Principals Report

Dear Fortians, Parents and Carers,

Term 2 has been another busy term and has ended on a high with the fantastic mid-year IMP concert. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Matt Manchester for once again pulling together a wonderful evening. Huge thanks also to our parent volunteers for giving their time to provide the dinner and dessert stalls on the evening. A special thanks must be given to Sally McCausland who has been the IMP Convenor over the past several years. Sally’s contribution to the IMP and the second-hand uniform shop has been invaluable.

Despite the number of cold viruses and COVID continuing to spread through the community we have made it though term two with minimal disruption to classes. I would like to thank our staff for their generosity in covering colleagues whilst they have been sick. Thank you also to our parents for keeping children at home when sick, I believe this has really assisted in keeping transmission low.

Please remind your children that masks are still compulsory on all public transport, we have had some reports from members of the public that our students have not been wearing their masks coming to and from school.

Working Bee – the school will be hosting a community working bee next term on Saturday 6 August. If you are able to volunteer some time and get involved in some gardening around the school or a host of other jobs please open and complete this google form.

https://forms.gle/9SM37wmCHuMi6h8dA

I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone – students, parents and staff who supported me in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout. Fort Street has raised just under $24 000 for the St Vincent de Paul Society and we will continue to add to this when Year 8 undertake their oval sleepout in term 4. During my evening with Vinnies, I was able to hear first hand accounts of families who have been supported through tough times and individuals who had quite unexpectedly found themselves homeless following domestic violence or separation.  I had been unaware until recently how much support Vinnies provides to migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Australia. I hope that as a community we will be able to support Vinnies each year.

If you have been planning to donate and have not yet gotten around to it here is the link: https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/s/13458/53667/e

Upcoming events in Term 3:

• Return to school Term 3 for all students is Tuesday 19 July
• Year 8 Subject Selection Evening – Wednesday 20 July 6.30pm School Hall
• Year 10 and 11 Wellbeing presentation by Twenty10
• Astronomy Evenings – Thursday 21 July, Monday 1 August and Thursday 4 August: contact Mr Webb for details
• Year 12 Trial HSC Exams commence in week 2 (2 weeks)
• Community Working Bee – Saturday 6 August
• P&C meeting onsite Wednesday 10 August
• City to Surf – Sunday 14 August (if you are interested in joining the FSHS team please contact Ms Ezekiel)

Get involved – Working Bee Saturday 6th August

Fort Street High School will be hosting a working bee on Saturday 6^th August to finish off the school  kitchen garden, get some planting and other gardening done across the school possibly even paint a classroom or two and some other general tidy up. We will be hosting a barbeque for all our volunteers at lunch time.

This is a wonderful opportunity for parents to come to the school and meet with other parents whilst contributing to the kitchen garden. No skills are required just a willingness to help out! Students are welcome to come along to the working bee so long as they are accompanied by a parent and intend to assist. Most jobs will involve gardening. Students have been emailed a separate registration form.

If you have time to spare and would like to volunteer for either gardening, painting, general cleaning, water delivery to the troops please fill out your details in the google form and we will be in touch with you.

https://forms.gle/9SM37wmCHuMi6h8dA

Yarning Circle at Fort Street

Over these school holidays after a year in the planning with the SRC and P&C our yarning circle will be installed in the Rowe Quad. Eventually we will also have a mural in this area on the back wall of the library to finish off the space.

The existing planter boxes in this area will be relocated to a designated area in the Rowe Quad. A new one metre wide garden bed will also be built along the (street frontage) fence line and the Rowe building area to the fire door.

Yarning Circle – Fort Street High School

This new outdoor space has not been designed to prevent any teacher from taking their class anywhere they would like in the school to initiate a yarning circle but it is hoped that it will encourage more yarning circle activities.

Our yarning circle has been designed by Scully Outdoor Furniture.

The design has been permitted and approved by The Elders of the Dharug Nation, namely Aunty Edna.

To be approved we had to attach ideals to the 8 rocks of significance (these are the 8 sandstone blocks), and these ideals are as follows;

Listening and Talking

Teamwork and Unity

Trust and Tenderness

Belonging and Storytelling

We have an option for these ideals to be on a signpost next to the Yarning Circle to remind students of these ideals.

Our Reconciliation Poles are hand painted by an Indigenous Artist.

What is a Yarning Circles:

A yarning circle is a harmonious, creative and collaborative way of communicating to:

• encourage responsible, respectful and honest interactions between participants, building trusting relationships
• foster accountability and provide a safe place to be heard and to respond
• promote student–student interactions and student–school–community connectedness
• enrich learning experiences for students.

