NEWSLETTER Gooden Drive, Baulkham Hills, Telephone (02) 9624 3133 Facsimile: (02) 9838 8407) Email: [email protected]
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
I trust this communication continues to find our students and family
members well. Due to the volume of my recent communications, and not wanting to overload families, I will keep this article to a minimum.
On Monday 2 August, I will be in a position to provide you with
greater information around the return to school of HSC students from 16 August and the Trial HSC Examinations. Later that week, I
am hoping to provide context for the proposed return of other students on 30 August. This will include all information from the Department of Education around health requirements, school
operations and teaching and learning. I understand that you may have many questions and I will provide as much detail as I can with
each of my email updates. As a Principal, I am still awaiting advice on how this can and will occur. Please understand that this is a continually moving and evolving space and there may at times be
questions that at that time, I do not have the answers to, though will always aim to access the required information.
I do look forward to, in the near future, providing you with an outline of how we plan to bring students back onto the premises when the
guidelines permit. For Years 7-11, this information will be made available in the coming weeks, as we all need to see the direction
the 4 week lockdown is taking before delving well into planning as the guidelines have been shifting quickly.
I would at this time like to again acknowledge the work done by my staff. Many, just like you, are balancing working from home along
with parenting at the same time, so we fully appreciate the work undertaken by all sectors of our MFHS community including our students and parents.
I also look forward to updating you on how we will navigate through
Years 7-10 and also Year 11 assessment. As I have communicated previously, in determining an approach, we will balance both the student’s wellbeing and academic needs to develop an appropriate
model.
30th July 2021 TERM 3 – WEEK 3
CONTENTS Deputy Principal Ms Pledger p3 Deputy Principal Ms Smith p5 Deputy Principal Ms Kennon p6 English p7 Uniform Shop p8 Wellbeing p9 Elevate p12 Maths Faculty p13 Science Faculty p15 PDHPE p19 Home Economics p23 Languages p26 CAPA p28 Dance p33 Hills Bus Timetable p35 Change of Contact Information p37 Permission to Drive Form p38
2
Catch up Friday
I am very aware of the wellbeing needs of all of our community, including students, parents and staff, especially since the announcement of the extended lockdown guidelines across greater Sydney and the Parramatta LGA.
I am very concerned and want to do something small to assist our community in managing the change to our circumstances.
Therefore, on Friday 6 August, we will not be running set classes and will dedicate this time for everyone to take a breath, relax and look after
themselves and their family. I am aware that some students would like time to catch up on previously set work, though where possible, strongly
recommend that this time is used positively to engage in fun activities with family or activities that support improved wellbeing.
In the week following this, we will seek feedback from students, parents and staff to determine if a similar day in a fortnight (not on the same day) would
be appropriate.
I thank you for the messages we have been receiving and for your understanding during these times. I look forward to having information to provide you with greater clarity in how we will continue to move forward and
support your children and your family.
Have a wonderful week,
Mark Grady Principal
3
FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL – MS PLEDGER
Congratulations to all students on how they have embraced their virtual classrooms. Teachers are very pleased with the high levels of engagement
each day and the transition to online learning has been relatively seamless, proving our resilience once again.
Year 12 HSC We are extremely mindful of our Year 12 Higher School Certificate (HSC)
students at this challenging time. Staff are in constant contact with students, providing the latest information from the NSW Educational Standards Authority
(NESA) regarding changes to the 2021 HSC timetable. We are all working together to support our Year 12 cohort in fulfilling their potential in the HSC.
Year 11 Course Selection 2022. As you are aware, Year 10 is an important milestone in our students‘ education.
With the senior years of school now in sight, they commenced the process for course selection last term.
Over the last few weeks, students have had the opportunity to seek information from teachers about the content and requirements in each course
as well as any specific information about courses they are interested in studying. COVID restrictions have meant that we run our academic interviews
for year 10 online via zoom. The final step of this process is for students to submit their final selections
online. Parents were email the instructions for this process last week. If you have not completed this process, please contact the school as soon as possible.
