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It is great to see the weather improving and the days getting longer. Thank you to Mrs Fletcher for taking on the acting Principal role and to the leadership team and staff for their work whilst I was on long service leave. There is certainly a lot happening in this busy term!
Students will complete their PAT testing this week. As a staff, we will be analysing the data in late November. Students have been sitting PAT Reading and Maths. These tests provide us with invaluable information regarding students’ academic progress and how we can best support their learning. Where required, adjustments are provided for students to support access to the tests and encourage maximum participation. Thankyou to Mrs Butler and Miss Rainbow for co-ordinating this testing.
Year 11 and 12
Year 11 and 12 classes have concluded and students are finalising some assessments. Our Year 12s now embark on the next chapter in their exciting futures – we encourage them to make the most of opportunities that come their way and thank them for their contributions to the school over a number of years. We wish our students sitting pre-tertiary exams all the very best. Our Year 11 and 12 program was identified as a strength in the school in our recent External School Review. On Thursday 2 November we celebrated the achievements of this cohort and recognised student achievement at a Celebration Evening at the Bridport Bunker. Well done to students who have demonstrated commitment, perseverance, growing self direction and motivation in completing their studies this year – achieving their TCE, or for our Year 11s, gaining 60 plus points towards their TCE and gaining the literacy and numeracy tick. We would also like to congratulate students who gained full apprenticeships and full time work during the year. It is rewarding to see so many students pursuing careers in an area of interest or passion for them. Thank you to the teachers who strongly support the students with their learning in both VET and TASC courses. Many thanks also to Mrs Narelle Krushka, Ms Liz Stanfield and Mrs Belinda Fletcher for their work and leadership in our Year 11/12 sector.
Nathan 'Dubsy' Want – Guest Speaker- Monday 13 November
On Monday 13 November, Nathan ‘Dubsy’ Want will be addressing our Year 9/10 students and Year 7/8 students about Words Matter: Understanding the impact of online bullying and promoting digital respect. Nathan has provided presentations at a number of northern high schools this year and we look forward to welcoming him to Scottsdale High to share some strategies with students on how to interact and communicate positively with others, and how every action can have a real world impact.
Nathan ‘Dubsy’ Want is a dynamic speaker and author who helps lead and navigate teens through the inescapable moments life throws at them. Dubsy is like a personal trainer (which he used to be) and youth worker in one; he effortlessly connects with teens helping them to be the best version of themselves. Combined with a decade of speaking and leadership, Dubsy is passionate, memorable and his inspiring insights gives teens the skills to deal with what’s in front of them now and what’s coming later in life. Thankyou to Mrs Smalldon for co-ordinating this event.
Swimming Carnival
Well done to all students who participated in the school’s Swimming Carnival on Thursday 2 November. Many thanks to Miss Juraimi for all her organisation and the HPE team and staff who assisted on the day. We did find that fewer students are electing to participate in this Carnival which may be due to the change to November in 2023 and students not having the chance to access the pool in the lead up to the Carnival. Next year, the Inter High Carnival Swimming Carnival returns to being held in March.
Results are - Minstone 1st, Ellesmere 2nd and Stronach 3rd.
Year 6 Transition
Year 5 and 6 students have also commenced the transition program. It was pleasing to see students from our feeder primary schools engaging enthusiastically in some learning activities last week. Thankyou to Miss Walker and Mrs Hall for their work in this space. Well done to the following Year 8 student mentors who assisted with the transition program and Year 10 leaders:
Year 8s – Lily, Alfie, Rhylan, Ava, Beau, Jake, Aaron, Molly Savannah, Zoe and Emhalia
Year 10 leaders: Matilda, Nic, Isaac, Zavier and Logan
We look forward to welcoming the Year 6s to Transition Day on Thursday 16th November. There will be a Parent Information Session for Year 6 parents/carers on Monday 20th November in the school library.
Year 8 Electives and 9/10 Academy and Electives – Information Evening 20th November 6pm
At 6pm on 20th November we will be holding an information evening on electives and options for parents/carers and students in our library. Based on feedback given by students, Year 9/10 students will have the option to select Academies for either the full or half year. Year 9/10 students can also select one elective per term ( a total of 4 electives over the year) but need to choose a minimum of two electives from the same learning area during the year to meet ACF reporting requirements. This will be explained further to students at our assembly next week. Information will be sent hope later next week to families.
Best wishes to our cattle handlers and Ms Rattray at the Westbury Show this weekend. All are welcome to see our students in action.
Elizabeth Williams
Principal
Production students are very busy in rehearsals, with only 1 month until opening night for the upcoming High School Musical.
Tickets can be purchased through the General Office or via the QKR! App.
Monday 4th December - 7:00pm
Tuesday 5th December - 7:00pm
Wednesday 6th December - 11:00am (SOLD OUT)
Wednesday 6th December - 7:00pm
Thursday 7th December - 7:00pm
On the first day of camp, we headed off to the Field Study Centre at South Mount Cameron. When we arrived, we quickly unpacked and set off on our first activity. Originally, we were going to walk up Mount Cameron but unfortunately, we were cut short due to the weather. Although we only got part way up, the view was still amazing. Once we got back, we got settled into our room, and had evening activities.
