Our latest crop of contenders for the 2019 Sportsperson of the Year Award were announced at today's assembly. Congratulations to the following students on their selection as Hunter Sports High's Sportspeople of the Month for April, May and June:

APRIL: ALYSSA HOGAN

Year 7 student Alyssa is a member of our TSP Football Program. She was identified and selected in the Northern NSW School Girls Under 13 futsal team that competed in the National Titles and was also selected in the Under 13 Australian futsal team that toured Spain in May. Congratulations Alyssa!

MAY: HANNAH JARVIS

Also in Year 7, Hannah is a distance runner in the TSP Athletics Program. She won the 400m, 800m, 1500m and 3000m distance events at the school carnival earlier this term as well as the 1500m State Little Athletics event and took out first place in the Hunter Region Cross Country carnival. Hannah also represented NSW at the Australian Championships earlier this year where she finished 4th in the 1500m and 5th in the 800m. Congratulations Hannah!

JUNE: BOSTON KERAPA

Boston, Year 12 student and a member of the TSP Rugby Union Program, is playing 1st Grade in the Newcastle Hunter Rugby Union competition and has been selected in several school representative teams in 2019. So far this year he has been selected in the Hunter CHS team that came second at the CHS State titles, as well as the NSW CHS 1st XV squad that toured South Africa in the last school holidays. Last week Boston was selected in the NSW All Schools Rugby Union team. Congratulations Boston!

KRYSTAL DESIGNS another INDIGENOUS DRESS FOR GIANTS:

Year 12 student and TSP netball squad member Krystal Dallinger designed the GIANTS Netball Indigenous Round playing dress again this year and was in Sydney for the local derby between the GIANTS and Swifts last month as the team ran out in her dress for the second year in a row. What an absolute honour for this talented young student and artist! Krystal explains the meaning behind her design and her special bond with GIANTS player Sam Poolman in the clip below. Congratulations Krystal!

experimenting in science

Year 11 & 12 ORICA visit

As part of real authentic learning a number of Year 11 and 12 Chemistry students visited Orica chemical plant in Stockton this week. Orica is the largest commercial supplier of ammonia - a chemical used in explosives, fertilizers, mining - and turns over $5.4 billion dollars a year. Students witnessed real life chemistry in action and saw how technology increases the yield whilst reducing cost, as well as the complicated safety monitoring systems. “It was good to see how Chemistry we have been studying works in the real world and what range of possible job opportunities there are in Chemistry. We got to tour the Orica site and look inside an oven that was over a 1000 degrees Celsius.” Holly Dodd from Year 11

Project Based Learning - STEM Challenge

Science programs are being modified to incorporate project-based learning. Year 10 students took part in a STEM challenge recently, working together to build a catapult and launch a projectile and measuring whose went the furthest with the most accuracy. Students work as part of a team, problem solve and communicate their ideas to their peers to make modifications and improvements to their design. The winners of this challenge were Angus Hile and Shanti Evans. Congratulations guys!

primary students visit our Henny Penny Hatchlings

Our science staff and students are enjoying sharing our amazing new science labs with our partner primary schools with many fun visits this term from our next generation of scientists! The partnerships with our primary school are proving very positive for all and are producing some outstanding results. One project students worked on this term was 'Living Things' which involved students learning about a range of different animals, body systems and adaptations to have a healthy organisms. To see the fun, excitement and engagement of the primary students in their learning was priceless.

pDHPE in practice

Term 3 has been a busy time for students in PDHPE courses with a wide variety assessment tasks and practical activities taking place. Students in Years 7-10 have been enjoying practical activities based around 'Fundamental Movement Skills' and 'Net Games'. These units are designed to give students the skills and knowledge to participate in and enjoy a wide variety of different sports and activities.

Our Year 9 PASS elective classes have been working hard in the school’s gymnasium developing their skills and knowledge to participate in Strength and Conditioning programs. These classes have been working under our Strength & Conditioning coordinator Mr Trypas and students have been progressing through the different exercises and movements that can be implemented to improve their sporting and athletic performance.

In another of our PDHPE subjects, students in our Year 10 Child Studies class visited Ronald McDonald House at the John Hunter Hospital during Week 8. The students have been looking at 'Health and Safety in Childhood' and evaluating the role of community resources that promote and support the well being of children and families.

