THE BUZZ ISSUE #4 2018...Year 11 Alicia Nguyen Sabrina Sadek Shaza Ayoubi Valentina Perez Year 10 Khadija Salim Jenny Lam Nithya Iyengar Vivien Vu Emily Deadman Cover by Hadeel Salem

[THE BUZZ] ISSUE #4 2018

BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 1



IN THIS ISSUE… The BUZZ Media Team is…

Year 12

Aditi Kulkarni

Hadeel Salem

Deane Ngo

Year 11

Alicia Nguyen

Sabrina Sadek

Shaza Ayoubi

Valentina Perez

Year 10

Khadija Salim

Jenny Lam

Nithya Iyengar

Vivien Vu

Emily Deadman

Cover by

Hadeel Salem

Special thanks to all of our

additional contributors!

www.bankstowng-h.schools.nsw.edu.au

Mona St, Bankstown 2200 | Ph. (02) 9709 6788

Contents

Principal’s Report

Deputy Principals’ Report

Our P&C Committee

Year 10 Visual Arts Modern Ceramics

Totem Poles

Merit Assembly 2.0

No Excuse for Abuse March

Year 10 Food Technology Buffet

Foundations for Learning

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before Review

Elite Review

Canto Nuevo

Social Media is making you anti-social

Transport yourself into another world

Capa Extravaganza Fright Night

Farewell Mrs Harper



FINAL WORDS FROM

A VERY PROUD

PRINCIPAL

How do you sum up 15

fabulous years as the

principal of such an

amazing school? Most of

the most brilliant

moments, the things that

have made my heart burst

with pride cannot be

shared publically because

they are personal and

private stories involving

students, staff and parents.

I will try to capture, in a

more general way, a little

about my journey as the

principal of Bankstown

Girls High School and

how we have grown over

the last 15 years and what

we have achieved.

I was appointed to

Bankstown Girls High

School at the very end of

the 2003 school year, to

commence day 1 2004. I

was invited to the end of

year luncheon, a

splendiferous event, held

in the school library. The

retiring principal, Mrs

Barraclough, and the staff,

which included two

teachers who taught me

when I was a student at


School in the 1970’s,

warmly welcomed me.

Since that time, I have

always felt very much part

of the community of


School.

Before

There have been many

physical changes in the

school over my 15 years.

The front door to A Block

used to be a wire gate, not

a door at all! I always

hated that, even as a

student, so I was

determined to make it a

proper door. We have

refurbished our quad and

checkerboard areas

(thanks to Mr Borg);

refurbished the Science

labs; transformed the

dungeon that was the

canteen into a bright, airy,

welcoming cafeteria style

space; painted the school

inside and out; and turned

the library into a 21st

century learning space.

We have flattened floors

and built industry standard

kitchens too. So

physically, the school has

improved to better cater

for our students, making it

more pleasant and

comfortable to be here.

Over 15 years I have had

the opportunity to

celebrate the school’s 50th

anniversary as well as

many Public Education

Day events. We have

celebrated our Creative

and Performing Arts and

our students’ academic

successes in merit

assemblies, performing

arts nights, presentation

days and many parent and

student run events, usually

to raise funds for worthy

causes. I have enjoyed

being part of such an

inclusive, positive and

diverse community. My

P&C and parent groups

over the years have always

been very supportive of

the school, their

daughter’s education and

me. They have

contributed their time and

given their feedback to

assist us in providing

FROM PRINCIPAL HARPER’S DESK



quality education. They

are also very warm and

extremely funny.

I will miss this very much.

I will also miss working

with such dedicated,

professional and clever

staff. We are fortunate to

have both teaching and

non-teacher staff who are

so focussed on providing

the best education in a safe

and inclusive environment

for every girl in our care. I

have always been able to

rely on everyone here to

do their very best plus

more to not just follow the

rules but add value to the

work that they do. They

work beyond expectations

and I am so grateful to

have had the opportunity

to have worked with all of

them now and also those

who have moved on to

other roles in other

schools. They are the best.

Our students are our best

feature. They are

amazing, beautiful, clever,

sometimes naughty,

talkative, challenging,

surprising, and creative

with very generous hearts

(most of the time!). In the

time I have been principal

we have come a long way

with our teaching and

learning, student

wellbeing and student

voice. We have a very

future focused approach to

learning, explicitly

teaching students how to

be resilient, resourceful,

reflective and

collaborative learners.

