
Telephone: 9488 1900 • Fax: 9481 6135 • info@fitzroyhs.vic.edu.au • Falconer Street NORTH FITZROY 3068
Our TeamsSapphire Indigo Jet Scarlet (Post Compulsory)

October 2007

Principal's Report, 25 October 2007
Planning for 2008

We are reaching the final stages of counselling for Years 10, 11 and 12 for next year. I am particularly pleased at the range of subjects that we will be able to run at the school with philosophy, literature, international relations, Italian, music performance, physics and chemistry being added to our offerings.

School Formal

Year 10 and 11 students have put a great deal of planning into the school formal tomorrow night. I congratulate them on their work and look forward to a pleasant night cruising the Yarra and Bay.

School Council

At its meeting last week school council considered the setting of school charges and draft budget for next year, the details of the challenge camp and educational issues in the local area. A large amount of time was spent on the details of the proposed building program. Please note the dates for council sub committee meetings and feel free to attend if interested.
At its next two meetings council will be considering our school strategic plan and its implementation in 2008.

Building program

We have received permission to go to tender for the early works component of the building program and expect this to have this completed by the end of January next year. This project will place two mezzanine floors in the gymnasium and enable us to run classes in their next year. Once the new building is completed they will become instrumental music rooms and a physical education training area.

WOW

I visited the World of Work program last Friday (an article is featured on the FHS Careers webpage) for the final presentations of the Year 10 students involved. We were one of nine trial schools this year and the program will be extended to a wider audience next year. Representatives of the Smith Family conveyed to me how impressed they were with our students and I congratulate all involved. The program was an extension of what we do at the school and it was interesting to see how much the Year 10s have matured this year.

Tim Fitzgerald
Principal

Fitzroy High School in Italy

After a long flight via Bangkok, we landed in Rome. We walked to many of the famous piazze, the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, we went to the Colosseum and the Forum, the Vatican and St. Peter’s where Mario, our tour guide, gave us a lot of history to think about. We walked and walked and walked and ate lots of gelati.

From Rome we travelled to Sorrento via Naples. We drove along the Almalfi coast with every other car, truck and motor bike in that part of Italy, around and down twisting, winding roads with barely a millimetre to spare between passing vehicles. At times we had to reverse to let others pass. The scenery is spectacular but it makes you wonder just how the houses, pools and tennis courts were built and survive on such steep land - and just how much they cost. We visited Pompei which is pretty amazing with Mt. Vesuvius in the background. After Sorrento we travelled on to Pesaro, a beautiful city on the Adriatic coast.

We spent a very enjoyable week in Urbania. We had Italian school in the mornings and an excursion in the afternoon. After that we ate gelati, sat in the piazza, played soccer and basketball, and eventually went home to dinner with our families. Home stay was a highlight for us because it immersed us into the Italian lifestyle. Not only did we learn an immense amount about the Italian culture but we also leant the local lingo. The calcio fields and the internet café quickly became the place to be as almost the whole group played soccer together. Everyone graduated with flying colours from Scuola Italia and each student was given a great photo of the group and their Italian teachers. Everyone also received a certificate which was designed by the father of one of the teachers.

We also spent lots of time on our personal tour bus, where ipods, Pringles and “bruschetti” became essential. We travelled to Venice which was a long and tiring trip but that was probably largely due to the amount of shopping everyone managed to do in a short time

After Urbania we went to Florence which is an amazing city. We walked and walked, shopped and shopped (again), ate gelati (again) and pizza, even saw some art. In fact this city is a piece of art in itself. Everywhere you go there is another amazing church, tower, palazzo, piazza, sculpture. A magic moment was after dinner one night, when we were sitting watching a busking family singing on the corner of the Uffizi Gallery and the Palazzo Vecchio where the original David stood. The ambience and feel on the night was inspiring to the heart. It stirred the emotions of everyone in the crowd.

We visited Pisa to see the Leaning Tower and take photos of us holding it up. Then we went to San Gimignano where some of us ate more gelati and pizza while we walked through the very old town with thousands of other tourists.
The students were unbelievable, they were patient, hysterically funny, kind, wonderful company, understanding and a credit to their families and their school. Their behaviour was outstanding and they showed initiative and independence in a challenging environment. We hope that the trip has opened their eyes to the endless possibilities of the world and all it has to offer. What a fantastic trip we have had!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Italian Travellers

This week in Indigo
NGV excursion

During the excursion on Tuesday we visited the National Art Gallery at Federation Square. We looked at pieces of art made by Gordon Bennett. Gordon Bennett was a person who experienced problems relating to his identity; at a young age he was informed that he was part aboriginal. This severely shocked him and he began to wonder who he was and thus he began to paint.

