Casual Dress Day

On Friday, 13 March Frankston High School held our Term 1 Casual Dress Day. The money raised went towards the Kodoka Track Foundation. This foundation supports Kokoda Health, a charity that helps maintain and develop a better health system in Papua New Guinea. In Papua New Guinea, the health care professional ratio is 0.58 health workers per 1,000 people. The World Health Organisation recommends 2.5 per 1,000.

In light of this, Nick Ruys, a Frankston High School staff member, brought this to the attention of the SLC students at the SLC Camp. As a result, the SLC selected the Kokoda Health Foundation as the first charity Frankston High School would support.

In Papua New Guinea, the cost to train a health care worker is approximately $3,000. The aim of the foundation is to raise $20,000 so they can ensure four to five workers are trained.

The Junior School raised an amazing $550.90! Middle School raised a sum of $645.40 and on the Senior Campus, they raised a total of $615.53. This means in total, Frankston High School raised a whopping $1,811.65. We would like to thank everyone who participated in the Casual Dress Day and supported such a great cause.

Eilis Peters and Sam Ilobuchi

Disabled Surfers Association

On Saturday, 14 March the Disabled Surfers Association Mornington Peninsula (DSAMP) held their second hands-on day for the year down at Point Leo Life Saving CLub, where volunteers of any sort could come and enjoy a satisfying day of teamwork, friendliness and of course a whole heap of smiles! On the day we helped people with all types of disabilities to get on a board and catch an awesome wave right into shore with the help of everyone cheering and supporting. It was awesome to see young and old people with disabilities getting involved in a much loved sport like surfing and experiencing the thrill and fun that they wouldn’t usually experience.

There were a whole heap of smiles and high fives throughout the day; it is really a great day to get involved in and we got a lot out of it as well as helping the community.

Emily Blaak and Georgina Maxwell

Graeme Clark Oration

On Tuesday, 10 March twelve of our senior students excitedly attended the Melbourne Convention Centre to listen to Sir Paul Nurse give an oration on his Nobel Prize winning work on Cell Genetics.

Sir Paul Nurse is one of the leading scientists in the world being president of the Royal Society as well as being involved in a multitude of other scientific organisations.

The first lecture was devoted to students only where he explained about his life as a scientist and the pathway that budding scientists should follow. A question and answer session followed with students asking questions on his work and life.

The second lecture, given to hundreds of eminent scientists (including Graeme Clark and Sir Gustav Nossel), Ph.D students and school children explained his Nobel Prize winning, ground breaking work, into finding the gene and protein that controls cell division. This has enormous repercussions in the field of cancer research.

Our students were excited to find that they were not out of their depth in understanding the processes of his work and they had a good grasp of his work and the scientific process involved in such a breakthrough (well done to our Biology teachers).

Two of our Year 12 students (Keenan Hellyer and Georgia Minetti-Douglass) were lucky enough to accompany me to the Oration Fine Dining Dinner attended by scientists, ministers and many VIP’s.

We were able to mingle with the 600 attendees, and yes Keenan, it is exciting to meet a Nobel Prize Winner in the bathroom.

Thank you to Mark Seaton for attending the early lectures and taking the other students home.

Mr Peter Sadler

World of Maths Report Years 7 & 8 Term 1

During the first term here at Frankston High School, students in the junior years of 7 and 8 get the opportunity for one period to experience the practicality and fun of using Maths by participating in the World of Maths Program.

World of Maths is a unique activity that provides fun, hands-on, mathematical, problem solving activities for student participation. Students work in groups of three or four to solve Maths problems and record their answers on a worksheet. Students then rotate around the different tasks throughout the class period. The feedback that we get from students about this activity is very positive and it helps them to understand the importance of Maths outside of the classroom environment, highlighting where Maths occurs in everyday situations, sometimes without them even realising that Maths is involved.

Mr Stephen Finch, Maths Teacher

SLC Camp

From 27 to 29 February, SLC members from Year 8 through to Year 12 attended the annual, highly-anticipated SLC Camp, at the Phillip Island Adventure Resort. The main purposes of this camp were to improve our leadership skills, get to know one another better and brainstorm how we could make the school and the SLC better in general.

These above goals were achieved through inspiring and informative sessions, including speeches by two guest speakers, Fi and Libby, and a brilliant session on the school’s Mission Statement. Highlights of the camp also included the Giant Swing, the High Ropes course, Skit Night, and a dance-off on the last day.

In conclusion, I know that I speak on behalf of everyone who went to this camp when I say that it was a really inspiring, fun, interesting three days. I would like to thank everyone who organised this and the teachers who attended, especially Mrs Bahramis, the guest speakers, and the Eco Team.

Fern Nicholls, Year 9 SLC Member

Curriculum Days

This year Frankston High School will be conducting its annual student free Curriculum Days on 25 and 26 May.

