RHHS Missing Link 2016 Term 4

MISSING LINK

Term 4 2016

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT It is so exciting, rewarding and humbling to be preparing this final Missing Link report for 2016.

It has been a very busy and productive term and, as we look back on the year we have had, it has been a year of academic and community success for our students. We have hosted more than 15 visits from schools and delegations this year who want to see our work and, at two recent conferences, the deputy principals were invited to showcase that work.

Excellent Results…

We have had the best feedback on the work of our students through their performance on internal and external assessment tasks. I want to congratulate Year 10 and their teachers.

In this year group, where almost 80% of students started high school below grade average, in the VALID tests 70% were above state average. Just as importantly.

HSC Examinations…

We started the term with the HSC examinations and, despite their understandable nervousness Year 12 2016 proved that they were a team to the end. The HSC invigilators said they

were punctual, polite and made their best effort on every examination. The results were sent to students on Thursday 15 December.

Eastern Creek P.S. turns 150…

We were very thrilled to be asked to take a role in the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Eastern Creek Public School, one of the oldest schools in Australia. As the pictures (below) show, our talented Year 10 Visual Design elective students designed and created 4 murals for the school as a gift from our school to theirs. Special thanks need to go to Ms Reyes, Ms Di Rocco, Ms Zeibots and our General Assistants John Savetta and Michael Dews for coordinating the materials, the transport and the hanging of the gifts.

Continued from page 1.

On a personal note I want to thank Mr Wes Chia, the principal of Eastern Creek Public School for including us in their celebrations and I want to wish him every joy for the future as he will be retiring at the end of this term. He has made a big contribution to the Learning Neighbourhood schools and we are very grateful for his work in our wider school community.

Back to a very busy RHHS…

Two weeks into term we celebrated World Teachers Day where the s c h o o l c a p t a i n s , p r i n c i p a l ’s representatives, senior leaders and VET Hospitality students hosted us to a scrumptious morning tea and this was around the same time that over 100 of our students and 10 of our teachers shared the Diwali Festival with the rest of us.

Then, as Missing Link shows, each year group had lots of opportunities once examinations were finished.

Highlights included: • The launch of My Learning Hubour students now have a personal, online hub in which to track their progress and provide evidence of their own learning.

• Debating • Volleyball – including the All Schools Competition

• Zone Sports Recognition • Sydney Uni Compass Days • The WSU Fast Forward celebration one year on…

• Chinese language outreach to the primary schools • The Year 8 Mathematics excursion to Luna Park

• The GWS Mentoring program • The Year 12 Formal • The LEAPS graduation and, of course • T h e f i r s t Ye a r 1 0 Yo u n g Entrepreneurs program Like us on Facebook…

We have increasingly tried to share the photos and captions via Facebook and we are also increasing our messaging of important dates, events and messages through our Facebook. Please like us (www.facebook.com/rootyhillhs) and you will receive the messages.

Thanking our Teachers…

I do ask the community to acknowledge the work of our teachers. As we are transforming the school and learning towards the second decade of this century, they are using their considerable expertise to lead that change and their commitment to our students is significant. One of the most significant achievements for 2016 is that we hosted 28 (4 pictured below) practicum teachers from UNSW, USyd, WSU and Charles Sturt University. They were sent here to learn from the excellent work we are doing.

In particular, I would like to thank and give best wishes to: • T h e 11 t e a c h e r s w h o h a v e completed their Maintenance of Accreditation this year, demonstrating their maturity as teachers and their expertise against the APST (Teacher Standards) • Sally Cain who will be taking up a substantive position as Head Teacher Teaching & Learning at Blaxland HS next year.

• Kylie Munzenberger (Ms Munzie) who is taking a well earned break in 2017 after 19 years. She will be back in 2018.

• Manvir Singh who will be Relieving Head Teacher Human Society and Its Environment at Doonside High School in 2017.

A Final Word…

So, thanks to all.

Thanks to our parents who give so much to support their sons and daughters.

Thanks to our administrative staff who keep the school functioning so well and who are the face of the school.

Thanks to our senior leaders, SRC representatives, ambassadors and all students for their representation of our school.

Thanks to the executive staff and the deputy principals for their leadership.

I started by saying we had had a wonderful term and I finish by wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday.

Next Year…

The school will be open for uniform sales and BYOD advice on the mornings of 23, 24 and 25 January.

Teachers return on 27 January.

Student start dates: • Year 7 begin Monday 30 January • Years 8, 9 and 12 return Tuesday 31 January • Years 10 and 11 return Wednesday 1 February

YEAR 7 Year Adviser Message In Term 4, Year 7 had a successful time reflecting on semester two during Personalised Learning Week.

The focus this term was strengths and teamwork. Almost every Year 7 student continued to demonstrate the PERSIST values, using their individual strengths and being active members within the classroom, school and the local community.

This is evident with 1269 Above The Line Sentral Wellbeing entries throughout Term 4 and their Grade Point Averages. Over 50% of Year 7 students increased or demonstrated consistency in their Grade Point Av e r a g e i n S e m e s t e r 2 .

Congratulations to Year 7 on an excellent Term 4 and first year of high school. Where Together Everyone Achieves More!

