RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

ISSUE 8| TERM 3| 31st July 2020

Dear Parents/Carers, I understand we are living in difficult times but hope parents continue to send their children to school at PHS unless otherwise informed. Certainly there have been a number of cases close to us in Parramatta, but at present we are coping well. The best place for your child is at school where they are busy and feel safe. Please continue to practise safe habits, limit trips to large venues and take precautions. Our playground is looking wonderful and students now have new seating to help make maximum use of the space. I hope you agree with me when you look at the photos, it is a huge improvement. I am looking at continuing this work in other areas as soon as we can. Work on the new café at PHS will commence from 24/08/2020 and I think this will provide an exciting new resource for staff and students as well as an opportunity for students to gain new hospitality skills. As we need to have students trained, we will not commence using students to run the area until next year. For now, the canteen staff will open and run the coffee shop when it is complete. I would like to welcome Samuel Odilao a new member of our staff. His position is as Student Support Officer. Sam will be working with the Wellbeing Team and has a broad experience working in the community with groups such as Youth off the Streets and Barnardos. He is a valuable and welcome addition to our staff at PHS. Yours Faithfully Domonique Splatt

Parramatters Parramatta High School Newsletter

FAX MENTIS INCENDIUM GLORIAE “The torch of the mind lights the path of glory”

Our vision is to provide a holistic 21st century education which develops resilient individuals who are active and informed citizens, empowered to think critically and creatively, within an environment that values diversity, equity and resilience.

ISSUE 8| TERM 3| 31st JULY, 2020

RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

Supporting our students The school counselling service contributes to student learning and wellbeing outcomes through complementing our school based learning and support teams. Every student at PHS Year 12 in NSW public schools is able to access the service.

We now also have a Student Support Officer at PHS. SSOs support the implementation of the school’s whole-of-school approach to wellbeing, helping students develop social and emotional skills through targeted strengths-based programs and strategies that build resilience, coping skills and positive relationships.

We value the team’s contribution to the well - being of our school.

Liz Henman School Counsellor

Jason Cull School Counsellor

Sam Odilao SSO

Sports Report

There is a long and proud history of sport at Parramatta High School. We have had ex-students reach the elite level of their field with the likes of Harry Hopman (tennis), John and Richie Benaud (Cricket) as well as many others that have attend PHS over our 107 years. Over the last term we have been working on redesigning and updating our sports jerseys. Our aim was to have a modern look whilst still incorporating our history. We are delighted to showcase our brand new jerseys and we are looking forward to competing again in our Grade and Knockout competitions. Our jerseys

1st XV Rugby Union 1955

New Heritage Rugby Jersey

ISSUE 8| TERM 3| 31st JULY, 2020

RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

Girls Basketball 1955

New Basketball Jersey

Boys & Girls All sports

1946 First XI Cricket Team Undefeated Premiers

Thank you for everyone’s cooperation during sport, I appreciate the effort put in by both staff and students during the selection process and first two weeks of sport. There will be no changes to sports for this term. If there was any student away yesterday and did not have an opportunity to select their sport please come and see Mr Ruspandini in the PE Staffroom. Please remember you must be in full PE uniform for sport. Any student who is out of uniform (without a note) sick or injured must go to room 5 at the end of lunch on Tuesdays. Please check the sports noticeboard each to see where you need to meet your sporting group for term 3. Please remember to bring your bl ack leather school shoes if you have subjects such as Science, TAS, Art etc. where leather shoes are required. At this stage, on the days in which you have Sport or PE (practical lessons) can you please continue to wear your full sports uniform to school as we are still not able to use the change rooms to get changed in.

Mr Ruspandini

ISSUE 8| TERM 3| 31st JULY, 2020

RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

Attention Parents It is your responsibility under the Education Act to ensure your son or daughter attends school every day, on time and explain any absences or late arrivals via note, phone call or text message response to Parramatta High School. Many students at school arrive late or perform poorly in class due to lack of sleep. This is usually due to staying up late playing video games, watching movies or on social media and phones. Please be mindful of these issues and have a cut off time 1 –2 hours before bedtime to allow for adequate rest.

Mr Morson , Head Teacher Admin.

