YEAR 8 and 9
ISSUE
3
17th February 2017
Upcoming Events
Sunday 19th February
New Families Welcome
BBQ
Monday 20th February
Year 8-9 Parent
Information Evening
7-8pm
Tuesday 28th February
and Wednesday 1st March
School Photos
Tuesday 28th February
SPECIAL GENERAL
MEETING
To Vote On a New
Updated Constitution
6.30 pm in the Library
Current and Proposed
Constitution can be found
on the School website
Under ‘Our Parents’ section
From the Head of Middle
School: Year 8
It has been a productive and
energetic week in Year 8.
Students have enjoyed
numerous fun activities in
Homeroom, and classes are
very busy with their core
subjects and Electives.
In English, students have been working very
hard in consolidating their understanding of
the novel, ‘Parvana’. They have received
their first assessment task for the term,
which is a group task that requires them to
research and deliver a presentation on an
inspirational figure of their choice. This task
is closely aligned to their study of the novel,
as they must explore how a particular figure
ABSENTEE PHONE LINES
Leave your recorded message on:
The Essington School Darwin:
Phone: 8985 0150
Senior College:
Phone: 8946 6388
has showed humanity towards a persecuted
or oppressed group of people. Some choices
include Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks,
Aung San Suu Kyi, and many more!
This week, our Mathematicians have
focused their learning around order of
operations. We revised using all four
operations with integers, and applying
BIDMAS correctly. As a final activity, Class
8C and 8E have taken up the Four 4s
Challenge. This involved using Four 4s to
The Middle School Student Representative Council’s Valentine’s Day event
was a huge success on Tuesday.
THOUGHT
FOR THE WEEK
Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going. ~ Sam Levenson
Year 8 and 9 Report
write equations that have the numbers
one to fifty as their answers. Students
are allowed to use any operation, but
the equations must obey the order of
operations rules. Every equation must
have exactly four 4s in it. Students
have been demonstrating excellent
creativity and teamwork to complete
this challenge.
Congratulation to the students on the
supportive and mature manner in
which they have settled into their
classes and commenced their studies.
Thank you to our teachers for their
engaging and interesting lessons.
I am delighted to be working with the
Homeroom and teaching staff in
Year 8, and looking forward to working
with you to support your children in
achieving their potential.
Homeroom Teachers in Year 8
8A Linda Conder/David Ambrose
8B Emily Rains
8C Sian Howard
8D Lucy Cardone/David Ambrose
8E Jamie Ngai
working with the Middle School team
here at The Essington School Darwin
in 2017.
Year 9 English classes have been
exploring persuasive speeches as part
of their first assessment task, which
requires them to create and deliver a
speech based on a topic of their
choice. They have been exploring how
language can be used to persuade an
audience through looking at some
notable examples, including Martin
Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream”
speech. Hopefully these brilliant
examples will inspire our Year 9s in
their own writing!
Three of our Year 9 Science classes
have already been on excursions to
Charles Darwin University, using their
Science Labs to perform a titration
practical experiment. The remaining
two classes are booked to complete
their practicals early next week.
Homeroom Teachers in Year 9
9A Daniel Boyle
9B Adam Roth
9C Emma Healy
Homework Centre for Middle School
9D Jennifer O’ Dwyer
Students
9E Mandy Boots
The Homework Centre has
commenced on Monday, Tuesday and
Please remember there are a couple
Thursday afternoons from 2.50of dates coming up:
3.30pm in Room MS1. As we are
 Year 8/9 Parent Information
getting further into Term 1, you will
Evening is to be held on Monday
notice students working through
20th February from 7-8pm.
assessment pieces for Core Subjects.
 New Parents BBQ on Sunday
Please check the Middle School
19th February from 5-7pm in the
Homework section on our website
Auditorium.
(under Our Students) each week.
Supervising teachers are as follow:
These events are a great opportunity
Monday
Sara Martin
to meet the Middle School team, and
Tuesday
Lucy Cardone
learn about the programs and plans for
Thursday Sian Howard
the year.
Leanne Bakker
Please do not hesitate to contact
Acting Head of Middle School:
myself or Ms Leanne Bakker if you
Years 8
have any queries.
From the Head of Middle
School: Year 9
I would like to give a
big thank you to all the
staff and students who
have welcomed me to
The Essington School
Darwin this week.
Having previously taught Science,
Physical Education, Drama, and
Health and Nutrition at Rosebery
Middle School, I am looking forward to
Shannon Masters
Acting Head of Middle School: Year 9
Student Representative
Council News
On Tuesday, love was in air as we
celebrated Valentine’s Day with
delicious ice-cream sundaes. Students
enjoyed cups and waffle cones filled
with scrumptious ice-cream and
toppings. Every treat bought earned an
entry into our raffle to win two giant
The Essington School Darwin
teddy bears. Our winners of this raffle
were Ashleigh Nobbs-Carcuro in Class
7B and Anson Lee in Class 6D - well
done to them both. We hope you all
had a wonderful Valentine’s Day.
