Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Issue 2 Feb 2017 PDF
Issue 2 Feb 2017 PDF
modern and classic pieces of literature and 15-16 May School Photos
film. We wish to see students confidence grow Tue 16 May P&C Meeting - 7:30pm
Week 4
in writing imaginative pieces by exploring Wed 17 May Auxiliary Meeting - 9:30am
challenging texts and encouraging students to Thu 18 May Yr 7 & 12 Parent Teacher Night
write in a variety of styles. Week 8 Mon 12 Jun Queens Birthday
Tue 20 Jun P&C Meeting - 7:30pm
Based on evaluations from students and Week 9
Wed 21 Jun Auxiliary Meeting - 9:30am
teachers, we have developed new programs
Week 10 Tue 27 Jun Yr 9 & 11 Parent Teacher Night
this year, better suited to meet the needs of
our students. Our first units in Years 7-10 aim to
strengthen students analytical, interpretive
and creative skills through the lens of a concept
or genre study. Year 7 are focusing on Historical
Fiction; Year 8, either Gothic or Crime Fiction;
Year 9 Moral Choices and Consequences
and Year 10 Dystopian Fiction. Students will
study a novel in depth as well as supporting texts
such as films to enhance their knowledge and
understanding of their topic. At the conclusion
of these units, students will submit an original
piece of creative writing that demonstrates
their knowledge and their ability to write in a
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sustained manner. For the first year, we are 2017 has seen a great turnout in numbers for
running a joint assessment with the HSIE faculty the English Workshops. The boys have been
with Year 7 and I look forward to showcasing working hard on enhancing their literacy skills
the best responses to our school community. in the first few weeks and, in Week 6, we will
begin to look at their creative skills.
Our junior school program also includes
scheduled lessons that aim to improve Staff changes in 2017 means that we welcome
our students engagement with texts and Ms Fowler, who will teach in the English Faculty
knowledge of global issues. In Years 7 and 8, as well as undertaking her role as Head
students will undertake a wide reading program Teacher Teaching and Learning, and Ms Itzstein
where students can read texts beyond those who is multi-talented as an English, History,
studied in class. Students who read widely are Geography and TAS teacher. They have fitted
generally more articulate in their expression into our energetic and collaborative staffroom
and have more sophisticated ideas about with ease.
texts. In Years 9 and 10, building on their studies
in class, students have one lesson on social A reminder that the English faculty encourages
literacy per fortnight in which students learn all students to participate in writing
about global issues and have exposure to a competitions. Ms Fowler supervises the entries
range of perspectives about current events. so please contact her to find out how to enter
These lessons are student directed and focus so students can win great prizes, including
on refining research skills, which are vital for money and technology. She will place all
students to excel in future years. competition details on a bulletin board near
B1. We would love to see more entries into
In the senior school, Year 11 have made a good these competitions this year.
transition into the more challenging ideas and
texts explored in both Preliminary courses. Their Our Debating and Public Speaking workshops
first assessment in English Advanced will be began this week and it was great to see
an examination where students respond to a so many eager students ready to improve
series of unseen texts. This is modelled on one of their oral communication skills. Mr Baiton
the sections of the HSC paper so students can continues to supervise our Debating program,
hone their skills before their final school year. run by Masters Academy. Debating refines
Extension students are learning about the texts, skills such as building a sustained argument,
contexts and ideas of the Modernism period in working effectively in teams and developing
literature and their first task will be to compose knowledge of the world around us. Debating is
a narrative that reflects the ways of thinking of on Wednesday mornings before school and we
this era. look forward to enrolling boys in the interschool
competitions. Masters Academy also runs our
Year 12 are nearly halfway through their final public speaking program. Public speaking can
year and this term they are examining the be a terrifying experience for many students so
comparative study of Machiavellis The Prince this group is a great way for students to gain
and Shakespeares Julius Caesar. The boys are more confidence in speaking to an audience.
enjoying their close analysis of Renaissance Boys can also compete in competitions for
and Elizabethan perspectives on leadership public speaking throughout the year.
and morality. Extension 1 students are
studying Le Guins 1969 novel The Left Hand Ms Rose coordinates our schools Peer Support
of Darkness which is a landmark text for new Program and she is also the Assistant Year
wave science fiction. It is important to remind 7 Adviser. Ms Ibbotson is the Assistant Year
students that creative writing is worth half of Adviser for Year 8. Mr Baiton continues to be
their mark in the Extension 1 HSC examination Year 9 Adviser, and after Mr Griffiths attained
and this is a craft that needs constant practice. a permanent position at another school, Ms
Our Extension 2 students are working steadily Bradley is now the Assistant Year Adviser for this
on their own projects and we look forward to grade. Please contact these staff members
seeing these pieces in a well-developed and if you would like more information about the
sustained form soon. school and how your son is progressing.
