International Grammar School’s weekly
e-newsletter
Term 1, No. 4 • 20 February 2015
COMING EVENTS
TERM 1
L-R (standing): Principal Shauna Colnan; Studies Co-ordinator Irina Braun; Nicola Irvin; Nathalie Pinson; Joshua Winestock;
Assistant Principal - High School Anthony Dennehy; Student Co-ordinator Lucy Howard Shibuya; Dominic Cox; Oscar Read;
Jeremy Horniblow; Deputy Principal Mary Duma; Seated front: Hestea Cook; Assistant Principal- Academic Programs Jacqui Baker
Special report from the Class of 2014
HOT HSC TIPS SHARED WITH SENIOR SCHOOL
Two of their classmates, Joshua Winestock
and Nicola Irvin also attended the assembly
to accompany Hestea in a moving
performance of her HSC composition
Kwelakakith Eafrica.
‘QandA’ highlights
Shauna Colnan: If you could offer one
piece of advice on how to do really well,
what would that be?
“Stay positive”, “listen to your teachers”
and “stay healthy”– these were just some
of the words of advice offered by five
guest HSC graduates from our Class of
’14 when they attended this week’s high
school assembly.
Jeremy Horniblow, Hestea Cook, Nathalie
Pinson, Oscar Read and Dominic Cox
shared their tips with Years 7-12 on a
‘QandA’ style panel hosted by Principal
Shauna Colnan and Assistant Principal
Anthony Dennehy.
Jeremy: What really worked was being
really positive, staying positive …you might
hit the wall but you just have to keep your
chin up.
“... and with the content, just hit that
Control C, Control V (button) – into the
brain!” - Nathalie Pinson
WEEK 7
Monday 2 March
Yrs 5 and 6, Interrelate
Year 8, High Resolves
Snowsports Meeting, 6pm
Tuesday 3 March
PS Swimming Carnival, Ryde Aquatic Centre
Wednesday 4 March
HS Debating Round 2
PTF Thought Forum, Professor Ian Hickie, 6pm
Thursday 5 March
Early Learning Info Morning, 9.30am
CDSSA Swimming Carnival
Friday 6 March
Stage 6 Performance Night
Tomorrow, 21 February
is International Mother
Language Day!
see page 6 ...
Hestea: Listen to your teachers and your
mentors.
Dominic: Play sport, participate in other
things, otherwise, it gets overwhelming.
Continued ...
Gong Xi Fa Cai
Happy Lunar New Year!
Year of the Goat
Term 1, No. 4 - 20 February 2015
WEEK 6
Monday 23 February
CIS PS Tennis Trials
Year 12 D&T Design Pitch
Tuesday 24 February
HS Swimming Carnival, Ryde Aquatic Centre
Wednesday 25 February
HS House Assembly
Thursday 26 February
NSW All Schools Triathlon
AICES Boys Basketball Trials
HICES Debating
Friday 27 February
NSW All Schools Triathlon
AICES Girls Basketball Trials
CIS PS Basketball Trials
More on Lunar New Year
- in the next In Focus
Editor: Rosemary Pryor
4-8 Kelly Street, Ultimo NSW 2007
Locked Bag 1022, Broadway
NSW 2007
Ph: 9219 6700 Fax: 9211 2474
e: media@igssyd.nsw.edu.au
from Page 1 continued
Oscar: Stay healthy, do exercise, start
your assessments early and always ask for
feedback.
Nathalie: Yes, listen to your teachers,
listen in class and with the content, just hit
that Control C, Control V (button) – into
the brain!
Phoebe Finlayson-Cook (Year
11): What would you say to
your Year 7 self about the years
to come?
Dominic: You should just enjoy
the junior years – get the right
study techniques and have a good
attitude, find out what you’re good
at and interested in.
Anthony Dennehy: Marita O’Grady
was both Dux and HSC Scholar for 2014
(scoring the highest ATAR of 98.75). She
Nathalie: It gets a lot better! [In
couldn’t make it to the special assembly
Year 7] I was new here. You get
today as she has already started her fine
to Year 12 and you know your
arts degree at the Victorian College of
interests. Don’t freak out now
the Arts but I can
because it’s just going to
comment that Marita “They [parents] are a massive go up [from here].
help ...and after the HSC is over,
did a wide range of
they are still there”.
subjects, she was
- Jeremy Horniblow
hard-working and
diligent and was not
afraid to ask for advice.