Implementing yarning circles in your classroom

A yarning circle is usually initiated or hosted by an individual — a teacher, a student, or a visitor. Yarning circles can take a number of formats but the following guidelines generally apply when initiating a yarning circle

• Sit in a circle: Participants sit in a circle and are encouraged to actively listen to others’ views. Participants should understand that they are all considered equal within the circle and that there is no hierarchy.
• Introduce the group: The host invites participants to introduce themselves and share something about themselves.
• Introduce focus questions: Yarning circles can be undertaken for many reasons. The host introduces the purpose of the yarning circle or the focus question to participants.
• Share ideas and thoughts: The host encourages participants to take turns to talk and to promote reciprocal sharing and learning. Time can be allocated for participants to write or draw their thoughts after each person speaks. The host could provide butcher’s paper in the middle of the circle for participants to record their thoughts, or hold the circle outside so participate can draw their thoughts in the dirt.
• Reflect: Resolve any actions or issues identified by the yarning circle, or agree to follow up in future yarning circles.

SRC Spirit Week

Here are some photos of the students enjoying the SRC Spirit Week activities.

There has been lots of fun had with food stalls, Mario Kart, Mufti and speed cubing! The SRC will share a full update in the next Mercurius but here are a few photos of the week so far.

Playing the Game well: Final Chess Club report

Playing the Game well: Final Chess Club report and an acknowledgement of the efforts of Fort Street’s 2022 Year 12 Chess Team

On Friday the 17th of June 2022 the Fort Street Chess Club had yet another exciting home game against an array of formidable opponents. Our Junior teams played against Rosebank and Sydney Grammar, our Intermediate team played against Scots College and our Senior teams played against Sydney Girls and Meridan, with varying results.

As Fort Street’s involvement in the Metropolitan Secondary Schools Chess Competition draws to a close for 2022, we would like to acknowledge the effort of the Year 12 Chess Teams who consist of Ethan Nguyen, Peter Tran, Jonathan Faltas, Andrew Huang, Riley Vaile, Sachin Stevens, Daniel Chen and Kelvin Tran. Despite the increasing academic demands of the HSC (with the HSC Trials and final exam approaching in August and October), these students have always made time in their busy schedule to be present at every Chess game and play every game with enthusiasm and integrity. Moreover, each week they also helped with setting up and packing all the equipment as well as being incredibly respectful and hospitable to all guests and their fellow Fortians thus proudly exhibiting the Fortian Exit Profile of Community and Social Justice.

Ms. Page, Mr. Fischer, Ms. Truong

Fort Street Chess Club Coordinators

Young Chemists put their practical skills to the test!

On Friday 17 June, Fortian chemists from Years 11 and 12 participated in the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) NSW Schools Titration Competition hosted at the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Sydney (USYD). The 24 Fortians were selected to represent the Fort based on their performance at an ‘elimination’ competition held at school earlier in Term Two.

The titration experiment involves a series of acid-base neutralisation reactions, to accurately determine the unknown concentration of a weak acid. The competition required Fortians to use a solution of the strong base sodium hydroxide and standardise it against the hydrochloric acid provided, before using it to determine the concentration of the unknown ethanoic acid. Fortians competed in teams of three and had 90 minutes to complete the titrations.

Whilst waiting for the preliminary results, the Fortians received a short lecture from Associate Professor Toby Hudson about the science course opportunities available at USYD. Following the informative presentation, a RACI Representative announced the results for the 62 teams competing.

Notably, our Fortian team of Jennifer Ma, Luke Sarginson and Gordon Huang from Year 12 were awarded second place on the day. All competitors now await official results from RACI, with top teams receiving an invitation to the prestigious National Titration Competition. Fortian teams have always performed well in this annual competition, frequently receiving Certificates of Excellence and Merit.

A big thank you to Mr Theo Leondios and Mr Amrit Prasad for their time and guidance in training the Fortians with the titration technique. Thank you to Mr Prasad, who accompanied the Fortians on the Competition Day.

Stephanie Banh, Andrew Huang and Peter Tran

Year 12

IMP Mid Year Concert

Last Friday 24 June the IMP Mid-Year Concert took place. For the first time in 12 months the IMP ensembles and community were able to gather to celebrate the work of the IMP ensembles over the past 6 months, and to farewell our outgoing Year 12 students, who retire to concentrate on their HSC studies. For the majority of the IMP, this was only the second time they have been able to take part in a concert, so it was a particularly poignant occasion.

The event began with the traditional winter dinner in the Fountain Quad, with entertainment masterfully provided by the Fort Street Jazz Ensemble. There was a palpable buzz in the air, reminiscent of Boxing Day sales, as the 650 audience members eagerly awaited the opening of the Hall doors. The 300 members of the IMP were also excited to perform in front of friends and parents, and their professionalism and attention to detail were very exciting to watch.

