SECONDARY NEWS
From the Assistant Principal
Miss Kim Bailey
kbailey@arm.catholic.edu.au
Around the grounds...
9/10 Elective Food Technology
In our Elective Stage 5 course, Food Technology, students cooked up a storm for their first assessment of the Year.
In the unit, Food for Specific Needs, students learn about different nutritional requirements for people with different circumstances.
Their first assessment task asked students to hypothetically choose a person with either a medical condition or an athlete and design a meal for them.
Groups of students cooked various meals, from smoothies and pancakes to butter chicken.
Mrs Butler & Mrs McCormick
Congratulations...
Science & Engineering Challenge
Congratulations to the team of 32 students who placed second on Friday at the Rotary Science & Engineering Challenge. The students were excellent ambassadors and had a very successful day. Thanks to Mr East for supervising the students on the day.
Barraba Show
Members of the HTS Show Team competed at the Barraba Show over the weekend. They were once again very successful in a number of events. Thanks to Mrs Townsend for preparing the students for the Show and for supervising them over the course of the competition.
NAPLAN
NAPLAN testing begins on Wednesday for all Year 7 and Year 9 students.
If a student is absent on one or more of these days, catch-up sessions will be held. Students have been involved in practice and familiarisation activities in preparation for the NAPLAN assessments. They should ensure that they are rested so that they can complete the tests to the best of their ability.
Study Skills Seminars
Elevate Education will return this year to deliver study skills seminars to students in Years 7 - 10. They will be here next Tuesday and Wednesday.
The focus for the sessions will be as follows:
- Year 7 - Study Skills Kickstart
- Year 8 - Junior Time Management
- Year 9 - Memory & Mnemonics
- Year 10 - Study Sensei
Term 1 Progress Reports
Students received their Term 1 Progress Report on Monday.
The purpose of the Term 1 Progress Report is to provide a snapshot of your child's progress at this stage of the school year. If you would like to discuss any aspect of this report, you may contact Miss Bailey or the subject teacher.
Respectful behaviour includes interactions with staff and peers. It also includes the use of school equipment and resources.
Focused on learning provides an indication of a student's level of contribution to the learning environment and responsibility for their learning as well as consideration for the learning of others.
Completion of set tasks includes all classwork, homework and assessments.
Preparation is being ready to participate and engage in class each day. Being organised for learning involves doing the home study, revision, completing required work, and bringing the necessary equipment, including uniforms and iPads.
Family Conferences
Family Conferences will be held for students in Years 7 - 10 on the following nights.
PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE FOR YEARS 7 & 8
- Year 8 - Monday 17 March
- Year 7 - Tuesday 18 March
- Year 9 – Wednesday 19 March
- Year 10 – Thursday 20 March
On each of the afternoons, teachers will be available from 3.45 – 5.45 pm in the Holy Trinity Hall.
As in past years, parents are strongly encouraged to bring their child with them to take part in the conversation. The conferences will allow you to discuss your child’s progress with each of his/her subject teachers. Each meeting will be restricted to a five-minute maximum per subject; this should allow all conferences to take place in the allotted time. Should there be a need for an extended discussion, arrangements can be made with the teacher concerned or with the Assistant Principal.
The Family Conferences offer an opportunity for you to find out how your child is getting on with classmates, if there are areas in which they excel, any aspects that are causing difficulties, and what they can do at home to build on their strengths or to overcome any weaknesses. Teachers are helped considerably by getting to know parents and by gaining information from them that can enhance their child’s educational and social experiences.
The process is as follows:
Interview times must be booked via Compass prior to attending the conferences – there can be no bookings made on the day.
Parents will book their own appointments via the Compass portal.
Please contact the Front Office or your child’s subject teacher or Pastoral Care teacher if you require assistance.
PLEASE NOTE - BOOKINGS HAVE OPENED TODAY.
BOOKINGS WILL CLOSE ON FRIDAY 14 MARCH.
If you need to meet with a teacher for more than one subject, you may need to book two time slots.
