22nd September, 2017, ISSUE NO. 15

It’s Been a Blast! Calendar

22nd September

Last Day Term 3

9th October

First Day Term 4

12th October

Nambucca Valley Youth Force

16th October - 10th November

HSC Exams

18th - 20th October

Year 9 Study Skills Camp Repton

Year 12 have had their final day at school. After thirteen years of the same

old same old it’s into the big, wide, wonderful world. For some they will

continue with their studies, others will take up apprenticeships or full time

employment while some will take a break and weigh up their options (but

don’t wait too long, look at how fast the last six years have gone).

It has been a pleasure having The Class of 2017 at NHHS who have been

willing to participate in all activities at NHHS.

NHHS would like to congratulate all Year 12 students on the completion of

their schooling. We look forward to hearing what the future has in store for

them.

Year Advisors, Ms Pat Nichols and Mr Matt Rumsey (and Mr Matt Gilbert),

have thoroughly enjoyed seeing these gorgeous young people grow over

the six years of high school. Also, they would like to congratulate and wish

Year 12 the best of luck for their upcoming exams. Make sure to have a

balance of relaxation and study over the holidays.

Year 12 2017

Principal’s Report Dear Parents and Community

This week we said farewell to the Year 12 class of 2017. On Tuesday evening we had the Farewell

to Year 12 social then on Wednesday morning the Year 12 breakfast followed by the final

assembly. Completing 13 years of formal education is an achievement of which to be proud.

Attaining your HSC is acknowledged as a key factor in the development of a young person’s skills

and knowledge. Congratulations Year 12 of 2017 and all the best in your HSC examinations. We

look forward to officially celebrating finishing your schooling at your formal on Tuesday 7th

November at the Nambucca Heads Island Golf Club.

To all students, thank you for your efforts this term. Enjoy your holidays and I look forward to

seeing you all back on Monday 9th October (no staff development day).

Highlight of the fortnight:

The final assembly for our Year 12 class of 2017. As a high school teacher I truly believe that our job is all about producing

fine young men and women who will be good citizens for

our community. As Mrs Nichols and Mr Rumsey read the

roll out for the final time and the students came up to be

presented with their final school report it was a pleasure to

see another cohort of fine young men and women from

Nambucca Heads High School officially finish their high

school education and take that first step into adulthood. I

would also like to congratulate our new school leaders for

2018 - Captains: Caroline Higgins, Jacob Fidirikkos ,

Vice Captains: Molly Langley, Sam Russo, Prefects:

Kyiesha Siemsen , Kian Coggan . I look forward to

working with this group from now and through 2018.

Simon McKinney

Principal

The Department of Education has implemented a new finance system. Individual schools are no longer able to

process cash or cheque refunds of payments. If, for any reason, a refund is to be made it can be done

electronically (bank details will need to be provided) or by cheque through the Department's new finance

department, EDConnect. Alternatively, the amount to be refunded can be held in credit against the student for

whom the payment was made. This credit can then be matched against unpaid fees or future miscellaneous costs.

Year 7 Premiers Debating

The Year 7 debating team of Sonja Stone, Hayley Jacob-Harju, Abbie

Hazelwood and Laura Hughes has won the right to compete in the North

Coast Semi-final with a strong win over Norfolk Island.

Norfolk Island have shown themselves to be strong competitors in this

Challenge, running out North Coast winners last year. The Nambucca girls

faced them with some trepidation.

The video-conference format proved to be no challenge for the Nambucca

girls, however, and in the end the adjudicator’s summation showed

Nambucca had won this debate handsomely.