Ms Coleman Year 7 Adviser Digital Thumbprint Workshop

Year 7 took part in the Digital Thumbprint workshops in Week 2, term 4. Students developed skills to be responsible and proactive members of Australia’s online community to stay safe online. This included developing secure passwords, understanding online terms and conditions and safe use of social media.

a fun and inclusive learning environment and provided information on how they can continue a healthy and active lifestyle Boys Excellence in Sports Gala Day 85 male Year 7 students attended the Boys Excellence in Sport Gala day.

This involved attending Kevin Betts Stadium to complete a range of fitness tests, including the beep test, vertical jump and agility illinois test.

The remainder of the day was spent playing competitive and inclusive sports at RHHS.

Girls Sydney Thunder T20 Cricket Blast Gala Day 90 female Year 7 students attended the T20 Thunder Cricket Gala day at Blacktown International Sports Park.

The day involved playing modified cricket games, catching and throwing competitions, a visit from the Thunder Bus and Sydney Thunder Cricket players Naomi Stalenberg and Rachel Haynes.

Breaking the Silence Assembly

difficulties from childhood exposure to intimate partner violence.

Students completed ‘the oath’, promising never to commit, excuse, or remain silent about violence against women. Students signed this pledge and these pledges are displayed in A Block.

Student Ambassador Team 70 Year 7 students have been active Student Ambassadors this term, participating and assisting with a number of whole school events including Year 6 into 7 Early Intervention days and Orientation days. Well done to the following 20 students who were involved in the success of these programs: Candice Cowgill, Breeanna Foster, Avarn McAlister, Azalech Collins, Kaleb Clarke, Sarah Johns, Ishir Thakur, Ysabel Garcia, Sophia Taylor, Cassandra King, Isha Bondoc, Edea Sana, MacKenzie Johnson, Chantelle Parkes, Taikura Andrew, Aeron Vincente, Cassandra King, Brandon Villena, Tania Juckhov, and Kirsten Barbeau.

Personalised Learning Interviews During Week 7 Year 7 individually participated in their second Personalised Learning Week (PLW).

Before PLW students had the opportunity to complete their own digital Personalised Learning Plan that can be accessed from their Learning Hub. Students read their reports, reviewed their goals, looked at their progress on the PERSIST values and planned for the future.

Students took this opportunity very seriously and demonstrated an impressive drive for excellence.

Swim School

Sports Gala Days Year 7 attended male and female sport gala days in Week 3 of T erm 4. Students were exposed to sports in

As a whole year group, in Week 5, Term 4, Year 7 attended an assembly that focused on Breaking the Silence and White Ribbon Day. Year 7 learnt that domestic violence is an issue that affects every community and there is an increased risk of mental health, behavioural and learning

More than 140 students attended Swim School at Mount Druitt

Swimming Pools for three days in Week 8, Term 4. Students were grouped according to their swimming ability and were able to gain confidence in and around aquatic environments while completing practical and theoretical components of The Swimming and Lifesaving course. The three-day course was a great way for Year 7 to celebrate their first year of high school as a year group.

Subjects Science Ye a r 7 h a v e d e s i g n e d a n d constructed a Mars Rover Landing Module to test air-resistance and gravity. Students worked in groups to construct a device that would protect an egg, if thrown off 5 metre height. Most of the modules were successful, and kept the egg safe from breaking.

currently studying a play each, these include: Helena, Much ado about nothing, Romeo and Juliet and Midsummer Nights Dream. In small groups students recreated the script into a modern version and performed them to an audience.

TAS 7A, 7B, 7C and 7D have been working hard to achieve their goals in making wind chimes, gardening tools and miniature recreation park models.

PDHPE In PDHPE, students have been learning about risky behaviour.

Linking to that Year 7 attended Swim school in Week 8 to develop their safety and risk management skills around water.

Year 7 have been learning about Shakespeare plays. Each class is

7A and 7H participated in the Youth Chinese Test. Congratulations to all of these students who put in effort and time to participate in this internationally recognised Chinese language proficiency test.

History

LOTE

11 students attended the Confucius Institute Chinese Day Celebration at Kingsgrove High School.

English

participated in cultural activities.

Year 7 students from classes 7A, 7H, 7B and 7C also attended a Chinese Language Excursions in Blue Mountains where they completed a range of activities including an A b o r i g i n a l s m o k e c e r e m o n y, Chinese tea ceremony, making dumplings, dragon dancing, and w r i t i n g C h i n e s e c a l l i g r a p h y.

Students were involved in many opportunities that demonstrated their language skills and actively

Year 7 completed their Ancient Egypt Assessment task where they created a blog post about their specific focus related to Ancient Egypt. In class students also participated in a mummification activity.

Music/Art 7A, 7B, 7E and 7F have been studying music in Semester Two, learning how to play the piano, guitar and the drums. They also participated in a group ensemble including a guitarist, a singer and a pianist.

7C, 7D, 7G and 7H have participated in art for term 3 and 4, where they expressed themselves in self-portraits by using paint, colour pencils and textiles. Â Year 7 articles written by Phoebe Birett and Emma Bowman-Trinh

YEAR 8 Year Adviser Message Year 8, you have come to end of another eventful year. You have tried new things, challenged yourselves, undertaken exciting opportunities and worked well across a range of subjects. Well-done on always demonstrating the PERSIST values and working to do your personal best. As always, you have made me very proud of your active citizenship and commitment to school involvement – continue to make yourself proud. Congratulations on a successful year at Rooty Hill High School.

