Newsletter

No 8

20 June 2012

Page 2

Principal’s News

NAIDOC Week

Assembly

Page 3

Drama News

Duval Dance

Students Shine

School Laptop

Stocktake

Page 4

DHS Bake Sale

Singers Head for

China

Homework Centre

Page 5

Social Science HSC

Study Day

Sports News

Page 6

DHS Careers Festival

Inside this

issue:

Top of the Hi l l Newsletter of Duval High School

PO Box 751, C

rest R

oad Arm

idale NSW 2350 Telephone 02 6772 1266 Facsim

ile 02 6771 1766 Email d

uval-h

.school@

det.n

sw.edu.au

DATES FOR THE DIARY:

♦ 20 and 21 June, 7-9pm: Duval Showcase of Talent 2012

♦ 27 June, 10am: NAIDOC Week Assembly

♦ 25 July: DHS Careers Festival

♦ 31 July, 6-8pm: Year 10 to Year 11 Information Evening

♦ 6-17 August: HSC Trial Exams

♦ 7 August, 6-8pm: Year 8 to Year 9 Information Evening

This term we are looking at the very real

issue of bullying and other behav-

iours in our shared spaces outside the

classroom. Students are encouraged

to share ideas and design logos for

our corridors that could win

them big rewards. PBL CORNER

The Duval High School Senior

Debating Team are heading to Sydney on Friday, 22 June to compete

in the quarter finals of DEC Premier’s

Debating Challenge. The team comprising of Matthew Barton,

Brittany Baker, Ashley Cain-Grey and

Madeleine Horneman are very excited about the fact that they are

one of the final 16 schools in what is a prestigious and demanding

competition. Last year there were

over 1,507 teams entered in the Premier’s Debating Challenge, which

included teams in Years 5 to 12.

The team has already debated, and

defeated, a range of schools in the

New England region including Farrar Agricultural Memorial School,

Tamworth High, and in the district

final Richmond River High School from Lismore.

The students get one hour

preparation on the topic and each speaker speaks for 6 to 8 minutes.

Topics may come from a range of

areas including current affairs, education and media. Students need

a strong general knowledge and

equally as strong speaking skills.

This success is the second time in three years debaters from Duval have

made it to the State quarter finals.

The school has a proud tradition of debating, and this year we have 5

teams involving students from Year 7

to Year 12 competing.

The teams and the school are very

grateful to Ms Grice for all her efforts as the school’s Debating Co-

ordinator.

DEBATING SUCCESS

(L to R): Brittany

Baker, Matthew

Barton, Madeleine

Horneman, Ashley

Cain-Grey

20 June 2012 Page 2

PRINCIPAL’S NEWS

End of term is always such a busy time in schools. So many of our programs and

experiences for students are either in full swing or nearing completion, it can all be a bit of a

blur. The students and their teachers have all

put in a huge effort this term, and I congratulate them on their achievements. For example, we

recently held the first of our Year 6 Parent

Information nights, part of our overall Transition from Year 6 to Year 7 process. The night was

very well attended, and a large group of

parents and Year 6 students had a tour of the school, and met the key personnel who will be

there to support them in 2013. Most

importantly, the students met Ms Alison Armstrong, who will be their Year 7 Adviser,

and Ms Jane Cullen, our Transition Coordinator.

Last week all Year 7 and 8 students and all

Aboriginal students in the school, attended a cultural awareness, music and dance workshop

conducted by the Indigenous performer Maa-

Roon Fourmile. The workshop was a resounding success, and a number of our

students have also become involved in the

establishment of a joint-school Aboriginal Dance Group in Armidale as a result.

We also had a three-day visit last week from eight ‘Beyond the Line’ program students from

the University of Western Sydney. Beyond the

Line (BTL) is an initiative of TeachNSW, and brings metropolitan students in the late stages

of Education degrees to the country to

experience firsthand the benefits of teaching and living in towns like Armidale. The students,

who are mostly based in Sydney’s south-western suburbs, were astounded by the

excellent standards of behaviour, motivation

and engagement shown by our students. Most of them sought me out personally to tell me what

a good school we have here, and that was the

focus of the presentation they gave to other BTL students on their final night. In a time of some

uncertainty and debate about the future

structures and responsibilities of schools and principals, it’s nice to be reminded that Duval

High is, as always, a great place to teach and

learn.

On the media front, you may have seen an article in the Armidale Express last month

celebrating the allocation of Federal

Government funding to the highly-respected

Backtrack program. What may not have been

clear from the article is that Duval High School students have been involved in all aspects of the

program (Ironman Welders, Paws Up and Ag

Lads) since the very beginning, and have maintained an excellent working relationship

with the team under Bernie Shakeshaft, as well

as the Youthlinks team at Armidale TAFE. For example, one of our Year 10 students, Matia

Tanikomave, was featured in that article and was amongst the group that visited Parliament

House in Canberra and met the Prime Minister

Julia Gillard. We are justly proud of our students taking part in this incredibly important

program, and congratulate them on achieving

the much-needed funding.

STOP PRESS: I have just taken the opportunity

to visit the Duval High School Shakespeare Festival, being held in our “Rooftop Theatre.”

