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WILLOUGHBY GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL
A Leader in Girls Education
NEWSLETTER
24 March 2015
Community and Family Studies Excursion
Our ANZAC Assembly, marking
the 100th anniversary of Gallipoli,
will be held on Friday 24 April
April/May Calendar
HSC Mini Trial Examinations
16 March – 27 March
April
Week 1A 20 – 24 April
Monday 20
Students return to school
Tuesday 21
Year 11 Duke of Edinburgh
pre meeting
P&C Meeting 7.30pm in the Staff Common Room
Tuesday 21
Year 9 Geography Excursion
Friday 24
ANZAC Assembly
Year 7 Reptile Incursion
As part of the HSC Community and Family Studies (CAFS) course,
students are required to study Groups in Context and in this case, the
Homeless. Late in the afternoon on 2 March, 2015, nine students, and Mrs
Davies met on the steps of St Mary’s Cathedral to go on a Vinnie’s Street
Retreat through the Domain/Woolloomooloo precinct. We were escorted
around by the Youth and Young Adults Coordinator at the St Vincent de
Paul Society, Mr Paul Longobardi.
We learnt about the various services that the homeless are welcome to,
such as the Matthew Talbot Hostel. It was interesting to hear stories of
those who were homeless and were slowly rebuilding their lives. We then
walked all the way to Martin Place where the Sydney Night Patrol vans
were located. The vans provided a free meal, snacks, hot beverages and
companionship to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness within
the inner city of Sydney. The Hilton Hotel was sponsoring a barbeque for
the homeless.
While many were lining up for food, we handed out over 110 pairs of
socks that were donated from the WGHS community .The whole
experience of this excursion, from seeing services available to the
homeless, being able to speak to them and handing out socks to those in
need was enlightening and I hope that this excursion is continued through
to the following years as it was an experience I will never forget.
Teresa Saludo
Year 12 CAFS student
Week 2B 27 April – 1 May
Tuesday 28
Years 7 and 12
Parent/Teacher Night
Wednesday 29
Year 9 and 10 Religious
Seminars
Friday 1 May
Year 10 Commerce Incursion
Friday 1 – Sun 3 Duke of Edinburgh
May
Week 3A 4 May -8 May
Monday 4
Year 8 Music Incursion
Tuesday 5
In Concert rehearsal
Friday 8
Staff Development Day -
Friday 3 – 19 April Autumn School
Holidays
Students return Monday 20 April
Year 12 Community and Family Studies students at the Vinnie’s Retreat
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is an internationally recognised award, which serves as an excellent opportunity for
students to develop their skills in a range of different areas and give back to the community. In 2015, the
program has continued to expand with over sixty Year 10 students currently completing the Bronze level and
some senior students taking on the challenge of Silver.
I would like to congratulate the following girls for completing their Bronze Award in 2014 demonstrating their
commitment, dedication and perseverance - Courtney Tillman, Emily Diefes, Isabeau Adamek, Katarina
Grobler, Lauren Tillman, Nicola Cartmell, Sogol Sarlak, Yasmine Kumarasinhe, Georgina Turner, Hannah
Seeto, Lisa Moran, Lily Morton, Anna van Laun, Saye Kaeo Saylan, Charlotte Burman, Eleanor Imlay, Emilia
Winzenberg, Helaine Liew, Mischa Hunter and Rebecca Janitz.
Some of the proud recipients of the Duke of Edinburgh Award
On Thursday 12 March, 50 year 10 students will embark on their qualifying bronze adventurous journey
through Heathcote National Park. Hopefully the weather will be nice and the leeches will stay at bay.
Miss J Pryor
Duke of Edinburgh Co-ordinator
Changes to the Secondary Schools Tax File Number Program
in 2015
The Secondary Schools Tax File Number (TFN) Program has changed from 31 December 2014. This means
that School TFN forms will no longer be processed beyond this date.
How students can apply for a TFN from 1 January 2015
The Australian Taxation Office, in partnership with Australia Post, is making it easier for individuals to apply for a
TFN. Students can now apply for a TFN online and have their identity verified through an interview at a participating
Australia Post office.
