farewell to moss vale high school icon marg beaumont · 2019-10-11 · all seek and embrace these...

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Moss Vale High Newsletter Issue 1 Term 1 2019

February 2019

Moss Vale High School website : www.mossvale-h.schools.nsw.edu.au

Farewell to

Moss Vale High School Icon…

Marg Beaumont

Margaret Beaumont called it a day on Friday 8 February after 41 years & 9 days of

service. See more photos on page 5.

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Welcome back! It is my great pleasure to welcome ours students and staff back for the 2019 school year, and to welcome our Year 7 students, new enrolments and a number of new staff. We are a growing school with 740 students and 174 of those enrolled in Year 7 alone. Our first assembly for the year had to be held with Year 11 in the library, viewing the performances and presentations via a live stream. The year has started well and classes appear engaged and productive. We have a number of new staff who are replacing staff on higher duties, extended leave and those who have left our school. The new staff are as follows: HSIE- Mrs Lisa Wright-Mauger, Ms Rachellle Mander, Ms Georgina Pratt and Ms Shannon Fox. PDHPE – Mr Tom Williams and Mr Brayden Grehan CAPA- Mr Christopher Canute Science- Ms Bethany Quinn TAS- Mr Trevor White Maths- Ms Deanna Benardos A warm welcome back to Ms Michelle Desborough who has returned part time from maternity leave. Ms Desborough will be sharing classes with Ms Mander. I am also extremely pleased to welcome Mrs Letitia Summers into the role of our second Deputy Principal. I could not ask for a better Senior Executive team, working alongside Mrs Summers and Mr Carlyon. Farewell Mr Andrew Drummond Farewell and congratulations to Mr Andrew Drummond who was successful in gaining the Head Teacher Welfare position at Coonamble High School. Our school community did not have a lot of time to officially farewell Mr Drummond as he was only notified that he was successful at interview in the very last days of Term Four, 2018. Mr Drummond was our talented Drama Teacher, the committed Year 7 Adviser, director of our successful school musicals and the creator of many PBS films. Our school community will miss Mr Drummond’s creative talents and infectious energy, but we wish him well at Coonamble and with the impending birth of his first child.

Mrs Margaret Beaumont Sadly, we also farewelled our much beloved Mrs Margaret Beaumont during a day of surprise celebrations two weeks ago. Mrs Beaumont, affectionately known as ‘Margie’, has been working at Moss Vale High for 41 years as a Support and Administration staff member and made the difficult decision to retire after an impressive career with the NSW Department of Education. Margie has always been a wealth of knowledge about our school community, and she has worked tirelessly to support thousands of students and staff over her many years of dedication to public education. Moss Vale high will never be the same without Margie but we all wish her the very best in her retirement.

Kick off with Reading Many thanks to our wonderful P&C for, once again, funding our Kick Off with Reading program. This program means that every student and staff member are given the gift of a book so that the whole school community can engage in, and share, the joy of reading the same book. This year, we are reading No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen. Susin Nielsen cleverly combines humour, heartbreak, and hope in this moving story about people who slip through the cracks in society, and about the power of friendship and community to make all the difference. The book has inspired our Moss Vale High theme for 2019, ‘High Hopes and High Expectations’. I hope all students enjoy reading No Fixed Address and that they broaden their horizons through the powerful messages contained within its pages. Mindfulness Mondays As part of our Positive Behaviour for Success program, our school community has embarked on sharing the journey of learning more about Mindfulness. At the very start of each week, we have our Mindfulness Mondays during roll call, or ‘Home Groups’ as we now call it. Mindfulness is a skill that can build the foundations for optimal student concentration and attention. A regular mindfulness practise can have positive benefits on both students and teacher engagement. Mindfulness is about focusing attention on the here and now, rather than thinking about the past or

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worrying about the future. Good mental health in childhood and adolescence sets young people up for the future and their career. In recent decades, there has been a huge amount of scientific research pointing to the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation training for both individuals and organisations to increase health and wellbeing, help manage stress and enhance interpersonal skills, leadership and performance. We hope that all of our students and staff will embrace this opportunity start their week in a calm and positive manner. Please click on the following links to learn more about mindfulness and the website that we are using with our students. https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-02-19/mindfulness-changes-neuroscience-brain-imaging-meditation/10811320?WT.tsrc=Facebook_Organic&fbclid=IwAR0_2BGwzIAG46nBPyiz3XjlEWQl4zXkYYl47_5T0GHgZsOkIvLEMhG3zgE&sf207979221=1&smid=Page%3A+ABC+Australia-Facebook_Organic The Smiling Mind website: https://www.smilingmind.com.au/education Year Advisers Our Year Advisers are a wonderful resource and an important point of contact for parents and students. If you have any concerns regarding your child’s wellbeing, I recommend contacting their Year Adviser in the first instance and they will be able to assist you or direct you to another appropriate staff member. Year 7- Mr Alex Miller Year 8- Ms Katie Cripps Year 9- Ms Rebecca Tweedie Year 10- Mrs Kirrilly Sims while Mr Dubois is on leave Year 11- Mrs Jannen Pepping and Ms Felicity Curtis Year 12- Mrs Sue Rossi

