MISSING LINK TERM 4 2014
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT As we come to the end of one of our most successful years, I would like to celebrate our successes and reflect on the changes that face us for 2015. Celebrations Congratulations to all the students whose achievements have made our school one of the best in NSW. Many of these students are included in the following pages so I will just mention Felipe Zapata Castro who was recognised as the most outstanding CHS athlete of the year in 2014, Mark Torzar who won a CHS blue for volleyball and Rachelle Rativo who represented the school in debating at a state level. Congratulations to our school's musical production team. This year the students wrote, staged, performed and directed the production Broken with great support from Ms. Scerri and Mr. Kenny. Congratulations to the 55% of students in Years 7-10 who improved their grade point average between first and second semester.
Congratulations to our teachers, especially the literacy leaders in lifting student skills and capabilities in reading, writing and thinking. The shift that has occurred in what our students can do is "significant". That means we have measured the change and our students are learning better, faster and with more confidence as a result of the program. I would like to make special thanks to Ms. Short and her team for creating and delivering such an innovative program. Congratulations to our Deputy Principal, Ms. Mattimore for her leadership of the Social Ventures Australia project, a project that will fund even more innovation in student learning in the next few years. Students can look forward to having sophisticated electronic portfolios to use for university, training and employment applications that they will create themselves. The portfolios will record, in multimedia format the skills, capabilities and dispositions students demonstrate to show they understand themselves as learners.
(CC continued) Congratulations to Ms. Loucos, Mrs. Harvey and the administrative team of the school for successfully managing to introduce the Learning Management Business Review software into the school. This has been an enormous task and, from the reports of parents and c o m m u n i t y, w e h a v e s t i l l maintained our focus on personalised customer service. More than 3000 parent contacts have been handled this year. Congratulations to Mr. Pesle, our Head Teachers, our consultants and all our teachers for transforming our programming approaches during 2014. And last, but certainly not least, congratulations to Mr. Langfield and his team who have designed and implemented our BYOD (bring your own device) program for 2015. From 2015 we will be digital learners in new and very different ways. We expect that 80% of Year 7 and up to 60% of Years 8-10 will start the year with a computer for learning. This would not have happened without the support and trust of the community and the leadership of the school's parents, especially the parents on the P&C and School Council, in making this happen. Farewells It is always sad at the end of a school year to say farewell to staff, students and families who have been part of our school. We have already said farewell to Year 12 2014 but know many of them will keep in touch with teachers and each other especially as the HSC results will be released on Wednesday 19 December.
 We also have a number of students moving, changing schools and
leaving for employment or traineeships. We wish them well. A sad farewell On Tuesday 9 December several hundred people, including those from Year 12 2013, staff, team mates and many current families said farewell to Brett Hoban at his funeral. After battling serious heart disease since his birth, Brett died suddenly of heart complications, aged just 18. As all the tributes said, Brett's heart may have been physically damaged but his spiritual heart was huge and he made friends wherever he went. He had to stop playing footy at school and "became the best water boy/trainer" the school had ever had. Our deepest sympathies are with his family and close friends. Staff farewells Due to some changes in our staffing for 2015, we are saying farewell to some highly valued temporary staff who may work with us again in the future. Best wishes go to Connie Tomagra, Heather Byrne, Rovindra Deo, Alice Kulbat, Deborah Aiiloilo Tori-lee Rylewski and Grace Hamilton. Mrs. Kay, Mrs. Tapuska, Mr. Hull and Ms. Loucos will be on leave next year and we hope they enjoy their family, study and travel time. We also want to say farewell to our long serving School Learning Support Officer, Leeanne Newton who has accepted a transfer to work with special needs students at Niland SSP for next year. Her calm, positive attitude will be missed and we wish her every success in her new career path. Farewell Andrew Pesle Our final farewell is to Andrew Pesle, who has been a member of the school's executive since 2006, first as Head Teacher PDHPE and
then, from 2011 as Deputy Principal. Andrew thought he was leaving in September and said many farewells then. He then returned until his substantive appointment as Deputy Principal at Toronto HS was finalised. Mr. Pesle has been a wonderful l e a d e r, d r i v i n g c o m m u n i t y programs such as SALSA, leading the executive's use of high level data, improvements in programming and curriculum. He has made life long friends among students, staff and the community who will remember his 8 years in their "school" lives as having made a big impact.
In particular Mr. Pesle has been a friend as well as colleague to Ms. Mattimore and they have been an excellent team supporting the work of the school through a period of rapid change and innovation. As principal, I note that they have made our plans reality and I wish Mr. Pesle every success as he and his family make this big change in their own lives. A Final Word As this report shows, we do not know what we can achieve until we try. We do not know how long we will have to influence the life of a school. We do know that it is our efforts and persistence that make the difference every day.
We will recognise over 2000 achievements at presentation assemblies this week that tell us how well we have done. Congratulations Rooty Hill HS. Please have a safe, happy and
healthy holiday break and my best wishes of the season to all of you.

Christine Cawsey AM
Felipe Zapata-Castro represented Sydney West at the NSW CHS Regional Carnival held at Blacktown in 2014. His performances gained him selection into the NSW CHS 2’s squad to compete at the NSW All Schools Tournament.