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students of Years 7,8 & 9 Normally, we would have invited you to: "A STEAM Showcase exhibiting a variety of projects, exhibits and works from Year 9 3rd elective classes: Mission to Mars, Imaginary Worlds, Forensic Science, Journalism & Media, Re-engineering History, Art of Cake & Costume Makes the Character. This event is organised by students participating in project based learning subjects with guidance from their classroom teachers and Mr Wise as STEAM coordinator. Students are involved in setting up their exhibits, displaying, demonstrating and explaining their works, as

well as guiding visitors around showcase around." You are your students would have enjoyed walking around our hall and surrounding areas viewing all the quality, interesting and creative works on display. Unfortunately, whilst we have had another successful semester of Year 9 3rd Elective courses running through an obviously difficulty time and still students and teachers have managed to have some wonderfully authentic, creative and engaging experiences and have produced a collection of great projects as a result, due to government restrictions of gatherings, we were not able to hold this showcase in the last week of Term 2. Fortunately, after some extra preparation time, we have a DIGITAL Showcase for you to explore in the form of a website and an associated 3D virtual gallery with additional and alternate content. Due to publishing restrictions, we are not able to make the website a publicly searchable and available site, therefore, could you please ask your related Parramatta High School student to log in to the website using their Department of Education login details, so that you and they may explore. The virtual gallery does not need these permissions and is publicly available on the "artsteps" website (please be encouraged to 'like' our gallery), as well as linked in to the showcase website. Website: https://sites.google.com/education.nsw.gov.au/phs3rde-dig-showcase/home 3D Virtual Gallery: https://www.artsteps.com/view/5eeb466c8117fe461699b960 Take the time to check out the work of our teachers and students.

ISSUE 8| TERM 3| 31st JULY, 2020

RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Aa year 12 move towards their trials hopefully they have taken a little bit of time to consider their options for next year, be it Uni, TAFE ,work, or a gap year. There is so much information available to help, often overwhelming amounts, but it is worth it to take a moment to have a look at what is available.

Our fantastic careers websites contain an abundance of information and are easy to navigate. Please go to www. jobjump.com (Password parra) or wwww.parramattahighcareers.com for up to date information from all tertiary providers.

We will be welcoming Macquarie University and Orana fashion and Business College next week to talk to the year 12 students. I am hoping to get a few more tertiary institutions to come in and talk in the last half of the term. University and private college open days will all be 'virtual' events this year, so make sure you know when your particular tertiary institutions' open day is so that your child can explore what s on offer.

TVET Applications have been issued to interested students in years 10 and 11. Please get those into me ASAP as many popular courses fill up early so I want to get our students' expressions of interest in straight away.

There will be a talk in the student learning centre Monday august 17th per 3 on Careers in Nursing And mid-wifery. Students will need to register with me closer to the date.

Excursions are still not allowed to go ahead but when they are I will arrange as many as I can so the students can visit tertiary institutions and careers days. Hopefully this will happen in term four.

Attached is the JobJump newsletter for your perusal.

That s all for now

Mrs Michelle Ibrahim

Careers Adviser.

LIBRARY NEWS

This year, Education Week will run from

Monday 3 August to Friday 7 August 2020 and the theme is 'Learning together'.

Come down to the library and browse some of our Education Week books on Managing

Change, Resilience, Learning Together, Online Learning and Public Education!

Key messages of the 2020 Education

Week are:

• Schools are the cornerstone of communities

• Change and resilience

• Connect better and learn together

Arathei Kadir in Year 9 is donating is sporting a new haircut after choosing to

donate her hair.

You can see the cause that she is supporting by following this link.

https://hairwithheart.variety.org.au/fundraisers/a

ratheikadir/hair-with-heart

ISSUE 8| TERM 3| 31st JULY, 2020

RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

Our Drama students have spent the last term learning about characterisation and developing a monologue performance. Each student learnt how to operate a lighting system and provided stage lighting for each other's performances. They are hoping to showcase their work to the rest of the school later in the year, either live or through a virtual performance.

Extra-curricular Music activities. All ensembles, choirs, bands and private lessons with after school tutors received approval from NSW Health and the DoE to recommence operation from June.