The Deputy Principals are extremely busy, so it is important that parents make an appointment if they need an extended discussion with Mr Carlyon or Mrs Summers. I respectfully request that parents do not turn up at the front office unannounced to speak with the Deputy Principals. I wish everyone a great 2019, and please feel free to contact the front office to organize an appointment if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s education. Patricia Holmes Principal

High Hopes, High Expectations The start of 2019 has already brought us many opportunities and challenges, and as a school community we will

all seek and embrace these challenges with our theme of High Hopes, High Expectations.

At Moss Vale High School, we constantly speak of our high expectations, and we never apologise for the high

expectations for behaviour that we hold, but this year we will also be focusing on each of us setting high

expectations as learners. Learning can be hard, and it should be hard! But by setting ourselves high expectations

we can start to see the value in working through that frustration and sense of being overwhelmed, so that we

can achieve our goals.

This year our students will be introduced to the HOW2Learn program, which stands for “Higher Order Ways to

Learn”. This program originated in the Riverina Region and has now been picked up throughout the Department

of Education in NSW. HOW2Learn creates a bridge between the latest educational research findings and class

room practice.

We know that to experience deep and ongoing learning (the stuff that is really valuable in life) we need our

brains to stretch and create what are known as neural pathways – new roads for knowledge to move through

your brain. Our staff have started to introduce the concepts of Growth Mindset and the Learning Pit to our

students, with the focus on students being able to refer to a range of strategies to help them when they feel

stuck in their learning. We want our students to approach their learning with goals for improvement, so rather

than saying “I can’t do it”, they can say “I can’t do it, YET”.

Mrs Summers Deputy Principal

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-02-19/mindfulness-changes-neuroscience-brain-imaging-meditation/10811320?WT.tsrc=Facebook_Organic&fbclid=IwAR0_2BGwzIAG46nBPyiz3XjlEWQl4zXkYYl47_5T0GHgZsOkIvLEMhG3zgE&sf207979221=1&smid=Page%3A+ABC+Australia-Facebook_O




https://www.smilingmind.com.au/education

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Welcome Back

I would like to welcome all our school community, especially our new Year 7 students and parents, to

what looks like a massive 2019! The continuing success of the school sees our overall enrolments

climb to over 740, something that has not been evident for over a decade. More often I hear parents,

teachers and community members telling me about the positive feedback and support from people

when they mention they have a connection with Moss Vale HS. The hard work of the whole school

community over many years, led by our amazing Principal, Mrs Holmes, has well and truly transformed

the image of Moss Vale HS into one of the most reputable schools in the Southern Highlands.

Student Handbook

Just a reminder to parents that ALL students were handed a “Student Handbook” at

the beginning of the year. This handbook, other than containing important general

information about the school, is an extremely valuable resource as it highlights the

expectations/responsibilities of our students. I reference this document regularly

with students and parents, and more often than not when I ask have they read the

student handbook, the answer is no. I encourage all parents to read their child’s

student handbook, and if theirs has mysteriously gone missing….. contact the front

office to organise another copy.

Swimming Carnival

The annual swimming carnival was held in splendid conditions (Moss Vale HS does have a knack of

bringing the coldest weather possible for swimming carnivals!). Over 600 students attended the

carnival, dressed to impress in their house colours. A special thank you must go to the P&C who kindly

donated 4 shade gazebos in the house colours. The carnival was once again a success due to the great

organisation of Debby Middleton and the PDHPE team. Thank you for the support and work all the staff

did on the day.

Home Groups

A big change that has occurred from last year is the establishment of “home GROUPS” to replace the

existing roll call structure. All students are now in a home group with students from Year 7 to Year 12

and have the common bond of being in the same house group. Whilst the roll will still be taken in this

time, the home groups will develop into a time where students across different years are able to

interact, mentor and develop relationships with peers. This will further enhance the success of our PBS

lessons and continue to build on the success of the House Championship.