Applying online is the fastest and most convenient way for students to get a TFN. More information on applying
online can be found at ato.gov.au by searching for 'QC27248'.
Students who are unable to visit a participating Australia Post office will need to complete the application form 'Tax
File Number - Application or Enquiry for Individuals' form (NAT 1432). More information about lodging this
form can be found at ato.gov.au by searching for 'QC22604'.
Reflections about Victory – Swimming Carnival 2015
On 18 February, we entered Lane Cove Aquatic centre in our red hoola skirts, ready to welcome the
excitement and challenges that the swimming Carnival would bring. Attending the first sporting
carnival as house captains, we were a little nervous for what to expect but the first race started with a
bang and so did Nightingale’s enthusiasm.
Throughout the day, we faced many obstacles including the sweltering heat and Cavell’s threatening
presence. However, as house captains, we ensured that Nightingale’s voices were always the loudest
heard in the stands. In order to increase participation in our house, we followed the old but successful
sugar strategy by handing out lollies to everyone who swam and cheered.
All day, the pool was dominated by red swimming caps and creative red costumes that graced the
sidelines. It was also super fun watching the Novelty race as 100 Year 12 students jumped in the
water simultaneously to complete their 50 metres.
Towards the end of the day our bodies were exhausted and our voices were practically non-existent.
However, we were incredibly proud of our house’s participation in the water as well as in the stands,
which was the key reason for our spectacular win of 775 points! We’d like to especially thank the
many students who supported Nightingale and made the swimming carnival such a huge success.
We hope to repeat this next year!
Yours in Sport,
Nightingale House Captains 2015
Katarina Grobler, Georgina Turner and Divine Aaron
House points for the Swimming Carnival
House
Nightingale
Browning
Cavell
Fry
Competition
based
586
374
278
246
Participation
150
137
165
133
Senior
attendance
39
38
36
39
Total
775
549
479
418
Important Medical Information
Procedure for admission to the school Clinic
 When a student is ill or has an injury, the student advises her teacher. The teacher will issue
a Clinic note to take to the office.
 Once at the office, the student is assessed by the First Aid Officer and, if necessary,
admitted to the Clinic.
 If the student is unwell, a parent will be contacted.
 Students are not to directly contact their parent/carer
 If the primary parent does not answer the phone or respond to a voicemail within a
reasonable period, the next parent or emergency contact on our contact list is called.
 Students are not kept in the Clinic for more than one period (i.e. 50 minutes), so need to be
picked up promptly.
Year 10 Geography Presentation
On Monday 16 February, Tim Silverwood from Take 3 visited the Year 10 Geography students of
Willoughby Girls as a guest speaker. Take 3 is a not-for-profit, non-government organisation that aims
to raise awareness of marine debris. It was formed in 2009 and achieves its aim by encouraging
people, whenever they visit “the beach, waterway or… anywhere”, to take three pieces of rubbish with
them when they leave. The organisation also encourages people to reduce unnecessary plastic
consumption. The importance of reducing plastic consumption as well as the causes and the effects of
marine debris were focused on during our visit from Tim Silverwood.
In his presentation, we were given many shocking statistics and facts,
which put into perspective the severity of the issue. For example, four
fifths of pollution and debris in our water comes from land. This can be
because it’s been picked up by wind, washed by water or rain through
gutters, creeks and rivers, or it can also come from recreational activities
at beaches themselves. Most of this debris consists of disposable plastics,
as a result of our “throw away” lifestyle, in which disposable,
unrecyclable, and single-use products are continually being produced and
consumed. Altogether, eight million tonnes of debris a year are entering
the world’s oceans, and this has a significant impact on our marine life.
Although we do not directly come in contact with the impacts of our actions, we must be aware that
with our actions we can damage the environment and the ecosystem we are part of. The presentation
inspired the Year 10 students to take a step in maintaining and taking care of the environment. It
raised awareness of both the direct and indirect impacts our actions have on the environment and
ways we can reduce the harm on it. We should make a change to our actions and be aware of the
effects it could have on the life in the sea and land. Take 3 is an effective way to begin conserving and
to taking care of our environment.
