Principals Report

Dear Fortians, Parents and Carers,

It was wonderful to see so many parents at our first P&C meeting for the year, albeit via zoom. Our next meeting will be face to face in the school library on Wednesday 9 March commencing at 7pm with a presentation from our Maths Head Teacher Mr Ali Razzaghi.

The P&C is a major player within the life of the school and in raising funds which are then donated to the school to support the many projects that assist in ensuring your children have access to equipment which facilitates high quality teaching and learning. In the past few years, the P&C has contributed towards many small items for the school and other big projects such as:

• refurbishing the library
• converting the unusable tennis courts to futsal courts
• installing two outdoor volleyball courts
• furniture for the new covered outdoor learning area
• upgrading the school hall and stage lighting
• sports equipment and team uniforms
• 14 air purifiers

The P&C has currently committed funds this year towards:

• an outdoor gym area with equipment
• upgrading the hall sound system

The P&C is always happy to welcome new members and I encourage all parents to join.

Lifting of COVID restrictions

This week we have finally been able to see our students smiling faces again with the requirement of mask wearing no longer compulsory. It has also been great to see students from all year groups having access at last to the library, oval and all parts of the school playground during recess and lunch rather than being restricted to designated areas. Hopefully this rain will soon stop so that students can make the most of our outdoor facilities. Our bell times have now returned to the usual start time of 8:45am and finishing at 3:15pm.

School Photo Day

School photo day was held on 16 February with a catch-up day on 23 February. Student photos will be uploaded to the Sentral Portal as soon as we receive the files and photo packages will be sent home toward the end of this term.

Awards Day and Presentation Night for Year 12 2021

Special assemblies were held on Friday 18 February at school to recognise our outstanding award recipients from 2021. Year 12 2021 and their parents were invited to a special evening at Petersham Town Hall on Wednesday 23 February. I would like to extend my congratulations to all award recipients.

School Website

We have finally completed the migration of all our school information to the new Department of Education website page for Fort Street High School. Google will soon redirect you to the new website but if you are interested in having a look before the redirection takes place the new website address is www.fortstreet-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/

Year 7 Camp

Although the weather was a bit wet and windy, the students still managed to enjoy some outdoor activities at the camp.

Here are a few photos from the last few days.

We look forward to hearing more from the students and teachers when they return to school this afternoon.

SRC International Women’s Day Fundraiser

International Women’s Day (8 March) aims to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness about women’s equality and provide a platform for positive change for women.

The SRC will be hosting an IWD BBQ Fundraiser for UN Women this Thursday Lunch in the Upper Kilgour Quad. $3 for a sausage sandwich, $2 for a canned drink and $4 for a sausage + drink combo!

Students are encouraged to come in purple, green and white mufti on Thursday 3 March for a gold coin donation. SRC members will come around during p.4 to collect donations.

For more information on International Women’s Day visit https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Fortunae Lessons

Fortunae is a 7-12 program we have developed this year which focuses on the self-empowerment aspects of the school’s motto and a more centralised focus on the exit profile assisting in building creative, curious, resilient, and academically capable Fortians from Year 7 to Year 12.

All year groups have been timetabled into Fortunae classes with approximately 16 students per teacher. These lessons take place about four times each term on a Friday. Fortunae lessons are linked to the school exit profile and aim to provide a range of focal points across year groups and stages, providing students and teachers with a greater sense of clarity than the previous wellbeing lessons.

Fortunae lessons also support the school’s wellbeing roadmap:

Year 7 – Connecting and Belonging

• Organisation and Social Skills
• Respectful Behaviours
• Building Resilience

Year 8 – Identity and Personal Growth

• Emotional Intelligence
• Mental Health
• Reaching Out

Year 9 – Challenge and Responsibility

• Empathy and Supporting Others
• Communication and Conflict Resolution
• Teamwork and Challenging Self

Year 10 – Leadership and Independence

• Choice and Consequence
• Risky Behaviours
• Law and Individual Rights

Year 11 – Succeeding and Thriving

• Relaxation and Managing Stress
• Accessing Support
• Organisation and Study Skills

Year 12 – Perspective and Transition

• Values and Perspectives
• Dealing with Pressure
• Goal Setting

Launch of the new FSHS Merit and House System

As part of a restructure of the House system we have introduced a fifth house to the school this year and renamed two of the previous house names. We now have Fortians represented from three different centuries. Each year students in these house groups will complete for the ‘Kennedy Cup’.

Dr Clarice Kennedy – Fortian 1929 truly excelled in all areas including sporting and academic endeavours. Kennedy held the Australian title or record for every distance from 75yds to 2 miles, plus hurdles, Shot Put and Javelin. Kennedy competed for Australia in the British 1938 Empire Games in Sydney. Following her athletics career, Kennedy taught English, French, Latin, Geography and History, before undertaking further study, completing a Masters and PhD degree in Science.

House Names

Joshi, Nalini – Fortian 1977 (House Colour – Ruby) Nalini Joshi is an Australian mathematician. She is a professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Sydney, the first woman in the school to hold this position and is a past-president of the Australian Mathematical Society. Joshi was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2016.