The five-minute time limit per subject will need to be strictly adhered to – a timer will be used to indicate when the allotted time has ended.
Only the designated year group can attend each evening – we cannot have conferences with siblings in other year groups.
Health Careers Forum
Several Year 10 students are attending the Health Careers Forum today in Tamworth.
The University of Newcastle Department of Rural Health (UONDRH) will conduct the annual Health Careers Forum (HCF) for North West New England Secondary schools. The forum will focus on Year 10 and 11 students who are clearly interested in a health professional career.
HSC Minimum Standard Literacy and Numeracy Tests
Literacy and numeracy skills are essential for success in learning and life after school. The HSC minimum standard was introduced to ensure students have the reading, writing and numeracy skills needed for everyday life, work and further study.
Students need to meet the HSC minimum standard to receive the HSC. To show they meet this standard, students must achieve Level 3 in short online reading, writing, and numeracy tests. Your child will have multiple opportunities to show they meet the HSC minimum standard. These tests can be taken when your child is ready—be that this year, in Year 11 or 12, or after the HSC.
For more information and flyers about the online tests and their components, visit the NESA website: https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/hsc-minimum-standard.
Please return the slip on the note that was sent home if you DO NOT wish your child to sit the trial online tests. If you have any questions, please contact Miss Bailey.
2025 Pastoral Care Teachers
Year 7:
7J – Mr Jack Jeffery
7K – Miss Kristina Majetic
7M – Mrs Veronica McCormick
7W – Mrs Carrie Watchirs
Year 8:
8G - Mr Anthony Gaias
8M – Mr Ricky Muggleton
8T- Mrs Jane Taylor
8W – Mr Sam White
Year 9:
9C – Mrs Claudia Dolbel
9E – Mr Jeremy East
9G – Miss Lauren Green
9M – Mrs Christine McLachlan
Year 10:
10C - Miss Claudia Cush
10K – Mr Blake Uebergang.
Students and parents are encouraged to approach the relevant Pastoral Care teacher if they need assistance.
7 - 10 Staff Email Addresses
Miss Kim Bailey
Mr Sean Baldwin
Mrs Kylie Butler
Miss Claudia Cush
Mrs Angela East
Mr Jeremy East
Mr Peter Ehsman
Mr Anthony Gaias
Miss Alana Goldman
Miss Lauren Green
Mrs Mary-Jane Guest
Mrs Malynda Hiscock
Mr David Koch
Mrs Veronica McCormick
Mrs Christine McLachlan
cmclachlan@arm.catholic.edu.au
Mr Ricky Muggleton
rmuggleton@arm.catholic.edu.au
Mr Matthew Pye
Mrs Kristen Smith
Mrs Jane Taylor
Mrs Katherine Townsend
Mr Blake Uebergang
Mrs Carrie Watchirs
Staff can be contacted directly using the email address above or via the Compass portal.
Living Well, Learning Well
Ready2Learn
Pastoral Care teachers will be checking in with the students in their class each morning to ensure that they are Ready2Learn. All students have received the information below and were encouraged to show their families and discuss how to be Ready2Learn each day. Pastoral Care teachers will be able to help students start the day in a positive way. Please ask your child about this and support them to be Ready2Learn.
Students are being asked to ensure that they understand these elements and have all their equipment and uniforms by the start of Week 6. The infographic also outlines what to do if there is a problem with doing this and who you can go to for assistance.
Rules for Living
Secondary students will continue to be reminded about the importance of following our Rules for Living in their daily interactions with all members of our school community. We encourage all families also to be familiar with these so conversations at home can support those had at school.
Reflection Sheets will sometimes be used in Secondary for students who cannot follow our expectations for safe and productive behaviours and for those who continue to interrupt the learning of their classmates or the teacher's work. Depending on the nature of the incidents and their persistence, these reflection sheets may be sent home for families to sign. We thank you in advance for your support to ensure that our school is a place where all students can feel safe, valued, respected and cared for in an environment where learning is prioritised and valued.