By Sharon Yeung and Alice Falconer, Year 10
Volunteer Host Families Sought by World Education Program
World Education Program (WEP) is inviting you to experience another culture in your own home by
becoming a volunteer host family to an international student arriving in July 2015. Our students from
Canada, Denmark, Ecuador, Italy, Belgium, the USA, and France are looking forward to experiencing life in
Australia, making new friends and becoming a member of an Australian family soon.
"Wonderful - joyous - heartfelt. An absolutely wonderful idea and so beneficial for all involved, from family to
school friends. We truly feel Enrico is another member of our family."
- Marie - host mother of Enrico (Italy)
Hosting Is Fun! Find Out more! Go to www.wep.org.au for more information!
Getting to know your student before he or she arrives brings fun and joy to everyone involved. To help you
make this important decision, contact WEP today to receive a full information pack for your family.
Year 7 & 12 Parent and Teacher Interviews
On the evening of Tuesday April 28, 2015 teachers will make themselves available for interviews with
parents of students in Years 7 & 12.
Appointments for interviews of five minutes in length with teachers may be made for times between
4.00pm and 8.00pm on a first booked basis.
We cordially invite parents to join us on this important evening to discuss your daughter’s progress at
our school.
Longer appointments or appointments which cannot be made for this evening may be arranged
through the school’s main office.
Parents will need to make appointments with their daughter’s teachers using the online facility in the
Parent Portal.
http://web1.willoughbg-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/portal/login
It is important, therefore, to ensure you have access to the parent portal and also access to the
particular student well before the booking period begins.
For parents who were with us last year, the registration letter with code was placed into your
daughter’s report last year.
For parents of 2015 Year 7 students, the registration letter and code were distributed at the welcome
evening. For those parents unable to attend, the letters were posted to the home address which the
school possesses in our records.
Some parents have registered with the portal but did not link through to their daughter’s details by
using the accompanying code. Please revisit your portal and make sure you have linked through to
your daughter’s details.
Anyone who does not have access to the Parent Portal should send an email to the school on
Willoughbg-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au (Please take care. There is a ‘g’ not a ‘y’ on the end of
willoughbg.)
* requesting access to the parent portal and providing,
* your name and email address,
* your daughter’s name and year in which she is enrolled.
Families with special circumstances should acknowledge it, so special arrangements may be made.
A test site has been configured to be available from March 24 to March 31 so parents may make
themselves aware of the procedure. Please do not assume this test site is the real booking site. The
test site will have ‘test’ in its title and will only be available for parents with students in years 7 & 12.
This test site will be deleted after the testing period expires.
Once the real site opens on April 13 (second week of the break), parents will need to rebook their
appointments.
A User Manual provided by the Sentral team will be placed onto the Moodle and also into the
documents section of the parent portal for help during the procedure. Please use this as a guide only;
as the Sentral software is being constantly upgraded and may not look similar to our specific school
site.
We hope this new online process will make it easier for you to directly book your appointments with
your daughter’s teachers.
Mr P Devitt
Head Teacher Computing Studies
2015 Surviving the HSC
Willoughby City Council announces the return of the popular
‘Surviving the HSC’ sessions
The free seminars provide students with expert information to assist with their general
study needs and those related to particular disciplines. All sessions are free and will be held
at Chatswood Library on the Concourse, Lower Ground,
409 Victoria Ave Chatswood.
To make bookings go to http://www.willoughby.nsw.gov.au/Library/ follow link to ‘what’s
new’ box or call Katrina Stolk on 9777 7900 for further information.
Demystifying the HSC
Date: Thursday 26 March, 6.00pm – 7.30pm
This seminar is aimed at both parents and students and will be presented by Margot
Braithwaite, Board of Studies and Katrina Stolk, Willoughby Library Services who will
explain the HSC marking and scaling process and the method of determining the ATAR
score. This will be followed by a presentation of online resources.
English – Area of Study – Discovery
Date: Monday 27 April, 4.30pm – 6.00pm
This presentation will be relevant and valuable to all students, as Keira Books, teacher at
James Ruse Agricultural High School provides students with proven strategies to excel in
the shared English examination.