Our students achieve their

goals at the end of Year 12

whether that is continuing

to higher education or

work. Most importantly,

we know from our

community and business

partners that our girls

demonstrate courtesy,

confidence, leadership,

collaboration and

resilience when they are at

work experience,

representing the school or

working in teams.

They represent themselves

and the school proudly

and well. What more

could a principal ask for?

I was blessed when I was

appointed the principal of


School and I will forever

value the experiences I

have had as a

consequence. I have made

good friends and had the

opportunity to influence

students, teachers and

parents in ways that I hope

have made their lives and

the lives of our students

better.

I believe I have done a

good job and I leave

Bankstown Girls happy

with what I have achieved

and ready to hand our

wonderful school over to

the new Principal, Ms

Suada Bilali. I wish her

all the very best as I

entrust her with a most

precious task of leading

the learning of Bankstown

Girls High School

community.

I will miss you all but you

will be in very good

hands.

Safe and happy future.

Mrs Harper, almost ex-

principal, but not quite

yet!



As this is the final report

for the year I would just

like to reflect on a few

highlights from the year.

Firstly, I would like to

give a big thankyou to our

staff who have continued

to work hard on their

professional learning. It is

great to see how dedicated

the staff are to giving our

girls the best opportunities

by being innovative and

exploring different ways

of delivering the courses.

This year staff worked as

teams in Professional

Learning Communities to

focus on areas of interest.

They worked

collaboratively, conducted

research and implemented

strategies to improve

student-learning

outcomes. The scope of

the research and the way

the teachers examined the

impact of different

strategies on student

learning was informative

and saw new ideas being

implemented. It is a credit

to the professionalism of

the staff that they have

approached their own

professional learning in

such a serious manner.

I would like to recognise

Shantelle Chand who was

the 2018 recipient of the

Community Service

Award organised by the

Hon. Jason Clare MP,

Member for Blaxland.

Shantelle has heavily

involved herself in

volunteering her time and

effort to raise money for a

number of causes that she

feels passionately about.

Credit goes to the whole of

year 7 and their teachers in

the cross curricular project

that they completed

through English and

CAPA. It was a privilege

to watch the girls working

on their projects and then

talking them to about the

inspiration behind their

work. I was impressed

with the quality and depth

of the pieces every group

presented. It was great to

see the girls awarded their

statuettes during the award

ceremony and listen to the

parents talk about the

efforts of their daughters.

Congratulations to all of

you for the great work you

accomplished and

congratulations to your

teachers who worked so

hard to make this a

positive learning

adventure.

Year 11 or should I now

say Year 12 are starting

the final part of their

secondary schooling

journey. They will have

many challenges ahead

over the next three terms

and there are a few things

they need to remember in

order to help them have

the best experience and

achieve the best results.

Firstly, attendance is

incredibly important.

Being at school every day

and for the whole day will

help you to achieve better

results if you are applying

yourself in class.

Academic research

indicates that attendance is

one of the more significant

factors in students

achieving high results. As

senior students in the

school you are expected to

be positive role models

and show all of the girls

how responsible you are

and how seriously you

take your studies. This

includes your uniform,

wear it with pride and

show others how much

FROM DEPUTY LEARY’S DESK



you value your school.

This year you have the

opportunity to work with

our Senior Studies

Coordinator, Ms Nardi

and I encourage you to

take that opportunity

seriously. She has helped

make a difference with

students and can give you

very practical strategies

you can use to make the

most of your studies.

Year 9 have worked

steadily throughout this

year and they will be

taking a big step next year

when they are undertaking

their Stage 5 RoSA. We

have seen some very good

results from the girls this

year and I am confident

they will continue to show

their achievement in their

final grades at the end of

year 10. I hope the girls

reflect on their progress

this year and are ready for

the challenges of year 10.

I was impressed with the

work the girls from their

Making Learning

Meaningful projects. It

was again another success

with the girls working

collaboratively on

addressing a global issue.

It continues to highlight

how well the girls can

work in teams and how

seriously they take issues

that are far reaching.