Ms Douglas Year 8 Adviser Cricket Day

On the 14 October, Year 8 girls were chosen to participate in activities to learn about cricket. Year 8 girls spent the day learning the rules and techniques for cricket as well as battling it out in competitive matches as teams of six played against each other. This day was about having fun, learning new skills and getting active. From playing matches, to knocking over wickets, it was thoroughly an enjoyable day.

Happiness Cycle

This term Year 8 students were fortunate enough to be involved in a wonderful day called the Happiness Cycle. Happiness Cycle is a day made to encourage the youth to take

control of their health and be more physically active. On 26 October 134 students were taken by bus to the Fairfield Showgrounds where they learnt about laws surrounding bike riding and how to put their bike together. They were then given helmets, bike locks, and lights for their bikes. They were then given their bikes and they had to add the pedals, seat and pump the bike wheels up, they were then given lunch. After this the students were then given an opportunity to ride their bikes around with obstacles and students who could not ride were then given lessons on how to ride.

Every so often there was a spinning class that students could join that were led by the Happiness Cycle team. The students then went back to school by bus and the next day they were able to collect their free bikes from the Happiness Cycle at school.

According to students the Happiness Cycle is an amazing movement that encourages our youth to be more active and RHHS was fortunate to be a part of it.

Assessment Tasks and Yearly Exams During the term, Year 8 (as well as the rest of the years) completed multiple assessment tasks and tests, all having one thing in mindreports. While the stress of studying hard to pass and exceed above average for most weighed heavily on their shoulders, others decided to pace themselves take it one assessment at a time. Each student put in effort to do well in each subject. Well done Year 8.

Luna Park Maths Excursion

Year 8 were chosen to participate in a maths excursion at Luna Park and after working on a small quick math booklet, students were then allowed to go on every ride they could. All you could hear were shrieks of horror and excitement, the whole atmosphere was filled with adrenaline. One of the best and terrifying “rides” was the haunted house. It had everyone screaming and sprinting out of the house. It was a well put together act from all of the scary characters. Despite the terror, there were plenty of ‘tame’ rides that made up for it. All who went thoroughly enjoyed the experience as it was a fun and relaxing day.

Debating

Congratulations to our Years 7 and 8 B Team who defeated Doonside and qualified for Interzone.

Unfortunately, our team was defeated by Greystanes in a close debate.

During Week 7 of Term 4 our Year 8 debaters were given the opportunity to visit Western Sydney University.

Their day consisted of lectures that furthered their knowledge and skills in debating as well short quizzes on debating. They were split into 2 teams per school, and taught the basics of debating. They had two breaks throughout the day one for a short recess and the second lunch where they were given pizza. After lunch everyone was split to prepare the debate of ‘PE should not be compulsory’. Our teams were split into two groups one affirmative, and the other negative. Although this was not an easy debate in our victory both RHHS teams won their debate.

WSU Gifted and Talented Science Excursion On Wednesday 23 November, 4 students were chosen to attend a science day at Western Sydney University. Many schools were chosen to attend to learn three categories – cool, colour, and create.

Each had various experiments. Cool dealt with dry ice and liquid nitrogen

(we even ate ice cream made with liquid nitrogen). Create dealt with creating slime and crystal gardens.

Colour was where we dyed white carnations with colours such as; red, blue, yellow and purple. During colour we also experienced chromatography, where we used a chemical that had a stench that was so bad, everyone in the room “gagged” at the smell. Needless to say, the smell was not pleasant.

SEPEP

Peer Mentoring

Year 8 students had the opportunity in Term 4 to train to be a peer mentor for younger years specifically the 2017 Year 7 students. We had a training day with teachers such as Ms Andrews and Ms Short. It was a series of teamwork games to help 2017 Year 7 feel more welcome into the school.

There was one activity where we had to create a pyramid using ourselves and needless to say, all the groups were creative. The training day ran for a whole day.

Retro Arcade Unit

This year’s SEPEP tournament was delayed quite a few times due to the weather and natural causes, however Year 8 all pulled through and managed to battle it out on the field, each team played with passion, good sportsmanship although they all kept in mind that this was a competition about “the survival of the fittest”. In the second round teams who won the most games battled it out against each other, leaving the last round for the two teams in the finals. The majority of Year 8 watched as the two teams battled it out for victory, and while some Year 8 cheered them on others watched quietly in anticipation. Of course only one team could win, but in the end both teams showed great sportsmanship as well as being competitive for the win.

Throughout 2016, a number of talented individuals from Years 8 and 10 have been crafting a Retro Arcade Unit with the assistance of Mr Price and Mr Theys in the new Trade Training Centre. The Retro Arcade Unit can play most arcade games from the 80's right up until the early 00's, and can do so by connecting the Unit to any TV or Computer Screen. We are hoping to have competitions for students and staff throughout the course of 2017.

Year 8 articles written by Piyatida Jade Ratanasirilak, Aleeya Balfas & Keila Barbeau

YEAR 9 Year Adviser Message This term, Year 9 students continued to demonstrate their commitment to learning, leadership and achievement. It has been an extremely busy term with many extracurricular workshops and programs running to support students as they finish their last term as junior students. In the classroom, Year 9 students completed their final assessment tasks and also participated in Personalised Learning Interviews. It was exciting to see all the different goals that have been set by Year 9 students as they prepare to enter Year 10 in 2017. I wish them every success next year and the following years to come. Have a safe and happy holiday Year 9.