SC: And what lies ahead?
SC: How did you manage to balance
the HSC with other activities?
Jeremy: B.Business/B. Creative
Intelligence and Innovation, UTS
Nathalie: Having a lot on helps – write
out a plan, it’s going to make you more
organised so you’re going to be less
stressed, that way you’ll be much happier.
Dominic: Civil Engineering, UNSW
(but taking a gap year)
SC: Your advice for managing parents?
Jeremy: They are a massive help and want
to support you and help you through it.
[In return] you should take time to relax
with your family – it’s the most important
relationship you have – and after the HSC is
over, they are still there.
SC: Jeremy mentioned ‘hitting the
wall’. At some point most people will
“hit the wall” in some way… tell us
about your experience…
Hestea: I did two major works [for Music
and Drama]. One day, we couldn’t teach
my composition to the choir, I was crying,
I sat down [with Ms Cunneen] and went
back to brainstorming, you’ve got to
work with your teachers and friends and
brainstorm. Your teachers and friends are
here to support you and want to help.
SC: If you take on a major work I’d be
worried if you didn’t have some kind
of crisis…you should aim for something
out of reach ...
Oscar: In Year 12 Art, I struggled choosing
a medium for my work. I chose one
medium and it didn’t work out so late in
Term 2, I changed completely. I still ended
up doing okay, even though I left my idea
[photography of his dog who had cancer]
until the end.
Hestea: B.Music/ B.Media, UNSW
(but taking a gap year to work and
travel)
Oscar: Architecture, UTS or Law/IR,
ANU (was offered both but taking
a gap year)
Nathalie: B.Arts (Majoring in
French, History and Italian), USYD,
then a Masters in teaching
Joshua: B.Music at the
Conservatorium of Music, USYD
Nicola: B.International Studies/
Media, UNSW
Marita O’Grady will return to
IGS during the year to accept her
Scholar’s Award.
Well done and best of luck to
all of our
Class of
2014!
Ed:
Thank you to
Director of
Community
Relations
Julia Glass
for scribe
assistance
We’re on Facebook - www.facebook.com/igssyd
Like Us – and ask your friends to like us too!
Term 1, No. 4 - 20 February 2015
2
SNAPSHOT
All on (a different)
board ...
IGS chess whiz causes
major upset at Nationals
Year 6’s Henry Menzies placed 15th
in Australia in the Under 12 division,
from a field of 70 of the best chess
players from across the country at the
Australian Junior Chess Championship
in Canberra last week.
In 9 rounds, Henry had 4 wins, 3 draws
and two losses. In Round 3, he caused
the biggest upset of the tournament
by beating the highest-rated player in
the event. He also beat the national
10-year-old champion and Australia’s
representative at the World Youth
Championships.
Pictured (clockwise from top):
Henry on board; Assistant Principal Junior School Colin Bird congratulates
Henry at assembly this week; Tiger
and Henry in a friendly game.
We’re not sure what Henry’s next
move will be – but it’s sure to be a
good one!
Meanwhile, Year 3 headed outdoors for
an adventure last Friday ... where could
they be going? More news on this in a
future In Focus.
And below, the latest outdoor
adventure for Year 7 ...
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Year 7 go to camp
The Year 7 outdoor education camp took
place during Week 4 of Term 1 at Fitzroy
Falls. We deliberately mix the groups up
between new and old, boys
and girls.
Feedback from the annual Year 7 outdoor
education camp was extremely positive
from staff, Year 7 students and Year 11
peer support leaders. One of the main
reasons we send the Year 7 students in
the first few weeks of Senior School is so
that they are able to meet new people and
to make new connections within their year
group.
Camp Reflection from Ryan Kitchin
(Year 7 Student)
“The Year 7 IGS camp was one of the best
camps I have ever been on. It was my first
time going on a camp at IGS and I was
really excited for it. We left early in the
morning on Wednesday. The bus ride sort
of flew by really quickly and soon I was
Term 1, No. 4 - 20 February 2015
at Southbound Adventures. I was
nervous first getting off the bus
and I was wondering what group I
was going to go into. I was put in a
Continued ...
