Newsletter
Nhulunbuy High School
From the Principal’s Desk
27 March 2015
It’s hard to believe that we have almost finished Term 1 already- jam packed as it has been with lots of great learning
in classrooms and across the school. Our Harmony Day last Monday was an absolute highlight, with a great number
of parents and community members joining our students and staff in a range of activities to celebrate our diversity,
and reinforce the very important message, that we are all unique, and we all need to belong. Congratulations to our
organizers, and participants on a truly great day. Thanks also for the positive feedback commending our students on
their strong cooperative spirit and respect shown in learning about the various cultures on display. As one community
member responded “Thank you for the opportunity to engage with such an intelligent and dynamic group”. We are
very proud of our students.
Yesterday a group of 30 Student Representative Council members and other volunteer students participated
in a workshop facilitated by the company “Creating Communities” who have been engaged to help the town of
Nhulunbuy develop a vision and plan for the future. The students shared their ideas about what they love about
where we live, what makes us unique as a community, and explored ideas about what kind of town we would like to
be in the future. The facilitators were extremely positive and commended the students for their insightful
contributions, and thanked the school for giving them an opportunity to engage with the students in this way.
We have been very fortunate indeed to run these important activities without too much impact from weather,
squeezing in our annual Boys Night last Friday night (our Girls night will run next term,) before Cyclone Nathan
arrived. Additionally, our Year 7 boys have participated in our Blokes program this week facilitated by teacher Tim
Richards and Chaplain Michelle Haines. This marks one of the last programs Michelle will run at school, as she
finishes up after several years, serving our community through our schools in her Chaplaincy role. Michelle is the
‘soul’ of our ‘body, mind and soul’ team who contribute so much to ensuring our students’ mental health and wellbeing
is supported across the school. Michelle and her family are moving interstate for new adventures so we thank
Michelle for all she has done, and wish her the very best in the future.
Our AGM was held last Wednesday evening, followed by our first School Council meeting for 2015. Many thanks to
those parents who were able to attend, and especially to those parents who have volunteered to be part of the
Council for the next two years. All parents are reminded that they are always welcome to come along to meetings,
usually held on a Wednesday evening of Weeks 4 and 8 each term.…the more the merrier.
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Fundraising and preparations are well underway for the ‘Over The Top Tour’ in the June break, and we look forward
to catching up with supporters tonigh at the Surf Club. At this stage we also wish Wendy Troe well as she takes leave
at the beginning of Term 2, travelling with her family overseas, prior to meeting up with the Tour in London in June.
Post tour lucky Wendy will continue her leave until the end of the year. What an exciting time ahead for Wendy and
her family…We look forward to frequent news and lots of photos!
Take care if you are travelling over the Easter break, and see you next term!
STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY
A Professional Development Day for teachers on Thursday 2 April means that students will
not be required on this day. Please find the link for a letter from the Principal.
http://web.ntschools.net/w/nhs/members/staff/Staff%20Docs/SSMdma07-032015%20Professional%20Development%20Day%20Term%201%202015.pdf
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Suicide Prevention and Year 12 safeTALK
Nhulunbuy High School is committed to suicide prevention. Last year all staff took part in safeTALK ‘suicide alertness’
training, and a number of staff have also been trained in ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training). Our school
counsellor Kasey Lloyd attended the inaugural NT Suicide Prevention and Wellbeing Conference, where she met a young
person Renon Schafer who then visited NHS during Mental Health Week to share his experiences with mental health and
suicide. We want our students and school community to know there is help when they need it.
On Monday, 16 March 2015, while the rest of the school participated in fun Harmony Day activities, our Year 12 students
(and one lucky Year 11 Health student,) participated in safeTALK. This activity aims to teach participants to recognise
persons with thoughts of suicide and to connect them to suicide intervention resources. Our safeTALK session was
facilitated by Karina Stevenson from Anglicare NT, and Bianca Raby from Headspace Darwin, and was well-received by
the students who asked insightful questions and who gave great feedback to the facilitators.
ASIST and safeTALK workshops are generally run in Nhulunbuy a few times each year for
members of the community. If you are interested in attending, like the Facebook page ‘Kasey the
School Counsellor’ (see below) and you will be kept up to date.
‘Kasey the School Counsellor’s Facebook page’
Kasey the School Counsellor is now online! Like her Facebook page, where she will be sharing
important information about mental health and well-being for students, parents, and staff! You
can also private message the page to make an appointment or arrange a time to have a chat (the
page is only accessed by Kasey). Check it out!
