Menai High School

Mr Bernard Ellevsen

As we draw towards the end of what has been a huge term I would like to congratulate all staff, students and families for excelling under the extremely disrupted, challenging and unprecedented circumstances that has been Term 2 2020.

Everyone has been required to adapt and re-adapt as the situation has evolved and changed.  It certainly has been an exhausting time for all including students, teachers, support staff and parents.  Despite the challenges, it has been totally inspiring to see our community work together and support one another, demonstrating patience, understanding, care and commitment.

I would like to extend a very sincere thank you to everyone within our community for cooperating so well to ensure the best possible deal for our students during this time.

I am hoping that Term 3 will be far closer to normal than the term just gone.  Having said that we will not be able to resume all our usual school and community activities right away.

School excursions and camps are on hold for the time being. We cannot hold parent teacher evenings or other whole school community events until further notice. Whilst we will certainly celebrate Year 12 Graduation, we do not know what that will look like at this point in time. We will let you know as soon as we can.

I have attached information for parents and carers click here which outlines the types of activities we can engage in from the start of Term 3 and those that we can’t.

In the meantime, I wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday and look forward to seeing everyone in the new term.

Take care, stay well.

 

Mrs E Sayed-Rich – Years 8 and 12

Thanks to all of our parents and guardians for your tremendous support this term as we tranisition back to face to face learning.  It is wonderful to see our students returning to regular learning at school and to see the connection to their school and positive impact of well-being.

E Head Space

Please refer to the E Head Space information on tips to get back into life during the COVID-19 period.  Please click here for more information.

A new NSW School Curriculum

The NSW Government Response to the NSW Curriculum Review outlines an ambitious program for streamlining and strengthening what is taught in our schools over the next four years.

The reforms include:

• Building strong foundations for future learning by 2022 with new English and Mathematics syllabuses for Kindergarten to Year 2
• More time for teaching by 2022 by reducing the hours teachers spend on extra-curricular topics and issues and compliance requirements
• Strengthening post school pathways by 2022 with new learning areas for Years 11 and 12 that clearly link learning to future employment and study options.
• A new curriculum from 2024 with new syllabuses focused on what is essential to know and do in early and middle years of schooling, and key learning areas in the senior years.

Click here for information for parents.

Year 8

Academic reports will be published via Sentral.  Due to COVID guidelines, face to face parent/teacher interviews will not be conducted next term.  I encourage parents to contact teachers if they wish to request a phone conference with their child’s teacher.

Year 12

I have attached a summary of changes to the HSC during the COVID period.  Please see the information sheets in the link below.

Students in Year 12 must check their NESA schools online accounts – instructions for activating the Students Online account are provided again here.  This is where students can check their pattern of study and check their academic results when they are released.

Changes to the HSC – click here

Students Online – click here

Key Dates Exam Timetables

Term 3, 2020

Wednesday 23^rd September, 2020 – Submissions due (via Schools Online) for:

• HSC school assessment marks
• HSC Life Skills outcomes
• Assessment grades for English Studies and Mathematics Standard 1
• Estimated examination marks for students doing optional exams
• Teacher provided marks for the Visual Arts Body of Work
• Teacher provided marks for Design and Technology, Industrial Technology and Textiles and Design Major Projects (products)

See 2020 school terms and public holidays for NSW Government schools.

Term 4, 2020

Tuesday, 20^th October, 2020

HSC written examinations commences.

Friday 23^rd October, 2020

Year 11 grades and Life Skills outcomes to be submitted (via Schools Online).

Monday 2^nd November, 2020

2021 HSC student entries open.

Wednesday 11^th November, 2020

HSC written examinations conclude.

After last HSC written examination

HSC Assessment Ranks released to students via Students Online for four weeks.

Friday 20^th November, 2020

Year 10 grades and Life Skills outcomes to be submitted (via Schools Online).

Friday 18^th December, 2020

HSC results released and HSC Results Inquiry Centre opens.

January 2021

HSC tesamurs mailed.