Having seen some of the monologues,

adaptations and excerpts being produced by these talented young people, I’d say the future

of the acting fraternity in Armidale - and beyond - is guaranteed.

I wish you all a happy, safe and restful holiday.

Stafford Cameron

NAIDOC WEEK

ASSEMBLY Wednesday, 27 June - 10am

School Hall

NAIDOC Week Theme -

Spirit of the Tent Embassy: 40 Years On

Backtrack Program participant, Matia Tanikomave,

with Mr Cameron

20 June 2012 Page 3

DRAMA NEWS

Armidale Eisteddfod

Shakespeare Festival This week is the annual "Shakespeare Festival".

All Duval elective Drama students from Years 8 - 12 come together in the rooftop theatre to play

out a range of prepared scenes from

Shakespeare plays, including A Midsummer

Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet,

MacBeth and Taming of the Shrew, to mention a

few. The day celebrates Shakespeare in performance - lifting the poetry off the page and

throwing it onto the boards - or the carpet in this case. Students receive awards and prizes for

their terrific efforts, and generally have the

opportunity to see what can be done with the plays to make them exciting theatre. The

tradition of the Shakespeare Festival has been

going, as far as we can tell, for 20 years or more.

State Drama Camp Marni Walsh and Rheyanon Shields travel to

Sydney on the last week of term to attend the State Drama Camp. They were selected from a

large field of public high school applicants, and

will represent the school at the camp, bringing a great insight into ways to approach Drama in

the HSC back to the Year 11 students. Marni

stays in Sydney to join the Sydney Theatre Company where she has been invited, along

with one student from each of the New England

Schools, to spend two days with the company, watching rehearsals and workshops based on

the resource material collected when STC came to New England earlier this year. The event

dubbed 'The New England Project' is an exciting

opportunity for students to help the

development of a play dealing with rural issues. Paul Dunn (Year 9 Drama) and Marni were

selected to attend workshops in the last

holidays. This material has now formed a substantial part of the production which will tour

New England later this year.

DUVAL DANCE STUDENTS SHINE

During the past two months Duval dance

students have been very busy rehearsing for and performing at a number of events in the

New England area. Years 8, 9, 10 and 11

students competed in the Armidale Eisteddfod. The Duval Dance Ensemble and Year 11

received first place, Year 10 received 2nd and

Year 9 gained a 3rd place. A great achievement by all performers.

The New England Dance Festival was held at the

Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre

running from Thursday, 31st May to Saturday, 2nd June. Students had the opportunity of

performing in front of over 600 people, with

great lighting and sound effects. All 24 students enjoyed the experience. A big thank you to

Breanna McFadyen, former Duval High School

dance student, for her assistance on the excursion and to the local dance school,

Australian Dance Enterprises, for our great

costumes.

The Year 10 elective dance class has been

rehearsing for the upcoming annual Duval High School Shakespeare Day. Students will be

performing a movement piece based around the plot of forbidden love between Romeo and

Juliet.

Important dates coming up for Duval dance

students are:

♦ Armidale Arts in Concert: Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th September

♦ Schools Spectacular: Thursday 22nd – Saturday 24th November

Congratulations to Marni

Walsh who was awarded Speech and D rama

Champion (Senior 15-23

yrs) at the recent Armidale Eisteddfod. This is a

cumulative award, with

competitors needing to

contest four separate events, and the

competition is always very strong. In the Prepared Speech event, which Marni won with

her speech “Refugees and Asylum Seekers”, the

Adjudicator commented that Marni’s speech had encouraged her to change her viewpoint on this

issue.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL

SCHOOL LAPTOP HOLDERS

All students with laptops must bring their

computers into school and connect them to the

internet for at least 45minsfor at least 45minsfor at least 45minsfor at least 45mins for the Laptop

Stocktake. This must be done before the end of before the end of before the end of before the end of

termtermtermterm otherwise the laptop will be collected by Ms

Naylor for manual sighting.

SINGERS HEAD FOR CHINA

Eleanor Logan and Oliver Bruhl (both Year 9)

are members of the national youth choir,

Gondwana Voices. These students were successful in being selected in this prestigious

choir after auditions in October, then attending the National Choral School for 2 weeks in

January and other events through the year.

Oliver and Eleanor are very excited to be

participating in the Gondwana Voices 2012

China Tour which will take place from Wednesday 4 July - Friday 20 July. Gondwana is

one of only five choirs invited to participate at

the 2012 World Choral Summit in Beijing, along with the Young People’s Chorus of New York

City (YPCNY), Vokalna Akademija Ljubljana

from Slovenia, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Choir from Africa, and La Schola

Cantorum de Caracas from Venezuela. There will be more than 150 choirs joining the Summit

and Gondwana will be performing at the

opening ceremony, which will be broadcast by

China Central Television, watched by over

10,000,000 people around the globe. Apart from participating at the Summit, there will be

another concert at the China Conservatory as

well as a joint concert with YPCNY at the Guangzhou Opera House

Page 4 20 June 2012

DHS BAKE SALE

On Sunday, 24 June the Duval High School prefects and P&C

will be holding a bake sale in the mall at the Armidale Markets.

