ganggang warrandyte high school Warrandyte High School Cnr Warrandyte & Alexander Roads, Warrandyte Telephone:9844 2749 Fax: 9844 1813 Email: whs@warrandytehigh.vic.edu.au Homepage: www.warrandytehigh.vic.edu.au Principal: Dr Stephen Parkin Assistant Principal: Pamela Dunstal

School Captains: Jessica Brincat, Jonty Rushton Issue 8 Term 2 2014

Dates for your Diary Wednesday 28 May Year 11 Exams begin Thursday 29 May Year 11 Exams Thursday 29 May Year 7 & Year 9 Boys’ Injections Friday 30 May Year 11 Exams Saturday 31 May TRIVIA NIGHT Monday 2 June Year 11 Exams Monday 2 June Production Auditions Tuesday 3 June Year 11 Exams Tuesday 3 June Year 10 Exams Begin Wednesday 4 June Year 11 Exams Wednesday 4 June Year 10 Exams Thursday 5 June Year 11 Exams Thursday 5 June Year 10 Exams Friday 6 June Report Writing Day (Student Free Day) Monday 9 June QUEENS BIRTHDAY HOLIDAY Wednesday 11 June GAT – Students completing Units 3 & 4 subjects

Parents please note that Friday 6 June is Report Writing Day. This is a student free day and parents will need to make alternative arrangements for the supervision of their children on this day.

From the Principal

The months of May and June are testing times for many of our students. Our Year 7 and Year 9 students undertook their NAPLAN tests in Literacy and Numeracy during May. Our Year 9 students also sat practice mid-year exams in Science, Maths and English last Tuesday. Today, Wednesday 28 May, our Year 11 students began their mid-year exams and our Year 10 students begin their exams next Wednesday. Not to be outdone, our Year 12 students, plus most of our Year 11 students, will be completing the General Achievement Test (GAT) on Wednesday 11 June. For our Year 9, Year 10 and 11 students this testing regime provides them with the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and skills that they have learned and also helps prepare them for the rigours of the external VCE exams they will be sitting in later years. These exam periods herald the imminent end to Semester 1 and the teaching staff are very busy at the moment preparing the end of Semester Reports. Parents will find our reports this semester slightly different to those we have issued in the past as we have decided to include assessment tasks in our Year 7 to Year 10 reports and present the AusVels grades in the form of a summary page. More information regarding this new report format will be provided in the next edition of Gang Gang. We are confident that parents will find this a more informative and parent friendly format and welcome any feedback parents would like to provide.

At the start of this term, the VCE Theatre Studies students presented their production The Golden Key. This was a truly fabulous show and congratulations must be given to all the students involved and their teacher Niki Na Meadhra. Performed as a ‘theatre in the round’, the play was engaging to all ages and the student performances and stagecraft, combined with the impressive production values, produced a most enjoyable evening for all members of the audience. On Wednesday night last week the North Eastern Victoria Region Youth Concert was held at Hamer Hall in Southbank. Featured in this performance were 4 of our students. Erin Theodore, Year 10, Keegan Scheller, Year 9, Cameron Jones, Year 9 and Jocelyn Barker, Year 11. Erin, Keegan and Cameron performed in the Concert Band and Jocelyn was the featured Soloist performer on the night. Kyle Turpin, Year 11, was also invited to perform in the Symphonic Band but was unable to take part on the night. This is an incredible achievement by these 5 students and I wish to congratulate them and their Music Teachers for all their hard word work and dedication to develop their talent.

Stephen Parkin

Principal

Working Bee What a fantastic job! Our small group of wonderful parents and students have done it again. A great big thank you goes to Paul McNamara, Kayla McNamara, Kerrie Dodds, Ben Dodds, Nic Dodds, Emma Dodds, Gary Foster, Tom Downie, Julie Downie, Greg Downie, Kellie Mortlock, also assistant principal Pamela Dunstall. We all worked up a sweat moving student tables and chairs around between classrooms and replacing rusted out rubbish bins and then finished with a very nice BBQ lunch. Our next Working Bee will be held on Sunday 26 October 2014, starting at 10am and finishing with lunch at 1pm, pop it in your dairy now.

Helene Butterworth Executive Assistant

Girl’s Mentor Dinner

On the 30 April a group of Year 9,10 & 11 girls were selected to represent Warrandyte High at a girls’ mentor dinner at The Warrandyte Neighbourhood House. Our teachers told us that it

would be a great way to get a real life comparison to the career that we were wishing to pursue. Little did we know that this dinner was going to be one of best tools to get where we want to be.

