Suzanne Cory High School Newsletter - Volume 4 Issue 5

NEWSLET TER

IN THIS ISSUE: KOKODA | SPORTS UPDATES | COMPETITIONS + MORE...

Volume 4 Issue 5 | Week 6 Term 2, 2014

225 Hoppers Lane Werribee | PO Box 531 Werribee 3030 | [email protected] | suzannecoryhs.vic.edu.au | 8734 2800

2Suzanne Cory High School Newsletter Volume 4 Issue 5 | Week 6 Term 2, 2014

R e s p e c t | A s p i r a t i o n | C o n t r i b u t i o n

From the PrincipalWe are now half way through Term 2 and students are preparing for the formal assessment period of Semester one. Revision time has been scheduled this week and students have been provided with their examination timetables. Year 9 students have completed the NAPLAN tests and students studying a Unit 3 and 4 subject have undertaken a trial

GAT in preparation for the test to be held on June 11th. Study days will also provide students with valuable time at home to revise and prepare for exams.

Student LeadershipThe following students were elected by their peers onto the Student Representative Council for 2014.

Congratulations to all SRC members and I look forward to working with you this year.

Student Voice and School CouncilThank you to Isabell Cahoy and Kelvin Quach of Year 12 for their contribution to School Council over the last two years. Members of the SRC will now take up their places on School Council, reflecting the importance we place on student voice. The School Council endorsed the following policies at the May meeting; the 2013 Annual Report, the 2014 Annual Implementation Plan, the Student Driver Policy and the Student Engagement and Wellbeing Policy. School reports, policies and planning documents are available for the school community via the school website. These policies have been developed taking into account the next stage of development of the school.

New staffI am pleased to welcome Mr Josh Whelan, Ms Chloe Baker and Ms Sharon Shaw to Suzanne Cory High School. Mr Whelan joins Ms Wilks in the Student Wellbeing team as a Student Counsellor, Ms Baker has been appointed to the role of Careers Advisor and Ms Shaw has taken on the roles of Finance and HR manager for the remainder of Term 2 replacing Jessie Burney who is on leave.

Breakfast ClubThe Wellbeing team will be setting up a Breakfast Club. Thank you to the PFA and Bocca Foods who manage the school canteen for their generous support. The benefits of a breakfast program include better health and learning outcomes, socialisation opportunities and increased participation and engagement at school.

Biggest Morning TeaOn Friday the 23rd May there were many students involved in raising funds for the Cancer Council with a big breakfast served in the Agora. A variety of foods and drinks were prepared including pancakes and hot chocolate. It was wonderful to see students across Year levels working together with such enthusiasm at an early hour. Thanks to Ms Louise Leong for organising the event and to the many students who took part on the day.

Visitors to Suzanne Cory High SchoolThis term we have had visits from school teams in Queensland and New Zealand to investigate the latest in school design and innovative curriculum provision. Visitors have been impressed with the way in which students and teachers interact within the learning spaces, the variety of learning activities observed and the design of formal and informal spaces within the school. Visitors have also commented on the positive nature of our students and their commitment to making the most of every opportunity offered to participate in school programs.

Telescopes ProgramThe Telescopes program has commenced with strong interest from students at Suzanne Cory High School and neighbourhood schools. Students were able to see Saturn, Jupiter and the moons of Jupiter. Please check the school calendar for future program dates.

Our student volunteersGayatri Juneja and Zoe Day of Year 9 have been recognised for their work as volunteers at Hazeldean Transition Care in Williamstown. We have included the photo

Josh Whelan Sharon Shaw

Year 9Joshua CordinaChristine TranMichael YeLiang XueYear 10Zein AlhamdaniKristine Carlos

Tristan Gaga-aElizabeth VuYear 11Rachael DhawaleEmily LewLuke MannixZarak Qureshi

Year 12Eilyssa CarlosKristian LangTiffini TranPavan Shet

Chloe Baker

3Suzanne Cory High School NewsletterVolume 4 Issue 5 | Week 6 Term 2, 2014


from the newspaper in this newsletter. The students are completing their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award which includes up to one hour per week of community service. This year there are 35 students completing their Bronze award as part of the Co-curricular program. There are four components to the Duke of Edinburgh award; Skills, Physical Recreation, Community Service and Expedition. The students are currently preparing for their expedition to the Grampians in Term 4 and will be completing orienteering, rock-climbing and abseiling activities.

