Principals Report

Dear Fortians, Parents and Carers,

Year 12 Assessment Period

The official assessment period for Year 12 commences on Monday 28 March. Parents of Year 12 are invited to an HSC presentation/discussion in the school hall on Monday 21 March. This presentation will revisit much of the information shared with Year 12 in term 4 last year. For further details please contact Ms Cameron.

School Cross Country

Providing the weather is fine, all students will participate in the school cross country at Petersham oval on Thursday 7 April. Students are encouraged to wear house colours on this day and to participate in House Activities.

Induction Assembly for SRC and House Captains

A special assembly will be held on the last day of school – Friday 8 April to induct and badge our 2021-2022 SRC representatives and 2022 House Captains who will be elected during House Meetings on Friday 18 March.

Parent Teacher Interviews Year 11 and 12

Year 12 parent teacher interviews were conducted over zoom on Monday 14 March. Year 11 interviews will be held this Monday 21 March. If you were unable to speak with any particular teachers and would still like to do so please contact the school. All other year groups will have parent teacher nights held face to face in the school hall in term 2. Further details will be provided next term.

International Women’s Day

On Friday 4 March, Fort Street hosted a whole school assembly with an International Women’s Day focus. Later that day, the SRC executive, Mr Galvin and I attended a UN Women Australia fundraising lunch/conference at the International Convention Centre at Darling Harbour at which we were able to donate $1365.00 raised by our students earlier that week through an SRC hosted mufti day and sausage sizzle. I would like to congratulate the SRC for this outstanding contribution and for an excellent assembly.

NAPLAN

You may have seen through recent media reports that the NAPLAN 2021 results have recently been broadly published. Whilst I do not tend to agree with the publishing of league tables it was great to see Fort Street ranking 12^th in the State for these results. Individual reports for Year 7, 2021 and Year 9, 2021 were sent home last year. Students in Years 7 and 9 this year will participate in NAPLAN in term 2 mid-May.

Harmony Day – Monday March 21. Supporting Vouch for Lismore Flood Appeal

Monday 21 March is Harmony Day – a celebration of Australia’s cultural diversity, promoting inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.

The SRC are encouraging students to show their support for cultural diversity by wearing orange or their culture’s traditional dress.

They will be collecting a gold coin donation, which will go towards the Vouch for Lismore flood relief program.

This is an initiative of The Rivers Secondary College Lismore, where the Richmond River Campus was completely covered by flood waters. Many students and staff have lost everything, and the school site will be unusable for at least the next 12 months. Funds raised (in the form of vouchers for Woolworths, Coles, Big W, Kmart, Lowes etc.) will be distributed by the school to families in need.

We are also looking for students who may wish to run cultural food stalls or other entertainment on Harmony Day, to raise additional funds for Vouch for Lismore. If you would like to run something on the day, please register your interest here.

Official Opening of the Ron Horan Museum on Friday 29 April

Yes, it is finally here! Please join us for the Official Opening of the Ron Horan Museum on Friday 29 April. See booking details via the Eventbrite website link. Looking forward to see you there! LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE!

https://ronhoranmuseum.eventbrite.com

Kind Regards,

Iain Wallace

School Archivist (Thu-Fri @ Fort Street High School)

Secondhand Uniform Stall – CRAZY APRIL FOOLS DAY LUNCHTIME SALE!

P&C cashless, card only Second Hand Uniform Stall – Friday 1 April 12.45-1.30 pm in front of the Uniform Shop – everything second hand is $5 (except winter jackets and blazers a still insane $30) this April Fool sale only!

The P&C and SRC year 10 volunteer crew will be running this term’s second hand uniform stall in front of the Uniform Shop. Student and parent shoppers are welcome. Parent shoppers must sign in at front office. The sale will open at lunchtime (12.45 pm).

How to buy: Select your clothes, then your friendly SRC volunteers will bag and label the purchased items with the total purchase price. Shoppers may then pay by card (no cash) at the Uniform Shop.

No exchanges or returns on second hand uniforms. Condition as found, no changerooms available. Second hand uniforms cannot be ordered online and may only be purchased on stall day once per term.

The Uniform Shop is not open for purchasing or exchanging new items on stall day.

DONATIONS: Please drop your clean second hand uniform donations to the front office. The second hand uniform stall promotes clothing recycling and saves landfill. All proceeds go to the SRC.Thank you.

Fort Street High School P&C

Reading for fun improves children’s brains, study confirms

As the Teacher Librarian I am always encouraging our students to continue reading for pleasure as there is compelling evidence that it has a positive impact on their learning outcomes. Please follow the link below to a short article in the Guardian newspaper by Dr. Alice Sullivan regarding research she has undertaken in this field.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2013/sep/16/reading-improves-childrens-brains

Happy reading!

Donna Page

Teacher Librarian

Clean Up Australia Day 2022

The Fort Street Environmental Committee undertook Clean Up Australia Day activities around the school grounds on 4 March 2022.

