Rooty Hill High School - Missing Link Term 4 2023

MISSING LINK Term 4 2023

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

In this final Missing Link for the year, I want to congratulate the school on a wonderful year where we have finally begun to see the recovery from the hard COVID years and the returning of the culture and strength of Rooty Hill HS. Best wishes to the teachers who are leaving us this year and a great big thanks to them: Ms Lucas, Ms Selvakumaran, Ms Xuereb and Ms Haigh. Best wishes to Ebony Wicks our SSO for her new job with the Health department. She has done a lot for the school in her time with us. (There will be more so hold a space)

Congratulations to Year 12 2023 on their HSC results and the many offers of early entry they received. They were a very special year as the photos and videos record.

On 6 December we presented Year 10 with the RoSA certificates and then on 8 December we presented students in Years 7,8, and 9 with their final end of year reports. We were delighted that 158 parents and family members joined us for the presentations and, as we come to the end of this year, I would like to share my comments from the assemblies and wish all families a safe and happy holiday.

Today I would like to congratulate you on completing this year and I would like to recognise the very large number of students whose academic work, efforts and contributions to the life of the school through sport, creative arts, school service and commitment to improvement are being recognised today.

I would like to take a few minutes to talk about “doing school and doing it well”. Our school was recognised in November for the ways we work and for what we achieved in being “excelling” in the Department of Education’s external validation. This week we hosted visits from people, including a delegation of Japanese visitors, who spoke with students and staff about what we do to continue to be so successful. They wanted to know about our practices and our systems. We spoke to them about the importance of student agency - we expect students to be able to take responsibility for their own actions – as learners, school citizens and members of Team Rooty Hill. We expect students to understand and demonstrate the #PERSIST values and be able to answer Yes to the 7 questions, one for each value.

To do this, we all need to develop ways of thinking, speaking and behaving that demonstrate we know how to “do school well”. I often speak about the routines of successful secondary students and report on research that says that secondary age students need about 500 routines each day to do Years 7-9 well and about 750 routines each day to do well in Years 10-12.

If you think about each class you attend from when you arrive, power up your laptop, complete the Do Now, attempt each task (with different content, concepts and skills) and then check your work against the criteria, finish homework, complete assessment tasks, do a project and complete the required work, you can see how many routines

you are using. And that is just in one class. So, routines are important and the better we get at them, the more automatic they become. If they are strong routines and we practise them a lot they help us to be better at what we want to do, whether that is writing an essay, using tools in TAS, playing an instrument or training each day.

The challenge we all face is when the routines that guide our behaviours fail us. We miss the bus, we forget the date the task is due, we have a conflict, we make a mistake. And, of course, when we are asked to do something new, emotional or difficult we have not done before we cannot always rely on routines to get us through.

Recently, I was driving my car along a road towards Castle Hill on a day when the traffic was busy. Suddenly, a car pulled out from the right-hand lane into the left lane and I had to swerve suddenly to avoid a collision. The driver did not see my car and it happened so quickly I did not have time to even press the horn. I just had to save the car. Although years of driving meant I had some routines, in the moment I had to make a choice – risking hitting the driver on the right-hand side or hoping there was nobody in the bus lane on the left as I swerved into it.

Although this is an example that many drivers face, the need to make choices when we face the new, emotional or difficult is a major feature of you being successful secondary students. The choices might be big and take a lot of time to consider such as subject selections and transition planning. The choices might be small (but important) such as when (not if) to do homework, how to treat people we meet or how to help new students and staff feel welcome at our school. We have the choice about what we think, what we say and what we do. And, once we make that choice, we can decide if we want that to be part of our routine.

Our students are well known in NSW for being kind, polite and helping others, including visitors. Our students are known for having strong relationships with their teachers. Our students are known for making their parents proud. Almost all our students in Years 7 -10 have made good choices in 2023 to practise the routines of our school culture and values and to make an effort to do their best.

Excellence is not a random act. It is a habit. It is the capacity to repeat positive routines and practices and the capacity to make powerful, positive choices for yourselves, your families and your classmates.

