MERRYLANDS HIGH SCHOOL
Issue 5 Term 1 – April 2014
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` Bristol Street Merrylands 2160 Phone: 9632 9401 Fax: 9892 2704 www.merryland-h.schools.nsw.edu.au
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April 2014
Merrylands Maths in the Media Channel 7 and the ABC 7.30 Report explore the importance of mathematics and showcase our superb maths students and teachers.
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Visit the links below to watch the full stories http://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/video/watch/21615154/a-question-ofmaths/ http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2013/s3931960.htm
Maths was just one of the subjects in which our HSC class of 2013 truly excelled. Read all about the achievements of our talented students on page 6
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The parent teacher evening for Year 12 is on May 6th in the library. We look forward to seeing all Year 12 parents on the night.
Students Make a Splash at the Annual Swimming Carnival Merrylands High School again hosted our annual swimming carnival at Merrylands Pool in February. This event was a great chance for everyone to come together and have fun in the water, as well as to spend time bonding as a school community. The swimming carnival this year was another huge success. Students had a great time in the water participating in races, team activities, water sports and free swimming. While lots of students had fun in the water and others enjoyed a day in the sun with friends our VET Sports Coaching classes worked hard assisting staff in organising elements of the carnival. Once again the event was a great opportunity for the entire school community to get to know one another and set a wonderfully positive and collaborative tone for the year ahead.
Getting competitive in the water
Students enjoyed time with their school community
Merrylands High Celebrates Harmony Day By Chanse Te Hira On Friday the 21st of March, Merrylands High school hosted our annual Harmony Day event. It was a wonderful event to celebrate the different cultures in Merrylands High school and the wider community. The highlight of the event was a huge concert followed by a multicultural festival of food organised by the students and teachers. Students performed traditional dances and songs, served their local foods and dressed up in cultural costumes. Harmony day was a great opportunity to celebrate the diversity in our school and to learn about how our different backgrounds make us who we are, both as individuals and as a community.
Check out all the colour and costumes in the photo spread on pages 3 & 4 !
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Students Recognised for Their Outstanding Achievements By Zoe Fletcher, Lamis Saleh, Su Koyunlar & Courteney Beky (Year 8) In Term 4 2013, students, teachers, parents and special guests from the community gathered at Merrylands High School to acknowledge the achievements of our students in our annual academic and sporting presentations. Students proudly received awards, prizes and scholarships which commended them on their academic and sporting achievements.
Mr Paul Salkavich, Year 10 adviser, presenting his year group awards
Sarkis Ghattis and Phillip Brooks with their medals and plaques
Students showed off their rock music talents
Samantha Barnes from the Year 12 Dance class performs a classical dance routine
Lauren Bechara, Year 8, blows away the audience with her amazing performance
…and for some it was a last. Year 12 students perform for the final time at Merrylands High Mr Clarke opening another fantastic sports presentation
Nathan and Scott Manning together topped seven subjects. Nathan was also awarded the prestigious ‘Most Outstanding Student’ award. It’s no wonder their parents look so proud!
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Year 12 put the ‘Higher’ in the Higher School Certificate Through their hard work and dedication, as well as the commitment of their teachers and the support of their parents, Merrylands High school’s Year 12 of 2013 achieved outstanding results in their Higher School Certificate exams. Students achieved consistently high marks across all the subjects and this has translated to ATARs which has seen them gain entry to an exciting variety of university courses at a range of Universities. It has been wonderful to catch up with so many relaxed and smiling ex-students and to hear of their excitement as they continue to pursue their dreams. While so many students achieved impressive results, we especially acknowledge Eddie Sokolaj, Sarah Liendo, Mohammad Ebahimi and Jan Joseph who achieved ATARs over 90, and Phoenix Docker who not only achieved an ATAR over 97, but also placed 7th in the state in 2 unit Mathematics! Students were offered entry into an enormous variety of courses including Software Engineering, International Studies, Health Sciences, Tourism Management, Commerce, Nursing, Biotechnology, Policing and Journalism. We are incredibly proud of our year 12 cohort and congratulate them on their achievements. We wish them all the best for the future. Dean, Liz, Rusteem, Talal and Fadi. Just some of the HSC class of 2013 of whom we are extremely proud.
Merrylands Mock Trial Team On the Case Legal studies students from Merrylands High school put their skills to the test by participating in the Mock Trial program hosted by the Law Society of New South Wales. Students Shazia Nadan, Ebru Dik, Grace Harley, Moustafa Berjaoui, Gamze Firlayis, Luke Cicciarello represented Merrylands High school against Delaney College. While the visiting Magistrate found in their favour in the case they were defending, they were narrowly beaten in the competition score. Mock Trial is just another great example of the kinds of extra curricular activities Merrylands High encourages students to be a part of. The skills gained from participating in these programs are truly worthwhile. Ms Krunic is to be thanked for organising the team and all her hard work helping them prepare.
“Representing the Defense” The MHS Mock Trial Team.