Wellbeing Support Please let us know if your child’s wellbeing is being impacted by current events.
The best people to contact are your child’s year adviser or the HT Welfare, Ms Leghorn, who can give advice and connect you with the appropriate service.
We also have a school counsellor available and online and telephone appointments can be organised. To get in touch please email the school and mark it for the attention of the appropriate person e.g. Year 9 Year Adviser,
and they will contact you. You can also ring the office on 9624 3133 and they will have the appropriate person get in contact.
Learning Support If your child needs support with their learning please contact our LaST, Ms
Toovey, by emailing the school or ringing the office.
DEP
UTY
PR
INC
IPA
L R
EPO
RT
4
Creative Kids Vouchers In case you are unaware of the following, Service NSW is giving away $100
voucher for students to purchase art supplies.
The NSW Government is helping kids get creative with the new Creative Kids program. Parents, guardians and carers can apply for a voucher with a value of up to $100 per calendar year for each student aged 4.5 to 18 years old
enrolled in school. The voucher may be used with a registered activity provider for registration, participation and tuition costs for creative arts, speech, drama,
dance, digital design, coding, and music lessons and activities. The voucher can be used at any time during the calendar year it was issued.
To use the voucher, give the details to your registered activity provider. The program runs year-round, so kids can get creative at any time.
To register, click the link and follow the prompts: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-creative-kids-voucher
Below are some links to online stores that accept the $100 voucher with $0
delivery fee: https://www.brilliantminds.com.au/our-product-range
https://www.creativekidswonderland.com.au/creative-kids-voucher-kits https://www.craftkids.com.au/ https://brilliantkids.com.au/product/awesome-pack/
https://brilliantkids.com.au/product/creative5/
Stay safe and look after your mental health during these times,
Jennifer Pledger
Deputy Principal
FRO
M T
HE
DEP
UTY
– M
S P
LED
GER
5
FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL – MS SMITH Learning from Home
Over the last two weeks, Model Farms High School students have been engaging in all of their lessons virtually. Students have reported that they’ve really been enjoying cooking for Food Technology, creating art, watching music
videos, learning through Kahoots, participating in commerce, learning about and writing poetry, doing coding and mastering the ‘Trick shot challenge’.
To provide feedback on their experience, over 500 students and parents participated in our ‘Learning from home’ survey. This revealed that our school
community were really appreciating an increasing number of Zoom ‘check-ins’, more differentiation and student accountability. A number of families also took
up the opportunity to get additional assistance with their child’s learning, welfare or technology. While the survey has now closed, if your child has additional needs during the lockdown period and you think the school can offer
support, please contact us. An email can be sent to: [email protected] with the title ‘Attention Ms Smith’. We
are very keen to support our students during this trying time.
Ms R Smith Deputy Principal
DEP
UTY
PR
INC
IPA
L R
EPO
RT
6
FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPAL – MS KENNON
Welcome to Term 3 2021. Just when we thought things were getting back to some kind of normal we find ourselves here again learning from home. I must say however, that our school community has made an excellent adjustment to
this environment and most students are adapting well to the changing circumstances. I trust that families are managing well and encourage everyone
to remain in contact with the school if extra support, advice and assistance is required.
Year 7 and 9 Parent Teacher interviews. Thank you to those families who have booked appointments to discuss your
child’s progress with their teachers. Teachers will be contacting you throughout the next 2 weeks. Please be patient as these calls may not occur at the exact time you booked; the system was used to merely express your interest in
receiving a phone call. Teachers are doing their best to get to all of you within this timeframe. Please be mindful that teachers are making these calls from
home using their private phones and so you may get a call from ‘no caller id’. If the teacher calls at an inconvenient time, please make arrangements with the teacher to return your call at a more mutually convenient time.