When we arrived we were greeted with a happy and smiling face, we put on our name tags and

started to talk to the amazing mentors that were there.

There were mentors from so many different careers ranging from a chef to a midwife to a beauty therapist.

Then we sat down to a delicious dinner served by the

volunteers of Warrandyte Neighbourhood House. Then

we had the chance to hear about two very different

ladies and their career and life paths, their struggles, their accomplishments and their future goals and ambitions.

We then had the chance to get up and talk to all the

ladies about their careers which was the best part of

the night. We even got numbers for work experience, references and contact information for any future questions.

I would like to thank Warrandyte Neighbourhood House for hosting such an inspiring event and

the mentors for taking the time out of their busy lives to talk to us. Also to Emma who organised the event and to Miss Davies and Miss Silipo for giving us the opportunity to go to this amazing

event.

Chloe Davies

Year 11 Student

An Art Week

On Wednesday May 14 our Year 12 Studio Arts class along with our teacher, Ms Dale, had the

opportunity of viewing Emily Floyd’s exhibition ‘Far Rainbow’ displayed at Heide Museum of

Modern Art in Bulleen. We had lunch in Templestowe at the local shopping strip where we enjoyed coffees, soaked up the sun and each other’s company before heading to see the

exhibition. This temporary show consisted of artworks in multiple rooms including sculptures, installations, assemblages, media prints and stencilled paintings and we also had the privilege

of learning about them from two Education Officers. A permanent commissioned work stands at

the entrance to the gallery. We were instructed on the conservation of artworks and the process of creating and curating an exhibition. Within the grounds sit Heide I, Heide II and Heide III

galleries and a beautiful garden filled with sculptures and flowers. We were lucky enough to not only see the exhibition in Heide III, but we explored the garden and visited the ‘George

Baldessin’ show in Heide I. This excursion to Heide was brilliant and such a fantastic day out.

The following day with Ms Petrik we travelled into the city to see the START UP Top Art’s 2014

exhibition held at the National Gallery of Victoria – Ian Potter - at Federation Square. This exhibition showcased a collection of contemporary works from secondary school students from

across Victoria, who achieved a high result in their design process and finished artwork in 2013. Two of the 49 students selected were from Warrandyte High School, Molly Wilkins’s digital

image piece ‘Tea Time on the Edge of Madness’ and Claire Kopietz’s stop motion film ‘Oxheart’.

It was exceptional to see their artwork displayed in the public gallery and a great achievement for them both and Warrandyte High School. The exhibition provided us with an insight into

other teenagers’ ideas and visions. The excursion was immensely helpful and influential for our own developmental and folio work. It also inspired us to have our artwork chosen and displayed in the National Gallery of Victoria in next year’s Top Arts exhibition.

Kate Eldridge and Taylor Padfield

Pierre de Coubertin Award

Warrandyte High School congratulates Taylor Padfield on being the successful nomination for the 2013 Pierre de Coubertin award. This award acknowledges a young person who epitomises the ideals and spirit of the Olympic movement and who has demonstrated sports leadership skills and personal sporting excellence. Taylor is a natural athlete who is an all-rounder. Since starting in Year 7 Taylor has taken on every opportunity to represent the school including being part of the basketball, netball, athletics, cross country, tag rugby, football, hockey, volleyball and swimming teams. A highlight for Taylor was receiving a bronze medal in the state triple jump in 2013. In addition Taylor has also coached and umpired numerous teams including the junior tag rugby and netball teams.

Taylor is a sporting role model for all fellow students and always strives to give 100% in everything she does. Taylor was formally acknowledged at the Pierre de Coubertin awards ceremony on Sunday 18 May 2014.

As part of her application process Taylor had to complete an artistic piece that looked at ‘Youth and the future of Olympism in a digital world’. Taylor’s artistic piece was fantastic and linked the ideas that through education, unity and inspiration we can engage youth online to be active offline.

Would you like to provide a cultural experience, whilst at the same time

enrich your family life?

LONG TERM HOMESTAY ACCOMMODATION WANTED

Warrandyte High School’s International Student Program is growing

and we have a need for caring families to provide suitable Long Term “Homestay”

accommodation for international students between 15-18 years.

Payment rate $260.00 per week.