Kirby, Michael – Fortian 1955 (House Colour – Sapphire) Michael Kirby was a Justice of the High Court of Australia 1996-2009, President Court of Appeal, Supreme Court 1984-96, Dep. President, Aust. Conciliation and Arbitration Commission, 1975-83, President, International Commission of Jurists (Geneva) 1995-98, Chair UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Nth Korea 2013.

Mawson, Sir Douglas – Fortian 1898 (House Colour – Amber) Douglas Mawson was an Antarctic explorer, he undertook expeditions in 1908, 1911-14, 1929 and 1931. Mawson was a lecturer in minerology and petrology and a Geology Professor. Mawson was knighted in 1914 and published The Home of the Blizzard in 1915.

Preston, Margaret – Fortian 1887 (House Colour – Amethyst) Margaret Preston is regarded as one of Australia’s most significant modernists of the early 20th century. In 1929 she was the first woman artist to have an artwork commissioned by the trustees of what is now the Art Gallery of NSW. Preston’s paintings and prints are hung in major art galleries in Australian and overseas.

Sheikh, Simon – Fortian 2003 (House Colour – Emerald) Simon Sheikh is the CEO of an ethical superannuation fund and an Australian activist. He was the former head of activist group Get Up! from 2008-12. He was a delegate to the economics stream of the Australia 2020 Summit and was named the NSW Young Professional of the Year in 2007.

Each House will include approximately 30 students from each year group. Students will be allocated to their house based on their original core year 7 class. Four House Captains will be elected from Years 10 and 11 for each house. House Captains will be responsible for organising participation in carnivals in Terms 1 and 2 and also for other competitions in (for example) public speaking, music, chess, debating, art, design photography in Terms 3 and 4. One competition should be held each term. House Captains and are to decide on the nature of the competitions, in consultation with the Senior Executive staff. Competitions should offer scope for all students to participate, and to display a variety of skills/talents.

Houses will accrue points for carnivals, additionally:

• All Profile Points (merits) received by students will contribute to their House tally.
• Term 3 and 4 competitions will be allocated points roughly equivalent to the carnivals.
• The house with the most points at the end of the school year will receive the Kennedy Cup and some kind of privilege (e.g. picnic day etc)

Merit System

The new merit system rewards students with profile points aligned to the school exit profile:

• academic and creative excellence
• participation in the development of skills and talents across a broad range of areas
• demonstration of reflective and independent learner behaviours
• demonstration of emotional resilience, self-confidence, effective collaboration and communication
• demonstration of a commitment to fairness and equity, a recognition of their responsibility to the wider community and/or a strong sense of social justice

Profile Points will contribute toward Year Adviser Awards

Year Adviser Awards will contribute toward Principals Awards

Principal Awards (if students have received profile points in all 5 exit profile areas) will contribute toward a Fortian Award

Lost Property – Jackets galore!

Has your child lost their winter jacket?

We have a large number of jackets in our lost property in the office with no names on them.

Please check to see if you are missing a jacket and if they are missing it send them to the office.

Any uncollected jackets will be sent to the uniform shop to be sold in the second hand uniform stall.

Thank you

Office Administration

Fort Street High School Homework Centre 2022

Fort Street’s Homework Centre is open for business!

All students are invited to attend – from Year 7 through to Year 12.

Come to the library on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 3.15pm till 4.10pm and take advantage of this quiet, relaxed space to complete your homework, plan your approach to an assessment task, or even form a focused study group.

You can attend every Monday and Wednesday or attend single sessions as you need them.  This service is free and is supervised by Mrs Thompson on Mondays, and Ms Ryan and Mr Leondios on Wednesdays.  You can ask for help from any of the teachers on HWC duty or work at your own pace.

This year several Gold and Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award participants from Years 10 and 11 will be on hand during Monday and Wednesday sessions to offer guidance or tutoring to students, so if you need extra support or occasional one-on-one tutoring for a specific subject or subjects, please email Mrs Thompson on helen.thompson40@det.nsw.edu.au to arrange this.

See you there!

SRC Report

SRC Rose Drive

The annual Rose Drive took place last Friday (25/2), and was once again a success (despite COVID restrictions and wild weather)! A massive thank you to all the Year 11 and 12 volunteers and SRC members who arrived at school early to prepare for the Rose Drive, and the staff and students who supported the fundraising event.

International Women’s Day Fundraiser

The SRC will be hosting a BBQ and mufti day on Thursday 3rd March to fundraise for International Women’s Day. The BBQ will be held at lunch in the Upper Kilgour Quad and gold coin donations will be collected during Period 4 (Thursday).

BBQ goods will be priced as follows:

• Sausage – $3
• Drink – $2
• Sausage and Drink Combo! – $4

All proceeds will be donated to UN Women Australia.

As we return to more normal circumstances, the SRC hopes to plan larger school events and initiatives. If you have any feedback or ideas on school related business, we’re keen to hear from you! Feel free to contact your SRC via email (srcfshs@gmail.com), Instagram (@fshssrc) or one of our friendly SRC members.