Page 3
This year we will be developing new programs and Algorithmic Thinking (CAT) competition.
for the just released new Stage 6 syllabus, ready Next week teachers will be providing students
for implementation in 2017 for both Preliminary information sheets and competition booklets,
courses. Our staff will seek professional and preparing special lessons to help support
development in the syllabus and prescribed them as they prepare for these challenging
texts when they become available to enhance activities. Parents are encouraged to read the
our knowledge and understanding of these note Parent Information: 2017 MCYA Junior
new curriculums. Challenge which will be given to students
with the competition materials. Year 7 parents
Finally, the graduating class of 2016 achieved should also be aware that the second stage
strong HSC results in English Advanced. In of the MCYA is optional. Enrolment forms will
this course, they handled the challenging be handed to students in about two weeks.
academic demands by working together in Please see below for more information on the
study groups, listening to their teachers and enrichment programs, including the due dates
preparing well. They respected and valued for submitting completed work and enrolling in
the hard work and effort of the English staff. the second stage of the MCYA.
Congratulations to the Class of 2016; you are
deserving of your achievements. Information for Year 8 Parents
To conclude, the English Faculty looks forward Year 8 students have spent the last few weeks
to an exciting year ahead working with our consolidating Year 7 content, but very soon
students and school community. If you have the pace and difficulty level of mathematics
any concerns about your sons progress in will significantly increase. All Year 8 students
English, do not hesitate to contact me. at NSBHS are accelerated in mathematics,
and in early Term 2, will be learning algebra
typically taught in Year 9 and Year 10 in most
Kate Richards schools. With the increased level of difficulty,
Head Teacher English we find some students benefit from additional
time with our Year 8 mathematics teachers, so
we are continuing with the highly successful
before-school Year 8 Algebra Workshops.
Mathematics Students attending the Algebra Workshop
also receive a weekly workbook of take-home
Information for Year 7 Parents
exercises to continue practicing their algebra
Welcome to mathematics at North Sydney skills throughout the week. These workbooks
Boys. I hope you have had the opportunity to are available for any student, even if they are
look through the Year 7 Mathematics Student not attending the workshop. Please contact
Handbook (a large green booklet) which was the faculty if you would like more information
given to your son at the start of the year. The on this program there are a few places left in
student handbook provides information on the Wednesday morning session.
the Year 7 teaching program, the enrichment
activities, assessment information and some Important Information for Year 9 and Year
general advice on studying mathematics. 10 Parents
With the support of the parent community As you may have read in the press, the NSW
through the Year 7 Mathematics Enrichment Education Authority has released details of a
contribution, Im very pleased to announce major change to the senior courses in English,
we have been able to significantly increase Mathematics, Science and History, with the
the amount of mathematics enrichment new courses commencing for Year 11 in 2018.
activities in the Year 7 program. All Year 7 At this stage, the details of the Mathematics
students will participate this term in two major syllabus are still being finalised, and no
mathematics enrichment activities: the first information on the HSC assessment content
stage of the Mathematics Challenge for Young or policy is currently available, meaning there
Australians (MCYA) and the Computational are many details of the course still unknown.
Page 4
Curriculum Developments
This week new Stage 6 Science syllabuses
were released to be implemented for Year
11 students starting in 2018. The change has
seen a new subject developed: Investigating
Science as well as heavily revamped Biology,
Chemistry and Physics syllabuses. This year the
Science faculty team will be working very hard
to create programs, assessments and resources
for the new courses starting next year. Watch
this space for more developments.
Page 6
Thanks to the Auxiliary they will have for a lifetime. A truly sensational
experience.
Finally, the end of last year saw the delivery of
our much anticipated Periodic Table Sample Competitions
Box which includes a physical sample of all the
(safe to handle in a container) elements that Over the next few months our students will
make up our universe. Special thanks to the be involved in the National Geographic
Auxiliary for their generous donation of such an Geography Competition and Economics and
awe-inspiring teaching resource. Business Studies students will take part in the
UNSW Economics and Business Competitions on
11 May. Commerce, Economics and Business
Studies students will all have the opportunity to
take part in the ever popular ASX Share Market
Game run three times over the course of the
year.
Excursions
We are looking forward to quite a few excursions
in the next few months. Year 10 Geography will
be visiting Collaroy Beach on 4 April as part of
the mandatory fieldwork component of the
Nigel Kuan syllabus. The boys will be given the opportunity
Head Teacher Science to investigate the physical and human forces
that shape Collaroy Beach.