Championships; an award for most goals scored. His performances were recognised by the Australian School Boy selectors as he was named into the Australian School Boys representative squad to tour the UK in January 2015. Felipe was also bestowed the honour of being awarded a prestigious NSW CHS Sporting Blue. He was also awarded the Val Lembit Memorial Award as the Premier Athlete in NSW CHS. These awards place Felipe at the pinnacle of school sport in NSW.
At the NSW All Schools Tournament, Felipe’s efforts assisted the CHS 2’s in finishing equal 1st position only to be relegated to 2nd on goal difference. His performances were significant enough that he catapulted past NSW CHS 1’s representatives and gained a position into the NSW All Schools squad.
At the School Sport Australia National Championships, Felipe’s performances were dominant and as such, he played an integral role in the success of NSW regaining the Australian Championship from the ACT. In one game alone, he walked away with 4 goals. This effort combined with his other goals during other fixtures resulted in Felipe being awarded the Golden Boot Award for the
Farewell Mr. Pesle It is certainly with mixed emotions that I have accepted a position as Deputy Principal at Toronto High School. Having lived our entire lives in the Penrith area it is with a great sense of excitement that my wife and I embark on this adventure with our two young children. Making this decision has given me time to reflect on my time at RHHS. I was appointed in 2006 as Head Teacher PDHPE and was fortunate to work alongside the most dedicated and passionate faculty of teachers I have ever worked with. They constantly seek ways to create opportunities for students and their professional approach to delivering the highest quality Health and Physical Education programs has ensured that students are exposed to quality teaching that increases their level of learning and achievement. In 2011 I was appointed Deputy Principal and I consider working alongside Christine Cawsey and Conny Mattimore as the highlight of my career. Both of these women have shaped my philosophy on what it means to be
an educator in our great system and I know that the lessons learned in my three years as a deputy principal at RHHS will have an eternal effect on my approach to education. There are three groups of people that I wish to extend my gratitude to: 1. Staff - The RHHS community are lucky to have such a hard working group of professionals that continually explore smarter ways of teaching students. It has been a absolute privilege to work with such a large group of teachers and SASS (School Administrative Support Staff) that are so passionate about what they do. 2. Parents - Thank you for trusting me to work with your children. The role of a deputy principal is difficult to say the least and it is made so much easier at RHHS because of the fabulous parents who enable the deputies to 'get on with the job' of providing the best educational setting possible for your children. 3. Students - Above all else, I will miss the students most. I can only hope that throughout my career I get to work with students as friendly and genuine and willing to learn as the ones at RHHS. There aren’t not many jobs where on a daily basis you get to interact with so many young people and be in the privileged position of being able to make an impact on these
unique individuals. It has been overwhelming to receive so many acknowledgements and well
wishes from students, staff and parents. I will forever cherish my time as deputy principal at Rooty Hill and I will look back on my time with the fondest of memories. Yours sincerely,
Andrew Pesle
JUNIOR SCHOOL Year 7 2015 Early Intervention Program Eighteen Year 6 Students were given the opportunity to be involved in the Early Intervention Program. These students attended a range of classes, and were able to work closely with staff in the Learning Centre and Rooty Hill High School Senior Leaders. Orientation Days We welcomed our Year 7 2015 cohort to Rooty Hill High School this term. Students were able to experience a day as a high school student, and get a glimpse into the wide variety of subjects Rooty Hill High School has to offer. All students were demonstrating that they were able to uphold the PERSIST values.
Sports Gala Day The 6 into 7 Sports Gala Day is always a huge success and one that students look back on fondly. 150 of our newest Rooty Hill High School students travelled to Blacktown Leisure Centre, Stanhope where they played Basketball, Soccer, Table Tennis, and Lawn Bowls as well as swam in the wave pool and conquered the aquatic obstacle course.
Year 7 It was a very creative term for Year 7 where they consistently displayed the PERSIST values and
participated in many areas of school life.
A number of students were involved in the PERSIST Program that ran over 5 weeks and was aimed at developing leadership and communication skills. All Year 7 students participated in the Swim School program during Week 10. Students learned valuable water safety strategies and techniques, and also celebrated the end of the year with some fun at the two day program. Year 8 Year 8 have taken part in the Onwards and Upwards program learning about Tertiary Education and the importance and value of undertaking a career you love and are passionate about. They were also given information on what courses and opportunities are available to them and reminded that University is for anyone and everyone. Year 9 Term 4 for year 9 was once again a busy term. Throughout the term there was the continuation of the LEAPS (Lawyers Encouraging and Assisting Promising Students) Program and the culmination of all the effort out in by the students and their mentors with the Graduation evening celebrating the skills learnt and achievements of the students over the program which has spanned the year.
In week 7 and again in week 9, all of year 9 students were provided with a fantastic opportunity to help prepare them for senior school by participating in the "We are Successful Seniors" program. The program comprises various lessons designed to enhance literacy and numeracy in a fun and engaging way. This is the first time the school has provided such an opportunity to year 9 and we look forward to assessing the value added to students as they manage the literacy and numeracy demands of the senior school next year. A Beacon High Impact excursion was also on offer this term. 22 Students from year 9 were selected to attend a special seminar where students were able to learn about workplace issues and networking to benefit them as they start to become work-ready. This is a timely opportunity for many year 9 students starting or contemplating work. Being a reporting term, year 7, 8 and 9 have also been involved once again in Personalised Learning Week where each student is interviewed to review their achievements and set goals for the next semester. Students always embrace this opportunity to discuss and challenges and areas where they could utilise some additional support with their learning.
