Ironman Volunteers

Congratulations to over 90 Hastings Secondary College students, over 90 worked to help out as volunteers at the Ironman event on Sunday May 3. In charge of the run aid station at the Short Street car park, students and staff were busy all day dispensing water, electrolyte, cola and all kinds of food and gooey gels to the exhausted athletes. They were kept motivated by some “tub thumping” music and put the new Hastings Secondary College marquee to good use as the rain came and went on several occasions. The students cheered on the athletes as they passed. The athletes were extremely impressed with the enthusiasm of all of our helpers, with various groups rostered on from 10.30am until 12 midnight. The late shift was extremely enthusiastic and was also able to demonstrate some of their great dance moves to motivate the late finishers. Best moment of the day was forming a guard of honour just before midnight to cheer the last competitor home. Well done to all! Mr Duck

Friday 8th May, 2015.

Term Two Week Three

What’s happening in Week Four Monday: Thursday: NAPLAN Tuesday: Mid Coast Careers Market, Wingham Beef Week Friday: Cross Country Kempsey Wednesday: Wingham Beef Week. NAPLAN

School Website: www.hastingssecondarycollege.nsw.edu.au

School Email Address: hsc-portmac-admin@det.nsw.edu.au

Phone: 65831844 Fax: 65841632

The midnight shift: Max Lewis-Barnett, Mark O’Brien, James Read, Geoff Duck, Josh Trowbridge, Tia Tyler, Ebony Taylor, Brodie

Christensen, Ashleigh Cocking, Sam Frecklington, Hannah McKie,

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Year 7 - 2016 Information Night Invitation to students and their families

The Hastings Secondary College principals extend a warm invitation to year 6 students and their parents to meet the teachers, see the exciting work being done at each campus and enjoy a performance by our college band. You will have an opportunity to ask questions, enjoy our hospitality and meet other parents and carers at the completion of the presentations. Come and discover the outstanding education available to your child at Hastings Secondary College. Port Macquarie Campus Wed, 20th May 5.30 – 7.00pm

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Science

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Ashley Carrick who has made it

through to the regional competition to the state level of the "Brain Bee Challenge" a national competition UWS runs. Brain Bee is the only neuroscience competition in Australia. It motivates young people to learn about the brain and aims to inspire them to pursue careers in biomedical research and neuroscience. The competition is open to year 10 students and runs in all Australian states and territories and both islands of New Zealand.

The overall Australasian champion has the opportunity to compete in the international competition, which is held in the USA. Good luck Ashley when you compete in Sydney in early July. This new opportunity has been introduced to our Hastings Secondary College students by Mrs Karen Mann, our college Gifted and Talented student coordinator. Mrs Kim Middleton, as always, has been very helpful with providing the necessary resources for the students to study. We have some exciting opportunities coming up in Science this term. Some important dates are:

-Students will be participating in the UNSW Science competition on the 3rd June. -Our year 9 and 10 students will be competing in the Science and Engineering Challenge in Kempsey on Tuesday 5th of May. -Year 11 students will be applying for the National Youth Science forum by the 31st May, thanks to the Port Macquarie Rotary Club for providing support to our students in their application. If you would like any further information please see the website below. NYSF is unique in Australia. Students during year 11 are selected to attend the NYSF the following year. They learn how to make informed decisions about courses and careers in the sciences and gain a professional skill set to help them realise their potential. Common tests for junior classes (in the MPC) The students have been given assessment notification worksheets with the topics they need to revise. These include a list of the student indicators which provide excellent headings and direction for students to use when preparing study notes for revision. -11th May (Monday- week 4) Common tests for Year 8 (period 1) and Year 10 (period 3) -26th May (Tuesday -week 6) Year 9-period 1 -27th May (Wednesday week 6) Year 7- period 1 Well done to all Science students who have submitted such outstanding assignment work. Students in year 7 were asked to research a Scientist and prepare documents for a Science museum. We would like to showcase these projects in the last week of term and will invite parents in to view the amazing work our Year 7 students have created. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any concerns about Science. Jo Bourke (Science Head Teacher)

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Success at the Science and Engineering Challenge

On Tuesday 5 May, students from Year 9 and 10 travelled to Kempsey to compete in the Regional Science and Engineering Challenge. All students were excellent ambassadors for the Hastings Secondary College Port Macquarie Campus, working in teams to solve a variety of problems. Here are examples of some of the group activities:

Tayla Davenport, Ashlyn Dures, Ashley Carrick and Ambrose Kranitis produced a “bionic hand”. James Jackson, Riley Pritchard, Samet Portakaldali and Blake Elliott worked on “Stringways”, achieving first place for their problem solving ability not only for this activity but also for the “Helter Skelter Shelter”, constructing a tower to withstand earthquake movements.