In May Year 10 History students will be taking
HSIE part in a cross-curricular excursion with the
The beginning of this year has seen the faculty English Faculty to the Sydney Jewish Museum in
very busy implementing the new Geography Darlinghurst. Students will have the opportunity
Curriculum for Years 7 and 9. We have to speak with a holocaust survivor and will
prepared lessons and assessments and created hopefully develop a greater sense of empathy
engaging co-curricular activities to ensure our and understanding in relation to the tragedies
boys develop a deep connection to the world of the time.
around them. The end of 2016 was huge for
History Club
HSIE, with our boys achieving outstanding HSC
results and of course, the combined Ancient Every Friday afternoon our keen historians get
History/Latin excursion to Greece and Italy. It together with Ms Kapetas to learn from each
is a very exciting time in HSIE and it continues other by sharing knowledge and research
to be a pleasure to see our boys excel in their about historical events and figures. This
studies and in a range of co-curricular activities. year the boys are focusing on the theme of
commemorating centenary events such as
Combined Ancient History/Latin Excursion the Russian Revolution and the Third Battle of
to Greece and Italy Ypres. The boys are also busy preparing for the
Last December Ancient History and Latin ANZAC Day Assembly.
students had the opportunity of a lifetime,
New Curriculum
participating in a two week tour to Greece
and Italy. This was a fantastic trip and the boys This year the Australian Curriculum has been
visited many exciting and interesting historical introduced for Years 7 and 9 Geography with
sites such as Delphi, Olympia, Sparta, Pompeii, Years 8 and 10 to follow in 2018, completing
Herculaneum and Rome. This trip enabled the implementation of the Stage 4 and 5
the boys to develop a greater connection Geography Australian Curriculum. Teachers
and engagement with Ancient History class and students are excited about the changes
work and provided them with memories that which allow for a greater emphasis on the
Page 7
interrelationship between physical and human The 2017 Year 12 classes will continue to benefit
forces shaping the environment at a local, from the Literacy Program which is funded
national and global level. from family contributions made to the school.
Outside tutors will be provided for the French,
HSC German, Japanese and Latin classes. These
HSIE students produced amazing results in tutors will work with individuals and small groups
the 2016 HSC. I am very proud of all the boys to further develop the skills required to excel at
who worked extra hard to build on areas of the HSC. Both the students and teachers are
weakness to achieve their desired results. most appreciative of this support.
Special mention to Eric Chen who placed 3rd Senior students will be given opportunities
in the state for Economics and Joshua Ning to attend study days and workshops with
who placed 16th in the state for Legal Studies. students from other schools and it is highly
Congratulations to all the HSIE boys for their recommended that they attend all these
efforts! days. It is a good opportunity to check out the
Congratulations to our Head Teacher Adrian competition and get tips from other teachers!
Shipp who is currently on parental leave after There will also be combined activities with the
the arrival, early in February, of his twin girls. classes at the Girls school.
Year 8 will again take part in what is now the
annual NSBHS Celebration of Languages Day.
Melissa Bowering This year it will be held on Friday 9 June. The Year
Relieving Head Teacher HSIE 8 Latin Camp will take place over a weekend
in September.
We are constantly searching for opportunities
LOTE to practise the language being learnt in the
classroom and consequently excursions to
Welcome back to another exciting year at
language institutes, restaurants and activity
NSBHS it is hard to believe that we are almost
days will also be offered to the junior classes.
halfway through Term 1 already. The year is off
We will continue to maintain the links with the
to a good start in the Languages Faculty and we
Language Faculties at Sydney University which
are looking forward to another fabulous year of
Mr Miller established last year.
learning and new experiences. The teachers
efforts throughout 2016 were reflected in the Competitions provide another useful tool for
many excellent results achieved in the HSC teachers and students to extend and monitor
by the Year 12 Languages classes and the the success of the work in the classroom.
teachers are to be thanked for their hard work Modern Language competitions will be
in assisting the students to reach their potential. undertaken later in the year. The National Latin
In particular we would like to congratulate Exam for students in Years 9 12 will take place
Daniel Liu for coming third in NSW in Latin in week 7 this term during Latin lessons. Latin
Continuers. It is interesting to note that 8 of the students will also be able to take part in the
top 20 students at NSBHS in 2016, including the Kevin Lee Quiz. This event honours the life and
top 3, all studied a language. work of the late Professor Kevin Lee, Head of
the Department of Classics at the University of
It is also particularly encouraging to us that we
Sydney. The quiz is organised by the Classical
continue to have a much higher percentage
Languages Teachers Association (CLTA).
(18.1%) of Year 12 students studying a language
compared to the national average (about Student participation in competitions
8%). In addition 48% of our students studied organised by Languages institutes, such as
the relevant Extension Course for their chosen essay competitions or producing short movies,
language. Overall nearly 94% of our students will continue to be encouraged.
scored either a Band 5 or 6 an outstanding
achievement!