The Great Victorian Bike RideTraining Rides have commenced for this year’s ride under the supervision of Mr Starford our Foundation Principal and Ms Tina McCarthy, School Council President and Level 1 NCAS AustCycle Coach. Students have been setting a fast pace and taken on the training program with enthusiasm. The team for this year includes Ms Fenby, Mr Bourke, Mr Starford and six parent volunteers providing strong support for our students. This year’s ride is also significant with a Year 12 group of students participating in the ride as their final school activity. Thank you to all those involved in this event which is growing every year and providing another opportunity for students, staff and parents to participate in school life.

Parents and FriendsThank you to the PFA volunteers who organised a community sausage sizzle to raise $475 towards Library resources for the school. The PFA is very active in organising events this year. Please check the school website and this newsletter for further information regarding PFA events for this year.

China Tour and French Exchange

We have eight students and two teachers participating in the China tour in the September holidays in association with our sister school in China, the Shanghai Foreign Language School.This year we were invited to join with Mac.Rob HS for a French exchange program. This is a reciprocal exchange program with Lycée Montaigne, Bordeaux. The French students will arrive in Melbourne on June 25th and leave on 6th August. Australian students will travel to France in December/January. We have three French students attending Suzanne Cory High School where they will be involved in our programs and also attend excursions with Mac.Rob HS students. We hope this is the start of an exchange program that will grow in the future.

Student AchievementLouis Devine from Year 11 attended the Hanyuqiao Competition on Friday 24th May at Melbourne Grammar. This is a Speaking and Performance Competition for Second

Language students of Chinese designed to select the best senior students from Victorian and Tasmanian schools to take part in the 7th International Hanyuqiao Chinese Competition in Kunming in October 2014. Louis was presented with an Excellence reward. Congratulations Louis. Thank you to our Chinese language assistant Yoyo who provided guidance to Louis in his preparation for the competition.

Kay PeddleActing Principal

Student Absences

This issue’s cover was created by

Danielle Amazona

Parents can report students absences via phone, email to the school email address or via the website.

If you wish to report absences via the website, look for the button below and complete the form.

Student absences still require a note from the parent upon the student’s return to school. If you have any queries relating to student absences, please contact the school.

Key DatesAll school dates are now available on the school’s website. Please take a look at http://suzannecoryhs.vic.edu.au/

events/month/



VCE Exams

Year 11 students will shortly be sitting their Unit 1 exams. This is an important exam session as it builds students skills in taking examinations and provides

them with an opportunity to demonstrate how much they have learnt this semester. Many unit 3 exams will also be run during this period in class time. Students are encouraged to develop revision timetables that balance equally all their subjects. We suggest that students practice active revision techniques for example making flashcards, practice questions and trial examinations. Year 11 students will have a study day on the 29th June to help them prepare for their exams and are expected to work independently at home on this day.

The 10th June is a skills day for all VCE students. For year 11 students this day will focus on general exam skills such as how to obtain information from graphical and pictorial sources. This is a skill set needed in VCE exams in a wide range of subjects and an area that students across the state struggle with. Year 12 students will be focussing on their English group studies on this day with opportunities to work in differentiated groups to develop in their areas of weaknesses. All students are expected to attend for this full school day in uniform.

The 11th June is the General Achievement Test (GAT) which is an important VCAA exam and must be sat by all students taking any Unit 3/4 study this

year. This includes students taking an external VCE subject such as a family language. All students sitting the GAT must be at school no later than 9:30am and must bring appropriate stationary, a dictionary, their VASS number. They must also ensure they have checked the VCE notice board for the seating plan so they know where to sit. Year 10 and 11 students taking the GAT will be in T-wing and Yr 12 students in the Gym. Students are not required to be in school uniform and should dress appropriately for the weather. Yr 11 students not sitting the GAT this year are not required at school on this day.

Ms Martha Goodridge-Kelly VCE Programs and Development Leading Teacher

Year 11 study Day: 29th MayUnit 1 exams: 30th May – 6th June

Exam skills day (Yr 11 and 12): 10th June

GAT: 11th June, 10am – 1:15 pm Stu-dents must arrive at school by 9:30 am. All students taking any unit 3/4

study this year must sit the GAT



mystorymycontent.com

Think Safe, Be Safe

It is very important for students to be safe on their way to and from school. Over 600 of our students use the train as

their primary source of transport and consequently use Hoppers Crossing Station on a daily basis. Suzanne Cory High School seeks the support of parents and guardians to educate our students in being safe and abiding by state laws designed to protect them. We asked Metro Trains to talk to our students about being safe and responsible in and around train stations.

