AMBARVALE HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER 2020, ISSUE NO. 43 2020 NSW Ambulance School Scheme Students at Ambarvale High School are covered by the NSW Ambulance School and Group Cover Scheme for 2020. This means that any student who has an accident or falls ill whilst at school, on an organised excursion or acvity, and requires the ambulance service, will be covered for the cost of the ambulance. EXTRA CARE: Measles, Chicken Pox, Whooping Cough and the Flu Dear Parents, I write to inform you that a student in our school is currently receiving treatment which results in a lowered immune system, which means, the student is more prone to geng ill from infecons. As the student is not contagious but has a chronic illness, it is important they parcipate acvely in the day to day school program without any major limitaons. A major concern is that if this student develops measles, chicken pox, whooping cough or influenza, they could become seriously ill. We seek your cooperaon in prevenng this situaon. If your child has or may have measles or chicken pox, we would ask that you please: 1. Do not send them to school. 2. Nofy the school Principal as soon as possible. 3. Take your child to your GP or medical centre to confirm the diagnosis is possible. Thanking you in ancipaon. Ms Barno-Clement and The Children’s Hospital of Westmead
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AMBARVALE HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER 2020, ISSUE NO. 43
2020 NSW Ambulance School Scheme
Students at Ambarvale High School are covered by the NSW Ambulance School and Group
Cover Scheme for 2020.
This means that any student who has an accident or falls ill whilst at school, on an organised excursion or activity, and requires the ambulance service, will be covered for the cost of the ambulance.
EXTRA CARE: Measles, Chicken Pox, Whooping Cough and the Flu
Dear Parents,
I write to inform you that a student in our school is currently receiving treatment which results in a lowered immune system, which means, the student is more prone to getting ill from infections. As the student is not contagious but has a chronic illness, it is important they participate actively in the day to day school program without any major limitations. A major concern is that if this student develops measles, chicken pox, whooping cough or influenza, they could become seriously ill. We seek your cooperation in preventing this situation.
If your child has or may have measles or chicken pox, we would ask that you please:
1. Do not send them to school.
2. Notify the school Principal as soon as possible.
3. Take your child to your GP or medical centre to confirm the diagnosis is possible.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Ms Barnott-Clement and The Children’s Hospital of Westmead
A very warm welcome to all our 2020 families, both new and returning. I am really looking forward to working together to maximise the learning and wellbeing outcomes for our students.
With the bushfires, and then the flooding rains, it has been a very tumultuous start to the year, and I would like to remind all of our families that if any of our students or families have been impacted, we can offer support. We have Counsellors, Student Support Officers and other Wellbeing staff that can both support you and your child, but also act as a conduit to link you to services within our community to ensure everyone is well supported.
Year 7 are off to a cracker start and it has been so lovely catching up with them during the school day and hearing their thoughts and feedback on High School so far. Overall, it has been a resounding ‘thumbs up’. I particularly enjoyed watching them receive their free ‘book pack’ on their first day, and how much their faces lit up when they saw what was in the pack. Valued at over $70.00, ‘book pack’ is a bit of a misnomer as there is much more than just books included for our Year 7 students. Free book packs at the start of Year 7 is just one of our initiatives to ensure the funding we receive goes directly to the educational needs of our students.
A reminder to the parents of all our students that we can provide financial assistance for all student needs, including equipment, uniform and excursions as required. Please contact the school for confidential advice and support.
Our school day begins at 8:30am and all students should be on site by that time. The bell for rollcall rings at 8:40am and the Senior Executive are on duty in both the bus bay and the playground to greet our students at the start of the day and to provide playground supervision.
Last year we had a new PA system installed that allows us to play music rather than ring bells to indicate the start and finish of lessons. Students and staff are really enjoying the little moments of music throughout the day, particularly when they are themed! Week 3 was dedicated to love songs as we approached Valentine’s Day on Friday, 14 February 2020. In its own small way, our musical bells add to the pleasant nature of the school day.
During my Principals address at our school assemblies in Week 3, I spoke to students about the dangers of social media to steal your happiness. Social media is a really important part of young people’s lives and an important tool for communication and contact. However it is important that the person rules the social media rather than the social media ruling the person. Too often at school we need to deal with poor behaviours that have stemmed from miscommunication and/or the breakdown in relationships. Almost invariably, social media has had a role to play.
Please have a chat with your child and encourage them to limit and manage their use of social media, and to only engage with it if it is making them happier, not if it is making them stressed, upset or sad. Sometimes they get caught up in their screens, forgetting that their real friends may well be sitting right beside them. They also forget the power they have to turn it off! Social media is a tool that young people need to explicitly learn to manage and control.
Happy first term!
Ms Louise Barnott-Clement
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
In Year 10 Physical Activity and Sport Studies (PASS), students are studying Sports Medicine. Earlier in this topic, they were required to find interesting facts about a sport of their choice, find the common injuries, the causes of those injuries and find venues and clubs where they could participate. To summate their knowledge, they were asked to put the information into one article. Alyssa-Jade Binney is in Mr Yee’s class, and created this outstanding article!
Volleyball is a highly competitive, team sport played by all ages and levels. Two teams of six players are separated by a net, splitting the court in halves. Players serve, pass, set, attack, block and dig the ball to defend their half of the court and score on the other by grounding the ball. It has been a part of the official program of the Summer Olympic Games since Tokyo, 1964. In 2006, the Australian Sports Commissions conducted a survey showing an estimated 196,500 Australians aged 15 years and older played Volleyball, being competitive or for beginners. Several health benefits come from playing Volleyball. Playing 45 minutes of Volleyball can burn up to 585 calories. Volleyball also improves muscle strength and tone. The activities required when playing Volleyball strengthen the upper body, arms, shoulders, thighs, abdominals, and lower legs. In addition, Volleyball improves hand-eye coordination, reflexes, and balance, and also improves mental health.