SENIOR SCHOOL Year 10 Year 10 Class Championships Over the past term Year 10 PE classes have been competing in the Class Championships to find out who is the superior class. The classes competed in a range of sports including Gridiron, Softball, European Handball, Basketball, Volleyball and Soccer. The competition was fierce, the participation from students was excellent and the skills on display were outstanding. At the time of printing Ms Andrews’ Raptors and Ms Munzie’s Bulls were on top of the leader board.
Year 11/12 – 2014/15 What a full on year it has been for Year 11 students! 2014 has been jam-packed with brand new classes, assessments, projects, programs, excursions – just to name a few! It has been absolutely amazing to see just how much each Year 11 student has grown over the course of the year and I feel honoured to call myself their Year Adviser. Term 4 also marked a significant moment for all Year 11 students – their transition into Year 12! This term, all students have been working hard in their classes,
learning content that can be assessed in their HSC. The Year 11 Report Assembly, which occurred in Week 5 of this term, celebrated the achievements of the students, both in class and out, as well as welcomed them as the New Year 12 for Rooty Hill High School. All students also received their yearly academic reports at this assembly. These reports are a significant milestone for all Year 12 and a valuable tool for all students! I encourage each Year 12 student to reflect on their progress in year 11 but more importantly think about their next step and they get closer towards finishing their high school education.
Certificate examinations this term and are now eagerly awaiting their final results. It was a tough 4 weeks but all students are confident that they have put in their best effort and hope to move on successfully into post high school life. Their collective successes over the last 6 years at Rooty Hill High School were celebrated at the Year 12 Formal which was held at the Novotel, Norwest on November 2 0 . Wi t h o v e r 4 0 s t a ff i n attendance it was a great night to farewell Year 12 students and wish them well for the future.
With less than one year left before Year 12 graduate, I would once again like to congratulate each and every one of the young men and women in the year group. Congratulations on a fantastic year! Congratulations on your achievements, successes, hard work and dedication towards your studies! And most importantly, thank you for your continued persistence in upholding the Rooty Hill High School values. Have a safe, relaxing and enjoyable holiday and I look forward to seeing you all back in school on January 28, 2015! Mr M. Singh Year 12 Year Adviser
Year 12 – 2013/14 Year 12 students successfully completed the Higher School
We would like to congratulate the Year 12 class of 2014 and we look forward to hearing about all their future successes.
LEARNING SUPPORT PACTS Project Empowering Parents The PACTS (Parents As Career Transition Support) workshop continued to inspire parents this term. Following hugely successful workshops in Terms 2 and 3, Mrs. Camillos and Mrs. Marchich again spent time discussing career related issues and providing suggestions as to what parents can do to improve the future hopes of their children.
was to develop numeracy and problem solving abilities. These students worked well as a group, explaining their ideas and learning from each other. Congratulations to Caitlyn Byrne, Maddison Camilleri, Nita Jennings, Hassanatu Kamara, Harsha Kumar, Cailtin Mc Innes, Sarah Mendoza, Amelia Taufa, Adrian Buckley, Ryan Camden, Damon Cornock, Cameron Eccles, Dylan Foreman, Ronan Graham, Joshua Laus, Jake Manuhuia and Blake Speed who participated.
SRC World Vision presented Rooty Hill High School with an appreciation award for our efforts in the 2014 40HR famine. By working together RHHS raised an impressive $3799 for the 40 HR famine. Ms Cawsey and our SRC Representatives, Clare Da Silva and Angus Shephard (picture below), accepted this award on behalf of the school and the SRC from Simon Binns, our World Vision Representative.
We look forward to meeting more parents at the next workshop, which will be held in Term 1 of 2015. Sydney Writers Festival On Thursday November 27 Russ the Story Bus and four Western Sydney Wanderer ’s players arrived at our school as part of the Sydney Writers Festival. Students were thrilled to be able to exchange an old, well read book for something new and unread. We hope Russ will visit again in 2015.
Nailing Numeracy The Nailing Numeracy Program was held weekly in the Learning Centre for groups of Year 9 students earlier this year. The aim
On Friday November 21 the SRC contributed to the success of Sustainability Day, by holding a cupcake stall at recess and lunch and raised $111 for this event.
The following Year 8 students have had a positive start to the program this term and will continue with the program in 2015: Judah Tirados, Renee Panis, Angel-Lea Brown, Memphis Carroll, Mirae Hemi, Drew Hurley, Jackson Overton, Benjamin Boyle England, Brett Smith, Anneka Shankar, Darren Balbin, Byron Lloyd, Raelyn Villegas, Tynae Jones, JemmaLee Butler, Ryan O’Regan, Joshua McMahon and Marion Schroeder. Well done to all these students.
National Young Leaders Day Our Senior Leadership Team enjoyed being amongst the 6,000 students across New South Wales who attended The National Young Leaders Day at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre on Friday November 21. The event was hosted by the Halogen Foundation whose mission is to inspire and influence young people to lead themselves and others well. Students were able to obtain some invaluable insights on how they can start leading in their school and community. Students also engaged in conversation with a panel of social entrepreneurs who shared practical tips.
CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS Visual Arts Year 8 has been feverishly painting and drawing portraits of an array of people showing the full gamut of emotions. They have used and explored various materials and methods to produce an impressive portfolio of portraits. Mae Limbaco, Rae Bermudez, Tarryn Cooke, Crystal Bandel, Morwarid Faiz, Jye JonesSingelton and Abby Giles of Year 8 are just a few examples of students who have created outstanding artworks this semester.
