2019 Achievements
PRINCIPAL’S EXCELLENCE ASSEMBLY ADDRESS Last year, 2019 was, in most people’s minds the last year of an incredible decade where many things changed and many did not. Throughout that decade and the one before all we heard about in schools was “twenty first century skills”. I am not sure how our audience feels about that phrase. I hope I will never hear it again because it created tensions between education decision makers – at one end those who wanted us to stay locked to a heavily content based curriculum in secondary schools; at the other end those who wanted to do away with subjects and move towards skills based teaching. Neither side was right and in 2019 schools like Rooty Hill High School were being asked to share our work because we have a curriculum that embeds the ACARA capabilities as a way to teach the content of each subject. We have been on this journey since 2013 and in 2019 the focus on both the VERBs (what we do) and the NOUNs (what we learn about) underpinned every program, lesson and assessment task in the more than 50 courses taught in the school. Last year 2019, was, in our minds, the year that our work to give students voice and agency was realised. To have a voice is important because it means you are part of the debate and the conversation. Using this strategy with students has been around a long time especially in leadership and wellbeing programs. Student voice is a good start and programs can be seen in many schools. We believe that schools will need to shift their strategies to focus on student agency which we define as having control over their own learning, assessment and personalised learning plans. In 2018 we conducted a trial, using #MyLearningHub, of students uploading evidence in each subject and “annotating” that evidence to say (in their own words) how it showed what they had learned and what they could do. We also asked students and parents about report comments and the blunt, funny and critical comments they made showed us it was time to change so we introduced student constructed report comments validated by class teachers. How did we know we had done our best in 2019 and what measures did we use? We use a practice called “Outcomes Based Accountability” that allows us to measure how much we have done, how well we have done it and what difference we have made.
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We use a deep set of measures that take us well beyond superficial targets set by others to those designed in the context of our school that recognise that learning is expansive and success, as measured by personal best, comes in many forms. There are literally over a hundred examples I could have used today and I apologise if I miss one that you think is important. I have chosen 12 examples that I think represent us all.
I would like to congratulate Nellie Harb who received the Mary Armstrong ACEL Award for Excellence in Leadership by a teacher in their first 7 years of teaching. I would like to congratulate our school’s Entrepreneurial Learning Professional Learning and Leadership Team who received an ACEL award for Leadership for their work to create the Year 8 Career Explorer’s program with staff from Origin Energy and who will continue to lead in that work in 2020 as we extend the work to a I would like to congratulate and thank the students, staff, wider network of schools. families and the powerful elders who developed our school’s first Reconciliation Action Plan, launched in May 2019 as part of Reconciliation Week.
I would like to congratulate and thank the Year 12 students and their families who organised for 120 people to attend the school’s first Iftar – a meal together to break the fast at the end of the day during Ramadan.
I would like to congratulate the 2019 HSC class. Although there were no Band 6 results last year, the students have received and accepted 52 university, 10 trade and multiple employment offers.
I would like to congratulate Yasodai Selvakumaran who I would also like to congratulate the 10 students across was named as a top 10 finalist in the prestigious Global Years 7 – 12 who received a 5.0 grade point average that meant they had achieved an A grade in every subject. Teacher Prize. I would like to congratulate our sports men, women and teams for another outstanding year with students selected for zone, regional, CHS and national teams. I would particularly congratulate international representatives Koralee Catlett and Emily Stirk. I would like to congratulate and thank our senior student leaders and the student data analyst teams who worked together with teachers and senior staff to write and I would like to congratulate Amanda Fuiono who was present our evidence for External Validation, named as one of 40 NSW Year 12 students to receive the demonstrating a high level of agency and ownership. Minister’s Award for Excellence. When the school was able to provide evidence of 2
“excelling” on 14 of the 14 elements of the School excellence Framework we knew this was a direct result of the ways we work together to be the best we can be.
Congratulations to you all on the recognition you are receiving today and best wishes for the journey that lies ahead of each of you.