Year 11
We are mindful that Year 11 students may be starting to think about their yearly exams scheduled for weeks 9 and 10 this term. At this point in time, no decisions have been made about these. Please do not be concerned about
exams for the time being and do not stress about ‘what ifs’. We want Year 11 to focus on their class work, making sure they complete it to the best of their
ability. They could also be making summaries of their work and revising past work to ensure they have a good understanding. Any decisions made about exams will be communicated as soon as possible and plenty of notice will be
given so students can be fully prepared.
Stay safe everyone. Have a great week,
Kerrie Kennon
Deputy Principal
7
FROM ENGLISH FACULTY
As Adele sings, “Hello from the other side,” we are coming to you, once again, from lockdown. Well done to our students, families and staff for their adaptability and initiative throughout our online learning program.
On English, our regular units are continuing in the virtual realm via our dear
friend, Google Classroom and our fun mate, Zoom. Fortunately, we have many wonderful examples of great literature for students to enjoy from the comfort of a lounge chair, for the start of Term 3. It’s the perfect time to snuggle up
with a great novel or play. Let’s do a quick recap on what each Year Group is studying at present…
Year 12 – Are finishing their Module B work and undertaking revision of their course work.
Year 11- Are doing a close study of a novel.
Year 10 – Are enjoying the exploration of a play. Year 9 – Are embarking on a novel study. Year 8 – Are embracing their Picture Book unit.
Year 7 – Are enjoying a film study of that Australian classic, “Red Dog.” (It’s a bit of a tear-jerker.)
We would like to commend the students for engaging well with their texts at home.
However, please remember in all online
submissions to keep punctuation and spelling to the usual high expectations we uphold in the classroom.
Looking forward to seeing all your smiling
faces back in the classroom as soon as possible. Keep striving, everyone!
Stay safe! The English/Drama Faculty.
“Reading gives us some place to go when we have to stay where we are.” – Mason Cooley
ENG
LISH
FA
CU
LTY
8
Model Farms High School P&C Association
Uniform Shop News August 2021
The Uniform Shop is closed and no staff are currently onsite. Please be reassured that any online orders that have been placed will be available for
collection as soon as we are able to return to school. We will work closely with the school to meet uniform requirements.
The Production order of Fleecy Jumpers has arrived and we will fill those exchanges or
backorders as soon as we can. They will also be available for purchase through MunchMonitor once the Uniform Shop is back online.
If you have any queries please contact us through the email at [email protected]
Munchmonitor also provide a customer assistance service for registering and placing orders and can be contacted on 1300 796 190 and by email at
Kind regards P&C Uniform Shop
Current 01/08/21
9
Wellbeing News Sometimes adversity brings out the best in people. Our Year Advisers are sure
getting creative and students are engaging with each other via their Google Classrooms like it is going out of style! Here are some of the highlights and “going’s on” …
Year 7 - Ms Merton-Simon
Last week Ms Merton-Simon ran a Trivia competition and 7R and 7G won the prizes for being the most involved and having the most correct answers! Jose MH and Ryan H have been very active in the daily posts, encouraging their
peers as well. The daily challenges are engaging each class and the students are very creative in their responses! Stay tuned for the Virtual Scavenger Hunt
coming up…! Year 8 – Ms Papas
A check-in with Year 8 has revealed that most are doing well despite the difficulties of online learning. Even Raise Mentoring has gone to zoom! The
online classes are always interesting with Year 8 as they are generally super quiet and not eager to speak up…quite unlike their regular classes at school!
Year 9 – Mrs Francis While this has been a difficult and unforeseen time - I can't stress enough how
thankful I am for Year 9 and the way they have handled it thus far. I am in contact with various students daily, and each of them continue to surprise me with their resilience and 'silver linings' approach. Through a few Wellbeing
checks, I have quickly learnt that the majority of students are 'enjoying' remote learning for reasons such as; spending quality time with family and
pets, having the flexibility to go for a lunchtime walk and enjoying being able to eat whatever, whenever they please! As much as I look forward to seeing their smiling faces in one room, together again - I am really enjoying seeing
their character development through such a difficult and strange time.