I would like to wish

everyone a safe and

relaxing time with friends

and family during the

vacation period and for

those of you who celebrate

Christmas have a very

Merry Christmas.

Mr M. Leary

Deputy Principal

Years 7,9 & 11

Bankstown Girls’ HS



Dear parents, students and

staff,

As the year draws to a

close I would like to take

this opportunity to

acknowledge all the hard

work of our school

community to make


School such an exciting

place of learning.

Throughout the year the

girls have continued to

excel not only

academically but also in

the sporting arena and the

arts. The girls undertake

each opportunity offered

to them and they commit

to achieving the best they

can each and every time.

Our students have

continued to be civic

minded by contributing to

the wider community in a

variety of ways: from

charity work to supporting

White Ribbon events as

well as representing the

school at events which

have required them to

have a voice which can

make a difference.

These things have

happened because of the

support of a dedicated

staff and families who

value their daughters’

learning and engagement

in wider experiences. As a

result, 2018 has been a

successful year for

everyone involved with


School.

I would also like to take

this opportunity to

personally farewell Mrs

Harper as she leaves us for

a well-earned retirement.

Mrs Harper has been

Principal for 15 years and

has always put the school

and the students at the

centre of everything that

we aim to achieve. I wish

her well in whatever she

chooses to do and hope

that she spends time

enjoying her travels and

many adventures that may

come her way.

To the staff, I hope you

have an enjoyable break

and return to school

relaxed and refreshed.

Similarly to the girls,

enjoy your holidays, be

safe and be good!

Looking forward to seeing

you all back next year.

Mrs Porreca

Deputy Principal

Years 8, 10 & 12

Bansktown Girls’ HS

FROM DEPUTY PORRECA’S DESK

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiExKXv56DfAhWVF3IKHX4HAWIQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vectorstock.com%2Froyalty-free-vector%2Fchristmas-fairy-vector-33949&psig=AOvVaw2VTiaIbv-aBtOszape0Fl1&ust=1544928016340893



Another successful year

draws to a close. It is

amazing how much has

been achieved by the

students, staff, and parents

in just one year.

2019 will be an exciting

year for all of us, your

continuous support and

participation at


School plays a major role

in moving the school

forward, with many

initiatives coming up for

the new year. I am egar to

work with the school body

as well as our parent and

community body to

achieve success and

showcase our amazing

school.

The P & C plays a major

role in our school. I

strongly encourage you to

attend our once a month

meeting to familiarize

yourself with current

activities within the school

and be a voice in decision

making and contribute to

upcoming projects. We

ask you to be a role model

for our girls allowing them

to see that your

contribution has a positive

impact on their education.

We take pride with our

school achievements and

thank each and every one

of you for your support in

2018.

Our end of year parent

appreciation lunch was

warm and we welcomed

some new parents.

I would like to thank the

following local

community businesses

who contributed towards

the lunch:

TITANIC – 49 Raymond

St, Bankstown

BANKSTOWN

LEBANESE

RESTAURANT- Shop

7-19 Restwell St,

Bankstown

MINA 1 BAKERY – 8-

19 Restwell St,

Bankstown

MERABI LEBANESE

GROCERIES - 9-19

Restwell St, Bankstown

As a token of appreciation,

we ask that you kindly

support these businesses

who continuously engage

with our school.

Once again, thank you to

all parent/carers. May

your holiday be joyful and

festive, stay safe and

looking forward to seeing

you at BGHS in 2019.

Best wishes.

Sam Miski

CLO/B

Our p & C committee





Written by Nur Suryantoko

Throughout term 3, our

year 9 Art class created

clay totem poles,

appropriated from famous

abstract artists. It was

enjoyable to create

different shapes,

dimensions and choose the

correct colours for each

piece. However, creating

these totem poles was

undeniably time

consuming and

sometimes, frustrating.

Not only did we mould the

clay to our desired piece

but we had to dry them,

fire them in a kiln, paint

them, dry them once again

and fire them once more.

After adding the final

touches, the piece was

completed. Assembling

the clay totems on to the

poles was a satisfying

experience. It is without a

doubt, that creating these

totem poles was worth it

and it exceeded our

learning and practical

experience in art. Other

subjects also contributed

to making the totem poles

as we had to consider the

height and weight of each

individual piece. Every

group’s final result was

amazing and we all really

should deserve full marks

and praises for our hard

work. Thank you to Ms

Fox for her

encouragement and

support throughout!