Ronald McDonald House is a charity-funded house run by over 200 volunteers. It helps the families of sick children with accommodation, food and schooling and allows the parents and siblings of sick children to be close to each other in a time of need. Isha from Ronald McDonald House gave students a tour of the facilities, including the accommodation, kitchen, play areas and the much-needed family rooms located at the hospital. The class intends to host a fundraiser next term to raise money to support Ronald McDonald House.

TAS students cook up a storm

Term 3 has been a busy one in the TAS Faculty and below we share with you some of the amazing work our students have been producing in class. TAS staff would also like to thank prac teacher, Mr James Conn, who has successfully completed his teaching internship at Hunter Sports High this term under the guidance and supervision of Mr Davies and Mr Hanlon. Mr Conn has been a tremendous asset to the TAS Faculty and we wish him well with his future endeavours and teaching career.

YEAR 9 MARINE and AQUACULTURE

This term in Marine and Aquaculture Technologies, we have been exploring the impact of human activity and pollution on marine environments. Students have looked at pollutants in the Hunter River catchment and their effect on local marine ecosystems, and have also investigated ways we can combat pollution so that marine environments can be enjoyed by future generations. A number of excursions this term allowed students to observe the effects of pollution first-hand and to see the results of tidal and current processes.

YEAR 7 PASSION PROJECT

Mrs Barker’s Passion Project students have been investigating the use of plastics - how it is prolifically used for food and packaging and yet we can’t dispose of the product effectively. Students have been researching about the damage plastics are causing our environment, our oceans and sea life. Students identified methods we can use to reduce our use of plastics and to ensure a greater responsibility to the planet. They made beeswax fabric wraps to demonstrate how food can be protected in lunchboxes instead of single use plastic.

designer breakfasts in YEAR 8 FOOD TECHNOLOGY

In class we're making a breakfast meal for the school breakfast club. The design process of making the food was a step-by-step process. We started off with planning what we were going to make that would be suitable for a teenager to eat for breakfast. My recipe was challenging but we eventually got it done. The food was then put into the fridge and stored overnight. The next day the food was taken out and served to the students that need breakfast. The cooking was a great experience for us because we got to serve it to other people. By Hunter Baldwin

At the advantage of being able to make a breakfast meal for breakfast club, we were given a recipe for a group of two or three. At the start of the process groups were given a recipe to cook. We first planned the cooking, developing a workflow from start to finish. After writing a plan we then went to the kitchen, organising the things we would need for cooking our meal. Grabbing ingredients and working as a team we chopped up the food that was needed and cooked or baked our meal. Working off our plan and working to our measured time limits our meal was finished at 3.10pm ready by our specific time to be put in the fridge ready to be served on Friday at 8.00am. When it came to Friday our meals were heated up and ready to serve to our fellow students and teachers. By Lainee McFadyen

year 9 food technology practicals

year 11 hospitality: barista 101

vet metal & engineering

getting creative in CAPAL classes

visual arts

It has been a busy semester in Visual Arts at Hunter Sports High School with many changes this year so far including fresh new classrooms and fresh faces too as we welcomed Mr Scott McGrevy, Ms Melanie Smith and Mrs Lee Schubert to our staff.

Junior Visual Arts students have been studying the elements of art, abstraction, cartooning and portraiture this semester. Year 7 students have been working on pencil techniques and are currently working towards a portrait of an Australian that inspires them. Year 8 students have investigated the personal qualities represented in popular fictional characters. They are researching an iconic cartoon of their choice and will soon be designing, illustrating and sculpting their own unique character. We look forward to showcasing their finished works later this year.

Year 9 have been studying a range of 2D materials in Semester 1. This term they have been researching street art and are now working towards designing a street art-inspired 3D object. Year 10 have been researching ancient sculptures. They are now working on clay sculptures inspired by their research. Year 11 have been studying the Modernist art movements and creating a small artwork inspired by each one in their Visual Arts Diary. They are working up to creating a Body of Work inspired by one of the movements.

Here are just a few of the amazing artworks created by our students this semester...

languages

It certainly has been a busy term in Language. Mrs Ingram was awarded the 2019 Premier’s Language Teachers Scholarship and travelled to the Republic of Korea and Japan during May to research innovative technologies and their application to language teaching. She's shared some of the highlights of her trip with us a bit further on.

In other news, we were fortunate to have a special visit from staff from the Consulate-General of Japan who travelled from Sydney to run Calligraphy workshops with 60 students from Years 7 last week. Students were introduced to all aspects of this artform including how to sit correctly, how to hold the brush correctly and the names of the various tools traditionally used in Japanese calligraphy. Students were taught the meanings and stroke order of a variety of kanji symbols including 山 (mountain), 花 (flower), 心 (heart)、愛 (love)、忍び (ninja)、水 (water) and 火 (fire). Students were then able to practise their favourite kanji several times on newspaper before completing their final copies on traditional Japanese paper known as hanshi. It was wonderful to see the students concentrating to create beautiful calligraphy works. Some students even learnt additional kanji for words important to them.