The team now travel to Toormina on the first Wednesday (11th October) of

next term for their Semi-final. Good luck! Mr Bill Richardson Abigail, Laura, Sonja, Hayley

Sam Russo, Jacob Fidirikkos, Kian Coggan,

Caroline Higgins, Kyiesha Siemsen, Molly Langley

Animals Studies Excursion On Wednesday the 13th September Year 11 and 12 students that

attend Animal Studies (Tafe) from Nambucca Heads, Macksville and

Bowraville attended their last excursion. We all had to be at school by

8:30am and be ready to board the little bus to travel to Port

Macquarie. On the way we were all excited and having such a great

time with heaps of laughter. We arrived at Billabong Zoo around

9:30am and we all stretched after getting off the bus then went and

paid for our entries. Firstly we saw the koalas and we all were VERY

happy to give pats and take photos. After seeing the koalas we had

the privilege to be taken behind the big gates where all the important

information was kept and also got to meet one of their oldest snow

leopards that lives there. We watched one of the staff members

demonstrate a few techniques on how the animals are fed and

handled. After a great presentation we all went in to feed the

kangaroos and emus which was a great experience to be shared with friends. We then split into groups and went exploring

around the zoo. We saw some amazing animals and got lots of great photos to share. When we all were finished looking

around the zoo we met back at Jurassic Park were we met Shrek the monster croc (crocodile) and gave pats to baby

saltwater crocodiles. The Shrek presentation was awesome. After the presentation we made our way back to the bus and

onto the Kempsey service centre where we had lunch. Our last treat for the day was a stop at the buffalo farm at Eungai

were we all had gelato and met one of their youngest buffalos. Once we had explored the buffalo farm we made our way

home dropping some students as Macksville on the way. We had a fantastic day and thoroughly enjoyed the company, the

visit to the zoo and the buffalo farm. Tasha O’Sullivan

NHHS Archibald’s are on again

NHHS are once again running the Archibald’s. The students’ portraits are hanging in the foyer of the administration office.

Family, friends and members of the public are asked to vote for the “People’s Choice” award. Voting slips are available at

the front office. All you need to do is select the portrait number you prefer and place the slip in the voting box provided.

The portraits displayed are fantastic. It will be hard to select a winner. All prize winners will be announced early in Term 4.

A sample of the fantastic portraits in the Archibald’s on display in the Administration office.

NHHS Spelling Bee Champions

The Great NHHS Spelling Bee was held on Friday September 8th. All students competed in rounds during English classes

with two in each year advancing to the final. First up Year 7, 8 and 9 students - Hayley Jacob-Harju , Storm Whalen, Noah

Griffiths, Zac Baldwin, Thomas Robertson and Bradley Stone. This was a very tightly contested round. Eventually it came

down to Hayley and Storm and because of time constraints they were named dual winners. Next up the seniors - Josephine

Sutherland, Jace Salter, Jeremy Salter and Sam Russo. Once again the competition was tight. It came down to the sibling

rivalry - Jace and Jeremy. Jace, showed that age is no barrier and defeated her older brother who was also no slouch at

spelling. Next - the staff competition. The coveted prize of having two of their lessons taught by Mr McKinney was a much

sought after prize. Again it was a strong field but one by one they dropped off leaving one of our English teachers, Mr Bill

Richardson, as the eventual winner. Congratulations to all who took part in the spelling bee. It was a great deal of fun and

was received with a great spirit. Congratulations must also go to our quiz masters Tiarna Halloran and Deklan Cutmore.

Deklan with Storm and Hayley Deklan with Jace Deklan with Mr Richardson

On Friday 15th September our Year 7 class attended a sports gala day in

Kempsey. After roll call we travelled by bus for the one hour trip to Kemspey

oval. We were the last school to arrive out of the seven attending

(fashionably late!). Once we were sorted into our sport groups we started

playing our selected sport. There were many sports available to play

including Touch Footy, Netball, Soccer and T-Ball.

The day had fantastic weather adding to the great fun we all had on the day.

This was a day for participation, with the outcome of the game not an issue.

Year 7 had a great day mucking around and enjoying being part of a team.

Everyone tried their hardest and never gave up.

We would like to thank all of the teachers involved with the planning and the

organisation of the gala day.