Mr Singh Year 9 Adviser Year 9 Overview For Year 9 students, 2016 was a challenging yet exciting year. This year, students in Year 9 were presented with many different opportunities that encouraged personal growth and academic success. In 2016, Year 9 students had the opportunity to undertake elective study. This was a great opportunity because it gave Year 9 students an opportunity to discover their strengths and also encouraged them to begin considering what subjects to choose for Years 11 and 12.

In 2017, Year 9 students will become Year 10 students and will be a part of the Senior School. This means new uniforms, more studying, work experience/ TAFE courses and a greater focus on thinking about our post-school goals.

We would like to thank Mr Singh who has been our year adviser this year and wish him every success in his new role at Doonside High School.

Year 9 Goal Setting Workshop

The Year 9 goal setting workshop, which was spread over 2 days in Week 6, was a program run by the University of Sydney’s Compass Program. 152 students participated in this workshop. This workshop got Year 9 students to think about what traits and skills they have and careers that would work well with these qualities. The workshop gave students an opportunity to investigate careers that they were passionate about and also recommended what subjects they should study in Years 11 and 12 to get the qualifications needed to enter the relevant workforce. Maja Zlomislic attended the program and said “I strongly believe that this program helped me grasp a higher understanding of how to get into university and what job I might consider pursuing after school.” The presenters were very engaging, enthusiastic and approachable and participating Year 9 students walked away with some excellent resources to set goals for their future! Over the course of the two days, 152 Year 9 students participated in the workshop.

English Poetry Novellas Year 9 students were given the opportunity to write Poetry Novellas in English classes for ill children currently admitted in Westmead Hospital. A Poetry Novella is a series of poems that are laid out like a book in order to tell a very descriptive and deep story.

Year 9 student Samantha Mendoza wrote one of the following poems as part of her novella: Elise Phillips is my only friend.

She lives on Beverly Avenue, only 3 streets away.

She has the most luxurious house; white picket fences, luscious oak trees, a beautifully paved driveway and the most exquisite garden.

Elise has it all.

She has striking green eyes, hair like Rapunzel, and the most radiant smile.

She is not like other girls.

Girls her age care about makeup, parties, gossip and clothes.

But Elise cared for the real things, like how books take you to a different world, or the way the sun falls behind the horizon.

She was warm, caring, tender and she was real.

A huge congratulations to all Year 9 students for their outstanding effort in completing their Novellas!

Feedback from English teachers was all positive with Ms Pollard saying “Year 9 have once again excelled in producing poetry novellas, with nearly 60 selected to go to Westmead Children's Hospital; the novellas included a wide range of genres and high production values.”

Personalised Learning Week This term, Personalised Learning Plans were completed on the My Learning Hub App for Year 9 students for the first time. In this process, students were able to set goals for their first year in the Senior School as Year 10 students in 2017.

Some of the goals that were set by Year 9 students for next year included achieving higher results, improving their GPA and continued involvement in extracurricular activities. Students were also able to list strategies to achieve these goals on their Personalised Learning Plan.

Some examples included creating a study timetable, participating more in class discussions and asking teachers for help when they get stuck.

During Personalised Learning Interviews, students were able to review their grades from each of their subjects and comments written by their teachers to see how they have progressed in their learning and what areas they can improve on.

Over the course of Week 8, all students in Year 9 completed their Personalised Learning Interviews.

LEAPS

Term 4 saw the end of the LEAPS program for Year 9 students. In their last session with their mentors the group attended a formal graduation lunch with the mentors at Ashurst Law Firm. Throughout the year each student who attended the LEAPS program had the opportunity to attend many exciting places including Sydney Aquarium, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Sydney Wildlife Park, jet boating, cupcake making at Sparkles C u p c a k e r y a n d L a s e r Ta g .

Participating students also learned many very valuable lessons from their mentors. Throughout the year each student has successfully upheld all of the PERSIST values and been outstanding representative of RHHS. Congratulations to the graduating students of the 2016 LEAPS: Aidan Beath, Julia Becci-Vatavuk, Emin-Mustafa Bitiktas, Emily Cosgrove, Kyla Fisher, Aylee Fraser, Komal Gupta, Matthew Holden, Jarrod Jones, Mason Kamoe, Hayley Logue, Lisia Mafi, Ethan Phillips, Chantelle Romero, Tayla Seaton, Paris Staal, Ruwand Talabani, Jael Tarakegn, Latrel Vista and Maja Zlomislic

Start Smart The Start Smart program was held by a representative of the Commonwealth Bank and was organised by Ms Tran and the Maths faculty. This program taught Year 9 students about taxes, how much we should be earning in our casual/ part-time jobs and tips and tricks to help save up our money to put aside for our futures. One of the activities we completed was looking up different job fields and researching what the minimum wage was and the entitlements each position had.

The presenter on the day was very interesting, enthusiastic and motivating and Year 9 students walked away with the knowledge needed to enter the workforce. A huge congratulations to Ms Tran and the Math faculty for all of their hard work in organising this workshop for Year 9 students.

