Our Mission: To provide a quality comprehensive and inclusive educational environment where all students can achieve Newsletter also on the web at www.cowra-h.schools.nsw.edu.au Principal: Charles Gauci B.Ed., Dip.T. Deputy Principal: Paul Bullock B.Sc., Dip.Ed. Deputy Principal: Ian Pattingale B.App.Sc., Dip.Ed.
Volume 2014 Issue 11
Friday 8 August, 2014
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT In 2013 Cowra High had the honour and pleasure of taking a rugby team to Japan to help our sister school Seikei High celebrate the centenary of the opening of their school. While in Japan we were treated as special guests and experienced Japanese culture first hand. Last week we had the pleasure of reciprocating their hospitality and hosting the Seikei rugby team for a return match. The opportunity to share our culture was one the Cowra High Rugby team greeted with enthusiasm. The boys who travelled to Japan last year were particularly happy to rekindle the friendships that were formed with their Japanese counterparts. I thank Steve Johnstone, Judi Smith, Megan Perkins & Paul Smith for co-ordinating this fantastic event. A special thank you to all the parents who billeted our Japanese guests ~ your kindness was warmly appreciated, as was the generosity of the Cowra Rugby Club.
Laura Rowston, Luke Reid & Georgia Waters at the POW site tree planting
On Saturday night I had the immense pleasure of being in the audience for the public performance of our Year 12 Drama and Dance students’ individual HSC pieces. The standard was fantastic, with the performers broaching confronting topics, humour, and creativity. It always amazes me that youth is able to bring such depth and maturity to their performances. I wish them the best of luck with their upcoming HSC marking. I would be surprised if there was anyone in town who was not aware of the significance of this week’s commemorations. Cowra High had the great honour of being heavily involved in the activities to mark 100 years since the start of World War I and 70 years since the Cowra Breakout. Both events have had a defining impact on Cowra and deserve to be recognised as such. Students were involved as youth ambassadors & school leaders at official ceremonies, performers at Monday’s community procession and planting trees at the POW campsite. I was particularly pleased to have Mr Teruo Murakami (former POW), Mr Bruce Weir & Mr Harry Gordon return to Cowra High to share their personal stories of the impact the Breakout had on their lives. To add to the educational significance, we had the great pleasure of Mr Tom Keneally explaining the development of his latest novel, Shame and the Captives and his wartime experience around the Breakout. I take this opportunity to thank Mr Lawrence Ryan and the Breakout Committee for putting together such a wonderful community event and involving the youth of Cowra at such a fundamental level. Have a great fortnight. Charles Gauci
Discussing subject choices at the Subject Selection Evening last week
Seikei High students enjoyed watching an Aboriginal Smoking Ceremony PO Box 72 • Dowell Street • Cowra 2794 • Telephone: 02 6342 1766 Facsimile: 02 6342 1578 • Email: cowra-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au We value continuous improvement ~ we can get better
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COWRA HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER WWII HISTORY LESSON
WAGAMBIRRA DANCE GROUP NEWS
On Monday morning a number of staff and students had the unique experience of hearing from a number of the special guests visiting Cowra as part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Japanese Breakout from the Cowra POW camp.
On Friday 25 July the visiting Seikei rugby group were treated to a taste of Aboriginal culture by the Wagambirra Dance Group who performed two dances for them, then taught them how to do the Welcome and Kangaroo dances. The Cowra and Seikei students then performed these dances together and much fun was had by all, with some great kangaroo moves being exhibited. The Japanese visitors also got into the spirit of the occasion by having their faces painted with white ochre. This was also the debut performance with Wagambirra for James Doolan, who handled the job of teaching the dances and shake-a-leg movement admirably.
These guests included former POW Mr Teruo Marakami, who is nearly 94 years old, accompanied by interpreter, Professor Mami Yamada; local identity Bruce Weir whose mother is credited with the first act of reconciliation when she offered some of the escapees a cup of tea & scones and two authors who have written books about the Breakout ~ Tom Keneally & Harry Gordon. They were accompanied by chairman of the Breakout Committee, Lawrence Ryan. Hearing from such first-hand sources and people who have studied the Breakout thoroughly was certainly a wonderful experience for our students and staff. A number of different film crews, including some from Japan recorded the event, plus the Principal and staff from Seikei High School travelled back to Cowra to attend this and other Breakout commemorative events.
