Our Mission: To provide a quality comprehensive and inclusive educational environment where all students can achieve Newsletter also on the web at cowrahigh.net 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 2015 Issue 18
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT I have always believed that public education provides the best outcomes for students and society as a whole. It was tremendous to read evidence in the educational journal The Educator which stated: “Barbara Preston, a PhD candidate from the education, science, technology & mathematics faculty at the University of Canberra, said that research had ‘clearly shown’ that public school students performed better at university than their private counterparts.” It would of course be simplistic and misleading to conclude such statements can be extrapolated to every school and every student. I believe what this and similar research tells us is that students who are going to succeed will succeed in public schools. At Cowra High we aim, and I believe succeed, in providing each student with the best opportunity to excel in his or her chosen field. Our broad curriculum caters for the full range of students. Those moving towards university will be provided with a curriculum that covers all fields, while the trade orientated have access to experienced vocational teachers. Even those looking at a future in the creative & performing arts or sport would struggle to find another school in a rural town that can offer the opportunities we do through our local initiatives and the state wide educational system. Last Friday saw our Hall beautifully decorated for the Year 12 Graduation Ceremony and dinner. It was a lovely evening mixed with formality, reminiscence and the elegance of the Year 12 ladies & gentlemen. The night was a fitting tribute to a wonderful group of young men and women about to enter the post high school world. There will be students heading off to university, apprenticeships and jobs. Regardless of the final destination I wish all the very best in their futures. I also congratulate Mr Anthony Hamer and his dedicated band of parent & staff helpers for organising
Friday 13 November, 2015 such a special night ~ I’m sure that it was a night the students won’t forget. Wednesday 11 November was of course Remembrance Day. I would like to compliment Mrs Viv Meiklejohn & her History students for organising & conducting a very appropriate ceremony at 11am. Celine Langlands & Clover Riches-Farrell led the school in a magnificent rendition of the national anthem, followed by the Ode of Remembrance recited by Emma Robinson. I also commend Aden Day, Tobie Gilmore, Cameron Dale & Kurt Johnstone for playing a lead in the Mulyan Public School ceremony.
Remembrance Day ceremony conducted by Toby Baker, Emma Robinson, Clover Riches-Farrell & Celine Langlands
Have a great fortnight Charles Gauci Europe History Excursion 2017 Easter 2017 ~ for students who will be in Years 10, 11 or 12 in 2017. See the Humanities faculty for more information.
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 lifelong learning~ learning is for everyone
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COWRA HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER PASS CLASS ACTIVITY
Over the past few weeks, Mrs Dunk’s PASS class have experimented with the use of slow motion and technique analysis as part of the ‘Technology, Participation and Performance’ unit.
learn that three members of the same family from such a small community like Billimari were killed. Cameron Dale then told the story of Arthur Thomas Slavin Kurt Johnstone finished with information about William Steven Jarrett
During a practical lesson, students were asked to complete a specific skill while their peers videoed them. These skills were selected elements of basketball or cricket ~ shooting and bowling respectively. The class videoed their peers performing the specified skill and were then required to analyse their technique using video playback and references to external stimulus. Emma Fricker & Erin Johns (pictured below) performed the bowling action applied in cricket. They demonstrated the skills & knowledge of how technology is applied in practical situations and related this to their extracurricular activities. Students enjoyed practising and perfecting these skills, specifically incorporating the use of technology throughout the lesson.
The names of all five men are included on the WWI Honour Board which hangs in Billimari Hall. Charlotte Cooper provided the musical entertainment with a beautiful rendition of Safe and Sound. The Boomerang March was the last of nine WWI recruitment marches from country NSW and was the second most successful, with 202 marchers subsequently enlisting, although 60% ended up losing their lives. ABORIGINAL CULTURAL WORKSHOPS Schools from around Cowra were privileged to attend workshops & activities at the Corroboree site last Friday.
