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April 2015

PRINCIPAL

The school is working with students to establish a new webpage, and additionally a Facebook platform

for communication. We have purchased an e-diary so further communication can be made between

home and school. If you have not provided the email address to enable the e-diary for your access,

please do so as soon as possible. This diary is provided by the school for students and parents and can

be operated from mobile phones, tablets or any other computer device.

Abby Thomson will be travelling to Gallipoli representing Maitland Grossmann High on the 2015 Anzac

Centenary Tour of Gallipoli. We wish her well on this very exciting journey and look forward to her

report when she returns.

Winter is approaching and the uniform shop has three options for the colder months, a school jumper,

a sports jacket and a blazer for seniors. School uniform standards remain high, however students and

parents are reminded that canvas shoes are totally unacceptable footwear for school. When

purchasing student footwear this should be taken into account. Skirts worn by junior and senior girls

should be a reasonable length and not any shorter than halfway between the thigh and knee. A

reminder, that wearing excessive jewellery contravenes the uniform code. Students should only wear

one piece of jewellery, which is not going to endanger themselves or others (therefore sharp jewellery

or dangling earrings should not be worn). Shorts are not part of our uniform for girls and should only

be worn to school on Tuesday (sports day).

Many thanks to Mr Brown who is making preparations for our bi annual trip to Japan. Students and

staff will travel there during the October school holidays.

Year 12 have just completed their half yearly examinations and are very focussed on consolidating

their studies towards the Higher School Certificate, and students in the junior school have settled into

learning and assessment toward their half yearly report in June.

Our students participating in the Formula 1 in Schools project were very successful in the National

competition in Melbourne, having the fastest car and exceptional team success. They are to be

congratulated on their hard work and performances at these championships.

Dr Di Soltau

Principal

NEWSLETTER DATES FOR 2015

May 22nd June 26th

August 14th September 18th November 6th December 11th

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April 2015

CURRENT SPONSORS

WESTPAC BANK (Green Hills) Take out a loan and mention Maitland Grossmann High School. The school will receive a monetary contribution from the Westpac Bank.

ATHLETE’S FOOT (Green Hills & Charlestown) Become a Club Fit Member and the school will receive a monetary contribution from Athlete’s Foot.

CAREERS

It has been a very busy few weeks for the Careers department. Over 200 students from Years 9-12

have participated in careers related activities including WHS White Card courses, resume and interview

skills workshop and the Defence Force Recruiting information session. Students should take every

opportunity to access information to assist with their careers decision making process.

Sixty interested Year 10 students also participated in a campus tour of Newcastle University on

Tuesday 31st March.

Students in Years 10-12 will have the opportunity to attend the Hunter Valley Career Expo on Friday

22nd May. More information and permission notes will be distributed early next term. For information:

www.huntervalleycareerexpo.com.au.

Year 10 students have access to the Work Experience program this year. This is an optional program

for interested students. Our first week for Work Experience is 1st - 5th June. Interested students must

have completed the relevant paper work (available from my office) and returned their completed

paperwork to me by the end of week 3 next term, Friday 8th May.

Students who are intending to apply for apprenticeships for 2015 should have their cover letter,

resume and portfolio prepared. Traditionally apprenticeships for the following year will be advertised

from mid Term 2, although the job climate is very difficult at the moment. Students need to be

organised to give themselves the best chance of gaining an interview.

Check out our school careers website www.mghscareers.com.

Lee Osborne

Careers Adviser

Defence Force Recruiting Information Session

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April 2015

Regional Uni Roadshow

SRC

The SRC have been busy the past few weeks with the Year 7 handball competition coming to an end.

It was very successful and Year 7 were very supportive and had lots of fun. We would like to thank the

Year 12 Captains and Prefects for their efforts in coordinating this annual event.

Newcastle University Lecturer, Dr David Farrugia paid a visit to senior SRC representatives asking for

their involvement in a study he is doing regarding teenagers negotiating work. He asked for interested

students to take part in his research which would involve interviews regarding future aspirations,

current work and hobbies. The research would take a few years as it will follow each student and their

journey into the workforce, tertiary education or other aspirations.

The SRC also held an Easter cupcake stall on the 18th March to raise funds for the SRC and their

nominated charities. We agreed to donate the majority of money raised to the Vanuatu Cyclone aid

effort, in cooperation with Year 9 Geography. It was a very enjoyable fundraiser and thank you to the

SRC members and their families who provided the cupcakes.

Zac and Liz, our school captains, recently attended Maitland Rotary and addressed the Rotary about

school life and the many programs we offer. Next term they will be attending the East Maitland Rotary

School leaders evening.

