A big congratulations to: All 38 students gaining 58 Band 6

results from a cohort of 138

Congratulations to Ryan Russell who

received an ATAR of 97.85, becoming

our DUX for 2019

50 percent of our Accelerated

Aboriginal Studies students who

received a Band 6, while still in Year 11

All the best to all students who achieved a

personal best demonstrating fantastic

growth between final assessments and HSC

examinations.

Principal: Jane Ferris Website: www.pittwater-h.schools.nsw.edu Deputy Principals: Rachel Fleming, Sharon Behringer, Martin Hardy, Carol Roulston Email: Pittwater-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

PITTWATER PRESS BE RESPECTFUL ASPIRE BE RESPONSIBLE

Tuesday 17 December 2019

EXCELLING at PITTWATER HIGH

Annie Touw: out of 4700 Personal Interest Projects (PIPs) submitted in 2019 for Society and Culture, Annie’s 40/40 project received a High Distinction and the Dr Peg White Award for the most outstanding project in the state. Her project, entitled Empowering Voices for Change, explored the effects of media representations on the social inclusion and exclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. Annie will receive her award at the State Library of NSW in February next year and her project will be published and added to the State Library’s collection of high distinction projects.

The staff at Pittwater High would like to

wish all students and their families, a safe and happy holiday

Rachel Fleming, Sharon Behringer, Martin Hardy, Carol Roulston

Wednesday 29 January is the first day of school for Year 7, 11 and 12 and the Peer Support leaders. Year 11 and 12 students are to meet on the quadrangle at 8.50am for an assembly where they will be welcomed as senior students. Students will be issued with their timetables in year meetings and classes for 2020 will begin in the last part of period one. All students are expected to be in school uniform and to be prepared for their learning. Students will be able to access their 2020 timetables on the portal in the afternoon of Tuesday 28 January. Thursday 30 January, is the first day of the school year for Years 8, 9 and 10. There will be an assembly for the school at 8.50am in the quadrangle where Ms Ferris will welcome the school, introduce new staff members and discuss school expectations, including uniforms and phones, ‘off and away’. Years 8, 9 and 10 will be issued with their timetables in year meetings. Key Dates: Tuesday 28 January - afternoon. Students can access timetables on the portal. Wednesday 29 January - first day for Year 7, 11 and 12. Thursday 30 January - first day for Years 8, 9 and 10.

Students from PWHS participated in the Canine Assisted Learning Program (CAL) run by Links to Learning. The program is designed to assist students to improve their resilience skills and gain a positive outlook by interacting and engaging with certified volunteer dogs. There is evidence to support that working with dogs helps to develop social skills, model healthy relationships, offers emotional support to reduce stress and anxiety, and gives experience of the non-judgemental pure love that only dogs can give.

Congratulations to our HSC students on their achievements. Pittwater High hosted a morning tea for the Class of 2019 where they were able to share their results and catch up with their teachers.

Thank you to parents and students for supporting our school uniform policy, which is one factor which contributes to the excellent reputation of Pittwater High School in the community. A reminder that students out of uniform should see Ms Gudmunson in the CAPA staffroom with a note before school, otherwise a detention will be issued for Lunch One. Non-attendance will result in an after school detention. Students who change out of uniform after roll call will automatically be given an after school detention. A reminder that non-school hoodies are not uniform and cannot be worn under the uniform, and the only undershirts permitted are white, without any writing on the sleeves. A reminder that all black shoes are a requirement with white or grey socks.

The uniform shop will be opening on the 23rd January 2020 from 9am till 11am.

Senior Boys Junior Boys Senior Girls Junior Girls Sports uniform

Good evening everyone. Thank you Ms Jane Ferris for the invitation, and Sharon Behringer for reaching out. Modern history represent. I’m Asha Forsyth, and nine years ago I was sitting where you are, at my last assembly after 12 years of schooling; nervous, uncertain, and excited. Being back after almost a decade as a guest speaker, tonight is a humbling way to come full circle. Pittwater High gave me the perfect founda-tion of diversified subjects and teachers; it balanced comprehensive support and the fostering of independent learning. It was a community where there was something for everyone, from raising chickens to surfing to hard-core Extension Two English. And, honestly after travelling many corners of the world, it’s still one of the most beautiful locations for a school that I’ve ever seen. So, how do I best complete this circle? How do I, in five minutes, give back to the school that was so important for my formative years and onward? Well, everyone says public speakers have to “know their audience”, so I’m going to imagine what little 17 year old Asha would want to hear. I’d want to hear a good story, something inspiring but not unattainable, I’d want a few adult life-hacks, and most importantly I’d want to feel excited. Here goes.

