23 minute read
Alex Glen-Holmes - Business Voice
BUSINESS VOICE
with ALEX GLEN-HOLMES
PRESIDENT PORT MACQUARIE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Happy New Year! Hope you have had a great start to the year. We have had so much happening at the Chamber and planning for our year ahead hoping to make 2022 a great year for all. In December we wrapped up the year with a Christmas Party held at Sovereign Place Town Centre. The Chamber working together and collaborating with the other Network Groups including The Chambers from both Wauchope and Camden Haven, Hastings Business Women’s Network, Greater Port Macquarie Tourism Association and The Micro Business Forum were able to present a cheque for $875 from proceeds raised on the evening to Jenny Watts from Bravehearts. This donation will help to educate 73 local children. We were also lucky enough on the night to be entertained by local up and coming talent Charlotte Schrader and wish her luck as she heads to France for 10 weeks to take up a scholarship she won. This year I am endeavouring to have a face to face coffee catch up with all of our members so that we can discuss your needs and how the Chamber can work with you, our local businesses, to support you so we can all support each other. The Chamber Executive meets bi-monthly with the Mayor and CEO at Council, and Quarterly with our State and Federal Members, so it is important that we are representing the needs of local businesses at these meetings. If there is an issue that you would like us to discuss on your behalf please contact either Mark at the Chamber offi ce on 6583 4412 or myself on 0414 772 771. Our job is to lobby all levels of government on your behalf so please engage with us so that they are aware of your needs, and I’m really looking forward to catching up with those of you I already know and meeting those that I haven’t met before. We have our fi rst Chamber breakfast for the year on 10th February where you get to breakfast with the animals at Billabong Zoo whilst we hear of lessons learned and putting plans in place for the year ahead. All welcome, please go to the website to register. We are excited to hold our black tie Coastline Credit Union Greater Port Macquarie 2021 Business Awards Gala Dinner on Saturday 19th February where we recognise the achievements of business. If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet please hurry as minimal seats are left. Either go to our website or call Katherine at the offi ce. We have a big year ahead of us with so many opportunities and lots planned. Apart from our regular monthly network events we will also be celebrating Small Business month in March where in partnership with the Greater Port Macquarie Tourism Association we will be hosting a Boardroom Lunch on 30th March with guest speaker Jon Dee who you will know from Sky News “Smart Money” and Planet Ark so keep your eye out for that one. Have a great February and remember: “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing you will be successful.” Albert Schweitzer
From the Principal — Mr Terry Muldoon At St Columba we will transform the lives of our students by offering the opportunities that will allow them to have lives of purpose, service and At St Columba we will transform the lives of our students by offering the opportunities that will allow them to have lives of purpose, service and engagement. The 2021 St Columba HSC Cohort has produced great results, even with the disruption and uncertainty caused by the COVID pandemic. The exceptional results they have achieved across such a wide range of subjects is a testament to their diverse interests and their capacity to enhance their natural talents through hard work. This group has shown that our students can, with great teaching and family support, overcome the “disadvantage” of living and studying in a regional area and produce results that rank among the very best in the state. We offer our heartfelt congratulations to each and every graduate and we are in awe of their proven capacity to face disruption and uncertainty with a positive attitude, a sense of camaraderie and a willingness to work to achieve their academic and career goals. We know that this is only the beginning of the success stories that these young people will be a part of in the future.
The 2021 St Columba HSC Cohort has produced great results, even with the disruption and uncertainty caused by the COVID pandemic.
The exceptional results they have achieved across such a wide range of subjects is a testament to their diverse interests and their capacity to
This group has shown that our students can, with great teaching and family support, overcome the “disadvantage” of living and studying in a
We offer our heartfelt congratulations to each and every graduate and we are in awe of their proven capacity to face disruption and uncertainty with a positive attitude, a sense of camaraderie and a willingness to work to achieve their academic and career goals.
We know that this is only the beginning of the success stories that these young people will be a part of in the future.
“Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievements of a difficult “Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievements of a difficult task that demanded our best.”
