From The Principal HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND THANK YOU Our 24th Year as a school has been one of considerable achievement from the point of view of individual students, new programs, and the school. Considerable planning has occurred to prepare for our 25th Year next year and building and infrastructure improvement. It has been a very busy year for all our students, parents and teachers with such an extensive range of curricular and co- curricular activities occurring across the school continually. These activities and programs are only possible with the positive involvement of the student, the hard work and dedication of our teachers, and the support and commitment of our parents. Thank you for all the things you have done in 2013 to make it a great year for our students. We look forward to communicating with you in late January by letter, and in our Information Nights in the first weeks of the new term, on a range of building programs and new educational programs we have planned for 2014. We are also looking Upcoming Events Friday 13th December End of Term 4 Casual Clothes Fundraiser Tuesday 28th January School Resumes 13th December, 2013 ISSUE 40 THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK You make a life out of what you have, not what you’re missing. - Kate Morton Senior College and Middle School Dancers complete a dance extension program at the National University of Singapore last week. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL OF US AT THE ESSINGTON SCHOOL DARWIN 2014 School resumes on Tuesday 28th January, 2014
Transcript
From The Principal HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND
THANK YOU
Our 24th Year as a school has been one of
considerable achievement from the point of
view of individual students, new programs,
and the school. Considerable planning has
occurred to prepare for our 25th Year next
year and building and infrastructure
improvement.
It has been a very busy year for all our
students, parents and teachers with such an
extensive range of curricular and co-
curricular activities occurring across the
school continually. These activities and
programs are only possible with the positive
involvement of the student, the hard work
and dedication of our teachers, and the
support and commitment of our parents.
Thank you for all the things you have done in
2013 to make it a great year for our
students.
We look forward to communicating with you
in late January by letter, and in our
Information Nights in the first weeks of the
new term, on a range of building programs
and new educational programs we have
planned for 2014. We are also looking
Upcoming Events Friday 13th December End of Term 4 Casual Clothes Fundraiser Tuesday 28th January School Resumes
1 3 t h D e c e m b e r , 2 0 1 3
I S S U E
40
T H O U G H T F O R T H E W E E K You make a life out of what you have, not what you’re missing.
- Kate Morton
Senior College and Middle School Dancers complete a dance extension program at the National University of Singapore last week.
Early Learning Notices Deposit to Secure Enrolment For 2014
As we have waiting lists at all year
levels, we need to ask families to pay
an enrolment deposit for 2014 to
reserve their places for children in the
family for the start of the school year.
Information on this, and the deposit
required, will be mailed today. If we do
not have a deposit to confirm
enrolments places, we may need to
assign these unconfirmed enrolment
places to students on our waiting list in
early January.
Class Placement Requests
Parents sometime have requests
about the placement of their children in
classes in the new school year. These
need to be in writing and sent to
Louise Hand, Assistant Principal.
These requests are checked again in
mid-January and if we are unable to
fulfil your request, a senior staff
member will phone you in January
before school commences. Teachers
have not been assigned to classes or
year levels as we need to confirm final
enrolment numbers – and resultant
classes.
OFFICE TIMES FOR HOLIDAY
BREAK
Our School office closes at 4.30 pm on
Wednesday 18th December, 2013, and
reopens at 8.30 am on Monday 6th
January, 2014.
In January our main office will be open
from 8.30 am to 4 pm from Monday 6th
January, 2014.
Our Senior College office on the
Casuarina Campus of Charles Darwin
University will be open from Monday
13th January, 2013, from 8.30 am to 4
pm. Senior College enquiries will be
handled by our Main Office from
Monday 6th January, 2014, to Friday
10th January, 2014 (and the Senior
College phone number will divert to the
main school office in this week).
CONGRATULATIONS ON SPORTS
FUNDRAISING
Congratulations to our students who
participated in the recent Adidas
School Fun Run that raised
$12,412.40 for the purchase of sports
equipment for the school. Thanks to
Karly Denmead and our Physical
Education teachers, Adam Gulla and
Angela Davey, for their organisation of
this fundraiser and their
encouragement of our students. It will
be great to start the new school year
with the new sports equipment
purchased as a result of this
fundraiser.