On Monday evening 4 August, the Wagambirra Dance Group performed at the community event held at the POW camp site as part of the 70th anniversary commemorations of the Japanese POW Breakout. The group of 17 dancers comprised 11 students from Cowra High plus another 6 from Cowra Public & Mulyan Public Schools. Many people have commented on what a wonderful effort this was, especially given the freezing conditions. Aboriginal dance costumes are certainly not warm, especially for the males who were not wearing much at all. All dancers also coped very well with their bare feet on the cold grass and many bindies! Congratulations to all students who participated in these recent events. Cheryl McAlister ~ Wagambirra Dance Co-ordinator
Cowra High & Seikei High staff with Bruce Weir, Tom Keneally, Harry Gordon & Mr Teruo Murakami
Our Seikei exchange student Yoshi Kondo with Mr Teruo Murakami
Wagambirra Dancers at the POW Camp event (above) and with the Seikei rugby visitors (below)
PO Box 72 • Dowell Street • Cowra 2794 • Telephone: 02 6342 1766 • Facsimile: 02 6342 1578 • Email: cowra-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
COWRA HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
Page 3 INTRODUCING YOSHI The 2014 exchange student from Seikei, Yoshi Kondo, recently gave a talk at assembly, which was illustrated with an interesting PowerPoint presentation of pictures. This is what he said:
Peter Ward generously donated his father’s war medals to Mr Teruo Murakami at the official Breakout lunch as a further gesture of reconciliation & goodwill between Australia and Japan. Mr Ward is pictured at Cowra High with Mr Gauci, Mrs Meiklejohn and students.
ATTENDANCE The Cowra High School Attendance Team would like to congratulate our students on their great attendance during Semester 1. Attendance for each student is recorded every day and these figures are used to calculate the overall rate for Cowra High School. Most students at Cowra High have very good attendance and it is only a small number who regularly have days off, unfortunately this small number can have a significant impact on the overall rates of the whole school. The following figures were collected during Terms 1 & 2 this year. ~ our overall total for the semester was 89.8% which shows that there is still room for improvement in the area of attendance. We would like to thank all parents/caregivers for their support and their help in maintaining our strong level of attendance. Year 7 ~ 93.4% Year 9 ~ 90.6% Year 11 ~ 88.9%
Hi everyone, I’m Yoshi, the 45th Seikei exchange student from Japan. I’ve been here three months now and am having a great time in Cowra. Everyone is so kind, I can relax and chat with my friends and that makes my school life really fun. I’d like to talk about my school and the differences between Japan and Australia. Seikei High was established in 1912, 102 years ago so it is much older than Cowra High. Seikei also has lots more students ~ there are 988 in the senior school, plus others in the junior school bringing the total to around 1700. We have 70 teachers in the senior high and 60 in the junior high ~ their staffroom is very big and not separated into subjects like Cowra High. Seikei also has its own university. Cowra High’s uniform is more casual than ours. Seikei’s uniform is similar to the old Japanese Navy’s uniform, we have different winter and summer uniforms and we have to get changed for PE lessons. We usually have a lunch box called a bento box, but there is also a canteen where you can buy riceballs, sandwiches and breads. Next I’ll talk about some differences between Japan and Australia. It is common to have rice for dinner but it depends on your family. My family eats rice but I also like breads and noodles as well. I just about eat anything …. ahhh, maybe not frogs or bugs! One of the biggest differences is the bathroom. We have a shower and bath tub in the same room, so we just take a shower, then step into the tub. Isn’t that convenient? Lastly, another difference is the language. In Japanese, every sound has a vowel at the end. If you want to ask me something, feel free to talk to me. Thank you for listening.
Year 8 ~ 90.4% Year 10 ~ 88% Year 12 ~ 90.6%
Attendance Team
Missing school = Missing out PO Box 72 • Dowell Street • Cowra 2794 • Telephone: 02 6342 1766 • Facsimile: 02 6342 1578 • Email: cowra-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
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COWRA HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER PBL MERIT SCHEME NEWS
At the Week 2 assembly 35 deserving students were awarded Gold Eagle Awards by Mr Gauci. A number of students had family members present who enjoyed the morning tea after the assembly. More Gold Eagle Awards will be presented at the assembly in Week 6 and family members are most welcome to attend.
Year 11
There will be a special Coloured Eagle draw for Years 11 & 12 at their Year Meetings next week. Senior students are encouraged to place their Coloured Eagles into the specially marked boxes in the library or Maths staffroom. Congratulations to our Gold Eagle students: Year 7 ~ Alana Bush, Lillee Felton, Rebekah Lazarou, Nicole Lowe-Tarbert, Ginger Oliver, Maddison Proctor, Erika Sullivan, Jayden Traves & Leo Wright Year 8 ~ Tasmin Bohman, Sarah Gardiner, Kyesha Ingram & Jemima Sullivan Year 9 ~ Banyette Bohman, Meg Downey, Jackson Oliver, Emma Sargent, Maddi Tucker, Daniel Watson & Lucy Wilson Year 11 ~ Isobel Fragar, Madeleine Jones, Ari Mouzakis, Caleb O'Connor, Mitchell Oliver, Luke Reid, James Reynolds, Laura Rowston, Patrice Sharp, Sean Simpson, Kimberley Smith, Joanna Treasure, Georgia Waters & Vivienne Wells Year 12 ~ Grace Barron Mary Bullock ~ Merit Scheme Co-ordinator
Year 7
Grace Barron
The school welcomes McDonalds Cowra as a regular sponsor of prize vouchers. The first of the McDonalds’ vouchers last week were won by Stephanie Roots & Shayla Anderson. Last week’s Bushman Boots & All $50 voucher went to Jackson Oliver. Congratulations to this week’s winners. Brahe-Ashlie Reid won the Bushman Boots & All $50 voucher Linda Roach received the $50 Mr Embroidery Visa Card Other prizes went to Georgia Lewis, Bree Moodie, Daniel Watson, Meisha Harris, Samantha Doolan & Bonnie Keys
Year 8
Linda Roach Stephanie Roots
Year 9 Shayla Anderson
PO Box 72 • Dowell Street • Cowra 2794 • Telephone: 02 6342 1766 • Facsimile: 02 6342 1578 • Email: cowra-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
COWRA HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
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STUDY SKILLS TIP FOR AUGUST ~ FINDING HELP ~ Where can you find help when you are struggling at school?