Christine Cawsey AM I would like to congratulate and thank our staff and students for organising the school’s #RHOCTOBER19 Principal 7 February 2020 conference that brought over 200 teachers and school leaders from across Australia together to learn from our staff and share our work. STAFF & COMMUNITY
AWARDS
Leadership for Learning Award Ms Melanie Douglas In 2009, ACER published a book written by the school principal called Learning for Leadership based on the story of the school's leadership in professional practice. The proceeds of the book are now used to give this award, an award given to a teacher in the school who, in the opinion of the principal and deputy principals has demonstrated exemplary leadership as a classroom I would like to thank and congratulate our project teams teacher and leader of teachers. and the many partners from the university, not for profit and business sectors who have recognised our work and Melanie Douglas has taught at this school since 2010 and is recognised by students and colleagues for her given us support to try new things such as assessing creativity, deep subject knowledge, expert understanding creativity (with the VCAA), teaching about strengths of the ACARA capabilities especially in reading and and tenacity (with Professor Bill Lucas), Trade Maths wider literacies, higher order skills in using technology (with the Apprenticeship Education Forum), subject based ways of knowing, doing and being (with Dr Linda for learning and the capacity to ensure students in each Hobbs) and our work with partner schools and schools class consistently achieve higher grades and make significant progress against subject outcomes. who share their time and work with us. Melanie is recognised across the school-community for her commitment to the innovative and pedagogical work of this school. She has very high expectations of herself and others. She plans meticulously and her capability scaffolds are used across the school. She is an outstanding classroom teacher whose classroom is assessment centred – she knows what students know and can do and she adapts her lesson plans to ensure students I said at the start of this address that we believe in working in the present so our students, their families, our make progress in every lesson. I would like to thank our families for their trust in us and their excitement when their sons and daughters know more, do more and aspire to be more than they were before. Doing a personal best is, for most of us, not an easy thing to do and that makes the achievements recognised today even more meaningful.
community and staff can take agency for their own futures. There is phrase we can now use when we look back on how far we have come. That phrase is that this school has the capacity to “pull the future into the present” and that is why our work has been widely copied and used as case studies for many other schools. We will not stop. In 2020 our focus PERSIST value will be “success” and we will ask ourselves – Can you evaluate your own performance?
The subjects Melanie teaches require very high levels of engagement with complex business and scientific texts, statistical understanding, pattern finding and predictive discourse. Her classes regularly make progress above that of their peers and the quality of their self-reporting is underpinned by the development of deep skills in selecting work samples and annotating those samples with sophisticated language and understanding.
Those receiving recognition today achieved a personal Melanie consistently works at the levels of highly best by continually evaluating their own performance and accomplished and lead teacher in planning, designing, taking responsibility for their learning, progress and delivering and assessing student learning. work. Melanie’s classroom work was recognised in 2018 and 2019 with invitations to feature in both ACARA and DoE case studies on the use of creativity in the 3
classroom, embedding capabilities and developing thinking skills. Teachers across the school have been invited to observe her work and Melanie has developed and delivered professional learning as part of professional learning team work and as an expert practitioner. Her colleagues have used her work in professional learning sessions with senior staff and principals from other schools. Colleagues actively seek Melanie's advice and request her feedback on their own lesson planning, programming and assessment.
Parents & Citizens Association and School Council Award For Outstanding Community Contribution Ms Karen McSpeerin
In addition, Melanie has held roles as a year adviser, student mentor, representative to external consultations and source of support to other members of both the welfare and curriculum teams. She is acknowledged as an outstanding year adviser who knows the personal story of each student in her year group. She has demonstrated sensitivity, compassion and wisdom in supporting the students in this year’s Year 12 since they were in Year 7. She has co-designed programs and opportunities for the students and has the most comprehensive photo record of their journey through high school that has ever been developed. It would come as no surprise to the students that she can provide visual evidence for the success of the innovative universal, targeted and intensive programs she has co-created and implemented for them. She is a champion for student agency and for ensuring students in her year group and classes have the opportunity to do their best.