Students recently participated in the Education Perfect Regional Language Championships. Our students worked well throughout the duration of the competition with the following students achieving awards:

• Silver Awards: Joshua Muddle & Tameka Chambers
• Bronze Awards: Kyarne Goodwin & Hannah Jarvis
• Credit Awards: Tahlia Ottery, Ryan Tukapua & Kaman Pappas

Planning for the 2020 Hunter Sports High School trip to Japan is well underway and there are still a few spaces left. If you are interested in finding out more and were unable to attend the information session, please contact Mrs Ingram via email on shanelle.ingram@det.nsw.edu.au

Mrs ingram's Highlights from korea & japan

• I began my research in the Republic Of Korea. I was fortunate to spend time at two schools in the Republic Of Korea - Dulwich College and Bongwhang High School in Naju Prefecture. School life is very rigorous in the Republic of Korea with school finishing around 4pm but most high school students are at private cram schools known as hagwon or at in-school study halls until around 11pm. Most schools provide a paid lunch and dinner for the students so there is no need to go home. Students and teachers eat together in the large dining area and there is a set menu each day that everyone eats. I enjoyed all the classes I visited and although I don’t speak a lot of Korean, the students and teachers were great translators for me. All students learn both Korean and English as well as a third language, so I was in good company.
• In addition to the school visits, I visited many companies to experience new and exciting technologies. T.um (SK Telecoms ICT Experience Centre), b;eat which was an innovative café where your drink was created and served by a robotic arm and Samsung D’light which is a showroom where you can experience new Samsung Technologies. I was also able to try Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in various settings. There are so many exciting technologies in the Republic of Korea.
• I happened to be there when Buddhas Birthday was celebrated and what a wonderful celebration it was. The Lotus Lantern Festival included a huge parade with more than 100,000 lanterns and floating lanterns moving through the streets of Seoul until late.
• After two weeks, I farewelled Seoul and flew over to Japan where I continued my research in Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo visiting Doshisha Junior High School, Doshisha International Schools and Shohoku College. I saw classes where students had live video lessons with native speakers in foreign countries, with “Musio” a social robot that is enhancing language learning and more.
• One of the coolest things I tried was Ninja VR in Kyoto. I was able to try out my ninja skills both with and without virtual reality. It was so much fun that I would love to let all students try it!
• I also visited many other places including Knowledge Capital in Osaka which showcased university and company innovation, teamLabBorderless - a digital art museum in Tokyo and Miraikan – National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (where I was very excited to see the old but very cool Asimo Humanoid Robot show). I met with the President of Tokyo Robotics and we discussed the use of robots in various settings. I was fortunate to meet Torobo, a humanoid robot they have created.
• Through my scholarship, I was able to catch up with old friends and make new friends. I have already received invitations from two of the schools in Japan to visit them on our Hunter Sports High School trip in 2020 which is very exciting. A big thank you to Mrs Noonan who taught my classes while I was away.

music news

BAND: The end of Term 2 sees the HSHS Band kicking goals with five new pieces and two big performances under their belts. They performed for staff and students at our open classroom on Monday during lunch (joined by some soloists from Years 8, 9 & 10) and again at the Formal Assembly today. They may be only small but they have a mighty sound!

YEAR 9 AND 10 ELECTIVE CLASSES: There is quite a bit of talent being displayed in our elective classes this year. At present they're learning about Classical Music and Pop Music since the 80’s. We have been experimenting with Audacity - an audio editing program - to produce our own DJ tunes and playing some popular classical music with our pop instruments and drums, making a very interesting music genre!

PASSION PROJECTS: This term for Passion Projects some Year 7 and 8 students were involved in Ukulele group or Drumline. We had our first gig at Wirripaang Public School this week and loved it! These groups were excellent at building team skills and ensemble work. Well done to all involved.

PROJECT REAL

This semester Year 7 have been the first group of students to be a part of new subject adopted in 2019. Project REAL is an integrated subject in which students are required to achieve outcomes from various Key Learning Areas. The program has enabled our students to become more confident when using different platforms of technology, working collaboratively and linking their knowledge acquired to real world experiences.