Second Deputy Principal

Mrs Summers has officially started as the second Deputy Principal and has already

made a productive impact to start 2019. She has had to learn very quickly how to eat on

the run with the ongoing business of the DP role! Mrs Summers and myself will be

working as a team across all year groups, so either of us are able to be contacted

regardless of what year your student is in. Mrs Summers has been an outstanding

addition to the Senior Executive team and we look forward to a big 2019!

Matt Carlyon

Deputy Principal

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‘Margie B’ retires

Surprise MARGIE!!!

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As we transition into the new year the MVHS House Cup Championship begins again with each house

having a clean slate. All students and staff have been divided evenly into four houses, Belmore, Morton,

Carrington and Gibraltar. At Moss Vale High School, students have an incredibly strong sense of pride,

integrity and honour when representing themselves as well as their House.

The 2019 House Championship has kicked off in Term 1 with the election of our new house captains

from the Year 11 Year group who would lead their teams into sporting and academic battle throughout

the year. Our 2019 swimming carnival was a huge success with over 600 students attending. Also, a

huge thank you to our P&C for the fabulous house tents that kept each of the house areas shady

throughout the day.

Congratulations to MORTON for taking out 2019 Swimming House Champions on 437 pts!! Finishing in

2nd place was Gibraltar 428 pts, 3rd

place Carrington 314 pts and 4th place Belmore 275 pts.

2019

MVHS HOUSE CUP

CHAMPIONSHIP

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The House Cup is awarded annually at the end of Term 4 to the House that has accumulated the most

points over that calendar year. The focus is on three areas of school life: Academic, Social and Sporting.

As such, students can earn points towards the House Cup from their participation in one or more of the

following areas:

Participation points in the 3 SPORTS carnivals (swimming, athletics, cross country)

Points accumulated in FACULTY challenges

Points accumulated through PB rewards where at the end of each term, data will be collected and

points awarded based upon the house standings.

House Colours Day

Gundungurra Shield

Who will be the 2019 House Champions?

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7NPDHPE work Students were asked to write an article ‘Expectations when Entering High School’. Their article was aimed at Year 6 students and were to include:

The changes and challenges they should expect in Year 7

Ideas on how to make friends and connections with new peer groups

Where they can seek support within the high school ……………………………………………………………………..

Starting High School is an amazing experience. You get to make new friends, get new and different teachers and you get awesome subjects but High School isn't all fun. It’s also scary and nerve wracking. You’re getting out into a class where you hardly know anyone, the lessons are harder than primary school and there are hundreds of people rushing past you. You also have roll call and timetables. When you are in Year 7 you will get to make new friends and connections with your peers, you’ll meet interesting people who have travelled the world or people who are very similar to you. When I started I wouldn’t talk to anyone but I saw that other people were as nervous as me and I felt less scared and so I started to talk and now have lots of great friends. If ever you are lost or need support or help there are so many people you can talk to: friends, teachers, the wonderful office ladies or your year adviser. I guarantee that you will have the best time in high school. By Sarah Kelly

……………………………………………………………………

On my first day of high school, I was surprisingly not nervous at all. I don’t know why, I just felt like there was

nothing to worry about, and honestly, there wasn’t. The first day went really well because there weren’t any

Year 8, 9 or 10s. The only people at the school were us year 7s, 11s and 12s. We didn’t have any actual

lessons, just some time to get around the school efficiently enough. We also got our timetables which was

exciting but they were really complicated to read. I didn’t make any friends for the first 3 or 4 days because

I went to Mittagong Primary and only knew a few people. Luckily my best friend went to Moss Vale High

School so at least I knew someone. Then I made tons of friends after 5 or 6 days and Moss Vale High School

was really fun but challenging in a good way. Some advice from me, don’t be shy to make friends, go up to

some people and ask to join their group or ask to be their friend. If they reject you, they are not very nice

people, so make friends with people who are kind and caring people.

By Ella Guldner

……………………………………………………………………

High School is a fun place to be at but we also have expectations when entering high school and challenges

as well.

Expectations : Our expectations are to be organised for the next day eg pack your bag the night before

and get your school uniform ready the next day.

Challenges : Some of the challenges in year 7 are easy and hard eg getting to the right class on time,

packing for the wrong day and bringing your sport uniform.

So I must say year 7 may be hard but never give up.

By Isabella Jacobs

……………………………………………………………………

Okay, firstly you may be scared, but always be positive. Try to hand in homework preferably on time, focus in

class and you won’t have any trouble. Try not to stay up late because it’s unhealthy, make a sleeping

schedule so you wont be so annoyed during school hours, instead make a change. If you are scared about

meeting new friends don’t be, you will make friends in no time. High School’s a big place, so that means

more friends to make. Also if you don’t understand something during class, don’t be too shy to ask how. If

you learn you are eventually going to learn everything you didn't know at first. Trying new things can make

you more sociable. You might also find a favourite hobby like a sport. High school is very fun, so it’s very

good !