I finished high school and promptly went travelling. Having enrolled in an International Relations degree, I figured I’d better see the world before I tried to theorise about it. I went through Europe and Asia for 10 months, learning important life skills; like the importance of booking hostels with free breakfast; the time efficiency of overnight trains; how Maccas is the most reliable place for a clean bathroom, and the huge benefit of a few local phrases like “thank you” and “I’m hopelessly lost can you please help me”. Equipped with these pillars of adulthood, I returned to complete my degree, focussing on Asian Politics and Mandarin, specifically the intersection between China and the rest of the world. I wanted to be on that bridge. I did many things to try and reach that bridge, but what eventually got me there wasn’t my grade average, the global rank of my degree, or even my intensive semester at Shanghai’s best university. These were helpful but what directly got me working in China, managing the Australian Chamber of Commerce, and working on diplomatic projects with the likes of Ban Ki-moon and President Xi Jinping, was in fact, a double shot flat white. I happened to be working at a cafe while finishing my degree and overhead a non-Chinese or ‘waiguo’ man with exceptional Mandarin. I delivered his coffee and one thing led to another - he put me in contact with a businessman in Shanghai who connected me to the Australian Chamber of Commerce. They were looking for interns in Beijing.

I packed up and moved, finding myself navigating the insanity of China again, this time not as a backpacker or student, but as a young professional. What I learnt during my internship was; good honest banter goes a long way, self confidence (and rocking a power suit) can overcome age discrimination; and the skills I picked up in hospitality (like multi-tasking and keeping cool under pressure) are actually extremely useful in business. Again, university; though it had given me amazing theoretical groundwork, had only opened the doors, it was people skills and communication that really gave me a good kick through one of them.

And then came a kick through an entirely different door. I left China to sail across the Pacific Ocean. Random, I know. But I learnt there are often opportunities if you know the right people. Like I said, good honest banter goes a long way. China wasn’t going any-where. I crewed on a research expedition, which was a complete change of scene: I collected coral not name cards, my phone hardly rang for months, and not once did I wear high heels. Returning salty, sun kissed, and ready for China again - I dived back into the corporate world, this time as the General Manager of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in South China. I had reached it, the bridge between Australia and China, and there was a lot of work to be done. Luckily I had a wonderful mentor and wasn’t interested in office politics (surprisingly, there can be a lot of drama between adults in the workplace, but like in high school, you can always rise above it. For over two years I had the privilege of working with government departments and businesses of all sizes, building diplomatic and trade relations.

This time was also filled with grinding late nights at the office with my shoes off blasting music; a lot of ‘winging it’; and continuously switching between feeling like I was the most accom-plished 23 year old ever, to feeling like I was rolling a huge boulder up a hill with no clue how big the hill was - or why I was even rolling the boulder in the first place! I cannot emphasise how much I’ve experienced failure, just as I have success. Looking at my career thus far from the outside, like anyone’s, is like going through someone’s instagram and thinking they only have ‘sick times’. Hardly anyone broadcasts the challenge and confusion that comes with navigating life, but these periods are just as important. I’ve recently returned to focus on Australia-China relations from home, but also to spend time with my family, and enjoy the beaches and clean air (though these bushfires are putting us on par with Beijing’s pollution). It feels awesome being back, but I’ll never forget how great it was to leave the nest for the first time. Finishing school and “growing up” can seem daunting. 17 year old Asha, sitting right there 9 years ago thought there was a magic moment when you snapped your fingers and “became an adult”, but I’m starting to learn that it’s just a series of opportunities behind every turn, behind every double-shot flat white! So - chat to interesting people; work hard; avoid drama; embrace failures; and be kind to yourself. Thank you.

Firstly, my apologies! I keep meaning to put articles in newsletters about the amazing things our students have been doing but I never seem to sit down and write them. Our students this year have been amazing and enthusiastic! They have been actively involved in a host of enterprises and out of school activities such as Agriculture Camp and Camden trips. We’ve also had a wonderful group of teachers in ‘Team Ag’ this year with Ms Juric and Ms Enyingwa doing an outstanding job with their Year 8 and Year 10 classes. Next year they will continue teaching agriculture and we have even more amazing teachers joining our merry team. Last year, our senior Agriculture results were outstanding with four Band 6’s and over half the class receiving Band 5 or 6’s. We are eager to hear how our 2019 crew go and wish them the best of luck this week as they receive their results. Year 8 have enjoyed learning about layer chickens, bees and honey and vegetable production whilst Year 9 used sheep, broilers and aquaponics as case studies to look at issues including sustainability, management decisions and economics. Year 10 continued these themes whilst examining alpacas, crickets and potatoes. We have been lucky that George Morton-Ramwell has collated some of our photos and videos into presentations and there are a lots of photos here for you to enjoy. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our amazing students for a thoroughly enjoyable year and I hope you have a happy and safe holiday. Lara Griffin Ag Camp - https://youtu.be/ge8BVWkC2PA A day in the life of ag - https://youtu.be/jb5oqzR1RUI

On Friday 6 December the Year 9 and Year 11 French classes had a delightful excursion to eat French crêpes at ‘The Four Frogs Crêperie’ in Mosman. Students ordered both their savoury and sweet crêpes in French. We all had a wonderful time!

