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Term 2 Week 4(A)
Week 4 Starting 18 May 2020
Monday 18/05/20
Year 11 & 12 Visual Arts – Body of Works Workshops: 3pm – 4:30pm
Tuesday 19/05/20
Year 12-Society and Culture Assessment Task P1 Year 10 – History and Geography Assessment Task
Wednesday 20/05/20
Year 11 – Hospitality Incursion Periods 1-3 Year 10 – Spanish Assessment Task P3
Thursday 21/05/20
Year 11 – Mathematics Extension Assessment Task – 7:30am – 8:30am
Friday 22/05/20
Year 12 – Drama Assessment Task P6 Year 11 – Physics Assessment Task Year 9 – Marine Studies Assessment Task P5
Term 2 Week 5(B)
Week 5 Starting 25 May 2020
Monday 25/05/20
Year 11 – Earth and Environmental Science Assessment Task P1 Sorry Day Year 11 & 12 Visual Arts – Body of Works Workshops: 3pm – 4:30pm
Tuesday 26/05/20
Wednesday 27/05/20
Reconciliation Week – In This Together
Thursday 28/05/20
Year 12 – Physics Assessment Task P1 & 2 and Ancient History Assessment Task P1 & 4 Reconciliation Week – In This Together
Friday 29/05/20
Year 12 - Modern History Assessment Task P1 & P5 Year 9 – History Assessment Task P3 Reconciliation Week – In This Together
Term 2 Week 6(A)
Week 6 Starting 1 June
Monday 01/06/20
Year 10 – Commerce Assessment Task Reconciliation Week – In This Together
Tuesday 02/06/20
Reconciliation Week – In This Together
Wednesday 03/06/20
Reconciliation Week – In This Together
Thursday 04/06/20
Friday 05/06/20
Year 11 – Business Studies Assessment Task – P1, P3 & P6 Year 8 – Technology Mandatory Assessment Task Year 7 – Technology Mandatory Assessment Task
Year 12 Purple Year 11 Olive Year 10 Blue Year 9 Red Year 8 Green Year 7 Orange
Thoughts from the
Principal
I was excited to see the students out and about this week with Phase 1 of the managed return taking place. All of us have missed them very much. We know that students have been doing it tough and especially missing contact with their friends and even the teachers. Whilst we have enjoyed seeing year groups return on designated days this week, we are all excessively looking forward to having all students return together and can’t wait to enjoy a return to regular face to face teaching.
Of course the health safety measures we have put in place mean it is not quite ‘business as usual’ but students are also happy to see their friends and teachers in person again. The school which has been so eerily quiet for so long is now gradually coming back to life.
During the holidays, I read an article in The Guardian which said …
Term one at Australian schools did not so much end, as unravel. Its final weeks were described by the NSW Teachers Federation as “one of the most difficult school terms for the profession in living memory”.
SCHOOL NEWSLETTER Term 2 Week 3, 15 May 2020
Address: 2 Gibsons Road, Figtree NSW 2525 Phone: 02 4271 2787 Email: [email protected] Fax: 02 4271 6626
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Hard to argue with that assessment … Term 1 had bushfires, floods and a worldwide pandemic. I dare to wonder what Term 2 will hold. In this time of constant change, one thing that I am confident about is that Term 2 will be full of similar challenges. Whether we return to online or if students are 100% returned to school or we have a blend of both ….I am convinced that Figtree High School can manage it. Our HSC students are also being well supported. Year 12 need not feel more anxious than is usual in Term 2 about their HSC because they have such dedicated and caring teachers. I feel this Facebook post written by a teacher in the UK perfectly describes the teachers of Australia and particularly those at Figtree and Flametree;
We gave educators almost no notice. We asked them to completely redesign what school looks like and in about 24 hours, local administrators and teachers "Apollo 13'ed" the problem and fixed it. With kids’ learning needs being met in the midst of a global crisis. No state agency did this, no so-called national experts on curriculum. The local educators fixed it in hours. HOURS. No complaining and no handwringing - just solutions and amazingly clever plans. Remember that the next time someone tells you that teachers have it easy or try to persuade you that educators are not among the smartest, most ingenious people in society. And please never say to me again, "Those who can't do anything else, just go into teaching." Get out of the way of a teacher and watch with amazement at what really happens.