Bailey Neal, Keira Cox, Jessica Day and Helen Charles had fun creating a “Hovercraft”. The showcase event for the day was “The Bridge”, built by our budding engineers George Rudd, Harvey Kaye, Imel Munday and Sam Harris. This team achieved first place for their innovative design. All groups contributed to the overall team effort allowing Port Macquarie Campus to be the Champion school for the day. Congratulations to all of the students!

Amanda Leach – Science Faculty

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From the Principal

The highlight of the week has been the student volunteering at the Iron Man. I was pleased to walk into our Common Room during the week and finding several mock injuries being treated in their first aid course. I was privileged to meet with my fellow principals on Tuesday and catch up with the latest in education. College news College activities this week have centred on the Year 7 2016 nights and ongoing preparations for Year 11 subject selection. Our Year 10 started the subject selection process this week with a year meeting. I outlined the reasons they should continue to study here. We will be offering more subjects than any other local school next year. We are able to provide university and vocational courses. Students will be able to mix vocational and academic courses. Each student will have an individual subject selection interview with a parent resulting in an individual learning plan. We will have a week of Year 11 orientation activities this year to prepare them for the very different world of Year 11. Our Year 6 into 7 parent and student evening will be at the school on Wednesday May 20th. Iron Man Last Sunday our students and teachers were proud volunteers for Iron Man. Under the leadership of Geoff Duck, who was an event supporter, over 90 of our students and staff manned a checkpoint in the car park, near the fish co-operative. They handed over food and water to the competitors. They manned the station from 10.30am to midnight. Our school wishes to be a supporter of the community in return for all the support that the community gives us. Iron man is a wonderful event and we are proud to be part of it. Thanks to Geoff and all the staff and students involved. NAPLAN Next week the NAPLAN tests will be held on Tuesday May 12th, Wednesday May 13th and Thursday May 14th May. Students in Years 7 and 9 will sit the test. The tests will assess the literacy and numeracy skills of students across all Australian schools. The results of the tests will provide important information to the school about student ability, and will be used to support teaching and learning programs. Parents will receive a report indicating their child’s level of achievement. Each student’s level of achievement will be reported against the national minimum standard. Background information (student name, gender, date of birth, language background and Aboriginality) will be collected as part of the National Assessment Program. This information is treated confidentially and held securely to ensure that every student’s right to privacy is maintained. Friday is designated as the catch up day for any students who miss a test. Parents are requested not to make appointments or other arrangements for those dates if at all possible. The numeracy test is on Thursday and students need to bring a calculator. Students may bring a bottle of water to the exam. Additional information about NAPLAN can be found at: www.nap.edu.au/NAPLAN/Parent_Carer_support/index.html. Shayden Schrader wins NSW Body Boarding State Junior Title Shayden Schrader travelled to Kiama last week to compete in the NSW Body Boarding State Junior Title. He scored a heat total of 10.84 from a possible total of 20 to beat the second place getter by 0.44 points. The conditions were difficult with three point peaks at Kiama Surf Beach. This means he will qualify for the Australian Championships in Coffs Harbour in August. Congratulations Shayden

AECG Meeting Last Monday the local AECG (Aboriginal Education Consultative Group) met at our school. There was a very big representation of schools from throughout the district and local Aboriginal organisations. We had a very full agenda including an introduction to Joseph Archibald who will be working with Aboriginal students with a disability in their transition from school to work. Kelly O’Brien talked about projects coming up in the community and each school gave a report on what is happening in their schools in terms of Aboriginal Education. A convenient chart of significant dates such as Mabo Day was distributed. It doesn’t seem possible that we are heading into Week 4 of term. Naplan is of course our major focus this week. We also have our Show Team heading off to the Wingham Beef Week, Mid Coast Careers Market on Tuesday and the zone level of the Cross Country in Kempsey on Friday. We have a lot to offer to our students and it is important that they take these opportunities to engage with school. Lorraine Haddon Principal

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Careers News UNE Open Day On Friday 1st of May twenty eight Year 12 students from Port Macquarie Campus joined students from Westport Campus for a full day trip to the University of New England. The students were greeted with a bag of goodies before undertaking tours of the campus and residential colleges. The students checked out Degrees that were of interest to them and some interesting visits included the Zoology Museum, Herbarium and the Science and Technology Labs. Some comments from our students were:

• “It’s an attractive Uni with good facilities” • “The colleges were nice and looked a fun place to live” • “I really liked the Uni, it had a great vibe”

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Are you interested in a career in MEDICINE? ATTENTION: HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN YEARS 10, 11 & 12 If you have a desire for a career in medicine, the UNSW Medicine Rural Clinical School, Port Macquarie Campus is holding an information session on Tuesday 26th May 2015 at 3:30pm. Information will include: University Entry and the Rural Entry Scheme. If you would like to come along to the information session on 26th May 2015 please advise your Careers Advisor or email Julianne Weatherley on j.weatherley@unsw.edu.au