As well as health benefits, injuries do also come from playing Volleyball. The most common injuries are to the knee/lower leg, ankle and hand/finger/wrist. Sprains and strains to the ankle account for approximately two-thirds or more of injuries across all age groups and levels of Volleyball. These injuries occur when blocking, attacking, or when in net play, as players land. Increased hours of play and training are also causes to injuries as is playing with a pre-existing illness or injury. The majority of the injuries can be easily prevented by having good preparation, warming up and stretching before the game, cooling down after the game and playing within your limits. If a serious injury were to occur then seek prompt attention from qualified first-aid personnel or a sports medicine professional. However, you must stop playing if you do experience and injury or illness for caution and health reasons.
If you and your child are interested in playing or assisting Volleyball games, below are local clubs and venues to visit:
PCYC – Campbelltown Minto Indoor Sports Centre – Minto Macquarie Fields Multipurpose Court – Macquarie Fields Sydney Social Volleyball – Marrickville OR Perry Park State Volleyball NSW – Sydney Olympic Park
If you are interested contact your closest venue and find out when you can play Volleyball.
Congratulations to Matthew Bryant on his excellent results in Industrial Technology Multimedia. Matt received a Band 6 for his HSC at the end of 2019, which is the highest performance level to be attained. In Industrial Technology Multimedia, Matt created an original music video of almost 100 3D animated robots. To make his video a success, he used a combination of different content forms on the computer such as text, audio, images, animations, video and interactive content. Watch out for Matt Bryant in the future. Matthew Bryant
A further congratulations is also in order for Trent Trudgen, who also excelled in the HSC for his project from Industrial Technology Timber Products course. In class, Trent built a buffet table, instantly wowing the judges who could not resist but to score his work at a high level. Trent has now encompassed a great number of diverse skills, including turning, woodcarving, marquetry, cabinetmaking and joinery. Trent can now make his own furniture at home!
Trent Trudgen
For each student, these results reflect quality education and it is a true testament to Mr Roberts’ and Mr Simmons’ hard work and dedication to see their students’ fruition. The teaching and knowledge each teacher provided to their students has given them great success beyond their formal schooling at Ambarvale High School.
The Teachers in Technical and Applied Studies Faculty (TAS) pride themselves with promoting excellence, not only amongst themselves but in the classroom. The teachers’ often attend deep learning seminars outside of their busy schedules, to generate new skills, knowledge and proficiency, which in turn empowers student learning. Looking at the brilliant work from all of the students in the 2019 cohort, it is clear to see the success of our TAS courses.
Over the last few months we have all been affected, some more than others, by the bushfires that rapidly tore through most of Australia. Whilst it was a terrible ordeal for us, it was also very catastrophic to our wildlife, leaving over 1 billion animals displaced and in need of a safe place to recover and grow, like a pouch, when mum’s pouch is no longer available.
In Textiles and Design this semester Ms Lalopoulos along with her
students took part of the “Pledge a Pouch” Project. The Pouch Project
is a local initiative letting people pledge their support to make a pouch
and send it to the amazing people at The Rescue Collective, where it
will be distributed to wildlife hospitals or rehabilitation centres.
There are a number of exciting opportunities for Ambarvale students to demonstrate their
talents on the sporting field in 2020. Our regular carnivals include the Swimming Carnival which
took place on 25 February 2020, we will also facilitate the Cross Country Carnival on 6 May 2020
and the Athletics Carnival on 17 June 2020.
There will be numerous sporting teams who get the opportunity to participate in Knock-Out
competitions throughout the year, with teachers from across the school volunteering their time
as coaches. In Term 1 alone, organisation has begun for Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer, Touch
Football, Handball and Rugby League.
Later in the year, all students will have the opportunity to trial for additional teams in Oz-tag,
Futsal, Table Tennis and Netball. If you are interested in getting more information, ensure you
listen to the Daily Notices which are read out each morning, or ask a teacher at the PDHPE
staffroom during recess and lunch breaks.
2020 is going to be an exciting year for students involved in Agriculture with the arrival of two resident Huacaya alpacas. Students will be learning how to harness and handle the alpacas along with the other animals in the Ag Plot.
Alpacas are related to more than llamas. They belong to the Camelidae family, which also includes camels.
They are endemic to South America and were domesticated by the Incas over 6000 years ago. They are gentle and curious, and with training can become great pets.
Earlier in Term 1, Support Unit students and staff worked collaboratively in order to kick off another fun and successful year in the Inspire Café. The café operates each Thursday and is an integral part of the Work Transition Program within the Support Unit. Staff, students, family members and the community are often invited to enjoy tasty treats such as homemade sausage rolls, fresh chicken wraps, and a staff favourite - the Mars Bar slice. Additionally, staff are able to order warm cups of tea, coffee and
hot chocolate which get delivered by the wonderful students throughout the day as they enhance their customer service and hospitality skills. Students experience success within this initiative as they are supported by their teachers and each other as they develop resilience, initiative, and two of our TRREC values respect and excellence. Staff and students are to be congratulated on their hard work and enthusiasm, and we all look forward to enjoying a nice warm cuppa’ as the year continues.
