From the Principals' Desk
The Fabric of Community
My teaching background is in the Visual Arts and Technology subjects and so I have a natural interest in arts and crafts and creative problem solving. Additionally, my wife is a keen crafts person working a lot with threads and fabrics resulting in me often being surrounded by a range of textiles. As I reflect on the nature of a material, whether a fabric or a wood, I am reminded that each such piece is a combination of various fibres, similar in some ways, unique in others but together when combined, they form a bond that supports each other and contributes to the strength of the overall material. I find there is a similarity to this in what I also see and know of Nossal. Ours is a community made up of many unique people. Some have similar talents, beliefs and interests, but each has their own special individual abilities and foci and when we combine together, the community is strong, supportive and able to achieve great things.
In this week's newsletter, I want to focus on a few things that have happened or are happening in the near future which highlight the fabric of our community and the things we are able to achieve and celebrate as a result of it.
Language Diversity Day
As this newsletter is being prepared for publication, planning for the Language Domain's "Language Diversity Day" is in the final phase. This day celebrates some of the many languages spoken by members of our school community with a particular emphasis on French and Japanese, the languages taught at Nossal.
Learning a second language has many acknowledged benefits including better brain health; improved employment prospects especially as employers seek to expand their businesses internationally; an increased knowledge and understanding of our world; the opportunities to better appreciate other cultures and obviously the advantages associated with travel.
The Language Diversity Day program includes a French film and drama performance highlighting the history of France for the students studying that language, while the Japanese students will be taking part in a Taiko (Japanese drumming) workshop and a calligraphy class. As an added bonus during the day, French students will enjoy a fresh crepe at lunchtime while the Japanese students will be served sushi.
In period 4, the whole school will come together for an assembly for a broader celebration of languages. This activity has been planned and coordinated by our two student Cultural Liaison Leaders, Cree and Kimiko. They have been very thorough in their planning and with the support of the Language teachers have prepared a wonderful program. Thank you Cree and Kimiko for your dedication to making this a worthy celebration.
Arts/Technology Showcase 2017
Mark Friday 23 June in your diary as a night you need to be at Nossal for the 2017 Arts/Technology Showcase. It is a celebration of the wonderful work being done in this Learning Domain and in a break with tradition, this year will feature a production-type performance by our students as they present "Broadway Beats".
The doors of the Arts/Technology Showcase will be open from 6:30pm this coming Friday for students, families and friends to come in and view displays of Art, Photography, Robotics and Visual Communication. We will also be having performances by our Music students while Food Technology students will be providing finger food to help guests enjoy the exhibition.
Thanks to the generous support of our three sponsors, Optima Audio Visual; Officemax and Hitachi this year our student's will also have their work featured in Nossal's own version of White Night. Student's work and images will be projected onto the walls of the foyer of Building B and promises to be a spectacular addition to the night.
At 7:30pm, guests will enter the auditorium for the production of Broadway Beats, a presentation highlighting the talents of students in Drama, Music and Dance. The story line is a bit of a guarded secret, however as the name suggests, it will feature the music and dance of Broadway.
This promises to be a spectacular night, I would like to thank all our students who have given freely of their time to make this event so exciting, as well as the members of the Arts/Tech Learning Domain: Mr Woon, Ms Cilia, Mr Chattrath, Ms Rio, Ms Metcalfe, Ms Aarts and Ms Walsh.
Tickets to the Arts/Tech Showcase are just $10.00 and selling quickly. Get yours at www.trybooking.com.au/QMJL
The GAT
Last week more than 50% of the total school population sat the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority General Assessment Test, also known as the GAT. All students undertaking a VCE Unit 3/4 study are required to complete this activity and at Nossal this represented 418 students. For the remainder of the school, last Wednesday was another successful digital delivery day, where students were not required on campus but still engaged in their learning with teachers and classmates via online collaboration.
Thank you to the team of volunteers and exam supervisors who assisted with all the organisation of the GAT and to Ms Warriner for her planning and coordination.
Yr 12 Formal
Another major event that has been held recently for our Year 12 students was the Annual Year 12 Ball held at The International, Brighton. Like the Year 11 Formal held earlier in the year, this was a glamorous function with lots of good food, fun, dancing and of course the now customary "selfies" with friends.