In 2019 the school decided to recognise the contribution to the school made by the Director Educational Leadership, Karen McSpeerin. Karen has had a long relationship with this school and its community, initially as a consultant, principal of a local public primary school, principal support officer, Director and, for the last 3 years as Director Educational Leadership.
Melanie was the coordinator of Pasifika student programs since 2010-2018 which have been responsible for engaging students with their learning. This is a very important program in the school and her role as a mentor and advocate for Pasifika students is inspiring. She has managed sophisticated strategic partnering relationships in this and other programs creating a powerful network of community advocates for our students and the school.
In 2013, the school’s Parents & Citizens Association (P&C) commissioned an award to be presented by the P&C to a student, staff member, parent, alumni or community partner whose work for the school community has made a significant difference to the school.
Many of our staff, parents and community members have valued the mentoring and advice they received from Karen. Our students have appreciated her willingness to be involved with them and to be both a thoughtful listener and sensible guide in their conversations. The school’s community partners have valued her leadership and ongoing support. In particular, her work with the SALSA (Students as Lifestyle Activists) advisory group and the Apprenticeship Education Forum steering committee creating the Maths in Trades pathways has made a significant impact in partnering, programming and student improvement. Karen has promoted the school’s innovative programs and nominated the school for recognition in case studies and awards. She was an important source of expertise in the school’s successful External Validation in 2019 and she has been open to working collegially with the school’s own expertise in evidence, school planning and professional practice.
The school is honoured to recognise Melanie Douglas as the recipient of this award for 2019 and to invite her to It is with great pleasure that the school-community join the very special group of teacher leaders who have recognises and thanks Karen for her contributions to our received this recognition in previous years. school-community.
Ms Melanie Douglas, pictured with Ms Christine Cawsey and Mr Jason Miezis.
Ms Karen McSpeerin, pictured with Blacktown Youth Ambassador Evan Ademovic and Councillor Tony Bleasdale OAM, Mayor of Blacktown.
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INDIVIDUAL & TEAM ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS Principal’s Awards for Outstanding Individual Achievement Tarsha Daly, Year 11 – External Validation Rumman Memon, Year 11 – External Validation Chad Zahra, Year 11 – External Validation Ernest Manansala, Year 12 – Disability Champion Amanda Fuiono, Year 12 – NSW CHS Blue Award – Volleyball Emily Stirk, Year 12 – NSW CHS Blue Award – Volleyball
Top ROSA GPA Awards – 4.5 or above Year 11 Divina Ambat Sussana Zaman Year 10 Zaheda Faiz Ann Rose Joseph Hannah Labuson
Year 10 and 11 ROSA GPA Award recipients and Mr Jason Miezis.
Andy McKay VET Student of the Year Reihana Nikau – Entertainment Industry
Principal’s Special Outstanding Achievement Award recipients and Principal, Ms Christine Cawsey.
Representative Team of the Year Student Data Analyst Team. Finalists: E Team, Events Media Crew, Model United Nations A Team, Open Girls Volleyball Team.
Andy McKay VET student of the year, Reihana Nikau & RHHS Visual Arts Acquistion Prize recipient, Maria Vilca Valencia, pictured with Ms Kylie Munzenburger and Councillor Tony Bleasdale OAM.
Rooty Hill High School Visual Arts Acquisition Prize Maria Vilca Valencia
Representative Team of the Year: Student Data Analyst Team and Mr Edmond Atalla, Member for Mount Druitt. 5
Reuben F Scarf Award for Commitment Jasmine Bayliss Betty Andersen Memorial Practical Science Award Jasmine Bayliss
Presenter of the Betty Anderson Practical Science Award and Deputy Principal Ms Constance Mattimore.