Device Policy
Students are not permitted to use their devices unless instructed by a teacher. This includes both the classroom and the playground. The students are aware of this policy and receive constant reminders in Pastoral Care, their teaching classes and there are also many posters displayed all around the school.
If a student needs to use their device, they must first seek permission from a teacher and use it in an area designated by the teacher. This is usually under their direct supervision or outside the Secondary staffroom.
If students are unable to follow this policy, then their phone is confiscated and placed securely in Miss Bailey's office, where it is collected by the student at the end of the school day.
Teachers record each time a device has been confiscated. After the device has been confiscated for a second time, it remains at school until it can be collected by a parent/carer.
BUILDING CONCENTRATION SKILLS
Many students find it difficult to concentrate and stay focused when they are doing their schoolwork at home. So, what can we do to improve concentration levels? Try these top tips:
- IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT: Have a good hard look at the environment you are trying to concentrate in. Is it noisy? Are there more exciting things happening around you? Is it too hot? Too cold? Are you uncomfortable? Too comfortable? What can you do to make the space more conducive to concentration?
- BLOCKS OF TIME: If you are someone who finds it difficult to concentrate at home, don’t try and study for too long at a time. Instead, tell yourself you will work for 20-30 minutes then you can have a break. If you know it is only 20-30 minutes, it is much easier to concentrate than if it was for an indefinite period of time.
- ANCHOR TO THE PRESENT: Create a focus word that brings you back on task. We all daydream. The key is to start to pay more attention to when you are doing it and then immediately take action. If your keyword, for example, was ‘orange’, when you notice you are day-dreaming say ‘orange orange orange’ to refocus your attention to your work.
- RESET THE BRAIN: Sometimes, you just need a time-out from what you are doing in order to be able to concentrate again. If your attention is constantly wandering, then get up and have a drink, walk outside, or kick a ball – just take 5 to 10 minutes to clear your head so you can come back fresh to your work.
- WORK OUT PEAK TIMES: Start to pay attention to what time of the day you are most focused. That’s when you need to do the harder work or the work that requires the greatest concentration. If you know you get tired after dinner, don’t leave the difficult work until then.
- CARROT AND STICK: Some people are motivated by working towards rewards, others by avoiding punishments. Give yourself a target time to focus with a little reward at the end if you achieve it – or maybe a little punishment if you don’t!
WHY STUDENTS NEED TO TURN OFF DEVICES AT LEAST HALF AN HOUR BEFORE SLEEP
Artificial light from electronic and other devices generally emits a blue light (it may not look blue, but that is the underlying light). Blue light is a type of non-visible light at a very short wavelength.
What does blue light do to the human body?
Non-visible light has a lot of energy, and studies show that a lot of exposure to this type of light can impair your sleep cycle. During sleep, lots of essential physical processes take place, and it is also when learning from the day is consolidated in memory. This means that having enough sleep is vital for students.
Blue light is naturally generated only during the day from sunlight. When it gets dark, naturally occurring blue light ceases, signalling the body to produce melatonin, the hormone associated with sleep. Using artificial lighting and devices which emit a blue light at night confuses the body clock (the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle) by stopping the body from producing melatonin. This can result in disrupted sleep patterns, including difficulty in falling asleep, and staying asleep and shortened sleep duration.
Those at greatest risk from night-time exposure to blue light are those with existing sleep disorders and adolescents who often experience delayed sleep patterns as a result of biological changes.
What can students do to limit their exposure to blue light at night?
Some suggestions include:
- Be exposed to sunlight during the day to assist in accurately setting your body clock.
- Stop using all electronic devices, preferably an hour before bed.
- Get a red or orange reading lamp, which does not emit blue light.
- Use blue light-blocking glasses at night.
- Install a program or app on your computer or device to change the type of light it emits. A variety of programs are available, including F.lux, EasyEyez, Night Filter, Zzz iPhone filter, Bluelight and Twilight.
- Invert the colours on your smartphone or iPad, or Kindle, or change the device to the night-time setting.
- Turn the brightness down on your device for a few hours before bed (not perfect, but better than nothing!).