Principal's Report
Young Achievers Celebration Night
2018 has seen a significant restructure of the Young Achievers Program. In 2017 the program coordinator, Blake Wawrzyk, studied a course in Deeper Learning at Harvard University, Boston, USA. The philosophies and learnings attained subsequently formed the basis for our rethinking and revitalisation of the Young Achievers Program. Concepts that are central are;
- Connections to real world issues
- Mimicking work ‘in the field’
- Interdisciplinary learning
- Project Based Learning (PBL) that is meaningful
- Problem driven teachers and intellectual guides rather than direct instructors.
Our intention is to ensure that students enter Stage 5 with strengthened learning skills; capacity to find, evaluate and apply knowledge; and increased capacity for independent and adaptive learning applicable to tomorrow’s world.
On Wednesday evening 25 July the fruits of our new approaches were displayed at our Young Achievers Celebration Night. Student learning and the products of this learning were showcased to parents and community members. What was most exciting was the dynamic, high quality work that reflected the intentions of the program. Of particular note was the deep learning students displayed in each of their PBL tasks.
I would like to acknowledge the work of the teaching team who have embraced these philosophies and the challenges of rethinking their approaches, and applied these in such dynamic opportunities for our students. Equality I need to recognise the students who have immersed themselves in their learning, producing work of such high quality. Thank you to the parents who attended and for your support of our school and your children. It was certainly a night that celebrated achievement, and reflects exciting directions for the future in the Young Achievers Program.
Term 3 School Development Day
Our Term 3 development day was held on Monday 23 July and was our annual learning community event, bring together the staff of Henry Kendall High, Gosford High, Gosford Public and Point Clare Public schools. This year’s theme was a focus on staff wellbeing, and provided learning in areas such as health, goal setting, stress management, work/life balance, and relaxation. It was a valuable day that reminded our staff that in order to be the best they can be for our students, they must ensure their own wellbeing is central.
Following our combined learning community program during the day, Henry Kendall staff returned in the afternoon and evening to undertake a suicide awareness and prevention course presented by Lifeline. This course provided strengthened understanding as we continually seek to support our students in all areas, including mental health. Year 11 will be undertaking a student version of this course later this term.
Gosford City Learning Community Celebration Assembly 2018
On Monday 6 August, coinciding with the start of Education Week, we will be hosting the annual Gosford City Learning Community Celebration assembly. This event is an opportunity for the four schools in our learning community to recognise, acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and contributions of students, staff and community members to schools individually as well as to our community as a whole.
Cooinda AECG Awards 2018
Education Week will see another important awards ceremony, with the Cooinda AECG Awards for our Aboriginal students held at Gosford Public School on Tuesday 7 August. These awards recognise the academic, sporting and cultural learning and achievements of our indigenous students, and is a special event on our annual calendar.
Central Coast Education Awards 2018
On Tuesday 21 August the annual CC Education Awards of Appreciation will be held at Terrigal High School to recognise the contributions of individuals across the Central Coast to Public education. Henry Kendall High’s recipients were;
- Caroline McTeigue for providing the highest standards in leadership as a Head Teacher, and in classroom teaching.
- Mel Topp for her tireless commitment and positive personality as an essential part of the administrative team.
- Janet Wawrzyk for her contributions as a parent, P&C member and canteen worker over many years.
Congratulations to these well deserving recipients.
Trial HSC Examinations
HSC Trial examinations are quickly approaching and our Year 12 students are diligently preparing. These important examinations are an essential component of the all-important assessment process, and provide a good guide as to how students are progressing in their courses leading up to the actual HSC in October and November. Good luck year 12!
Year 10 Interviews
On Tuesday 24 July our Year 10 students worked through formal interviews with staff regarding their future studies and vocational pathways. These interviews are aimed at reflecting real world processes as well as emphasising the importance of the decisions they are making. They came very well prepared and presented. Congratulations Year 10!
Mock Trial
Congratulations to our Mock Trial Team. The have won the first elimination round defeating Central Coast Grammar. What a great result attained by Katie Lewis, Eli Clarkson, Alexandra Sidiropoulos, Leo Coleman, Luke Mirfield and Thomas Marsh.
The Mock Trial Competition is conducted by The Law Society of New South Wales and is a practical means of introducing students to the law and to increase understanding of the basis of our judicial system.
The competition also helps students to increase basic skills such as listening, speaking, writing, reading and analysing. The goal is not to win for the sake of winning, but to learn and understand the meaning of good citizenship through participation in our system of law and justice. All who participate in the Mock Trial Competition are winners in this sense.
This achievement places our team in the top 31 in the state, and we compete against Lambton High in the next round.
Term 4 School Development Days 2018
On each of our Terms 1 to 3 School Development Days the staff completed additional hours of professional learning. This will be in lieu of the two Development Days at the end of Term 4, when the school will be non-operational.
Parents & Community Association
The P&C meets in the Nichols Meeting room in the administration building at 7.00pm on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, with our next P&C Meeting for 2018 being Tuesday 21 August. I welcome all parents to join our P&C and take an active role in our school.