The weather was surprisingly kind to us remaining hot and sunny throughout. The students covered areas including the Fort Street lane side of the front of school, the staff carpark, canteen, basketball and FUTSAL courts, oval perimeter, as well as the Fountain, Kilgour and Rowe quads.

Students were joined by representatives from the Fort Street Amnesty Committee and volunteers from across years 7-12.

The environmental committee will continue to meet once a fortnight (alternating weeks with Amnesty Committee) every Thursday at lunch in W16. All students are welcome to join in the work of the committee.

Year 7 Camp 2022

It was with great excitement and some moderate concern about the weather that year 7 assembled on Monday morning for our camp. This year, the camp was located on the Hawkesbury River and hosted by the Broken Bay Sport and Recreation facility which is a short boat trip from Brooklyn.

The students were engaged in range of activities to build initiative, teamwork and to have fun in an outdoor environment. These included bushwalking, beach games and raft building. However, the highlight activities for students included archery, fishing and night activities… and of course, free time. In most cases, although the rain was relentless, it was not able to dampen spirits. The surf ski and canoeing activities were the only activities that had to be modified due to rain affecting water quality.

“The best parts of camp were the activities that we would never do normally: archery, raft building, damper making, initiative and awesome games!”

“Mealtimes, the trivia night, the games we did at camp were probably the best bits. But I’ll always remember the time Jing caught a flathead and we had it for dinner.”

Part of the camp experience involves students socialising with their peers and learning to follow the rules and expectations required. Importantly, these outdoor education experiences translate into greater confidence and listening skills in the classroom ultimately supporting the wholistic student development in line with our Fortian Exit Profile. Our new Year 7 group were fantastic and excelled. The amazing fascination with their cabins and activity groups soon melted away as students learned to work together as a team and help support each other in challenging circumstances, such as the presence of leaches.

“I didn’t like the leaches of the bugs, but the best part was the sleeping bag races on the cabin floors”

“Camp was really fun, we did a lot of exciting activities like: archery, raft building and boomerang throwing. I also made some new friends.”

The camp also allowed year 7 to bond as a cohort and build their distinctive identity as Fortians. During one of the night time activities, the candidates for the Student Representative Council (SRC) deliver a short speech to the year group introducing themselves and outlining their ambitions for the role. However, the games night on Monday produced many more laughs. The social connections formed will last for the next 6 years and hopefully many more years after that.

“It was great how we got to meet lots of different people in the camp activity groups and cabins. We learnt to work together during raft buildings and games.”

“I slowly started to feel like a Year group together as we met each other during meals and in the major events such as the trivia. In school, we only meet in groups every fortnight when we school assemblies or year meetings. Since camp, I have always felt like a year group together.”

I would like to personally extend a huge thank you to the teachers who volunteered to come away from their families for three days. I would also like to thank the parents and the Department of Sport and Recreation staff for helping to organise students for another great Fort Street Year 7 camp.

Year 7 Year Advisor,

David Latimer

World’s Greatest Shave 2022 – June 3rd, 2022!

In keeping with school tradition, the Year 12 Charity Committee will once again be running the World’s Greatest Shave on June 3, Term 2 Week 6 Friday! The World’s Greatest Shave is a campaign led by the Leukaemia Foundation, an Australian charity dedicated to supporting people living with blood cancer by providing information, treatment, and care.

Currently, there is no cure for blood cancer, which is the second most diagnosed cancer in Australia; affecting over 110,000 Australians. The Australian Institute of Health and Wealth estimates that a person has a “1 in 61 risk of being diagnosed with leukaemia by the age of 85.”There are no screening programs nor methods to prevent blood cancer through lifestyle changes. Money raised by the World’s Greatest Shave will help fund vital blood cancer research in delivering rapid advancements in diagnosis, treatment and ultimately – a cure.

Please support our team in raising funds and awareness around blood cancer. Join or donate to our cause through the link below!

http://my.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/fortstreet22

Participants have the option to shave, cut, or colour their hair.

Stay tuned for some exciting updates on our campaign – feel free to check out our Instagram page @charityfshs22!

Year 12 Charity Committee

The Santos Science Experiment

The Santos Science Experience is a three-day hands-on science activity. Please see below for dates and more details.

11 tips for talking to your teen about their career – Study Work Grow

Not sure how to talk to your teen about their career? You’re not alone.

Some great tips in the article below from Study Work Grow

Research shows that parents are the most significant influence on their child’s career decisions, which puts a lot of pressure on you to get it right. But talking to your teen about their career isn’t easy – they may avoid the conversation or just flat out refuse to engage, which can leave you feeling out in the dark and unsure.

We’ve spent a long time talking to teens about careers, so our career counselling expert Lucy Sattler has put together some tips to help you navigate those tricky conversations.

