SECONDARY NEWS 

From the Assistant Principal 

Year 10 Excursion to Coffs Harbour - Cancelled

Unfortunately, due to the unexpected announcement of a Public Holiday on Thursday 22 September, the Coffs Harbour excursion has been cancelled.

Mr Koch contacted the venue on Monday, and due to the unavailability of staff to run the excursion because of the Public Holiday, the centre has decided to cancel all school bookings in Week 10.

There are no dates available for the rest of the year, so the excursion cost will be fully refunded to all families. Miss Bailey and Mr Koch will discuss with Year 10 local options.

Didgeribone Performance

On Friday, Years 7 - 10, students were engaged by Tjupurru and his Didgeribone. It was a uniquely Australian music experience accompanied by personal and ancestral stories.

Using the didjeribone, face bass and cutting-edge music production equipment, music is played, recorded then instantly played back on a loop to form a backing track. The process is repeated with loop track after loop track being added, creating a rich, deep, multilayered soundscape. It’s then that the true magic happens as from the didjeribone the haunting wind, howling dingoes and humorous kookaburras populate this genuinely Australian piece of music.

Six students were invited on stage to form a human instrument for the finale, with another two selected as musicians. 

Write a Book in a Day

Last Wednesday, a team of budding authors participated in the Write a Book in a Day competition.  A team of students had just twelve hours to write and illustrate a book from start to finish. To make it even more fun, the story had to include unique parameters and random words. The students were given these on the morning of the competition.

An enthusiastic team of writers, editors and illustrators worked all day tirelessly from 8.30 am to 6.30 pm in the Library. 

Thanks to Mrs McLachlan for supervising the students and offering moral support all day.

The team of writers and illustrators collaborated to bring their characters to life.

The finished product is below if you would like to read The Twists Of The Tunnels.

Congratulations to the following participants: Hannah Bourke, Maygan Cody, Chloe Do, Jarrel Langsang, Cas Marshall, Mollie McCudden, Maryann Otieno, Parawee Sritham, Eliza Thompson, Yanna Toledo, Lucy Wellard and Georgia Wilson.

Year 7 HSIE Excursion to Cranky Rock

The Year 7 History/Geography excursion to Cranky Rock took place last Thursday 8 September. Aboriginal Cultural Site Services led the excursion and provided students with valuable educational and cultural knowledge. Sharing these experiences helps students to develop a better understanding of the Stage 4 HSIE Syllabus. Thanks to Mrs East for organising the event and to Mrs McCormick and Mr Taylor for assisting with supervision on the day.

Signing Out Secondary Students

A reminder to all parents and students that a parent must sign out Secondary students from school. They are not permitted to sign themselves out.

Excursions

Parents are able to pay for the upcoming excursions via the Compass Portal. 

• Year 9 Sydney Excursion - $650
• Year 8 Tea Gardens Excursion - $390

If financial assistance is required, please contact Mrs Rainger as soon as possible.

Consent forms for various activities may still need to be signed and returned for excursions.

Final notes and relevant information pertaining to the excursions for Year 8 and Year 9 students will be sent to parents this week. Please contact the school if you have any queries relating to the upcoming excursions in Week 10.

Please pay particular attention to excursion departure times. Activities are planned for the day of departure, and all excursions need to leave on time. Contact the excursion co-ordinator if you are running late.

Excursion Code of Conduct

Students will receive an Excursion Code of Conduct. Please read through the information with your child to make sure they understand the expected behaviour. Both parents and students need to sign the form and return it to school. The hard copy needs to be returned to the excursion co-ordinator.

There will also be a copy of this form on Compass for you to download; however, the Excursion Code of Conduct cannot be signed via Compass.

Year 9 Sydney Excursion -Medical Consent & Emergency Contact Form

Students will receive a Medical Consent & Emergency Contact Form. This form needs to be returned to the excursion co-ordinator. If your child requires medication, it is also essential that you fill out the information on the second page. Please get in touch with the excursion co-ordinator or Miss Bailey if you wish to discuss your child's medication requirements.

There will also be a copy of this form on Compass for you to download; however, the Excursion Code of Conduct cannot be signed via Compass.

Year 9 Sydney Excursion Itinerary

Year 8 Tea Gardens Final Note

Students will receive the following note outlining some important details for their upcoming excursion.