Compass Spectacular Science The Compass Spectacular Science excursion held on Tuesday 22 November was an amazing experience for the participating Year 9 students and was held at Sydney

University. Students participated in many different experiments. Paris Staal, one of the students who attended the program, stated “The Spectacular Science excursion was truly an amazing day - we were involved in various science experiments throughout the day including putting flowers inside of liquid nitrogen to see the reactions and testing the outcomes of putting balloons into different elements.” A huge thanks to Ms Melville and the Science faculty for giving participating students the opportunity to attend the excursion.

We Are Successful Seniors The We Are Successful Seniors program, held in Week 9, was designed to help Year 9 students prepare for our entry into the Senior School. The program included many different activities and workshops and helped Year 9 students prepare for the pressure and expectations of the Senior School in a fun, engaging and exciting way. In Week 7, Ms Andrews and Ms Short held an assembly where students were able to form their groups for the program.

As a result of this program, Year 9 students, such as Ethan Phillips were quoted as saying “I’m so excited to start Year 10 at Rooty Hill High School because there are so many opportunities for me to explore what I am passionate about”.

Fast Forward The Western Sydney University Fast Forward program continued in Term 4, with a number of workshops and opportunities for Year 9 students.

This program helped participating Year 9 students prepare for life after school and it also helped students set goals in order to pursue further education and gain qualifications.

Participating students studied many things within the program including Alternative Pathways to get into University, learning about different courses and degrees available and different scholarships. Emily Stirk, a Year 9 student who was involved in the program said that “Being a part of Fast Forward program has allowed me to gain knowledge about higher education and how to prepare myself for the future.” Students will continue to participate in the program in 2017 as Year 10 students, with more workshops and on campus visits scheduled.

Year 9 Commerce Excursion

YEAR 10

On Monday 17 October, Year 9 Commerce students went to Parramatta District Court to witness court cases in action

Year Adviser Message Year 10, you have done an amazing job this term in their display of the PERSIST values. You continue to be enthusiastic and participate wherever you can. Your positive attitude towards school and education makes teaching you and working with you a fun and rewarding experience.

Have the best holidays and I can’t wait to see you next year as Year 11!

Year 9 Child Studies students reading with Year 3 Rooty Hill P.S. students

Year 9 articles written by Emma Ayre

Ms Haigh Year 10 Adviser Optus - Interview to Impress

This term 20 students from Year 10 attended an excursion at Optus in Macquarie Park to learn how to interview properly for jobs. They got a tour of the Optus offices, which were huge and met their mentors to begin a fun day of interactive roleplaying and guidance on what to do and what not to do when going for an interview. The students thoroughly enjoyed the experience saying “It was great! So fun and the mentors were really helpful.” – Nicole Singh Optus was equally grateful for the enthusiasm and participation of the Rooty Hill students, saying “These kids are fantastic, so much energy and far more confident and capable than we expected in an interview situation.” – Ryan (Optus mentor) All in all it was an excellent opportunity for Year 10 students who are currently applying for jobs or looking at applying for courses, scholarships, etc.

Year 10 Exams Year 10 completed their final exams for their RoSA in Week 6. Their serious and mature attitude towards these exams is a credit to how highly they value their education. They completed 3 exams in the hall. Their diligence bodes well for them as they enter Year 11 next year.

Debating

Seth Bayliss and Jaeda Zlomislic represented RHHS in the Junior State Debatnig Team trials. Both performed exceptionally well in this new trial system, and though they were not selected, they had an opportunity to test their skills and suss out next year’s Year 11 Metro competition.

SALSA Pitch

On Tuesday 22 November, 6 Year 10 students were invited to pitch an idea to Blacktown Council that could improve the health outcomes of the local community. Their pitch involved BBQ and play equipment in local parks as well as a Sporting Equipment Caravan (SEC) and an Annual Family Sporting Day. These ideas were very warmly received by Blacktown Councillors and Officers.

The students' gained an understanding into the impact they can have as leaders of their community and look forward to advocating for better health outcomes in the future. Those students were Geordian Viloria, Ethan Munday, Rhys Steward, Blake Ford, Tarynn Cooke, Jeffrey Ofoia,

Jaz-al Siosi. Thank you to the GWS Giants, the SALSA team and Blacktown Council for their assistance and guidance in the program.

Y E P ( Yo u n g E n t re p re n e u r s Program) In Weeks 7 and 8 Year 10 students took part in YEP. Year 10 students were able to work in small groups to develop their entrepreneurial skills and work on a project for social change. Many students were excited to do something of value for their community and help others who might be in need. The 2 weeks were compiled of project work, entrepreneurial guest speakers, and team building workshops. The students presented their work and projects in an Expo in Week 8 where they were able to highlight the change they worked towards for our community. One highlight was to have ex-students Hayley Micallef and Josh Green tell us about their success in business.

YEAR 12 2017 Year Adviser Message Our graduating year of 2017 started their HSC course work this term.

The enthusiasm and hard work demonstrated by students and teachers alike has been great to watch. Setting a positive benchmark for the rest of the school our new Ye a r 1 2 s h a v e c o n t i n u e d t o embody the PERSIST values every day. It is these values that they will draw upon as they meet and conquer any challenges that lie ahead.