Year 10 - Ms Greer Year 10 have been participating in online quizzes with statements ranging from “Online learning is a breeze!” and “Online learning is fun but I miss talking to
people” to “What month are we in?” Needless to say, they are making the best of it with Kahoot challenges in class and zooming with their teachers.
Year 11 – Ms Owen
When asked to produce a photo of their lockdown experience, Yr 11 took a strange turn. From pictures of their desk and “view” of their computer screen to related (and unrelated) memes to entertain each other…it will be hard to
judge a winner. The general feedback from students tells us how awesome they are despite facing challenges outside their control, most responding to
the lockdown survey with the fact that they are coping reasonably well. Year 12 – Ms Gregory
Starting the week with a motivational quote is always a good thing! Yr 12 have a lot to deal with but are rallying together with class zooms and keeping in
touch with their teachers. It is important to reach out for help if you need it!
WEL
LBEI
NG
10
NEW!!! 3 Keys to Overcoming Anxious Thoughts
COVID brings a level of uncertainty and angst that is affecting all of us. Not
only are the circumstances difficult, the mental battles are equally challenging. For many students and parents alike, we battle with anxious thoughts that can be intrusive and overwhelming. It is important that we support one another at
this time, and we have a school partner who has a great resource available to you.
MyStrengths Australia have partnered with our school for a number of years, leading students to discover their strengths and develop a growth mindset.
MyStrengths Founder, Dan Hardie, has been passionate about helping students and parents alike, and they have created a short online series that will help
you and your children to better handle the anxious thoughts at this time. This 3-part series is FREE to all school partners, and will help you take steps to overcome.
We recommend you take this Free Mini-Course, now available
at www.anxiousthoughts.com.au
Need to get out of the house? Why not try Geocaching? Not sure what that is? Search it up! This might be a
fun way for family members to get out and exercise while not getting bored from tedious walking.
11
Helping Kids with Routine – Resources from Reach Out I would imagine your household, like mine, has undergone a transformation
with everyone home during the day and the usual routine going somewhat “out the window”!? You may find this article and associated resources useful
to help get settled in and back on track. You will find tips and planners you can download.
https://parents.au.reachout.com/common-concerns/everyday-issues/things-
to-try-exam-stress/helping-your-teen-to-stick-to-a-routine?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=Facebook_Desktop_Feed&utm_camp
aign=Parents_Acquisition&utm_content=All__30%20-%2055__Help%20your%20teen%20stick%20to%20a%20routine%20during%20COVID-19&fbclid=IwAR3aC4XawIB3qW-
HKZK5jA0t3Ft_IohHlHPGMEV0teNptsNaZMKcQtjpa2E
Where to go for extra support?
It is extremely important to seek out help when you feel you need it. Lifeline
is there to offer support and are committed to ensuring their services continue as normal during this time.
https://www.lifeline.org.au/
• Call 13 11 14 - operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Lifeline Text 0477 13 11 14
• Lifeline webchat - operates 12pm – midnight
• Kids Helpline – for children that may need
support https://kidshelpline.com.au 1800 55 1800
• Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636 https://beyondblue.org.au
Mrs Leghorn - Head Teacher Wellbeing
12
Dear Parents, Elevate Education is providing parents of Model Farms High School exclusive access to their Parent Webinar Series for Term 3, 2021. The webinars continue on Wednesday 4th August at 7pm. To reserve your spot, you can register for free below,
You can register by clicking here. The webinar is run live online from 7pm – 8pm where the presenter will share Elevate’s key research and skills, and will conduct a live Q&A so you can ask them questions directly. Upcoming sessions:
• August 4th - Technology devices and how to stay focused and balanced. • August 18th - Note taking skills to help your child deepen their revision. • September 1st - Exam Homestretch and how to support your child in the final weeks.
Should you have questions or would like to contact Elevate directly, their details are listed below.