For the second day we got to go on the flying fox. Most people had a go, and some even had two. We even convinced Ella to have a go. Soon after that we packed up and headed to Stumpy’s Bay. We assembled our tents and had some downtime then went on a walk around significant cultural sites. Night activities for day two included a night drive, where we saw wombats, wallabies, and kangaroos.
Day three we walked up Mount William (Wukalina) and saw the amazing view while enjoying chocolate and lollies. After the decent we had some beach games and packed up camp. We started our trip home stopping at Gladstone for an ice-cream and lunch. We soon arrived back to Scottsdale High School and unpacked. We were all very tired, but we had a good time. Thankyou to Mr Le Fevre, Mrs Crack and Miss Brown for making our camp possible.
Written by Leila Jane A and Lorissa D
Year 7 students were busy creating Halloween Biscuits. Although the cooking room was a mess, the results were awesome. Well done Year 7.
Liz Sharp
On Thursday 9th of November 14 Year 10 SHS students travelled to the University of Tasmania Launceston campuses. The aim of this visit was to give students authentic learning experiences by passionate academics and for students to replicate the kinds of learning experiences they may encounter at University in a lecture, tutorial, workshop, or laboratory. This visit was to demystify university as a post college pathway, to inspire and inform future decision making. The UTAS staff shared about the environments and how they love learning and approach it with immense curiosity.
Miss Rainbow
On Saturday 11th of November our student leaders will attend the Scottsdale Remembrance Day service.
Students will lay a wreath kindly donated by Jan Rainbow and SLB president Jorja Haberle will deliver her speech about the importance of the Afghanistan War with the unveiling of a new statue to commemorate this past conflict and Australia's involvement.
Jorja' speech
Good morning all, and welcome to this year’s Remembrance Day. My name is Jorja Haberle, and I am the president of Scottsdale High School’s Student Leadership Board. Today we are here to commemorate Remembrance Day. Remembrance Day is a day to reflect on the fallen soldiers who have dedicated their lives to bravely defend our nation. It’s a significant day that serves as way to pay tribute to the selfless men and women who died fighting for their countries, while serving in wars, conflicts and peace keeping operations. So many have given their lives to protect the values and freedom that we consider to be important. Remembrance Day is held on 11th November each year. This is the anniversary of the Armistice that ended fighting with Germany in World War I. People in Australia, and many other countries, observe 1 minute's silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month because that's when the Armistice came into effect. Together we join together to honour our service personnel who died in service of Australia. Many of us wear a red poppy which is the commemorative flower of remembrance. The flower reminds us of those who lost their lives or suffered in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations. It's a tradition that began in the early 1900s, after World War I.
Today we are witnessing the unveiling of a statue that honours those who have fought and served in the Afghanistan War. The Afghanistan War is a conflict during a turbulent time that occurred from 2001 until 2021. As a young person, today the Afghanistan war is a relatively recent conflict which has not received the same level of commemoration as earlier wars such as World War 1 and 2. As a country we need to honour not only the past soldiers but service personnel in more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions who have given their life for generations to come.
On 11th September 2001, Australians felt outrage at al Qaeda’s attack on the United States. A year later, the devastating Bali bombings in Indonesia again brought home the threat of global terrorism. Some of those who planned the bombings had trained in Afghanistan. Australians were killed in both attacks.
Australia joined the United States and its allies across the world to take a stand against this threat. Afghanistan, a land contested by armies for centuries, became the focus of international efforts to contain terrorism.
The mission evolved over the past decade in what is called the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO). From counter-insurgency, through reconstruction, to mentoring, Australians have been working to create a democratic and stable Afghan nation. This mission aims to assist the people of Afghanistan, but also to promote the security of the region, diminish the influence of terrorist groups, and create a safer global environment. From 2001 to 2021, many men and women served in Afghanistan and have done our country proud.
This conflict had been told by Khaled Hosseini, an Afghan- American author who wrote the novel 'The Kite Runner' which opened many people’s eyes to the situation in Afghanistan. He told the story from the perspective of a young boy named Amir who experienced the rise of the Taliban regime after witnessing the fall of the Afghanistan monarchy through Soviet invasion. Many young families were forced to seek refuge because of the rise of the Taliban regime. This story clearly illustrates to all readers the immense hardship many families faced under Taliban rule. In his novel, Hosseini opens our eyes to the lives of regular Afghans as they try to survive against the tumultuous waves of war and the plight of Afghan refugees. The long term impact on war on families and society is conveyed to us and we come to understand why Australia joined this conflict to help the Afghans in their fight against the Taliban regime.
The Afghanistan war has impacted on many citizens lives throughout Afghanistan, America, Australia as well as many other countries. As a young person I continue to be confronted by the impact war and conflict has on so many citizens. Knowing that so many have fought for their freedom during a time when they were in need, holds me feeling immense empathy towards all involved. The unveiling of the Afghanistan war statue acts as a reminder of the hardships many have faced alongside the courageous acts of those who have served in our armed forces. As we come together today, we acknowledge and pay respects to the many courageous men and women who have lost their lives in war, conflict and peace keeping missions throughout the years.
Thankyou
Jorja H
Last Friday a number of children, parents and carers joined the Working With Children class to take part in the annual teddy bear's picnic. The sun was shining and the excitement level were high as the children participated in craft activities, dancing, running races and parachute play. Thank you to all the community members who came along and supported this successful event, also a big thank you to Woolworths Scottsdale for donating the fruit to share on the day.
NOTICEBOARD