Congratulations and best wishes for a safe and happy holiday.

Christine Cawsey AM Principal

BEGINNING TEACHERS 2023

Congratulations to the 2024 cohort of beginning teachers who have successfully completed their first year of teaching at Rooty Hill High School.

Throughout the year, they have engaged in professional learning with colleagues to evaluate their classroom practice, enhance their professional knowledge and skills, and improve the educational outcomes of students.

Further congratulations go to Angus Shephard, Ashleigh Stepfner and Sandy Ratnappuly who achieved proficient teacher accreditation.

WORLD TEACHERS DAY 2023

Written

by

Zena Jalil & Jacob Stirk

Good morning teachers, and Happy World Teachers Day. Today we are gathered to celebrate each and every one of you and the hard work you have put into teaching all of your students.

The theme for World Teachers Day this year is Hats Off to Teachers. Each of you has inspired, educated and supported all of us students and we are extremely grateful, that’s why today we celebrate each of you and acknowledge the significant impact you all have on shaping the minds and lives of all the students of Rooty Hill High School.

Teachers are the foundation of our society. You all play a critical role in imparting knowledge, fostering critical thinking, and nurturing a love for learning. Not just anyone can be a teacher. The role of a teacher requires patience, compassion and an absurd amount of flexibility. You are all people who constantly go beyond your job description.

The continuous dedication towards supplying quality lessons to your student as well as the sacrifice each of you make to ensure the well-being and success of each of your students has not gone unnoticed, whether it’s the perfectly manufactured slides, spending countless hours of your personal time to give us feedback, having to reply to the absurdly late google chat messages or even having to mediate ridiculous arguments that have probably made you able to put qualified marriage councillors on your resume. You serve as role models and mentors, providing guidance and support that extends beyond the classroom.

Your passion for the topics you teach about is contagious, and we know students who feel more comfortable opening up to their teachers than they do their friends. This is because you never fail to create a safe space for your

students. You all carry yourself with resilience and adaptability, having to endure overwhelming workloads and overcoming challenges. Throughout limited resources, large class sizes and evolving educational landscapes, you have kept us grounded with the consistent quality of your characters and teaching.

Although this is a day dedicated to your efforts, we appreciate you not only today but every day of the year. We thank you for your dedication, passion, and contribution to shaping a brighter future for the next generation. And we guess all that’s left to do is take our hats off to our teachers.

ATAR OP-ED

Written by Michelle Zahra, Head of Origin Energy Foundation

Last week we took a magnifying glass to the performance of Australian 15-year-olds against their international peers with the release of the OECD-run Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results.

This week, Australian students will receive their Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) which will be the culmination of years of hard work and determination. The successful completion of high school is a significant milestone for these young people and also for their support networks - parents, teachers and school communities.

Accordingly, the news will be awash with stories celebrating and elevating the top performing students –those with the elusive 99.95 ranking that will open any door to any university course around the country.

While we absolutely celebrate in those successes, I’d like to pause for a moment and recognise all students who have learned lessons, overcome challenges, achieved personal growth and are ready for their next chapter. The young people who are prepared for the world, equipped with the skills to thrive as curious learners, creative and critical thinkers, and our future leaders.

Those attributes can’t be measured by an ATAR, and yet it is the standard to which our young people are held. Is a ranking the ultimate end game and an appropriate reflection of 13 years of formative school life?

What if we shifted our thinking towards how to best prepare young people for life after school and careers of the future? What’s the measure we put on that?

Evidence shows that bringing the outside world of work into the classroom, and doing this early and at every stage of their education can play a tremendous role in preparing young people for their futures.

Australian governments recognise that developing stronger partnerships between schools and businesses are pivotal to

each Australian young person pursuing, and fulfilling, productive and responsible lives.

A consistent finding from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) is that working together benefits students by providing inspiration, confidence, learning and networks. Benefits also extend to families, educators, employers and employees, and governments.

