Tech Talk Sydney May Technical 2019 High School · in relation to our recently updated WW1 Honour Board. SCHOOL DANCE. The School Dance was held in the last week of Term 1 at Hurstville

An Academically Selective School for Boys Page 1

Tech Talk Sydney May Technical 2019 High School

686 Forest Road BEXLEY 2207 Phone: 9587 5899 Fax: 9553 [email protected] www.sths.nsw.edu.au

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1SCHOOL CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3PARENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM DATES . . . . . . .3SECOND HAND UNIFORM SHOP DATES . . . . . . . . .3DEPUTY PRINCIPALS’ REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4pixelq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5LIBRARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6P&C REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7WELLBEING REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8CAREERS REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10SCHOOL NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

EXCELLENCE IN MATHS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING CHALLENGE . . . . . . .13ALL ABOARD THE YELLOW SUBMARINE . . . . . . . .14PREFECT AFTERNOON TEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15STHS CHOIR TO CARLTON PS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15BUILDING AND LIBRARY FUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG LEARNING LABS .17SCHOOL EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18ONLINE BULLYING FACT SHEET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19PARKING SAFELY AROUND SCHOOLS . . . . . . . . . . .20

FROM THE RELIEVINGPRINCIPAL

ANZAC ASSEMBLYOur Anzac Ceremony was held on the last day of term, and I congratulate our Year 9 World History students who impressed with an excellent presentation showcasing their research skills, empathy and knowledge of Australia’s role in the Vietnam War. The moving ceremony was attended by a number of our alumni and parents of our speakers. Thank you to Mr Robert Devlin, the Concert Band, led by Mr Shane Gamage, the choir, led by Ms Julie Ryan and the administration staff for their contributions. Well done to Anuka Gunsekara who rose to the challenge of playing the ‘Last Post’ and ‘Reveille’. The ceremony is a moving testament to those who have served our country, the history of our school, particularly in relation to our recently updated WW1 Honour Board.

SCHOOL DANCEThe School Dance was held in the last week of Term 1 at Hurstville Marana Auditorium and was a great success. It was an opportunity for a joint social event with St George Girls High School. Tech student numbers were strong and our boys’ behaviour was exemplary. Thank you to Ms Andie Gale and Ms Irene Chork for their planning and organisation.

BEGINNER BAND GRADUATION CONCERTThe Beginner Band graduation concert was held last Friday and we were all wonderfully entertained. Congratulations to all students involved who now progress tot he Intermediate Band. Thank you to Mr Kenny Bradshaw, the conductor, and Mr Gamage and the Creative Arts Faculty for organising the event.

Cadet Eric Napper carrying one of the wreaths

Page 2 May 2019 Tech Talk

CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVALThe Cross Country Carnival was also held in the last week of term and always proves to be a fun, active day for students and staff. Congratulations to our runners who will go forward to Zone, and my thanks to organising teachers, Mr Trevor Trotman and Mr Paul Werner. It was a perfect day – the weather was very kind to us once again. The SRC did a fabulous job at running a BBQ for 1000 hungry students and staff and they were well supported by our SRC coordinators, Ms Andie Gale and Ms Irene Chork as well as the Technology staff.

FAREWELL TO SCHOOL COUNSELLORWe farewelled our School Counsellor Kim Pastor at the end of Term 1. She has taken up a permanent role at Seven Hills High School. We wish her all the best with her career.

P&C MOTHERS DAY MORNING TEAThank you to the P&C for organising the Mothers Day morning tea last week. Around 120 mothers and sons attended and were able to chat and form connections with other families and staff as well as enjoy some amazing food. This is a great initiative of the P&C and a wonderful way to grow the sense of connectedness within our community.

WELCOMEWe welcome Mr Patrick Matthews to the school. He has been appointed through merit selection as a permanent Science teacher, replacing Mr Phil Ward who has retired. Mr Matthews joins us from Chatswood High School as an experienced science teacher and has a particular passion for Physics.