Also this week, all Homerooms across
Years 6 to Year 9 have been
recognising Random Acts of Kindness
Day, on February 17th, and were set
the challenge to complete onehundred random acts of kindness in
one week. These acts needed to be
genuine and involve no personal gain.
Students recorded things like helping
their friends with homework, helping
teachers carry their belongings,
chatting to someone on their own at
lunch and many, many more
considerate actions. Homerooms who
managed to achieve the target of onehundred acts have earned themselves
points in the Term 1 Homeroom
Competition, which will continue over
the next seven weeks.
Next week, our Homeroom Challenge
is a memory one, where classes will
need to work together to memorise all
forty-five Presidents of the United
States, in recognition of Presidents
Day on February 20th. Let us see just
how good their memories are!
Sara Materazzo
Acting Head of Middle School: Year 6
From the Assistant
Principal Middle School
When I look at the
students at Essington, I
often wonder what
happy children do
differently. There is a
body of research that
suggests that courage is a core
strength in these children. Children
with courage are not afraid to fail, they
are honest with themselves and
others, they value fairness and
emerge, and are confident learners.
When I look at the students at
Essington, I see courageous young
people engaged with the challenges of
being in their early teens as well as
embracing the opportunities at school.
On Wednesday 15th February, we had
had the first of our Parent Information
Evenings in the Middle School for Year
6/7 parents. Thank you to those who
attended. We are looking forward to
2
Principal/CEO Report
hosting the Year 8/9 parents on
Monday 20th February at 7pm in the
Auditorium.
On Sunday 19th February, four of our
Middle School students will be
attending the Bombing of Darwin’s
75th Anniversary. Thomas Menzies
(6A), Rachelle Van Den Herik (7B),
Matthew Rawsthorne (8B) and Ruby
Michael (9E) will lay a wreath at the
Cenotaph.
From the Principal/CEO
Drop Off, Pick Up
and Road Safety
You will have noticed
the presence of
marked and unmarked
Police cars and City
Council parking
infringement staff in the streets around
our school this week. It is important to
drive carefully in the streets around the
school, and to be alert at all times for
children crossing the road or entering
or exiting their parent’s cars. We
recommend that students exit cars
from the car door on the footpath side
of the car, and not into the traffic.
All Transition and Junior School
Students
We ask Junior School students to use
Chapman Road and Rossiter Street
gates to access the school.
All Middle School Students
We ask all Middle School students to
access the campus from Chrisp Street
and to use this as their drop off area.
In the coming week, Mr Cannon and I
will be talking to the Year 9 girls about
the Wilderness School Exchange
program. This is an exciting
opportunity for Year 9 girls to travel to
Adelaide in March, as well as being
host to one of the Wilderness School
girls when they visit Essington during
August.
School only wear their Sports uniform
on the days when they have Physical
Education. We ask parents to kindly
assist in this regard.
Johannes Erasmus
Assistant Principal Middle School
The Uniform Policy of the school
states that students in the Middle
drop off area so our Preschool parents
can use this safely to assist their
children from their cars.
Darwin City Council and NT Police will
be enforcing the Kiss and Go Drop Off
zones between 7-8.30 am, and 2.303.30 pm. At these times the Kiss and
Go Zones are not available for parking.
Four bicycle parking areas are
provided around the school for Junior
School and Middle School students.
Academy of Youth Arts NT
Programs
A program of after school and
Saturday classes in Music and Singing
is available for Essington students and
students from other schools. Our
Essington students are able to
complete their classes during the
school day, or after school. Our after
school programs are available for
students from other schools.
Information about programs is being
circulated, and is available from our
Music Centre and Receptions. Please
SPORT VOUCHERS 2017
The Sport Voucher Scheme is available
to every Northern Territory schoolenrolled child from Preschool to Year 12,
and are to be used outside the school.
These were mailed out with Term 1
invoices. Information is available on our
website: Our Parents/Vouchers.
Newly enrolled students are required to
visit the website to apply for the voucher.
Similarly, if a voucher has been lost,
please visit the website to reapply.
www.sportvoucher.nt.gov.au
NT GOVERNMENT BACK TO
SCHOOL VOUCHER
The NT Government provides families
with a voucher of $150 per child to assist
with school expenses at the start of the
school year. These can be used for the
purchase of uniform and other curriculum
related expenses. These vouchers are
processed through the school and will
appear on fee invoices. For more
information about the Back to School
Voucher Scheme, please go to the NT
Government website.
All Preschool Students
Pink parking lines have been painted
for the use of Preschool parents only.