 

Mr L Meagher - Years 10 and 11

And that ends the most unpredictable term in recent history…

To the parents and students in Year 10 and 11 I do want to raise a few issues below, but before I do I want to again thank everyone for their patience, effort and support in how we as a community have faced a very difficult past term. I can’t imagine, or at least don’t hope for, another term as disruptive and unpredictable as the last one but if there is one then at least we’ll know we’re prepared!

Year 10

I recently emailed Year 10 parents but if you missed this email then the key points were:

• Year 11 Subject Selection will take place early next term. Usually, this takes place in Week 1 but we are looking at putting this process back a few weeks to allow for some extra assessments to take place, so that students and teachers can potentially make a more informed decision. It is very likely that we will need to post information online, potentially with a livestreamed or filmed presentation. I will update parents and students on this in the first week of next term.
• Students with N-Warnings will need to have these redeemed by the first day of next term. I have met with a number of parents and students over the past week to discuss progress here and met with all of Year 10 to discuss this earlier this week. Whilst I was disappointed to see so many N-Warnings, it was encouraging to see them largely being redeemed.
• Students who are looking at leaving at the end of Year 10 will have had a meeting this week regarding programs we will put in place starting next term. I will send information home for those parents. (If parents would like to still nominate their child for this, please email me).

Year 11

With only a term to go until the HSC begins I strongly encourage students to keep preparing for upcoming assessment tasks or revising their content during the holidays; the Preliminary HSC course is a direct precursor to the HSC course and is the most significant and direct way that students can prepare themselves. Year 11 should not spend their whole break studying by any means, but some revision and preparation is definitely important. Whether we like it or not, there is a competitive element to the HSC and Menai High School often achieves at a similar level to selective and private schools in a number of subjects; so much of this success comes from students’ diligent work in Year 11 in their preparation for the HSC.

Chewing Gum

A reminder to all students and families that chewing gum is banned at Menai High School.  If a student is chewing gum they will be directed to throw it in the bin.

Finally, a note to all parents. Any child who needs to leave early should bring an early leavers note to the front office the day before or the morning of their planned leave. Recently, we’ve had a number of parents arrive at our office to pick up their child who is in class, and we were unaware of the planned leave. This creates disruption to the organisation of the day here, which is compounded by the amount of parents doing this. Further, students in sick bay should not be texting their parents in advance for a pick up; it is important that office staff make that contact with parents.

 

Student Good News

HSIE Faculty

Ms Wearring would like to commend Tamzin Sturt, Charli Carter, Christian Costi, Sarah Jesson, Sapna Tito, Levi Green, Mia Klinkert, Deidre Cheah, Ebony Hatton and Jorja Coots (7I History) for their excellent Virtual Site Study Research Assessment Tasks.

Year 10 Vaccinations

Year 10 Vaccinations are on 12^th August, 2020.  Consent forms must be handed in before 12^th August and can be collected from the Front Office or from Miss O’Donnell.

Compulsory School Attendance

Education for your child is important and regular attendance at school is essential for your child to achieve their educational best and increase their career and life options.  NSW public schools work in partnership with parents to encourage and support regular attendance of children and young people.  When your child attends school every day, learning becomes easier and your child will build and maintain friendships with other children.  Click here to find out more information.

Keep Your Details Up to Date

Just a reminder that if you have changed living circumstances, new phone numbers, change in family circumstances or even new health issues that have arisen, please let the school know either through contacting the front office, Year Advisers, Head Teacher Welfare or Deputy Principals of the year group your child/ren are in. The more we are informed then the better we can support your children at school.

Medical Alerts

Health Care Plans/Medical Action Plans were sent home Term 4 2019 for parents to review, update and return to the Front Office by Week 5 Term 1.  We have a number of students who have not returned their updated plan for 2020.  These plans must be returned ASAP to the Front Office or students will not be allowed to engage in any form of school activities until these are returned.

If you require a new copy of the Health Care Plan/Medical Action Plans please see Mrs Moore in the Front Office.