By Mia Parsons

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On 11 February, 13 students from Year 12 Geography and Earth and Environmental Science departed for Kosciuszko National Park. We stayed within the national park for two nights. On Tuesday we started the day at the Kosciuszko Education Centre where we began looking at the different layers of an alpine ecosystem based on elevation and the way this effected the communities of plants. The wind was horrendous and many of our activities were completed quickly in order to escape the elements. Atop Charlottes Pass, we recorded a gust close to 100kmp/h. Once back at the park we refreshed and then visited Jindabyne Bowling Club for dinner. The following day we began at Charlottes Pass where we walked, hiked, climbed, jumped and nearly crawled our way up Kosciuszko to visit Blue Lake, a glacial lake hidden within the hill tops, an overall 10km return trip. Needless to say, the bus trip home was very quiet. Overall the excursion was a wonderful experience, and as usual our students were exceptionally well behaved. Ms A. Randall HSIE Teacher

Nic, Wes and Christian’s report re Kosciuszko Excursion

As we embarked on our journey of knowledge, we endured many trials and tribulations. After arduous

and monotonous adventures aboard the Nash Vehicle of Prosperity we quenched our thirst for wisdom

and enlightenment through the art of yuka. We then immersed our minds with ‘Dan the Man’s’

PowerPoint masterpiece. He invigorated the mind and soul of every student within the Kosciusko

Education Centre. Afterwards our hunger to learn was matched by our hunger for food.

After a brief morning tea, Gilly, provided a brilliant scientific analysis of the surrounding pristine

montane forest. Finally, we boarded the Nash Vehicle of Prosperity and began to feel as though we

were ascending into the heavens. The thin air tore at our lungs. We spotted the imposing figure of

MOUNT KOSCIUSKO. Our march was about to begin.

The blistering winds summoned an Arctic chill that rocked the core of the group. We trudged drearily

through perilous terrain with only a fleeting sense of hope empowering our movements. Not all would

survive the journey to the mysterious Blue Lake. The chances of hypothermia were rife. The old adage

of never leave a man behind was abandoned in these dire times. After an insufferable trek through the

mountain we had reached our destiny. Beams of sunlight glistened off Blue Lake, illuminating the

landscape like a diamond in the rough. Our struggles were rewarded with this impeccable view of

God’s magnificent creation.

On behalf of the class we could not thank Ms Randall, Mr Nash and Ms Sims enough for organising this

unforgettable trip.

Year 12 Kosciuszko Excursion

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This year the school has the theme of High Hopes and the title chosen to be

our Kick Off With Reading Book fits in with this sentiment. The main

character Felix has high hopes to win a trivia game show on television to

help out his mother and himself to solve their problems. The book - No Fixed

Address is written by Susin Neilsen who has sometimes been described as

Canada’s John Green. It is a touching and funny story which has at its heart

the importance of family and friendship, the challenges you face when

starting high school and problems that come with growing up when you are

one step away from homelessness.

Felix Knutsson is 12 and three-quarters, about to start high school, lives with

his mum Astrid and his pet gerbil. His mum is lots of fun and very loving but

can’t seem to hold on to a job. So when they get evicted from their latest

shabby apartment, they have to move into a van. Astrid swears Felix to

secrecy; he can’t tell anyone about their living arrangement, not even his two

best friends at school. If he does, she warns him, he’ll be taken away from her and put into foster care.

Whilst the circumstances for Felix and his mother might sound grim the story does have hope and

humour. Felix has a knack for trivia and his favourite game show, Who, What, Where, When (think Who

Wants to be a Millionaire or Jeopardy), is having a junior edition with a big cash prize. He is determined

to get a spot and solve all their problems. The three main friends in the story Felix, and his two besties

Winnie and Dylan are reminiscent of the

Harry Potter trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione.

It is a moving story about the frightening

ease with which people in today’s society

can fall through the cracks and about the

power of friendship and community to make

all the difference.

Once again a huge thank you must go out to

the ongoing support of the P&C in making

Kick Off With Reading possible. The early

feedback from students is that they have

really enjoyed it.

Kick off with Reading 2019

GOOD NEWS Lucy wins Gold

Lucy Nash, Year, 8,

represented NSW at the

National Under 13 Indoor

Championships that were

h e l d i n G o u l b u r n

from January 4-7. Lucy’s team won the gold

medal at these championships, indicating that they are the

number one team in all of Australia.