If you are interested, please ring our Assistant Principal,

Pamela Dunstall on 9844 2749 or email office@warrandytehigh.vic.edu.au

Sport News

Senior Basketball On Monday 12 May I had the privilege of taking the senior boys basketball teams out to Waverley basketball stadium. Both the Year 11 and Year 12 teams were short on players with the Year 12 students playing with only 5 players and the Year 11 students playing with 6 players. All boys put in 100% and represented the school admirably. The Year 12 team came across some tough competition but never gave up, continually thinking of different tactics to try and outwit the opposition. The Year 11 team was ably coached by Jakeb Cullen-Hall and made it through to the final narrowly losing by 2 points. All boys should be congratulated on their efforts, enthusiasm and sportsmanship. Well done boys! PE News Once again things are very busy within the PE department. At the end of last term all students in Year 7 – 10 participated in a few weeks of rugby, further developing their passing and tackling skills and tactical understanding of the game. Since then, both senior and junior students have represented the school in the interschool rugby competition where our boys stood up to some bigger competition, demonstrating what they had learnt throughout the sessions. The Year 9 students have also participated in 2 weeks of lawn bowls. During these sessions students learnt about the game of lawn bowls and the opportunities available to players of the sport. Many students were surprised by the tactical component of the game and how much harder the game is than it looks. Feedback from the Donvale Lawn Bowls Club was that our students were very respectful and really took on the opportunity to develop their skills.

Coming up this term the Year 12 Physical Education class, Year 10 Human Body class and Year 9 Personal Fitness class are participating in a couple of spin sessions at Soul Rider. These excursions focus on providing students with the opportunity to apply their theoretical understanding to a practical situation. Towards the end of the term the Year 8 students will be involved in two sessions of wheelchair basketball. Linking their theoretical understanding of risk taking which students are covering in health, students will experience firsthand the sporting challenges and opportunities available to people confined to wheelchairs. Finally the PE department has taken ownership of a treadmill and an abdominal crunch machine which are now located in the weights room. The addition of the treadmill and abdominal crunch machine will provide senior students with the opportunity to develop a stronger understanding of physiology whilst also providing resourcing for students to develop their fitness. Students are reminded that the weights room is open to students from Years 9 – 12 on Tuesday and Friday nights after school from 3:30 – 4:30.

Katie Cook

PE and Health Leader

Athletics Day

Well done to all students who participated in our carnival. There were increasing numbers of participants in many events with some pleasing performances.

Records were set in the Javelin events where we saw some strong competition. Two other long

standing records were broken during the day; well done to Taylor Padfield who set new new record in 17yr Triple Jump and in particular to Callum Bowers who broke a record that had been held since 1994 in the 13yr Long Jump.

The house competition proved to be a competitive as always:- Newman in 4th place, Stiggant in

3rd, Anderson in 2rd with Michel winning. Our houses gained a huge amount of points from our house champions: Phoebe Joy (Anderson), Holly Mulder (Newman), Taylor Padfield (Michel) and Jessie Thomas Connor (Stiggant).

Well done to all those who competed and especially those students that helped carry out

leadership or helping roles.

Clare Rayner Sport Leader

Welcome to our new Italian Assistant

Hello everyone, my name is Ludovica Lanini, the new Language Assistant at Warrandyte High. I have just arrived from Europe, and this is my third week at Warrandyte High. I have never lived in Australia before and it is also my first time as an Italian language assistant

“What is a language assistant exactly supposed to be?” I asked myself while sending my application to my university” and once again: “What the heck should a language assistant do?”, when I unexpectedly won the competition and realised I was leaving for the Southern Hemisphere. In Italy, I used to teach Italian to foreign adults, mainly migrants and political refugees, often escaping from war and poverty, telling their impressive stories from Africa and Asia, and with a strong need to learn European languages –essential in order for them to survive.

Well, what I have learnt then is that the role of a language assistant in a high school in Australia is something completely different.

First of all because you find yourself in a completely different reality -a kind of strange world to me. For example, for what reason at the bus stop, at 8 a.m., I am the only adult, surrounded by teen-agers? And why all the teen-agers are dressed like adults -with their jackets and ties- while I am the only one dressed like a teen-ager? (My outfit has not changed that much since I was a teen-ager, I admit it, even though it was a long long time ago…). This is what I was thinking the first day, while waiting for my bus.