📞 1300 667 945
💻 https://au.elevateeducation.com
👍 https://www.facebook.com/ElevateEd/
EL
EVA
TE
13
FROM THE MATHEMATICS FACULTY
From The Faculty That Counts! This week’s news
Welcome back to Term 3 2021. Firstly, we want to thank all of our students and families for their great efforts in supporting remote learning. Our teachers are working very hard to provide high quality learning experiences for our
students via Google Classroom.
Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s Maths teacher with any concerns. Marking the Roll
Students need to be showing that they are accessing their Google Classroom each day that they have Maths lessons. There is a variation on how each
teacher asks students to show they are present, however, it is essential that students be complying with this, just as marking the roll at school is essential.
Student Work In the remote learning environment is it essential that your child is uploading
their finished maths work to their Google Classroom for their teachers to check. It is imperative that we make sure that students do not fall behind with their work and that they are understanding all concepts.
Teachers will be following up on students who are not submitting work.
Student Equipment: Please contact your child’s teacher if they don’t have access to their textbook
whilst working from home. Each child should have purchased their textbook at the beginning of the year. Calculators are also important, especially for Year 8
and above. We recommend the Casio fx- 82 or fx -100 range of calculators. Assignment Season:
Term 3 is traditionally ‘Assignment Season’, however, for the time being we are delaying the assignments for this term, due to the remote learning period.
Year 11 & 12 During Remote Learning: Year 11 are continuing to learn their topics at home and should be in regular
contact with their teachers either through zoom lessons or communication through google classroom and emails. Year 11’s next assessment is their
yearly exams in Weeks 9 and 10.
Year 12 are currently revising for their Trial Exams which begin in Week 5. It is important that students attend their zoom lessons and keep in regular contact with their teachers through this revision period. Students are
encouraged to make summary notes of every topic, complete chapter reviews, topic tests and past papers. Teachers have been posting revision on their
google classrooms. Additional resources can also be found online at the “HSC hub”. hschub.nsw.edu.au
We wish them all the best!
HO
ME
ECO
NO
MIC
S FA
CU
LTY
M
ATH
EMA
TIC
S FA
CU
LTY
14
.
Have a Mathematical week,
Mrs Lumley Head Teacher Mathematics, and the Maths Faculty Staff
Duke of Edinburgh
Over the school holidays two of our Bronze Award participants officially completed their Bronze Level! A huge accomplishment given the extra challenges and hurdles faced over the past 18months.
A big congratulations to Ryan M. in Year 12 and Colin P. in Year 11 – we
can’t wait to present your Awards when we return!
Calculators Please make sure that all students have their own calculator. The
Casio fx-82AU PLUS II is sold at the uniform shop for $35. Different brands of scientific calculators have different layouts and it is
important that everyone in a class has the same calculator. Students need this calculator from Year 7. It is vital for their progress that students are familiar with their calculator and know
how to use the different functions
15
FROM THE SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURE FACULTY
SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURE During lock down students are being creative with respect to their work in Science.
Below is a sample from different years.
Year 7 have started a new topic this term. Can you figure out the topic?
SCIE
NC
E A
ND
AG
RIC
ULT
UR
E
16
17
Year 8 are presently completing a Chemistry topic. Title of the topic is shown on the pictures below
Year 10 are also completing a more advanced stage on the subject of Chemistry, called Chemical Reactions 2.
18
Year 11 Earth and Environmental Science have been producing short films on the modelling of tectonic processes of slab pull and ridge push.
From Science and Agriculture Faculty
19
PDHPE
Sport in Week 2 In week 2, students in Year 8-12 were asked to complete a survey on the
activities that they would be completing during the allocated weekly sport time on a Wednesday.
Thank you to the students that responded. These were the results:
Some respondees also shared a photo:
PD
HP
E
20
Sport in Weeks 3 and 4
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics have begun...
So have...
The 2021 Virtual Elite Average
Games
They are coming to the Farms and all students are invited to participate!