The Year 10 SRC are designing posters for this year’s ANZAC Day and an invitation is extended to all

interested students to join the SRC at the East Maitland ANZAC Day march at 11am, starting from the

RSL hall on the New England Highway.

On behalf of the SRC, we would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter and a safe and relaxing holiday.

Freya Proctor & Jessica Alexander

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April 2015 Easter Cupcakes

Year 7 Handball Competition

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April 2015

ANZAC DAY

Students to meet Mrs Osborne and the SRC at East Maitland Fire Station for an 11am march.

ENGLISH

Bell Shakespeare

Early this term, on Monday 16th March, Year 7 and 8 attended a famous Shakespearean play

‘Midsummer Madness’. The event took place in the school hall and approximately 260 students

attended. Four of Australia’s most prestigious dramatic production company’s actors performed a

shortened 60 minute play of ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’. The four actors were dressed in black and

wore hats and scarfs to distinguish between characters. They used minimal props and delivered the

audience a wonderful and engaging performance. The performance was followed by a Q & A session

with the actors. “The purpose of the performance was to entertain and to encourage students to learn

more about Shakespeare”, said Miss McEntyre (English Teacher).

By Lizzie Loduku

Senior Debating

Once again Maitland Grossmann High School has entered the Premier’s Debating Competition for 2015.

In the first round, on the 17th March 2015, our debating team went up against Merewether High

School. Our team included First speaker: Katie Gordon, Second speaker: Ben Lewis, Third speaker:

Max Schumacher and Team Advisor: Jess Alexander.

We participated in two debates on the day. The first debate’s topic was ‘Should alcohol advertisements

be banned’. Strong team lines and rebuttals came from both teams, but in the end the adjudicator

decided that the negative side had a stronger argument and Merewether Team A went home with a

win.

Later in the day Merewether Team B and Maitland Grossmann’s team doubled up to compete in the

second debate. The topic was ‘Scripture should be banned from all government schools’.

Unfortunately, Grossmann’s team did take away another loss. Once again, the adjudicator decided

that Merewether’s argument was stronger and they went home with two wins.

By Emily Gilmour

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April 2015

INDUSTRIAL ARTS

F1 in Schools National Championships

Congratulations to the Year 11 and Year 10 students who made an exemplary effort and achieved well

in the National Finals of the F1 in Schools competition, which was held at the Melbourne Grand Prix on

the 15th March.

Our students have achieved excellent results earning a 4th, 7th and 11th placement out of around 35

teams. Our MGHS teams won a number of major awards including: Fastest Lap, Grand Prix Race

Winners, Most Energy Efficient Design, and Best Team Portfolio. We had two State Champion Teams

and one wild card entry this year.

Our development teams are already working on their entries for the 2015 Regional Finals in the Pro -

senior class, ready for an assault on the Work Titles in 2016. All the teams wish to thank our major

sponsors; The University of Wollongong, Bloomfield Group, ME Program and Maitland Rotary for

providing the opportunity for our students to attend and compete in this event.

CAPA

The Choralfest excursion has been planned for April the 30th this year and it is a chance for our school

choir to be involved in a singing festival for public schools in the Hunter Valley/Central Coast areas.

Maitland Grossmann’s High School’s choir, led by Rob Dennis, will be singing a medley from Phantom

of the Opera and Seasons of Love. The choirs will be judged and adjudicated by a professional choral

clinician and will be given advice and comments to help improve performances. All of the choirs will

get a chance to interact with singers from other schools and also support their performances.

SPORT

The Open Girls’ Cricket was held on the 16th of March at

Myer Park in Adamstown. They played against

Merewether High School but unfortunately were bowled

out for 52. Merewether made the runs required with 2

overs to spare and 5 wickets in hand. However, our

team played really well and with plenty of enthusiasm.

Special mentions to; Sophie Sorenson who bowled well,

taking 3 wickets, Kristen Allen top scored and Jayme

Peterkin was a fantastic, enthusiastic captain and wicket

keeper.

Open Girls’ Cricket Team

Congratulations to the students who made it to State Swimming Championships: Zak Taylor, Daniel

Taylor, Reece Jankovic, Andrew Hudson, Jordan Miller, Angus Whyte and Lachlan Sandy.

The soccer boys and girls team trials are currently being held on Wednesdays during lunch, on the

eastern oval. The girls’ open soccer trials are also being held.

The athletics carnival will be held on the 5th of May at school for the whole school.

By Lucy Du Rietz

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April 2015

SOCIAL SCIENCE

Vanuatu Cupcake Stall

On Thursday 20th March, 9AB2 Geography held a cupcake stall to raise money for the communities in

Vanuatu who were greatly affected by Cyclone Pam. Lives were lost and towns were flattened by the

cyclone. Well done to everyone who helped raise over $450! A big thank you to Mrs Scarsbrook for

organising the event.