The old school view was that schools and business were separate. Students would leave the high school grounds for a week in year 10 and go into a business to conduct work experience. More often than not, it involved photocopying and filing. That world of work experience is outdated. What is needed in its place, and what has proven to be most effective, is purposeful partnerships between schools and businesses to provide real world learning opportunities.

By bringing the real world of work into the classroom, it provides students with the opportunity to see a range of career options to which they may never have otherwise been exposed. Meaning they can make more informed decisions about their pathways after high school and be better prepared.

An example of this in practice is the partnership that Origin Energy has developed with Rooty Hill High School over the past five years. The Explorers Day, co-designed by the school and one of the nation’s largest energy companies, has provided Year 8 students with access to a range of hands-on workshops in various job clusters run by industry professionals working across various fields. It is designed to help inform students’ choice as they select their Year 9 electives.

The result has been students becoming more aware of different career pathways, with students choosing a broader spread of Year 9 electives, and swapping subjects less. Origin’s volunteer workforce meanwhile benefits from connecting with students and teachers where they are challenged by new thinking and develop skills that are relevant for their roles in the business.

Despite the importance of education and business sectors working together being high on the national agenda for the last 30 years, there have remained significant barriers to embedding this practice more broadly. One significant challenge has been that both schools and businesses are time poor, and up until now there have been no tools or resources to help guide this activity and make it easier.

The Origin Energy Foundation believes in the power of education to help create better lives for young Australians and has worked in collaboration with our partners in the education sector to tackle this problem with the development of Purposeful Partnering – an online resource to support schools and business on how to work together towards improved outcomes for young people.

It is our hope that as more school and business leaders embark on developing partnerships, we will see improved outcomes for young people and our community.

It’s time to recognise there is more than one impactful way to measure success and help prepare young people for life after school, and to become our leaders of tomorrow.

YEAR 7

Year Adviser Message

Year 7 have ended the year on a fantastic note. Term 4 has been filled with lots of fun inside and outside of the classroom, with the Science Reptile Incursion, an art showcase, a Bell Shakespeare program running in English and many more.

A highlight of this term happening in the water, with swim school occurring during grade sport and the Raging Waters excursion concluding the term. It was great to see you all practising the skills you learnt in the pool and having a good time with your friends.

Year 7’s hard work and dedication to the school’s values has been reflected this year with over five thousand merits being awarded to the grade, and I couldn’t be prouder of your transition into high school. Have a safe and fun break, and we’ll see you next year!

Year Adviser Principal’s Assembly Address

Good afternoon, Ms Cawsey, Ms Vuki, Ms Andrews, colleagues, senior leaders, parents and caregivers and most importantly, Year 7.

This will be the last official assembly that I get to call you that, Year 7. How surreal. I feel like it was not that long ago when I was calling you Year 6, organising your orientation days and running around at the Gala Day.

Your first year of high school has flown by, and it makes me proud to see how you have all persisted in this high school environment. It hasn’t always been easy, and of course there have been some struggles, but there have been countless successes in this grade. There have been outstanding GPA scores, very impressive school assessment and projects, gala day athletes, zone athletes, gold medallist athletes, Haka Warrior champions, Gifted Gateway legends, School spectacular musicians, Art on the hill artists, 100% attenders and many more.

I was actually having a look through Sentral the other day gathering some data on how our grade went this year, and I was scrolling and scrolling through so many merits that I decided to count them all up. Three years later, I finally finished counting, and Year 7, this year you have received 5,343 merit awards. Considering there are only 189 of you, that is a very impressive number.

I then decided that I was having so much fun counting that I would do some more, and I looked up how many merits all the other grades at this school got when they were in Year 7. And guess what I found out. Your grade have been awarded more merits in Year 7 than any other grade in this school.

Give yourselves a big round of applause. So, I started to think about what that meant, and I came to two conclusions.

The first is that you aim to be a kind, hardworking, dedicated grade who treat each other with respect and empathy and who always try and do the right thing. Obviously, there are some days when you are not perfect, but as a whole, you are all succeeding in that aim.