Rolls are now being finalised for Term 3.

Mondays: Choir and Keyboard group classes

Tuesdays: Year 7 Choir, Piano and Guitar

Wednesdays: Stage Band, Clarinet and Saxophone

Thursdays: Strings, Piano, Guitar, Flute, Clarinet and Saxophone

Fridays: Jazz Ensemble, Guitar, Clarinet, Saxophone and Voice Limited vacancies are available in some groups. Some band instruments are available for hire. The fee is $100 per year. All students are welcome to participate. Please visit Ms Piper in Room 41 to join. Year 8 MMM#1 (Manic Music Matinée) Compilation Concert

As with professional musicians all over the world, social distancing rules were in place during the video recordings of all the items for Year 8’s first concert for 2020 which took place during class music lessons, recess and lunch breaks and after school and has been compiled into a fantastic concert. As well as the exceptional commitment of the students involved to complete this complicated project given the “new world” circumstances, much emerging musical talent is evident. Students in Year 8 Music classes watched the video of their concert performances during their first music lesson for Term 3. Thank you to: Mr Secrett for including the Year 8 after school guitar class students in a fantastic performance of Mad World, Ms Bristow for her excellent arrangement of Botany Bay for the Flute Ensemble, Mrs Gooneratne for There Is Sunshine with Monday Choir students and once again, to Mr Smith, Afraz Merchant and Soham Divekar who have tirelessly assisted with the compilation of so many video recordings during the last few weeks of Term 2 and the beginning of Term 3.

ISSUE 8| TERM 3| 31st JULY, 2020

RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

Sydney Conservatorium of Music Applicants Any music students who are intending to apply for a place at the Conservatorium will require a cognitive assessment (WISC-V). It will be necessary to contact a university psychology clinic, such as nearby UWS, well in advance of the application submission date.

ISSUE 8| TERM 3| 31st JULY, 2020

RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

University psychology clinics charge approximately $200, significantly less than most psychology practices where the cost can be about $1,000. Our PHS School Counsellors should not be relied upon to administer cognitive assessments for this purpose. Virtual World Choir Games 2020 in Belgium Talented current and past PHS Music students had planned to take up an opportunity to perform at the World Choir Games in Belgium as members of the community Phoenix Voices of Youth Choir during the July school holidays - prior to the pandemic! The event became an on-line competition with South Africa taking out first place. Congratulations to all our High Potential PHS Music students who represented Australia and dedicated so many personal hours to the project. Many thanks also to Mrs Gooneratne, who also directs both the Monday and Tuesday after school choirs at PHS, for the encouragement and expert guidance provided to our elite music students on the world stage.

Here is the official Interkulter link where you will recognise not only many of the faces of the singers, but also their names in the credits – including present and past students from PHS. “Our Voices” is an original song composed by the choristers and the Lyricist is an ex PHS student, Anya Icao (Band 6 in HSC Music PHS 2018). Congratulations to all! https://youtu.be/qF9O2mmloeo

~ Ms Piper & Mr Scanes ~ MUSIC STAFF

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

HSC STUDY GUIDE

The SMH has worked together with NESA to develop and publish the SMH 2020 HSC STUDY GUIDE. This HSC Study Guide provides students with essential tips and information needed by students to achieve their best in the 2020 HSC. Check it out for some great tips and see how some of our students’ photographs have features in the newspaper and its online publication! Photos of Thomas Dizon, Matthew Jiang and Arneet Kalra feature in it and make our school proud!! SMH 2020 HSC STUDY GUIDE is available for students and parents at : https://www.smh.com.au/hsc-study-guide-2020

PARENTS: HOW YOU CAN

SUPPORT YOUR CHILD THROUGH THEIR SENIOR

YEARS AND HSC

THE FOLLOWING TIPS PROVIDE PARENTS

WITH TIPS ON HOW THEY CAN SUPPORT

THEIR CHILD DURING ACADEMICALLY

STRESSFUL TIMES SUCH AS YEARLY EXAMS

ISSUE 8| TERM 3| 31st JULY, 2020

RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

AND THE TRIAL AND HSC EXAMS

Parents, your role is crucial in helping to support your child

through the challenges of academic studies and examinations

such as Junior Half/Yearly Exams, Year 11 Yearly Exams and

year 12 Trial and HSC Exams. Periods such as these can be

very anxiety provoking for students, and can be stressful and

overwhelming periods. This is how you can help to support

your teenager!