PixelqWai Low, a Tech graduate of 2010, has established a business called pixelq. This business is an online business selling high quality stickers. The business has established a collaboration with Sydney Tech, where it is open for students to submit digital drawings and designs to be sold on their website. In return, the students receive:• Experience working with a digital media/

social media Sydney-based startup• A chance to develop their skills and network• Great first/second job on their resume • Exposure of their works to a wider audience• A little bit of money on the sideThree of our students have already taken up this opportunity. Jay Bae, Alastair Ho and Khoi Nguyen have already had the images produced as stickers for sale on the website. See advertisement on Page 5 in this newsletter.Diane WilsonRelieving Principal

Pixelq - Khoi Nguyen, Alastair Ho and Jay Bae holding the stickers that they designed. Luc Bui (friend of Jay) also designed one of the

stickers.


SCHOOL CALENDARTerm 2 - 2019 May2 Mothers Day Breakfast2-4 Duke of Edinburgh Expedition7 P&C Meeting - Common Room - 7pm8 Winter Sport commences9 Group Photo Day10 Year 7 SRC Induction Assembly13 Year 10 Vaccinations14 Uniform Shop 10.30-1215-17 Year 11 Camp21 Zone Cross Country28 Years 7, 8 and 9 Parent Partnership Meeting - Common Room 9am

28 ICAS Science Competition

June3 Athletics Carnival4 P&C Meeting - Common Room - 7pm6 Year 10 Parent Partnership Meeting - Common Room 9am

Running Group is on every Wednesday Morning

Anime Club every Monday at LunchtimeThis calendar is a general guide. Sometimes event dates change unexpectedly. For a full up to date list of school

activities please refer to our calendar at any time through the Schoolstream app.

School Stream

Download School Stream for your phone

PARENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

DATES FOR TERM 2Year 7 - Tuesday 28 MaySentral and BYOD @ Tech

Year 8 - Tuesday 28 MaySentral and BYOD @ Tech

Year 9 - Tuesday 28 MaySentral and BYOD @ Tech

Year 10 - Thursday 6 JuneAcademic Advisers and

Subject Selection

Year 11 - Tuesday 11 JuneUniversity Pathways

Year 12 - Thursday 13 JuneEAS, Misadventure and Equity

SECOND HANDUNIFORM SHOP DATESTerm 214 May11 June

Term 3 13 August10 September

Term 4 12 November3 December - Year 7 Orientation Day10 December


DEPUTY PRINCIPALS’

REPORT

ASSESSMENTS, MID-YEAR REPORTS AND PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS Year 7-10 half yearly exams will take place during Weeks 4, 5 and 6. Year 7: 20 to 22 MayYear 8: 29 to 31 MayYear 9: 4 to 7 JuneYear 10: 23 to 28 MayThe next assessment period for Year 12 is 11-17 June and for Year 11 is 17-21 June.Year 12 reports will be issued mid May, shortly followed by Year 11 reports. Other report details will be provided in the next Tech Talk.Parent Teacher Interviews provide an excellent opportunity to meet your son’s teachers and hear a succinct comment about his progress and suggestions for improvement. This year we are holding four parent/teacher sessions. The first was held for Year 12 last term. The second will be for Year 7 on Friday 21 June 1.30–3.30pm. The next will be for Year 8 and Year 11 on Monday 1 July 3.30–6.30pm. The final one for Year 9 and Year 10 will be held on Tuesday 30 July 3.30– 6.30pm.Interviews are by appointment only and are to be made online. Details on how to make requests for bookings will be provided on a separate forthcoming note.

WORK EXPERIENCEAll Year 10 students will participate in a week of compulsory work experience from Monday 17 June. This type of event is a valued part of the wider curriculum offered here at Tech. Students should have been busy organising appropriate and exciting locations for this and are expected to gain a great deal of insight of the ‘real world’ that awaits them. Thank you to these employers for taking on our students and thank you also to Mr Mouzakis for coordinating this large program.

YEAR 11 CROSSROADSThis term, Year 11 students will complete the compulsory Crossroads component of their Stage 6 NESA requirements. This will begin with the Year 11 Camp 15-17 May and will be followed up with a day of driver education next term.

NAPLANThe external NAPLAN tests for Years 7 and 9 will be held on 14, 15 and 16 May. Further details were provided to parents via email earlier this term and are available at www.nap.edu.au. Year 9 students are completing a practice reading task at school on Monday 6 May and have the opportunity to do a practice writing task with feedback provided. All Year 7 and 9 students are encouraged to do further practice across all areas in the lead up to the test dates.