Dropping Off Junior School and Middle
School Students
We encourage parents to drop off
students in the side streets a block
from the school and join in our Walk
and Wheel Program in association with
other Nightcliff schools.
Carpark Behind Chrisp Street Water
Tower
There is an excellent new carpark
behind the water tower in Chrisp Street
that is an ideal drop off and parking
venue in the morning at peak traffic
times.
Thank you for not using our Rossiter
Street carpark as a drive through or
Class 8C students gave the thumbs up to the Four 4’s Challenge
in Mathematics.
The Essington School Darwin
3
Principal/CEO Report
email Leanne Bakker in our Music
Department on: [email protected]
for more information.
Thank You to Our Parent
Volunteers in the Uniform Shop
Our Uniform Shop has been busy in
the last few weeks. Thank you to
Indika from our Finance section for his
dedicated work in running our Uniform
Shop. Special thanks to our amazing
and hard working parents and
volunteers who help run our Uniform
Shop, some who have been loyal
workers for many years: Ms Sue
Dawson, Mrs Leanne Abel, Mrs Nicole
Bernard, Mrs Jill Napier, Mr Tony
Hibbert, and Mrs Akane Yano
Please Support Our School and
Fund Raising
Our parent support is vital for the
continuation and improvement of our
school. We need all our parents and
families to support our school friend
raising or fund raising during the year.
This may be organised in school subsections (such as Transition to Year 2,
Years 3-5, Years 6 & 7, Years 8 & 9,
and Years 10-12 – or as whole-school
activities). Just a little support can
make a huge difference to the overall
success of our building and facilities
improvements, and this is important to
our parents working hard to improve
the school.
We will again hold our major
fundraiser, our School Fete (the
Nightcliff Community Fair), in Term
3 on Saturday 19th August, 2017. On
the same day, we will also hold our NT
Children’s Book Fair.
We need parent volunteers for our
parent support groups:






Friends of Essington Music (FOEM)
Email: [email protected]
Friends of Essington Dance (FOED)
Email: [email protected]
Friends of Essington Library (FOEL)
Email: [email protected]
Preschool Parent Support Group
Email:
[email protected].
au
Pre-Transition to Year 2 Parents
Support Group Email:
[email protected].
edu.au
Year 3 to 5 Parents Support Group
Email:
[email protected]



Year 6 & 7 Parent Support Group
Email:
6&[email protected]
Year 8 & 9 Parent Support Group
Email:
8&[email protected]
Senior College Parent Support Group
Email:
[email protected]
Fete Volunteers Email:
[email protected]
Senior College parents are asked to
call the separate Senior College
Absentee Phone Number: 8946 6388)
to record a message regarding their
child’s absence from school on that
day.
Supporting Our School – Tax
Deductible Funds
It has long been recognised in nongovernment schools that school fees
Essington Cannons Basketball
are not able to completely finance
Club
major capital projects, such as those
Our Essington Basketball Club, now in at The Essington School Darwin in
its fourth year, has commenced the
terms of refurbishing old buildings or
2017 basketball season this week with building new buildings. All leading
the second round of games. It has
independent schools have energetic
been great to see so many students
fundraising programs and building
involved this year, and with the
appeals that have allowed them to
addition of new teams, our total
build their infrastructure. Most of these
number of teams has grown to twenty. fundraising and building appeals will
If you are interested in playing
be supported by tax deductible
basketball this year for our Club
opportunities for school supporters.
against other clubs in Darwin, please
email:
The Essington School Darwin has
[email protected] and
three tax deductible Funds approved
Tim Weatherald, our Director of Elite
by the Australian Taxation Office: the
and Community Sport, will contact
Library Fund (for donations to the
you.
Library), the Building Fund (for
donations to the building program),
We will celebrate the start of the
and a Scholarship and Bursary Fund
Basketball season with our Club BBQ (to fund scholarships and bursaries for
on Sunday afternoon, 26 th February
excellence or needy students).
at the Canteen from 5-7 pm.
We encourage families and
Our 2017 School Calendars
businesses who can support the
Our printed 2017 School Calendar
school in a small or large way to
have arrived from the printer and have donate to one of these tax deductible
been distributed to all students.
Funds.
Copies of the 2017 Calendar are
available at the Reception desks at
After School Clubs
the Essington Education Centre
We have over thirty After School
(Chrisp Street). Essington
Clubs for our students to choose from
Administration Centre (off the Rossiter this year, including a number of new
Street carpark), and at the Senior
activities. Information about our Term
College (at Charles Darwin
1, 2017 After School Clubs programs
University).
is available from our School Offices.
Places are limited and early returns
The full 2017 Calendar (complete with are encouraged. Places will be
photos) can also be found on our
allocated on a ‘first come’ basis.
school website.