Sustainability Day Concert Year 7 and Year 10 elective music students experienced heat wave temperatures for their outdoor concert celebrating Sustainability Day.
Year 10 students rehearsed small ensemble performances for the concert as part of their stage 5 Music course. This was the first time many of the students had performed in public and the large audience were enthusiastic and supportive.
The concert MC was Mr Price and Year 12 Entertainment Industries students lead by Mr Diaz managed the stage and sound.
Resident rap artist Azad Aghdar performed Infinite with drums and bass played by Seuga Pula and Andrew Rasmussen. Annie Pese trained younger singers Lisia Mafi and Ngaloafe Pese to sing the beautiful Tattooed Heart, which she accompanied on piano. Lisia Mafi and Zach Laufili sang the lead vocals in the reggae hit I’m in Love accompanied by Seuga Pula on drums.
Students from 7A, 7E and 7F sang Yothu Yindi’s Djapana (Sunset Dreaming) and Treaty to start the concert. Mr Kenny and Year 10 students accompanied the songs.
Highlights of the concert included two girl groups. Krystal Dodds, Mari Cayabyab, Daniella Delfin and Kopal Gupta singing Just the Way You Are and Maelody Gevero, Jacqueline Olino, Victoria San, Havanah Hannon sang Geronimo accompanied by Jennifer Borbon, Alan Tuigamala and Philip Fuiava. Tyler Hopkinson’s solo item Lies of Love and his passionate duet with Gabrielle O’Neill Let the Flames Begin was enthusiastically received as was duet performance of I Miss You sung by Jodie Corrigan and Mattise Canty. Noa Mafi, Joshua Deo, Ifo Sam Fono, Czarina Segui and Daniella Delfin performed their own version of Lay Me Down.
The concert concluded with the upbeat hit Hey Ya performed by the expanded Year 10 Sensation Band with Andrew, Seuga Pula, Philip Fuiava, Will Carroll, Alex To g a g a e a n d S o a k i m i Veamatahau. All students that were involved in the success of this concert are to be congratulated for their fortitude and perseverance. Well done RHHS!
Mrs Chaudhry and Mr Lockard’s Technology Mandatory Students have just completed their assessment tasks and now are experiencing foods from around the world. (Picture: John Marcos with his healthy eating snack).
TAS 3D Printing has now arrived in TAS. Students in TAS now have the opportunity to build design projects and utilised the new 3D Printers. It is anticipated that all class will be able to plan, design and produce a product on the 3D Printers. Orientation Day Future RHHS Students were able to participate in orientation lessons i n TA S . Vi s i t i n g s t u d e n t s participated in Food Technology classes with Mr Hickey and Mrs Chaudhry and were one of the first groups to use the new 3D printers with Mr Buhagiar in the TAS Technology room.
Year 10 Food Technology students have been planning and preparing celebration cakes as part of their final assessment tasks. (Picture below: Vuong Tran)
After many hours of designing and redesigning their Robot Warriors M r B u h a g i a r ’ s Ye a r 1 0 Engineering class are now testing their robots in the arena.
Mr Jacksons Utopia Model Making Classes have now completed their Design Solutions. Students have been focusing on the Built Environment and the sustainable use of resources for the future. (Picture in column 2: Mr Jackson with class TAS 8.8)
Mr Buhagiar ’s Metals class a s s i s t e d b y M r K u m a r ’s Construction class have designed and installed seating in the school grounds.
Year 12 Hospitality students have been busy working towards completing their cluster task while other students in Hospitality have been designing and preparing food items for functions and events such as marshmallow and chocolate Chrsitmas trees .
SCIENCE Year 7 This term Year 7 students have been studying ecology. As part of their project for this unit was a trip to Nurragingy where the students observed the interaction of organisms within an ecosystem. A great fun day was had by all students and staff that attended. Well done Year 7.
of the “We are successful seniors program”, and are learning about the techniques that are used by experts to identify perpetrators of crime. Congratulations on the great work done Year 9, we anticipate an influx of students enrolling into Forensic Science degrees at University in the year 2018! On Tuesday November 4 Katherine Khov received the prestigious Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute Science Award for outstanding achievement in Senior Science. Katherine was presented with her award by the Mayor of Blacktown, Councillor Stephen Bali. Congratulations Katherine, well done! Year 10 Year 10 students spent this term planning and conducting experiments for display at the Rooty Hill high School annual Science Fair. This year’s Science Fair was a great success with students from Years 7 to 9, and the Executive staff attending and talking to the year 10 students about their fascinating projects. Excellent work on your projects Year 10, well done!
Year 8 Year 8 students completed the ESSA Online Exam this term. It was the first time these students had sat an exam for Science that was entirely online. The exam ran smoothly with the students using the new Google Chrome books. Congratulations Year 8.
Year 9 This term Year 9 have become Crime Scene Investigators, as part
PDHPE This last term of the year has been yet another extremely busy one for PDHPE staff and students. Year 10 Class Championships Over the past term Year 10 have been competing in the Class Championships to find out who is the superior class. The classes competed in a range of sports including Gridiron, Softball, European Handball, Basketball, Volleyball and Soccer. The competition was fierce, the participation was excellent and the skills on display were outstanding. At the time of printing Ms Andrews’ Raptors and Ms Munzie’s Bulls were on top of the leader board.