Well done team, especially Lucy!

Thomas is up, up and away …...

Thomas Gillis of Year 10 was busy with further study during the Christmas holidays and now has achieved a major goal…..his pilots license which enables him to fly solo, in an area diameter of 25 nautical miles, until he receives a navigational endorsement. Thomas would like to thank his flight instructor Oskar & the RAAus examiner Paul for giving him the opportunity to achieve his first goal, in what he hopes will be a career. Congratulations Thomas.

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Our CAPA faculty has had a MASSIVE start to 2019!

CAPA Staff We have welcomed two new CAPA staff members to Moss Vale High: Mr Canute, who is now teaching Drama (after Mr Drummond took a Head Teacher Welfare position at Coonamble High). Miss Fox, who is now teaching Dance (while Ms Cordingley is on Maternity leave)

Performances and Achievements Our talented CAPA students have been very busy already: Take Two CAPA Concert At the end of 2018 we had to postpone our Term 4 CAPA Concert due to a blackout in the Hall. It was rescheduled for Week 2 this term and was a smashing success! Over 100 Music, Dance, Drama and Art students from Years 8-12 were involved. Our next CAPA event will be a Night of M.A.D.D.ness (a CAPA elective night) on Thursday April 4. CAT Awards Travis Neale won a CAT (Canberra Area Theatre) Award for his role of Uncle Fester in the SHYAC production of The Addams Family. Matthew Johnston (trumpet), ex student Jamie Lee (bass clarinet) and Heath Robertson (cello) were part of the 2018 Southern Stars Performing Company Orchestra that won a CAT Award. Wingecarribee Vocal Muster Awards Cassidy Brown, Olivia Jones and Luna Mauro all performed at the 2

nd Wingecarribee

Vocal Muster Awards held at Dormie House. Cassidy came second and now joins Taylah Denford in the Grand Final in July. Casualty Concert Javiera Diaz staged her own concert as part of Phase 2 of the Talent Development Project. Across 2 hours she entertained her audience with original compositions and covers. Year 6 Information Evening Our new look Minor Details (Year 7 & 8) Vocal Ensemble performed “Shotgun” at the Year 6 Information Night. Year 7 students Sasha Covington, Zahra Nasser, Sarah Kelly, Maia Vasilakis and Sophie Williamson joined Year 8 students Ruby Bagnell, David Gillis and Grace Jones for the performance.

Our Junior Hip Hop Crew consisting of Sam Johnston, Brody Martin, Matthew McMahon, Kiarnah Robb, Tigerly Kaegi-Vincent and Zara Wood also performed “I Can Make Ya”, led by Senior Hip Hop crew member and choreographer, Haydon Loane. Regional Performing Ensemble Ewan Dimmock (drums), Matthew Johnston (trumpet) and Sam Johnston (tenor saxophone) were selected at the end of last year to be part of the 2019 Regional Performing Ensemble. They recently attended a 3 day at camp at Nowra, where they learnt the 16 charts of this year's showrun. We look forward to the Ensemble visiting our school later this year. Bowral Autumn Music Festival Matthew Johnston performed “Five Heroic Marches” in a trumpet quartet for the Bowral Autumn Music Festival Fundraiser at the Empire Cinemas in Bowral. Meet the Music 20 Music students from Years 8-12 attended the first Meet the Music concert at the Sydney Opera House. The concert included performances by the Sydney Symphony

NEWS FROM THE CAPA VAULT

A Creative and Performing Arts Update

Cassidy Brown

Travis Neale

Javiera Diaz

Regional Performing Ensemble

Meet The Music Excursion

Above Left : Minor Details and Right : Junior Hip Hop Crew

Vocal Muster Girls

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Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The students were able to listen to the Australian premiere of “The Jungle – Symphony No 4” by Marsalis. RAW: Impact Ex student Margaret Fitzgerald has been selected by RAW (an independent arts organisation for artists by artists) to showcase her work at an event called "Impact" in Sydney in April. Tickets are available online.