• Ensure they are getting enough sleep (at least 8

hours), eating regular and healthy meals, getting some

fresh air and daily exercise (a walk to clear and

energise the mind and body), and having some

relaxation/down time from study

• Check in with them by asking questions and having

supportive discussions: Ask your teenager how are

they feeling and what may be worrying them: Are

they Frustrated? Calm? Angry? Okay? Sad? Happy?

Stressed? Anxious? Overwhelmed? All of these

feelings are normal, and it is very common at a time

like this to fluctuate among them

• Support and encourage them to have realistic

expectations of themselves, not unrealistic and

unhealthy expectations about marks and academic

performance

• help them set SMART goals and support them to

break the goals down into manageable steps

• Get your teenager to use the Pomodoro Technique,

where they are committing themselves to a 25 minute

burst of work on a difficult or boring task and

allowing no interference. This helps when

procrastination/avoidance is a problem for your

teenager

• Help your teenager to stay in control with some anti-

stress techniques, such as:

o Grounding, using all of the senses – for example,

name five things you can see, four that you can hear,

three that you can touch, two that you can smell, one

that you can taste

o Create a ‘self-care box’ with soothing or interesting

objects such as stress balls, essential oils, herbal tea,

fidget toys, etc.

o Introduce family ‘no COVID-19 talk time’ periods.

o Encourage your teen to do activities that they enjoy

around the home, such as baking, reading books,

watching a movie, exercising, listening to or playing

music, colouring in, or taking up a new hobby

o Controlled breathing - for example, using the

ReachOut Breathe app https://au.reachout.com/tools-

and-apps/reachout-breathe

If you are still concerned about your teenager’s levels of worries, stress, anxiety, depression, then consider:

Seeking the help of your GP and any other health professionals that your GP can refer your child to such as a mental health professional (e.g. psychologist) if you have any significant or persistent concerns. Your GP can help develop a Mental Health Plan with you and your child so ask them about it if you have particular concerns. You can also let us know of any major concerns or worries you have about your child in the lead up to, during or after the exams and assessment periods. Good staff to make initial contact with are your child’s Year Advisor, the relevant Stage 4, 5 or 6 Deputy Principal, the Learning Support Team, or even the relevant teacher.

Reachout Australia https://au.reachout.com/ contains excellent resources and apps that can help support parents and teenagers on a wide range of issues relating to mental health and wellbeing. Please check it out! Ms Kougelos (Stage 6 Deputy Principal)

ISSUE 8| TERM 3| 31st JULY, 2020

RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY & HONESTY

Safe, responsible and respectful use of

digital technology. Our children and young people have grown up with digital technology and it is woven into their lives. During COVID -19 many young people are using digital technology more often to learn and to socialise. Supporting children and young people to use technology in a safe, respectful and responsible manner allows for more active online learning that can increase student engagement and participation. It also supports access to a broader range of content and learning resources that can supplement students’ learning experiences. Being safe online is a shared responsibility for students, teachers, parents, carers and the broader community. It is important that families can communicate with their children about the how to use digital technology in safe, responsible and respectful ways. Here are some key reminders for children and young people of how to stay safe online:

• Protect personal information, including name, address, school, email address, telephone number, pictures and other personal details.

• Never share user names or passwords and only use your own

• Ask a teacher or other responsible adult for help if anyone online asks for personal information, wants to meet or offers money or gifts.

• Let a teacher or other responsible adult know immediately if anything online that is suspicious, harmful or inappropriate.

• Never hack, disable or bypass any hardware or software security, including any virus protection, spam and filter

Further information can be found at: • Digital Citizenship website:

https://www.digitalcitizenship.nsw.edu.au/ • Esafety Commissioner:

https://www.esafety.gov.au/

The department’s Student use of digital devices and online service policy supports schools to maximise the benefits and minimise the risks of digital environments, and prepare students for life beyond school.