To begin with, Italian students from high schools do not wear uniforms, which simply do not exist. Secondly, Italian schools are usually very old -mine was built in the 18th Century, and they are not surrounded by an amazing countryside; and what about school trips? We have them in Italy as well, nothing new, I was thinking, when I was asked to participate as a supervisor. A visit to a science museum, probably: no. A visit to an art exhibition that…: no. Nothing similar: all together to a police station, in order to attend a workshop on forensics and criminology. Crime scene rebuilt-dead body included- and a mystery to solve, using evidence and fingerprints, before the end of the hour; just in time for the lunch break. Or, you can just happen to attend a lecture on visual design, held by a young animation developer working for an important brand. Whilst far from here, in Italy, hundreds of students are still struggling with ancient texts written in “dead” languages. What you can find here is exactly what in Italian schools is lacking: a link with job opportunities and the world outside of the classroom. That kind of concreteness that is fundamentally important especially in the teaching of a foreign language. That is why Italian as other languages should be spoken by students, felt and used as a real instrument, not only read or memorised.

I hope I will be able to help students at Warrandyte High to see the wider scope of learning a language. A future sister school project with an Italian school could be an answer to allow students to get closer to the language they are studying. Linking students’ job interests with the use of language could be another interesting aspect. In the course of next term, students will prepare typical Italian dishes using all the concrete knowledge learnt in food technology and reading the recipes in Italian, of course.

Sometimes I understand them: “What is the point of studying Italian?!” On the one hand, they are right: their mother tongue is spoken all over the world, and is the main language on the Net. You are very lucky, guys! I would have liked to be an English native speaker, when I had to learn this language at school. But there is evidence from cognitive sciences that knowing foreign languages strengthens your cognitive power -and you want to be smart, don’t you? But apart from this, a good competence in a European language is really useful for your curriculum, especially if you want to find a job, travel or explore many overseas countries, exactly as I did.

Ludovica Lanini Italian Language Assistant

Warrandyte High School

ACMA: Cyber Smart Presentation

Thursday July 17

6:30pm-8:00pm

Theatre

WHS is pleased to inform the Warrandyte Community that we will be offering a free Cyber Smart Presentation to all parents delivered by expert Greg Gebhart from ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority)

The Internet safety presentation will cover topics including: • the ways children use the internet and emerging technologies • potential risks for children online, such as cyberbullying, illegal content, inappropriate

contact, identity theft, grooming and predatory activity • tips to help children stay safe online.

The presentation is thorough, non-technical and is conducted by an accredited Cybersmart trainer. Free Support Material will be available such as:

• Cybersmart Guide for Families • Say no to cyber bullying • Sexting • Socialising on the internet • Guide to online safety • Dealing with offensive content • Mobile phone safety

Greg Gebhart is the ACMA’s Senior Cybersmart Trainer and one of Australia’s leading cybersafety experts. Greg is recognised across Australia and internationally for his knowledge and passion for cybersafety in education.

Please RSVP to the General Office by Monday 14 July

Trivia Night Annual Fundraiser

Q: How do you raise funds for outdoor student seating and a veggie garden? A: Ask the Parent Association to organise a trivia night!

When: Saturday 31 May, 2014 Where: Warrandyte High School Theatre Time: Doors open at 7:00pm for a sharp 7:30pm start. Entry: $25 per person BYO: Drinks, nibbles and glassware Theme: Gardening

Dress up (or don’t dress up), bring lots of gold coins for games, bid on our silent auction items, enjoy spot prizes and get ready for an entertaining evening with our wonderful trivia host Kev from legendstrivia.com.au. Book the babysitter and invite your mates … come join our garden party!

TICKETS SELLING FAST ☺☺☺☺ Only a few tables left. Please confirm your booking with the office asap

Book a seat by returning this form or contacting the school office: Name: ____________________________________________________________ Contact Phone number: ____________________________________________________ Number of Tickets: _____________ Table Name (if applicable): _______________________ � Cash � Cheque (payable to Warrandyte High School) � Credit Card Type:______________ Name on Card_______________________________

Credit Card Number ���� ���� ���� ����

Exp: ___/___

Signature ____________________________

Warrandyte High School is very appreciative of the support from our community.

Please mention this advertising when shopping locally.