CONGRATULATIONS
All our students at the Senior College
complete at Charles Darwin University
a Certificate II or III course whilst
studying for their NT Certificate of
Education and Training (NTCET). This
provides them with additional points
towards their NTCET and work
readiness and career information. One
of our Senior College students, Sarah
Van Den Broek, has just completed
her Cert IV in Fitness whilst studying
for her NTCET which is an outstanding
achievement. Sarah has completed
both her Cert III and Cert IV in Fitness
this year. Congratulations to Sarah on
this outstanding achievement.
David Cannon
Principal/CEO
The Essington School Darwin 3
HOMESTAY BOARDING REQUIRED IN 2014 FOR YEAR 11 GIRL FROM
TAMAGAWA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL, TOKYO
Each year we have a student from Tamagawa University School attend our Senior College for the year. Our new student for 2014 is looking forward to
coming to our Senior College and Darwin next year. We are currently seeking expressions of interest from our families to take in a student for one term in
2014.
Our new student arrives in March, 2014 and returns to Tokyo in December, 2014. We require four families to host a homestay for our visiting
student for a school term in 2014. Students will require their own bedroom and a boarding fee is paid to the family by the student. If you are interested in
hosting a Year 11 Japanese girl student from Tamagawa University School for a term in 2014, please contact Helen Robinson in our main office on
Junior School Report Have a wonderful break! Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year!
Chloe Pearce
Year 2B McBride
I still cannot believe the year has come
to an end. What a wonderful term,
semester and year the students have
had in Year 2B! The students have
continued to work hard right up until
the last week. They have enjoyed
completing lots of fun Christmas craft
activities this week.
The students have made excellent
progress in all areas this year. Their
achievements are testament to their
hard work and focus throughout the
year. Thank you to our parents and
family members who have lent a hand
for the many different activities in class
throughout the year. You were a
fantastic help and your assistance and
generosity is very much appreciated!
Congratulations to Pannita Clark and
Jessie Leach for being awarded Merit
Certificates this week.
Wishing all students the best as they
move up to Year 3 next year. Finally, I
wish everyone a very safe, restful and
well-deserved Christmas break!
Susannah McBride
Year 3A Huggett
It is unbelievable that the school year
has come to an end. We will be
finishing off the year with a bang by
performing at Assembly on the last day
of school! We have an amazing 'How
the Grinch Stole Christmas'
performance all ready to entertain you
with!
It has been a happy, productive year
and I have loved spending my working
days with my wonderful students. I
would like to thank all of them for their
hard work and their fantastic company
over the past forty weeks! I would also
like to wish them a wonderful and safe
Christmas break and all the very best
of luck in Year 4 next year. I know you
will all go on to achieve great things in
the years to come.
Cathy Huggett
Year 4A Brierley
Wow... Here in Year 4A, we can't
believe it is Week 10 already!
Congratulations to Matilda Nathan and
Thomas Bottolfsen for receiving the
last Merit Awards of the year.
I would like to wish everyone a safe
and happy holiday, and I look forward
to seeing you all next year.
Helen Brierley
Year 5A Ness
It is beginning to look a lot like
Christmas, the end of term and the
end of Junior School!
What a lot of milestones for my
fabulous Year 5 class. You have all
been amazing and I have really
enjoyed sharing this year with you.
Thank you to everyone for your help
and support to make this a really
productive year for the students.
I am sure that many of you will be
travelling during the Christmas break
and enjoying spending time with
friends and family. I wish you all a very
Happy Christmas and look forward to
seeing you in your Middle School
uniforms next year!
Debbie Ness
Year 5C Schilling
It is hard to believe it is the end of
another school year! We are all looking
forward to a lovely, relaxing and well
deserved holiday.
The class party and Secret Santa went
well. Thank you for your thoughtful
Secret Santa gifts and contribution to
the class shared lunch.
This week, students had fun doing
different Christmas activities. Students
painted their own wrapping paper,
made gingerbread houses out of lollies
and biscuits and had a lovely day
playing old fashioned board games.
I wish you all a happy, safe and festive
holiday season. May your Christmas
and New Year be filled with lots of
laughter and happy memories.
