Principal's Report

New Newsletter Format

I hope that parents and students are enjoying the new format Henry Kendall High School has adopted for our newsletter. This online version is a contemporary approach that is online and interactive, tying in with the work we are doing around our corporate image and professional approach. Any feedback is welcome –                     henrykenda-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

School Delevopment Day

Our School Development Day in Term 3 is annually our combined professional learning day with our partner schools, Point Clare PS and Gosford PS. As such it is a very important event on our calendar and an opportunity for our schools to attract presenters of the highest calibre. Unfortunately this year the speakers we are aiming for are not available on the first day of term, however are able to work with us on Friday 22 July – the end of the first week of term.

With the support and endorsement of our P&C, the date for the Term 3 School Development Day has been changed to Friday 22 July 2016.

Cyber Safety Awareness

As we are all aware our digital world can provide a new range of safety risks for young people, and raising their awareness of cyber-safety issues as well as regular and open dialogue at home is essential. The internet and online technologies are incredible tools. They provide an opportunity to learn, play, connect and communicate around the world.

Like the real world, there are risks involved with communicating online. Cyber-bullying, cyber-theft, scams, identity theft, inappropriate content and cyber-grooming are some of the challenges that exist for young people online.

Knowing how to use technologies safely is essential to having positive experiences online. It is important for young people to learn about cyber-safety and know how to deal with issues. This applies as much at home as it does at school, on wireless applications and in public places.

As a parent you have an important role to educate your child and help guide their online experiences. The following link provides parents with valuable resources;

https://esafety.gov.au/?from=cybersmart

It is also important to remember that children under 13 years of age are prohibited from signing up to Facebook, Kik, You Tube and Instagram. It is strongly recommended that older children who do have such accounts are closely monitored by parents.

Celebrate Gonski

The additional funding into schools provided through the Gonski funding is significant in the additional resources and opportunities that are able to be accessed. What is also important is the scope for each school to target these funds to areas of need specific to their local context. In 2016 Gonski funding is being utilised at Henry Kendall High School to support 20 separate projects, each tied directly to our School Plan priority areas. Throughout our 2016 newsletters I will take the opportunity to outline many of these projects and initiatives, and celebrate the difference that Gonski funding is making to our school.

The first area is around rethinking our approach to our learning spaces. Our Learning Culture and our 21st Century Learning Teams have been examining the way in which our traditional approach to learning spaces can stifle our students connection and engagement with the learning process. As educators we are increasingly aware that the way we deliver content must connect with our contemporary world with a focus on areas such as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, global awareness – developing these skills is as essential as the content of the curriculum. As such we are exploring how to rethink our learning spaces so as to promote these essential skills as part of our teaching practice. Our teams have visited Macquarie University and the Departments Futures Directorate, as well as numerous other schools to gather information on options, ideas, and proven successes. Utilising Gonski funding, later this year we will be completely redesigning the senior study level of our library into a collaborative, flexible learning space. We are also remodelling one of our TAS workshops into an open flexible learning space that will promote the use of technologies, link curriculum areas together, and encourage collaborative and project based learning approaches.

These are all about ensuring the best learning opportunities and contemporary approaches for our students. None of this would have been possible without the vital injection of monies provided by the Gonski funds, and clearly highlights the importance of delivering the entire Gonski package over the coming two years.

P&C Meeting

Reminder that our next P&C Meeting is Tuesday 15 March in the school library. You are invited to a Meet & Greet at 6.45pm, supper is provided. We have the Annual General Meeting at 7pm followed by the regular P&C meeting at 7.30.

In addition to the regular agenda the P&C will be discussing provision of financial support for new stage curtains in the MPC.

All are welcome - a great opportunity to have a voice in school directions and management.

Mr Andrew Backhouse - Principal