How? Firstly, you will need to come up with a genius sport that you think should be included in the Elite Average games. Think ‘COVID’, ‘stuck at home’ and ‘should be a real sport’. Then, you will need to film your sport and submit it in the assignment on the MFHS 8-12 Sport / MFHS 7 Sport Google Classroom.
Why? Because it will be fun to make, funny to watch and you could win points for your house. Every entry will gain 1 point for their house. Additional points will be awarded to the 3 best video entries. The 3rd place recipient will be awarded an additional 20 points for their house. The 2nd place recipient will be awarded an additional 50 points for their house. And the 1st place recipient will be awarded an additional 100 points for their house!
Will teachers also get involved? Maybe…
For inspiration, watch this video - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bWNisDO6H0POUqbkLYXZMr9c4OQui8Ax/view
Latest communications from NSW Combined High Schools Sports Association
21
Postponed NSWPSSA and NSWCHSSA/All Schools events in Week 1 - Week
5 of Term 3
In line with the Premier’s announcement of the extension of COVID-19 restrictions
for Greater Sydney, the following events have been postponed:
- NSWCHSSA Volleyball Finals on Wednesday 14 July and Thursday 15 July 2021 at
Homebush
- All Schools Cross Country Championship on Friday 16 July 2021 at Sydney
Motorsport Park
- NSW All Schools Secondary Opens Hockey Tri-Series on Monday 19 July 2021 at
Newcastle
- NSWPSSA Netball Championship from Monday 19 July to Wednesday 21 July
2021 at Menai
- NSW All Schools Secondary Water Polo Quad-Series on Thursday 22 July 2021
and Friday 23 July 2021 at Woy Woy
- NSW All Schools Secondary 15years Touch Football on Saturday 24 July 2021 and
Sunday 25 July 2021 at Narrabeen
- NSWCHSSA Gymnastics from Tuesday 27 July to Thursday 29 July at Glendale
- NSWPSSA Boys Football Championship from Tuesday 27 July to Thursday 29 July
at Griffith
- NSWCHSSA Rugby 7’s Girls Finals on Wednesday 28 July at Sydney.
- NSWCHSSA Tennis Girls Finals on Tuesday 3 August and Wednesday 4 August at
Nelson Bay
- NSWCHSSA Tennis Boys Finals on Wednesday 4 August and Thursday 5 August
at Nelson Bay
- NSW All Schools Hockey 16years Tri-Series on Thursday 5 August and Friday 6
August at Newcastle
- NSWPSSA Girls Rugby Union 7’s Gala Day on Monday 9 August and Tuesday 10
August at Gateshead
- NSWPSSA Boys Touch Football Championship from Tuesday 10 August to
Thursday 12 August at St Mary’s
- NSWCHSSA Touch Football Finals on Tuesday 10 August and Wednesday 11
August at Bateau Bay
- NSWCHSSA Bowls Finals on Wednesday 11 August and Thursday 12 August at
West Tamworth Bowling Club, West Tamworth
22
- NSWCHSSA Invitational Secondary Rugby League Girls 16’s Trials on Thursday 12
August and Friday 13 August at Figtree.
With the current COVID-19 restrictions for Greater Sydney, we are conscious that these events require travel for a number of families and staff and wanted
to provide our students, families and staff with as much notice as possible.
We will investigate dates and venues with a view to running the Finals and Championships later in the year and will provide regular updates for students, families, staff and schools. Thank you for your understanding and support.
Latest communications from Sydney West Schools Sports Association
To keep up-to-date with additional changes and new dates, make sure that you are a member of the MFHS Sports Google Classroom (students only), and
are following the Hills Zone, Sydney West and NSW CHS social media pages.