The Project REAL teaching team is comprised of the following staff: Miss Sykes and Mrs Knight (English); Mrs Burke, Mrs Sceresini, Mr Handley and Mr Jovanovski (Science); Mrs Hines & Mrs Carolan (TAS); and Program Coordinator Mr Oprea (Mathematics).

Project REAL students have been extremely busy for the first half of the year enjoying a range of curriculum activities and took part in local history and local culture excursions. They participated is a Local History excursion at Newcastle Museum, Fort Scratchley and ANZAC Memorial walk where they gathered and researched historical information and participated in a scavenger hunt activity at the museum.

In Term One students were involved in a simulated warfare using water balloons, participating cooperatively and positively. Earlier this term students visited the Murrook Cultural Centre where they listened to dreamtime stories, learned aboriginal words, made connections to country through aboriginal artefacts and enjoyed conversation with Worimi Aboriginal elders.

The following piece of writing is a diary entry written by a Project REAL student, similar to one of a soldier fighting at Gallipoli:

Dear Diary, 14th of August, 1916. War is hard. War is tough. I wasn't ready for war, even though I thought I was. I am not ready to see what I see, but now I have no choice, no control. I am currently fighting at ANZAC Cove, Turkey. I don't enjoy what I see, and I most certainly never expected to see something like this. I wanted to turn away in that very moment that gun shot was coming towards my head. I couldn't turn, I couldn't look away. Although I really wish I had because everything I have seen has scared me forever. I wish I never came. I wish I never put myself in a situation such as this very one. I'm stuck out here, and I can't escape, I can't let my fellow soldiers down.

I could hear gunshots being shot left, right and cent. I see nothing but my fellow soldiers suffering from gun wounds the opposition shot at them. Just to make it worse, I have to wake up tomorrow and hear, see and contribute all over again, and I will do that until the war is over. Until we have fought for our country's freedom to the top of our potential. I need to hope for the best. I need to stay positive. I hope I survive. I hope my friends do too. My best mate is currently suffering 3 gun wounds. He sacrificed himself for 2 other soldiers. I am so grateful to have such a great mate like him. I strongly hope he survives, he deserves the best. All our soldiers deserve the best, and I am their leader.

So far I think I have served my country with pride, passion and commitment. I never realised the pain and difficulty I would have to go through because of war. I never thought this many lives could be lost because of a such thing, and because of this experience, I will become stronger, but I will also never forget the sights I have seen, the things I have heard and I won't ever again experience the pain I have felt and seen. Anyway, I hope everything works out in the end. I hope we all get what we deserve in the end, but as we all know, no promises. We will remember those who fought for our country, and we will appreciate the life they put at risk for us. Lest We Forget.

AROUND THE GROUNDS: SPORT NEWS

grand final glory for girls rugby league teams

Congratulations to our awesome girls rugby league teams who competed in the Newcastle Knights Premiership - Katrina Fanning Shield grand finals at McDonald Jones Stadium this week, winning all three secondary female divisions for a clean sweep of the competition! The Under 14s defeated Muswellbrook High 50-4, the Under 16s defeated Rutherford Technology High 28-16 and the Open Girls defeated Hunter River High 28-26. Well done to all the girls and their proud coaches!

Bill Turner boys score a win and a special award

Hunter Sports High's Bill Turner Cup team is through to the Area Final of the 2019 competition after a 4-2 win over Lambton High last week. The match held special significance for the boys as they were presented the inaugural Murray Wever Memorial Shield, an award created in honour of a past Bill Turner Cup player from Belmont High. Murray Wever scored the winning goal for Belmont in the first ever Bill Turner Cup at Wallsend in 1979. He died as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident in 1994, aged 29. His parents Beverley and Berend Wever presented the award to the HSHS team after the game. Jameson Oakley-McLean scored three goals on the day, and Samuel Jackson one. They will now come up against Maitland Grossman High School to decide the Area Champion.

Our girls Bill Turner Trophy team is also through to the Area Final after defeating Warners Bay High 14-0 in Round 3 and Merewether High 6-0 in Round 4. They are looking forward to the match against Central Coast Sports School to decide the Area Champion next term. Good luck to both teams in the next round!

