Principals Report

Dear Fortians, Parents and Carers, 

International Women’s Day was recognised this term on 8 March. To celebrate at the Fort a whole school assembly was held with a special focus on Women. The SRC put together a series of interviews with staff about IWD and what it means to them which was shown via video during the assembly. Jonathan Bonnice also gave an excellent presentation about the depiction of Asian women in the media. 

Ms Cameron and I had the pleasure of accompanying the SRC executive team to the UN Women Australia’s 2023 IWD Lunch in the Grand Ballroom of the International Convention Centre in Darling Harbour. The guest speakers included Sen. The Hon. Katy Gallagher, Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Minister for Public Service, Tarana Burke ‘me too’ movement founder, Jackie Lee-Joe Former Global CEO and Tracey Spicer journalist, author and activist. 

The SRC were pleased to be able to take with them a substantial donation for UN Women Australia raised by the school community. Congratulations to our SRC for the sausage sizzle they organised and other awareness raising activities. 

The SRC also hosted a Prefect Afternoon Tea on Tuesday 7 March to which they had invited student leaders from schools as far away as James Ruse and as close as Dulwich High School of Visual Arts and Design. Not only did the SRC cater a lovely afternoon tea for so many guests, but they also ran some wonderful and engaging activities to get the students out of the groups they had arrived with, talking to new people and sharing ideas between schools. 

WAFTUS is a science extension program that has been running between a community of schools for many years now. For the first time since COVID hit our shores the program will commence in full and Fort Street Year 10 students will begin visiting several Primary Schools – Wilkins, Ashfield and Summer Hill for an hour each week in Term 2 to mentor selected primary students in a science project. The program works in collaboration with UTS who also provide mentorships for all students involved and provide the panel of judges for the final showcase at the end of term 2. Year 10 students who have volunteered for this program will be participating in a training day Wednesday 29 March. 

Year 9 students participated in an empowering and relatable theatre incursion on 8 March which provided effective alcohol education linking directly with the NSW PDHPE curriculum. 

This week Year 7 and Year 9 students are participating in NAPLAN Online, we apologise to students and parents for the disruption to regular lessons this has caused and for the technology glitches we have so far encountered during some of the testing periods. Our coordinator Ms Eastment and Technology Support Officer Mr McGeachie have been working overtime to manage the administration of these tests as smoothly as possible. 

It was great to see so many parents at school last night for the IMP International Tour information night. IMP Camp will be held again at Galston this weekend kicking off at school on Friday and the IMP will go on tour next year through Portugal and Spain. I would like to thank Mr Manchester for his time and dedication in organising these wonderful experiences for our musically gifted Fortians. 

Upcoming Events 

Friday 17 March – Sunday 19 March – IMP Camp at Galston 

Wednesday 15 March – Friday 24 March – NAPLAN Year 7 and 9 

Monday 20 March – Year 11 Parent Teacher Interviews in the School Hall 

Monday 27 March – Thursday 6 April Year 12 Assessment Period 

Wednesday 29 March – Year 10 WAFTUS students mentor training day 

Friday 31 March – House Meetings 

Thursday 6 April – Year 7 Excursion Belvoir Theatre 

Friday 7 April – Public Holiday 

Yr 7 camp

Year 7 had a wonderful time at camp as you can tell from the student reflections below:

I thoroughly enjoyed the Year 7 Camp for so many reasons. Although it seems to always be raining in Sydney these days, we had the most perfect weather and were able to enjoy fishing, beach games and raft building. While most of us were unsuccessful catching anything, Braidon caught a small reef shark and a tailor, both of which were returned to the water. Raft building was also lots of fun. We built an unsinkable raft that ended up sinking and taking me with it!!!!! We also did archery and frisbee golf which is a great combination of frisbee and golf.

I think we were kept active all day so that we would be encouraged to sleep (which was half successful!). The dorms were comfortable and cosy and  I think everyone was pleased with who they dormed with.

All in all, It was the best camp I’ve been to, mostly because of its location. It felt remote and catching the ferry to the island made it feel even more remote. It was a great three days of fun and I think most of us made lots of new friends.

Felix Fisher

The best part about camp was spending time and mucking around as in the girls cabins. Even though some of us barely knew each other, we made some really great memories. One of which didn’t please Ms Thompson very much.. sorry for waking you up at 4 in the morning…

It was fun gushing over how cute somebody’s stuffed toy was or learning what books other’s liked to read (mostly manga). Rushing to use the showers first (only to realise it was TERRIBLE) and whispering at night made it feel like us Year 7 girls knew each other since forever!

Nancy Zhang

Camp was full of fun experiences, and picking one is going to be tough.