SPORT ABSENCEIf a student is well enough to attend school on Wednesdays, he is well enough to stay for the whole day. Students unable to participate in sport at all (not even as a referee, linesman or scorer) should attend non sport, with a note from parents requesting that he not do sport. Students will not be allowed to leave at 12.15pm, except in special circumstances. Medical appointments should not be made for sport afternoons.

YEAR 7 SRC ELECTIONSYear 7 SRC Elections were held in Week 10 last term. Students who nominated had to present a speech to their class and then the voting took place.

Congratulations to the following students who were elected to represent their class:Araf Ahmed Salih Mujala Lincoln RogersonAli Syed Andrei VillacortaKirk Grinham Melissa BurgessDeputy Principal Rel Deputy Principal


“The only thing that you absolutely have to know is thelocation of the library” ~ Albert Einstein

LIBRARY REPORT

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE KINGSFORD SMITH MEMORIAL LIBRARYTerm 1 ended with a lot of activity in the STHS library. Distance Education students sat for exams here while students from different faculties visited the library with their teachers to research various topics. The library held its first book club of the year, in which the enthusiastic participants decided that once a term wasn’t enough so they will meet once a week on Tuesday mornings before school to discuss books. Next month’s selection will be Every Day by David Leviathan. The novel, chosen by the students, is an adventurous look at love and science fiction in which a boy wakes up every day in a different body. The library will be holding its first Artist in Residence session on Tuesday 7 May with graphic artist and Manga illustrator Matthew Lin. Matthew will spend the lunch break teaching 40 students how to create their own manga and how to draw heroes, villains and monsters. The library continues to draw big crowds before school and at recess and lunch breaks, when students sit in any available space to read, play games and work on assignments. Look out for some upcoming changes in the library with some new shelving, soft seats in the fiction area, new table and ottomans for the senior section and a circulation desk on the way!Elizabeth GreavesRelieving Teacher Librarian

Book Club in the Kingsford Smith Memorial Library - Ryan Spencer, Tyrone Lee, Joshua Steneker, Eoin McKenna and Atilla Cimen

Students spending their lunch time relaxing and reading on

the new bean bags.

Sukrit Tiwary in Year 7 is reading “Garden of the Purple Dragon” by Carole Wilkinson


Upcoming May P&C Meeting

Tuesday 7 May 2019

Common Room - 7pm

June MeetingTuesday

4 June 2019Common Room - 7pm

All Parents Welcome

Hope everyone had a great Term 1 break and all ready to go for Term 2.

MOTHER’S DAY MORNING TEA 2019The 2019 Mother’s Day Morning Tea was held on Thursday 2 May and it was another great success. The Mother’s Day morning tea is a great event that allow some bonding time between mother and son as well as a great opportunity to meet other parents at the school. With over 120 attending this year’s event, we hope the participation for this event (and all other events held by the P&C) will grow year on year.

P&C MEETINGThe April P&C meeting was a relatively low key meeting with the meeting being held on the last week of school before term holidays. The P&C Meeting is a great way for parents to find out the happenings at the school as well as helping to decide how best to utilise the P&C funds to support the school. I hope to see more of you in future P&C meetings.For those of you who haven’t heard, the P&C is selling the 2019/2020 Entertainment Book this year. You can purchase either the physical or the digital version of the Entertainment Book directly via the Sydney Technical High School P&C purchasing website: www.entbook.com.au/206m530If you or your family and friends are planning to purchase the Entertainment Book this year, please purchase via this link. For those of you who are on social media, please help us in promoting this by sharing the Facebook post on

the school’s and P&C’s Facebook pages. Every purchase via the STHS page will help raise a bit more funds to support the students and teachers of STHS.