We are proud to be able to announce that this has enabled us to acquire the services of Dylan Wiliam to work with our staff. Dylan is a world class educator and researcher whose services are sought after across the world. His work is focused on improving educational achievement of all students and why it is an economic priority for all countries. Dylan Wiliam (PhD) is Emeritus Professor of Educational Assessment at the Institute of Education, University of London where, from 2006-2010, he was Deputy Director. He has had a varied career having taught chemistry and maths in urban public schools, worked in a number of universities, directed a large scale testing program and has pursued a research programme focused on supporting teachers to develop their use of assessment in support of learning.

Frankston High School has outstanding teachers who are continually striving to improve their practice. Dylan will be working with teachers on further developing very practical techniques for improving their classroom practice. Such techniques will include strategies to improve questioning and how to provide feedback that moves learning forward. He will also be helping us to develop a whole school approach on improving classroom practice.

Anti Bullying Campaign

We all have endless mental conversations with ourselves. When we look in the mirror in the morning before school or work, we have either positive or negative thoughts running through our head. This self-talk can influence how we feel for the whole day. If we are bullied and people take the time and effort to look us in the eye and say negative things, or maybe express this physically, it hurts. It can scar us for life.

This is why 8H from Frankston High School has taken a stand against bullying, because they know that this isn’t right, and that everybody should have the chance to love themselves and feel as positive as they can. That everybody, no matter their size, race or looks, should be able to look at themselves and be proud.

Bethany Hobby, 8H

Year 8 History Club Visit to Frankston RSL to Research a Gallipoli Veteran

As some of you may know, this year marks 100 years since our soldiers landed at Gallipoli, and the History Club wants to make sure that people understand the importance of this campaign. So to tell the story, we have chosen a soldier who served in World War One, a young man by the name of Arthur Ernest Bolger; the first known resident from Frankston to have had died at Gallipoli.

To find out more about this soldier, our teacher Mrs Robinson, organised an excursion to Frankston RSL. I was honoured to go with nine other students from Year 8, to listen to the Secretary of the RSL, Mr Brent Clyne, tell us more information about Arthur Bolger. He had also brought some memorabilia from WWI for us to look at; things like a signalling mirror, a German map bag, a sniper’s telescope and a bullet bandolier.

There was also another person who was present. A man by the name of Chris Ryan, who is actually going to Gallipoli for the service in April! We were given a small wooden cross to sign, which he will put on to the memorial for Arthur Bolger. Mr Clyne also talked about some shocking stories about Gallipoli, but that’s another story. Though sadly we couldn’t see things that belonged to Arthur Bolger, such as the King’s Penny awarded to his mother after his death as it was in storage, everyone still enjoyed the day. After Mr Clyne was finished, we took a group photo and we thanked Mr Clyne.

I now speak on behalf of the group that we are very grateful to Mr Clyne and Mr Ryan, and our teachers, Mrs Robinson and Mrs Bambridge for driving us to the RSL and giving up their time.

Ilya Glinin on behalf of the History Club

School Production - Hairspray

We are well under way with rehearsals for our upcoming 2015 production of ‘Hairspray’! The story follows Tracy Turnblad, a loveable heroine with a passion for dancing, who wins a spot on the local TV dance program, "The Corny Collins Show." Overnight she finds herself transformed from outsider to teen celebrity. Can a larger-than-life adolescent manage to vanquish the program's reigning princess, integrate the television show, and find true love (singing and dancing all the while, of course!) without denting her ‘do’?

The cast and crew have already been working tirelessly during after school and lunchtime rehearsals singing, dancing and acting, as well as constructing and painting set pieces and sewing some of the many costumes required for this show – we’d love for as many people as possible to come and show their support for these students by booking a ticket for the show! It would be amazing to sell out EVERY SINGLE SHOW and we need YOUR HELP to do so!

Performance times are THURSDAY, 21 MAY at 7pm, FRIDAY, 22 MAY at 7pm, SATURDAY, 23 MAY at 7pm, as well as our special MATINEE SHOW (where we will have entertainment for kids in the foyer pre-show such as balloon animals, face painting and a photo booth) from 1pm onwards (show begins at 2pm).

You can purchase tickets from following this link - http://artsonline.monash.edu.au/mapa/buy-tickets/ - OR calling the Box Office on 9905 1111 from Monday, 13 April onwards. Alternatively, you can purchase your tickets from the Box Office ONE HOUR before performances - providing there are any left!!

Kristie Vidotto & Briellen Gibson

2015 School Production Co-Directors

Interschool Equestrian

The equestrian team competed on Saturday 14 March at the Interschool Dressage day.

It was a successful day, with the Frankston High School team placing 10th overall for the day, out of 16 schools!

Congratulations to all students who participated including Jenna Bos of Year 8 who placed Reserved Champion (2nd) in her class out of 29 riders.