Neisha Schilling
Year 5D Noonan
I would like to say a huge thank you to
my wonderful students who have been
a pleasure to teach all year. I have
seen such incredible progress and
dedication.
Congratulations to all the students who
completed 100% of their homework for
the year: a truly amazing effort from
Lily, Ryan, Ruby, Frances and Alicia.
We also had some fantastic homework
spelling results, with many students
increasing their words ten or more
times over the year. Well done to
Matthew, Ryan, Ruby, Brandon, Alicia,
Cooper and Jarrod.
A big congratulations to all the
students who showed a great attitude
to their learning, increasing their
knowledge and skills and making
wonderful contributions to our class.
Thank you to all the parents for your
support this year and I hope you all
have a wonderful Christmas and
relaxing holiday. Best wishes for 2014
and Year 6.
Marie Noonan
The Essington School Darwin 6
Middle School Report Middle School Notices Year 6E Lea Thank you to the parents and students of Year 6E for the 2013 school year. The students have worked hard and deserve a well earned break. I wish all families a safe and festive Christmas Holidays. If you are traveling, travel safely and if staying in Darwin enjoy the weather (hopefully there will be some rain). Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Adene Lea
Senior College Report Important Upcoming Senior College Dates:
Friday 13th
December: Last day of Term 4 Monday 16
th December: Scheduled Release Date
Stage 2 Results Monday 2
nd January: Final closing Date for
University Course Changes (SA and NT) Monday 6
th January: Final closing Date for
University Preference Changes (SA and NT) Thursday 16
th January: First Round of University
Placement Offers (SA and NT) Wednesday 22
nd January: Senior College Staff
Return Friday 24
th January: New student Orientation at
Senior College Monday 27
th January: Australia Day Public
Holiday Tuesday 28
th January: Senior College Students
Return Wednesday 29
th January: Second Round of
University Placement Offers (SA and NT) Farewells We farewell Ms. Lyn Kupke our Senior College Physics and Mathematical Methods teacher. Ms. Kupke is retiring from teaching and returning to Adelaide to be closer to her grandchildren, after working with us for two years. We wish her well in next journey in life. Ms. Emma Nathan, Senior College English teacher and coordinator, is also leaving us to take up a job as English Coordinator at Scotch Oakburn College in Launceston. We thank both Lyn and Emma for all their hard work and commitment at the Senior College. Work Experience Year 10/11 students were on Work Experience last week as part of their Stage One NTCET (Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training) Personal Learning Plan course. Students will gain an insight into the world of work, and look at careers they have researched in earlier Personal Learning Plan assignments. Personal Learning Plan is one of the compulsory subjects that all students must do, and receive a minimum of a ‘C’ grade to gain their NTCET. Reports Reports are currently being written and will be posted home next week. Congratulations to all Stage 2 students who have completed their final examinations.
NTCET (Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training) results for Year 12 students are scheduled to be released on Monday 16
th December. Students will receive
their results by mail. These results can also be accessed on 16
th December through the SACE website:
http://www.sace.sa.edu.au/students-online All students were given access to this site during the term. If students have forgotten their passwords they can contact Mr. Moore to assist in resetting the password. The results will include:
A list of Stage 2 subject studied and their final scaled score out of 20. A calculation of the University Aggregate out of 80. Best 4 Stage 2 subjects are counted. ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) out of 99.95.
Mr. Moore will be available up until close of business on Friday 20
th December at the Senior College. Please phone
8946 6451 to assist in interpreting the results. Changing of preferences for University courses in South Australia and Northern Territory closes on 6
th January
2014. Again Mr. Moore will be available up until close of business on Friday 20
th December to assist if required.
The majority of offers for places at Universities will occur in the main round starting on Thursday 16
th January. SATAC
(South Australian Tertiary Admittance Centre), on behalf of the universities, will make an offer to the highest preference for which your son or daughter is eligible and sufficiently competitive. If they do not receive an offer to their second or a lower preference, they can keep their highest preference(s) alive for a possible later offering on 29th January. Mr. Moore will be available from Monday 13
th
Cooper Dorbor on Year 10/11 Work Experience last week.