#thankunext

TOTEM POLES





Written by Jenny Lam

On Friday 30th November,

students and teachers of


School gathered in the hall

to celebrate the

achievements of our

students through the

second semester of the

year. The Merit Assembly

was held to recognize the

young talents who have

made an immense

contribution to our school

and the community. The

awards given were not just

for recognizing those

students who have

performed exceptionally

well in their academics,

but also to honour those

students who excelled in

sports, community

service, performing arts

and visual

arts. Congratulations to

the recipients of this

year’s Merit Assembly!

We would also like to

extend our gratitude

towards the parents who

have been a continuous

support system to our

students and the

hardworking teachers that

made this event possible.

A special shout out to Ms

Carpenter and her talented

music students who put

together extraordinary

performances. We would

also like to acknowledge

Mrs Shaddock for

organising another

fantastic assembly.

MERIT ASSEMBLY 2.0







Did you know that on

average, one woman a

week is murdered by her

current or former partner?

Most of us don’t believe in

the likeliness that we will

be that ‘one’ person that

falls victim to domestic

violence. Unfortunately,

this statistic is a

probability rather than a

possibility. Since the age

of 15, 1 in 4 women have

experienced emotional

abuse by a current or

former partner. Does the

likeliness of us becoming

that ‘one’ victim seem

more real now? Maybe

25% is still a small

percentage for many of us.

How about 40%? Almost

40% of women continue

to experience violence

from their partner while

temporarily separated.

That’s almost half of us.

Whether we want to

accept it or not, this may

be us if we don’t act now.

On Friday 23rd November,

a group of passionate year

11 students gathered

together to attend the

annual ‘No Excuse for

Abuse’ March. The

March, formerly hosted by

White Ribbon Australia,

aims to raise awareness

about men’s violence

against women and

encourages schools and

community groups to call

for an end to all forms of

violence. Our students

volunteered to show their

support and solidarity

against domestic abuse in

Australia and should be

acknowledged for their

active engagement in this

community event. A

special acknowledgement

to our school captain Mia

Tukumoe and vice-captain

Shaza Ayoubi who led the

public oath to end

domestic violence in our

community. Bankstown

Girls’ High School is a

proudly registered White

Ribbon school and we will

continue to partake in

campaigns to end violence

against women in

Australia.

(Statistics on domestic

violence have been taken

from the following source:

www.whiteribbon.org.au)

No excuse for abuse

http://www.whiteribbon.org.au/







Written by Hayat Nahas

Edited by Jenny Lam

On the 27th of November,

our year 10 Food Tech

class hosted the annual

food buffet. During the

course of this term, our

class worked extremely

hard to create a delicious

menu. At the beginning of

the term, every group had

to pull a piece of paper

from a hat that had

different categories of

meals. Searching dish

after dish, we finally chose

and prepared the food. We

thought this would be easy

and delicious, right? The

delicious part was true.

The easy part? Not so

much. After the countless

arguments and

disagreements that led to

the almost break-ups of

friendships, our class

finally chose the dishes to

cook. We were ready to

immerse ourselves in the

joy of cooking which was

shown in our food. All in

all, it was a major success

and the courses our class

provided were absolutely

divine. Thank you to Ms

Hidalgo for her support

throughout the term and to

the staff for attending the

buffet! We appreciate

your support 😊

YEAR 10 FOOD TECHNOLOGY BUFFET








Year 7 have been quite busy

this year. Transitioning into

high school isn’t an easy

step. Meeting new teachers,

making new friends, keeping

up with the course content,

finding their way around the

school, prioritising study

time, juggling between

homework and social life,

and dealing with the

pressures of being a regular

twelvie without actually

being called a twelvie.

Needless to say, this is an

important time for our junior

newbies as they have a lot to

figure out. One of the

discoveries or changes they

will be coming to terms with

in their high school years

will be their identity hence

they are lucky to be part of

the Foundations for Learning

program. This is a pilot

program at Bankstown Girls’

High School which is a

learning experience for

students to make

connections across the

different key learning areas,

but also an opportunity for

students to learn about

themselves and their

identity. Year 7 students

have been working tirelessly

throughout the year to learn

about themselves by

engaging actively with

course content in their

different subjects. As part of

their ‘Identity Project’

students have created

original short films,

artworks, stories and posters

reflecting different aspects

of their identity.