However, I’d say my favourite moment/moments at camp was going to the beach every morning and during free time. It felt so nice just to relax as the waves caressed your feet and the sand smoothed itself around you, especially when you’ve woken up after a good night’s sleep and you can watch the sun cast magical rays before you.

But another amazing aspect of the beach were the remains. There was lots of seaweed amongst other debris that had been washed up on the sand. And I chanced upon some amazing finds. There were dead insects, some preserved with all body parts intact. I found two different species of stick insects and a cicada. The most unbelievable part though was the wings and colours. They looked like they had been stuck and painted on from some sort of fantasy tale. Here’s what one of my insects looked like:

William Short 

As the 2023 year is beginning to unravel, the Year 7’s began their Fort Street journey with a bang as they recently ventured to Broken Bay where they spent their three-day camp. The groups arrived early on the 27th of February where they did fun activities such as archery, fishing, games on the beach, bushwalking, making damper and building rafts.

Many of the activities were enjoyable however there were a few that surely stood out. One of the personal favourites was archery where a competition was held to see how many points each person could score with three arrows. We’re sure everyone just loved getting their arms hit by the bow’s string upon releasing an arrow and getting multiple bruises!

Raft building was also one of the fan favourites. In randomised groups, using teamwork skills and logical thinking, you’d have to construct a raft using pipes, ropes, milk jugs and bread boxes and safely get across one of your team members without accidentally drowning them in whatever was in the water underneath!

As activities passed the time and memories were made, unfortunately, the camp eventually had to come to an end. On February 1st, as the Year 7s packed up their things and prepared to be on their way. Whilst the trip has now ended, the bonds that were created there won’t. They’ll be waiting for the next!

Jennifer Chuah & Steph Ha 

My favourite part of camp was definitely fishing. After accidentally dropping my bottle, I hooked on my bait with our guide’s instruction. From then on, I felt as though nothing in the world mattered. All of the stress was lifted off my shoulders and I just relaxed. Suddenly, I felt a tug. I was really excited and when I finally pulled out my ‘fish’, I found out it was a baby ray. I had such good feelings then and it just improved when the guide flipped it over and I saw its cute mouth smiling.

Mohsin Fouladi 

Wound up in the hustle and bustle, year 7 Fortians gathered at 7:00 together, awaiting the bus ride with bated breath. Throughout the ride, snippets of conversations and tunes and screeching peers echoed through the bus, ecstasy for the students making the noise and hell for the receiving end of the racket. After a commute of about an hour including the ferry, we arrived at the Camp. In a period of three days, we did activities such as raft building, trivia, beach games and frisbee golf. My favourite activity was probably the damper-making, which commenced after breakfast on the last day. Although it was boiling hot outside, it was still a pleasure to cook the damper, argue with your teammates about whose responsibility it was to keep the fire going and to rate the outcomes of the damper. I also really enjoyed the food at the camp. My favourite meal was the breakfast on the last day as it consisted of pancakes, croissants and other remote-island delicacies.

Nina O’Keeffe

Information on Acceleration in Mathematics at Fort Street High School 

The acceleration program has been developed to provide the opportunity for every student with demonstrated mathematical aptitude, skill, and resilience to have the opportunity to participate. This includes all students in Year 10 as well as new students enrolling at Fort Street High School at the beginning of Year 11. Below is an explanation of selection processes and the design of the course. 

Selection Process 

• At the end of Semester 1 in Year 10, class teachers will identify students with the capacity to participate in acceleration. 
• Students are then given the opportunity to self-nominate for the program. All students who self-nominate will sit for an entry task. This purpose of this task is for students to demonstrating their mathematical communication. It is not for providing feedback and will not be returned to the students. 

• The information from the entry task, combined with teacher nomination and Semester 1 assessment result is used to select the candidates for acceleration. 
• There will be at least one accelerated class each year. The possibility of a second class will depend on the strength of candidates. 
• Places in the accelerated class(es) are offered subject to availability, and at the discretion of the Mathematics Faculty in consultation with the principal. Students whose academic results, attitude to learning or general maturity are not considered suitable for acceleration will not be offered a place out of a concern for their own best interests. 

The Program 

• All accelerated students are enrolled as Extension 1 students in Year 11. 

• In Year 11 they will complete the Year 11 and 12 Advanced course and sit for the Advanced HSC Examination at the start of Term 4. 
• In Year 12, students are enrolled as Extension 2 students. 
• In Year 12 they will complete the Extension 1 and 2 courses and sit for both HSC Examinations. 

Benefit of the Program 

• All Extension 2 students must complete the Advanced course. The program provides the opportunity for the easy component of the course to be completed in Year 11, allowing students to focus on the two courses they are assessed in the HSC. 

• By sitting the Advanced HSC examination (mandatory by NESA for acceleration), students will have the opportunity to experience the HSC without any negative consequences to their final HSC mark and ATAR. 