All year 9, 10 and 11 students listened to a 20 minute Metro Trains presentation delivered to them at the Assembly on Monday 26th May. The year 12 students will hear the presentation this Thursday the 29th May during their tutorial session.

In the presentation, Authorised Officers from Metro Trains spoke about:• the differences between an Authorised Officer, a Protective Services Officer and a Police Officer, authority figures they may encounter when using any train station or train• How commuter behaviour is monitored by use of CCTV cameras at stations• The use of signage around platforms to inform and warn commuters of dangers and the consequences of illegal behaviour on or near trains and platforms

• The dangers of using earphones and smart phones around trains and platforms• How to move safely in and out of a train station• Safe behaviour when the boom gate bell rings and the pedestrian crossing gates close• The laws that are broken by unsafe behaviour and the relevant fines that apply

Metro Trains have informed the school that students may be issued with fines if they are seen breaking the law by undertaking unsafe behaviour when they exit / enter the platform, exit / enter the station and move within the station, including crossing the train tracks illegally. The cost or level of a fine depends on various factors, ranging from $275 to a little over $2800. Please discuss this important issue with your child to help us educate our students about being safe and making wise choices as users of public transport.

Important Notice to Families - Metro Trains Visits SCHS

For five days in March, Tiffany Tran (year 12) and myself lived off $2 food wise. We struggled cutting out the simple things in our daily lives such as being able to reach into our fridge and eat to our heart’s content.

In the world, many children and families are living under the poverty line. For them, $2 needs to cover rent, electricity bills and food. They are experiencing struggles that we will never experience or understand.

Funds will be raised until the 30th of June. The contributions will be used to empower young children, providing them with an education, school supplies and a teacher training program. Liang Xue 9H

Live Below the Line



iCentreLibrary and information week 19th-25th May 2014: ‘Join the dots’There were lots of dotty games and quizzes to celebrate Library week. Thanks to all for joining in and setting a new record of participation.

Congratulations to the following winners of books and vouchers:Monday games winner - James Russell 11G'Pickled pages' winner - Benny Nguyen 9A Divergent quiz winner - Jenny Pan 9EPremiers’ Reading Challenge winners - Eddy Yao 9H,

Alex Lines 9C, Shefalika Siraj 10B Thursday games winner - Madusha Mendis 10FFriday Twister winner- Evie Pettigrove 9G

iCentre volunteers enjoyed Library week morning tea and also lots of new iCentre volunteers signed up during the week.A special thank you to students who supported ‘The biggest afternoon read’, a fundraiser for the Cancer Council.Fiona Starford iCentre Manager

Our students in the community

Gayatri Junega and Zoe Day were fea-tured in the Maribyrnong & Hobsons Bay Star Weekly recently. The article describes the volunteer work the girls do within the health care sector and the girls discuss the value they find in doing so. Congratulations to Gayatri and Zoe on being publicly recog-nised for their work and making the SCHS community proud!



World Vision Global Leaders ConventionOn Thursday the 8th of May, the Citizenship leaders and several other students were given the privilege of attending the 2014 Word Vision Global Leaders Convention. Held in the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, the day was filled with the inspiring stories of those affected by the famine in the African country of Rwanda. There was also a game that allowed us to interact with other leaders from other schools and experience a simulation that showed us the struggles faced by those affected by the famine. Fortunately, Rwanda continues to rebuild its nation today, with the ongoing support of World Vision. We were fortunate enough to hear the stories of the families and children affected by the famine from highly inspirational young leaders, and

World Vision volunteers who are actively changing the world through their efforts and through their voice- inspiring others to become more aware and take action to end world hunger. The day was nothing short of amazing; to interact and engage with other leaders from different schools, to learn more about what is happening in our world, and to become a part of a significant global movement was truly a worthwhile and enriching experience. We hope to take part in this year’s 40 Hour Famine, and with the rest of the school, raise the level of contribution that will go towards ending world hunger. Stay tuned! Gabriel Lirios, 12E