A message of congratulations from the Head of Secondary School — Mrs Emma Bylsma The School Council, Principal and staff of St Columba Anglican School wish to acknowledge the excellent Higher School Certificate results of the The School Council, Principal and staff of St Columba Anglican School wish to acknowledge the excellent Higher School Certificate results of the Class of 2021. The Class of 2021, our 15th Higher School Certificate candidature, have upheld the proud academic tradition of the School, building Class of 2021. The Class of 2021, our 15th Higher School Certificate candidature, have upheld the proud academic tradition of the School, building on the achievements of those who came before them. In 2021, we had 89 entries in the Distinguished Achievers list from 38 students. This year’s cohort achieved excellent results across a range of Higher In 2021, we had 89 entries in the Distinguished Achievers list from 38 students. This year’s cohort achieved excellent results across a range of Higher School Certificate subjects. Approximately 40% of student results appeared in the Distinguished Achievers List. Among these impressive results School Certificate subjects. Approximately 40% of student results appeared in the Distinguished Achievers List. Among these impressive results were Tait McIntyre in 7 subjects, Chloe Dowd and Matilda Lindeman in 6 subjects, and Naomi Reed, Ella Hosemans, Jinuki Senanayake and Thomas were Tait McIntyre in 7 subjects, Chloe Dowd and Matilda Lindeman in 6 subjects, and Naomi Reed, Ella Hosemans, Jinuki Senanayake and Thomas Crundwell in 5 subjects. These results saw SCAS rank 100th in the top 150 schools in the State. Some subject results of note include: 100% of Extension 1 and Extension 2 English students achieved in the top two Bands; 100% of Textiles and Some subject results of note include: 100% of Extension 1 and Extension 2 English students achieved in the top two Bands; 100% of Textiles and Design students achieved in the top two Bands; 100% of Visual Arts students achieved in the top two Bands; 100% of Construction students Design students achieved in the top two Bands; 100% of Visual Arts students achieved in the top two Bands; 100% of Construction students achieved in the top two Bands; 89% of English Advanced students achieved top two Bands; 83% of Software Design and Development students achieved in the top two Bands; 89% of English Advanced students achieved top two Bands; 83% of Software Design and Development students achieved in the top two Bands; 80% of Design and Technology students achieved in the top two Bands; 80% of Dance students achieved in the top achieved in the top two Bands; 80% of Design and Technology students achieved in the top two Bands; 80% of Dance students achieved in the top two Bands; 78% of Extension 1 Mathematics students achieved in the top two Bands; 75% of Extension 2 Mathematics students achieved in the top two Bands; 78% of Extension 1 Mathematics students achieved in the top two Bands; 75% of Extension 2 Mathematics students achieved in the top two Bands. Fantastic achievements from our Class of 2021.
A world of opportunities...
focus_interview
DARCY PRESS
Darcy Press has just completed his HSC, and a research project he did for his Science Extension class WAS ENTERED INTO THE SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF NSW YOUNG SCIENTISTS COMPETITION by his teacher. So he was both surprised and excited to hear that he had won NSW Rural Young Scientist of the Year!
YOUNG SCIENTIST
Hi Darcy. Can you introduce
yourself to our readers?
Hi my name is Darcy Press, I’m 18 years old and recently graduated year 12 from St Columba Anglican School. My hobbies include playing tennis, games with my friends, walking my two dogs and watching Marvel and anime shows.
You have recently completed your HSC, what were your favourite subjects you studied at school?
At school, I had the opportunity to elect my own HSC subjects, and my favourites were biology and physics, as I was deeply intrigued by these branches of science. I also enjoyed the science extension subject, which is a relatively new course, and engineering studies as they were both novel and interesting.
You did a Science Extension project, can you tell us a bit about it and why you chose this project?
As part of the science extension syllabus, I was required to complete an independent research project, spanning across all of year 12. Initially, we had to design our project and derive a research question which entailed a lot of research across many literature sources. I focused my research on biology and started looking for areas within this field that I could investigate. Eventually, after a lot of research, I narrowed down my research question to focus on the properties of essential oils, but more specifically their antimicrobial effects. After closer inspection of available literature, I identified a gap in data relating to the minimum bactericidal concentration value of tea tree oil, which is just one of many antimicrobial properties, and it became the focus of my
project: Determining the minimum bactericidal concentration of tea tree oil against Escherichia coli.
How did you feel about the project once it was completed? And what was your science teacher’s response to the completed project?
Towards the completion of my project, my research became a lot more stressful, as obtaining data from my results became more of a concern due to the possibility of further lockdowns, forcing me to return to remote learning. However, due to setbacks, my teacher and project supervisor provided an extended due date, which provided me with the necessary time to properly analyse the data and write up my report. On the day that it was due, I felt a major sense of accomplishment and relief once I submitted my report. My teacher’s response was that I should be proud of myself for submitting such a high quality report.
You submitted this project to the Science Teachers Association of NSW Young Scientists competition, how did you find out about this competition and what was the process of entering like?