Anyone interested in getting involved can help out by baking

cakes, slices, cupcakes, muffins or biscuits. It’s your choice! Anything made needs to have all

the ingredients written on a piece of paper and stuck to the baked

item in order for it to be sold, and

brought to school on Friday, 22 June. We are hoping this will be a huge success and all funds are going towards our school, so get

out your mixing bowls and wooden spoons and create

something delicious.

DUVAL HIGH SCHOOL

HOMEWORK CENTRE

WHO? All students at DHS!!

Experienced teachers will be available to

support your learning needs in a calm,

supportive environment.

WHEN? Tuesdays 3.30 - 5.00pm

WHERE? Room 106

WHY? Polish school work

Complete assignments

Read quietly

Seek help with homework

HOW MUCH? NO cost. Afternoon tea

provided and FREE bus home.

QUESTIONS? Speak with Homework

Centre Co-ordinator, Ms Armstrong in

Room 106 or History Staffroom. Telephone

6772 1266.

Year 9 students Eleanor Logan and Oliver Bruhl

HSC STUDY DAY FOR SOCIAL

SCIENCE STUDENTS

On 4 June the Year 12 Economics, Legal Studies and Business Studies classes attended the

University of New England’s Study Day. This

was a very valuable day for the students involved as they listened to a series of lectures

from HSC markers. This will ensure that they

have the latest information for their coming examinations as well as some very handy study

tips. In particular the Business Studies lectures by Mohan Dahll were very well received by the

students.

SPORTS NEWS

Football

On 14 June, The Bill Turner Cup boys football team played in the Regional Final against Oxley

High School. The boys played a hard game but

were unfortunately defeated 2-1. It was a great run for the team and a terrific achievement to be

Regional Finalists. Congratulations, boys.

Lawn Bowls

Horsesports Recently a large gathering of students from

around NSW competed in a five-day Horse

Sports competition in Coonabarabran. This year there were approximately 630 riders and

approximately 700 horses from 115 schools.

These riders competed in a variety of horse sports from the very popular and challenging

One Day Event to Combined Training,

Dressage, Jumping, the Working Horse Challenge, Sporting, Hacking and, this year for

the first time, the Warrumbungles Way.

This year Duval sent a team of three riders: Jade

Fangmeier, Carlie Fangmeier and Kathryn Green. All three riders competed very well

given the conditions.

Jade received a 2nd and 5th for Dressage; 2nd

and Reserve Champion for 13 yrs rider. Carlie

received a 4th and 6th for Dressage. Kathryn received a 1st for the pair of riders, where she

teamed up with a girl from St Mary’s Gunnedah;

3rd for the team of fours, where she again teamed up with girls from St Mary’s Gunnedah;

6th for Combined Training and 6th for Jumping.

The girls are to be congratulated for their

commitment and sportsmanship over the competition. A big thanks to the girls’ families

who attended and helped the girls throughout

the event. Michelle Williams, Team Manager

Page 5 20 June 2012

Jodi Harris has been selected

in the CHS NSW State No. 1 Football team and is in

Sydney competing this week.

Congratulations and best of luck, Jodi.

Tom Inman recently

attended the CHS State L a w n B o w l s

Championships in

Wa r i l l a . T om performed well in the

Singles Championships

to take out 9th place.

But the real achievement was in the Pairs

Championships. Tom’s original partner from North West was unable to attend, so he was

paired with the 5th reserve from the South Coast

team. The pair performed exceptionally well to win the Gold Medallion. Well done, Tom.

Page 6 20 June 2012

InvitationInvitationInvitationInvitation

Year 10, 11&12

Duval High School Careers Festival

Date: 25th July 2012 Time: 4.30pm to 7.30pm

Location: School Gymnasium

It is with great excitement and pleasure that I invite you to Duval High School’s very

first Careers Festival.

DHS Careers Festival is a new and engaging event aimed at providing our students

with the opportunities to explore career/vocational options and identify future career

pathways.

DHS will host representatives from various local businesses, government departments

and education organisations to highlight what is available to our students beyond secondary school.

There will be interactive displays where students and parents will have an opportunity to discuss careers with local employers and educational organisations.

The Festival aims to provide students with sound career information and knowledge

prior to subject selection. Students use this experience to choose courses that reflect

their career planning.

As parents and carers you are very influential in young people’s career decisions.

Take the time to attend, bring your children and support our School and the Local Community!

Celebrate this occasion with canapés made by our hospitality students in tandem

with the Goldfish Bowl, keep warm with easy as coffee and hot chocolate,

feast on our complimentary sausage sizzle, and be entertained by Soo-Wee the

Magician and Dunbar the Clown AND indulge in copious amounts of fairy

floss and popcorn!!!

Let’s plan your child’s future together!!!!!

Lana Hardman

Careers Advisor

02 6772 1266 Email: svyetlana.hardman@det.nsw.edu.au

RSVPRSVPRSVPRSVP by

30303030thththth June, 2012June, 2012June, 2012June, 2012 For Catering Purposes