The Essington School Darwin 7
January at the Senior College. Please Phone 8946 6451 to assist in this process. Subject Choices 2014 All current students in Year 9 have attended an orientation and preliminary enrolment session at the main school. They have also been to the Senior College for a familiarisation tour. All students were introduced to the range of subjects on offer. Students and parents can access the full range of subjects on the Essington School website at the following address: http://www.essington.nt.edu.au/our_school/senior.htm
This page includes copies of the 2014 Senior College Handbook and Prospectus. If you would like to discuss your child’s choices for next year please contact the Senior College office on Phone: 8946 6821 to make an appointment to see Mr. Moore. All current students in Year 10 have begun to look at subject choices for 2014 in their Personal Learning Plan classes. All students have been given a copy of the latest SATAC (South Australian Tertiary Admission Centre) entrance booklet to assist with subject choices that align to the Charles Darwin University and Universities in South Australia. If you would like to discuss your child’s choices for next year please contact, the Senior College office on Phone: 8946 6821 to make an appointment to see Mr. Moore. All current students in Year 11 have begun researching career choices and looking at possible University courses. All students have been issued with a SATAC (South Australian Tertiary Admission Centre) university guide and a SATAC booklet for students in Years 10, 11 and 12. All students are currently considering which Stage 2 TAS (Tertiary Admission Subjects) they require for their university courses. If you would like to discuss your child’s choices for next year please contact the Senior College office on Phone: 8946 6821 to make an appointment to see Mr. Moore. Peter Moore Dean of Studies Senior College New South Wales Surf Camp Over the last week I have had the pleasure of leading the annual Sydney Learn to Surf Trip. This is the fourth year the College has run this expedition and the first time we have travelled to Seal Rocks in New South Wales. Our first day in Sydney was spent sightseeing and orientating ourselves in the city. We visited the Sydney Opera House and travelled by ferry to Manly Beach. Unfortunately, due to bad weather, the beach was closed so our students made use of the shopping opportunities around the area. The group then travelled to China Town where they had a banquet dinner. It was great to see all of them use their chopsticks (some were much more successful than others). The next day we all woke up very early to catch a bus up to Seal Rocks. The surf camp we stayed at was right in the heart of Booti Booti National Park. On one side of the camp was the ocean and on the other a large fresh water lake. We spent the following five days there learning to surf and testing our skills. It was great to see everyone standing up
on their boards (even if it was just for a second) by the end of the first day. We travelled to a different beach each day to suit the surfing level of our group which was great as in certain areas the waves were over ten feet height. The students were very lucky on two occasions to share the ocean with a couple of different pods of dolphins, at times coming within five metres of the group. On Sunday we had a Secret Santa party where each of the students had to buy a present for another. It was so nice to see all of the excitement when opening their presents. It really did feel like Christmas morning for a moment. The evening was spent sharing stories by the fire while toasting marshmallows. On the final day we had a surf competition for the kids and it was great to see them all turn it up for the event. Everyone surfed well but the winner on the day was Deena Gad, who won out with her consistency and solid technique. We wrapped up the trip by going to see ‘The Lion King’ musical at The Capital Theatre. This was certainly one of the highlights of the trip, rehashing many childhood memories from the movie. I would like to thank Angela Foley for all of her assistance while on tour. To the students who attended the trip I say thank you for making it one of the best I have ever organised. Shaun Theiber Dean of Students Stage 1 Dance / Dance Extension Singapore Tour December 2013 The Singapore Dance Tour was a huge success for many reasons. Most importantly our dancers conducted themselves with such commitment and focus at each workshop. Natalie Hyde and I were very proud of their work ethic throughout the tour. The workshops covered many aspects of the Contemporary Dance genre. I was pleased with the dancer’s genuine attempts to engage with each choreographer. We took classes with artists from Vietnam, France and China at T.H.E Dance Company. We danced with our favourite Singaporean choreographer, Mr. Albert, at the National University of Singapore who taught the Stage 2 Class in June and Patrick Loos whose Hip-Hop Street workshops were extremely popular. We viewed inspiring contemporary performances ‘Asian Festival Exchange’ and ‘Seasoned Artistry’ which exposed the dancers to world class choreographic work and encouraged colourful dialogue and reflection. The dancers took class at the famous ‘O School’. Some students participated in Allegra’s Hip Hop class and others in Ryan’s Street Jazz. We also took a class at Upside Motion and the Fly Yoga in hammocks, which was one of the most popular workshops we attended. As our second tour this year to Singapore for the Dance Faculty, I feel that the connections we are making are extremely valuable. The dance scene in Singapore is vibrant and the generosity they show our students through their knowledge and artistry is very special. Joanna Noonan Senior Dance Teacher
General Notices experiences of my teaching career.