My Canteen Rules The Year 10 SALSA (Students As Lifestyle Activists) leaders were sent a challenge to design, cook and promote a healthy canteen item. In groups of 5 they set about brainstorming their ideas whilst gaining a deeper understanding of the guidelines included in the Healthy Canteen Policy. Each group was then set the task to cook their dish and present it to representatives from the school canteen, Western Sydney Area Health and Mr Pesle. After that process their peers had an opportunity to vote for the item they would like to see on the canteen menu. The winning dish was a Shepherd’s Pie made with lean
mince and topped with a Cauliflower mash. That item is now on sale at Rooty Hill High School’s and Blacktown Girls High School’s canteen. Congratulations to Emma Jurd, Shanyce Attard, Madeline Romero, Jade Lovatt and Brittany Menolotto (picture below) for winning the first ever My Canteen Rules Competition.
Swim School Swim school is an excellent opportunity for Year 7 students to develop their water safety skills to not only be safe at Wet and Wild but to give them the life-long skills needed to enjoy aquatic environments. If you have any questions r e g a r d i n g y o u r c h i l d ’s involvement in Swim School please contact Mr Mondinos or Mr Hay. B’ball Brekky This term saw the final of the 2014 B’ball and Brekky competition. After two terms of competition, it came down to the Dudez and Triplets +1 for the Division 2 final, and the F’natics versus the Habibs in the Division 1 competition. Both finals were played with a competitive and fun
attitude, encouraged by an excellent showing of support from the rest of the competition. Our champions for the 2014 B’ball and Brekky competition were the Triplets + 1 and the Habibs. Second and third place for the Division 2 competition were the Dudez and the Hawks. With the runners up and third place for the Division 1 competition going to the F’natics and the Taco Truck Crew (TTC).
Hayzenberger Cup Mr Hay and Ms Munzie’s Year 10 PASS classes competed for the Hayzenberger Cup on 28 October. After a gruelling day of sports the title was awarded to Mr Hay and his class. Congratulations to all competitors for displaying outstanding sportsmanship and teamwork throughout the day.
Year 10 Surf Camp As a reward for two years of outstanding commitment Year 10 PASS students attended a Surf Camp this term held at Manly Beach. Everybody went outside their comfort zone and showed excellent persistence to eventually stand up. We could have the next Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson in Dylan Marshall and Kenny Tran.
ABORIGINAL EDUCATION AFL Indigenous Academy The AFL Indigenous Academy have wrapped up a busy year with a hip hop program with guest Jye Pittman as a highlight.
Rooty Hill High School would like to extend a special acknowledgement and thank you to Academies Coordinator: Luke Penrith who is moving on from the Academy to a new role. Luke has been pivotal in guiding the school’s partnership with the AFL Indigenous Academy and supporting our students and school ventures in Aboriginal Education. We wish Luke all the best in his new role.
Also, Thank you to Matthew Keevil and Merinda Beale for all of their work with us this year. AIME The Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) had their graduation for 9 & 10
this term at the end of October. Students have had the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and cultural pride with other schools in the Western Sydney Outreach program at the University of Sydney. We thank AIME and especially, p r o g r a m m a n a g e r- H a n n a h Cheeseman for the continued support of our students this year. C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s t o Ye a r 9 students: Nathan Field, Nita Jennings, Erika Simpson, Leroy Jones and Tyler Hopkinson for 100% attendance in the AIME program.
Aboriginal Dance Company Congratulations to Year 8 student Kyle Pont who has been working hard in rehearsals and official performances with the Aboriginal Dance Company. The highlight of this was the 2014 Schools Spectacular on November 28-29. A special mention must go to Kyle for being one of the youngest members of this group and managing catch up work for school studies effectively with his busy rehearsal schedule. Pre-program success at UNSW through Indigenous pathway We are thrilled to announce that Year 12 students Jay Edwards and Tiana Edwards were successful in their application to complete a pre-program for Business and Medicine at university
respectively. After finishing their HSC examinations, Jay and Tiana began an intensive program of university preparation work and are competing for a spot in first year programs at UNSW. We wish them all the best. National Indigenous Education & Transitions Conference Rooty Hill High School presented at the National Indigenous Education & Transitions Conference on November 25. Careers advisor: Jeanette Camillos and Aboriginal Education C o o r d i n a t o r : Ya s o d a i Selvakumaran presented on behalf of the Aboriginal Education Team on Rooty Hill High’s experiences of ‘Creating a community of success.’ We thank the work of our faculty and our partners: our local AECG Pemulwuy, AFL Indigenous Academy, Aboriginal Employment Strategy, NRL School 2 Work and the Norta Norta program for their support in our work supporting Aboriginal students and developing an appreciation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and Reconciliation.