CONTACTING THE P&CThe email for contacting the P&C is [email protected] Please send your suggestions, queries etc to this email.Warren MakP&C President

P&C REPORT


WELLBEING REPORT

Welcome back everyone to another term at Tech. This is an extremely busy time for all our students as they prepare for their upcoming half yearly exams and assessments. It is also just as busy for the staff who prepare for the very important process of marking and report writing. This busy period can also raise stress levels across the school community so a proactive response towards managing wellbeing and developing a plan for achievement is vital. A practical study timetable that is achievable and includes regular breaks to rest your mind and maintain balance can be helpful during times when stress levels are high. Just as important is getting enough sleep, maintaining a regular pattern of diet and physical exercise during these busy times. Parents are also encouraged to have a read through Dr Prue Salter’s useful tips for parents on effective study skills and browse through some of her online resources via the web link http://www.studyskillshandbook.com.auReach Out, which is Australia’s leading online mental health organisation for young people and their families also provides practical support, tools and tips that parents may find useful at this time of the year. Their web link is https://parents.au.reachout.com

UAC’S EDUCATION ACCESS SCHEMEYear 12 students were recently provided with a presentation and information session about the Education Access Scheme (EAS), Equity Scholarships and Schools Recommendation Scheme on Wednesday 1st May. The EAS scheme in particular aims to assist those Year 12 students applying for University whose education has been negatively impacted in Year 11 and/or Year 12. The student must have suffered long term disadvantage for a period of six months or more from one or more of the 27 disadvantages outlined by UAC. Further information can be found at https://www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/scholarships-and-schemes/educational-access-schemes/ If your son was away on the day of the presentation and was considering making an application then it is important that he comes and speaks to either Mr Mouzakis or Mr Stokes for further information. There will also be a separate presentation for Year 12 parents on UAC’s Educational Access Scheme (EAS), Misadventure and Equity at the Parent Partnership meeting later this term on Thursday 13 June 2019.

HIGH RESOLVESYear 8 Tech boys have just completed two topics from the successful High Resolves Citizenship program over two half day workshops last term thanks to the efforts of Ms Stergiou through her role as Junior Transition Coordinator. Topics on living in a Just Society and Social Progress were the two main focus topics covered for the two days by our Year 8 students. By the end of the workshop, students were able to understand the challenges world leaders face when making decisions about the distribution of resources around the world and situations where this is unfair. They examine some of the causes of this inequality and the link between power and access. Students also recognise the importance of both charity and justice solutions and understand what is needed to create long-term change. They identify actions they can take to create a more just society.Social Progress was the second topic covered in the Year 8 High Resolves program and provided our students with an opportunity to explore the challenges in addressing collective action problems. Students were able to develop an understanding for the need to balance self/collective and short/long term interests along with the importance of mobilising others to do the same. Our students were also able to recognise that inclusive leadership means creating solidarity not division so that more people are engaged in working towards social progress after completing this particular workshop on Social Progress. Further information about High Resolves is available at their website http://www.highresolves.org.


TERM 2 OVERVIEWWellbeing assemblies continue this term across all year groups with our first one scheduled for the 24 May 2019. We have a number of new and previous external speakers coming to present to the students in Term 2 including Youth Motivational speaker Daniel Mercer, Cyber Safety presenter Johnny Shannon, Tom Reynolds from Drug Education Australia and performers from Brainstorm Productions who will be delivering performances called ‘Sticks & Stones’ to our Year 7s and ‘Wired’ to our Year 11 students. We also welcome back Howard Smith to present to our Year 11s on ‘Stress and the HSC’ and Jonathan Benica who will present to our junior students on the dangers and risks associated with risk taking behaviour. Peer Support will continue in Term 2 for our Year 7s and topics on Grit, Avoiding Distractions, Resilience, Gratitude and Mindfulness/Mental Health as scheduled topics for other year groups later in the term. Our Year 11 students head off to Narrabeen Sport and Recreation Centre on Wednesday 15 May 2019 for their three day Crossroads Camp. This year we have organised Dr Prue Salter to speak to the students about effective study skills followed by a ‘magic show’ organised by Mr Gamage on the final night. Prue Salter has been a guest at our last four camps and has been well received by both the students and staff who attended these camps. Year 11 will also be completing a large proportion of the Mandatory 25 hours Crossroads program whilst they attend camp making it a compulsory camp for all Year 11 students. Tips for Parents – Helping Students Develop Effective Study Skills – by Dr Prue Salter Enhanced Learning Educational Services www.enhanced-learning.net1. HOME STUDY ENVIRONMENT:• Ensure your student has a well set up and

organised space to work in.• Consider if their chair and the lighting in their

room need to be upgraded.• Provide storage space and a noticeboard.• You may like to have the Internet capable

computer in the main part of the house, students can collect their research onto a memory stick and then use this to work on assignments on a cheap notebook computer (not connected to the internet) in their room. You may choose to switch off the Wi‑Fi in the house for two, half hour blocks each night.