Every ensemble performed well, despite the disrupted start to the year, and the skills deficit we all faced from the past 24 months. The enjoyment on the faces of every performer in the IMP, and every audience member was plain to see. As is traditional, the Training Band got the biggest roar of the evening, and it was very exciting to see all of the younger musicians from various ensembles performing so brilliantly, despite having suffered so much disruption in the crucial first few years of playing. Yr 12 were farewelled with the traditional medals ceremony, and speeches. While it is a bittersweet moment saying farewell to such a great group of players and leaders, we look forward to seeing them carry their love of music out into the world, and fostering the development of the next generation of players who will step into their shoes.

The Mid-Year Concert is the IMP’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and thanks to the organisational efforts of all involved, and the generosity of the IMP community, the event more than meet its significant fundraising targets. This means the IMP will be able to continue to work at its current levels for the rest of this year and into next year, providing world-class musical education and performance opportunities to our students. Thanks to the IMP Committee and the Catering Committee, without whom this enormous event would simply not happen. Thanks to the IMP community who donated time, food, and money for the event, and who have provided the opportunity for their kids to take part in musical activities. Thanks to the school executive and administration, who provide constant support. Finally, congratulations finally to the IMP members, who are now back on track after so long! The IMP looks forward to bring more concerts and performances to the Fort Street community in the coming months!

The IMP now moves into audition mode, to fill the positions vacated by outgoing Year 12 students. Please keep an eye on your inboxes for more information.

Matthew Manchester

Year 9/10 Fortians gives a fast and fashionable performance

On Tuesday the 28th of June 2022 the Fort Street Year 9/10 Debating Team debated against Newtown High School of Performing Arts in the second round of the Premier’s Debating Challenge for 2022.

Our topic was ‘that we should place a tax on fast fashion’ and we were the negative side. Our first speaker was Johnathan Bonnice, our second speaker was Gina Hong, our third speaker was Eleanor Alonso Love and our team advisor was Min Park. The debate was chaired by the always eloquent Galileo Lima.

All five members put their minds together and gave some outstanding arguments about how increasing tax to fast fashion will not resolve the climate change issue that waste from fast fashion is causing. Their debates and rebuttals overall presented some excellent insight into the problems that fast fashion is causing on our environment. They also delivered their speeches with grace and poise.

It was truly enlightening to watch these intelligent young people demonstrate such a profound and informed understanding of poor human habits that are harming our environment and propose realistic solutions that can still allow our society to pursue economic ambition and right to having artistic expression through clothing, whilst still protecting our most sacred entity: planet Earth.

Ms. Truong
Debating and Public Speaking Coordinator

SPECIAL REPORT: Celebrating NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is celebrated by all Australians and is a great opportunity to recognise and learn more about the history and culture of indigenous communities.

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced back to the Aboriginal rights movement, when on Australia Day 1938, protestors marched through the streets of Sydney to highlight the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Today, it is a week-long celebration held in July that consists of range of traditional and contemporary activities.

NAIDOC Week is an important event that helps build positive relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. It enables a deeper understanding of our differences and similarities. NAIDOC week is an opportunity for all Australians to eliminate bias and discrimination by reflecting and reconciling the wrongs of the past to facilitate hope and build a fairer future. Families are encouraged to join in and support young people in learning the significance of NAIDOC Week.

This Special Report offers suggestions on how families can celebrate NAIDOC Week together. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report https://fortstreet.nsw.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-celebrating-naidoc-week

Discovering a Good Read

Fort Street High School is participating in ““Discovering a ‘Good Read’: Cultural Pathways to Reading for Australian Teens in a Digital Age”, a research project being undertaken by Deakin University, Victoria. The aim of the project is to support schools and libraries to increase teenagers’ recreational reading. Research has shown that reading for pleasure has a positive outcome on students’ learning across all subjects so we believe this is a valuable project for Fortians to undertake.

“The research maps a broad digital and cultural economy of reading, investigating how teens discover books, and the cultural and material factors that influence their choices. It also studies the role of different cultural intermediaries, ranging from professionals such as librarians, publishers and booksellers, to new digital intermediaries and networks in the digital ecology.”

Deakin University, Teen Reading in the Digital Era, accessed 24/062022 https://teenreading.net/research/

Fort Street’s participation involves some students taking an anonymous twenty minute survey online regarding their reading habits, and interviews with our Teacher Librarian and English Teachers. To find out more, please follow this link:

https://teenreading.net/research/