Secondly, this means that your teachers see the hard work you put in and want to celebrate you for that. Your teachers in Year 7 are special, they’re the ones that introduce you to what high school is all about, they introduce you to new friends and look out for you. In saying that, make sure you take some time before the end of the term to thank them for everything they have done for you. And be sure to keep a lookout in the photo presentation for a little something from them.

Next year will come with some change. You will no longer be in the same class with the same students for each subject, you’ll have different teachers, you’ll have a different sport day, different excursions and learning activities, and finally, you won’t be the newbies of the school anymore. There will be around 200 new Year 7 students who are going to come into the school lost, not knowing what to expect, some excited and some nervous and guess who they will be looking to. You.

So, what kind of role model are you going to be? Will you inspire them to be kind? Will you inspire them to try their best? To have a go at new sports? To make new friends? To get involved in the school community? To talk to a teacher if they need help?

Keep that in mind when you walk through these gates again next year on your first day of Year 8. For a fresh new start, a year to work on your goals and to strive to be the best version of yourself you can be.

I’m excited to see what you all achieve. Thank you for a great year, Year 7! I’m looking forward to the next one.

Have a fun and safe holiday. Thank you.

Miss Elford Year 7 Adviser

Swim School

Year 7 had a lot of fun in the sun at swim school this term. Held on three separate days, the students learnt essential skills in swim safety, rescue skills and of course, practise swimming skills. A particular highlight was when one of the grade’s strongest swimmers had a race against Mr Hay. Mr Hay won this round but I’m sure we’ll beat him next year.

Pencils to Pixels

Year 7 artwork was proudly on display in our hall this term as a part of the CAPA faculty ‘Pencil to Pixels’ art showcase. The grade had artworks created throughout the year in display for the community to see, and many students visited during the night to see what other grades had come up with. It was great to so much talent in our year group.

LOTE

Congratulations to the students who successfully completed the Contemporary Dance Workshop this term with guest teacher Brad from the Sydney Dance Company. Students had a wonderful time learning new dance skills and techniques as well as a phrase from the current Sydney Dance Company showcase “Forever & Ever” a work by Antony Hamilton. We look forward to running more dance sessions in the near future to enrich students’ learning.

Computer Science in Schools – Coding Workshops

This year teachers from Rooty Hill High School partnered with Computer Science in Schools and Amazon to run a two-day coding workshop for over 50 Year 7 and 8 students in Term 4.

The workshop, designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of coding and computational thinking, aimed to foster a deeper understanding of technology and its applications. The partnership with Computer Science in Schools and Amazon brought a wealth of expertise and resources, providing an enriching experience for our students.

Throughout the fun, energised two-day workshop, students engaged in hands-on coding and problem-solving activities designed to challenge students and develop basic programming skills. A highlight of the workshops was the mentorship provided by Amazon computer scientists. Our students had the opportunity to interact with industry professionals who shared their personal journeys and encouraged students to consider future careers in this growing industry.

One Year 10 student, Lucas Hicks, provided additional support and was able to share his passion for programming with fellow students.

The coding workshop was an outstanding success and participants have asked for more opportunities to engage in coding workshops in the future.

YEAR 8

Year Adviser Message

Good morning, Ms Cawsey, Ms Mattimore, Ms Andrews, teachers. parents, caregivers and of course Year 8. Term 4 was action-packed, wasn’t it?

Year 8 has been involved in many activities this term including the SEPEP gala day, various sports cups, the Music enrichment programs, the Peer mentor programs and personalised learning conversations.

I have witnessed great efforts from a large number of students who have actively improved their commitment to learning with increases in GPAs from Semester 1 to Semester 2. Absolutely outstanding term Year 8! Now I would like to apologize for my absence at the beginning of the term but only for the reason that you unfortunately missed the next instalment of the scarecrow saga.

Now there is a part of the story I hadn’t told you before, the part where the scarecrow actually tripped, stumbled and fell. From the start… All went quiet for just a moment as the principal read the name on the award…. “Scarecrow”. So, the scarecrow stands and walks towards the stage to accept her award, her heart still beating loudly.

