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 2016 Issue 9
Friday 17 June, 2016
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT Cowra High has many tremendous students and we have ample opportunity to be proud of their accomplishments. Again this week we have a plethora of students achieving great results. In a first for Cowra High, Jaylee Dunn has been selected as the Indigenous Student of the Year for the Cootamundra Electorate. Jaylee is an outstanding member of our school community, contributing to student leadership throughout the entire school while sharing her culture with all students. I congratulate Jaylee on being recognised for her contributions to our school and we are extremely proud of her achievements. I also congratulate our Under 16’s rugby league team for their victory over Dubbo College Delroy Campus. Although the score line presented a resounding victory to Cowra High, the game was still a hard fought event played with real determination. Well done boys and Mr Donnelly. We look forward to your next match. Our dancers have again excelled beyond Cowra High with their selection and performance at the Western Region Dance Festival. Although I was unable to attend due to prior professional learning commitments out of town, I am very aware of the quality required to be chosen and I am extremely proud of all the girls. I look forward to seeing the performance at the next available opportunity. I often express to students that Cowra High offers them opportunities in an extremely diverse range of activities. Whether the Arts, sporting, academic, vocational or leadership, the opportunities are presented throughout the year to extend all students beyond the classroom. I ask all parents & caregivers to encourage their children to take advantage of those opportunities. The value of school and Cowra High in particular, extends beyond the classroom. It is very important that together we develop the whole child and this is best achieved with the partnership of the school and parents or caregivers. Have a great fortnight. Charles Gauci Principal
REMINDER Term 3 for students commences on Monday 18 July
JAYLEE DUNN – ABORIGINAL STUDENT OF THE YEAR FOR COOTAMUNDRA Member for Cootamundra, Katrina Hodgkinson this week announced the inaugural 2016 Aboriginal Students of the Year for the Electorate of Cootamundra are Jaylee Dunn from Cowra High School and Tori Apps from Young High School. The Aboriginal Student of the Year is a new annual award recognising young people who demonstrate leadership within their school and local community. “Jaylee has gained the highest achievement award at Cowra High, a gold eagle, for Positive Behaviour Learning. She is a diligent and mature student who strongly embraces and promotes Wiradjuri language & culture”, Katrina said. Jaylee has been selected to head to Sydney in August to attend the Emerging Leaders Forum, where she will meet with Aboriginal, business and Government leaders. Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Leslie Williams said “The Aboriginal Student of the Year award highlights the outstanding contributions that young leaders are making in their local communities across the State. I warmly congratulate all of the award winners and I look forward to meeting some of them in Sydney later this year.”
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 collegiality ~ we’re working on it together
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COWRA HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER JAPANESE EXCHANGE
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAY
As you are all aware, our exchange student to Seikei High, Jemma Pokoney is well into her 12 month stay. Jemma is loving every minute of her exchange and sends us monthly reports to fill us in on her travels. I thought you would all enjoy reading of her activities in May, and it is also a timely reminder that early next term I will be asking for expressions of interest for the 2017 exchange.
On Tuesday 7 June 2016 I had the pleasure of attending a professional learning day in Wagga Wagga. The focus was “Lifting Achievement in Years 7-12” and three outstanding presenters led our learning during the day. Renowned teacher & academic, Professor Wayne Sawyer presented the research which underlies the elements and principles of enhancing student achievement. Jane Sherlock led a session on auditing and examining faculty practice to support student success and finally Joanne Jarvis – Principal of Georges River College shared her knowledge and experience with the role of assessment and evaluation in lifting student achievement.
Megan Perkins Seikei Exchange Co-ordinator May has been a really good month! We started May with Golden Week which was a lovely break and moved back into school. We had our school sports day which I was involved in with my classmates’ dodgeball team and had a great day cheering on other teams and having fun. I have had English and kendo club and am really enjoying it. I was given my kendo gear recently and love it. I went with Cowra Kai to a beautiful rose garden. I went also with Mitchell Petty who was one of our previous exchange students and I am so happy I got to meet such a lovely individual and spend time talking to him about his year in Japan. I also moved host families and now I’m with my third family. I am with Haruna Yamagishi who was my buddy when Seikei students came for two weeks last year. I am having a wonderful time with their family. As there has been tests on the past week the exchange students got to go on a day trip. Mr Millen took us to a beautiful Japanese museum and out for lunch at an Italian restaurant. It was such a lovely day! As for the weather in Japan, it’s only getting warmer and is quite nice. For sport classes we have been playing tennis at the Seikei tennis courts and doing stretches on mats. In about one week we will start swimming lessons at Seikei High School. It is amazing how lucky I am this year as I have three exchange student friends; Noemie from Belgium, Sung Wyong from South Korea and Anna from Germany. It’s quite a wonderful group of multicultural exchange students this year and I’m so grateful! I’m enjoying all my opportunities and moments on my amazing exchange and I will be back with more to tell you later!