Australian Defence Force Long Tan Leadership & Teamwork Award Year 10 Genoveva-Constantina Stuparu Year 12 Furat Almoail
Deputy Principal’s Award for Most Improved Student award recipients pictured with Deputy Principals Ms Thelma Vuki and Ms Constance Mattimore.
Jan Van Doorn Personal Best Award Year 7 Charliene Coulthard Year 8 Gizem Biber Year 9 Jason Lansdowne Year 10 Cassandra King Year 11 Aleeya Balfas Year 12 Saja Alhameed, Shania Fenech
Award recipients Furat Almoail and Genoveva Constantina Stuparu pictured with Flight Lietenuent Lisa Karbon, Flight Section Commander – School of Postgraduate Studies.
Deputy Principal’s Award for Most Improved Student Year 7 Kiara Schroeder Year 8 James Moules Year 9 Tamana Mansory Year 10 Kaleb Clarke Year 11 Aryan Datt Year 12 Tanisha Roach
Jan Van Doorn Personal Best Award recipients, pictured with Mr Jan Van Doorn.
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Chifley School Service Award Year 7 Shaye Ryan Year 8 Sarah Salameh Year 9 Tayla Norton Year 10 Elijah-Christopher Kaisa Year 11 Tarsha Daly Year 12 Aidan Beath
Gabriel Convento
Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement
Charlize Dela Torre Mikayla Grosvenor Freshta Hashimi
Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer CAPA Best Performer Languages Other Than English Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement
Henna Mansory
Best Performer HSIE Terry Nguyen Trish Ortiz
Chifley School Service Award recipients, pictured with Hon Mr Ed Husic MP (Member for Chifley) and Ms Mattimore.
Dux Years 7 – 11 Year 7 Liza Anwar, Marian Unay Year 8 Bianca Dodd Year 9 Celestine Salimbangon Year 10 Zaheda Faiz Year 11 Sussana Zaman
Year 7-11 Dux, pictured with Mr Edmond Atalla. (Please see Missing Link Term 4, 2019 for Year 7 – 11 Dux speeches
Student Subject Awards, Outstanding Achievement Awards & Sports Champions. Year 7 Name Atem Atuich Aphril Cabban Gabriel Convento
Award Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer English
Ravikesh Prasad Reece RichmondCassells Jayden Seaton Sahiba Sheikh Marian Unay Daniel Vaquerano Smith
Best Performer Mathematics Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer Science Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer PDHPE Best Performer TAS Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement
Year 7 Outstanding Achievement and Subject Award recipients pictured with Ms Thelma Vuki and Eastern Creek Public School Principal Ms Lee Sibir & School Captains.
Year 8 Name Adam Almoail
Danni Cowgill Anjelica Delos Reyes
Award Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Sports Champion Junior Boys Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer PDHPE 7
Bianca Dodd
Dansia Gomes Mahek Janif Makaila Marquez Amina Mohammadi Owen Munday Ucheme Ohiaeri Catherine Schofield Jazmine Susi Belinda Tahana Angelina Zamora
Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer Mathematics Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer English Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer CAPA Best Performer HSIE Premier’s Sporting Challenge Medal Principal’s Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer Science
Andrew Doan Tasha Fuentes Nathaniel Guzman
Best Performer Mathematics Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer PDHPE
Hong Hy Khov Tamana Mansory Alyse McCutcheon Mikhaela Mendoza Shah Reza Mirzaie
Amanda Ngo Celestine Salimbangon Keighla Santiago Joel Zahra
Best Performer TAS Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Sports Champion Junior Girls Best Performer English VIEW Award for Outstanding Achievement in Education Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer HSIE Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement
Year 8 Outstanding Achievement, Sporting and Subject Award recipients pictured with Ms Constance Mattimore, Minchinbury Public School Principal Ms Rebecca Webster & School Captains.