Mid Coast Careers Market

The Mid Coast Careers Market is a presentation of trainers, employers and advisers, with an emphasis on traineeships and apprenticeships in all types of work. It will have representatives from national, state, and local employment and training groups, and is organised by Mid Coast Career Services. This is an excellent opportunity for students to explore career and training ideas and network with trainers and employers. Port Macquarie Campus will be organising a visit to this expo. It is particularly relevant to students in Years 10 to 12 interested in traineeship and apprenticeship careers, as well as emergency services and armed forces. The Mid Coast Careers Market will take place on Tuesday 12th May 2015 at Port Macquarie Race Club with the excursion taking place during periods 3 and 4. Students who wish to attend should return their permission note with the $3.00 bus fare by Wednesday 6th May, to the front office. Upcoming Training Courses in Port Macquarie Novaskill a local skill development business has the following training courses coming up for interested students:

RSA: 7th May- $190 RCG: 8th May-$135

Combined (RSA + RCG): $290 Barista: 13th May- $105

Safe Food: 11th May- $105 Combined (SF +Barista)- $180

Whitecard: 12th May- $140 For more information or bookings contact Nicole at Reception on 6500 1100 or Email: adminpmq@novaskill.com.au Mr White – Careers Adviser

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First Aid And White Card Courses

Two ‘Provide First Aid’ courses have been undertaken by Year 11 students as part of their VET Entertainment and Hospitality studies or general education. The courses allowed students to gain this valuable qualification for use in employment, community and sporting pursuits. Students learnt how to provide all aspects of first aid from burns and bites to stroke and sports injuries, as well as casualty management and CPR.

Two White Card Courses have also been undertaken by Year 11 students as part of their VET Entertainment and Metal and Engineering studies as well as Year 11 and 10 students keen to undertake work placement or work experience in the many areas of employment requiring a White Card. All students now have an additional credential and are enhancing their work readiness. Thank you to our students who were very good ambassadors for our campus throughout their courses. Thank you to North Coast Institute of TAFE for providing the trainers and course materials and

supporting our students for all First Aid and White Card courses. With the support of North Coast Institute of TAFE, the school will endeavour to offer these courses to students in 2016. Ms Judith Cowan VET Coordinator

Musical in rehearsal

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Combined High Schools Lawn Bowls On Wednesday the 29th of April our Lawn Bowls Team played round 3 in the CHS triples at the beautiful Port Macquarie City Bowling Club. Our team of Callum Murray Year 11, Jake Hawes Year 11 and Emma Collins Year 11 played Kempsey High School. Our team never gave up and challenged Kempsey right to the end. Unfortunately, Kempsey were the better team on the day. Our students were a credit to the school and I would like to congratulate them for the spirit in which they played the game. Mark O’Brien

Positive Spot Congratulations to Callum Murray in year 11 on being selected in the North Coast Bowls Team. Callum will be playing in Armidale at the NSW CHS Championships from Tuesday 4th of August-Thursday August 6th. Callum is a future star on the rise.

Shayden Schrader – State Champion

Many of us know about the character of Shayden after he and his brave mates rescue of Zac Young after the fatal shark attack last year. Shayden is not one to seek the limelight for doing something most would see as an unbelievable act of courage. When Shayden lost his mate he was doing something he loved – surfing with his mates. Shayden, however, is an outstanding talent, and this has been displayed recently at the State Body Boarding titles. Over two competitions, Shayden has been crowned State Under 18 and Open Champion, eclipsing a very strong and mostly older adult field. As State Champion, Shayden has been granted rights to compete at the Nationals as well as compete in two professional events and having new sponsors beating a path to his door. Shayden hopes to follow in the footsteps of past students who have Excelled in professional ranks like Jones Russell, Charley Holt, Sam Bennett, Chase O’Leary and others. Well done Shayden Schrader. State Champion Body Boarder! Michael Sanderson

Important Research Our school has volunteered to be part of a national study to discover what schools are doing to tackle bullying. Schools from across Australia will tell of their anti-bullying approaches and what is working well. Information will be collected from students, parents and teachers. A final report will be available in December and will summarise what is being done about bullying by Australian schools. The report will not name individual schools. At the beginning of term two, students from our school who are in years five to ten will be invited to complete an on-line survey during school time. Students may only participate if they return the consent form signed by their parents. Parents will be able to give their opinions about student-to-student bullying in schools by going to http://tinyurl.com/RigbyPS2015 The staff at our school will also join in the study. We think this is important research and we are pleased that our school will contribute to a better understanding of what Australian schools are doing to tackle bullying. Please contact Darryl Mason (Deputy Principal) if you would like further information. Page 10 of 10