Page 8
Scholarships and Overseas Exchange scenic railway tour of the town centre, a cruise
Opportunities to the Amde Lighthouse island, and visits
to the famous Tjibaou Cultural Museum, the
Spending time in a country where you can National Maritime Museum, the Aquarium des
immerse yourself in what you have been Lagons and the shopping district. A meeting
learning in the classroom is obviously something for participating students and their parents will
for all languages students to strive for. There be held on Monday 1 May.
are many ways that this may be achieved. A
number of scholarship programs, specific to NEW GERMAN LEARNING CENTRE IN THE
the languages taught at NSBHS, are offered LIBRARY
throughout the year and this information is
passed on to the relevant classes as it becomes The Goethe Institute (German Cultural Institute
available as well as placed on the noticeboards based in Woollahra, Sydney) in cooperation
outside the Languages staffroom. with our German teacher Ms Marion Reiter, will
establish a GERMAN LEARNING CENTRE in the
Over summer two of our Year 12 German schools library during 2017. Initially this means
students, Hal Whitehead and Joshua Wang, that NSBHS will gain about 100 new German
spent 2 months living with families in Germany books, videos, games, etc. for students of all
as part of a scholarship program sponsored by different age groups and at various levels of
the SAGSE, which consists of many sponsorships difficulty, all sponsored by the Goethe Institute
and connections to large German companies. and without any cost to the school. While these
Short reports from the 2 boys follow this report. materials will mainly be used by the students
of NSBHS, they will also be made available to
Overseas Trips have become regular events for all other German-teaching schools in the area
the NSBHS Languages students. Every second who might be interested in borrowing them
year 20 Year 10 and 11 students of Japanese or using them for extension purposes. This will
can take part in the exchange with our sister be a great opportunity for more interaction
school Tokyo Metropolitan Kokusai High between the schools. The support of our
School. This involves homestays, visits to the librarian, Ms Henderson, for this project is also
schools for a week and for the NSBHS students most appreciated.
a week touring in Japan. This exchange has
been going for nearly 25 years! Year 7 Languages
The History and Classics (Latin) Trip to Italy and We are very fortunate to be one of the few
Greece at the end of 2016 was a resounding schools in NSW offering 5 Language options to
success and the plan is to also make it a biennial the students.
event for Latin and History students. During the
15 day tour to Italy and Greece places such as Our smorgasbord approach to Languages in
Athens, Delphi, Olympia, Sparta, Pompeii and Year 7 continues to be very popular with the
Rome were visited. A full report of the trip will boys so we are continuing with this approach
appear in the next Principals report. in 2017. To enable Year 7 students to make an
informed choice as to which language(s) to
For those studying French we offer the Noumea, continue with in Year 8 (at least 1 language
New Caledonia trip. Following the success of must be studied to meet NESA requirements)
the 2015 trip to New Caledonia planning is now they will complete an intensive 8 week course
underway for another trip in September 2017. in each of the following languages: French,
The group will leave on Friday 22 September German, Indonesian, Japanese and Latin. The
2017 and return on Friday 29 September 2017 order of languages and change over dates for
ie. the last day of Term 3 and the first six days each class are as follows:
of Term 3 holidays. Students will spend five
nights with a French host family in pairs and will
attend the CREIPAC (Government endorsed
Language School) for three hours per day over
four days. Destinations in Noumea will include a
Page 9
LAT JAP IND GER FRE Ends School too was a massive effort at first especially
1st 7H 7R 7T 7N 7S 31/3 considering it was deep winter when I arrived
2nd 7S 7H 7N 7R 7T 16/6
and school hours were from 7.30am to 3.00pm.
3rd 7T 7S 7R 7H 7N 25/8
That meant getting up two hours before
sunrise and going home at sundown. School in
4th 7N 7T 7H 7S 7R 27/10
Germany is also different with a much greater
5th 7R 7N 7S 7T 7H ---
emphasis on independent learning. Over
time my German language ability developed
quickly, much faster than I had expected, and
Workbooks and Textbooks by the end, I could pick up most of what was
Thank you to all the families who have been being said.
prompt in paying for workbooks. It makes it a As part of the scholarship I was given one week
much smoother start to the year for both the in Berlin and one week to travel with a small
teachers and boys if they have the books. group of other scholarship winners. During
Last years textbooks should have been that time I made many friendships which I
returned by now. We need to issue texts to am sure will last a lifetime. We were given the
classes for 2017 and the boys will not receive freedom to organise our own transport and
their new text if they have books outstanding. accommodation! This is really something that
Look under the bed and in the cupboards!! not many exchanges offer and this unique
Students who have lost their textbook will need experience helped me develop not only my
to pay for a replacement. language skills but also my knowledge of how
to travel affordably as a young person.