Jemma Pokoney
All sessions were very valuable in bringing 21st Century teaching & learning directions into sharp focus and homing in on how they look and what they do in schools. A three hour drive home in the rain provided good opportunity to reflect on the day and it was pleasing to conclude that Cowra High has many of the described ‘best practices’ firmly at the front of our everyday classroom activities and additional ideas from the presenters will greatly assist in continuing to promote effective student learning at all levels and stages of Cowra High School. Debra Henry-Smith HT English EISTEDDFOD NEWS – AIRI NISHIHARA At the recent Cowra Eisteddfod Airi, our Japanese exchange student competed in three Instrumental sections playing saxophone. It was her first Eisteddfod & public performance! She had stiff competition from excellent players of the flute and violin but came away with Highly Commended for 2 performances. Well done Airi!
Coerver is running a two-day coaching clinic at Edgell Park again this year in the holidays on 4-5 July. See the links below: www.coerver.com.au/wp/act/programs/coervercoaching-july-school-holiday-clinic-cowra-nswregistered-cowra-soccer-club-players-3/
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 SRC INITIATIVES WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY On 7 June Cowra High School had a mufti day to raise money for World Environment Day. We successfully raised $440 which will go to local Landcare projects. The SRC also prepared a presentation on assembly about the importance of recycling. Did you know that whenever you eat fish, mussels and oysters now they will contain microplastics? The plastics shown in the photograph were taken from ONE dead bird. Did you know Australia uses 6.9 billion plastic bags a year, of which 3.6 billion are plastic shopping bags? If each Australian family used 1 less plastic bag each week that would be 253 million bags less a year. The SRC would like to encourage everyone to recycle more. We support the Cowra Council’s Plastic Bag Replacement Program, which has been operating for ten years. Cowra's first Plastic Bag Replacement Program commenced in 2006 and since then close to 700,000 plastic bags have been collected & recycled a fantastic effort by the residents in Cowra Shire. The program encourages residents to exchange 25 plastic bags for an alternative reusable bag. The exchange is free to participants and can be repeated as many times as necessary. Residents are encouraged to maintain usage of their reusable bags with the goal of ultimately making Cowra a plastic bag free Shire. Residents can exchange their plastic bags at Council's Customer Service Centre in Kendal Street and at the Materials Recycling Facility on Glen Logan Road.
Page 3 SUBJECT SELECTION EVENING A subject selection evening will be held on Wednesday, 27 July 2016 in the school hall for Year 8 and Year 10 students in the Cowra area, and their parents/caregivers. The purpose of the evening is to inform students and parents/caregivers of the subject selection process, advise what subjects will be on offer for 2017, provide the chance for one-on-one discussion with Head Teachers & classroom teachers and the opportunity to meet with a TAFE representative. The session times for the evening are: Year 8 6.00 ~ 7.00pm Year 10 7.00 ~ 9.00pm A reminder note will be sent home early next term.
July School Holiday Junior Basketball Camp Grant Cole of Rock the Rim Basketball will be running a one day Basketball Camp for boys & girls aged 8-17 years at PCYC Cowra on Wednesday 6 July. No previous basketball experience is required. What to bring - drink bottle, snacks and a basketball if you have one. The camp will run from 9am to 3.30pm and a free sausage sizzle lunch will be provided. Cost for the camp is $30.00 per child and you must register to attend. Registration forms are available from PCYC. Email completed forms to Rock the Rim Basketball and pay by Friday 1 July. For information please contact Grant Cole on 0428 011 820 or email rocktherim@hotmail.com. July School Holiday Indoor Hockey Trial If you are interested in playing “Dek Hockey”, come along to PCYC’s free trial day on Thursday 7 July from 10am to 3pm. The day will incorporate skill sessions and some social games. What to bring – drink bottle, mouthguard, long socks and shin pads if you have some, healthy snacks and lunch otherwise $5.00 will get you a sausage sandwich, a can of soft drink and a bottle of water on the day. Please phone PCYC on 6341 2035 to register for the day or for further information about any of the activities on offer, or check out the “Cowra PCYC” Facebook page or the website www.pcycnsw.org.au/cowra.
SRC students Ashleigh Saunders & Amelia Sharp
You must be a PCYC member to participate in any of the PCYC activities. Yearly membership at PCYC Cowra is currently $10.00 for under 18’s and $20.00 for ages 18 & older.
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
Cowra High unfortunately did not retain the Robert Montgomery Shield but our students were extremely well behaved and played all sports & activities with enthusiasm & great sportsmanship. Thank you to Mr Johnstone & Mr Hamer for organising a successful visit ~ regardless of the score the real winner over the 3-day visit was the sport, culture & friendship.
PO Box 72 • Dowell Street • Cowra 2794 • Telephone: 02 6342 1766 • Facsimile: 02 6342 1578 • Email: cowra-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au