3
The Great Outdoors from Page 3 continued
group with 12 other Year 7s and two other
Year 11s. We did all types of fun activities.
Here are my favourites:
Low Ropes: This was probably one of the
funniest activities. We had all go around
these fun obstacles. We didn’t have a
harness so we had all our teammates to
support us so we wouldn’t fall.
Pirate hunt: We had to go all around camp
to find clues to open the pirate treasure.
In the end, we had to build a telescope and
that would direct us to the treasure and in
the treasure, there was a bag of lollies! It
was an extremely fun hunt.
Mountain Biking: We were a bit late for
this activity so we did not get as much
biking in as we would of liked to but it was
still great fun. We went down a narrow
path and we all weaved through and rode
over muddy pits for about 20 minutes. We
then went back and returned our bikes.
Giant Swing: Everyone knows the Giant
Swing! This was so fun. When I went up,
I felt completely different to when I was
on the ground. It looked so high from the
ground! But I quickly conquered my nerve
and when I made to the top and after I
pulled the rope, I was so exhilarated as I
went flying back and forth.
connections and friendships, try new and
different things, and push themselves. I was
pleasantly surprised how enthusiastic they
were with every activity and how well they
worked as a team. As a Year 11, I feel really
lucky to have new friends in the younger
years and to be able to be a part of making
this transition for them easy and fun, as the
older kids did for me when I was in Year 7.
The camp was a great and fun experience,
that allowed new connections to be formed
and taught me leadership skills and about
being a positive role model, which I will take
with me into the future”.
Both the Year 7 and Year 11 students
showed a huge amount of enthusiasm,
commitment and leadership throughout the
three-day camp. Thank you to the Year 7
and Year 11 students for embracing the new
experience of the outdoor education camp.
In addition to this, thank you to all the staff
that accompanied the students on camp.
Brian Downton
Head of Sport and Outdoor Education
There also a lot of other good stuff like
crate climb, Aboriginal Studies or even
bush walking. We also got to make dinner
for one of the nights and that was quite
fun as well. After getting off that bus in
Sydney, I knew this had been my favourite
school camp and I can’t wait to go next
Year!”
Camp Reflection from Maeve Galea
(Year 11 Student)
“Year 7 camp was a really great
environment, for us, the Year 11 peer
support leaders to form bonds with the
new Year 7s starting high school. Arriving
in on the bus at Fitzroy Falls (where our
own Year 7 camp took place four years
earlier) was very nostalgic, and reminded
me of what an exciting and nerve-wracking
time the start of high school is.
The three days were packed full of activities
that allowed the Year 7s to form new
Discover the wonderful world of
High School at IGS ...
High School Open Night
Thursday 12 March 2015
4–7pm
All welcome. Tell your friends. No bookings necessary.
More details in next week’s In Focus
Term 1, No. 4 - 20 February 2015
4
SNAPSHOT #2
Primary Student Leader induction
MATHS SPOT
Come to the
Maths Olympiad
try-outs
It could be you ...
Thursday 26 February
* Lunchtime
* Room 404
* Open to all Year 7 and 8
* Bring a friend!
Term 1, No. 4 - 20 February 2015
Practice quiz
IGS wants to put together two
teams to compete in the Maths
Olympiad, which is a series of
short competitions run over the
course of the year.
It is open to ALL students in Years
7 and 8, and any enquiries should
be directed to:
Laurence Moss on 92196700 or
laurencem@igssyd.nsw.edu.au.
Jenny and Lenny pick 1/4
and 1/3 of a treeful of
apples, respectively.
Penny picks the rest of the
apples.
If Lenny picks 7 more
apples than Jenny does,
how many apples does
Penny pick?
5
LANGUAGES LINES
From Mother Tongue to Polyglot
Tomorrow is International Mother
Language Day. This day is observed
annually on 21 February worldwide to
promote awareness of linguistic and
cultural diversity and multilingualism. It
was first proclaimed by UNESCO on 17
November 1999.