Wishing everyone a happy, enjoyable and
successful year. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, one
which would not have been possible without the
support of SAGSE and my sponsor Audi, whom
Id like to thank. People say that an exchange
Dot Commons
will change you and I had never really thought
Head Teacher Languages about what that meant until I returned home.
Meeting so many new and wonderful people
in a foreign country and being given so much
German Exchange Reports time to explore it independently has opened
I recently returned from a 10-week exchange up my world and boosted my confidence in
in Germany, where I was assigned to stay with general.
a host family and attend school with a host
brother for five of the ten weeks I was there. I
spent the majority of my stay in the city of Halle Joshua Wang
an der Saale where my host family lives. This is Year 12
about 90 minutes south of Berlin by Inter-City-
Express.
Over a few weeks of Term 4 and the summer
Initially it was a struggle to adapt to the holidays, my fellow German classmate Josh and
German way of life, the main reason being I took part in a language exchange through
the language barrier. My surroundings were the company SAGSE, which consists of many
completely foreign and having to absorb so sponsorships and connections to large German
much new information at once rendered me companies, Volkswagen, Bayer and Alliance
incapable of even formulating basic sentences to name a few. Needless to say the exchange
upon greeting my host family for the first time. was one of the highlights of my life and a life
My host family was very nice to me and gave changing experience for me. I had to be a lot
me the freedom to explore the city in my free more independent and I experienced the real
time. world while trying to adapt and assimilate to
another culture.
Page 10
Some of the individual highlights included trying In this time of change it is very important to
various different foods (which werent all a hit get feedback from all the parties involved and
with my tastebuds), exploring the cities with a student focused survey will be conducted
fellow Australian friends who were also part of at the end of each unit. This will assist us in
the program and most importantly, getting to improving our programs and we encourage
know my host brother and his family. I will never honest and constructive feedback from the
forget waking up on Christmas morning at 6am students.
to deliver newspapers for 4 hours with my host
brother! For the first time at NSBHS we have three Year
11 classes (two Engineering Studies and one
Learning a language is so much more than a Design and Technology). This has brought
subject for the HSC, it is a pathway to doing great joy and enthusiasm to the faculty.
something different with your entire life. For
example, German universities are more or less Also this term we welcome new staff members
free, providing a very nice incentive to further Ms Leonie White and Miss Kate Itzstein. Leonie
your skills in the language whilst gaining friends is an experienced Technology and IPT teacher
and experiences to last a lifetime. Furthermore while Kate is an enthusiastic teacher who offers
languages are some of the most interesting great insight to our new Stage 4 projects.
subjects as they change the way you think.
The TAS faculty strives to continuously extend
They are often taught in small classes which
and develop new, innovative and engaging
really lets you bond with your classmates as
projects and lessons for our students. The
you discover the language.
current focus is on the upcoming Stage 4
syllabus updates and how we as teachers
deliver the content that best suits the needs of
Hal Whitehead our students.
Year 12
Maxwell Burgess
TAS Relieving Head Teacher TAS
Last years HSC saw another swathe of high
CAPA
achievement in Engineering Studies. From the
class of 17 students, 13 attained Band 6s and Our creative and performing arts students
the others achieved a Band 5. Congratulations are thriving in Music, Drama and Visual Arts
go to Harvey McGeorge and Michael Brereton with ensembles and co-curricular programs
who achieved 2nd and 3rd rankings in the supplementing the course work done in class.
State. The school also had its first senior Design Thank you in advance to Ms Jenny Grimley who
and Technology course graduate. This course has taken on the busy role of Head Teacher
asks a lot of students completion of a major CAPA in 2017 while Linda Moulton is on leave.
work and a written exam.
MUSIC
We wish these young men success in their
chosen courses and careers and hope that Music Ensembles
some of them will find the time to visit their high Chamber ensembles, which provide
school in the future. opportunities for boys to extend and refine their
Over the first few weeks of 2017 the TAS faculty ensemble skills, have begun this term along
has been extremely busy ensuring that all our with the orchestra, concert band, symphonic
new Stage 4 programs challenge our students winds, stage band, NSGB combined vocal
and bring out the best in them. One of the ensemble and the junior choir rehearsals. The
changes has been replacing the very popular students are preparing for their first concert
Year 7 Plastic Key Tag project with a Plastic- at Chatswood RSL on 2 April. This concert is a
Handled Bottle Opener project. great way for parents and students, particularly
those who are new to our school community, to
Page 11
PDHPE
Swimming Carnival
The school Swimming Carnival was held on
Monday 20 February (Week 5) at the beautiful
North Sydney Olympic Pool. As you can see
from the picture, those boys racing 100m
events had the Luna Park Ferris Wheel to spur
them on, while at the other end of the pool,
those competing in 50m events had the Sydney
Harbour Bridge as a backdrop for their finishing
line.