Olivigna

RACV

Ruby Tuesday

MOAT

Fashion Clubwear

Legends Trivia

Essential Photography

Puffing Billy Railway

Croydon Leisure and Aquatic Centre

Melbourne Museum

Cuckoo Restaurant

Phillip Island Nature Park

Spear and Jackson

Warrandyte Retreat

Park Orchards Post Office

Warrandyte B&B - Goldfields

She Earth

Harry's Café

Touched by an Angel

Templestowe Living Room Restaurant

Templestowe Beauty Retreat

Raffinees Hair

Contours

Baker's Delight - North Ringwood

Pia Wear

Maroondah Osteopathy & Sportscare

Paydirt Landscaping, Paving & Tiling

Masonry Hardware

Gossip Lane Hairdressing

Yings Noodle Café

Mr Rooster

Veronica's Gift

Diamond Creek Pharmacy

Subway

Nillumbik Cellars

PGA

Cobbler's Den

Danny's Dog Tags

Croydon Market Pharmacy

Big Mate's Pizza

Baker's Delight

Clean Skip's & Cleanaway

Science Works Museum

Supersoil

Iron Hulk Fitness

Body Reflexion

Gardiner McInnes Estate Agents

Gilbert and Marcel

Made Locally

Beasleys Nursery

Supa Cheap Confectionary

Collins Books

Ebb and Flow

IGA Jeffries McAdam Square

Explore Health Chiropractic

Sweets & Treats

Strawberry Farm, Warrandyte

Yarra Book Store

Warrandyte High School is very appreciative of the support from our community.

Please mention this advertising when shopping locally.

Canteen News

Daily specials are as follows – ordering would be appreciated.

Specials @ $5.00

Monday Chilli Chicken Sub or Tandoori Wrap

Tuesday Chicken Burger, Meatball Sub or Spaghetti Bolognaise

Wednesday Fried Rice or Hot Dog, Cheese & Sauce

Thursday Chicken Schnitzel, Nachos Box

Friday Souvlaki – Chicken or Lamb or Fish & Wedges

The Canteen is selling hot toasted sandwiches at recess for $2.50, ham & cheese, and ham, cheese & tomato are available. Egg and bacon rolls are periodically available at recess as well.

Volunteers are always welcome in the canteen. If you are available on a Friday only, Karen is

always able to change her day. The canteen staff look forward to seeing you in 2014.

Thursday 29 May Help Required Friday 30 May Karen Paul Monday 2 June Help Required Tuesday 3 June Jen Johansen Wednesday 4 June Help Required Thursday 5 June Regina Whittley Friday 6 June REPORT WRITING DAY Monday 9 June QUEENS BIRTHDAY Tuesday 10 June Help Required Wednesday 11 June Kerrie Dodds

Cheryl Hart Canteen Leader

FREE IN-HOME TESTING OF YOUR CHILD’S ESTIMATED INTELLIGENCE, MEMORY,

SELF-REGULATION AND EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIOURAL FUNCTIONING

Research is being conducted through Monash University and the Melbourne Neuropsychiatry

Centre to better understand the processes underlying self-regulation in school-aged children

and any links to emotional and behavioural problems. A benefit of your child’s participation is

that their estimated intelligence, memory, as well as their ability to self-regulate and any

emotional and behavioural problems will be assessed and the results will be provided to you

within four weeks following testing in the form of a report. These tested areas of functioning are

all important factors contributing to your child’s academic performance at school, as well as their

ongoing social and emotional adjustment.

The research involves completion of three questionnaires by each participating child’s primary

caregiver, which assesses their child’s temperament, ability to control their thoughts, feelings

and behaviours and the presence and severity of any emotional and/or behavioural problems.

Each participating child will undertake a 2 hour testing session that will assess their general

verbal and visual skills, attention and memory. Testing can be arranged to suit, e.g. after school

hours, on weekends or school holidays in your own home, or at one of our research centres.

In order to participate children must meet the following criteria: 1) Be aged between 11 years 0

months and 12 years 11 months; 2) Normal, or corrected to normal, vision and hearing; 3)

English is his/her first spoken language; 4) No history of a diagnosed learning disorder (e.g.

Reading Disorder / Dyslexia); 5) No history of a brain injury or diagnosed psychiatric illness; 6)

Not currently take any medications that affect his/her brain function (e.g. psychiatric

medications). To register your interest or for more information please contact:

Mr Jeggan Tiego

Phone: 0413 656 166

E-mail: jeggan.tiego@monash.edu

The research project has been approved by the Monash University Human Research Ethics

Committee and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

PLAYERS WANTED - Get Active & Have Fun with Rugby League!

The Eastern Raptors Rugby League Club is your only local rugby league club, providing the opportunity for local boys and girls to play Rugby league from Under 6’s through to Under 14’s.

The Club is pleased to invite all new players to come and have a TRY! We have vacancies in all

teams. No experience is necessary; our accredited coaches are willing to teach all aspects of the

game.

The season has just started but it’s not too late, get on board now!

The Club is located at Colchester Reserve, Colchester Road Boronia and we train on Monday and

Wednesdays from 5.30 – 6.30pm.

For further information, please call Rebecca Marnock on 0421 154 776

Rugby League is an exciting game combining the skills of passing, catching, running and having FUN!

Go to www.easternraptors.com.au for further information