These are true words and reflect what really happened and was achieved here at Figtree High School. Thank you to the Figtree HS teachers - our very own superheroes. I once more thank the entire incredible staff - based at both Figtree and Flametree campuses - whose efforts in moving to online learning and supporting students in the digital sphere have been remarkable. What most would have deemed impossible, they accomplished in the blink of an eye. Although I cannot speak about other schools or their staff, I can most certainly speak about mine – they have been men and women of the hour and are truly AMAZING!!! And they continue to perform under pressure.
On a further positive note, despite the dilemmas COVID-19 have created for us, dare I say that we have been fortunate in other ways:
• having the opportunity to enjoy more family time
• the chance to get to house maintenance and tend to the garden
• the sublime weather While in other parts of the world:
• the water in the canals of Venice are now strikingly crystal clear and dolphins appear in Italy’s waterways
• for the first time in 30 years, the Himalayas are visible 125 miles away in parts of India
The Times 11/5/20 People in India can see the Himalayas, many for the first time ever as the lockdown decreases air pollution. And here in Australia, there have been so many heart-warming acts of kindness and generosity as well as funny stories, memes and videos that make us smile just when we need it the most. To quote the Red Cross:
In our neighbourhoods and around the world, everywhere we look, people are sharing their strength, resilience and compassion in the face of the coronavirus global pandemic.
Lastly, I thank you - our parents and carers - for your overwhelmingly positive support and understanding. We know how challenging it has been and will continue to be for you and your families. We have a long way to go but we will get through this together.
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Flametree – introducing ASPIRE – a learning and wellbeing framework As you know Flametree is a campus of Figtree High School in North Wollongong, which provides specialist education for students across the Illawarra who have significant difficulty in managing their behaviour and emotions at school. The Flametree staff are specially trained, highly skilled special educators led by Head Teacher, James Bell.
Flametree Campus together with the leadership team of Figtree High School is trialling ‘A Secondary Program for Inclusion, Retention and Engagement’ (ASPIRE) Strategy. In essence, the ASPIRE program aims to:
- increase student attendance rates
- decrease student referrals for behavioural incidents and suspensions
- support students with successful transition to post school options
- enhance students’ reading and numeracy ability and level
- ultimately improve student academic attainment
To achieve these outcomes, the ASPIRE initiative will involve modification of the physical environment, enhanced pedagogy, the use of “wrap-around” services and the integration of three innovative classroom models: the Neurosequential Model in Education, the Berry Street Education Model and HOW2Learn model. The ASPIRE Program will be assessed by measuring the change in learning and wellbeing results between the start and finish of the project.
“We have an obligation to ensure our school system not only does not discriminate but actively brings out the best in all students, especially those with special needs” ~ NSW Parliament Legislative Council
I wholeheartedly compliment the staff at Flametree for their strong knowledge, value and care for all of their students, undoubtedly some of the Illawarra Region’s most vulnerable young people. If there is a way that things can be done better at the Flametree setting, I am very confident that the teachers and school learning and support officers at Flametree will find and embrace it. Let’s have the best Term 2 we can and continue to take care of one another! Daniel Ovens
Principal
Expectation of the Week
WEEK 4: BE SAFE – Technology Keep personal information private
WEEK 5: BE SAFE – All Settings Respect personal space
WEEK 6: BE RESPECTFUL – All Settings Expect Respect
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Deputy Principals’
Report
Learning from Home
It has been such a challenging time to be learning, with
email, Google Classroom, Moodle and Zoom providing
the platforms for electronic communication about
learning activities and for the submission of completed
tasks. It has been a steep learning curve for students
and staff – as we have learnt to negotiate and work in a
completely different way.
At the start of this term, we provided students with a
revised structure to the school day when learning from
home. This has enabled students to have some break
time between lessons, and embedded some time for
wellbeing activities in their day, to provide a break from
their screen. We also provided students with a Daily
Learning Plan, to assist in organising their learning
activities for the day. We have had some great feedback
from students and parents about these two changes.
A Managed Return to School – Phase 1
This week it has been fantastic to see our students
return in year groups for a minimum of one day a week.
We were so excited to see students and their smiling
faces. A number of students were genuinely pleased to
be back at school, even though it is slightly different to
what they are used to. Students are encouraged to bring
their laptop to school as well as their own head phones,
to minimise the sharing of equipment.
