What's On?
- Friday 3 July: Last Day of Term 2 / Reports emailed home
- Saturday 4 July - Monday 20 July: School Holidays
- Tuesday 21 July: Students Return for Term 3
- Tuesday 21 July - Monday 27 July: TSP Trials (Year 6 Students only)
- Friday 24 July: Year 10 Immunisations
- Tuesday 28 July: Year 10 Subject Selection Evening ONLINE
- Friday 31 July: TSP Applications Close (for current Year 7-11 students)
- Wednesday 5 - Friday 7 August: Year 11 Life Ready Program
- Friday 7 - Friday 14 August: Trial HSC Exams
- Tuesday 11 August: Online Parent Teacher Interviews
- Tuesday 11 & Wednesday 12 August: Year 8-12 2021 TSP Trials
Principal's Message
This is the first newsletter we've posted since the middle of Term 1, and who would have thought back then what was about to follow. The last term has been one of the most challenging times we've seen in education as the world literally changed around us when Coronavirus took hold. The way we worked, lived and learned seemed to change overnight in ways we could never have imagined. But now as we come out the other side and restrictions ease, we can look back at some of the incredible efforts, both within our school and in the wider community, to keep our students learning and to keep our community safe.
I want to thank all our parents and carers for their patience and understanding during the uncertain times we experienced. Things changed very quickly, sometimes daily, and we did our best to communicate everything with our school community while managing the enormous changes to the way we delivered lessons and ran the school within the restrictions. Your feedback and positive messages of support were truly appreciated and we are grateful for the support you gave your children while they were learning from home. Thank you to our students too who adapted to the many changes, supported each other and did their best through the time learning from home. We were all glad to be back and to have our students back at school full time from Week 5.
I would also like to thank all our amazing Hunter Sports High staff, teaching and non-teaching, for the incredible job they did to move to online learning in a very short space of time, and for the stability, consistency and support they provided for our students and families. It was an extraordinary effort of which I am very proud and the lessons we have all learnt from this unprecedented time have been incredible.
We had websites created, lessons planned, fitness programs on apps and google classrooms set up in no time! While events and excursions were cancelled we moved to virtual experiences and engaged with technology in ways we had never done before. Full staff briefings were delivered over Microsoft Teams and we even conducted a virtual tour and open night for our incoming Year 7 TSP students and their families, giving them an insight into Hunter Sports High from the comfort of home! We certainly had to embrace technology more than ever before and when we returned to school we asked students and staff to complete a brief survey about the remote learning period and the use of technology.
Strong feedback results indicated that laptop devices were a very valued tool for learning. As a result, we would like to ensure that all students bring their devices to school each day so our teachers can continue to access powerful learning tools in the classroom. Student feedback indicated that using laptops allowed them to work at their own pace and that they felt more engaged and less distracted when using their device. To be able to take this positive from the Coronavirus situation is a great opportunity for our school and we continue to integrate technology into lessons now that students are back at school. All students across all years are now expected to bring learning devices to school each day and we've updated our Bring Your Own Learning Device Policy (see link below). If you have any questions about the BYOLD policy or accessing a device, please contact the school office on 4943 5755.
From the start of Term 3, restrictions will be further eased and we'll see a return to normal school sport on the first day of term. We'll be able to resume all school sport and activities aligned with current health advice, including inter-school student events and competitions which also means our TSP Trials can finally go ahead, and our students can return to work experience too.
Semester 1 student reports will be emailed home tomorrow, Friday 3rd July, and we will be holding online Parent Teacher interviews for students in all years on Tuesday 11 August. Further details regarding the parent teacher night, including instructions on how to book appointments, will be emailed to parents at the beginning of Term 3.
To mark the halfway mark of the school year our students and staff are celebrating tomorrow with a friendly basketball battle in the stadium. I'm sure our determined students will make it a tight contest against their teachers! I wish all our students and families a safe and restful break, and for our Year 12 students who have just one term of school to go - use the break wisely for some rest and relaxation as well as study and revision ahead of the Trial HSC exams early next term. Enjoy the holidays!
Rachel Byrne - Principal
reasons to bring a note
A reminder from our friendly Deputy Principals that students should bring a note from home for any of the following reasons:
- If they are arriving late
- If they haven't brought a learning device (BYOLD)
- If they are in incorrect uniform
- If they need to leave school early
- If they have been absent from school a note is needed to explain the absence
- If your family or contact details have changed please call the office or get your student to collect a 'Change of Details' form from the office and return to school (email, address, phone number, emergency contacts etc) to ensure you receive all school communication and that we can reach you in an emergency.