Our Year 7 girls recently had the opportunity to be part of a values program called CHIC: Choices, Hopes, Identity and
Connections. Activities were diverse, with life skills explored in a range of areas, including concepts such as who am I?;
self-worth and the worth of others; body image; communication; relationships skills; priorities and goal setting. The overriding perspective of the programme is that People Matter! All girls in Years 7 to 10 have been able to attend the CHIC
program as it has been offered to our Year 7s for the past four years. The skills that are explored will impact lives forever!
What was the most significant part of CHIC for you?
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Body image – because I never liked the look of my body
Bubble activity – words once spoken are too late to get back
Watch what we say – it can hurt
It is possible for me to meet my goal
Take others into consideration
Hopes – it really encouraged me lots for I what want to do in life
Body Image – Thankful I did this
I do not have to look perfect to be perfect.
Michelle Haines, Facilitator with Tracy Spillman.
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On Monday, March 16, Nhulunbuy High School celebrated Harmony Day, which was an acknowledgment of and respect
for the cultural diversity within our community. The message of Harmony Day is Everyone Belongs and it was wonderful
to see students from all grades and cultural backgrounds join together in the day’s events. The day started with a
ceremonial bungul where teachers and staff were painted with clay and danced with members from the Yolngu
community into the hall, past the students. The sound of Yidaki, bilma and song ensured a special opening for the day.
Students from Years 7 - 11 then rotated through a series of activities. These activities included: Bollywood, a game of
Punjabi cricket; henna tattooing; mandala design and colouring; Bollywood media and information on India. Hip Hop
workshop; learning hip hop moves and choreographing them into a dance. Some students performed this later in front
of the whole school. Polynesia; an introduction to Maori, Tongan, Samoan and Cook Island culture; making coconut milk;
tribal design; coconut brooms; Samoan comedy; Titi Torea and dance. Yolngu Land; cross hatch art; ceremonial face
painting; Yidaki making and healing meditation ceremony; spear throwing and nursery rhymes in Yolngu matha.
Students, staff, guests and parents then came together for an amazing showcase of talent and the Battle of the Bands
concert in the afternoon. This concert featured dance performances, student bands, Kapa Haka community group and
special guests Barra Band.
Special thanks to NT Music School, Raypirri Rom Team, Arafura Dance, Miwatj, The Maori Cultural Group, Barra Band
and many valued Yolngu guests for giving up their time to spend the day working with the students of Nhulunbuy High
School. Dhapirrik!
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MUSEUM OF TORTURE 8A HISTORY CLASS
The Year 8A History class has completed a comprehensive unit of work examining both primary and secondary sources
and reaching valid historical conclusions about Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages. Their findings about methods
of torture were gruesome indeed. Each student exhibited a visual representation, researched information and their
conclusions in our Pop Up Museum of Torture.
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_______________________________________________________________________________
Dear Parents
As students advance in their studies, the need for calculators and being trained in their use increases. In order for your
child to participate in the Mathematics and Science curriculum, perform at their best, and be prepared for whatever path
they choose in the world, please ensure that your student has the appropriate calculator and is bringing it to appropriate
classes.
Year 7-9 students require a scientific calculator (Bookstore stocks Casio fx-82au +2)
Years 10-12 (not Numeracy)- require a graphics calculator (Bookstore stocks TI-84+)
We highly recommend that you purchase the same models as are provided at the school office bookstore (at a
competitive price) as they are excellent models and training in their use will be catered mostly to these calculators.
If you have any concerns or queries, please contact Mr. Tim Richards ([email protected])
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BATTLE OF THE SCHOOL BANDS
At the recent Harmony Day celebrations
at the high school on March 16, the
annual Battle of the School Bands
regional heat took place as part of the
afternoon concert. This year two bands
entered the East Arnhem heat – ‘Good
Question’ and ‘A Plus’.
Drums – Ned Odell, Lead Guitar & Vocals – Alex Parfitt
Electric guitar and vocals – Tayla Edwards
Bass guitar and vocals – Maea Tongamoa
Jack Zalunardo
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A Plus are a young band made up of
Year 8 students who have been
practising together since last year. The
band members include Ben Adams on
drums, Alex Wilbur and Katelyn Rika on
guitar, and Sienna Stubbs and Tilisa
Manu as vocalists. They played two
original songs written by Sienna Stubbs,
who unfortunately wasn’t available to
perform on the day. Although the band
was unsuccessful in gaining a place in
the finals, the judges praised the young
students for their polished performance
and encouraged them to keep up the
good work as they show great potential.
The judge was especially impressed with
their song ‘Little Flowers’ and their crowd
interaction.
Although ‘Good Question’ has been around for a few years, only two of the original band members
remain - Alex Parfitt (lead guitar and vocals) and Tayla Edwards (electric guitar and vocals). Ned Odell
(drums) joined the band in 2014 and Maea Tongamoa has recently taken up bass guitar and vocals.