Challenges of the Program 

• Due to the level of compacting the curriculum in Year 11, some students will find achieving success challenging.  

I hope this information has clarified any misconceptions about the Mathematics Accelerated Program at Fort Street High School. For any further information or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

Mr Razzaghi 

Head Teacher Mathematics

SRC Report

Hi Fort Street!

Clubs and Committees Day, in the first week of school, was a huge success! Thank you to Oliver Gongora (Committee Liaison) and Lucie Atkin Bolton (Secretary) for planning this major school event. We hope everyone has met people with similar interests and that everyone has joined a new club or committee this year!

You can find the Clubs and Committees Handbook here.

The Rose Drive is one of the biggest events of the year and our 2023 event was a major success! School spirit was raised as over a thousand roses and chocolates gift bags were handed out with love from our fellow SRC members.

The International Womens’ Day BBQ was an amazing opportunity to raise awareness of the difficulties that women still face in their lives. The SRC Publicity Team created a video for International Womens’ Day which you can view here. The SRC and the Amnesty Committee collaborated to raise money for women locally and internationally. Profits from the IWD BBQ contributed to the $793.00 that the SRC were able to donate to UN Women, and Amnesty were able to donate around $200 to the Bayside Women’s Shelter from collecting gold coin donations.

The SRC Executive held a Prefect Afternoon Tea on 7th March in our school hall, welcoming 68 students from 26 schools across Sydney to socialise, play fun games, and share ideas. SRC Executives worked together with Year 10 SRC and House Captains to run an amazing program, resulting in a successful night. We hope that all guests were able to take away something from the night because Fort Street definitely did!

The SRC are currently organising a Future Leaders Conference, with the theme “Reclaim Our Future” which will take place on Friday 26 May (Term 2, Week 5). We have invited a diverse range of outstanding leaders to provide their insight at our conference, including the Honourable Michael Kirby AC CMG and Zoe Robinson (NSW Advocate for Children and Young People). We will also welcome student leaders from neighbouring and greater Sydney schools to attend on the day. 

The SRC and House Captains have united to organise Easter events at the end of Term 1. Currently, there is the annual Easter Egg Hunt planned, so harness your competitive spirit for some egg hunting!

Keep looking out for updates on the SRC Instagram, announcements over the loudspeakers, and posters around the school!

The SRC always invites your suggestions and feedback for events, and we encourage everyone to contact us with any student concerns! You can contact us via the SRC email, srcfshs@gmail.com, Instagram: @fshssrc, or approach any of your friendly SRC members. 

Have a wonderful day!

Savannah Pradhan

SRC Vice-President

Year 11

Readers wanted! 

This year we will be doing our own Book of the Year voting here at Fort Street. I am looking for students who are willing to read at least two of the Children’s Book Council of Australian (CBCA) shortlisted books in the Older Reader category. Students will read the books and judge them against the CBCA criteria and we will share the results with the school community right here in Mercurius and exhibit them in our library. You will have from Tuesday 28^th March until Monday 14^th August to read the books.

Please see Ms Page in the Library for more information.

Why Students Need to Turn Off Devices At Least Half an Hour Before Sleep

 Non-visible light has a lot of energy, and studies show that a lot of exposure to this type of light can impair your sleep cycle. During sleep lots of essential physical processes take place and it is also when learning from the day is consolidated in memory. This means that having enough sleep is vital for students.

Blue light is naturally generated only during the day, from sunlight. When it gets dark, naturally occurring blue light ceases, signalling the body to produce melatonin, the hormone associated with sleep. Using artificial lighting and devices which emit a blue light at night confuses the body-clock (the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle) by stopping the body from producing melatonin. This can result in disrupted sleep patterns, including difficulty in falling asleep, staying asleep and shortened sleep duration.

Those at greatest risk from night-time exposure to blue light are those with existing sleep disorders and adolescents who often experience delayed sleep patterns as a result of biological changes.

What can students do to limit their exposure to blue light at night?

Some suggestions include:

• Be exposed to sunlight during the day to assist in accurately setting your body clock.
• Stop using all electronic devices, preferably an hour before bed.
• Get a red or orange reading lamp, which does not emit blue light.
• Use blue light blocking glasses at night. 
• Install a program or app on your computer or device to change the type of light it emits.  A variety of programs are available including F.lux, EasyEyez, Night Filter, Zzz iPhone filter, Bluelight and Twilight.
• Invert the colours on your smartphone or iPad or Kindle, or change the device to the night-time setting.
• Turn the brightness down on your device for a few hours before bed (not perfect, but better than nothing!).

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. The Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) is open to all NSW students to Year 10. Students can start entering books read right now through the PRC site that can be accessed from their student portal.

