Year Advisers Year 7 Ms Burke & Mr Goodwin Year 8 Mr Penglaze Year 9 Mr Ryan Year 10 Ms Bendeich College 1 Ms O’Neil College 2 Mrs Bruce

Head Teachers

English Mr Lane HSIE Mrs Duncan

Maths Mr Atkinson PD/H/PE Mrs Miles

Science Ms Mowatt CAPA Ms Falconer

Welfare Mr Brown TAS Mr Sands (rlg)

Technology Mr Rennex

Literacy and Numeracy Mrs Stewart

Suspension Centre Ms Doolan

Aberdare Road, Cessnock NSW 2325

Phone: 4990 1977 Fax: 4991 1815

Email: cessnock-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

NSW Department of Education and Communities

Remember: What e’er you do, do well!

Principal: Mr Ian Scanlon

Deputy Principals: 2014

Year 7, 9, College 1

Rlg Mrs Chris Fairweather

Year 8, 10, College 2

Mrs Liana Gill

The Back Page FROM THE SPORTS DESK Mr Goodwin

Newsletter by Email

I would like to receive my newsletter by email. My email address is:

______________________________________________________@ ________________________________. _______ . ______

Student Name: ______________________________________________ Year: _________________

Parent Name: _______________________________________________

Newsletter Editor: Sharon Troy

Email: cessnock-h.admin@det.nsw.edu.au

The annual Cessnock High School Swimming Carnival will be held on Wednesday 5th February. This is the second week back at school. All buses will be sent to the pool instead of school and cost into the pool is $2.50 unless you have a season pass. All students are encouraged to dress up in their house colours and participate in as many races as they can during the day. A full canteen will be available on the day.

House colours are:

David (last name A-D): Red

Hunter (last name E-K): Blue

Kearsley (last name L-Q): Green

Wollombi (last name R-Z): Yellow

NSW Department of Education and Communities

The school continues to lead with an innovative curriculum through The College, The Institute and The Foundation. Other schools have shown great interest in our achievements. Positive Behaviour for Learning was introduced to the Hunter by Cessnock schools and we continue to lead in its evolution. 94 of our students have had a perfect behaviour record throughout 2013. Integrated sport has been very successful with engagement and attendance greatly improved since inception.

In addition to over $6million invested in our school over the last 4 years, a classroom is being re-furnished for our new MC Class. Almost $500,000 will also be invested in the refurbishment of 2 Industrial Arts workshops. During the vacation, Home Economics and Music area will be repainted.

2013 was another very successful year. Cessnock High School is an iconic public school, a school of opportunity. Young people of Cessnock are very fortunate to attend our school.

Ian Scanlon - Principal

Welcome to our Issue 4 Newsletter

A Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year to our staff, students and all of their families. Christmas is a time of celebration. This week on Presentation Day we celebrated the academic success of our students. Our key note speaker, Geoff Bentley (Leaving Certificate 1957) spoke eloquently about his days at Cessnock High School and the wisdom he gained from a career in the diplomatic service. I spoke about icons and the iconic nature of Cessnock High School in our community and contrasted this with another Australian icon, Holden.

Our successes over the last 12 months included three Band 6s in the 2012 HSC – Tony Feng in 2U Mathematics, Jasmine Lasky in PDHPE and Natalie Paynter in Community and Family Studies. The students in 40% of our HSC subjects performed above the rolling 4 year average for the school. The students in 40% of our HSC subjects performed above the average of similar schools across NSW. The students in 20% of our HSC subjects performed above the state average. 32% of our HSC

students enrolled in university and many of these entered teacher education. Our successes in the 2013 HSC with Yasmin Williams and Mikayla Sheehan gaining a Band 6 in Music and Natalie Lasky a Band 6 in PDHPE. 6 students gaining early entry into the University of New England before the publication of HSC results. They are Rhys Binns, Elisebeth Boulton, Rayneol Chand, Thomas Clarke, Kelsey Sinclair and Joel Troy.

In NAPLAN 92% of our Year 9 students performed above the national minimum standard in reading. 52% of Year 9 students achieved expected growth in reading compared to 40% across the state. 56% of our peer tutors achieved expected growth in reading compared to 40% across the state. 75% of our Year 9 peer tutors achieved expected growth in writing compared with 25% across the state. 48% of our QuickSmart students achieved expected growth in numeracy compared with 44% across the state.

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Issue 4 Semester 2

Inside this issue:

Principal’s End of Year Message 1

Staff Best Wishes 2

Thanks to our sponsors 3

Sports Page 4

Page

What’s On At CHS

28th Jan School Development Day

29th Jan Students return

5th Feb Swimming Carnival

12-14 Feb Year 7 Camp

24th Feb P&C Meeting 4 p.m Library

25th Feb Immunisations

26th Feb Show Steer Day

27th Feb School Photo Day

5th Mar University Road Show

21st Mar Year 10 Try a Skill Day

24 Mar-4 Apr VET Work Placement

7th-11th Apr Preliminary Exam Week

8-11Apr Year 10 Excursion HSIE

11 Apr Last day Term 1

29th Apr Students Resume Term 2

Cessnock High School News

EXCITING NEWS—2014 LEADERS

webpage: www.cessnock-h.schools.nsw.edu.au https://www.facebook.com/CessnockHighSchoolOfficial

Our 2014 leaders have commenced their new roles, we take this opportunity to introduce them. Left-right they are:

Maddison King—School Sports Captain

Jenna May Ryan—School Vice Captain

Monquie Cameron—School Captain

Joshua Gainsford-Herring—School Captain

Jayke Harding—School Vice Captain

Page 2

Semester 2

A final message from Ms Scott

Many years ago I wrote an article for the Black Diamond called " A Deputy is never lonely" and today this still holds true. When I first arrived at Cessnock High School, the first of the second deputies, I worried about being in an office by myself: Would I be isolated and never see anyone. I was soooooo wrong. I have never been lonely! I have been reminiscing a lot lately as I am about to leave Cessnock High School to take up a Principal's position at Coomealla High School. It has been lovely to hear from ex staff and parents all catching up and wishing me all the best for my new job. So what have been the highlights? For me it has been the friendships made with staff and parents and the great stories of students who have started off, sometimes badly, but ended their time at Cessnock High School successfully going on to great careers. It is the academic achievements of

My thanks to the staff and students of Cessnock High School it has been an experience and a half. Finally, "Maybe some people just aren't meant to be in our lives forever. Maybe some people are just passing through. It's like some people just come through our lives to bring us something: A friend! a shoulder to cry on, a lesson we need to learn, advice, a helping hand. That's why they are here and you will have that gift forever." anon. Thank you and Farewell, Ms Jo Scott

students who I have worked with over the years and the phone calls when they have got into their choice of further education. It is the performances: Singing and dancing my way through MADD nights and karaoke afternoons. It is the excursions and camps where students and staff both get to know each other and work as a team. It is supervising students on work placement; watching them showcase themselves and our school so well and feeling a glow of pride when reading the reports written by the employers. Leading teams and groups such as VET and WT that I know make a difference to the education of students. Sometimes I have felt a little like " super-nanny": Getting people back on track, in order for them to make the most of the educational opportunities on offer at Cessnock High School each day and to put in place the stepping stones that will help ensure this.

The staff of Cessnock High School wish you a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday period and New Year.