PIPs (Personal Interest Projects) proposals it is clear to see we have many of Australia's future leaders and change makers learning alongside us. PIP's are quite varying in nature topics such as ‘Women in power’ and the ‘Misrepresentation of Women in Sport’ being two of the many ideas being discussed and researched by students; resulting in a deep and developed understanding of research and writing.

Ms Kennerson Year 12 2017 Adviser

Food Technology Food Tech students started year twelve studying a topic which effects many Australians greatly; nutrition. This topic then lead to a focused research project on different groups of people who are susceptible to nutritional problems. Followed by a practical element which had dishes from quinoa to lemon meringue pies it was definitely an informative and stomach filling assessment for all of us.

In our first term of HSC studies, Year 12 has been hitting the books like never before. Along with the more regular class book work, many TAS and CAPA students have started working towards their practical major works. A small snapshot of what has been happening in some of our classes follows.

English As we embark on the journey of year twelve, our Area of Study; Discovery, is slowly consuming our lives. As we further study texts such as Life of Pi and Rainbows end we are finding connections in our everyday lives which leads us to discover the essential elements of English which will help us in our lives post High School.

Community and Family Studies Students are currently moving around social media and the school gathering first hand evidence from a wide range of topics which they hold of great importance. From the impact of drug abuse on a family to the mental health of teenagers completing high school being some of the many topics discussed.

Textiles

Legal Studies As Legal Studies students complete an assessment task revolving around Crime, we truly start to understand the cases which we see in the news.

Cases such as R v Loveridge and Singh v R have let us develop a deep understanding of crime, crime prevention and law reform in Australia’s Justice System.

Society and Culture As students start developing their

Chemistry

Work Placement As many year twelve students go on work placement, they come back with a renewed outlook on the work place. With work placement as a compulsory part of any VET course students from Retail to Hospitality are finishing off their hours.

Pop Up Coffee Shop Hospitality students have been working on developing a coffee shop operation. This is an opportunity for students to work in an industry environment and develop the skills they need to complete their course work. Students have been running a small pop up coffee shop but are now moving to a more structured timetable where students will be roosted on at set times. In addition to the coffee shop, students have also had the opportunity to demonstrate their skills development by providing food and beverage service for may school functions.

Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute School Science Award for Outstanding Achievement in Science Congratulations to Khyle Blando, Sabrina Zaman (pictured below) and Tricia Valenzuela the Outstanding Achievement in Science Award from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute.

In addition these class activities, Year 12 have participated in the Get Organised program where we were fortunate to be able to spend time outside the classroom setting to focus on our resumes, career focus, any university submissions and to help us prepare for life beyond school.

YEAR 12 2016 THE FINAL WORD Graduation

This was a very important day for our Year 12 students who had the opportunity to reflect on all the education, friends, teachers, stories and experiences throughout their schooling career. They were rewarded and recognised for all of their hard work, persistence and success from their time at RHHS. There were many emotions involved but through the sadness and tears everyone was smiling and ecstatic after the Graduation Assembly.

study and to have a little fun. That’s exactly what it was, Fun. The students had a ball, turning up in beautiful cars and bikes, laughter, dancing and quirky photos in the dress up room. The year books were a big hit with students using the signing page to its full potential, getting those last minute messages in from friends and teachers. A BIG thanks to Miss Munzenberger who created the whole book and coordinated the formal.

All Year 12 who graduated are to be congratulated.

Officially, this term our Senior Leadership team began their official duties in their respective roles. The team attended an excursion at Homebush on Friday 25 November to explore views on leadership provided to us at the Halogen Imagination Conference. The excursion let us widen our outlook on our core values and the leaders that we will be. It changed many of our ideas on leadership and key note speakers such as Melissa Doyle from Channel Seven and Alex Malley the author of The Naked CEO were not only amazing, inspirational and thought provoking.

A Final Word We would like to say a special thank you to Ms Munzenberger who has helped us settle in to the senior school. We wish her all the best for her extended holiday in 2017.

Year 12 2017 articles written by Harsha Kumar

HSC Probably one of the toughest tasks for our Year 12 students during school, however like any other time they were faced with a challenge, it was dealt with diligently and successfully. I expect the HSC results to be no different with confidence being high among students at the completion of examinations. Congratulations to the students who have had early offers to Universities. Good luck to the rest of you in achieving your goal.

HSC results will be released at 6:00am on Thursday 15 December via Student’s Online. Results can also be emailed and sent via SMS if the student registers for this.

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) will be released at 9:00am on Friday 16 December (http://www.uac.edu.au).

Formal - A Final Farwell Students had the chance to display their delightful dresses and suave suits to wind down from school and

Year Adviser Message A busy term for all involved, I am happy to say congratulations Year 12! You have made it!

Enjoy your time away from school, but never forget it. Good luck with your future aspirations wherever the path may take you. Remember, this is not the end, it is just a new beginning.

Mr Hay Year 12 2016 Adviser

YEAR 7 2017

AIME

Orientation Days Year 6 Orientation Days were held on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 November. Both days were brilliant with incoming students for 2017 sharing great experiences and starting to build lifelong friendships.

Barrabugu Indigenous Summer School program that will run in early January.

GRADUATION

On Wednesday 23 November a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from Years 7 to 11 attended the final AIME workshop at We s t e r n S y d n e y U n i v e r s i t y, Parramatta The day started with a smoking ceremony and then Kyle Pont of Year 10 performed a contemporary dance piece before the activities started. Students celebrated the final session with a range of fun activities including a yarning circle with elders and boomerang making workshops.