My science extension research project was also entered into the Science Teachers Association of NSW Young Scientists competition by my teacher. We were informed that regardless of the outcome, we would all receive a certificate of participation for entering, so there was nothing to lose by doing so, and it would be interesting to see if any of the projects entered would win any awards. The
I had never administrative process expected to win required for entering such a prestigious this competition was all state-based award. I completed by my teacher, hadn’t even who alongside my considered the project, also submitted possibility of ever a lot of other students’ winning an award as projects that would end such so it was up receiving rewards for their efforts too. definitely a delightful How did you go in the surprise. What made competition? it even more It was during the rewarding was HSC exam period in looking back at where early November when I had started. I received an email stating that I would receive an award for this competition, and that my project was nominated to enter a national BHP engineering competition – which for me was amazing – and what made it even better was that I found this out an hour before my Advanced Maths HSC exam, which gave me a timely confidence boost and pick-me-up. I was informed that the online virtual award presentation, that I was going to be featured in, was on November 25th, where mine among many others would be recognised amongst a variety of different prize categories. I had only intended to tune into the livestream to watch my award, as I was busy studying for the HSC physics exam scheduled for the next day. They announced my award nomination – and hearing this brought about a sense of accomplishment as it was nice to be recognised for something for which a lot of time and effort was spent on. However, following on from this was the NSW primary and secondary rural young scientists awards so I decided to watch a little longer, curious about the projects that were submitted, and to my surprise I won NSW Rural Young Scientist of the Year. It was at this point that I ran downstairs and told my mum who also was thrilled and surprised to hear my news.
What was it like for you to be recognised in this way for your work?
Being recognised as the NSW Rural Young Scientist of the year and a semi-finalist in the national BHP science competition was amazing. I had never expected to win such a prestigious state-based award. I hadn’t even considered the possibility of ever winning an award as such so it was definitely a delightful surprise. What made it even more rewarding was looking back at where I had started my year of conducting research, beginning initially with uncertainty and not really knowing about what and how to research, and how I should start putting together a research plan, experimental proposal etc into action. Earlier science research projects that I conducted in year 8 and 10 were beneficial, however, the scale and depth of the year 12 project far exceeded these earlier projects. The opportunity to review available previous prize winning entries and note essential criteria to consider for my own submission, regardless of subject content, was very beneficial, along with obtaining access to up-to-date research papers.
What are some of your plans now that you have finished high school? Would you like to continue to work in the field of science outside of school?
As for my future career, I wish to continue to follow a science and engineering path. I have my mind set on becoming a biomedical engineer to help improve the lives of others. Now that I have finished high school, I plan to have a gap year and work before going off to university.
Congratulations CLASS OF 2021
ST AGNES’ CATHOLIC PARISH STUDENTS SHINE
Kashia McGrath | MacKillop College College Captain and Student of the Year Kashia McGrath is on top of the world after receiving her HSC results including first place in NSW for Studies of Religion 1 and tenth place in NSW for English Advanced. With an ATAR of 99.85 and achieving all Band 6 results Kashia is the 2021 MacKillop College Dux. Kashia is planning to pursue a degree in Medicine at University of NSW. Her advice is to put “100% into what you’re doing and then trust yourself”. Simon Meertens | MacKillop College
Achieving in the top two bands across all his subjects resulted in an impressive ATAR of 97.6 for Simon Meertens. Simon was particularly proud of his Mathematics Advanced mark of 95. Looking to continue to reach great heights Simon is looking forward to studying Aerospace Systems Engineering at the University of Newcastle in 2022. To help future Year 12 students Simon says “find a routine that works for you”. Alyssa Ishchenko | MacKillop College Congratulations to Alyssa Ishchenko who achieved fantastic HSC results. Alyssa was one of three students from MacKillop to achieve Band 6 results in every subject. Helping her to achieve an ATAR of 98.2 were her results in Mathematics Advanced of 94.6, English Advanced of 94.6 and 90 in Chemistry. Alyssa plans to undertake a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering at Newcastle University. Her advice to future students is to “make time for activities other than school”.