Netball news

Its been a busy few weeks for our netball squad! Year 10 student Lashelle Holland was selected in the NSW Under 15 Netball team - congratulations Lashelle! We travelled to Sydney for the unveiling of Krystal Dallinger's second indigenous dress for the GIANTS and our Open team took out the Hunter CHS finals held here at school on Tuesday, defeating Kotara High to qualify for the the State Championships in August. Well done to all the girls for a great term of netball!

rugby students selected in state teams

Congratulations to Year 12 students Boston Kerapa and Kiara Bassam on their recent selection in the NSW schools teams. They'll both compete at Nationals at Riverview College during the school holidays!

hunter sports high home for touring Japanese women's rugby team

The Japanese Women's Rugby Team (also known as the Sakura) have chosen Hunter Sports High and Lake Macquarie to be the major base for their Australian tour when they play the Wallaroos later this month. During the two-test tour, where they will play the Australian team in Newcastle at #2 Sportsground on the 13th July and at North Sydney on the 19th July, they will train and recover at the facilities at Hunter Sports High and Ernie Callan Ovals.

The Sakura will be welcomed by members of the HSHS Rugby squad and Japanese classes on Saturday 6th July and will also compete in a semi-contested game on HSHS fields on Sunday 7th July against the NHRU Women's team, with some selected HSHS senior girls to participate. Students are also invited to an open training session on Thursday 11th July at Ernie Callan Oval Gateshead (the school's training facility), where the team will be put through their paces prior to the test. There will be other community engagements in the period, including the open Wallaroos training session at Townson Oval on Tuesday 8th July. Stay tuned for more information around engagement events with the team.

strength & conditioning knowledge hub: mr trypas shares his tips

Hunter Sports High's Strength & Conditioning Coach Mr Adam Trypas has a wealth of knowledge in all things health and fitness for adolescent athletes. He's sharing some insights for students and parents on our Facebook page about the latest research and world's best practice in strength, conditioning and athlete development. Here are his latest gems of wisdom:

it's how we roll

Here at Hunter Sports High foam rolling and soft tissue release protocols form a big part of our warm-up and recovery sessions. The benefits of foam rolling range from loosening up tight areas to actually helping you recover faster after a workout. Keep on rollin’!

the four r's of receovery

Don't get caught up with the hype when recovering from training or competition - just stick to the four R's:

1. REFUEL: Get good quality food into your body as soon as you can.
2. REHYDRATE: Get the water back into your body that you lost from sweat and energy expenditure.
3. REPAIR: Look after any niggling injuries or muscle tightness.
4. RELAX: Switch off. Your mind also needs recovery.

student welfare news

ysafe seminars for students & parents

ySafe is one of Australia's most trusted providers of online safety education and consultation for students, parents, schools and organisations. ySafe will be visiting Hunter Sports in Week 3 next term and will be presenting a variety of educational workshops on the topics of cyber safety, social media and digital wellbeing. The sessions are adapted to be developmentally relevant for students from Years 7-12 and are created by an award-winning team of psychologists, education specialists and law enforcers.

We will be also be holding a Parent Information Night at the school on Tuesday 20th August and encourage all parents to attend. These sessions provide strategy-rich and practical content that can be implemented immediately by parents to promote safer online environments. For more information go to https://www.ysafe.com.au

Y11 Crossroads Program:

Year 11 students next term will be participating in the Cross Roads Program during Week 3. The program has been developed to address some of the personal and social issues that young people face today. More information will be distributed early next term but please be advised that while the program is relevant and evidence based, it does address some mature themes that can be confronting when exploring topics such as mental health, relationships and road incidents.

Year 8 focus day

Year 8 students participated in their 'Focus Day' last week, completing a range of activities aimed to develop positive connections with peers as well as a greater understanding of the importance of maintaining good mental health. Students were provided with relevant strategies and skills they can apply at school and in their everyday lives to develop respectful relationships. Students also signed an Anti-Bullying Pledge on the day, agreeing to: treat others respectfully; trying to include those who are left out; refuse to bully others or to watch, laugh or join in if someone is being bullied; tell an adult; and help if someone is being bullied. Students were positively engaged in all aspects of the day. They were particularly supportive of one another in overcoming obstacles in team challenges and actively listening to peers sharing stories about their own lives.

thank you

Special thanks to Eastlake Youth Centre for suppling some fabulous pamper packs for HSHS students! The packs for included items such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, detergent, body spray and lots more goodies.

The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)

The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) is an annual process participated in by all Australian schools across the country. The aim of this process is to provide the Australian Government with consistent information about the number of students with disability in Australian schools and the type of adjustments they require in order to access and participate in education on the same basis as other students. From 2018, the NCCD will be used by the Australian Government to inform funding for schools, known as the ‘student with disability loading’. For more information follow the link below:

community notices