We were fortunate to farewell 7 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students as they completed their HSC and now prepare for future careers and further learning. We were treated to a joint Acknowledgement of Country from 5 of the students at the Year 12 Graduation Ceremony, which served as a fitting way to celebrate each of their successes.

STEM Enrichment Academy

AIME’s GOT GAME Congratulations to Kyle Pont of Year 10 who was selected in the top 6 dancers in the AIME’s Got Game talent search. Kyle performed with 5 other dancers in a special performance at Customs House and also performed at Schools Spectacular on 25 and 26 November.

AFL INDIGENOUS ACADEMY We are wrapping up the year with the AFL Indigenous Academy and all participants, especially Year 7, are enjoying the work they’re doing with mentors Matt and Merinda. We would like to extend a big thank you to Darren Allie who has worked closely with us to support our students and wish him the best of luck for his future endeavours as AFL Development Manager in Queensland.

WINGARA MURA – BUNGA BARRAGUGU Congratulations to Oscar Jennings and Joshua Edwards of Year 10 and Emily Stirk of Year 9 on their selection for the University of Sydney Wingara Mura – Bunga

On Monday 21 November, John Meng (HT Mathematics) presented the achievements of the 2016 RHHS STEM Project at the STEM Enrichment Academy held at the University. Our students’ growth in Science and Numeracy is amazing.

SUSTAINABILITY DAY SPORT FRIDAY 25 NOVEMBER Our theme this year was #projectzerolitter. 119 students were 'spotted' doing the right thing by placing their rubbish in the bin and received a special sustainability day merit. Students had the opportunity to ponder the importance of being sustainable as they analysed water supply statistics, recognised the negative effects of litter in our community and viewed interactive displays within the quad. Many students actively responded by writing a pledge to be sustainable and hung it on the 'sustainability tree', constructed by Mr Theys from TAS. The HSIE Faculty would like to thank everyone for taking part and being sustainable.

Rooty Hill High School had another successful year in sport in 2016. We provided over 1200 sporting opportunities for over 400 students.

This saw in increase in participation by more than 15%. A big thank you to all the coaches who made that possible.

Mount Druitt Zone Sports Assembly RHHS again claimed the Patrons Shield for the Most Outstanding Sporting School in Mount Druitt Zone for the 6th consecutive year.

Congratulations to Joshua Deo, Kopul Gupta, Seuga Pula, Ari Ngati and Eden Vaoutumala who were awarded Zone Blues for their excellence in sport in 2016.

Joshua Deo

Congratulations to Joshua Deo of Year 12 who was awarded a Sydney We s t S p o r t i n g B l u e f o r h i s excellence in Volleyball in 2016. He captained the Opens Team (pictured above) to the NSW CHS Top 16 tournament. He captained Sydney West when they placed 2nd in the NSW CHS Regional Championships. He competed for NSW CHS in the All Schools Championships where he was named in the All Star 7 as the best Libero in the competition. He was certainly a worthy recipient of this prestigious award.

NSW Volleyball Schools Cup On Sunday 13 November, RHHS had a successful NSW Volleyball Schools Cup tournament with the U16s Girls placing 1st and being undefeated on the day.

Congratulations to the U15s Boys who placed 4th and to the Opens Boys who participated enthusiastically on the day.

Australian Volleyball Schools Cup During Week 9, 3 RHHS Volleyball teams competed at the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup competition in Melbourne. They challenged the best volleyball teams in the country over a 6-day tournament.

Congratulations to all students and thank you to their coaches Mr Treharne, Mr Mondinos and Ms Dolling.

We look forward to an even more exciting 2017.

SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS TERM 4 2016 Year 7 Bianca Amson Taikura Andrew Thomas Anforth Alyssa Aquipel Kirsten Barbeau Ciela Bautista Cielo Bautista Phoebe Birett Jovana Borovicanin Julia Buckley Kristy Chetty Candice Cowgill Zaheda Faiz Lorrye Genobili Shara-Lee Green Bonnie Hall Achita Hansoongnern Ann Rose Joseph Tania Juchkov Cassandra King Zoe Krabbe Hannah Labuson Shahana Lasini-Rite Ten Hang Lee Mikhayla McCann Tyrone McGuiggan Erin Mercado Jonathan Moxham Hope Mumu Paris Paraan Ciara Phillips Zac Russell Lance Somera Britanya Stevanytantra Genoveva-Constantina Stuparu Ishir Thakur Asha Tukuitonga Aeron Vicente Rhys Walker Year 8 Kimberly Aba Christian Abouchanab Evan Ademovic Divina Ambat Sara Anwar Aleeya Balfas Keila Barbeau Angela Bermudez Riley Blake Christina Booth Erin Cahalane Emma Campbell Justin Canda Zane Catlett Cyrus Cayton Caitlin Citko Casey Cowell Isabella Croft Tarsha Daly Aryan Datt Ruchelle Dawe