SPORT Sports Recognition Assembly On Tuesday November 11 Rooty Hill High School celebrated its sporting success in 2014. Former Test Cricketer Gavin Robertson and former student and Australian Lightweight Boxing titleholder Val Borg joined us. Mr Tim Wrigley was awarded Coach of the Year and Mr Joel Treharne was p r e s e n t e d w i t h t h e D E C ’s Excellent Service to School Sport Award. This award was presented to only 3 teachers in NSW. Awards were also presented to Qasim Al Hameed, Dylan Curmi, Kiata Hemi, Mirae Hemi, Ryan Fitzgerald, Brandon Kamoe, Seilala Latai, Nina Laurenson, Setaleki Mafi, Dylan Marshall, Paul McCarthy, Natalie O’Connor, Taissa Pereira, Lucky Sanita, April Sene, Mark Torzar, Alan Tuigamala, Jodeci Tukuitonga and Felipe Zapata Castro for representing Sydney West in sport. We also celebrated the efforts of Setaleki Mafi, Nina Laurenson, Mark Torzar, Felipe Zapata- Castro, Joshua Deo, Kiata Hemi, and Natalie O’Connor for representing NSW in sport. The largest round of applause was reserved for Felipe who will represent Australia in the UK and Ireland in Soccer. The team of the year was awarded to the State Champion Boys Volleyball team led by Mr Joel Treharne and Mark Torzar. In 2014 we had 348 students represent RHHS on over 800 occasions. Excellent participation levels paired with excellence
across a variety of sports has ensured that 2014 has been an outstanding year for sport in Rooty Hill High School. Volleyball Schools Cup On November 13 over 80 students competed at the Volleyball Schools Cup. RHHS again showed why they are a dominant force in Volleyball by claiming both the Boys and Girls Opens Championships as well as 3 silver medals in other age groups. The Opens Boys and Girls and Under 17s Boys teams are all training extremely hard in preparation for their annual Vigil to Melbourne to compete in the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup. We wish each team and their coaches Mr Treharne, Mr Diaz and Ms Coleman the best of luck in the competition. Fund Raising Rooty Hill High School has banded together to enable Felipe Zapata Castro to follow his sporting dreams in the UK and Ireland. We have been set the task of raising the $7000 needed. Ms Cawsey, Mr Treharne, Mr Fowler and Mr Mondinos have been busy raising money through a trivia night and a Signed Wanderers poster that has been raffled off. In a few years’ time, when Felipe is scoring goals all over the world we can be proud that RHHS did everything we could to allow him to achieve success. Zone Sports Assembly Mr Baines had the honour of
representing RHHS at the Zone Sports Presentation on October 31. We again were confirmed as the Premier Sporting School in the Zone by claiming the Patron’s shield. Sebastian Viemero, Natalie O’Connor, Mirae Hemi, Jarred Wright and Dylan Curmi were awarded with Zone Recognition Certificates. Ryan Fitzgerald, Setaleki Mafi, Seilala Latai, Lucky Sanita, Taissa Pereira, Paul McCarthy and Felipe Zapata Castro were awarded Zone Blues. Ashleigh McCormack Ashleigh has achieved some amazing success in the sport of Motor-Cross this year. She is now the first ranked Australian Junior MX female. She is seemingly unbeatable after winning 27 straight state titles in 2013 and 2014. We wish Ashleigh all the best of luck in her next event. Sydney West and CHS Blues This Year we have 3 students receiving awards from Sydney West School Sports Unit for achieving Outstanding Sporting Success. Selaleki Mafi, Felipe Zapata Casto and Nina Laurenson are receiving a Syndey West Sporting Blue, while Ryan Fitzgerald has been awarded a Sydney West Recognition Certificate. To top that off Mark Torzar (Volleyball) and Felipe Zapata-Castro (Soccer) have received the outstanding honour of being awarded a NSW CHS Sporting Blue for excelling for their state.
TECHNOLOGY Python Programming at Rooty Hill High School Throughout 2014 Francesco Demasi, Andrew Lim, Imico Pablico and Ky Staal were active participants in a series of programming challenges set by Grok Learning in partnership with the National Computer Science School at the University of Sydney. These students worked on these programming challenges in after school workshops and completed the challenges at home.
competition and were able to test their growing skills against students around Australia, New Zealand, United States of America and Great Britain. All students achieved a place on the leader board at the end of the competition and are to be congratulated for the hard work undertaken throughout the year.
The Personal Interest Project accounts for 40% of the examination mark for the Higher School Certificate. Students should be congratulated for their work towards developing proposals. History Mastermind Competition Rooty Hill High School’s students Morwarid Faiz, Ky Staal, Joanna Gevero and Imico Pablico of Year 8 participated in the History Mastermind Competition on Friday November 21 at the Hills Sports High School.
HSIE Over the year, students learnt to write computer programs using Python programming language and they honed their skills by undertaking a series of rigorous and complex programming challenges. Throughout August this year, students tested their skills against other students around Australia. Congratulatons to Francesco Demasi who earned a High Distinction and also to Ky Staal who achieved a Distinction for their results in this competition. Both of these students should be highly commended for their outstanding efforts and hard work while representing Rooty Hill High School. In November, all four students participated in an international
The final weeks of Term 4 are upon us, but there is never a dull moment with Rooty Hill High School’s HSIE students with events and activities to keep us on our toes! PIP Workshop The Year 12 Society and Culture class participated in the Personal Interest Project Workshop day at Parramatta Riverside Theatre this term. Students received expert advice from HSC Markers and learnt about the research process involved in the development of their major work. The major work requires students to investigate an issue related to them and analyse it as professional Sociologists and Anthropologists to produce a published minithesis.
The Competition was a great opportunity to promote History, Civics and Citizenship in schools. Teams had the chance to win points through answering trivia questions as well as other competitions throughout the day. Topics are all from the stage 4 syllabus and included Ancient Greece, Egypt & Rome, Medieval Europe, Civics and Citizenship, current affairs and Aboriginal History. Amongst tough competition, unfortunately we did not qualify for the final, but we congratulate our team on their outstanding efforts and dedication in representing our school at such an event. Well done!