2. MANAGING WORKLOAD:Students should have a term planner visible in their room that shows due dates for tests and assignments.Check that students are using their diary as a planner by breaking down larger pieces of work and scheduling when they will do each step.Some students may need help in chunking down tasks and putting together a plan to complete each step. Check how students keep track of the work they have completed and check that uncompleted work is moved forward in the diary to the current day.

• If students are feeling overwhelmed, help them list everything they need to do and prioritise the tasks.

• Some students may also like to use electronic reminders on their phone or computer.

3. DEALING WITH DISTRACTIONS:• The best way to deal with distractions is to work

in half hour blocks with no distractions during this time. This means during the half hour blocks allocated to schoolwork, no Facebook, TV etc. – not for the whole night, just for those half hour blocks. Or students can take the approach of having a two minute ‘tech break’ every 15 minutes.

• The general rule with music is that if students are doing easy work it is ok, but for anything that requires concentration, particularly if there is memorisation involved, students should either switch off the music or have baroque classical music playing softly.

• You may like to see if your Internet Anti-Virus/Security software has a parental control option where you can block access to particular websites for blocks of time.

4. LIFESTYLE AND BALANCE:• The best students are those with a healthy lifestyle

and good balance in their lives. Think about the types of food your student eats, whether they drink enough water, if they exercise regularly and most importantly if they are getting enough sleep (amount needed varies but the average is around eight hours).

• It is also important that students have time to do the things they enjoy, spend time with family and friends and also have ‘down time’ just to relax.

5. PERSONAL BEST:• Rather than having students competing with

others, stress the concept of ‘personal best’, the idea that while not everyone can be at the top of the class, everyone is able to work towards achieving the best results they are capable of.

• A great read for all parents: ‘How to Motivate Your Child for school and beyond’ by Andrew Martin.

• All students in Years 8-12 have been presented with the philosophies and benefits behind this approach in Welfare Assemblies over the past four years. These resources and presentations are available for students online in the Assemblies section of the intranet.

Nick StokesWellbeing Head Teacher


CAREERS REPORT

UNIVERSITY APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN.Last term, Wendy from the University Admission Centre (UAC), discussed the process of applying for university at an evening information session. Applications are now open and to take advantage of the early application price, you must apply prior to 30 September. Students can list up to five preferences of courses in which they are interested. Please remember that this is not a final choice as ‘Check and Change’ is available all the way through to January next year. This allows you to change your preferences as many times as you like without any further charges.If your son is having difficulty in deciding on a particular pathway or courses to choose, the school has a subscription to Career Voyage – an online career tool that will offer advice on careers, with job suggestions after answering a series of questions. Please come via the Careers Cottage to obtain the schools Organisational ID number.The NSW Business Chamber has released information on the job areas that are in demand now and what they believe will be in demand in 2023. Food for thought when selecting courses for university.


We have also planned a number of career presentations to aid students in this process. Universities will present information to students about all the courses they offer and scholarships that will be available to them. The choice of universities is based upon our data of where our students have enrolled in the past.

TERM 2 PRESENTATIONSUNSW Co op Scholarship presentationMonday 6 May (Week 2) - Common Room Lunchtime

Sydney Uni presentation – all courses (Times Higher Education World University ranking -59)Thursday 9 May (Week 2) - Common Room Lunchtime

UTS presentation – all courses (Times Higher Education World University ranking – 196)Tuesday 14 May (Week 3) - Common Room Lunchtime

UNSW presentation – all courses (Times Higher Education World University ranking – 96)Monday 20 May (Week 4) - Common Room Lunchtime

Western Sydney Uni – Faculty of Medicine presentationTuesday 28 May (Week 5) Common Room Lunchtime

UNSW - Faculty of Medicine presentationThursday 6 June (Week 6) - Common Room Lunchtime