CHS ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Congratulations to Jack Davey and Robert Weatherall for winning Gold at the Under 16's doubles at the

State Combined High Schools (CHS) rowing titles on 15/03/2015.

In the singles event Jack came first overall, closely followed by Robert who was second. A very

dominant display by the Maitland Grossmann boys with their final time being 4:53.97, beating the

second place team by a total of sixteen seconds.

This success is on top of the pairs second in the state last month in the Under 16's doubles titles.

A remarkable effort considering Jack had a wrist injury, (suffered due to rowing) which he took into the

event.

Robert has been rowing now for a while and is one of the most impressive in his age group due to his

mastered technique and superior upper body strength. Robert is also an excellent fencer, out of school

and has represented at state level.

After joining the rowing club only four months ago, Jack has become excellent at rowing, with his long

arms and long legs giving him the advantage over many other rowers. Jack also plays rugby union for

the Maitland Blacks.

The rowing club would like to hear from anyone interested in participating in this sport. Registration

for a year is $200.

EASTER EGG RAFFLE

Year 12 have sold tickets for an Easter Egg raffle, as a part of fundraising for their Year 12 Formal.

The raffle was drawn on Tuesday 31st March. There were three major prizes and 15 minor prizes,

which meant lots of chocolate! Tickets cost $1 each, or three for $2.

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April 2015

PARENT TEACHER NIGHT

Year 10, 11 and 12 parent teacher interviews took place on Tuesday 10th March in the hall, followed by

Year 7, 8 and 9 parent teacher interviews on Thursday 19th March. A large number of parents took

part in the interviews and the event was very successful. The interviews are an effective way of

communication between parents and teachers and another parent teacher interview will be held later

in the year.

MAITLAND GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL STORY

Recently our school has been lucky enough to receive a copy of an old school magazine, generously

donated by the daughter of a former school captain of Maitland Girls’ High, 1919. Included inside this

magazine is a badge (over 100 years old) which all the girls would wear to show that they were a part

of Maitland Girls’ High. We greatly appreciate the thoughtfulness of this gift and would like to share a

part of the magazine with you about what these girls did in World War II.

SCHOOL DAYS DURING WAR YEARS- 1915-1919

“School days in 1915 were very sad days as it was war time and several girls had lost their fathers,

brothers and relatives in action. Hence our school life was always centred around the war effort.

The school nominated five recruits and it was the responsibility of each class to keep their recruit

supplied with socks, balaclava caps, gloves, etc. A parcel was sent each month and the girls were

asked to write letters to them. One recruit wrote to say he had received (35) letters in one mail. They

visited the school when on leave, and were entertained under the mulberry tree. These recruits were

T. Higgins, Gnr. Pendlebury, Pts. Deacon, Ptc. Forster and Ptc. Anderson. We were very sad when we

heard that Ptc. Deacon and Ptc. Forster had been killed in action. Ptc. Akhurst now joined our recruits.

To raise funds for the war effort we made and sold sweets, jam, cakes and photos from our Camera

Club, at a stall in High Street. The most popular effort was the sale of fresh buttered buns for one

penny at recess, when there was a really large bun rush.”

DEPUTIES

MAITLAND GROSSMANN HIGH SCHOOL SMS MESSAGING AND ATTENDANCE

It is a legal requirement for schools to account for a student’s whereabouts at all times during school

hours. Please follow the procedures described below.

Unless otherwise advised, you are expected to attend every lesson on every day. An electronic roll is

marked at the beginning of every lesson. When arriving late, for any reason, you must first go to the

attendance office and sign in with the office staff.

If you are away for any period of time, or if you need to arrive late or leave early on a particular day,

you must provide a letter from a parent/carer outlining the reason for the absence, or a medical

certificate. This must be given to the attendance office on the day or within 3 school days. Anytime

you arrive after 9.00am and leave before 3.19pm, you must speak to the office staff.

You are NOT to leave the school premises during the school day. This is considered truancy and you

will be formally cautioned for breaching the DEC Compulsory School Attendance Policy.

If you feel sick during the day, you are NOT to leave the premises. Report to the administration

office where a staff member will contact your parent/carer to receive permission for you to leave. If

this procedure is not followed, absences will be recorded as truancies.

Under NO circumstance should students contact parents.

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April 2015

If a student is away from school, parents will be informed by mobile phone Short Message Service

(SMS).

At Maitland Grossmann High School, student attendance is a high priority. We know that students who

attend regularly are more likely to be successful and safe at school.

To improve our attendance procedures, we will be informing parent/caregivers about any unexplained

absences for their child.

