Celebrating 25 years

Just take a brick

And place it on the ground

To make it stick

Pour mortar all around

A cup of lime

Then stir it all, it's hard

And up she'll climb

By inch, by foot, by yard

A still, a door

A ledge, a window pane

Then drill some more

Raise up a weather vane

A roof, the proof that going slow like this

A splendid edifice can climb

One brick at a time

 

‘One Brick At A Time’ by Cy Coleman and Michael Stewart from ‘Barnum’

25th Anniversary - Save The Date

In 2021, Cecil Hills High School celebrates its 25th anniversary.  We will be holding our celebratory events on Friday, 13 August 2021.  We have formed a school committee to coordinate this event which will celebrate our school history and student diversity.

 

Our New Deputy Principal

I am very pleased to announce that Mrs Christine Lord has been appointed by merit selection to fill our permanent Deputy Principal role that was previously held by Mrs Denise James.  Mrs Lord has had extensive teaching and leadership experience and is currently Head Teacher - PD/H/PE at Birrong Girls High School.  I look forward to Mrs Lord joining our senior executive team and I know our staff, students and parents will welcome her when she commences in the role.

 

Attendance Update

Congratulations to our 221 students who currently have 100% attendance for the year.  At our Term 2 CHAMP Assembly, I spoke to students about how attending school day-by-day is like building a house brick-by-brick.  This establishes a strong foundation and ensures the structure can withstand pressure.  In terms of my introductory quote, it is important for students to focus on their attendance one day at a time or “one brick at a time”.  Parents can view a video of our assembly and my presentation here:

 

We have an aim for all students to have at least 95% attendance. The key message from the NSW Department of Education is that ‘every minute counts’ and ‘every day counts’. 

Feedback

At the Term 2 CHAMP Assembly, I also spoke about the importance of students seeking feedback from teachers.  Research shows that within a 12 month period, effective feedback can account for an additional 8 months of growth.  This means that students can achieve 20 months of progress in just a 12 month period.  As we enter our assessment period, it is good practice for students to submit assessment tasks early and submit drafts for feedback.  JK Rowling wrote the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone fifteen times to perfect her work.

Assessment Booklets

Parents are reminded that our assessment booklets for Year 7 to Year 12 are all available online:

In each booklet, there is a useful summary page which provides an overview of due dates. This is a powerful resource for parents who can support their children by using these prompts:

  • 3 weeks before a task is due: “Have you received your assessment task yet?”
  • 2 weeks before a task is due: “You would have received your assessment task by now. Can you show me the task?  What it is about?  It’s time to make a start.”
  • 1 week before a task is due: “Have you shown a draft to your teacher?  It’s important to get feedback.”
  • 1 day before a task is due: “Have you submitted your task?  It is due tomorrow.”
  • on the day a task is due: “A reminder to submit your task today.”

A reminder that our Connect After The Bell program operates four afternoons a week from 3pm to 4pm in the Library and students can receive support with assessment tasks from our teachers.

Parent Information Sessions

Our next online Parent Information Session will be held at 6:30pm on Monday, 7 June 2021.  These sessions are typically 30 minutes.  This will be followed by a short P&C meeting for those who wish to stay online. Information on logging into the Zoom meeting will be emailed to parents.

 

I look forward to continuing to work with the staff, students and parents of Cecil Hills High School, the best school in NSW.

 

Mark Sutton

Principal