival

at Clubbe Hall on Wednesday 23 March. Those who were lucky enough to attend were treated to a rare show

of talent as they watched combined stage and concert bands, a 50 piece string orchestra as well as a combined

choir of over 200, perform everything from the latest hits to Vivaldi’s Gloria. Our students represented Bowral

High with distinction!

BHS INTERACT CLUB BBQ - Corbett Plaza Saturday 7 April 10am - 2pm

All funds raised will go directly to supporting our sister school in Cambodia.

EXCELSIOR April 2018 Volume 3 Page 2

Library News The place to be seen each recess and lunch. Games, good quiet conversations, homework, assignments and just having good fun for everyone. You can even read and borrow books. Just come along and experience the good time to be had. Mrs Bell-Mackie - Teacher Librarian - "Let's keep reading"

Bowral High keeps Moss Vale in check - NSW Junior Chess League - Round 1

Bowral HS again met local rivals Moss Vale HS for our usual round 1 pairing for the statewide chess knockout competition. In the corresponding fixture last year, Bowral was triumphant at home and were looking forward to the challenge of replicating the feat for the away leg this year.

BHS chess team in action; (clockwise from left) Reilly, Bailey, Matthew and Alexi.

After exchanging pleasantries, the teams locked horns with a younger Moss Vale team looking to play a fast tempo across all four boards. On board one, team captain Matthew Sutcliffe found himself in a premature endgame after his opponent gained the early ascendency and completed a series of quick trades. The extra knight versus two pawns won out despite a brave effort to obtain stalemate.

Our award winning team member (5th in an individual competition last year), Bailey Whitton, enjoyed a frantic and very entertaining game with both players launching full blown attacks. Bailey managed to hold firm and surprise his opponent by queening two pawns to level the scores.

Reilly Wallace-O’Connell stepped up to play on board two with black pieces. He played a thoughtful opening to withstand the first wave of attack, before executing a series of decisive exchanges to obtain a strong material advantage. His victory saw Bowral take a 2-1 lead.

A lot was riding on the final game, seeing that a 2-2 result would mean a Moss Vale victory based on the result of board 1. Alexi Lawrence retained his composure to crucially win a rook along the long diagonal, edging his way to a winning endgame with a two pawn advantage. With victory in his grasp Alexi unfortunately blundered the pawn race to end with a stalemate. It was enough for a team victory and provided a very useful learning experience.

Our BHS team was gracious in victory and enjoyed some customary relaxed friendly matches with new friends, including some experimental double board challenges. After enjoying some wonderful hospitality and good company, we wished the Moss Vale team the best of luck in the second place competition and look forward to seeing them at other chess events later in the year. Bowral HS will continue to round 2 of the main competition in a bid to go one better than last year.

Bowral HS 2.5 Moss Vale HS 1.5 Bowral HS Chess Team: Matthew Sutcliffe (c) Riley O’Connell Wallace Bailey Whitton

Alexi Lawrence

Mr C Hayden BHS Chess Organiser

EXCELSIOR April 2018 Volume 3 Page 3

After school study in the Library

Mondays 3.20pm till 4.30pm

Teacher supervision and help with homework, research, printing and completing

assessment tasks. There will be access to Chromebooks and it’s open to all year

groups. Be there or be square!

Register with Mrs Kaufline in the HSIE staffroom. Strictly BHS students only.

Bowral High Interact Club news:

On the weekend of the 24 and 25 March, the Rotary District 9710 held its Annual District Conference at the Mittagong RSL. This district consists of clubs from Canberra right through to Bateman’s Bay, and includes the Rotary Club of Bowral-Mittagong, with whom our school Interact Club is affiliated.

Many members of our Interact Club attended various events at the conference. It began on Saturday morning with the Foundation Breakfast at which a representative of the President of Rotary International spoke about projects and the Rotary Foundation’s projects, which include the ‘End Polio Now’ campaign. Many other presenters spoke throughout the day, talking about the running of Rotary and Interact, and its future.

Saturday night was the District Governor’s Dinner and was also attended by a number of our Interacters. There were many Rotarians present and plenty of opportunity to chat to members of other clubs, including from Canberra. Many of our local Rotary exchange students were also there, providing a nice opportunity to catch up again. The exchange students raised money to eradicate polio by Rotarians and Interacters buying the right to have one of their nails painted pink (this colour was chosen to remind the average Rotarian of the pink polio vaccination they all received as children at school in the 1960s). Dinner was served and later a comedian provided entertainment for the evening before our representatives called it a night, said goodbye and left.

Our Interacters were spread over a number of tables which gave them the opportunity to talk about our major fund raiser this year – our sister school in Cambodia and our school.

On Sunday morning, the conference resumed and a speech was delivered by Phoebe Staats, our Interact Vice-President, who won the Rotary 4-Way Speaking Competition with that speech last year. She spoke on the issue of Australia Day and had many in the audience commenting on how they have reconsidered their opinion on the date of Australia Day. Morning tea was provided and there were plenty of stalls relating to Rotary charity endeavours to walk around and look at. That brought this busy but rewarding weekend to a close. Our Interacters went home with a greater knowledge and awareness of local and global issues and our role in their solutions.

BHS Interact meets Mondays and Fridays in B03 at recess, all welcome!

Rosslyn Cuerden, Hayden Koek, Akiko Hayashi, Ema Kobayakawa, Pheobe Staats, Veerle Schute, exchange student and Robbie Allen, Rotarian.

> Kaleb Bell

EXCELSIOR April 2018 Volume 3 Page 4

Performing Arts Night

< A buck sixty

> Daniel Nikiforoff and

Mackinley Coffey

< Kobyn Struck

V Lauren Beasley

> Matt Bates and

Duncan Reay

> Rosslyn Cuerden, The

Koeks and Alex Paviour

EXCELSIOR April 2018 Volume 3 Page 5

Some Calendar Dates for Term 1 - 2 2018

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Week 11 9 Apr 10 Apr

Stage 6 Art

excursion

11 Apr

Belvoir St Stage 6

Drama excursion

P&C Meeting

6.30pm

12 Apr

13 Apr

Cross Country

Yr 7 + Competitors

Earth and

Environmental

Science excursion

Last day Term 1

School Holidays 14 April … … 30 May

Week 1

Term 2

30 Apr

Staff

Development

Day

1 May

Students return

for Term 2

2 May

ANZAC at

Kangaloon PS

3 May

“In concert”

rehearsal Sydney

4 May

BHS ANZAC

Assembly

Week 2 7 May

Sustainability Trip

Yr 9 Science

8 May

Sustainability Trip

Yr 9 Science

9 May 10 May

Meet the Music 1

Concert 2

11 May

BHS Concert Band @

Bowral Hospital

We are pleased to announce the launch of the Bowral High School

VIVO Shop. Students can now save their VIVOs and work towards rewards available here at school. Rewards include discounted canteen vouchers, stationery supplies, Woolworths and iTunes vouchers, bluetooth speakers and handballs. As the year progresses we will also offer vouchers to be redeemed against Activity Week. Students and parents can access VIVO accounts from home and check how your rewards are growing. Log onto your account today, check the rewards available and collect any purchases on a Thursday lunch from Miss Morthorpe.