Phase 1 continues next week and we look forward to
seeing each year group for their rostered day:
Monday: Years 7 and 11
Tuesday: Years 10 and 12
Thursday: Years 8 and 12
Friday: Years 9 and 12
This term Year 12 students have been engaged in
interviews (via Zoom, phone or in person) with our
Careers Adviser – Mr Sargent-Wilson to look at their
HSC Success plans. Discussions are centred on support
pathways to the HSC as well as their post-HSC options.
Health and Safety at School
A number of health and safety precautions have been
implemented to ensure we all work together to keep
Figtree High School as safe as possible. These include:
• More signage around the school and in
classrooms to raise awareness and remind
students about good respiratory hygiene
practices
• Hand sanitiser available in every classroom for
staff and students to use before, during and
after the class as required
• Cleaning products available in all classrooms for
student and staff use.
• Enhanced cleaning of high touch areas such as
handrails, light switches, high frequency
classrooms, door handles and bubblers
throughout the school day. Staff and student
toilets are also being cleaned throughout the
day.
• Reminding students to wash their hands with
soap and water at the start of the day as well as
before and after lunch breaks.
• Reducing the number of students gathered in
the canteen area by changing the flow of traffic
to have one entry and one exit point, physical
distancing for students entering the canteen
area, students pre-ordering hot food before
school to increase the speed of service at lunch
time.
• Restricting the number of students in a
classroom space to ensure appropriate physical
distancing for students and staff.
Please remember:
• If your child is sick/unwell, even if the
symptoms are mild, such as a runny nose, cough
or sore throat, they must remain at home.
• Parents are encouraged to limit their
attendance at school so that we can adhere to
social distancing protocols that remain in place
for adults. Please ring or email the school if you
need to speak to a staff member.
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Communication from the school
At this challenging time our main form of
communication to students and parents/carers is
through email. Email has been used to provide
parents/carers with updated information about school
operations. The school’s email communication platform
sends the email to a family’s preferred email account.
Any family who is not receiving school emails is
encouraged to contact the school so they can be
included on our emailing list. Most information sent by
email is also placed on news section of our school
website .
Students are also expected to check their school email
account daily to keep updated with information.
Request for information from parents/carers about
student attendance
During the different phases of the Department of
Education’s Managed Return to School, we have
requested information from parents/carers about their
plans for their child’s attendance. The reason for this is
that schools are required to have an explanation from a
student’s parent/carer if a student is not present at
school. This requirement still applies during the COVID-
19 pandemic.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the great majority of
parents/carers have chosen to have their child ‘learning
from home’ When a parent/carer informs the school
that their child is ‘learning from home’ their attendance
is marked as ‘Flexible’ (not absent). However, we cannot
assume that this is the case for all of our students.
Hence, we require all of our parents/carers to let us
know about their child’s attendance in each Phase of
the Managed Return to School.
This process will start with the school sending an email
to parents/carers, requesting that you to advise us
about your child’s planned attendance. It is important
for parents/carers to respond to this email so that the
school can update your child’s attendance accordingly.
If we have not heard from a parent/carer about the
plans for your child’s attendance, an SMS will be sent
regarding the absence/s from school, seeking an
explanation. If we do not hear from a parent/carer via
SMS, then we will send a letter home in the mail,
seeking an explanation for the absence/s.
Technology to support Learning from Home
Our Technology Support Officer, Mr Michael Trajcevski,
has been providing outstanding service and support to
our teachers, students and parents/carers since
students commenced Learning from Home on 24
March. We thank him for the high quality service he has
given our school community during this time.
If parents/carers or students require technology
support, we encourage you to phone or email the
school to discuss your needs, so that the appropriate
support and a suitable time can be organised to assist
you.
School Photographs
Students who ordered and paid for the school
photographs taken earlier this year were issued with
their photographs this week.
All students should also have received their new Figtree
HS Student Identification card. This can be provided as
evidence for student concession prices and should be
kept in a safe place.
We have not been provided with any timeframe for the
different phases in the Managed Return to School, but
will keep you updated as information becomes
available.
We would like to thank our Figtree community for
supporting the school during this unprecedented time
in education. We are looking forward to the time when
all students can return to full time face-to-face teaching
and learning.