Other important sports carnival dates include: It was interesting having people who have
suffered life changing injuries talk about their
School Cross Country Carnival: situation and how one small decision can have
Friday 28 April 2017 lifelong consequences. - Jason Liu
School Athletics Carnival: Listening to real life incidents and stories from
the emergency service officers and the hospital
Friday 12 May 2017 staff showed me how harsh the consequences
of your decisions are for yourself, family and
friends. Being in the emergency department
P.A.R.T.Y Excursion was one of the highlights of the day as you
are given the opportunity to see how these
On 23 February, 30 Year 11 students attended situations are dealt with behind the scenes. -
the Prevention of Alcohol and Risk-Related Kane Qian
Trauma in Youth (P.A.R.T.Y) Program at Royal
North Shore Hospital. The program allows The PARTY program excursion has definitely
students to see the first-hand consequences been the most rewarding investment of my time
of risk-taking behaviours in everyday life whilst this year. It was amazing to hear the stories and
learning how to recognise and mitigate risk. Its experiences of those who have been through
goal is to reduce the over representation of so much more than the pressures of daily
young adults in injury and trauma statistics. life that we are so used to. I would definitely
recommend this experience for future year
Throughout the day, students heard from a groups. - Nathan Haurissa
range of guest speakers, including: nurses,
doctors, emergency service personnel,
physiotherapists, occupational therapists Kayla Newton
and survivors of trauma accidents on the
Year 11 PDHPE Teacher
harsh reality of poor choices. The program
also included interactive sessions in the
Emergency Department and Intensive Care
Unit to understand how it would feel to be a Computing & IT
trauma patient and live with a service injury or
Thank you to the IT staff for their support and
permanent disability.
help with the Year 7 Cyber Day. All students
now have their logon details and are enjoying
working with their devices in class.
Year 10 IPT are busy preparing for their
upcoming IPT Half Yearly examination on
Monday 6 March.
Computing Studies are happy to announce
the new NSBHS Programming Club. It is open
to students from all year groups and caters
to all ability levels from beginning through to
advanced students. The club aims to develop
students programming skills and challenge
them with the options of National Programming
The students who attended the excursion Competitions. The NSBHS Programming Club
should be congratulated on their mature and runs each Monday afternoon from 3:15pm
respectful approach to the program content 4:30pm in B4 with Mr Shirlaw.
throughout the day. Heres what they had to
say about the excursion: Special mention must go to the excellent results
achieved by our IPT and SDD students in the
2016 HSC and thanks to their teacher Mr Pillay.
Page 14
Particularly noteworthy were the following I have also been working with the Professional
students who placed within the top ten of the Learning Team to develop a professional
state for IPT: learning plan for 2017. The team had a very
productive meeting in Week 4 and is currently in
Joshua Park 2nd in the State the process of designing a series of after school
Lachlan Siu 4th in the State professional development workshops for staff.
The first session will take place in Week 7 and
William Hou 7th in the State have a technology focus, providing teachers
with skills and experience to effectively utilise
Shane Wang 10th in the State
technology as a teaching and learning tool.
We are very lucky to have a group of talented
and diverse staff at North Sydney Boys, and the
Kathy Coady workshops will be run by staff and designed
Relieving Head Teacher Computing & IT to reflect the specific needs of the schools
student body.
In preparation for the schools development
Teaching & Learning of the 2018 2020 School Plan, North Sydney
Id like to begin by introducing myself. My Boys will be running a series of workshops
name is Alison Fowler and I am the new Head and information sessions for parents and
Teacher of Teaching and Learning at North community members. These sessions will give
Sydney Boys. I am looking forward to working the wider North Sydney Boys community an
with staff, parents and students to ensure the opportunity to work together to identify ideas
teaching learning experiences at North Sydney and ways to build on the current successes of
Boys continue to reflect the unique needs of the school and forward plan to ensure that we
our school community. continue to achieve the schools vision, mission
and values. Please keep your eye out for more
Teaching and Learning activities for the start of information about these workshops, which will
2017 have focused on developing an Induction be taking place towards the end of Term 2.