Extra Curricular Enrichment Program Many of our extra curricular activities are now in full swing: Music Enrichment Home Groups Students have successfully auditioned for our Stage Band and Vocal Home Groups and now rehearse during roll call Tuesday through to Friday. Every Monday they spend time working through the school’s Mindfullness activities. The Stage Band also rehearses Monday mornings at 8.30am. Junior Band and Choir The Junior Band has begun rehearsals on Friday mornings at 8.30am and the Choir has started rehearsing Thursday lunches. Both groups have had a big influx of new students which is great to see. One Note Longer Mabelle Rivas of Year 10 successfully auditioned to be part of our Senior Vocal Ensemble, One Note Longer. Minor Details, The Hustle and Simple Edition Vocal Ensembles Auditions have been already held for Minor Details (years 7-8). Auditions for The Hustle (boys) and Simple Edition (years 9-12) will be held over the next two weeks. Paridon String Ensemble Led by string teacher Maria Dunn, the Paridon String Ensemble has started rehearsing Wednesday lunches in E1. Brioso Flute Ensemble Led by flute teacher Edwina Carter, the Brioso Flute Ensemble will start rehearsing in Term 2 in preparation for our Term 2 CAPA Concert. Tap Company Our new Dance teacher, Miss Fox, has started a Tap Company and they have nearly finished choreographing their first dance already! Hip Hop Crew We have 2 hip hop crews running this year: a senior Hip Hop Crew and a Hip Hop Project for students wanting to develop their hip hop dance skills. Rehearsals for both groups are after school on Thursdays. Studio Art Project Our after school art class, the Studio Art Project, is once again being held after school on a Thursday. The class is currently full and any interested students are now being placed on a waiting list. School Musical 2020 Our new Drama teacher, Mr Canute, has started perusing musical scripts in preparation for our 2020 School Musical. Auditions will be held in Term 3, with the show being staged in Term 1 next year.

Private Music Tuition Our private music tutors are back in action! This year the schedule is: Mondays Edwina Carter (flute) Michael Griffiths (Drums) Tuesdays Kelesi Woodhouse (keyboard and singing) Wednesdays Dan Freere (guitar and bass) Maria Dunn (violin and cello) Thursdays Ben Jones (clarinet and saxophone) Julian Paviour (trumpet) Fridays Maria Dunn (violin and cello)

In Summary As you can see, the CAPA faculty love to give students the opportunity to be involved and do what they love! There is always an opportunity for students to perform or showcase their work, whether it’s at a PBS assembly, CAPA concert or community event. Any student wishing to be part of our extra curricular Enrichment Program should see Mrs Johnston in the CAPA Staffroom. It is never too late to become part of the CAPA family! Mrs Johnston Head Teacher CAPA

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Take 2 concert

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Home A Little Away A Lot

On the first day of activity week we played laser

skirmish in Appin. It was a really hot day but luckily,

we were able to run around and hide in the shade of

the bush. We played a few different games, but my

favourite was a group battle. We were divided into

two teams and had to try and deactivate as many

players as possible without getting deactivated

ourselves! This was a really fun game, I enjoyed

hiding from the other team and deactivating my

friends.

On the second day of activity week, we went to

Macarthur Square to watch How the Grinch Stole

Christmas. We pretty much had the whole cinema to

ourselves and received a popcorn and coke, we also

visited the lolly bar. After the movie we separated

into groups with our friends and went shopping for

the afternoon, everyone had a really good day!

My favourite activity was visiting Jamberoo. We had

an amazing time and could go in the pools and ride

the slides all day. My favourite ride was the Taipan.

We also had plenty of time to relax and had a

sausage sizzle for lunch.

Sushada Alexander,

Year 8

2018

Reports from Activity Week 2018

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JAMBEROO RIVER ROCK Finally, after a long year of classes and assignments, it was Activity Week, the week that everyone had been waiting for. On Monday 17 December, many students from a wide spread of years participated on one of the many activities offered for 2019, Jamberoo River Rock. At 8:00am many excited students who were participating in Jamberoo River Rock arrived at Moss Vale High School to depart at 8:15am to go canoeing at Kangaroo Valley River. When we arrived at our starting point we were given a safety briefing before heading off in our canoes down the river. The trip was about 4hrs and was very tiring if you kept zig zagging from one side of the river to the other due to poor canoeing technique. The river and environment was so beautiful, however, that it was well and truly worth sore muscles. We stopped to have lunch cooled off in the water, which was very much needed! After lunch we turned around and paddled our way back to our starting point. We put our very heavy canoes back on the trailer and hopped onto the bus to go home. On day 2, we left Mossy High at 8:00am arriving at Nowra Tree Top Adventure Park at 9:00am for a day of excitement. Everyone got their climbing gear on and had a talk on the safety issues that we would be facing. We had to complete a easy course before we could start the main courses. Clipping on and off ropes was hard but I and many people got used to it by the end. I completed two courses by the end and had loads of fun. We had pizza for lunch and then packed up our gear and got on the bus to go to Kangaroo Valley for some more snacking. After 40mins at Kangaroo Valley, we got on the bus and finished day 2 of Activity Week. Our last day was Jamberoo Action Park. Thankfully we didn’t have to get up early and left school at 8:50am. When we got to Jamberoo, we got our swimming test bands and went into the park. We went around for 30mins before Home A Little, Away A Lot (another activity) came and lots of people joined up with their friends from that activity. We had a sausage sizzle lunch at 12:00pm and then kept going around on all the hair raising rides after. By the end of another eventful day, everyone was very tired. We finished and packed up at 4:30pm and had time to get changed before heading on the bus home. Overall activity week was amazing and I highly recommend it for all the new year sevens because you don ’t want to miss out on three days of fun, excitement and joy with your friends! Thank you to Mrs Summers, Mrs Randall and Miss Mander who organized this and gave up their time for our enjoyment! By Lucy Nash, Year 7 2018