She knew that all she had been working for had led to this moment. Hands tingling, legs numb she walks down the aisle and as she approaches the first step and she trips… and with all eyes on her, she lands with a very loud audible thud…

Now in the room was a deathly silence, she looked back toward the crowd's faces showing an array of emotions. Shock, sympathy and some laughter. Time had temporarily stopped as the scarecrow was overcome with urges to run and to cry.

Summoning the courage, the scarecrow picks herself up and begins to climb the stairs and walks towards the principal. She couldn’t give up now, she worked for this all year. As they shake hands the principal leans in whilst the scarecrow is accepting the award and says, “How did you become so outstanding in this field?” The scarecrow smiles and says “Well this passion is not for everyone but hay it’s in my jeans” …. (Pause for roaring laughter)

Now in life when striving to achieve success or goals sometimes we will fall or be set back. The ability to bounce back and overcome our adversity is called resilience. Just like the scarecrow we at times need to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and finish off strong.

Rocky Balboa said "It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!” You have individually and collectively as a grade in 2023 taken on so many challenges and have overcome obstacles to get there and from this you have many amazing achievements.

Congratulations to you all. As we celebrate these achievements, we will shortly begin our break. Enjoy that time off, spend it with family and friends in the sunshine. But when you get a moment start dreaming about your next daring challenge. What successes will strive for in 2024.

What will inspire, motivate and excite you? I’m going to leave that with you to think about. Now we are so close to the end of this year but don’t stop now. Continue your best efforts into Week 10. I personally cannot wait for raging waters! Well done on this year’s achievements, finish this year off strong and enjoy your break!

Mr Crosilla

Year 8 Adviser

Peer Mentor Program

Written by Jasmine Santiago

What is the peer mentor program? The peer mentor program happened last Thursday, where we learnt how to become peer support leaders for our future Year 7’s. Along this journey we learnt how to work as a team, become role models and learn how to run activities for upcoming events. As a result, we are able to become dependable leaders for our new Year 7’s.

Sports Education in Physical Education Program (SEPEP)

Written by Ava Scobie

The SEPEP Gala Day was held in Week 8 on the 1st of December for Year 8. This day brought out a competitive and a very energetic side of the students which made the day full of excitement. There were various teams with unique names e.g., the Pecking Pelicans.

There were three stages to the softball games, the beginning, the semifinals and the grand finals which took up the whole day. The day was great for trying something outside of your comfort zone. This day was also great for people who disliked sport as the majority of the grade weren’t familiar with softball which made it more challenging while simultaneously making the game more comfortable for everyone to play without embarrassment.

In the grand finals there were two teams left and everyone was so encouraging and the chants of each team were great! In conclusion, overall, it was a very fun experience.

Valid Testing

Written by Gabrielle Morales

Valid testing, it happened 3-4 weeks ago. It was a 2-day test where we would stay in our science classes and we would cooperate to test our knowledge to keep up with science. It wasn't a test but it's where we would test scientific knowledge if we know the things we’ve done in science. Valid testing is a program that provides an online end-ofstage assessment.

Volleyball Schools Cup

Written by Marcus Rivera

The Volleyball Schools Cup happened in Week 3 Monday of Term 4. The teams that attended this school cup are the Year 8 Boys and Girls, Year 7 Boys and Girls, Year 10 Boys and The Opens teams. This Schools cup consisted of teams from around the state, to compete for a medal in their division. The Year 7 boys, Year 8 boys, Year 10 boys and the open teams played at Netball central while the Year 8 girls and Year 7 girls played at the Sports Hall.

The School cup lasted for many hours starting from 6am and ending at 4:30pm. This day overall was really fun to do and was really challenging to play against all the good teams.