Congratulations to all the

winners. Well done girls!

Thank you to all the teachers

who were part of the

Foundations for Learning

team and especially Ms

Barnes, coordinator of the

FFL program. Thank you to

all the parents who took time

out of their busy schedules to

attend the FFL presentation.

We would also like to extend

our thanks to our special

guests, Kath Rushton and

Janet Dutton, for working

with our students and

teachers and acknowledging

the work of our year 7

students.

FOUNDATIONS FOR LEARNING








To all the boys I’ve ever

loved is based off a best-

selling novel by Jenny Han

inspired by her own teenage

years. Over the years, the

main character Lara Jean has

written five letters to five

boys she’s had crushes on.

Those gushing letters are for

her eyes only, kept in a blue

box in her wardrobe, as a

token of her emotional

fantasies.

One day at school, Peter

(Noah Centineo), a boy she

kissed during a game of spin-

the-bottle when she was 12,

runs up to her, brandishing

the letter she wrote to him.

Somehow, the letters have

been sent. As embarrassed as

Lara Jean is about Peter’s

letter, she’s mortified to see

Josh walking up with his. In

a moment of panic, she pins

Peter down and kisses him in

an effort to ward off Josh,

which means she won’t have

to confront her own feelings

for her sister’s ex. That’s

when Lara Jean and Peter

hatch a plan. They’ll pretend

to date each other in front of

everyone for their own

reasons — she to put off

having an awkward chat with

Josh and Peter to make his

ex-girlfriend Gen jealous.

Lara Jean is one of the most

relevant teen romance

heroines to come, she isn’t

just genuine, well-rounded

and a humorous character

but almost every teenage

viewer will be able to

connect and relate with

something she does. And it's

hard to say whether fans fell

more in love with the

characters, the actors, or

their love story. But either

way, Condor is right there

with you. That the character

of Lara Jean happens to

provide a much-needed

narrative for a generation of

Asian girls—and prove to

the film industry that a

movie with an Asian lead

can be a smash hit. Condor, a

21-year-old Vietnamese-

American actor, has a

genuine and appealing

energy that you can’t fault.

I couldn’t also forget to

mention every teenage girl

dream boyfriend - Peter

Kavinksy aka Noah

Centineo. At first he seems

like a stereotypical rom-com

male protagonist - popular at

school, he plays sports, and

he even had the requisite

mean-spirited girlfriend. He

is precisely what the world

tells girls they should want

— a hot, cool guy with a car

— but To All the Boys I’ve

Loved Before twists the

stereotype by making those

trappings of desirability,

secondary to Peter’s true

appeal. Peter Kavinsky is a

representation of what girls

deserve — a kind,

empathetic person and does

the work required to keep a

relationship going. I mean,

what’s not to love! Not only

is he absolutely gorgeous,

he's also the epitome of

boyfriend perfection with a

totally swoon-worthy and

nearly unattainable teen

heartthrob vibe.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved

Before is one of those cute,

charming and alluring rom-

coms that leaves you with a

smile on your face.

TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED before

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi_lKC4yqHfAhVJcCsKHRxhBVAQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTo_All_the_Boys_I%2527ve_Loved_Before&psig=AOvVaw0a80h3oQ9vZmlhcdVMa6il&ust=1544954574133696

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjrgIHGyqHfAhXLeisKHTBnBZ8QjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTo_All_the_Boys_I%2527ve_Loved_Before_(film)&psig=AOvVaw0a80h3oQ9vZmlhcdVMa6il&ust=1544954574133696



Written by Valentina Perez

Edited by Alicia Nguyen

In a world where cliché

teen romance is front and

centre on the big screen,

the need for a fresh, new

and slightly more realistic

representation of teenage

love, and life in general

has never been greater.

Stepping away from the

‘Riverdale’s’ of our

society, Netflix has

recently released their

own original show titled

“Elité”. This Spanish

series has taken over the

screens of millions of

teenagers worldwide. It’s

not hard to understand

why, as its action-packed

plot revolving around a

mysterious murder is

something nobody wants

to miss.