Program for teachers new to the school
and the profession. This program had its first
session in Week 4 and there will be fortnightly Alison Fowler
sessions for the rest of the term. The purpose
Head Teacher Teaching & Learning
of the program is to welcome new staff to
the school and integrate them into school
culture, structures and relationships within the
school community. It acts as a forum for staff Wellbeing
to ask questions about what it means to be a
Student wellbeing and belonging is one of the
teacher at North Sydney Boys, allowing them
key strategic priorities for North Sydney Boys
to develop an understanding of the specific
High School. To foster this priority, we have an
needs of students at an academically rigorous,
active Wellbeing Team who lead programs
selective boys high school.
and practices to support the wellbeing of our
The induction program acknowledges the students and provide them with opportunities
importance of the teacher and the central to develop and succeed.
role they play in the learning of the students. It
The 2017 Wellbeing Team comprises:
responds to the identified needs of the teacher,
the school and the system. As such the program Year Advisers (first point of contact for Parents/
is a collective responsibility that is designed to Caregivers):
foster collegiality and collaboration between
new and experienced teachers, a commitment
to public education, student wellbeing and
quality teaching practices.
Page 15
Year Year Adviser Assistant Year Adviser Year 7 has had a busy start to the year
7 Mrs Elise Kovacs (Science) Ms Karen Rose (English) transitioning into high school life, and they
8 Ms Melissa Bowering (HSIE) Ms Alex Ibbotson (CAPA)
have done an exceptional job at settling
9 Mr Rob Baiton (English) Ms Kiralee Bradley (English)
into their new environment. This began with
a successful peer support program led by our
10 Ms Joy Henderson (Library) Mr Chris Murphy (PDHPE)
Year 10 students which focused on building
11 Mr Eric Lin (Maths) Ms Tiffany Huang (Science)
relationships and developing resilience. They
12 Mr Chris Berry (Maths) Ms Kira Bolton (HSIE)
were then welcomed by the whole school in a
And other key roles: welcome assembly and attended an outdoor
education camp to assist them in forming new
friendships.
Position Name
Principal Ms Robyn Hughes This year we also introduced a new initiative
Deputy Principal (7, 9, 11) Mr Yugen Pillay (Relieving) into the transition program called Year 7
Deputy Principal (8, 10, Mr Matthew Dopierala Cyber Day. The day consisted of IT essentials,
12) a discussion about DoE and school policies
Head Teacher Wellbeing Ms Tania Linnertson around device use, a presentation by Senior
Learning and Support Ms Kathy Coady Constable Darren Cairnes about online risks
Teacher and cyberbullying, and a presentation by The
Counsellor (Mon, Wed, Fri) Ms Glynis Sanders Sleep Connection about the impact of device
Counsellor (Tues) Ms Naomi Conaty
use on sleep. It was a highly successful day that
we look forward to running again in 2018.
Counsellor (Thurs) Mr Geoff Glassborow
Year 7 transition
In Term 4 last year, the 2017 Year 12 cohort were Establish a sleep routine and enforce it, with
given the opportunity to choose a teacher minimal variation on the weekend
mentor to help guide them in the year to
come through the Year 12 mentoring program. Keep his bedroom cool, quiet and dark
Mentoring is particularly important during a during sleep time
students HSC year as it can be a time of stress Keep any naps to a maximum of 20 minutes
and uncertainty. During the year students will
have scheduled meetings with their mentors to Let in bright light in the morning to signal his
discuss concerns and strategies, and can also body to naturally wake up
approach their mentor at any time for extra
Limit the use of technology at least an hour
support. A big thank you to the teachers who
before bedtime
are volunteering their time for the program.
Discourage eating or exercise within a few
An emphasis on sleep hours of bedtime
Healthy sleep habits are essential to developing
Assist them with time management to avoid
successful, healthy, and happy teenagers.
any late nights doing school work.
Currently in Australia over 70% of teenagers
are sleep deprived (The Sleep Connection). For more information, please attend our parent
This term it has been a priority for the wellbeing presentation on Monday 27 of February at
team to address this issue, particularly with 6:30pm. Details are contained at the end of
Years 7 and 11. Both groups have participated this bulletin.
in a program run by The Sleep Connection and
have learnt about the functions of sleep and Please feel free to contact myself or your
preventing deprivation. They are now in the sons Year Adviser if you have any concerns or
process of completing sleep logbooks and will queries.
assess their findings in Week 7.
So why is sleep so important? Ms Tania Linnertson
Students should be sleeping for at least 8 hours Head Teacher Wellbeing
per night. According to The Sleep Connection,
good quality sleep helps:
Learning, memory and concentration at
school
Support emotional health and wellbeing
Positive behaviour and decision making
Improve energy levels, healthy growth, and
the immune system.
Simple signs your son is not receiving enough
sleep:
Poor memory retention
Difficulty concentrating
Headaches
Mood swings
Difficulty waking up in the morning
Page 17
Amy Cheng
Auxiliary President
In NSW there are thousands of informal school bus stops, particularly in rural and regional
areas. These informal school bus stops are locations along a bus route, either on private
property or alongside public roads, where a bus can pick up or drop off students.
Informal school bus stops arent sign posted or developed as formal bus stops. Unlike formal
bus stops, informal school bus stops are often agreed between bus operators and families.