Amazon Coding Workshop

Written by Ceylin Diler

It was on November 15th and 16th as it was a two-day workshop, Ms Mattimore, Ms Dadger and other people that work in amazon and specialize in coding visited our school and helped us learn about coding. We also did a challenge where we had to make a movie trailer and we won prizes throughout the two-day workshop. We were filled with

lollies and we also got to eat lunch both days. I had so much fun and definitely would do it again as it increased my knowledge in coding.

Personalised Learning Conversations

Written

by

Addison Marsh

The 2023 Year 8 personalized learning conversations took place in the hall during Week 7 with all of Year 8, teachers and Year 8’s year adviser Mr Crosilla attending. Year 8 enjoyed the personalized learning conversations as we got the chance to look back and reflect on all of our achievements we made in our academics, sports, carnivals and competitions as individuals and all together as a year group in 2023. We now know all the ways we can improve even further next year in Year 9.

Ambassador for Year 7 2024 Orientation Day

Written by Ecrin Diler

The orientation day was where we greeted the Year 6 students who are going to transition to be Year 7 students in 2024.During orientation day we told the Year 6 students and the parents of what to expect in high school. We were talking about how RHHS supports their transition into Year 7 as well as opportunities that RHHS offers to them. We got to play many activities with the Year 6 students, as well as the opportunity to give them a tour of RHHS. We met the new Year 7 students for 2024, which was awesome.

SEPEP Gala Day

Written by Daveleen Mulbah

The Year 8 SEPEP gala day was held Friday Week 8. It was a whole day spent on teams working together and cooperating to win games. During the gala day we all played against each other in games of softball. The semifinals were held during period 3 where the top 4 teams battled it out to be victorious. Only two teams remained. At lunch we were all treated to a sausage sizzle. Finally at period 4 was the grand finale, the two teams played their hardest as we all supported from the sidelines cheering them on. In the end only one team was victorious. Altogether the SEPEP gala day was a fun memorable day for the whole grade to remember.

YEAR 9

Year Adviser Message

Another busy term for Year 9, as it was the last term for them in the junior school. The term started with a visit to Western Sydney University for students involved in the Fast

Forward program. The students loved to be able to explore the university facilities and set goals for studying at university in the future. The students had a fun day trying to solve the mystery set by the Fast Forward team and collaborated as a team to complete the challenges and tasks.

During Week 2, the Tell Them from Me Team presented their findings to the school’s executive. They had previously analysed the data from the survey and presented their findings along with 25 recommendations as they begin the senior school.

During Week 7, students reflected on Semester 2 achievements and wrote their strength comments. It was outstanding to see students articulate their moments of pride in 2023. During Week 8 and 9, all students completed the We Are Successful Seniors program. This program is designed to help students transition from the junior school to the senior school. There were a lot of challenges and senior focused lessons throughout the program. Year 9 students also had the opportunity to hear from a guest speaker.

Finally, during Week 10, a group of students spent the day at Raging Waters. Although it was a scorching hot day, the students enjoyed relaxing while others enjoyed riding the range of waterslides.

Congratulations to all Year 9 students for finishing your journey in the junior school. I would like to thank Mrs Andrews for all the time and support she has given to this year group over the past 4 years. We will miss you as our Head Teacher.

Miss Short Year 9 Adviser

YEAR 10

Year Adviser Message

Good Afternoon Ms Cawsey, Ms Mattimore, Miss Munzenberger, senior leaders, parents, carers and Year 10. This assembly celebrates the end of your journey through Year 10.

I congratulate you all on your efforts to finish your Year 10 RoSA, and your consistent demonstration of the school PERSIST values. I have been delighted to watch your participation this term in events like college games, Hoops 4 Hope, personalised learning and our Jamberoo excursion. I hope you all continue to take every opportunity you can in the senior school.

I was recently asked some brilliant questions by Year 10 photography students who were completing their “Humans of Rooty Hill” project. One of the questions was what the most important piece of advice was that I would give to a Year 10 student. I know I always try to give advice, or some life lessons in my speeches at the end of each term, but this made me think about the most important thing for you going into the HSC years.