Lucy says “it’s really important to stay calm and remember that it’s their future we’re talking about (not yours), and the evidence shows that they’re probably going to make a sensible decision if you let them make it in their own time. Here are my top 11 tips for friction-free conversations about careers with your teen:

They don’t need to have an answer
It’s normal for them to still explore and take some time to try things out, even after they’ve left school, and there are systems there to help them if they change their mind.
Focus on what they want to do next, not what they want to do forever
Adults have a habit of falling into good opportunities, and keeping an open mind about where you want to end up can help you be flexible enough to jump on opportunities when they arise. There’s actually a whole theory called the ‘Chaos Theory of Career Development’ that explains this is completely normal and expected.
Focus on their strengths
What are they doing well at school, what do they enjoy doing in their free time, how could they take the next step in that direction. This doesn’t always need to be towards a specific job, for example if your child loves soccer that doesn’t mean she should begin working towards a career as a professional soccer player, but she could start looking for coaching and refereeing jobs, or volunteer to train the younger grades. These kinds of things will give her skills that she can use in a range of different career paths, and also teaches her that she can explore pathway without a set goal in mind.
Micro-conversations are where you’ll find the good stuff
Make the most of those 5 minutes you share eating breakfast together, or on the way to the supermarket, and take the time to talk about your work and how it is going rather than always focusing on their choices.
They learn from you
Kids learn a lot about work from their parents, so share stories and observations from your own experiences, but while you’re doing that be mindful that you don’t give them a skewed view of work. It can be tempting to vent at home, but if you’re always talking about how hard work is and how stressed you are, or how annoying your boss is, then that could begin to influence their expectations of what their own workplaces will look like.
Talk side-by-side
Big conversations can sometimes feel a little awkward, so you (and them) may feel more comfortable talking side by side, rather than face to face. Try going for a walk outside, or take a drive together; I take my teen out for a sneaky ice cream without the others.
Don’t panic
Try not to panic if they come up with anything that you think is a ‘bad’ idea; sometimes they’ll just need to say things out loud to test them, and other times what may start out sounding a little crazy may end up being the perfect solution. Keep an open mind and avoid giving any opinions (positive or negative) without first giving yourself a chance to calm down.
They’re already under pressure
Teenagers already put themselves under enough pressure, so avoid nagging them to make a decision if they’re not ready. Research shows that the vast majority of young people are more sensible, reliable, and concerned about securing their future than parents or teachers give them credit for, but if they feel pressured they can often ‘clam up’. If you feel like you’re starting to pester them, go back to micro-conversations and talking side-by-side for a while.
Let them choose the topic
Military interrogators often use silence as a technique to get their subject speaking because as humans we naturally want to fill any awkward silence, and you can use this to you advantage. As long as they’re not distracted (i.e., pick a social media free time and place), they’ll look for topics to talk about and you can use that as a starting point.
Short and informal is better than long and planned
Formal, planned conversations can feel weird, so avoid them and stick to shorter, less formal but equally valuable conversations wherever possible. If you need to have a formal conversation take it outside and go for a walk so you’re side-by-side, not face to face.
Ask open-ended questions
One last tip – ask ‘open’ questions and avoid questions with easy yes/no answers. If you ask an open-ended question and get a closed answer (“it was good”), ask them a why question – (“why was it good?”) You’re not always going to win, but open-ended questions give both of you more room to move, and if you build a habit of letting them talk and while you really listen (without judgement) to their answers you’ll build trust.

Webinars for Students Considering Medicine and Health Sciences

Here are some webinars that may be of interest to any students considering studying Medicine or Health Sciences.

Getting in Medicine – Webinar

Study Work Grow webinar – learn about some tips that can help you get into medicine in Australia.

UAC Digital | Let’s Chat – Medicine
Wednesday 4 May 2022, 6:00 pm

Online

In this session we’ll provide HSC students and their parents with information about applying to study Medicine at NSW unis. A panel of experts from NSW universities will provide an overview of each Medicine course they offer. We’ll also discuss:

the difference between undergraduate Medicine and postgraduate Medicine courses
admission requirements and ATAR requirements
the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)
pathways to Medicine if you don’t meet the admission requirements
how to apply.
And we’ll give answers to the most commonly asked questions!

Find out more: https://uacdigital.easywebinar.live/registration-lets-chat-medicine

UAC Digital | Let’s Chat – Health Sciences
Wednesday 18 May 2022, 6:00 pm

Online

Are you are thinking of pursuing a career in nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, speech pathology or radiology? A panel of NSW and ACT university experts will break down what’s required to apply to and study a Health Science degree. We’ll discuss:

HSC courses that can help you build a good foundation for uni study
selection criteria
work placement opportunities
career opportunities
the UAC application process.
And we’ll give answers to the most commonly asked questions!

Find out more: https://uacdigital.easywebinar.live/registration-lets-chat-health-sciences

University Admissions Centre Year 12 Conference

This session is for Year 12 students and their parents. Institutions will provide a summary of their course offerings for 2023.

When: Tuesday 26 April at 6pm
Register for the Year 12 Conference