Following a student fatality Transport for NSW has developed advice for selecting and
reviewing informal bus stops. This advice can be useful for parents and carers of students
who use these informal bus stops.
Schools are asked to remind and reinforce safe road user behaviours in and around buses
with their students. A key bus safety message for all students is to:
Wait till the bus has gone and then use a safe place to cross the road.
Visit Safety Town for quality teaching and learning activities for K-6 students around bus
safety.
Information to educate parents and carers about bus safety is also available from Safety
Town,
Explore the Bus safety resource for Stage 3 and Stage 4 students.
Visit On the Move for quality teaching and learning activities for high school students.
Your local Department Road Safety Education Officer is also available to provide support
about safe bus travel for students.
Or visit the Departments Road Safety Education website for further information.
6/02/2017
Page 19
Password Tips
Keeping your personal information private
Passwords can be an The use of hoax emails, or spam, for At least 8 characters
effective mechanism the purpose of stealing user IDs,
passwords or other personal
against unauthorised information, is a serious problem.
A mix of upper and lower case letters
Here are ten tips that might help you 4. Always change your DEC
3. Use strong passwords to protect
ensure that your password and your password in the DEC Portal
your sensitive information
information remain secure.
You DEC UserID and Password
We will all acquire a number of
1. Never disclose your password to provides secure access to a range of
passwords, from banking PINs to
anyone information and services on the DEC
website logins. Some of these
network, including your online file
passwords will protect more private or
It doesnt get any simpler than that! storage, email, payroll and leave
sensitive information to others.
services.
If you suspect that your password has You are expected to comply with the
been compromised, change it Always change your password using the
DEC Password Standard for your
immediately and notify your team leader Change Password tab at the top right
selection of a password to protect
or manager. hand corner of the DEC Portal. This is
access to your Departmental
the safest and easiest way of keeping
information and accounts, as a
The best solution is to never write down your password synchronised for most
minimum.
your password, especially not in a fax, DEC network services.
email or note. For teachers and other staff this will
require the creation of a strong
2. Never respond to an email that password with the following
asks you for your password characteristics:
NSW DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITIES V2 6/05/2014 WWW.DEC.NSW.GOV.AU
Page 20
To prevent inadvertently providing easy 10. Log off or shut down at the end
access to your account details, your of the day
secret question and answer Further information
combinations should be at least as Unless otherwise advised, you should
secure and complex as your password. Information Security Unit
log off your computer at the end of each
Information Technology Directorate
day.
Here are some tips for keeping your 8/8 Central Avenue
secret question and answer Even though your computer may be in a Eveleigh NSW 2015
combinations secure. locked office, it is still vulnerable to T 02 9302 7115
unauthorised users while it remains E information.security@det.nsw.edu.au
a) Set all three secret Q&A
logged on.
combinations. It is much harder for
May 2014
someone to guess all three answers NSW Department of Education and Communities
correctly than to guess only one.
NSW DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITIES V2 6/05/2014 WWW.DEC.NSW.GOV.AU
Page 21
Term 1 is a great chance to start your son on the right track to academic success and a healthy
mind and body. North Sydney Boys High School is committed to equipping parents and caregivers
with the knowledge to provide this at home.
Sleep deprivation and excessive technology use are having noticeable impacts on teenage
boys across Australia. Does your son display any of the behaviours associated with these?
Staying up late
Becoming distracted by his computer/phone
Underachieving in his school work
Arriving late to school/frequently being absent
Withdrawing socially
Isolating himself from the family
Display disengagement with school or life in general?
If any of these are the case (or you would like to help prevent these from happening), please join
us for the following information sessions:
Focusing on sleep health is vital as we Digital Nutrition explores the range of social,
become increasingly aware of the emotional and cognitive impacts of our
relationship between sleep deprivation and technology use (and overuse!) and provides
poor academic outcomes, psychological solutions to help maximise the benefits of
problems, reduced school attendance and technology devices and also avoid the
increased risk-taking behaviours. pitfalls.
Details:
For more information please contact Tania Linnertson (Head Teacher Wellbeing) on 9955 4748.
Page 22
Lecture details
Date: Wednesday, 25 October, 2017
Presenter: Dr Jennifer Jolly
Overwhelmed by what is -- or isnt -- out
Time: 5.30 - 7.00pm there online to help you support your gifted
child? Dr Jolly will discuss recommended
Venue: Matraville Sports High School, resources and ways to connect with existing
groups and organisations. New local and
UNSW Building
Australian-based resources have been
Cost: Free added since her previous talk in 2015.
Register online:
https://education.arts.unsw.edu/matraville/parent
Page 24
BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/tuning-in-to-teens-emotionally-intelligent-parenting-tickets-31276930140
PH: 8021 3668