I decided upon some advice about mistakes. A lot of you are high achievers and are often hard on yourselves. A big part of growing up and becoming an adult is realising that mistakes happen and you can either let them ruin you or let them shape you into a better person.

One of the most crucial lessons life teaches us is that mistakes are not just inevitable but are, in fact, invaluable stepping stones on the path to success. It's easy to get disheartened when things don't go as planned, but remember, every setback is a setup for a comeback. As you navigate the complex journey ahead, I implore you to embrace your mistakes, for within them lies the profound potential for learning and personal development.

Consider the great inventors, artists, and leaders who have shaped our world – each one faced numerous setbacks and failures. It was through these challenges that they found the courage to persevere, learn, and ultimately succeed. Thomas Edison once said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." This mindset propelled him to revolutionize the world with the invention of the light bulb. For our athletes, one of Michael Jordan’s most famous quotes is “the key to success is failure”.

In your academic pursuits and personal endeavours, remember that making mistakes is not a reflection of your worth but an opportunity for growth. It's through the process of trial and error that you uncover your strengths, weaknesses, and untapped potential. The most successful individuals are those who not only acknowledge their mistakes but actively seek to learn from them. One of my favourite pieces of self-talk is “never miss twice”. If I make a mistake, I learn from it, and make sure I don’t make that mistake a second time.

As you venture into the next chapter of your academic journey, keep in mind that perfection is not the goal – it's progress. View mistakes as stepping stones, not stumbling blocks. Take risks, push your boundaries, and, most importantly, be kind to yourself when things don't go as planned.

In closing, I want to express my deep pride in each and every one of you. Your resilience, determination, and commitment to growth have not gone unnoticed. As you move forward, carry the lessons from your mistakes with you, for they are the keys to unlocking your true potential. Finally, congratulations, Year 10, on a remarkable year of learning, and here's to a future filled with success, resilience, and a willingness to embrace the invaluable lessons that mistakes offer. To those of you who are going to other schools or starting apprenticeships and work next year, I wish you all

the best. To those of you who are starting Year 11 with us next year, let’s continue to learn from mistakes, smash our goals and have fun while doing it.

Thank you.

Miss Pozoglou Year 10 Adviser

YEAR 11

Year Adviser Message

Year 11, or should I say Year 12! began their final year of schooling in Term 4 2024. While the rest of the school was in a "finishing up" mood, Year 12 was just getting started with their first round of HSC assessments. While the ongoing pressures of study and meeting the increased academic rigour of the HSC occupied much of Year 12s day to day, there were still opportunities to have some fun and tick a few milestones off the bucket list.

The whole year group took to the canteen steps for their first whole school assembly as Year 12, the assembly was run by our newly appointed School Captains and the rest of the 2024 Senior Leadership Team began their responsibilities also. From sports announcements, chairing SRC meetings, speaking at local public schools to welcoming dignitaries from Japan, it’s been a busy term for the senior leadership team.

The year group had a visit to Luna Park where fears were conquered, friends bonded and stomachs were turned inside out by some hair-raising rides. It was also a nice day to travel to the city together as a year group and feel a bit more united. Year 12 had musicians represent Rooty Hill High School at the Eastern Creek Quarter Christmas concert (and have been asked back for an encore performance). I want to congratulate year 12 for their first successful term as HSC students. Rest up over the holidays, catch up on anything missed and let’s make next year a one to remember.

Mr Hewitt

Year 11 Adviser

Japanese Ministerial Visit

During Week 9 of Term 4, Rooty Hill High School welcomed six visitors from various educational research institutions in Japan. These visitors were eager to learn about the school's dedication to multicultural education. The Japanese delegates conducted interviews with staff and students focusing on the school's management policies, subject teaching planning system, and global education initiatives. Many people were involved in the success of the event including Ms Cawsey (Principal), Melanie Douglas (HT Teaching & Learning), Nellie Harb (Professional Practice Mentor and Beginning Teacher Coordinator) and Yasodai Selvakumaran (Teacher and Global Teacher Prize

winner in 2019). A big thankyou to our student representatives, Zena Jalil, Henna Mansory, Shaye Ryan, Ceylin Diler, Ecrin Diler, Michael Khalil, Ryan Lanau, Akenese Sofeni Ah Cheung and Benjamin Tirados, who shared their experiences and understanding of the school’s context, culture and learning. Additionally, Ms Vuki and her Business Studies students were able to demonstrate teaching and learning in the classroom.