The band has diversified their style, adding a heavy metal touch into their Indie mix which was a huge
hit with the crowd of high school students. They performed very well on the day and were successful in
gaining a place in the Battle of the School Bands finals which will be held in Darwin next month. The
winner of this event goes on to play at Bass in the Grass in Darwin – the largest music festival in the
Northern Territory which showcases local talent.
The band scored a total of 63 out of a possible 70 and Simon Pedder, the NT Music School’s
representative and judge heaped praise on the performance, commenting that he has noticed a vast
improvement in the band’s musicianship, confidence, stage presence and crowd interaction. He liked
Surf Club Barbecue
OTTT are hosting the Surf Club Barbeque on Friday 27 March. Please note this date in your diary and start
spreading the word to neighbours, friends and relatives to see if we can get a great turn-out on the night.
Once again have been able to secure an Outside Broadcast from Gove FM (with Alex and Riley) on the night, which
I am sure will add to the success of our barbecue.
This event is also another fantastic way for all of the touring students to become involved in their fundraising
efforts and to socialize with one another before the big trip.
Over the Top Tour 2015 Raffle Winners
CONGRATULATIONS
First Prize of 2 return Airfares to his choice of Cairns or Darwin donated by AirNorth goes to
Mr. Jason Dyson
Second Prize- A complete bathroom makeover donated by Arafura Cleaning goes to
Mr. Tony Kelly
Third Prize of two folding beach Chairs donated by Lynn Walker goes to
Mr. Jason Dyson
A big thank you to all sponsors and ticket sellers.
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BACK TO SCHOOL VOUCHERS
The Back to School Payment must be used by the following timeframes:
Student
Transition to Year 12 students
Payment Scheme must be used by:
End of Term One
The Back to School Vouchers are in the Front Office, if you still have money remaining on the voucher, it needs to be
used by Wednesday, 1 April, 2015. If you are unsure about your balance, please contact the Front Office on 8987 0844.
__________________________________________________________________________
Nhulunbuy Community Library is
closed on
Good Friday 3 April
Easter Saturday 4 April
Easter Monday 6 April
We will reopen 10am
Tuesday 7th April
We apologise for any inconvenience
__________________________________________________________________________
SMS Messaging System for Late or Absent Students
Parents/Caregivers are advised that the school uses mobile phone Short Message Service (SMS) to send text messages
to parents notifying unexplained absences.
At Nhulunbuy High School, student attendance is a high priority. We know that students who attend regularly are more
likely to be successful. To improve our attendance procedures, we will be informing parents/guardians about any
unexplained absences for their child.
The school expects parents/guardians to contact the school in advance if they know their child will be absent or late. This
can be done by telephoning (08) 8987 0844. If your child is absent and a reason has been provided, then you will not
receive an SMS.
If your child does not attend homeroom an SMS text message will be automatically sent to the mobile phone of a parent
explaining that our records show that your child is absent from school. The message will read as follows:
Nhulunbuy HS records show John is absent MON 12/6/10. Pls reply SMS or Ph 89870844 student
name/reason/abs date
The message will arrive on the phone displaying the number, “0428 937 348“. Parents should store this number in their
mobile phone under “Nhulunbuy HS” so that when the message arrives, the parent is aware the message has come from
the school. Parents can then reply, preferably using SMS, or by phoning the school office. Alternatively simply press the
reply option on your mobile phone when you receive a message from the school and add your son’s or daughter’s name,
year, date of absence and the reason they are absent or late.
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Nhulunbuy Community Library
is hosting their annual
EASTER
PARTY
on the 7th April, 2015
at 10am
Join in for lots of fun, fun, fun…
Arts & Craft
Games
Egg Hunt
Photo Booth
Music
Prizes
Refreshments
Look forward to seeing you there
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STAFF NAME
Adams Cameron
Ah Sam Tracy
Ah Shay Tammy
Alahakoon Damian
Brennan Naomi
Canobie Tara
Carlile Sarah
Duncan Peter
Dyson Jason
Evans Michelle
Forbes Dave
Forbes Tyrell
Grambeau Sophie
Haines Michelle
Hill Karen
Johansson Olivia
Jamie Kokles-Ridgway
Lloyd Kasey
MacMahon Donna
McCormack Iris
McGee Heather
McKinnon Don
Middleton Chris
Middleton Kyle
Northcott Wendy
Nunn Jodie
O’Brien Kim
Organ Marlene
Parfitt Chris
Richards Tim
Shah Birva
Shine Rhoda
Skinner Eliza
Smith Donna
Smith Sabina
Spillman Tracy
Tawhi Leanne
Troe Wendy
Walker Lawrence
Young Glenn
Zalunardo Barbara
Ziegler Ben
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