Then, on 16 May 2007, the United Nations
General Assembly in its resolution A/
RES/61/266 called upon Member States "to
promote the preservation and protection
of all languages used by peoples of
the world". This important and crucial
statement recognises that the preservation
and dissemination of mother tongues will
serve not only to encourage and maintain
linguistic diversity and multilingualism
but also to develop fuller awareness of
linguistic and cultural traditions throughout
the world and to inspire solidarity based on
understanding, tolerance and dialogue.
International Mother Language or
Mother Tongue Day has been observed
every year since February 2000. The date
of 21 February represents the day in
1952 when students demonstrating for
recognition of their language, Bangla,
as one of the two national languages of
the then Pakistan, were shot and killed
by police in Dhaka, the capital of what is
now Bangladesh.
Languages are the most powerful
instruments of preserving and developing
our tangible and intangible heritage and
this is what is remembered on 21 February.
2015 is the 15th anniversary of International
Mother Language Day.
Write in the Mother Tongue
This year we will be publishing another
edition of Polyglot – IGS Languages
Magazine.
In celebration of Mother Tongue Day
this Saturday 21 February, I invite all IGS
students with the help of their families
if needed to submit an article, interview,
story, comic strip or any writing piece in
their mother tongue language which may
not be one of the six languages taught
at IGS.
Written items can be on any topics. Items
can be emailed to me at rosalbag@igssyd.
nsw.edu.au any time during Terms 1 and
2. I look forward to receiving a wonderful
array of writings in a multitude of
languages.
Rosalba Genua-Petrovic
Director of Languages
The Languages Home Reading Program has begun for Years 2– 6
This week,
In Focus
continues the
Languages
Help Guide.
We ask that all parents take care of these
and be diligent in returning the readers. If
you find any language readers around at
home from 2014 please return them to
your child’s language teacher.
In class,
the children are involved in a variety of
reading activities relating to the Unit of
Work. These activities help build up their
sight word repertoire, vocabulary, deduce
the meaning of unfamiliar words from
context and demonstrate comprehension
by participating and contributing during
shared reading.
Reading, above all else, should be
enjoyable. It is important for the children
to ‘have a go’ and it is good for the same
book to come home more than once over
time – this reinforces consolidation of sight
words and familiarity allows for greater
success. Please remember this when
thinking a book is too easy.
Your child will be bringing language
readers home. This reading program will
complement your child’s literacy skills.
Students will be given books that they can
manage with relative ease. The children
should be able to decode most words.
The readers will be in a plastic folder with
a reading log sheet. Readers will be given
out during the week and we ask that they
are returned within a week or so.
Some helpful things to do:
•
•
•
Using knowledge about letter –
sound relationships is an important
achievement of early reading
Sounds and symbols are the two most
important skills early readers need
to decode, so look at the sounds in
words so that decoding the word is
easier
Encourage children to read out loud
•
Locate key words and phrases in a text
The Junior Library has a good selection of
language books in all 4 languages. These
are available for borrowing. There are some
great picture books with limited text and
also more challenging books for the older
children. If you are not sure of what to
borrow and need help with the level your
child is at, please contact the language
teacher who will help you.
We will be adding to our repertoire of
language books. More information will
follow.
Some reminder dates for the diary:Harmony Day will be celebrated on 18
March. Students can dress up in National
costumes or the colour orange.
Languages Camp Years 4 – 6 : 25–27
March – Forms and information will be
emailed shortly
Vilma Rotellini
Head of Languages Junior School
SOCIAL JUSTICE NEWS - Gold Coin Day next Friday
This year, we are very excited to be able to help others and in particular, kids. We start our work off next Friday
27 February where we will be collecting money to support one of our own. Nick Walker (brother of James Walker
– Year 5) is in Year 11. Next month Nick is literally, going to climb a mountain! Mount Kosciuszko in 1 day! that
is 18.4kms return in 10 hours. This will be an effort, to try and help young people living with Cerebral Palsy. So it
would be greatly appreciated if you could donate a gold coin to this wonderful cause.
Help us to help Nick achieve his goal.
-Imogen Este and Tiger Balsmeyer, Community Service Primary Leaders
Term 1, No. 4 - 20 February 2015
6