From the Study Team:

Thank you very much for taking the time during your busy schedule in order to accept our Study Team and to give us the opportunity to talk with you about education in Australia. All six of us returned to Japan safely on the night of December 9th. From now, we will review the large amount of information and data we received from you in order to understand the current educational situations in Australia. We are hoping to apply this to Japan’s educational practices. Through the discussion with you, we learned that you work seriously everyday with great enthusiasm for the education in your country, and we have great respect for you. We would like to take this opportunity to continue building good relationships with you, and if the opportunity arose, we would like to share our latest educational information with you. Once again, we would like to thank you very much for your heartwarming hospitality and kindness.

On behalf of the Study Team:

YOSHITAKA TANAKA - Senior Analyst of Education Development

LIBRARY NEWS

Remembrance Day

This year when remembering the service and sacrifice of Australians in military conflict we focussed on the ways we remember symbols and stories. The symbol of the red poppy and picture books were used to commemorate what is often a somber occasion and remember past and current people who have served.

Arts and Crafts in the Library

Ms Hamilton has been engaging students in the library this term with some arts and crafts. November hosts National Recycling Week and students made use of materials that have already served one purpose to create cards, decorations, and stickers. Students also created gifts for the visiting community members for the Christmas on the Hill High Tea event.

Focus on Reading

To generate interest in our books and build an enjoyment of reading the library staff have redesigned the way books are shelved and displayed to attract attention. So far it has been working with a strong uptake of our picture books and romance novels. What a lovely way to end the year.

Gifted Gateways Program News

This year Rooty Hill High School offered an enrichment after school program for our junior high school students and local primary schools. There were over 140 students who graduated from 8 different courses across the program.

These programs included Maths Enrichment, Designing with Computers, Visual Art and Design, Dance, Exciting Writing, Gaming and E-sports, Forensic Science and Volleyball Acquisition Program. The program was a hit with all students and teachers who not only learned new skills and information related to their programs, but also built new friendships that will help guide students through their years of high school. Delivering this program was possible due to the highly educated and industries skilled teachers at Rooty Hill High School. Thank you to our teachers Mr Bailey, Ms Graham, Ms Gatt, Ms Sun, Miss Bartlett, Mr Green, Miss Doong, Miss Ratnappuly and Mr Treharne and Mr Levi, as well as the supporting staff and students Mr Diwan, Mr Terekia, Brayden Crass, Gabriel Convento who made this program a success in 2023. And a special thanks to Ms Amber Nicholls for her hard work all year. But overall, the biggest thanks go to Mr Proctor who organised and ran the program throughout the year and was able to help us with anything we needed.

ATTENDANCE RECOGNITION

100% Attendance in 2023

Year 7:

• Aizel Cellona

• Raina Kongkon

• Khang Phan

• Anthony Reyes

Year 8:

• Mitch Neich

Year 9:

• Aneesha Chandra

• Lachlan Gillett

100% Attendance in Term 4 2023

Year 10:

• Reniel Guzman

• Cyrus Knott

• Kapishay Lal

• Michael Ner

• Angelique Vinensig

• James Whiddon

Year 11:

• Madiha Ali

• Muhammad Abdullah Baig

• James Collisson

• Charliene Coulthard

• Braydan Crass

• Yakup Derin

• Maria Halatanu

• Freshta Hashimi

• Indyanna James-Pullen

• Jassjot Jhutty

• Mikayla Kaisa

• Xiu Hui Lim

• Sabika Maliki

• Ryan Manansala

• Kassandra McGrath

• Rhianna Nallas

• Sahiba Sheikh

• Kiara Villena