Miss B Stone

Head Teacher, Welfare

 

Trial Exams

The Year 12 Trial Exam timetable was distributed to students on Wednesday 24^th June (Week 9) this term.

The trial exams take place from Monday 10^th to Fri 21^st August 2020 (Weeks 4-5).

Students only attend school when they have an examination and are required to arrive at the exam location at least 10 minutes before the start time of each exam.  The exams will be held in the HALL for the first 7 days and in rooms 25/26 from the Wednesday of the final week.

All students and caregivers should familiarise themselves with the Rules and Procedures document that was printed on the reverse side of the timetable and is also attached to this newsletter click here.  In particular, please ensure you take note of the procedure for applying for Illness or Misadventure.

Students and caregivers are advised that holidays must not be taken during the exam period and that that appointments must be made outside of your child’s scheduled exams.

All students should have a study timetable in place that supports their preparation for these important exams.  They should be utilising the 2 week holiday period to consolidate their notes, practice past HSC/Trial exam questions and review the feedback offered by their teachers on past assessment tasks.

New Sentral for Parents App

 For more information click here.

Mrs L Ferraro

Head Teacher, Administration

 

AMGEN Biotechnology Experience

Some of our Year 12 Biology students have been involved this week with the AMGEN Biotechnology Experience, also sponsored by the University of Sydney. This unique opportunity gives students the opportunity to perform a genetic engineering experiment, transferring a red fluorescent protein gene from a sea anemone into E. Coli bacteria, causing them to fluoresce.

Year 12 have been using Micro pipetting and gel electrophoresis techniques and will next week perform their own Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR) to make large numbers of copies of the gene of interest and gives them an authentic taste of Biotechnology.

         

    

Ms A Hanna

Head Teacher, Science

 

During COVID 19 Online learning Year 7 Visual Arts were challenged to create a sculpture using found objects. They used a variety of recycled parts from around their home during isolation. We heard of whole families being involved in this project.  When we returned to school our Art Department was greeted with over 200 sculptures filling our classrooms. We will be displaying some in the library over the next weeks and we will make sure to document this to share with our school community.

         

         

CAPA is sad about not being involved in all of the usual extra curricula activities due to social distancing but we hope to start our programs again when we are able to do it safely. However students are still participating in our adjusted learning spaces and producing excellent work, from Major HSC works to our junior classes learning new skills.

Ms J Almond

Relieving Head Teacher

Creative & Performing Arts

 

Vocational Education News

It’s great to have our students back in the classroom and learning all their practical skills in a face to face environment.   Some of the wonderful things happening in Vocational Education and Training this term.

Year 12 Construction students are working as a team, with their teacher Mr Johnson, to lay a small cement slab at the farm, as part of their assessment task.

Hospitality students are working hard on honing their barista skills.

Year 12 Primary Industries students are looking forward to their up-coming Tractor Training Day run by Ms Ready.

Two Year 12 students are working hard to complete their Specialisation study and gain their full Certificate III in Information and Digital Technology.

Mr Riorden’s Entertainment Industry class have been having a great time learning about the Analog Sound desk and how to set up a general PA system using two inputs as well as a laptop for the backing tracks (so they could sing along) and then the microphone for the singer. These then led to the outputs of the speakers to combine all the sound which the students had to balance to play to their audience. Every student learnt to bump-in and bump-out the equipment, set up the PA system and balance the mix. 

NESA have updated the requirements for our Year 11 work placement hours (due to COVID-19) and our current Year 11 cohort are now only required to undertake 35 hours of work placement over 2020/2021 in order to meet the course requirements.  Year 11 work placement can recommence in Term 3.

Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, many of the host employers are currently unable to take our students for work placement.  We are seeking suitable work placement hosts for our students in Business Services, Construction, Entertainment Industries, Hospitality and Primary Industries.  If you think you may have a suitable work place that would be willing to host a Menai High School student, please contact me at the school or via email lisa.blanche@det.nsw.edu.au

Ms L Blanche

Relieving Head Teacher VET