23
FROM HOME ECONOMICS Welcome to Term 3; the term which is teaching us to be more flexible on the go and resilient. Whilst life is not like we would want it to be currently, we do
need to be as positive as we can for ourselves, for our students and our families and friends. I wish I could play the Bobby McFerrin song, don’t worry
be happy for you, now! Here is an update of the wonderful happenings in classes over Weeks 1-3
Year 7 Food Technology have been working hard to complete their recipe
cards, featuring eggs as the hero of the dish. They have also created fabulous You Tube tutorials to demonstrate how to make the dishes. We have some huge potential for future cooking channel hosts in our cohort!
Year 8 Textiles have been completing their Design and Production Folios
based on the Eco-friendly tote bags they were sewing in class. Moving ahead, some classes are embarking on a creative design challenge, involving the coveted toilet paper roll!
Year 8 Food technology have been adding the final touches to their themed
E-cookbooks and documenting their design process with their Design and Production Folios. We have some really interactive and creative cookbooks in
the making, ranging from sports themed ideas to gaming and party recipes, to name a few.
Year 9 and 10 Food Technology and a number of the year 7 and 8 classes have enthusiastically participated in a Home Cooking Challenge. This
has involved researching, preparing and creating their own dish at home, based on the ingredients they have readily available in their homes. We have seen some fantastic meals, smoothies, baked treats and snacks in the making
– hopefully there have been some lucky local families reaping the benefits! This has been a wonderful activity and authentic learning experience – let’s
face it this is real life in action!
HO
ME
ECO
NO
MIC
S
24
Year 9 and 10 Textiles Technology have been exploring Textiles through the decades. Students created fashion magazine articles from 1900 to 2000.
Students have also been working on a 30 days of Textiles challenge where they pick a practical or research task to do.
25
All senior classes have been really efficient in progressing through their current units and syllabus outlines and have been effectively utilising a
combination of Zoom meetings, google classroom interaction and lots of diligent reading and worksheet completion. Their teachers are very proud of
them! Mrs O’Reilly and Ms Adams wanted the community to know that the Year 11
and 12 Exploring Early Childhood students are missing their weekly Playgroup lessons and your children. They hope our Playgroup families are staying safe
and that the children are happy and well. Year 12 EEC are currently researching children’s literature, analysing different
texts and how they benefit learning and development. It is interesting to revisit nursery rhymes and poems from childhood through a different lens!
Funnily enough, Year 12 CAFS are working on a unit called the Social Impact
of Technology. One aspect of this unit is that it explores a range of technologies used in families, in our lifestyle, in our workplace and around the world and critically analyses their impact on our wellbeing. How apt is this! Our current
setting is providing a full range of learning experiences, all from the comfort of home.
26
LANGUAGES
Updates from French Over the last 3 weeks students in Year 8
French have been engaging in the topic, My Family and Pets. The students learnt to talk
about family members, conversing about their age, family background, identifying the numbers from 30 to 69 and learning the French alphabet.
They did some translation of the text with the
aim to understand and apply the concept of translation and also to learn the new vocabulary. They also practised their pronunciation by listening and repeating after audio
text. They designed number posters to reinforce their number recognition in French.
In addition, the students have engaged in completing work on the Education Perfect website which assisted them to develop their macro skills and
knowledge of the French culture. Moreover, the students also had the opportunity to have Zoom Lesson Meetings with their French teacher to ask or
enquire about any issues that they have encountered during the lessons.
Updates from Japanese
Year 8 Japanese students have been busily working away at their Education
Perfect tasks on the topic of Family and Pets. They have completed some literacy tasks entitled, Festivals in July in Japan and Tokyo Olympics. They have Zoomed a few lessons and played some Kahoots, testing their general
knowledge of Japan. From all accounts the students have really enjoyed the Zooms. A Hiragana challenge has also been set to use everyday objects around
them to create words in Japanese, take a photo and upload for a class competition; voting will take place back when we are back at school. The students have also shown Mrs Leghorn how adept they have become at typing
in Japanese.
Year 9 have played a Katakana challenge Kahoot via Zoom on the
Olympic sports and are currently in the process of choosing their recipes and writing their scripts in Japanese
for a Masterchef Japan Challenge. The students have to film themselves
making the food while speaking in Japanese and upload it for some entertainment, once we return to
school. Again, there will be a vote for the best one. They have also been
working on EP on a Leisure and Activities task.