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J Bay 2018 Once again a group of water loving staff and students travelled down to the beautiful

Jervis Bay for Activity Week. Everyone received a trip bracelet in Australian gold and a

hat with bespoke designed logo.

The morning of day one saw an early start for 44 intrepid adventurers who were keen

to get down to Huskisson to soak up the best of the weather and fun. Due to the large

size of the group we split up into two groups with one group doing snorkelling whilst

the other was giving stand up paddle boarding a crack in sheltered waters.

After each group got to experience the gorgeous weather, clear waters and challenging themselves to

learning new skills it was back to the Jervis Bay Caravan Park to settle into cabins and enjoy the wonderful

amenities, especially the great swimming pool.

Day two brought some close encounters with the local natives at Cave

Beach where some of us were more successful than others at stand up

paddle board in the surf. The groups also snorkelled in a different spot

and saw plenty of underwater friends such as stingrays, fish and sea

anemones.

After everyone had a go at both great snorkelling and the harder than it

looks stand up paddle boarding in the surf, everyone got to experience

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It’s all about the vacation vacation vacation! Jbay 2018 was the place to be for this year’s activity week. Three

days in beach front cabins, with an awesome playlist of songs with the sun out is more than what I could have

imagined my last three days of school for 2018 to be like.

Monday was a day filled with events! From Snorkelling with the stingrays to stand up paddle boarding in the

sun. What a perfect way to start off our holidays! Not only did we learn how to stand up paddle board, but we

also learnt that the tops of your feet are very likely to get sunburnt when paddle boarding… Cooking our own

dinner on Monday night followed by cricket and bocce! Mr Kumar’s favourite!

Tuesday had us snorkelling with a wider range of marine life, from many species of fish to an octopus and a

baby Port Jackson Shark! Travelling on the bus from activity to activity had to be one of the best parts! Our hit

Jbay playlist on Spotify, with a collection of the best songs we know as a group, made the bus trips enjoyable.

Although Mr Dubois’ weird head dances made it almost as enjoyable as the music. Stand up paddle boarding in

the surf quickly turned into surfing with oversized boards. I learnt what an actual blue bottle looks like. No, it

doesn’t look like a bottle that is blue, in case you were wondering. And yes, it hurts. Our Tuesday afternoon

consisted of ice cream and shopping in Huskisson followed by pizza at the cabins. Time in the pool and some

birthday cake topped off a perfect day two.

Wednesday morning was an early one. Eating breakfast, packing backs, hunting for chargers and dragging our

tired selves onto the bus by 8am was hard work. But nothing a bit of caffeine and the Jbay playlist couldn’t fix!

Arriving at Fitzroy Falls for some heights and challenges was the perfect way to end our amazing trip. Swinging

some retail therapy in the village of Huskisson.

Night two saw dinner with a view - with plenty of pizza to go around.

Last day saw a new itinerary item for J Bayers with Optimum Experiences Outdoor Adventure centre

providing plenty of opportunities to get out of your comfort zone. Teamwork warm up activities were

followed by Archery, Giant Swing, Hope Ropes, Leap of Faith and Flying Fox. Ms Cripps

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Exploring and Writing at Q Station After catching the train, and lunch at Circular Quay, we set of for Q Station on the Eco Hopper that ferried us across Sydney Harbour. As we left Watson’s Bay, we noticed a wall of sea mist and realized we would be sailing through this greyness. This is a rare phenomenon that gave us an eerie feeling and a sense of excitement as we drew near the wharf at Q Station. Here, many hundreds of people had disembarked before us to be checked for illness, or hospitalized. In the 19th century when the Quarantine Station opened, people believed that disease spread on the air – from miasma. The mist had us all thinking about travelling back in time. Our home for the next two nights was on Hospital Hill – unhealthy ground – where we had a choice of rooms in the old Doctor’s and Nurse’s Quarters. It’s on a headland with beautiful views to the city which made it hard to consider how much suffering happened here.