The school expects parents/caregivers to contact the school in advance if they know their child is to be

absent.

A SMS text message will be automatically sent to the mobile phone of parents/caregivers explaining

that our records show your child is absent from school. The message will read as follows:

The message will arrive on the phone displaying the number “0428937348”. Parents should store this

number in their mobile phone under ‘Maitland Grossmann High School” so when the message arrives,

the parent is aware the message has come from the school.

Parents have the option to reply on their mobile phone when a message is received from the school

and add your son or daughter’s name, year, date of absence and the reason they are absent or late.

E.g. Nick Frame, Year 11 was sick yesterday (Tuesday 15th November)

Text Version = “Nick F yr11 sick tues 15 nov”

OR by phoning the school office or sending a note explaining the absence.

Once we fully implement MessageYou for absences, some of the other uses could include notification

of:

Announcements or reminders of meetings or forthcoming events

Band/Choir/Music lesson reminder

Broken down or delayed School Bus

Reminders to volunteer workers

Thank you for your assistance and co-operation. We look forward to making this exciting transition

and to improving our communication with you.

EARLY LEAVE & SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

At Maitland Grossmann High School we believe that student attendance is paramount to school

achievement. Students should only be absent from school if sick, have an unavoidable

appointment or family business. Leaving early for work is not an acceptable reason. Students are

required by the Department of Education to complete a specified number of hours for Sport. Students

who do not complete their sport hours may not complete the School Certificate requirements. Please

do not absent your child from Sport without a good reason. When we have over 50 students apply for

an early leave pass, we must question the validity of the leave. Parents may receive a phone call to

check on the early leave of their child. Any child who misses Sport more than 3 times in a term

will be required to make up the sport hours. If you have any queries about leave requirements,

please contact the school.

MGHS records show Nick Frame is absent TUES 17/02/15. Pls reply SMS

student name/reason/abs date

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April 2015

YOUTH WORKER REPORT

It’s been a busy start to the year with lots going on within the school and around the community.

Some highlights include:

Our school played host to the annual Maitland Youth Sector Interagency Planning Day in March which

was a productive and successful day. As a youth worker in the school I regularly meet with other

workers and services in the community to stay connected with programs and opportunities for young

people in the area. A large variety of the sector is represented at these meetings and come together

for an annual planning day. Some guests included Family and Community Services, Ability Links, TAFE

NSW, Maitland Headspace and the Maitland Regional Art Gallery. A special mention to the willing

students who participated in a section of the day, giving great insight to the workers about young

people in the area. Also the year 11 and 12 hospitality students and teachers who catered the entire

day. The menu was delicious and the students were very well organised and professional.

March 20th was the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence. Last year some students

participated in a project to create posters to display in the school. Holding their own hand written

messages supporting this initiative they were photographed to create a collage which was

professionally put together. Those posters were unveiled this March and I applaud those students for

being courageous in speaking out about such an important issue among their peers.

Youth Week will be celebrated nationally between April 10th and April 19th in the school holidays. There

are several events for young people in the area including the first ever Sun Street Festival on April 17th

to be held at Sun Street Studios on High Street Maitland. The event is fully supervised, free to attend,

drug and alcohol free and all are welcome. (12-25 years)

Please see attached info for the festival and other local events.

Have a great Easter holiday break,

Tessa (School Youth Worker)

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April 2015

A reminder to parents to notify the school about your child’s health

We welcome information from parents about their child's health, even if you are not requesting specific

support from the school. The school asks for medical information when you enrol your child. It is also

important that you inform us if your child’s health care needs change or if a new health condition

develops.

Information about allergies, medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and other health care related

issues (including prior conditions, such as medical procedures in the last 12 months) should be

provided to the school. Please provide this information in writing to the Principal. This will assist the

school in planning to support your child’s health and wellbeing.

Student Individual Health Care Plans (IHP) are reviewed annually. Letters explaining this have been

sent to the relevant parents/carers along with their child’s IHP. It is essential that parents review the

IHP and follow the instructions on the accompanying letter.

Remember to check the expiry date of any medications your child carries in their bag, including

Epipens and renew prior to the medication’s expiry date.

Notify office staff of any changes to your or the emergency contact details.

We appreciate your assistance in this regard and assure you that information provided will be stored

securely and only be used or disclosed in order to support your child’s health needs or as otherwise

required by law.

Wendy Stephan & Lyne Matthews

Head Teachers Welfare

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April 2015

Paterson River Netball Club Netball Player Needed - Born 2001/2002

Intermediate 4 Team Paterson Firebirds

Playing experience preferred

Training Thurs at Paterson Netball Courts 5.30pm

Great team, Great coach

Season starts 2nd May

Registration Fee $130

Contact Rache

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April 2015