LAN
GU
AG
ES
27
Year 10 have begun a unit on Directions and Locations; they have completed preliminary worksheets on how to describe locations in Japanese and their EP
task on giving directions. This was essential background work for them to be able to start a project whereby they create an AirBnB ad in Japanese. Zooming
and Kahoots, were also included.
I want to acknowledge the wonderful teachers on my staff who, like many of
you, are juggling families at home and still providing outstanding learning experiences for our students, whilst also considering and caring for their student’s wellbeing.
I would also like to acknowledge the amazing
efforts of our MFHS families who support the school and my faculties. With this partnership, we will continue to do great things together.
Of course, we encourage the students to
maintain contact with their teachers and to let us know if they need help. The best way to do
this in my faculty is for the student to make a PM attached to their name on their daily roll. This makes it easy for teachers to find this
amongst the 100’s of emails and messages they get every day!
Stay safe everyone. See you soon.
Julie Elliott
Head Teacher Home Economics and Languages
28
FROM CAPA
What’s Happening??
Term 3 has started from home.
Working online for Visual Arts and Music can be a little challenging – especially when student have started work at school – and it is now waiting for our return. As practical subjects – we are doing our best to maintain this
element in our classes.
Music students have been zooming lessons - screen sharing audio excerpts and Year 11 and 12 students have sent in progress video/audio of their practise which the teachers have watched together during zoom lessons.
Great ways to continue learning musical components.
So while at home…. In VISUAL ARTS, students have been set tasks that allow them to use their
creativity and utilise materials easily found around the house. All years g=have developed some great work – I will showcase a few this week
Year 7 • Have toured the Art Gallery of NSW virtually. We all went to see the
Archibald Prize – as part of or work on portraits. Students were able to
see many works and were asked questions about the exhibition – for
e.g. “how many portraits have a smile on their face” – surprisingly – not
too many.
• They then had the chance to create a portrait as if entering the your
Archies. This is a real exhibition in conjunction with the Archibald prize –
for younger people.
Here are some examples….
CA
PA
29
Year 7 and 8 have also been working on a variety of art challenges
Challenge 1 – create a colour wheel from objects – we looked for accuracy of colour, arrangement of objects and just being clever….
30
Year 9 have been working on Water drawings as part of this unit of work.
31
32
33
DANCE NEWS Year 12 Dance students have had to be especially flexible this year. I would like to congratulate those who worked hard during the holidays, rehearsing
their 3 practical dances for their HSC Exams. You have shown commitment, dedication and passion. Keep it up at home. Your flexibility, strength and
stamina need to be maintained, and this can be challenging during Lockdown. We wish you all the best for your exams, on your new date of Tuesday 14th
September. “Break-a-Leg” Year 12.
ELECTIVE DANCE CLASSES
The challenges of online dancing
Our focus for Stage 5 is now on Composition as students have more flexibility
in creating movement within the spaces they are confined to. Keep sending in those great videos of your works as they progress.
Year 11 had started working on their Performance Dances and the Appreciation Unit on APPARTEMENT. We’ve got this! Let’s keep moving and learning.
DA
NC
E
34
35
36
37
CHANGE OF CONTACT INFORMATION
MODEL FARMS HIGH SCHOOL
Name of Student: ___________________________________ Year __________
New Address: ________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ Postcode: ______
Correspondence: _____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________ Postcode: ______
Email Address: _______________________________________________________
New Home Phone No. __________________________________________________
Mother Mobile: ________________________________________________________
Mother Work: _________________________________________________________
Father Mobile: ________________________________________________________
Father Work __________________________________________________________
Emergency Contact if changed: _________________________________________
Phone No. ___________________________________________
Any change in Medical Condition e.g. Allergy, Asthma etc.
Details ______________________________________________________________
Bus Pass: YES / NO
38