Top Achievers
Kashia McGrath 1st place Studies of Religion 1 and 10th place English Advanced Kimberley Palmer 4th place Mathematics Standard
All-Round Achievers
- Stephen Pares (St Agnes’ Parish Education)
First Place in Diocese
Hannah Freeman Chemistry, Mathematics Extension 1 and Studies of Religion 2 Mirren Campbell Dance Jadzia Stronell Drama, History Extension Ashley Ritterl Earth & Environmental Science, Geography Kashia McGrath English Advanced, Mathematics Extension 2, Physics, Studies of Religion 1 Abbey Cross Legal Studies Sophie Evans Legal Studies, Studies of Religion 2 Grace Kranitis Legal Studies Brody Styles Information Process & Technology and Software Design & Development Kimberley Palmer Legal Studies, Mathematics Standard 2 Gretel Worner History Extension Marie Tessede French Continuers Isaiah Tay Japanese Beginners Ebony Darcy Business Studies Blake Stainforth Design and Technology Alexander Byrne Engineering Studies Luka Marshall Food Technology
...on outstanding results in the NSW Higher School Certificate
ST AGNES’ CATHOLIC PARISH STUDENTS SHINE
Hannah Freeman | St Joseph’s Regional College
St Joseph’s Regional College is very proud of the achievements of its Dux of 2021 Hannah Freeman who achieved an ATAR of 98.90. Hannah was recognised on the HSC All-rounder list and achieved Band 6 results in 2unit Biology, Chemistry, English Advanced, Studies of Religion, Mathematics Advanced & Mathematics Extension 1. In 2022 Hannah plans to study a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Medical Science) at the University of Sydney.
Kashia McGrath ----------99.85 Hannah Freeman --------98.90 Kimberley Palmer--------98.25 Alyssa Ishchenko---------98.20 Mirren Campbell---------98.05 Sophie Evans --------------98.05 Simon Meertens ---------97.60 Hugh Robertson----------97.40 Ayaan Sharma ------------97.20 Chloe Eichmann----------97.00 Jadzia Stronell-------------96.10 Marie Tessede ------------96.05 Estelle Cassegrain -------95.70 Joe Lewis --------------------95.45 Samuel Cramer-----------95.35 Grace Kranitis -------------95.20 Ebony Darcy ---------------94.95 Gretel Worner-------------94.65 Jared Humphreys --------94.60 Jaidyn Rossiter ------------94.60 Abbey Cross ---------------94.55 Sarah Hatherly------------94.40 Jordon Hatch --------------94.30 Benjamin O’Brien --------94.15 Isaiah Tay -------------------94.05 Emma Howle --------------93.90 Emily Currey ---------------93.60 Ella Handley----------------93.45 Jessica Hamel--------------93.10 Alexander Byrne ---------93.00
Chloe Eichmann | St Joseph’s Regional College
St Joseph’s Regional College wishes to congratulate Chloe Eichmann who was runner up to Dux in 2021 with an ATAR of 97.00. Chloe received Band 6 results in English Advanced, Mathematics Advanced, Personal Development, Health and Physical Education and Studies of Religion 2 unit, as well as a Band 5 in Chemistry. In 2022 Chloe intends to study either a Bachelor of Physiotherapy or a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy.
HIGH ATARS
Estelle Cassegrain | St Joseph’s Regional College
Congratulations to Estelle Cassegrain who received an outstanding ATAR result of 95.70. Estelle received Band 6 results in English Advanced, Mathematics Advanced, Modern History and Studies of Religion 2 unit as well as a Band 5 in Chemistry. In 2022 Estelle intends to commence a Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney.
Timothy Kobelke ---------92.45 Katrina Spurway----------92.25 Phoebe Bentley-----------92.20 Luke Temple---------------92.00 Isabelle Champion ------91.85 Madison Cutajar ---------91.85 Ashley Ritter ---------------91.55 Abigail Gammon ---------91.35 Chelsea Arnold -----------91.00 Jessica Ismay --------------91.00 Skye Lucey------------------90.60 Luke Wheate --------------90.50 Connor Warneken-------90.35 Hugh Penson--------------90.00
CAMPUS
CONVERSATIONS
with KATE WOOD-FOYE
FROM CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY
Dr Jason Howarth is passionate about all things IT, from programming code, so ware development, cyber security and artifi cial intelligence. As Course Director and Senior Lecturer in the School of Maths and Computing he is challenging the next generation of Information Technologists to make their mark in a booming global tech industry.
What started your journey
and passion in IT?
I learned to program using Basic in the mid1980s and was immediately attracted to problem solving using digital logic! Since then, I have learned many other programming languages, including C++, Prolog, Java and C#. It wasn’t long before I was teaching others, fi rst as a tutor and then as an IT academic. Even after 20 years I still get a thrill when students grasp the logic and syntax of programming, and then start applying it to create innovative solutions to automate something! In early 2003 I shared this passion through my role as an IT academic working on many IT projects that use the Internet to improve access to online education. Other key projects included time with multinational education provider Prometric to write software to create and deploy online exams across their worldwide testing centre network. I have also worked on large-scale distributed software applications and a distributed software debugger that reconstructs the sequence of actions performed by hundreds of networked computers working together across the globe to perform computationally complex tasks.
The Bachelor of IT is offered face to face on-campus at Port Macquarie. What makes it unique?