There is no one like her and she will
be sadly missed. Family commitments
and overseas travel beckon her and I
am sure it will not be too long before
new ventures will present themselves.
It has been a privilege and a pleasure
to teach with Merrilyn and I will miss
her very much.
Kirsty McCallum
Music Teacher
Sports Notices
Essington Representative
Teams Physical Education and Sport
Results for 2013
2013 has been a very rewarding year
for the Physical Education Department
as our school continues to grow. We
are supporting a growing number of
students to get involved in
representative teams and school sport
events.
Our Primary Students in Years 4–6
have been involved in Tennis, Netball,
Basketball, Rugby, AFL, Soccer, Table
Tennis, Rock Climbing, Cricket,
Gymnastics, Indoor Beach Volleyball,
Cross Country, Athletics and
Swimming. Highlights include:
Four teams out of five winning
the basketball divisions
First place in rugby
First and second place in cricket
First and second place in soccer
First and second place in table
tennis
Second place in cross country
The Primary Athletics
Representative team won this
event for the second year
running
For the ninth year in a row our
Primary team came first at the
Zone Swimming Carnival
Many of our students have gone on to
represent the City Cluster and we have
seen an increase in students being
selected in Northern Territory
Representative Teams.
Our Middle School students in Years 7
–9 have been involved in Hockey,
Basketball, Squash, AFL, Tennis,
Soccer, Rugby, Netball (including
Senior Teams), Cross Country,
Athletics and Swimming. Highlights
include:
Two places at the netball
Two second and a third place at
the soccer
Third place in hockey
Second place in the senior
netball
First place at cross country
First place at the Zone Athletics
event
First place in the Middle and
Senior School Zone Swimming
Carnivals
Term 4 is traditionally the Build Up
Netball season and once again we are
well represented with four teams and
approximately twelve Middle / Senior
student coaches and umpires involved.
Our House Captains and Sports
Captains have been heavily involved
this year in school based events and
assisting with representative teams.
This is an area we wish to continue
developing in 2014 as we focus on
leadership and community involvement
in sport. 2014 brings new challenges
and opportunities for our students in
Physical Education classes, in
Essington Representative teams, at a
Darwin Region level and at a Territory
level. We wish our students all the best
in their endeavors.
Community Sports Notices Notice Board
In the Auditorium we have a notice
board for all sports notices and
community events. If you have any
notices you would like attached to this
board please drop them off at the
sports office or email a copy through.
For the 2013 Christmas Season the Staff and Students of The Essington School Darwin would like to invite you to experience the gift of giving.
The Essington Wishing Tree is our gift to the wider community. Under it we will be collecting gifts from Essington staff and families to distribute to
children and families that are less fortunate than our own.
We will collect the gifts up to and including the final day of Term 4. Once collected, all gifts will be delivered to Somerville Community Services for
distribution.
The Essington Christmas Wishing Tree
Darwin Surf School The 2014 holiday program will be run
at the Darwin Waterfront. Programs
run from 20th January to 25
th January
with courses for 5–8 year olds and 8–
12 year olds. Lessons are designed to
teach children to surf and identify rips
and dangers in the water. There is
limited availability so be quick to book.
Contact www.surfgroms.com or
Phone: 04 3856 1370.
Level 1 Cricket Coaching Course The course is designed to give
coaches the knowledge and
confidence required to establish or
further develop their coaching skills.
Course Details:
Date: Saturday 14th
December 2013,
Venue: Marrara Cricket Ground,
Time: 8:30am – 3:30pm The majority of the day will obviously