Chantelle Hoang

SRC Vice-President

Year 11

The NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge is now open!

“The Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more and to read more widely.”

All students in years 7 – 10 can take part.

A video taking you through the student PRC website experience can be viewed here https://prcsupport.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/24000023273 .

If you have any further questions, please contact our Teacher Librarian, Ms Donna Page .​

Thanks,

Donna Page

Teacher Librarian

Year 9 Languages Trivia

On Friday February 25, Year 9 students of French, German, Chinese and Japanese gathered in the hall for an organized trivia event. We were put into teams composed of at least one student from each language and were pitted against the other teams to try and compete for a $20 canteen voucher (and lollies). And of course, since it was such a serious event, we had 2 qualified judges: Year 11 students “King” Ethan and “Queen” Ella.

The competition was fierce as we headed into the first round of questions containing general knowledge from all of the languages, with persuasion and bribery being allowed, we soon found our pockets empty and having to come up with creative means to gain more points, from compliments to drawing, each team was fighting tooth and nail to win. There were several more rounds about songs, famous people and geography from all over the world as teams scored points and the competition was intense.

In the end, Team 2 won overall with Team 1 coming in second, and Team 10 rounding out the top three.  .

Overall, the trivia event was a great success and a really enjoyable experience for all of the Year 9 language classes. A special thanks to the Year 9 language teachers who made the event possible; Ms Walker, Mr Morrison, Mr Gillespie and Mr Dong.

Gina Hong & Keith Huang, Year 9

Zone Swimming Carnival Results

Congratulations to all of the students who represented Fort Street High School at the Zone Swimming Carnival. There were some fantastic results on the day.

Special mention to the age champions:

Aoibhe Carty

Daniela Guzina

Jasmine Loh

Ray Gua

Alex Howdin

The following students also broke records in the following races:

Aoibhe Carty:  200m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 100m breastroke, 100m backstroke, 100m Butterfly

Daniela Guzina: 100m Butterfly

Alex Howdin: 100m backstroke

Relays: 15ys Boys 200m Freestyle, 16ys Girls 200m Freestyle, 16ys Boys 200m Freestyle

In total we had 19 students qualify for the regional carnival, well done to those students and all the best for regionals!

CHS Girls Soccer Training with ex-Socceroo Luke Wilkshire

On Thursday the 23rd of February the Girls Opens CHS team had the pleasure of working with former Australian Socceroo, Luke Wilkshire. Luke’s expertise was definitely evident in the drills and games he provided and it was great to see the team improve so quickly in such a short amount of time.

The experience as a whole was super worthwhile and the Girls Opens CHS team certainly left more prepared for our upcoming games then we arrived. Thank you to both Ms Ezekiel for organising the training and Luke Wilkshire for taking time out of his day to help us!

By Lucie A

Year 10

CHS Knockout – Open Girls Volleyball

FSHS won the Round 1 game 2 sets to 0 against Kariong Mountains High School on Monday 28 February.

Special mentions- Clarissa Memita Year 8 with her Cannonball overarm serve that decimated the morale of the other team and Ashley Huang Year 9 despite only small in stature was her amazing ability to jump and spike deep into the opponent’s court.

Thanks to Mr Fischer for shouting the girls McDonalds after the game as the school’s canteen was closed when they arrived.

Team: C. Memita (7), J. Jung (8), A. Huang (8), C. Lu (8), K. Seino (8), A. Hegi (9), A. Mardhikasena (9), J. Zhou, S. Banh, J. Do and J. Tran

Shane Fischer

This month on SchoolTV – Understanding Adolescence

Adolescence is the transitional stage of development that is usually associated with the teenage years. In 2018, the Australian Curriculum Assessment Authority, redefined adolescence as affecting young people aged between 10-24 years. During this time, they experience rapid physical, cognitive and psychosocial growth which affects how teenagers feel, think, make decisions and interact with the world around them.

During adolescence, a child’s brain can be considered as being “under-construction”. The rate at which this progresses will vary depending on the individual and also their gender. As a result, some parents may view adolescence as stressful or difficult. However, it does not need to be. Setting boundaries, implementing consistent monitoring and maintaining a strong and loving connection will help families adjust during this time.

It is also an important time to keep the communication lines open through clear and age appropriate conversations. Speak openly about changes that they are experiencing and be conscious of their mental health as many of the conditions people confront in adulthood, can begin to manifest in adolescence.

In this edition of SchoolTV, adult carers can learn how to guide and best support their young person as they transition through adolescence. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to this month’s edition https://fortstreet.nsw.schooltv.me/newsletter/understanding-adolescence

Council Officers will be enforcing School Zones

A reminder from the Inner West Council:

With the return of students to school recently, please be reminded about the importance of promoting road safety to minimise risk for our children.Illegal parking puts children’s lives at risk -A4 insert for School Newsletter

Illegal parking around schools puts children’s lives at risk. Council’s Parking Officer’s will be enforcing school zones to keep our children safe.

Please see the flyer below for the school zone offences and penalties.

the Back to School Road Safety Resources & Translations for parents available at the following link: https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/stayingsafe/schools/backtoschoolsafety.html