WORK EXPERIENCEWork experience is compulsory for all Year 10 students. This will occur in Week 8 this term. All the students have participated in a work experience information lesson and have access to all the required forms on Moodle B - Careers. The completed Student Placement Record (SPR) needs to be returned to me by 31 May.For help in any of these matters or anything else career related, please call 9587 5899 ext 110 to arrange an appointment.Jerry MouzakisRel Careers Adviser

Monday 13 May


excellence in maths

Congratulations to the following students in Years 8-12 who achieved at the top of their Mathematics courses in their recent common examinations. Letters of commendation have been sent home to these students and they have received a bronze merit award.Year 8: Stefan Ilic, Phoenix Liu, Gene Truong, Brandon Wang, Tahmid Wasim, Mubtasim Auranya, Joshua Bae, Henry Nguyen, Jack Yang, Hanjun Shi, Ryan Tam and Mark Ureta.Year 9: Matthew Lois, Yuecheng Xiao, Nicholas Chatterson, Jonathan Liu, Raymond Liu, Amin Tafech, Nathan Tam, Chris Wang, Simon Bayaca, Neil Dadhich, Tyrone Lee and Daniel LiYear 10: Tony Li, Eric Lin, Adrian Nguyen, Huy Nguyen, Raymond Pan, Samir Sadik, Hao Yang Chen, Clinton Ho, Rayyan Hossain, Liam Truong, Rion Ullah, Wesley Wong, Jason Chen, Sanyog Gurung, Lakshy Tadaka and Matthew Zeaiter. Year 11:Advanced Mathematics: Nicholas Chan, Alfred Dao, Jason Lim, William Zamany, Nathan Choon, Sanketh Devathi, Glenn Gao, Alvin Joseph, Justin Jocevski, Richard Sun, Daniel Yu, Keegan Lim and Tom McDougall.Extension 1 Mathematics: William Zamany, Shaun Thach, George Kekatos, Tom Mihaljevic, Vishaal Ramia Haribabu, Alfred Dao, Alvin Joseph, Zihao Zhou, Matthew Lam, Jason Cho, Phi Lam and Oscar Liang.Year 12:Mathematics: Lochie Bown, Alex Huynh, Eugenius Widjaja, Ashiq Ahmed, James Cai, Ashek Chowdhury, Winston Liang, Mehar Singh, Steven Wu, Benjamin Hee Song, Jacky Mo, Justin Wen and Bikram JoherExtension 1 Mathematics: Minsu Jung, Terrance Nguyen, Alex Gock-King, Jihao (Sam) Yu, Jahan Dawra, Amir Nadeem, Min Sok Son, Anthony Arsecularatne, Mohammed Huda, Aryan Koirala, Ishraq Siddique, Farhan Tanvir Joy, Tim Tjugito, Unmesh Desai, Alex Huynh, Ashek Chowdhury, Eugenius Widjaja, Winston Liang and Curtis TanExtension 2 Mathematics: Amir Nadeem, Jihao (Sam) Yu, Philip Tran, Mohammed Huda, Minsu Jung, Kevin Vuong, Bevan Zeng, Keven Qiu, Farhan Tanvir Joy, Anthony Arsecularatne and Aryan KoiralaWell done and keep up the great work!Pamela StergiouMathematics Faculty

SCH

OO

L N

EWS


engineering

challenge

science and

On 22 March 2019, over 40 Year 10 students competed at the Science and Engineering Competition at Sydney Olmpic Park. It was a hard fought battle but in the end we won the competition. Tech placed in the top two for most of the challenges, including the two all day challenges - The Flat Pack and The Bridge. Many thanks to Ms Noyes and Dr Voulalas for coming to cheer us on. Can’t wait for the State competition later this year.