We went on a tour of the historic site that is now nestled in a national park. We learned about those who were ill, those who were forced to stay as their ship was deemed ’infected’, and those who worked here. We also learned about different treatment methods, such as carbolic acid showers, that were thought to be useful at the time. The shower block was quite spooky with a particular smell, and we re-lived the instructions a first class traveller was given by stepping inside a cubicle and

on the giant swing and leaping for a bar that was 12m off the ground was some daunting stuff. The day really

tested our ability to challenge ourselves, and some people went way out of their comfort zones this year!

Jbay 2018 was the best experience of a lifetime! But none of this would have been possible without the

organisation from Mr Dubois. Mr Dubois has been the leader of the Jbay activity for four years now and to say

the least, it never falls short of amazing. Each year is a step up from the last, which makes this years the best

yet! Participating in such a well organised and eventful activity is a highlight in itself. Our itinerary was jam

packed with the most surreal activities. Not only My Dubois’ hard work, but Mrs Cripps’, Mrs Sims’, Mr

Donaldson’s and Mr Kumar’s really paid off and no words will ever be able to express how much fun we had!

Guess you’ll have to go next year to find out!

Taylah Denford

Year 10 2018

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imagining the shower experience. Fortunately, our skin didn’t turn red and peel as was the case earlier in the 20th century. We spent time with primary sources and inspected artefacts to understand what life was like in the late 19th and early 20th century. This meant we opened a suitcase and, wearing gloves, unpacked different items and clues to try and identify each individual and their role at the Quarantine Station. We walked to the Third Cemetery to gather words and ideas for writing. There were many headstones: some well preserved, some very aged and worn.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch overlooking South Head.

We had time to enjoy refreshing ice blocks and draft our writing at the café.

Our last afternoon was spent creating Ephemeral Art on Quarantine Beach. We collected driftwood, leaves and shells. Our brief was to use the four compass points in framing our artwork, and to represent the history of Q Station. It was interesting to remember the first Australians, and all who stayed here in a collaborative sculpture that disintegrated on the next tide.

Julie, our site guide, is looking forward to reading our zine!

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How to read your Student Statement of Account

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MOSS VALE HIGH SCHOOL

SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPH DAY : Wednesday 10 April 2019

Reminder that School Photographs are scheduled to be taken on Wednesday 10 April 2019.

Students are expected to be in full school uniform and be dressed neatly, with no excessive makeup or

jewellery as per our school’s dress code guidelines. Please refer to Student Handbook, distributed to

every student at the commencement of the school year.

Whilst an envelope and flyer has been distributed to students during roll call this week, it is the

photography company’s preference that ordering be completed online to reduce administration and

potential security issues related to the return of cash and envelopes on photo day.

Orders for photography packages may be placed securely online at www.advancedlife.com.au using

our school’s unique 9 digit Online Order Code (located on top right side of envelope). Portrait and group

package orders are due by photography day. If you would like a sibling photograph taken, please

collect an envelope from the front office and process payment the same as the individual packages.

How to pay your Student Statement of Account

http://www.advancedlife.com.au

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School

Zones

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Moss Vale High School staff and students would like to express their appreciation to Graham Marcolin (McDonald’s Sutton Forest and Moss Vale) for supporting our school with

use of bus transportation.

$20.00 Can be purchased from the

Front Office

These caps have been approved by the school community and will be available for a limited

time. Money raised will go to the purchase of Sun Shelters for outdoor activities.

generously supporting students of

Moss Vale High School

Support Unit

KOLLEGE OF

KNOWLEDGE

KOMMITTEE FOR

KIDS

MOSS VALE UNIFORM SHOP

Located next to the school Canteen

Open : Tuesday 8.30am-11.30am

Thursday 1.00pm-4.00pm

SCHOOL PHOTO DAY :

Wednesday 10 April

2019

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REBEL

The AGM for the MVHS P&C is on Tuesday 19/3/2019.

Start 5.30pm Where: Staff Common Room (enter via the

main administration office doors) All positions will be declared vacant and a vote will be held to elect a President, Vice President,

Secretary, Treasurer and Canteen Sub-Committee Office Bearers. Everyone is welcome.

This will be followed by a normal meeting of the P&C.

We look forward to seeing you there. If you are unable to attend but would like to

contact the P&C at any time please email us at [email protected] and we will get back to

you as soon as possible.

mailto:[email protected]

farewell to moss vale high school icon marg beaumont · 2019-10-11 · all seek and embrace these...

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