Congratulations and thank you to the organising team led by Ms Soltys, for a wonderful occasion.
Thank you PFA
In the last edition of the newsletter, we were able to report on the fantastic achievement of the PFA with their sausage sizzle outside Bunnings, Fountain Gate. This enthusiastic group of parents and friends of the school are dedicated to helping where ever and whenever they can. The PFA is an important part of the Nossal High School community.
So it is with great pleasure that in this edition of the newsletter, we thank the PFA for their ongoing support with the provision of padding for the goal posts on the oval. This is a major contribution and ensures the safety of our students and staff involved in activities in this area. The padding is the final piece of the jigsaw and now means that the oval is fully operational.
Have you returned your raffle tickets?
We now need to have all raffle tickets returned in "The Great Community Raffle" conducted by the Rotary Club of Emerald. This annual event is a major fundraiser for our school, with every dollar from every ticket sold through Nossal being donated by the Rotary Club to our school.
We are extremely fortunate to be given the opportunity to take part in this major community project which carries with it the first and second prize of a new car donated by the Ferntree Gully Motor Group.
If you haven't returned your tickets, please do so now, as we need to account for for all tickets both sold and unsold. Of course in that process we also urge you to sell any remaining tickets you may have, remembering that every dollar raised will be returned to Nossal by the Rotary Club.
"Write-A-Book-In-A-Day"
Once again, I would like to remind you of the challenge a group of our students have accepted as they prepare to "Write a book in a day". This event is fast approaching and the work prepared by our teams of students will be published and distributed to hospitals where young people are being treated for cancer.
Associated with this is the "WABIAD Charity Dinner Dance" to be held at the school on Friday 4 August. Tickets to this three course meal and entertainment are just $40.00 and can be booked at https://www.trybooking.com/PNGS. Get your table group together for a fun night while supporting the Kids Cancer Project.
Sponsor our individual teams:
Hakuna Matata -
https://www.writeabookinaday.com/teams/hakuna-matata
Graphomaniacs - https://www.writeabookinaday.com/teams/graphomaniacs
House Spirit
It has been great to see the strong House spirit evident in a range of challenges and activities over recent lunchtimes.
As a student led initiative, each House has been charged with the responsibility to apply their talents to raise money for State Schools' Relief on one lunchtime starting with a minimal budget. The project has set out to show that even with a small amount of financial input, larger amounts can be raised to help other students less fortunate.
State Schools' Relief is a charitable organisation staffed mainly by volunteers who work to supply students in state schools with shoes, uniforms and other learning resources such as pens and pencils when they do not have the means to provide their own. Earlier in 2017, some of students volunteered time during the Careers and Pathways Week to help at the State Schools' Relief warehouse in Dandenong.
End of Term
As we draw near to the end of Term 2, on behalf of Mr Page and Ms Harrap, I would like to congratulate all students and staff on what has been achieved during a busy first semester. Students have worked hard in their studies and embraced the challenge in a range of other programs and events. Staff too have done an enormous amount of work to facilitate student learning while also working to develop their own personal skills and abilities.
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Ms Metcalfe who has been with us as the Director of Music since the start of the year, but is now moving on to other challenges in the community. Thank you Helen for the leadership you have given to this important part of our school. From the start of Term 3, the role of Music Director will be shared by two people already known to our Music students: Ms Nancy Waddington and Mr James Mustafa.
For students taking part in Work Experience in the last week of term, we wish you well and trust that your opportunity to appreciate full time employment is a fulfilling one.
Friday June 30 is the last day of Term 2 and we are running on a shortened day timetable. This means that students will be released at 2:30pm for the beginning of the Winter Holiday Break, which we hope will include some rest and relaxation for all staff and students. We look forward to a school full of fresh faces on Monday July 17 for the beginning of Term 3.
Nossal High School is like a piece of fabric. It is a collective of individual elements/people that when combined together form an impressive community that achieves, supports and encourages. I wish you all a great term holiday. Please have a relaxing break and return revitalised for the important 3rd term.
Keith Butler
Assistant Principal