Jemma Lawson – Years 7 and 10
Trish Morgan – Years 8 and 12
Ellie Donovan – Years 9 and 11
Deputy Principals
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TAS Faculty Report
Stage 4 – Technology Mandatory
While this has been a challenging time, learning from
home, many Stage 4 students have excelled in their
online learning tasks. Term 1 focused on designers and
students were able to research and investigate
Australian inventions, types of designers and what the
role of a designer entails.
During Term 2 all of our classes are focused on
Engineering. The students are working through
engineering concepts each week while planning their
Rube Goldberg machines. The Rube Goldberg machine
will be due Week 6 and we are hoping, all will be well in
the final weeks of this term to have a mini film festival
to show some of the best machines created by our
students.
Figure 1 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stage 5 – Elective Courses
Many teachers have reported how impressed they are
with many of their students in these classes. The
engagement and initiative shown by many students has
been impressive. Attendance at ZOOM classes and the
creation of quality work submitted via Moodle has been
very consistent. Specifically, our Food Technology
classes continue to refine their practical skills at home
during isolation and have shared their experiences with
their teachers. Our Construction students are about to
embark on a tile mosaic and Mr Olsen has arranged the
resources for students to complete their unique designs
at home.
Stage 6 – Senior Elective Courses
The beginning of the year was a hive of activity for many
of our practical courses. Our senior construction class
achieved many of the course competencies while
constructing a cement pathway for the school’s kitchen
garden.
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Year 11 Food Technology safely completed their first
practical exam. The class studied a unit on Factors that
affect Food Selection. Many of the students created
products that regularly featured in their homes.
Year 12 Hospitality started the year with a non-alcoholic
beverages unit. The students were kept busy creating a
variety of mocktails that were served in the schools
Coffee Bean Café.
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Finally, the entire TAS faculty are looking forward to the
safe return of all of our students to school. This will
enable the return to practical lessons and to the
completion of practical products. We are excited to see
the friendly faces of our students.
TAS Faculty Meeting Via ZOOM
Karran Williamson
Head Teacher TAS
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I LOVE WOLLONGONG BECAUSE…
Celebrating the success of our CAPA students Dakota
Daniela (Year 9), Alex Dawson (Year 8) and Tiana Brown
(Year 8) who each had photographs selected as part of
Wollongong Youth Services, ‘I love Wollongong
because…’ project. Our student’s work is now
beautifully exhibited on the exterior of the Wollongong
Youth Centre. Congratulations Alex, Tiana and Dakota!
Tiana’s two photographs featured above.
Alex’s three photographs featured above.
Dakota’s two photographs featured above
Please use the hand sanitiser provided
NSW Department of Education
education.nsw.gov.au
A managed return to school
1 day a week 4 days a week
Keep learning from home. You’re doing great!
Schools will remain open for students who need them and no child will be turned away
Bring a packed lunch and water bottle
Keep your distance
Parents and carers, stay in the car for drop offs and pick ups
Visit education.nsw.gov.au/learning-from-home to support your child’s learning
Follow health advice and keep your child home if they are unwell
For full details, visit education.nsw.gov.au/managed-return
Phase 1
education.nsw.gov.au
Stay safe at school
Remember to stay 1.5 metres apartWe all like to socialise with our friends but it’s important to keep a distance to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
NSW Department of Education
Clean your hands with soap and water, or hand santiser .
Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze.
Stay home if you are sick.
Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.
Please use hand sanitiser
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
kidshelpline.com.au
available 24/7
5 STEPSto stop the spread of respiratory illnesses 1
Cover your mouth and nose with tissues when coughing, sneezing, blowing and/or wiping your nose
2Dispose of tissues in the nearest waste bin after use
3If no tissues are available, cough or sneeze into your inner elbow rather than your hand
5Wash your hands with soap and water or alcohol based handrub after coughing or sneezing into hands or tissues
4You may be asked to put on a face mask to protect others
January 2019 © NSW Health. SHPN (HP NSW) 190020.
• Remove jewellery and cover abrasions
• Use water or a wet wipe to remove visible soiling
• Dispense product into dry hands
• Rub all surfaces of hands for one minute
How to clean hands using an alcohol-based
liquid or hand rub
When rubbing, pay particular attention to the backs
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