On Friday the 23rd of May, Suzanne Cory High School was invited to join Melbourne High School’s annual Environmental Action Group Forum held in the school’s hall. Both Henry Quach and I travelled to the school to attend. There were several other schools also invited such as Nossal High School and MacRobertson’s Girls High School. The day was organised independently by the school’s environmental committee which consisted of mainly Year 11 students. We split off into groups to attend different workshops. I went to two presentations about waste management and Melbourne University’s proposal for Australia to be zero carbon emissions. The waste management presentation focused on the medical sector and how many of our resources were being thrown out. The presenter gave us a possible cycle, if the environment changed then people would get sick, and if people got sick then more resources would be used in hospitals, and this in turn would be thrown away and cause more damage to the environment. We must avoid this situation by avoiding using the resources in the first place. The 3Rs, reduce, reuse, recycle should begin with avoid! The Melbourne University’s proposal for zero emissions

included a stationery energy plan (renewable energy construction such as solar thermal energy) and transport plan (creating public transport that are zero-fossil fuel). All of the research and planning had been undergone, and the University just urges for support for the projects to be built.There were also several key speakers throughout the day, who talked about why they want to work towards a greener future and stressed the importance of individual actions.The day was about learning and being inspired by real people making a real difference and how their actions are paving a more environmentally sustainable earth.With lots of information, and motivation gained from the excursion, we hope to create a green movement at Suzanne Cory High School. Tiffini Tran

Melbourne High School’s annual Environmental Action Group Forum

Eagle’s Nest Theatre performance of ‘Life of Galileo’ by Brecht Monday 23rd June p 6 and 7 - AuditoriumFor all year 12 VCE English students



Intermediate Girls SoccerThe following students competed at the first round of the Intermediate Girls’ Soccer compe-tition last Wednesday.They played two excellent games in their pool with one draw against Werribee and one victo-ry against Baden Powell. They then progressed to the final against Hoppers Crossing who they dominated from the first whistle to beat 4-0!They will play again in the Western Metropoli-tan Region competition on Monday 28 July.Well done Girls!Ms Alex Carroll

Jenny Troung 10B Elizabeth Vu 10DAnna-Maria Antonijevic 9A

Sarah Ng 9ANhi Tran 10A Alexia Humphries 9AMegan Le 10D

Grace Law 9AAna Elefterescu 9E Maria Duong 9BLeann Dumas 9E

Kristine Carlos 10ASrishti Gupta 10E Jean McGhie 10E

On May 21st the Year 10 Environmental Science students had an excursion to Serendip Sanctuary near Lara.

The students undertook an investigation into the various methods the Serendip Sanctuary undertook to maintain and conserve endangered plants, animals and birds. The students were able to see captive-breeding programs in action, observe bird hides, as well as see the endangered flora and fauna of the Westerns Volcanic Plains up close and personal.

The students also undertook an aquatic invertebrate survey at the ponding site to look for signs of environmental stress.

If you have a smart phone/tablet Ecolinc’s free Biodiversity of the Westerns Volcanic Plains Flora and Fauna guide is an excellent app to download. Many of the local species can be found in this guide.

Mr Bruce Drummond

Serendip Sanctuary





House UpdateAs the school year progresses the house competition remains close with only 115 points between the top and bottom teams. The student leaders of each house are putting lots of time and effort into motivating students in their houses to become involved in a wide range of activities around the school and are commended for their leadership in this area.

Our sports leaders have been the busiest recently with the house netball and soccer competitions in full swing. Each house has to field a boys and a girls team for each sport at each year level, so the majority of our students are getting involved in this at least once. Year 9 and year 10 teams have played all their matches with Year 11 and 12 students still to play. The current league tables (after 4 rounds) are as follows

House netball1st Kororoit2nd Cottrell

3rd Blackwood and Rothwell

House Soccer1st Cottrell2nd Blackwood3rd Kororoit4th Rothwell

Points will also be awarded for participation and to those students who volunteer to act as umpires in these matches. We value the contribution made by every student.

Our houses are also gearing up for the annual house chorals competition with the theme this year being the 1970s. Parents are encouraged to expose students to the fantastic songs and style of the 70s.

Ms Martha Goodridge-Kelly House Program Coordinator



C0 M20 Y100 K0 R241 G204 B43

OFFICIAL PARTNER SUPPORTING PARTNERS MEDIA PARTNER

Explore Refl ection in an

— Animated fi lm— Live action fi lm or— Videogame

and enter in the Primary or Secondary school category.

Great prizes are on off er!

Entries close:Friday 12 September

Awards Ceremony:Friday 5 December

To register, watch previous winning entries or download the Teacher Resource Kit visit acmi.net.au/screenit

Documents

Suzanne Cory High School Newsletter - Volume 4 Issue 5