Sonja Stone and Hayley Jacob-Harju

Year 7 Sport Gala Day

Careers News Year 12

Year 12 have now left and are preparing for their HSC exams and life after school. Good luck! Students, if they haven’t already and intend to go to University, need to ensure they have done their UAC applications and SRS applications (if applicable). Pupils wishing to study interstate also need to apply via that state’s managing organisation.

Parents please ensure your child reads the information which has been emailed and given out, in paper form at school, to students. It includes important dates and information about the processes involved.

The SRS (School Recommendation Scheme) is another way students can gain entry to universities which may result in conditional or unconditional offers. The SRS may be based nearly entirely on the recommendation of the school or may require additional criteria to be met. For example certain marks in required subjects. Each of the participating SRS Institutions (12 in total) will have its own policy. Students must register with UAC to access this scheme and also to be considered for main round ATAR offers (based on pupils HSC results)

Pupils should go to the UAC site and register if they intend to go to Uni. It costs $48, with an on time application being able to be done by the 29th September (fees increase after this date). UAC link: http://www.uac.edu.au/undergraduate/

Pupils not wishing to go to university or even those wanting to increase their options need to also consider the smart and skilled program. This is where the government is providing subsidised training options e.g. Certificate III in areas where workers are needed like Aged Care and Child Care (there are lots of very different options).

Year 11

Pupils will be interviewed at the start of Term 4. After Term 4 interviews pupils will commence the HSC Course work and may consider changing their course of study by dropping units where applicable. Students are encouraged not to make a rushed decision.

Around 1/3 of HSC students study 12 units in Year 12 (required to do at least 10 Units). This may give a student a “safety net” with only the top 10 ATAR Units counting towards a student’s ATAR results.

Year 10

Work experience: Students are reminded that their Work Experience needs to be finalised. Any students who have not organised this, need to see Mr Horan if you require assistance. The dates for Work Experience are; First week (20th – 24th November), second week (27th November – 1st December). Parents please encourage your child to participate in this valuable program and complete your paperwork ASAP.

Work Related And Life Skills – (WRALS) information.

Pupils will receive information about the WRALS program early in Term 4.

Week 6 Credentials Week – Choose activities for each day in Week 6

Monday 13th November - Friday 17th November

Activities include: Responsible Service of Alcohol / Responsible Conduct of Gambling Courses, Barista Course, Construction Projects, Masterchef (Cooking Workshop), Volunteer Aged Care, Indigenous Art Project, Boat Licence Course, First Aid Course, Rural Fire Service Workshop, Textile Workshop

Week 7 Work Experience (compulsory)

Monday 20th November – Friday 24th November

Week 8 Work Experience (compulsory) Monday 27th November – Friday 1st December

Week 9 Senior school and interview preparation - All pupils to attend

Monday 4th December - Friday 8th December PARENTS PLEASE support this fantastic initiative by ensuring your child’s attendance and participation to maximise their outcomes for Year 10.

Mr Horan - Careers Adviser

NHHS would like to thank everyone who sent in stickers for the Woolworths

Earn and Learn rewards program. The program has now finished. If you still

have any stickers at home please send them into the school early in Term 4.

Year 12 Farewell Social and Breakfast

Our annual Year 12 Farewell social and breakfast were held this week, saying goodbye to our great students. The

social is always a great night with the theme for students being “Glitter and White Light” while the secret theme for

Year 12 was “The Great Gatsby” (which they had studied in English). Everyone went to a great effort with their

costumes and looked fabulous. A BIG THANK YOU to Ms Christian, Ms Rossini and the Year 11 Hospitality class for

providing an outstanding breakfast for the Year 12 students, families and staff.

GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK YEAR 12

Years 9 & 10 Boat Licence

Ahoy Captain!

Congratulations to these students who travelled

to Port Macquarie, twice, and are now proud boat

operators having gained their licence. Well done

to everyone. Thank you to Ms Patu for organising

the course and getting the students to and from

Port Macquarie.