We also remind parents/carers that students should not attend school if they are feeling unwell. If they are unwell at school, parents or a nominated emergency contact will need to collect them immediately. Please ensure your contact details are up to date.
reconciliation week
Hunter Sports High marked Reconciliation Week in a slightly different way this year given the restrictions that were still in place on the return to school in Week 5. We couldn't hold our usual assembly but continued our strong tradition of raising awareness of and commemorating significant dates for our Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander community by discussing National Sorry Day and reconciliation in classes to reflect on how we can all play a part in the reconciliation process. In line with this year's fitting theme of 'In this Together' our school community united to pay our respects to Country in the video above.
order lunch online with new canteen app
Hunter Sports High recently introduced a new app to make school lunches even easier for our parents and students. Canteen orders can now be placed online at any time using the Flexischools app. Follow the instructions below to download the app and make ordering school lunches a breeze! For more information about our school canteen, including the current menu, please visit the canteen page on our school website.
homework centre
Our Homework Centre has been a hit with many students joining us in the Innovation Centre of an afternoon since school returned this term. The Homework Centre gives our students a warm quiet place to study and complete homework with the support of teachers. The centre will continue next term each Monday-Thursday from 3.15pm - 4.30pm.
technology in tas
Students in Years 7 and 8 have been having fun developing their skills in computational thinking and computer programming (coding), skills and knowledge they need in their future careers. Students study 50 hours of digital technologies over two years in Stage 4 Technology (Mandatory). Students have been using App Lab from code.org and Micro: bit technology to create amazing creative solutions, from dance parties and cartoon strips to the timing gates for CO2 dragster racers and temperature/soil moisture probes for growing seeds in Food and Agriculture.
This time every term
an article about big picture by Sophia Walton
What’s been happening in Big Picture lately? Well let me tell you! Around this time every term from Week 8 to 10 it is what we call 'Exhibition Week'. For a brief idea of what it is I shall tell you. Exhibition Week is when you pick a time and date to present your whole term project. Everyone that is in the Academy picks one major topic to do for the term and has a limited time from about Week 5 to Week 10 to finish but of course that is depending on when your exhibition is due to be produced to your invitees or as we say, our panel.
Meet 13 year-old Jack Anderson. Jack is in the Year 8 advisory, Fully Loaded, at the Hunter Sports High Big Picture Academy where he is surrounded by all of his new and old friends. This is Jack's first year in Big Picture. He had started in mainstream last year but had not exactly been having the best time out there. Jack did not know what to expect in Big Picture for 2020 but he sure wasn’t going to let this opportunity slide away. “Jack is gaining more confidence throughout his project work which is contributing to his confidence in his academic work” Mr Craig Martine, who is the advisor of Fully Loaded had said. Jack last term had based his project around plumbing which he found quite fun and interesting, and this term Jack has picked Surfing as his major topic which he had loved doing and found extremely fun. This term for Jack's project he had looked over and covered information about waves, tides and building a surfboard. Shown below you shall find a picture of Jack and his surfboard creation.
Jack had worked on this product for around one month and four days with his father, Danny Anderson and grandfather, John Anderson. The Andersons were extremely excited and happy to help Jack along the way with his surfboard. Where did he get the surfboard though? You see when Jack and the Mr Anderson’s had ordered the surfboard from South Coast Foam, a foam and fibreglass shop located in Burleigh Heads, Queensland, what they had ordered was only a blank long piece of foam that they had turned into quite an amazing piece of work that will definitely get put to work as soon as possible. Hunter Sports High Big Picture Academy and peers are looking forward to what Jack has to offer whether it is academically, sports endurance, project or product-based we are all looking forward to what will be given to us by Jack in the future.
We also had another wonderful and creative exhibition which was presented recently by 13 year-old Charlie Maguire. Charlie is also in the Fully Loaded advisory. “Charlie has improved a lot as a person and a learner throughout the semester!” Craig said. For Charlie’s major term project he focused his studies and work around carpentry. Charlie had a lot of fun this term with his project. Charlie had produced a product to the panel this term that was based around his termly project. He had built a picture frame that was around 1 metre by 700mm. Charlie had help from his mother, Deannie and father, Gordon. They were more than happy to help their son with his project. “Charlie's product was amazing, using driftwood he found on the beach to turn it into a photo frame and putting a picture in that he took was pretty special. Something he will keep forever.” Craig has stated.