all aboard the yellow

submarine

On Thursday 18 April, 146 Year 7 students attended the annual excursion to the Australian Maritime Museum (AMM) and Sydney Sea Life Aquarium. During their visit to the AMM students were taken on a guided tour of the HMAS Onslow. The HMAS Onslow was commissioned during the cold war for surveillance, conducting secretive operations tracking Soviet submarines travelling from Vladivostok via the Coral Sea and the Great Australian Bight. While waiting for their tour, students had the opportunity to explore some of the exhibits on display which included an interactive display of sonar images of unknown objects, a Morse code machine that allowed students to type and send messages as they did in the war and a thrilling short film designed to transport you into the action aboard the Onslow. Once students had boarded the submarine down a treacherous ladder, they were welcomed into the torpedo room. Here students were able to see real torpedos (deactivated of course), and were able to learn about how the torpedos have changed over time with the development of new technologies with the assistance of the amazing AMM guides. From the torpedo room students gained an insight into what it would be like to live on a submarine. While walking through the living quarters, students were horrified by the lack of double beds and wondered if the crew consisted of hobbits. Later they found out that the last captain of the submarine before decommission

stood at 6ft 3in and was definitely too tall to be a hobbit. Highlights aboard the submarine included the opportunity to look through the periscope for a unique view of Darling Harbour and for a lucky few, the chance to lie on some of the sleeping bunks.Upon conclusion of the submarine tours, staff and students enjoyed the leisurely walk to the Sydney Sea Life Aquarium, providing an opportunity to soak up the warmth of the sun on an early autumn day. Once at the aquarium students were free to roam and explore the displays at their own pace. Sydney Sea Life Aquarium provided an opportunity for students to discover a variety of marine organisms that they had never seen before. Although I briskly walked through Shark Ally to admire the display from afar, many students enjoyed the thrill of watching the resident grey nurse sharks swim overhead. Many students highly recommend the “Day and Night on the Reef” Exhibit which is new to the aquarium and shows the iconic wonders of the Great Barrier Reef at different times of day. Students were able to Journey through jellyfish swarms, walk across bioluminescent beaches and witness the phenomenon of coral spawning while trying to evade night time predators in the glowing coral caves. While we were all sad to leave, we took comfort in knowledge that there is even more fun and exciting excursions to come in Term 2. Lauren Miller, Science Faculty


prefect afternoon tea

On April Fools Day, the Year 12 Prefect body hosted eight other schools from around Sydney at their annual Prefect Afternoon Tea. Students were placed in mixed groups to meet new people and share SRC related ideas with one another. The afternoon was underpinned by a scavenger hunt around the school grounds that required

groups to find objects and complete activities to score points. Judging by the photos, everyone had a great time and enjoyed the smorgasbord offered by our Prefects. Special thanks to Ms Chork for staying behind and supervising the afternoon’s activities. Lochie Bown, School Captain

sths choir to carlton ps

Our choir recently performed “Raise Me Up” with the students from Carlton Public School at their 2019 Anzac Day Assembly. Anuka Gunasekara played The Last Post and Reveille as he had done at the school Anzac Day Service in Term 1. The combined choir singing “Raise Me Up” can be seen on the Sydney Technical High School Facebook site.


BUILDING AND LIBRARY FUND

Building FundSydney Technical High School was relocated to the current site in Bexley from the city and the school opened in 1953. The building is very solid, however aspects of the school require constant upgrades.The financial support of our parent and alumni community is critical in renovating school facilities through support of our Building Fund. Every donation to the fund over $2 is tax deductible.This year the Building Fund will provide funds for the upgrade of the junior boys toilets. This is very exciting and should be completed by the end of 2019.Recently, the Building Fund has enabled us to renovate the senior toilets and undergo a major upgrade to the student’s change rooms. We also renovated the meeting room, a venue much in demand for parent meetings, faculty seminars and professional learning workshops.

I urge you, on behalf of our school community, to consider contributing generously to this very worthwhile fund, as we all benefit, students, parents and teachers towards ensuring that our students learn in an environment which is fit for our purpose: OPTIMUM LEARNING!Payments can be made:• on line via the school website - Parent Online

Payment (POP)• at the school office with cash, cheque or credit

card• by phone using credit cardOffice hours for payments are 8.15am ‑ 1.45pm

Library FundWant to be ‘rich and famous’? Then make it a rule to read daily. Famous and very rich people like financier Warren Buffet, and Bill Gates read daily. A number of our students are avid readers and the 7-10 English reading program has given many students a great appetite for good books.Our Library Fund gives parents and alumni the opportunity to donate to the Library. Donations over $2 are tax deductible. The fund recently enabled us to renovate the whole area to make it modern, user friendly and a place to hang out. Open every day at 8am, the Library Fund lets the school keep interesting, thought provoking and modern books available for our students. Of course, this is all the more important as the school introduced the READ program in 2018. Every student and teacher are required to read for 20 minutes every morning.