On Friday 22 November, the Year 9 Japanese class attended the Japanese Film Festival in the city to watch the movie called ’Bento Harassment’, in which a mother makes elaborate and cute bento (lunch boxes) to annoy her teenage daughter. Inspired by the film, we made ‘kyaraben’ (character bento) in class. Not only delicious, but cute as well!

On Thursday 12 December Students from Year 8 went to Raging Waters to celebrate their achievements for 2019. We were so lucky to have a break in the smoke haze, with beautiful weather to attend. It was such a fun day with lots of stairs, bravery, screams and rides. Huge thankyou to Fiona Gudmunson, Meg Winter, Jonathan Larter, Deryck Pickering, Kirsty Payne, Ann Maree Greene and Alison Mumford for accompanying us on such a great adventure. I feel incredibly lucky to have been Year Adviser to this year group the last two years but I am confident that you will be in good hands with Ann Maree Greene as your Year Adviser for 2020.

Brooke Hamilton

It has been a massive finish to the 2019 season with many incredible achievements from many of our talented Pittwater students. JUNIOR BEACH TOUR The NSW Junior Beach tour is an opportunity for junior players to showcase their skills in the hope of being selected to represent NSW at the Australian Junior Beach Volleyball Championships early 2020. Kiefer Sinclair, Harley Sinclair, Amy Le Blang, Anna Le Blang all took out gold medals in their respective age groups; Anna in the U14/15s womens, Amy in the U/18s womens, Harley in the U/16s mens and Kiefer in the U/18s mens. AUSTRALIAN JUNIOR BEACH VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS As a result of the incredible results on the Junior Beach Tour all four players will be representing NSW at the Australian Junior Beach Volleyball Championships for 2020. Amy Le Blang and Kiefer Sinclair were selected as Captains for the NSW Beach Squad for 2019 as a result of their impeccable leadership and sportsmanlike qualities. We wish Amy, Anna, Kiefer and Harley all the best as they represent NSW again for 2020. NBVA TOURNAMENT AA Kiefer Sinclair has also been achieving amazing results on the beach at the adult level winning the recent NBVA tournament at the AA level. Kiefer and his partner, Roger Jones took out the Gold at the tournament in the last weekend in November. NBVA featured a 4 minute highlight reel on Kiefer’s incredible efforts on the NBVA Facebook page and he is likely to be a wildcard entry into several AAA adult tournaments in 2020. Definitely an up and coming player to watch out for on the pro circuit. AUSTRALIAN OPEN VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP Amy Le Blang has also been achieving amazing results at the adult level, this time on the indoor court. She is currently in Brisbane representing UTSSU at the Australian Open Volleyball Championship. This is an incredible achievement at any age but even more significant as Amy is still a junior player. The games are available to watch on the Volleyball Australia Facebook page and Amy has played incredibly well through-out the tournament. It is likely we will see her in the green and gold at some point the only real question is whether it will be indoor or beach. AUS CAMP Anna Le Blang and Harley Sinclair have both been invited to attend the Australian Development Camp in the coming weeks. The program targets the best indoor and beach volleyball athletes from across Australia. The program continuously produces an experienced pool of international quality players capable of sustaining a profession-al volleyball career and suitable for selection as a senior Volleyroo. Kiefer Sinclair attended Aus Camp earlier this year as an indoor player and was also invited to attend the Thailand tour which unfortunately clashed with the beach national tournament. Amy Le Blang attended her age groups Aus Camp at the end of 2018 after The Australian Schools Championships and will likely be invited to the next Aus Camp for her age group.