ENGLISH This semester, students drew inspiration from Sasha Vucicevic and Jahziel Faraque whose outstanding performance in Advanced and Standard English (respectively) proved that hard work and dedication can make English dreams come true! Year 7 has been enjoying a dramatic romp through the Elizabethan Era when studying and performing scenes from Shakespeare’s greatest plays. Year 8 were equally engaged learning the art of appropriation by becoming amateur radio anchors who interviewed the composers of popular films.
effort made by every single student in the school. Debating in 2014 - The RoundUp! The debating season is drawing to a close, and all of the debaters extend their thanks to you, for supporting them as they represent Rooty Hill High School. This term, the debaters continued to represent the school all over Sydney, and also participated in a Digital Excursion- viewing the Year 9 & 10 Premiers Debating Challenge Final from the Senior Study in the library; connecting via Edmodo and live video chat, thanks to the help of Mr Capouski.
Over the semester, Year 9 debated the relevance of Shakespeare’s plays to modern society. Year 10 were given a confronting insight into the nature of war through emotive poetry that enabled them to sympathise with the hardship and sacrifice made by brave soldiers of every nation. Ye a r 11 m a d e t h e b i g g e s t transition to begin the first term of their Higher School Certificate. While delving into different representations of the concept of Discovery, students relished composing their own narrative and were able to show off creative writing skills that greatly impressed their teachers. Overall, it has been another busy but rewarding year for English students and teachers who should be very proud of the outstanding
experienced debaters and adjudicators to represent the State in the State Debating Challenge. Her competition dates run from Dec 1-3, where she will engage in 4 knock-out debates, and potentially progress to the semi finals and then the state final. Our thoughts and best wishes are with Rachelle,
“Broken” hits the roof! Last year we ended the school year with the much anticipated musical "Gangster's Paradise," so it was no surprise that the Rooty Hill High School's 2014 Musical Production "Broken" became an even bigger hit! "Broken" was written, directed, designed and choreographed by students, for students. Since the trailer hit the internet back in week 6, ticket sales went through the roof, making "Broken" the most student-centred and most successful production yet.
All teams were highly successful this year, as they all experienced victories. Our Year 8 team progressed to Interzone- the furthest a junior team from RHHS has progressed, and the Year 10 B Team 'knocked it out of the park', progressing to the Semi Finals Round! F i n a l l y, w e m u s t m e n t i o n Rachelle Rativo of Year 10 who was chosen by a panel of
We are so proud of all of the students who made this musical a success, and we are so grateful to all of the supportive staff and family members who supported
the students as they attended rehearsal, after rehearsal. Our eyes are now set on next year's production where we will be bringing you the class Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" with a twist. Stay tuned!!!
MATHEMATICS & LOTE This term has been very successful in the Mathematics faculty. All students completed their yearly examinations with pleasing results. The top achievers overall this semester in each year were as follows: Year 7: Narisha Prasad and Rosalie Bankler. Year 8: Sharon Rogers and Morwarid Faiz. Year 9: Lisa Vu and Sabrina Zaman. Year 10: Emma Jurd and Jason Ma. Year 11 General Mathematics: Nichole Delos Santos and Alaaddin Sari. Year 11 Mathematics: Raelene Kumar and M e g a n Va r l e y . Y e a r 1 1 Extension1: Thi My Chau Huynh and Sokkhim Katheri Khov Year 10 Money Smart During week 2 of this term, all Year 10 students participated in the Commonwealth Bank Start Smart workshops. These workshops were aligned with syllabus requirements of the NSW curriculum and aimed to teach students about financial literacy, empowering them to start making wise financial decisions from an early age. Students participated in lecture style seminars and engaged in open discussion about getting their first job, rates of pay, taxation and workplace rights and responsibilities.
TIMSS Examination 66 Year 8 students participated in this year's TIMSS, "Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study", on November 17. TIMSS comprises of a set of mathematics and science questions, as well as a student survey on how mathematics and science are taught in schools. It aims to provide an international perspective on teaching and learning in mathematics and science, which will be used to inform educational policy and practice. More explanation about TIMSS can be located from www.timss.acer.edu.au. Thankyou to Mr Wrigley for administering the study. Google Immersion Lessons During week 7 and 9, Maths classes across 7-9 participated in Chromebook & Google Classroom immersion lessons. Through these lessons students were introduced to Google Apps for Education in preparation for BYOD in 2015. Students engaged with multimedia and games to enhance their learning and submitted tasks through the online platforms. Mathematics Competition This year 43 students chose to participate in the Mathematics Competition. Jason Ma achieved a high distinction placing him in the top 2% of the country. 7 students were awarded a credit, placing them in the top 30% of the country. These students are Narisha Prasad, Sayed Mirzad, Andrew Vu, Ky Staal, Laura Matekovic, Lisa Vu and Kevin
Xia. Congratulations on such an outstanding achievement! Congratulations from LOTE Both Year 7 and Year 9 students have completed their yearly examinations this term. The following students should be congratulated for achieving excellent results in the yearly examinations: Year 7: Komal Gupta, Nansita Charan, Sarah Reeves, and Natalie O'Connor. Year 9: Samantha Lazaro, Jane Lee, and Sanjani Vikash. The following Year 7 students should be also congratulated for achieving top results in International Youth Chinese Test in September this year: Narisha Prasad and Emily Bolan.