Clean Up Australia Day

Smith Family Student2Student Program

The Smith Family runs a program every year called Student2Student, and it brings together capable older students with primary-aged readers from a disadvantaged background to improve their reading skills. The program runs over 18 weeks of an hour per week of reading aloud, divided into two or three sessions over the computer. It’s an amazing way to give back to the community, and a very satisfying thing to do. We regularly improve student reading by adding about a year to their reading age, which gives the readers a much better chance at success at school, at work and in life. So please think about whether you’d like to be a reading buddy. It’s also a good community service to record for Duke of Ed.

If you put your name down to be part of this program, Ms Maddox will have emailed you the application form. These are due on March 20th. Please send them back soon to secure your spot. At the moment 29 people have put their names down, but only 6 applications have been received. Fort St usually gets about 30 slots for reading buddies, and it would be good to use all of these. If you didn’t put your name down but would like to participate, please email Ms Maddox for an application form.

Student2Student application forms are due before March 20. Students who put their names down to participate have been emailed a form. Please ask Ms Maddox if you would like a form but don’t yet have one.

P&C Entertainment Book Fundraiser

UNSW Experimental Mayhem Unit (EMU) Robotics

The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team 4729 EMU Robotics participated in the FRC Southern Cross Regional at Wollongong from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th of March. The range of skills gained through EMU Robotics have enabled the team to place 11th of 37 teams, and advance into the 5th alliance during playoffs. 

Robotics at the Experimental Mayhem Unit

Being sponsored by UNSW and Rockwell Automation, meetings occur at the Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications Building at UNSW, with qualified mentors and supervisors. Robotics at EMU gives students a direct communication link to people in the STEM field. Most robotics mentors study engineering and computer science at UNSW, passing on their experiences to students in the team. EMU Robotics enables students to learn coding skills, CAD software and experience hands-on mechanical work. Going to a robotics competition allows team members to connect with other students from different teams who have a diverse set of goals and ideas for the future. EMU Robotics offers different teams for students of different ages where skills are learnt and built upon. 

FIRST Robotics Competition Team (4729)

Years: 9 – 12 (ages 14-18, younger by invite only)

The aim of this competition is to build a robot that is able to complete a set of challenges outlined by the year’s specific game. Members of this team learn computer science by using the Java programming language to code the robot’s operation. Knowledge of CAD software such as Fusion 360 is taught to keen design students, allowing creative ideas to be visualised and rendered. Mechanical skills are gained, as students are encouraged to bring ideas to life by prototyping and testing. By being a member of EMU Robotics 4729, students develop their leadership qualities and learn how to collaborate effectively.

FIRST Lego League Team

Years: 5 – 9 (ages 10-15)

Young students are encouraged to step into the world of STEM by participating in the FLL competition which involves learning the Python programming language to code Lego robots. Students also create an Innovation Project where they research world problems, aiming to provide creative solutions.

FIRST Lego League Junior (EMU Chicks)

Years: 1 – 4 (ages 6-10)

EMU Chicks are for creative youngsters who enjoy playing with Lego. Participants use Lego Wedo to complete simple challenges, introducing them to programming and creating movement in their display. It is a great place to keep younger siblings of other team members occupied and learning while other sessions run.

If you’re interested in joining UNSW EMU Robotics, please fill in the Expression of Interest Form. We hope to see some new faces and look out for our open night sometime in May.

Contact us via unswfrc@gmail.com

RSCPA School Holiday Program

Overview:

At RSPCA NSW, we believe education is the key to creating lasting change. Our School Holiday Program aims to help young people develop their knowledge, skills and understanding around improving the welfare of companion, farmed and wild animals alike in a fun, hands-on way. Children and teens will learn how to better understand and care for our furry, feathery, and scaly friends in order to give them a happy, healthy and enriched life and will go behind-the-scenes on a tour to meet our shelter animals. They will also have fun getting crafty, creating enrichment toys for their own pet or to donate to our shelter animals.

📅 Tuesday 11^th April – Friday 21^st April

Age groups: 5 to 7 years, 8 to 11 years, and 12 to 15 years.

🕒 Half and full day sessions from 9.00am – 3.00pm

📍 Sydney Shelter, Yagoona

Introducing our new Junior Animal Attendants Program. Junior Animal Attendants is a unique hands-on program for young people (8-11 years and 12-15 years) who want to develop their skills in caring for companion animals or have an interest to work with animals in the future. Participants will learn the daily routine and responsibilities of a RSPCA NSW Animal Attendant and learn how to care for cats, dogs, and pocket pets through a range of interactive activities and behind the scenes encounters.

Go to our website, https://www.rspcansw.org.au/what-we-do/education/school-holiday-program/ to find out more or make a booking today! Use the code, Earlybird10 to receive 10% off all bookings until March 31^st.