Emma Lomaro ~ PHP Prac Teacher COWRA HIGH STUDENTS WELCOME BOOMERANG MARCHERS TO BILLIMARI Last Tuesday evening, the Boomerang marchers who are re-enacting the 1916 WWI recruitment march which began in Parkes, arrived to spend the night in Billimari. Six Cowra High students played a significant role in the formal function that followed. Five young men from the Billimari area lost their lives in WWI. With the help of history teachers Mrs Meiklejohn & Mrs Keefe, five boys researched the lives and war experience of those people. Tobie Gilmore told the story of Lance Corporal Peter Alexander Thompson Aden Day presented information about William Emanuel Thompson, brother to Peter Thompson Patrick Hutchison then outlined the story of their brother-in-law, George Noble, who happened to be the great uncle of Patrick. It was sobering indeed to
In a tranquil setting within The Corridor Project, students were treated to performances from male dancers. Students were then divided into five groups and directed around the workshops showcasing the importance of cultural burning, boomerang throwing, artefacts, Taronga Zoo animals and spear throwing. Lunch and further dances concluded a wonderful excursion. It was an amazing experience for the students & staff in attendance and our heartfelt thanks goes to the Corroboree Committee for organising a cultural insight which was enjoyed by an appreciative audience. Jesse Murray, Jared Burns & Luke Doolan get up close to a python
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 TOP 10 TIPS FOR DEALING WITH EXAMINATION PRESSURE 1. Know Your Material The more confident you are about the topic(s) in your exam, the less stress you will feel come exam time. Make sure you stay on top of your school work and homework throughout the term. Follow up with your teacher, or another subject matter expert, if there are things you don’t understand, well before the exams. Trying to understand new concepts the night before the exam is very stressful. 2. Practise Make sure you do practise papers if they are available, or practise questions. This might include multiple choice, short answer or essay style questions. Always study in the way you will be tested. Work out a plan of action so you know how long you are going to allocate to each question type, what question types you will start with and what you will do if you come across things you aren’t sure about. Learn more about this in the Active Studying unit. 3. Fuel Your Body and Your Mind In the days leading up to an exam make sure you get enough sleep. Being tired makes it harder to concentrate and remember. Fuel your body and mind by eating well and drinking plenty of water. Learn more about this in the Lifestyle and Balance unit. 4. Manage the Physical Signs of Stress Familiarise yourself with how your body feels when you are stressed. Do you get headaches? Tension in your neck or shoulders? Does your heart race faster? What happens to your breathing? Whenever you feel these effects, quickly start some relaxation exercises. A good one to try during an exam is to breathe in deeply for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds and breathe out for 8 seconds. Do this a few times to calm yourself down and allow yourself to refocus. Learn more about this in the Managing Stress unit. 5. Be Prepared on the Day Make sure you have packed or prepared everything you need for the exam day the night before. Have a plan for how you are going to get to school on time including a back-up plan if necessary. Eat a nutritious breakfast and make sure you are hydrated. Learn more about this in the Test-Taking Techniques unit. 6. Visualise Use visualisation techniques to help reduce your stress on the day. Every day in the weeks prior to the exam, last thing at night and first thing in the morning, visualise yourself calmly walking into the exam room, preparing your equipment, reviewing and completing your exam paper and feeling good about how you did. Learn more about this in the Managing Stress unit.
Page 3 7. Involve Your Parents in your School Work Throughout the term talk to your parents about what you are studying. Show them your bookwork and homework. The more your parents understand about what you are doing and how you are going along the way, the better they are able to manage their expectations. They may also be able to help you study by testing you on what you are learning. 8. Talk to Your Parents About Realistic Goals Keep talking to your parents about what you want to achieve, in individual subjects, at school overall and in other aspects of your life. Involve them in helping you to identify where to concentrate the most effort to achieve your goals. Learn more about this in the Goal Setting unit. 9. Understand Expectations Many students feel like they are not meeting their parents’ expectations. Often this is a result of poor communication about expectations by both parties. Assessment & reporting systems also change over time and are different in different schools & systems. Making sure your parents really understand what your report means may help them to understand what you are actually achieving. Your school can assist you to explain these to your parents if need be and most schools provide booklets of explanation. Often students are achieving, but reporting structures may not clearly represent this to parents. 10. Ask For Help The most important way to deal with stress is by talking to people and asking for help. Don’t try and go it alone. Your school, teachers, parents and friends are your support structure so keep lines of communication open (that means talk to them!) and let everyone know how you are feeling and what help you need. You can learn more about how to deal with examination pressure in the Managing Stress and Test-Taking Techniques units at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au by logging in with these details: Username: Password:
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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
Year 12 Graduation
PO Box 72 • Dowell Street • Cowra 2794 • Telephone: 02 6342 1766 • Facsimile: 02 6342 1578 • Email: cowra-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au