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SRC - A Strong Voice for Student Wellbeing By Danny Di Quattro (Year 8) Merrylands High School’s student leaders have launched an exciting new initiative that encourages students to develop crucial interpersonal skills. The program will run throughout the entire year and will focus on building awareness of mental health issues and how to empathise with those who experience these difficult problems. The SRC will visit enrichment classes and run inclusive activities to explore these ideas, encouraging students to pitch in and overcome mental health issues together.
Students take control of the classroom: the SRC leading a discussion on empathy
Artists in Residence: Professionals in their field By Veronica Nicolich (Year 9) This year, Merrylands High is participating in an art program called AIR (Artist in Residence). On the 14th February, art students attended the official launch at the National Art School in Sydney where they met the three artists who will be teaching the students about their art style and art making processes. Students will have the opportunity to see a real life artist at work and mimic their artworks. We warmly thank the artists participating in AIR; Sarah Fordham, Jason Wing and Clarissa Regan. ‘I'm looking forward to working with Clarissa Regan’, said one of our students. ‘I also can't wait to work with Jason Wing!’ We are sure that the students will have fun participating in this art program and we are looking forward to seeing their collaborative artworks. You can follow the program by liking Artists in Residence at facebook.com/AIR
MHS Students Selected for AFL All Nationals Championship AFL NSW has offered two of our talented sports students, Zaid Bakhshi and Dedaar Bakhtiyar, an amazing opportunity to represent the AFL NSW team at the All Nationals Championship held in Coffs Harbour. An initiative of the AFL NSW Multicultural Program, this is a great opportunity for talented young sportspeople to play in diverse teams with people from all over the state. We congratulate Zaid and Dedaar on their amazing efforts, and we wish them all the best as they represent Merrylands High school at this exciting event.
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Students Visit the New South Wales Parliament By Sujata Punj (Year 12 Adviser) Two of our student leaders, Heba Niem and Rahul Ali, attended the student Leadership program on the 19th March, organised by the Parliamentary education system. It offered them the opportunity to develop their knowledge of constitutional and parliamentary proceedings and the role of the Governor. The students were addressed by Member of Parliament and the Minister for the Environment, Robyn Mary Parker. She spoke about her roles as an MP and Minister before hosting a question and answer session in which Heba and Rahul actively engaged. This event also provided them with a great opportunity to interact with student leaders from other schools. This was followed by a visit to the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council where the students viewed the proceedings from the public gallery.
Heba Niem and Rahul Ali meet Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir
The session finished with a visit to the Governor’s house where the students met with Her Excellency, Professor Marie Bashir, the Governor of New South Wales. In her address she described her role before answering the student’s questions. Students enjoyed afternoon tea at Government house and embraced the chance to speak personally to the governor. It was an immensely rewarding experience for our students and provided them with the opportunity to understand the responsibilities encompassed in different leadership roles. Students were encouraged to exercise their right to vote as an informed citizen of a democratic nation.
Paving the Pathway from Primary to High School On the 25th of February, Merrylands High School opened our doors to Year 3-6 students and their parents from local primary schools. The evening showcased Merrylands High School’s fantastic students, dedicated teachers, broad subject offerings, and modern, advanced facilities. As you can see below, many of our students enthusiastically volunteered to help out on the night to encourage the primary school students to get excited about high school life.
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The Big Dig Excursion The Year 11 Ancient History Class and members of the History Club were given the opportunity to visit The Big Dig located in The Rocks on Monday 17th March. The site contains remains from the late 18th century. The day consisted of looking at Archaeological evidence of early settlement as well as being given the chance to examine a number of artefacts. The students visited houses which are being preserved by the Sydney Harbour Trust to see how people lived in the 18th century. The students also attended a tutorial given by the Head Archaeologist of the Heritage Branch of the Department of Planning, Dr. Wayne Johnson. Our students were delighted to meet Dr. Johnson as he is an ex-student of Merrylands High School. As well as this important role, Dr Johnson has worked on a number of overseas archaeological excavations. These have included the excavation of 4,000 year old tombs in Bahrain and Jordan and most recently the 1000 year old remains of the city of Angkor in Cambodia.
Where Can Science Take You? By Saagar Goundar On the 25th of March Dr Melina Georgousakis, a guest scientist, came to speak to Merrylands High science students to tell them about exciting career opportunities in her field. Students learnt about how she finally decided on a career in science, and heard about her important and groundbreaking work in vaccinations, bacteria and health. This was a great opportunity for students to hear about where their studies can take them and to learn from successful people who were once students too.
Yr 7 on their exciting move to High School By Danny Di Quattro and Aidan Turner How are our new year 7 students finding the transition from primary school to high school? Merry Press reporters Danny Di Quattro and Aidan Turner took to the playground to find out. What differences have you noticed coming from primary school to high school?
Badar ‘You can make friends with people from all different grades’
Linda ‘You get to change around between classes and try new things’
Aesyah ‘Primary school was a lot easier, but I’m enjoying the challenge!’
Issue 5 Term 1 – April 2014
Merrylands TAFE Students in the Parramatta Sun
Chinese Language School at Merrylands High
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Issue 5 Term 1 – April 2014
P.C. Financial Services
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