Chinese Paper Cutting Year 10 Mandarin students had many opportunities to experience many facets of Chinese cultures through this term. They have explored Chinese traditional medicine and ancient Chinese inventions and their modern impacts. They also learned about paper cutting a traditional Chinese house decoration.
SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS - TERM 4 2014 Year 7 Suvadh Acharya Abdulrehman Ahmad Saja Alhameed Venesse Angeles Sohorhab Azizdel Rosalie Bankler Amanda Birmingham Alec Cayabyab Nansita Charan Samara Colwell Alessandra Delfin Jonathan Delos Santos Lyrical Filisi-Tone Kyla Fischer Amanda Fuiono Chelsea Grima Komal Gupta Pranita Kumar Carlene Lever Alyssa McInnes Samantha Mendoza Aaliyah Miles-Tinao Kieran Mills Sayed Mirzad Kayla Munday Chloe Norton Natalie O'Connor Lemah Orya Narisha Prasad Hadrien Quesada Nikkash Raj Sarah Reeves Courtney Rowe Paris Staal Angelina Steeden Holly Steeden Emily Stirk Kearna White Maja Zlomislic
Year 8 Jaiden Abela Crystel Bandal Gladeomae Bandeleon Brittany Bishop Angel-Lea Brown Jemma-Lee Butler Jose Cabrera Vilca Joy Cayabyab Stephen Crichton Alexa Cruz Dylan Curmi Jessie Da Palma Francesco Demasi Morwarid Faiz Lara Ferri Blake Ford Joanna Gevero Abby Giles Mirae Hemi Daniel Hicks Kenan Hukic
Ayca Karsanbas Mae Limbaco Byron Lloyd Ashaldine Mailei Nicholas Maroun Brody McGuire Keira Molloy Jethro Ocampo Jackson Overton Imico Pablico Alyssa Parreno Brianna Pelayo Byron Pochodyla Caitlin Puckeridge Sharon Rogers Jayden Rowe Hannah Russell Anneka Shankar Rochelle Shaw Sonia Soliz Ky Staal Rhys Steward Chaithra Sumesh Aemar Sunga Daniel Thick Angel Tseros Giandawn Viloria Andrew Vu Jaeda Zlomislic
Year 9 Abdullah Ahmed Qasim Al Hameed Zwaid Al-Badry Tayne Andrew Taylor Ayoub Kevin Barrientos Khyle Blando Adrian Buckley Warren Jr Cabban Logan Carling Marso De Leon Cameron Eccles Danny Edwards Nany Martha El-Samrani Vincent Falealili Lemalu Fagamoa Deborah Gaskin Adema Gemeda Kiata Hemi Jayden Hicks Billy Joe Iosefa Nita Jennings Emily Jerome Emily Johns Leroy Jones Tia Kalic Joshua Klumper Priyashna Kumar Josiah Laufili Sydney Lavaro Samantha Lazaro Mele'ane Lea'aetoa
Jane Lee Kimberley Lee Tyson Lepua Gino Maceda Sandeep Maharaj Laura Matekovic Sparrow McCarthy Konnor McWhirter Sarah Mendoza Tahliya Misionare Marshneel Newaj Aotearoa Ofoia Rochelle Patrimonio Mystique Paul Chloe Quintero Cameron Read Simranjit Saini Leena Salameh Anya Sarajlic Mico Singalawa John Sio Chloe Snudden Blake Speed Monique Story Franjesca Taoipu Vaaimalae Toomalatai Henry Tuiafiso Aisha Umar Tricia Valenzuela Matthew Varley Rachel Varley Sanjani Vikash Lisa Vu Jarred Wright Julia Youkhana Sabrina Zaman
Year 10 Azad Aghdar Sadaf Akram Ahmad Aldahesh Rose Al-Kahili Harriet Amurao Shanyce Attard Sana Azizdel Steven Baihn Hayley Bairstow Keanna Kay BaldwinHartmann Robyn Bascara Kaitlin Berry Jennifer Borbon Matisse Canty Atilla Castro Mari Cayabyab Jack Clifton Jeremy Cook Jodie Corrigan Angel Domingo Daniel Edmonds Atilla Erzurumlu Rose Euese Ranginui Finch
Christine Gamsby Maelody Gevero Kopal Gupta Alan Hulme Emma Jurd Jacob Keaton Kahoa Kupu Joshua Lancaster Zachariah Laufili Patricia Lazaro Tensen Lee Dane Longston Jade Lovatt Jason Ma Noa Mafi Mark Marocchini Dylan Marshall Adrienne Mazo Jaryd McCormack Brittany Menolotto Ari Ngati Jacqueline Olino Iris Ongkingco Sanam Orya Seuga Pula Joshua Rathnam Rachelle Rativo Harshita Sabharwal Arwa Salameh Victoria San Tara Schroeder Dorothy Scott Alex Sewell Nilufar Shah Shivnay Sharma Emily Sloan Tamara Smith Suphatta Srihaphol Nelson Tang Suzy Tang Sione Taufa Allan Tuigamala Nash Wiseman Emily Wright Kevin Xia
Year 11 Aaron Berrell James Cabban Emily Clark Damon Finn Ryan Fitzgerald Brandon Kamoe Sokkhim Katherine Khov Dylan Laus Mark McCarthy Paul McCarthy Thomas Sewell Benjiman Small Shanna-April Stuart Raiti Charie Taia Benjamin Tangaroa Jodeci Tukuitonga