the best people are to help you. If the learning support staff can’t help you, they will be able to refer you to outside services who can diagnose and address any learning issues you might have.
PERSONAL ISSUES If things in your life are upsetting or stressing you, this will affect your ability to learn effectively. Talk to your family, friends or other people you are close to or teachers you feel comfortable sharing with. However, if you need additional support, make sure you find it rather than let things get worse. You can approach the Counsellor at your school and they can give you some professional help or find someone who can help you with your specific problems. If you want someone to talk to, you can use Kids Helpline, a free confidential service ~ 1800 55 1800 or the online service at www.kidshelp.com.au. It is much better to talk to someone rather than lock it all inside you.
Learn more this year about how to improve your results and be more efficient and effective with your schoolwork by working through the units on www.studyskillshandbook.com.au ~ our school’s access details are:
SUBJECT SPECIFIC ISSUES If you are finding a particular subject difficult, the first place to seek help should be your classroom teacher. Firstly ask questions in class as problems arise. If you find you have too many questions to ask in class (as you’d end up disturbing the class) then ask your teacher if you can make a time to see them before or after class, during lunch or after school. Teachers are happy to help students who do their best and are keen to improve. Other places you might be able to find help are ~ books or extra textbooks in the school or local library, other students in the class, students in older years, other teachers at the school, family members and family friends. If you try all of these options and are still having problems, then you might consider looking for a tutor. Ask your teacher if they can recommend anyone. LEARNING ISSUES If you aren’t having trouble with a specific subject, but are finding learning at school in general difficult, the first people to talk to are your parents. You might like to write down your feelings or what you are experiencing so you can explain things to them clearly. Your parents can then help you decide what steps to take next. It is probably a good idea for them to talk to your teachers first to get their perspectives. They might make an appointment with the Year Adviser to sit down with you and your parents to talk through the issues you are experiencing. The school might also have learning support staff who can help you work out what your issues are and who
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PCYC COWRA Junior Disco ~ Young Road complex on Friday 29 August from 6-8pm. This is for school children ranging from Kinder to Year 6 with lights & music provided by Laurie’s Disco. Entry is $5 per person and supervision is provided by PCYC Police, staff and volunteers. The canteen will be in operation as well as a sausage sizzle with a sausage sandwich costing $2. Indoor Touch Footy ~ for the 7 to 14 age group on Tuesday afternoons commencing at 4pm. Games will be “5 a side” using the basketball court area as the field, cost will be $2 per child each week. Junior Basketball ~ on Wednesday afternoon commencing at 4pm. Junior Basketball is made up of a coaching session to develop skills of the game followed by a game of basketball to put the skills in to practice. Cost is $30 per person for the school term. Archery ~ for ages 7 & older ran on Monday afternoons. The first archery session begins at 4pm and is aimed at beginners and the younger age groups, with a second session beginning at 5pm for the older and more experienced archers. Cost is $6 per session and all equipment is provided. Laser Tag ~ Wednesday nights commencing at 5.30pm at the Young Road complex. The session runs for an hour and costs $5 per person. It is a whole lot of fun while developing teamwork. Planning & strategy also play a big part for the most successful teams. Boxing ~ Junior & Amateur will now be combined with Boxing being run on Tuesday & Thursday nights commencing at 5.30pm. Cost is $4.50 for Juniors (ages 7 to 13) and $5 for Seniors (ages 14+). Boxing provides a great fitness workout while improving co-ordination, strength & stamina, and building self-confidence. It is available for boys, girls, men & women. You will need your own mouth guard, all other equipment is supplied, though you can choose to bring your own gloves etc if you so wish. PCYC Membership ~ you must be a PCYC member to participate in any of the activities. Annual membership is $5 for under 18s and $10 for ages 18+.
PO Box 72 • Dowell Street • Cowra 2794 • Telephone: 02 6342 1766 • Facsimile: 02 6342 1578 • Email: cowra-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au