Yvonne Delatabua Bianca Fuller Aidan Goundar Kianah Greensill Maryrose Guerra Leanne Gutierrez Courtney Hagan Lateisha Hartley Shya Hedgman Raj Hunjan Morgan Iddles Tayisha Kamoe Natasha Kapulong Jaspreet Kaur Alexia Khalil Katie Klumper Atsupui Delphine Koudakpo Tony Lee Kobe Lepua Megha Martin Lorijocacha Ane Masame Chantel McCann Matthew McKechnie Kanyapat Meekoh Micaela Melgar Rumman Memon Remiel Merlan Raizza Miclat Beverly Misionare Chantell Molloy Kylah Morgan Makayla Neville Hanna Ngo Amber Nicholls Guihot Eunice Nuahn Aijha Nuku Craig Ortiz Marina Ott Azzam Outim Claire Paler Abbey Parnham Dylan Piggott Chloe Plink Shalome Pule Julianna Raquedan Piyatida Jade Ratanasirilak Aalia Rayoso Aaron Reyes Jade Ridley-King Patricia Ross Emily Rough Zeel Shah Jose Mari Sio Sarah Stanley Jonathan Thomas Francis Tinei Tipeni Tofilau Shayla Tran Miracle Sofeni Tuimaualuga Vince Tumbaga

Selina Urbina Quiroz Akanisi Vuki Sophie-Lee Wenning Chad Zahra Sussana Zaman Mike Zamora Year 9 Meena Abawi Sarah Abbot Suvadh Acharya Casey Adams Aasia Akhtar Yamama Albadry Furat Almoail Ejay Alviola Venesse Angeles Annabella Annetts Emma Ayre Sohorhab Azizdel Skylar Bairstow Rosalie Bankler Jasmine Bayliss Aidan Beath Julia Becci-Vatavuk Amanda Birmingham Tanisha Bischof Alecsandra Blando Emily Bolan Jessica Boland April Bryce Dipasha Chand Nansita Charan Samara Colwell Jasmine Coppin Emily Cosgrove Alessandra Delfin Jonathan Delos Santos Jonah Diaz Russell Dimayuga Taylan Dinclik Vanessa Dunn Kyla Fischer Amanda Fuiono Komal Gupta Janpol Gurrea Matthew Holden Vaughn Holyoak Jeralyn Ignacio Charm Ilaya Caitlin Johnson Tiarna Keen Pranita Kumar Rhea Kumar Aaran Lakhan Simon Lie John Marcos Odin McCormack Brae McLean Samantha Mendoza Kieran Mills Brandon Mitchell Kayla Munday Ashlee Musico

Eshleen Naicker Reihana Nikau Chloe Norton Natalie O'connor Lemah Orya Mikail Ozyurtkan Connor Piazza Freshta Popal Narisha Prasad Hadrien Quesada Nikkash Raj Maisom Rajayee Sarah Reeves Alec Remoticado Chantelle Romero Will San Tayla Seaton Paris Staal Holly Steeden Emily Stirk Alyssa Syrls Jael Tarekegn Priya Thiru Maria Vilca Valencia Latrel Vista Staycee Waters Kearna White Chelsea Zammit Maja Zlomislic Year 10 Arizo Aghdar Murtathah Al Khazaaly Charlee Armstrong Crystel Bandal Gladeomae Bandeleon Seth Bayliss Kiarra Beresford Brittany Bishop Marvin Bonifacio Anthony Brown Joy Cayabyab Tarynn Cooke Alexa Cruz Francesco Demasi Joshua Edwards Masse Faiz Morwarid Faiz Lara Ferri Blake Ford Lauchlan Gatt Joanna Gevero Abby Giles Kiyan Gucel Lara Hulme Samiyah Hussein Jayden Javier Oscar Jennings Tynae Jones Jye Jones-Singleton Ayca Karsanbas Ankit Kaushal Ryan Kumar Andrew Lim

Mae Limbaco Courtney Lockett Karis Magno Ashaldine Mailei Mario Maric Larissa Markwell Sahar Mohammed Salih Joshua Mould Ethan Munday Jethro Ocampo Zahra Oudah Reyhan Outim Imico Pablico Alyssa Parreno Brianna Pelayo Akela Pitcaithly Caitlin Puckeridge Daniel Roberto Jeremy Robles Alexandra Robson Sharon Rogers Marco Santos Emma Selby Bianca Sellak Anneka Shankar Amol Sharma Romesh Sharma Nicole Singh Ky Staal Rhys Steward Maythawee Suksom Aemar Sunga Kiarna Terry Daniel Thick Patience Thornton-Whiu Suevale-Tiaina Toluono Raelyn Villegas Geordian Viloria Lisa Vines Andrew Vu Nathaniel Wood Ahmad Zahid Zafar Jaeda Zlomislic Year 11 Jovilenn Hartley Jayden Hicks Brayden Hurley Nita Jennings Harsha Kumar Jeremy Kumar Laura Matekovic Kaitlyn Morris Tokoiva Niukore Araluen Phillips Akatau Amos Taia Amelia Taufa Shaniah Tukuitonga Aisha Umar Sabrina Zaman

Rooty Hill High School Learning, Leadership & Achievement North Parade, Rooty Hill NSW 2766 P.O. Box 70, Rooty Hill NSW 2766 Phone: 02 9625 8104 Fax: 02 9625 4208 Find us on: Web: www.rootyhill-h.schools.nsw.edu.au Facebook: www.facebook.com/rootyhillhs Twitter: www.twitter.com/rootyhillhs RHHS Alumni Network: www.linkedin.com (GROUP: Rooty Hill High School)