SCHOOLS CUP #7 The last indoor NSW Schools Cup was in November with the junior girls playing at Netball Central and the boys playing at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Halls at Homebush. Huge thankyou to Linus’s mum for accompanying the boys to Sports Halls. Both teams played incredibly well and the girls took out the bronze in a game that showcased the best team spirit and sportsmanship I have ever seen. Many other coaches and staff have commented on the way players encourage and support each other on and off the court and are polite, punctual and respectful as duty teams and players. GOOD NEIGHBOUR The senior girls and I competed in our final tournament for the year in the Good Neighbour competition in Canberra. Good Neighbour is the largest senior Volleyball event in the country. With over 120 teams playing over 650 games in five venues around the capital. It was a different rotation to what the girls are used to with two of our senior players unable to join us and playing with their coach for the first time. By about our third match the girls had really found their stride and went from strength to strength putting some impressive numbers on the board against strong teams, many who have played together for over a decade. It was an amazing last competition and an absolute privilege to play alongside these ladies in what was my final competition with Pittwater High. FINAL REFLECTIONS Over the past 6 years over 100 students have taken part in the Pittwater High School Volleyball Squad. What started as a knockout team and few enthusiastic year 7 students, has grown into a tight community. It has been about so much more than just a sport. We have built a safe inclusive environment where students from year 7-12 can come to learn a new skill, make some new friends or just have a safe space to belong. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, we have also had incredibly competitive sporting teams. We have medalled in almost every Schools Cup and State Championship we have entered (over 20 medals during 6 years), over 20 players have represented Pittwater as part of Sydney Metro teams. Numerous players have also made Sydney North and CHS teams. Over 10 players have represented NSW often captaining their teams and two of our players have also captained the entire state squad. 4 of our players have represented NSW on the beach as well as indoor. These 4 have also been selected to wear the green and gold as part of the Australian Development Squad Numerous players have joined weekend clubs, often playing at an adult level due to their skill and we are well represented over 3 clubs. I honestly believe some of our students have found their career here as both players and coaches.

As the driving force behind this program it is with great sadness that I write this final newsletter article. I am so grateful for the incredible support I have had over the years. Jarna More and Ahmed Hamed, thank you for supervising numerous training sessions on days I could not attend. We wouldn’t have half of our equipment either without the generosity and compassion of Michael Foy who, while only at PHS for a season, made a huge impact on our program. To the numerous teachers who have picked up in-lieu periods to allow me to attend competitions and coach, I am beyond grateful. For our last competi-tion I had 23 offers of help within an hour of my request which speaks volumes about the willingness of the staff at Pittwater to go above and beyond. A huge thankyou to those who have accompanied us to competitions, particularly giving up weekends. We couldn’t have done it without you. We also couldn’t have done it without the amazing office staff, particularly Kim and Sharon in the finance office who have helped me make the impossible possible on more than one occasion. To the outstanding students of the PHS volleyball program, thankyou does not even begin to describe how grateful I am to have been your coach. It has been an absolute privilege to watch you grow both on and off the court. It is hard to articulate how much team-work, passion and drive it has taken to make this happen much of which has come from you. To my student coaches, you have taken it upon yourselves to develop not only your own skills but to learn the art of coaching, getting qualified and imparting that knowledge to others. Some of you are even more knowledgeable than I am now and I am so proud of the way you continue to learn and grow. You are the next generation of NSW coaches and I hope one day to coach alongside you. To my student organisers and managers, we would never have made it away to competitions without you. From reading draws for multiple teams and working out schedules, organizing your teammates, making a million chicken sandwiches, budgeting grocery shops and working out itineraries and transport plans. I am so proud of the skills you have learned. I hope that some form of management is in your future because you are so talented at this. To my carers, you have kept us together with your ability to settle any dispute, be a listening ear and make sure everyone is happy and working together. You have done laundry, washed dishes and your general selflessness has not gone unnoticed. It has also helped us maintain our perfect AirB&B rating. To my amazing volleyball parents, thank you for entrusting me with your young people and raising them to be both driven and compassionate. Thank you for the hours in the car to training sessions and games, for meeting the significant costs particularly when rep teams are added in to the mix and for your continued support and encouragement. As players, each and every one of you has grown and developed. Your physical skills have improved, you can jump higher, move faster and are significantly fitter (particularly those that went to national schools last year!!). This has been so rewarding to watch. For those of you who have hit elite levels, your dedication and drive inspires me, as does your resilience. I have watched you seek continual feedback and criticism to ensure you always strive for excellence, don’t ever feel you know it all. Hold on to that willingness to learn. The PHS squad also has the most amazing sportsmanship and “teamness” I have ever had the privilege to work with. Other coaches and staff often comment on the way you contribute to your team, your squad and the greater volleyball community. Your ability to give back impacts others and I am always so proud to take you to competitions. Junior girls, that last schools cup match was the perfect example of sportsmanship and “teamness” I have never been more proud! Brooke Hamilton

The volleyball community is a close one and for those of you that continue playing, I know this is not goodbye. I’ll see you at the tournaments and hopefully some of you on TV in the green and gold. Thank you for the amazing opportunities you have given me. I hope you continue to do Pittwater proud!