The show focuses on three

lower class teenagers who

after having their school

destroyed, each receive

scholarships to attend one

of Spain’s most

prestigious schools, ‘Las

Encinas’. Seen as

outsiders, the new

students don’t experience

a warm welcome from the

close-knit group of elite

pupils whose friendship

circles revolve around

power and wealth. Instead,

they are ignored and at

times harassed. Besides

the typical high school

mean clique, the series

deals with a lot more

fascinating and significant

topics that aren’t normally

covered in your average

teen show.

Elité stands out from other

teen dramas by its realistic

representation of

friendship and sibling

dynamics. The raw and

powerful emotions shared

between some characters

makes each scene genuine

and strangely relatable.

The series also explores

concepts like drug abuse,

sexuality, class struggle

and corruption.

Unlike other thrillers,

Elité takes their time

uncovering the murderer,

only sharing minor details

each episode. The need of

wanting more leaves you

on the edge of your seat

and before you know it,

you are on the last 10

minutes of the last

episode, anxiously

awaiting the much-desired

reveal. But all is not as it

seems, as the cruel

producers introduce a last-

minute plot twist that will

make the hairs on the back

of your neck rise up, and

leave your spine dripping

in cold sweat.

ELITÉ REVIEW

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiJsvL_zaHfAhUDOisKHTiIA8IQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.imdb.com%2Ftitle%2Ftt7134908%2F&psig=AOvVaw32fvVJyg_7KOuF0Fd9ZXL7&ust=1544955520986828



Written by Valentina Perez

Edited by Alicia Nguyen

Known as “Canto Nuevo”

(New Song), this folkloric

musical movement arose

in Chile during the end of

the 1970s in the midst of

Augusto Pinochet’s

military dictatorship.

Being the chronological

inheritor of the previous

musical movement in

Chile, “La Nueva Canción

Chilena” (The New

Chilean Song), Canto

Nuevo soon moved away

from Peñas - a cheap,

popular venue where folk

music was played and

simple food and drink

were served- and

transformed itself into a

symbol of political

defiance.

Canto Nuevo arose as the

creation of individual

musicians who sought to

continue the tradition of

the Nueva Canción

Chilena, which was

founded by Violeta Parra

and Victor Jara, two artists

who completely

revolutionised Chilean

folkloric music, leaving

behind a legacy lived on

by thousands of Chileans

many years after their

death.

Although both movements

shared many similarities

in the form of musical

styles and leftist ideals,

Canto Nuevo’s lyrics

explicitly denounce the

coup d’état of 1973 and

the violations of Human

Rights occurring in Chile

and all across Latin

America. It became clear

that the movement was

linked to strong left wing

views, but it also fought

for a love towards liberty,

nature and each other; for

a love that was different.

This movement lived in

the shadows, flourishing

in hushed whispers, for

any sort of opposition to

the regime was

eliminated. Tortured,

murdered or made to

disappear forever. But

their clandestinity did not

diminish the power the

songs held; their words cut

deeper than knives. Living

in an oppressive society

only created a stronger,

more united opposition.

One that refuses to

surrender. Because a

people who share that

same pain, share the same

passion to fight for a better

tomorrow.

By the ends of the 1980s,

the movement became

much more than just a

political protest. Not only

did it convert itself into an

integral part of the history

of Popular Music in Chile

during the dictatorship,

but also created a form of

musical expression that

allowed even the simplest

being to speak up against

the injustices occurring

across their land. And

what arose from this, was

simply the most beautiful

collection of songs,

holding the most powerful

thoughts.

CANTO NUEVO

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjxzafEzKHfAhVXXisKHWiDBGgQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Facontracorriente.chass.ncsu.edu%2Findex.php%2Facontracorriente%2Farticle%2Fview%2F33&psig=AOvVaw0W4S_zMXEkbswrASifUmPj&ust=1544955132639842



Written by Alicia Nguyen

Edited by Valentina Perez

Have you ever sent texts to

your friend from opposite

sides of the same room?

Have you ever sent

“morning streaks” on

Snapchat and didn’t

actually say good morning

to your peers and family

that day? Have you ever

done a “tbh ft. anon” on

Instagram and never once

given a compliment to that

person in real life?