David Cannon
Absentee Students
Principal/CEO
If your child is unable to attend school,
Preschool to Year 9, parents are
asked to please call us before 9am
and leave a message on our Absentee
Phone Number: 8985 0150. This
recorded service will allow you to
leave a message for us so we can
check absentees for the day and save
us calling you.

The Essington School Darwin
4
General Notices
Sport Notices
Sports Captains
Nominations are now open for 2017
Sports Captains. If you are interested in
being a Sport or House Captain, please
see Ms Foley or Mr Harvey for nomination
forms.
Essington Representative Teams
Middle School (7-9) Indoor Cricket Gala Day
The Darwin Region Indoor Cricket Gala Day is being held
on Tuesday 21st Feb. We have two teams representing
Essington, Good Luck to these students. A full report will
be in next week’s bulletin.
Middle School (7-9) Girls AFL Gala Day
Girls AFL trials were held this week. Congratulations to
those girls who made the team. Our first Essington Girls
AFL team will participate in a gala day in Week 5,
Thursday 2nd March. Please remember to return your
notes to the EEC reception desk by Thursday 23rd Feb.
School Sport NT Development Camps
15 & Under Boys AFL Development Camp
Date:
April 21st to 23rd
Host:
School Sport NT in conjunction with AFLNT and
Interstate Team Officials
Venue: TIO Stadium Darwin
If interested, please collect forms from Ms Foley. Forms
Due: March 17th
15 & Under Girls AFL Development Camp
Date:
April 23rd to 25th
Host:
School Sport NT in conjunction with AFLNT and
Interstate Team Officials
Venue: TIO Stadium Darwin
If interested, please collect forms from Ms Foley. Forms
Due: March 17th
Darwin Region Team Trials
12 & Under AFL Trials
Players must be a minimum of 10 years, ie born
no later than 2007, and a maximum of 12 years,
ie born no earlier than 2005.
To be eligible for selection in the Darwin Region Team,
students MUST attend 2 out of the 3 trial days. At the
end of the 3 Trial days, selectors will identify the students
that will make up the Darwin Region Team or Squad.
Darwin Region Team members will compete at the School
Sport NT 12 & Under AFL Championships being held in
Darwin 15-17 May at Palmerston.
TRIALS
Day
Date
Time
Tuesday
14th March
3.30 – 5.00pm
Wednesday
15th March
3.30 – 5.00pm
Thursday
16th March
3.30 – 5.00pm
Venue
Sanderson
Middle School
Oval
If you are interested, please collect forms from Ms Foley.
Student Achievements in Sport
If your child has any great sporting achievements
throughout the year, please email
[email protected] and this will be
acknowledged in the Bulletin and on occasions at
Assembly. Photos are most welcome.
Angela Foley
Director of Sport
In the last week we have had another ten students start
the Award: Liam Barclay, Liam Carpenter, Haylei
All Outdoor Education students should
Whitehead, RJ Kaluka, Jaydon Wilson, Jarrod Li-Hunnam,
have received their permission notes for
the semester. Please make sure they are Lovenia Lay, Lachlan Ross, Elizabeth Roy, and Juliana
returned to the Main Reception desk (off Paras. If Year 8 students are old enough, they can also
Chrisp Street) or directly to me. Please do join the Award. You have to be 13 years and 9 months of
age to start. If you are interested in joining the Award,
not give them to your Homeroom
please visit me in the Outdoor Education Office.
Teacher. Our first off campus activity is
Fishing, followed by Rock Climbing.
Spencer Harvey
Outdoor Education and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Notices
Coordinator
Our Year 9s have made a great start to their Duke of
Outdoor Education Notices
Edinburgh’s Award. Students are logging their hours
consistently which is resulting in students progressing
quickly through the Bronze level. I encourage all Year 9
students who are not involved to come and see me to get
you started. The Award is a terrific opportunity for students
to gain and develop new skills, develop leadership, and to
challenge themselves. The leading students at this stage
are: Oscar Triggs 100%, Emily Dollar 91%, Ethan Foo
84%, Mia Hardcastle 75%, Jasmine Lay 75%, Jesse Van
Wyk 74%, Alicia Edwards 72%, Harvie Stiller-Wojkowski
72%, Tim O’Brien 67%, Otto Blum 67%, Georgia
McAllister 64%, Jacob Randazzo 64%, Jade Ramjan 61%,
and Samuel Anderson 54%.
MISSING BICYCLE
Missing from bike rack behind Music Room from
3rd February 2017 (due to inclement weather, it was left
at the rack for a few days).
One much used and loved bike. Brand Giant, light blue
and white. Attached to back carrier, one basket with
handles bent backwards. The seat is slightly split right
side. Please return to where it was taken from.
The Essington School Darwin
5
VALENTINE’S DAY
Tuesday After School Sewing Club made roses, and the Student Representative Council made sundaes.