Charlie has had loads of fun with this semester’s projects. Together with building his picture frame, he also built a surfboard rack for his bedroom in Term 1. Charlie’s advisors and peers are looking forward to what he has to offer and present in the future. Charlie has done extremely well this term and he should definitely be proud with how far he has come in his short journey!
around the grounds: sport news
bowled over by our New Cricket Nets
Our TSP Cricketers are loving the school's latest new facilities, with the brand new four-lane cricket nets now in full swing and getting a great workout during TSP training sessions. Hunter Sports High secured funding for the new nets through a government grant, and was supported by additional funding from Cricket NSW and Lake Macquarie Council. The four individual lanes feature a 15-metre run-up and we hope to further improve the facility with the addition of a roof in the future. This is a fantastic addition to the school and will benefit not only our students but our local cricket clubs and community.
Allison announced in ACT Cricket Team
In other exciting cricket news, former student and TSP cricket squad member Allison McGrath (Year 12 2019) was recently contracted by Cricket ACT to play WNCL and has been named in the 2020/21 ACT Meteors squad. Allison moved to Canberra and started training with the squad four weeks ago. Congratulations Allison and good luck in the season ahead!
pe challenge
Our creative and tech-savvy PDHPE staff put together an amazing online PE platform during the period of learning from home. The PE Challenge provided students with a one stop-shop for PE prac lessons. It formed part of the practical evidence of learning for Year 7-10 students and had compulsory activities embedded in the website as well as a physical activity log which encouraged students to keep active and engaged in their schoolwork at home. Many students got stuck into it and even continued with the challenges when they returned to face-to-face lessons. Below is a fantastic example of a challenge created by Year 9 student Taimana Elers based around agility and coordination. Well done Taimana!
RUGBY STUDENTS TRAIN WITH WALLABY LEGEND
For the last two weeks our TSP rugby students have been training with Waratah, Wallaby and Aussie 7's legend, David 'Campo' Campese. Students got expert coaching on basic catch and pass and attack lines, as well as being able to participate in some game-based scenarios with Campo himself. The 101-test legend returned this week to work with students again on not only the basic skills but also on student mindsets and rugby inspiration. We thank Campo for the guidance and inspiration he has provided to to our budding superstars!
talented sports program Trials
Trials for places in Hunter Sports High's 2021 Talented Sports Program will take place in Week 1 & 2 next term for current Year 6 students and Week 4 for current Year 7-11 students. For more information about trial details please visit the TSP page on the school website. Applications for places in Years 8-12 next year close on Friday 31 July.
student welfare news
school safety zones - rangers patrolling in term 3
We need your help to keep our kids safe. Lake Macquarie City Council Rangers have been patrolling schools during Term 2 and they have noticed more parents are relying on their vehicles for school drop-off and pick-up. Lake Mac Council has asked us to remind parents of the correct parking rules, including the following:
- No stopping – you cannot stop here unless there is a medical or other emergency
- Bus zone – you cannot stop here unless you are driving a bus
- No parking – you can stop here for two minutes only to drop-off or pick-up and the driver must stay within three metres of your vehicle
- Pedestrian crossings – you cannot stop within 20 metres before or 10 metres after a pedestrian crossing unless there is a control sign permitting parking
- Double parking – you cannot stop on the road alongside other vehicles at any time to drop-off or pick-up.
Lake Mac Rangers will be increasing patrols around our local schools during Term 3 to monitor illegal parking and safety issues and will be issuing infringements to drivers not following the rules.
school immunisation program:
Vaccinations for Year 10 students (Meningococcal) are scheduled for Friday 24th July (first Friday back at school). All Year 10 students were issued immunisation consent cards at the start of the year. These cards should be returned to the Student Services Office as soon as possible. Remember to include your Medicare number and sign the form. Please contact Hunter New England Area Health Service Centre for Population on 4924 6499 if you have any questions regarding the immunisation program.
NCCD Data Collection for students with a disability
The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with a Disability (NCCD) take place in August every year. Schools must collect and submit information each year for the NCCD and helps schools support students with disability, ensuring this support becomes routine in the day-to-day practice of schools. For more information about the NCCD see the 'Fact Sheet for Parents, Guardians and Carers' the images below.
entertainment book fundraiser
Each year Hunter Sports High sells Entertainment Books with a percentage of sales being directed back to the school to support our students. When you buy an Entertainment Membership before July 13, you will receive an extra 2 months BONUS Membership (14 months total), plus 3 months to activate and a $10 or $20 WISH eGift Card! Follow this link to purchase your copy.
out of school hours care coming to wiripaang
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