Guilty. In the 2018 reality

of puppy filters, Logan

Paul, direct message and

Trump’s tweets, social

media has become a

glorious but destructive

phenomenon- bringing us

closer together and yet

further apart in the social

stratosphere. In today’s

ultra-connected world,

social platforms are a

major channel of

communication which is

immersed in our everyday

routines. Though despite

being designed to connect

people; it is exactly what

drives us into a pit of

social isolation.

We live in a time where

our parents and

grandparents find hard to

understand or even

recognise. Teens are now

the masters of

communication. We spend

our entire lives too busy

connecting with each

other by sending a Snap,

posting on Insta or even

changing our Facebook

status if we’re really old

school. However, if we

meet each other in real

life, face to face, there is a

growing silence we endure

as we desperately cling

onto our phones at the

dinner table. It’s an idea

where we use a lifeless

object to convince

ourselves that when we’re

alone, we can feel

together. And then when

we’re actually in each

other’s presence, we make

Social media is making us anti-social

3.9 M FOLLOWERS 0 CLOSE FRIENDS

zoeisabellakravitz



ourselves feel alone by

constantly using our

phones. It’s one of the

strangest ideas of our time

that’s accepted as just the

way it is.

Sometimes I can’t help but

wonder why our

generation spends so

much time on these

devices, when all we

really do is use it to seek

validation from others.

For instance, we have

Snapchat. An app that

turns our conversations

into streaks and redefines

how we measure our

friendships; with a

flaming emoji and a

number beside our names

which represents a proof

of friendship

commitment. I’ll admit,

there was nothing more

devastating than losing an

800-day streak with my

best friend. After all, if

you lose the streak you

lose the friendship, right?

This addiction we all have

to use a networking app

caused something so

magical –friendship- to

transform into a

superficial obligation.

As we get off Snapchat,

the dangers of social

media are heightened once

a new notification pops up

from none other than

Instagram. Instagram

glorifies the picture-

perfect life, eroding our

self-worth especially as

young girls. Nowadays

more of us are concerned

with what people perceive

us to be, building a façade

of flawlessness even when

life doesn’t really feel that

way. This causes us to

compare our “behind the

scenes” self with

everybody else’s highlight

reels- a deathly trigger to

our insecurities.

As a young girl, I know we

constantly feel the need to

be perfect and compare

ourselves to others, as

there is an unspoken rule

about how we should look

in our pictures- what

clothes we should wear,

how many likes we should

get. And once we actually

get these likes it turns into

some sort of validation

like “ah yes, I did good”.

These likes and comments

are exactly what messes

with us, creating a

dangerously thin layer of

self-esteem which can be

ripped apart so easily.

#deep #woke #hashtag

So, I think that social

media is like a drug. We

constantly crave it. We

feel off when we are

without it. And if we don’t

have moments to

UNPLUG, it will

eventually creep up and

kill us from the inside.



Written by Shaza Ayoubi

Have you ever been so

engrossed in a book,

hardcopy or online, and

felt as if it was your escape

from a cruel reality.

Staying up till 3am

reading a novel under the

flashlight of your phone

because the author kept

leaving you on a cliff

hanger. Eating, changing

and sitting with the family

while also reading the

novel that’s basically

stuck in your hands. As if

anyone who dared to

interrupt the journey

between the rough pages

of your book was Satan

incarnate.

Well, getting close to the

holidays, many people are

packing up their bags and

leaving to visit family

overseas while the rest of

us are stuck at home. All I

have is Instagram, food

and a few novels which

got me thinking. Imagine

you were able to leave this

world behind; pay for a

ticket and enter a whole

new world of any world

you choose. The worlds

that authors bind together

carefully using pen and

paper are there for us to

enter and explore. Imagine

being able to do that

PHYSICALLY.

*internally hoping

technology advances

enough to be able to do

this…*

I wanted to bring this idea

to life in the form or a mini

story that may inspire you

guys to visit your own

imaginary worlds. This is

just one of the million

ways you could visit a

world of your choosing.

Hope you enjoy!

OMW to Narnia…

“Return ticket to Narnia,

please.”