Could I urge all parents to contribute generously to the Library Fund, so that we can keep up to date with the sorts of novels and series that your son enjoys, and put them on the path to becoming lifelong readers.Payments can be made:• on line via the school website - Parent Online

Payment (POP)• at the school office with cash, cheque or credit

card• by phone using credit cardOffice hours for payments are 8.15am ‑ 1.45pm


PROGRAM INFORMATIONLearning Labs is an inrichment program designed for students who are excelling in their area of interest within their year grou, and are seeking a challenging and fun experience during the school holidays.All workshops are held over two days, and are presented by teachers with specialist training or a specific interest in gifted education. There will be sponsorship places available for some particpants - please see more details on how to apply for these places on the website.WORKSHOPS ON OFFER - FULL LIST AND DESCRIPTIONS ONLINELearning Labs workshops cover a range of diverse and innovative disciplines that are designed to challenge and stim-ulate the interest of self motivated and curious learners. Here are some examples of what’s coming up in July:

UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG - LEARNING LABS - JULY 2019


SCHOOL NOTICESIMPORTANT HEALTH INFORMATIONA student in our school is currently receiving treatment which results in a lowered immune system. This means that the student is more prone to getting ill from infections. As the student is not contagious but has a chronic illness, it is important that he participates actively in the day to day school program without any major limitations. A major concern is that if this student develops measles, chicken pox, whooping cough or influenza, he could become seriously ill. It is important that we prevent this situation from occuring.If your child has or may have measles or chicken pox, it is important that you:1. Do not send them to school

2. Notify the School Principal as soon as possible.

3. Take them to your GP or medical centre to confirm diagnosis if possible.

SCHOOL SECOND HAND UNIFORM SHOPThe Second Hand Uniform Shop is located in Vera’s Cottage. The Second Hand Uniform Shop is run by volunteers. Volunteers are needed - please contact the office with your name and phone number.During the school terms, the Second Hand Uniform Shop

is usually open on the Second Tuesday of each calendar month, from 10.30am-12 noon. The Uniform shop will next be open on Tuesday 14 May 2019. Come along and grab a bargain. If you have any donations of used uniform items, please send them to the Office.

CHANGE OF MOBILE PHONE NUMBERS AND ADDRESSESIf you have changed your mobile phone number, email or mailing address, please contact the school immediately so that we can update our records.

OFFICE HOURS AND PAYMENTSThe School Office is open from 8.15am-3.15pm for enquiries. Payments by students should only be made before school, between Period 1 and 2, at Recess and at Lunch. Payments will not be taken after the bell has gone at the end of lunch.Payments over the phone or at the front office can only be made from 8.15am-1.45pm.Payments on Line can be made using the link in your emailed statement or via the STHS website (see below). If you would like an account statement sent to you please contact the office.

Website Payments -To make online payments, click on the ‘online payment’ link in the top right hand corner of the HOME page above the SEARCH box.

SICK BAY AND YOUR SONIf you receive a phone call from the office informing you that your son is unwell and in sick bay, you must attend to this promptly and collect your son as soon as possible.Your son cannot be left in sick bay for lengthy periods of time.

VISITORS TO SCHOOLPlease be aware that it is a legal requirement for ALL visitors on school grounds during school hours to report to the School Administration Office for sign‑in and sign-out. This includes parents and caregivers.

ATTENTION PARENTS - SCHOOL ATTENDANCE AND LEAVEIf your child is absent from school, an explanation must be provided to the school within seven school days from the first day of any period of absence.It is Departmental Policy that if your son needs to leave the school early for an appointment, then a letter must be brought to the school and it must be signed by one of the Deputy Principals before the start of the school day for leave to be granted.If you reply to an SMS about your son’s absence, please note his name, class and reason for the absence on the SMS.




Documents

Tech Talk Sydney May Technical 2019 High School · in relation to our recently updated WW1 Honour Board. SCHOOL DANCE. The School Dance was held in the last week of Term 1 at Hurstville