Year 9 Name Stefan Adamovic Malaika Ali Isabella Arnold Jamee Balzan Andrew Doan
Award Best Performer Science Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer CAPA Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement
Year 9 Outstanding Achievement, Sporting and Subject Award recipients pictured with Ms Thelma Vuki, Rooty Hill Public School Relieving Principal Ms Larissa Maraga & School Captains.
Year 10 Name Alyssa Aquipel Phoebe Birett Zaheda Faiz
Award Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement 8
Zaheda Faiz
Best Performer English Best Performer HSIE Best Performer Mathematics Best Performer PDHPE
Taiala Fuiono Lorrye Genobili Elijah-Christopher Kaisa Zoe Krabbe Kaimana Mahe Arya Nooralizadeh Asl Nwazuruka Ohiaeri Paris Paraan Jason Suarez Aeron Vicente
Best Performer Science Sports Champion Senior Boys Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer CAPA Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer TAS Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement
Divina Ambat Aleeya Balfas Zane Catlett Alison Gamsby Courtney Hagan Jaspreet Kaur Alexia Khalil Chen Li Rumman Memon Remiel Merlan Raizza Miclat Claire Paler Kealoha Tautuiaki Hayze Tauveve
Best Performer Mathematics Best Performer VET Best Performer PDHPE Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer TAS Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement
Chad Zahra
Best Performer CAPA Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer English
Sussana Zaman
Best Performer HSIE Best Performer Science
Year 10 Outstanding Achievement, Sporting and Subject Award recipients pictured with Ms Constance Mattimore and Ms Karen McSpeerin.
Year 11 Name Evan Ademovic Danah Al-Jorani Ali Almoail
Award Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Year 11 Outstanding Achievement, Sporting and Subject Award recipients pictured with Ms Thelma Vuki, Ms Melanie Douglas and Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Ms Tori Middlebrook. 9
Year 12 Name Meena Abawi Saja Alhameed Furat Almoail Emma Ayre
Rosalie Bankler
Award Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer Mathematics Best Performer Science
Jasmine Bayliss Aidan Beath Melike Bitiktas April Bryce Dipasha Chand Russell Dimayuga Shania Fenech
Year 12 Outstanding Achievement, Sporting and Subject Award recipients pictured with Ms Constance Mattimore, Mr Aaron Hay and Mr Jason Miezis.
Dux of the School Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Rosalie Bankler Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Olympic Changemaker Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer English Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Rosalie Bankler (middle) pictured with Principal Ms Christine Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Cawsey and 2018 School Dux, Ms Caitlin Puckeridge who presented the award.
Amanda Fuiono
Best Performer PDHPE Best Performer TAS
Reihana Nikau Chloe Norton Hadrien Quesada Nikkash Raj
Emily Stirk
Rooty Hill High School, School Council Student of the Year Amanda Fuiono
Olympic Changemaker Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Best Performer HSIE Best Performer CAPA Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Principal's Award for Outstanding Achievement Sports Champion Senior Girls
Amanda Fuiono (middle) pictured with Principal Ms Christine Cawsey and 2018 Student of the Year Ms Joy Cayabyab.
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Dux of the School 2019 Address: Rosalie Bankler
Good morning, everybody! Guess who’s back? It’s me. I done did it again. I’m here to talk about how I got here and the people who helped me get here, with a speech that definitely isn’t a rip off of the last one. I got myself to this position (again) with the same process as last time: hard work, passion for learning and improvement, friendships with teachers, panic, all that good stuff. I continually strived for improvement by asking for feedback from the teachers, and my own fear of failure made me strive even more. I would like again to give a special thanks to everybody who has helped to make learning fun and exciting for me, and who have helped me improve with their advice and feedback. I would like to thank my friends, and my Year 12 teachers, as well as all of the teachers I had in the past. And to everyone in the audience, I know you worked hard to get here. Don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions, and don’t be afraid to ask for help or feedback. You may have endured failures or disappointments, but you could use those to improve yourself and prepare for the future. It was a great privilege to attend Rooty Hill High School.
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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 12