I quickly retrieve my

ticket from the worker

through the small cut out

hole and rush down the

stairs to the platform. I

wait. My feet start to

subtly tap the cold

concrete with excited

buzz. The tips of my

fingers slowly begin to tap

as loud fire crackers shoot

up my arm and around my

chest with nervous energy.

I pop my earphones in and

stare straight ahead at the

cold cement wall where

my door, or cupboard will

be placed. An electronic

screen lays flat on the wall

to my right labelled

‘Narnia’. I look around

and see others waiting for

their door as well,

destinations labelled

beside them caused their

feet to tap with excitement

as well.

“Narnia”, I whisper to

myself, slightly biting my

lip with contained

excitement.

Mechanical gears start to

shift above our heads

causing loud rumbles to

echo throughout the large

platform. Slowly, the

doors start to flow down in

single file. I watch as one

person is offered a portrait

of the Fat Lady, and after

murmuring a password, he

enters the Gryffindor

common room. Another

person shifts nervously as

a tall, concrete wall lays

before him. He watches as

it slowly opens and waits

for his entry. He moves

forward at the sound of

screams and runs in with

excitement. Maze

Runner… of course.

I stare forward and watch

as a sturdy old oak

cupboard is placed before

me. I slide my ticket into

the slot in the wall and

TRANSPORT YOURSELF TO ANOTHER WORLD



slowly open the cupboard

doors…being met with a

bunch of coats and silence.

I wonder. I wait a few

seconds more before

suddenly, the coats are

pushed forward by the

force of a blast of cold

winter air. Snow covers

my body and a smile

graces my face before I

run into the cupboard with

screams of joy.

I keep running until my

feet start to squish in the

cold snow and I am met

with Mr Tumnus, his body

leaning against the tall

lamppost, his neck

adorned with a signature

red scarf and a smile

almost as wide as mine.

“Well, hello there. Um,

my name is Mr Tumnus

and you are?”

“My name’s Shaza.” I said

simply. He handed me a

pamphlet with a map of

Narnia and random facts

as we made our way to a

wooden sleigh.

“Pleasure. Now, where to

first? Your wish is my

command.”

I looked at the worn-out

map between my fingers

and stared back up at him.

“Anywhere you want as

long as there’s Turkish

Delight.”

“Ah! Cult favourite I see.”



CAPA EXTRAVAGANZA:

Fright night









Written by Shaza Ayoubi

The woman who has been

running the show for past

15 years will be leaving

our school for retirement.

This woman, or shall I say

boss lady, is none other

than our principal Mrs

Harper. Mrs Harper, an

ex-student of Bankstown

Girls’ herself, will be

ending her career as

school principal at our

school. We can officially

say - ‘she finished where

she started’ and she did a

great job too. Mrs Harper

vision has always been to

improve our school and

ensure the students who

graduate from this school

grow to be strong,

independent resilient

women. She worked

tirelessly for the last 15

years to mould our school,

students and staff into

greatness.

Mrs Harper began as a

student, sitting at

assemblies, sleeping late

at night and spending

countless hours in the Art

room painting out her

vision. She has always

believed in our school,

commending students

almost every assembly on

their academic, athletic

and community

achievements. We see her

around the school with a

smile on her face always

saying hello to us trying to

brighten up our day.

As most of you all know

by now, the woman who

has been running the show

for the last 15 years is

leaving our school for

retirement. Ms Harper has

been working and

improving our school year

in and year out and we

thank her for her

commitment. She

continued to mould our

school into greatness

every year, as the women

before her did. We thank

this woman for carrying

the legacy of our school

and always believing in

us. No matter what we did,

she saw potential and

worked to make us reach

our peak.

Dear Ms Harper, we hope

you loved your flowers

and the flash mob we did

for you! We appreciate

your hard work and see

you as a role model of

what an independent,

strong female could look

like. Thank you for being

our inspiration and

supporter. We love you! In

your own words we would

like to say… once a Banky

girl, always a Banky girl!

Enjoy your retirement!

Farewell mrs harper

#principal #BGHS #15yearservice #bankygirl

Documents

THE BUZZ ISSUE #4 2018...Year 11 Alicia Nguyen Sabrina Sadek Shaza Ayoubi Valentina Perez Year 10 Khadija Salim Jenny Lam Nithya Iyengar Vivien Vu Emily Deadman Cover by Hadeel Salem