HOLY TRINITY SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

SECONDARY NEWS 

From the Assistant Principal 

Year 7 Information Evening

On Thursday 25 February the Secondary Department is holding an informal information evening for the parents of Year 7 students in the Hall. The night will commence at 6.00 pm and conclude at 6.30 pm.

Our opportunities to gather are limited due to COVID-19 restrictions and we believe that this is a good chance to, ‘put faces to names’ and to answer any queries or concerns you may have after the first few weeks of the school year.

 

To ensure that we adhere to COVID-19 guidelines around attendance at school events the evening is limited to one parent only and no students. 

 

Parents will be asked to sign in at the door, sanitise hands upon entry and follow physical distancing protocols.

 

We feel that the evening will be of benefit to students, parents and staff and look forward to meeting you on Thursday evening.

Vaccinations

The team from Hunter New England Health will be at Holy Trinity on Thursday 4 March to administer the vaccinations to those Year 7 students who have returned the necessary documentation. Students who miss this first vaccination session will have the opportunity to catch them up over the course of the year.

Students in Year 10 will receive their vaccinations on Thursday 11 March.

Defence Force Visit

On Wednesday 3 March Defence Force Recruiting will be speaking to students in Year 10 about career opportunities in the Defence Force.

Staying Safe Online

ThinkUKnow is a website that provides information for parents and students about cyber safety and the responsible use of technology. Understanding how young people use the internet and what they enjoy doing will help you to recognise any suspicious or inappropriate behaviour. It will also help you to talk with your child about their online activities if they think you understand the online environment. 

(http://www.thinkuknow.org.au/site/)

Year 10 Jersey

The Year 10 jersey has arrived. The cost of the jersey is $75.00 and money can be paid to the Front Office. Once paid in full, the students can collect their jersey from Mr Koch.

General Permission Notes/Information Updates and Media Release Forms/ICT Code of Conduct

Students are asked to return these notes if they have not already done so. We appreciate the prompt return of these essential documents.

 

HOTmaths

All students in the secondary department have a subscription to HOTmaths for 2021. Each student will soon have an individual log in, enabling them to complete set work or revise content they need assistance with. It also allows their teacher to set work and track progress.

 

What is HOTmaths? It is an interactive online maths teaching and learning program for students based on the NSW curriculum. 

 

In a few words HOTmaths is:

  • Connecting students, parents and teachers with each other and the world
  • Making maths more meaningful and engaging
  • Building confidence through success in learning
  • Providing curriculum based teaching, learning and assessment material
  • A first-rate learning management system
  • An effective and inexpensive home tutoring system
  • An online resource accessible 24 hours a day

Students in Years 7 to 10 are encouraged to use their HOTmaths subscription. The program is a very effective tool for the revision and consolidation of lessons taught in the classroom. We encourage all students to utilise their subscription and hopefully gain greater confidence in this subject. If parents have any queries regarding this they will be able to discuss the matter with their child’s Mathematics teacher at the Parent/Teacher meetings.

Part-Time Work – Does it Pay or Cost?

Part-time work is increasingly becoming an important part of many student’s lives. This article is aimed at increasing your awareness of both the advantages and dangers of part-time work for your child.
A Tamworth school’s survey conducted recently found that about 70% of students in Years 10 to 12 had some form of part-time work. Of those students with jobs, around 30% worked 15 to 20 hours a week This is a highly alarming figure as school students already put in 35 hours at school – and this does not include the expected amount of school time required for study, homework and assignments.

Part-time work provides students with valuable lessons in work ethics, professionalism, managing money and developing independence. Many jobs also inadvertently provide students with greater social connections and experiences. Part-time work can also be a good way to develop potential work skills, connections and references. For parents, it can provide some relief to the ever-increasing financial demands that teenagers place on the family budget.

The dangers of part-time work start to be noticed as the hours of work increase. School hours and holiday periods have been set generally because they are considered optimum for the learning, rest and play requirements of developing children and adolescents. Puberty is the second biggest time of physiological growth in a human’s lifespan. Fluctuating energy levels, mood swings, changing sleep requirements, as well as cognitive, emotional, social and physical development are all major elements that should be considered by parents, teachers and possibly employers, when caring for our youth.

Please ask yourself the following questions:

  • Is my child tired for school on a regular basis because of work commitments?
  • Have my child’s exercise patterns (including participation in organised sport) been reduced because of part-time work commitments?
  • Have my child’s at home study patterns been significantly modified and/or limited because of work commitments?
  • Has my child’s ‘down time’ or ‘rest time’ been limited because of work commitments?
  • Has my child’s quality family time been affected by part-time work commitments?
  • Does my child increase his/her work hours to half or full-time load over the holiday breaks?
  • Have my child’s academic aspirations been reduced since starting part-time work?

If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions you will probably become aware of the gradual cumulative cost that part-time work may have on your child’s general wellbeing and on potential educational and career outcomes.

What are your hopes and expectations for your child in regards to their education – both school and general life learning? Is their present lifestyle allowing this to come to fruition or hindering it?