Our Bachelor of IT is accredited by the Australian Computer Society at the professional level. It teaches the foundational skills needed by an IT professional, including programming, networking, database design, and project management. Students also branch out to specialise in areas such as cyber security, software and web development, and network engineering. The course can be studied oncampus in Port Macquarie, with options for both on-campus and online tuition. It is a three-year full-time course. We really focus on the practical aspects in this course. We have a 25-seat computer lab that contains our own desktops, server, and networking equipment. Students use this lab to hone their skills and put in practice what they’ve learned. Students also get work experience for their specialist area. So they aren’t graduating with just a degree. They are also graduating with hands-on experience, which is great for their resume and for securing their next job in the industry.
BIT graduates land diverse and interesting roles all over Australia and the world. What careers can graduates go on to enjoy and how can they make a difference?
Our IT degree aligns with today’s exciting and in-demand areas in technology. This includes specialisations in network engineering, cyber security, software and web development, and artifi cial intelligence. Disciplines with career prospects for graduates that can make a difference across a range of important industries. For example, a cyber security specialist can forge a career in government, large and small business, defence, dedicated security fi rms, or even in their own start-up! This is what’s so inspiring about IT: your skills can be deployed just about anywhere.
The University has recently partnered with global tech fi rm Axiom Connected, headquartered on the Port Macquarie campus, connecting IT students and researchers. Tell us about this and why a strong industry connection and the Axiom co-location is important to BIT graduates?
Partnerships between tech companies and academia are an important part of the industry landscape. We are so pleased that Axiom Connected have a presence on the Port Macquarie campus. We plan to work closely with them in the delivery and direction of our courses. This partnership will provide students with highquality work placement, internship, and ongoing employment opportunities. It also benefi ts Axiom Connected as they have on-campus access to a range of high-quality graduates as prospective employees.
BIT graduates are in demand – what do you see as the most exciting opportunity?
During my time as an academic, I have never had so many employers looking for graduates. There are career opportunities in government, multinationals, even in SMEs. Students with an IT degree and industry experience are snapped up quickly! Increasingly employers want graduates with cyber security, artifi cial intelligence, and web development skills, which has been accelerated by Covid-19 and remote working – the opportunities are almost endless.
https://study.csu.edu.au/courses/technologycomputing-maths/bachelor-information-technology
Multisports Social Comp
Starts Back: Thursday 10th February 2022 Mixed competition When: every Thursday between 5.509.15pm Team Registration: $100 Team Game Fee: $60 each week
Call 6583 2501 or info@portstadium.com.au Volleyball Social Comp
Starts Back: Tuesday 15th February 2022 Mixed competition When: every Tuesday between 6pm-9pm Team Registration: $100 Team Game Fee: $50 each week
Call 6583 2501 or info@portstadium.com.au Badminton
Starts Back: Tuesday 4th January 2022 Social: Tuesday 5pm-7.15pm and Fridays 6pm-8pm Seniors: Fridays 9.15-11.15am (from 4th February) Costs: Adults $10 + Seniors / Students $7 Equipment Supplied, No Partner Required
Call 6583 2501 or info@portstadium.com.au School Holiday Program
Dates: These are conducted each School Holidays Costs: $30-$40 depending on number of days Hours: 8.30am-5pm Age: Primary School Age Lot of activities to keep the kids amused
www.sprocketsportmacquarie.com.au
Eastcoast Futsal
Starts Back: Juniors – Monday 7th February Mixed – Tuesday 8th February Seniors – Wednesday 9th February
Starts Back: Monday 14th Feb (14’s and 16’s) Wednesday 16th Feb (18’s and Senior Men/Women) Thursday 17th Feb (Aussie Hoops) Friday 18th Feb (10’s and 12’s)
portmacquariebasketball@gmail. com or www.portmacquarie. basketball.net.au Sprockets
Starts Back: Monday 7th February 2022 Sprockets is a Multisport Program for children aged 5 years and under Sensory Program for children aged 3 -18 months
fun@sprocketsportmacquarie. com.au or www.sprockets portmacquarie.com Port Macquarie Gymnastics Club
Starts Back: Tuesday 1st February 2022 Classes for all ages including pre-school Kindy Gym, Pre-Levels, Teen Gym, Competitive WAG & MAG Programs
Starts Back: Monday 24th January 2022 Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Performance Programs Kindy & Junior Combo Classes, Dance Acro, Twinkle Toes, Mini Movers, Kindy Gym
Call 6583 3753 or admin@pmperformingarts.com
Phone 6583 2501 info@portstadium.com.au