One of his more well known paintings was ‘Coming of the Light’ - this painting showed how unsure he was of himself. It showed a series of white people staring at him from behind a white picket fence. In the painting it showed himself looking at a mirror that showed his reflection, but a mixed up image filled with racist slurs directed at aboriginals.
The second gallery that we visited was on Smith Street. The artist of the paintings was called Martin Tighe. His paintings were of the mystery of the lost girls from the “Picnic at Hanging Rock”. His pictures showed parts of their story. The pictures ran in order of the events that occurred on the rock. One of them showed a semi-birds eye view of the three girls standing in the long grass. All of his paintings had only five colours blue, red, black, white and ochre. Throughout the whole excursion we can honestly say that our advisory enjoyed the whole experience.

Ruby M and Alex T

Personal Learning Time

For my PLT I am in Multimedia, I am trying to raise awareness of animal testing and the pain and stress that animals are put under to do ‘experiments’. I am getting some of my information from www.peta.org. I am also signing petitions to stop animal testing and to get animals out of steel boxes that harm and scare them; there are many petitions that people can sign.

I hope to get the school involved with this by raising money, donating blankets and signing petitions to get these places to close down. There are things you can do such as buying free range eggs and products that haven’t been tested on animals.

If you would like to donate or help go to www.peta.org and also help raise awareness and get these things stopped. If you would like to see animal testing and see what its doing these poor animals go to http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/video. Please help us stop this abuse that is happening to these poor animals.

“In silence they suffer, in loneliness they die”.

Olivia E, 8

Farewell Ellen
My last days at Fitzroy High

After 3.75 years at Fitzroy High I’m moving to a new job at the beginning of next week. I started at FHS the day before the school opened in 2004. The school was sparklingly fresh, but strangely quiet, eerie. I didn’t quite know why until the next day.

The students arrived, apprehensive at first because of the shock of journalists and cameras recording our re-opening. By morning tea, the journalists were gone and the students were bouncing around like they owned the place (which of course they do!). The school felt alive. What a buzz, and we haven’t looked back.
Working in a school was a new experience for me. I had completed my teaching qualification in 1987 and had never taught. I’d worked in serious workplaces where people come in each day with a clear idea of the day ahead. I’d sat at desks in air-conditioned comfort, attended meetings, written things and come to precise conclusions.

I hadn’t been here long before I realised that schools are very different, the air is fresher, you never know what you will be doing next, there is lots of laughter and boundless energy. I came with some of the usual preconceptions the community has about schools, expecting for example that I’d work shorter hours, that I’d leave work at 4.30pm and have more time for myself. Was I ever wrong about that one! And the one about the term holidays? Just don’t ask.
Yes, the work in a school is never-ending. It doesn’t seem to matter whether you are teaching yourself or in a supporting role there is always much more that you could be doing to get the place working that bit better and to inspire the kids just a bit more. You often find yourself cutting corners because something comes up that is suddenly far more important and urgent than what you are doing or planning to do. So it can be frustrating at times but ever so rewarding.

I’ve made friends with a few hundred teenagers, shared their excitements, their triumphs and their frustrations too. I’ve worked as part of a fabulously skilled and committed staff team … wow, we do have some very impressive teachers at this school. And I’ve enjoyed the fresh air and Mara’s food.
I’ve done stuff that I never expected to do, been on heaps of school camps and excursions, what fun! I even went out and got a surf bronze so I could supervise our kids in the water at the beach and ended up as a volunteer lifesaver at Kennett River for my troubles. I’ve experienced life in the different teams and on ‘administration row’ tied to a computer dealing with our electronic timetable and roll marking beast. Even so, I still manage to nip into the classroom to take an occasional extra. And of course I attend dozens of meetings. Ah, variety; it is the spice of life!

But although I love being at Fitzroy High I’m ready for a change, it’s time for me to use a different bit of my brain. I’ve found a job at Melbourne Uni which I think will be stimulating. I’ll be coordinating a partnership program aimed at establishing and documenting two partnerships between the university and business as a model for further partnerships in the future. Who knows where that will take me?
Maybe our paths will cross again and I’ll certainly be on the lookout for opportunities to keep in contact with this fabulous school and all the lovely students, teachers, parents and community members I’ve met.

Goodbye everyone, eat a few of Mara’s toasties for me and keep on keeping on just the way you are. I think you are all great.

Ellen Day
Academic Facilitator

Year 8 Photographers
Official Launch of Exhibition

Late last term six very privileged Year 8 students took part in an exciting photographic exhibition ‘4 Schools 36 Cameras 1 Exhibition’ officially launched on September 16 at the Gross Gallery, Jewish Museum in St.Kilda.
Emely A, Georgina K, Elena M, Taliesin P, Ruby R, and Esther W, along with students from Melbourne Girls College, St. David’s School and Cheltenham High were selected to take part in the Harmony Day program about Identity, which culminated in this wonderful exhibition.
Georgina gave an excellent speech on behalf of the group to the crowd of officials, teachers, students and families. The students’ photographs looked fantastic. A great effort Year 8 photographers!

Performing Arts News

Last Wednesday the Fitzroy High School Choir attended a wonderful community event entitled ‘Celebration of Life’ Country and Western Dance at the Collingwood Town Hall. About nine local nursing homes brought their residents to the celebration and our choir opened the event with the National Anthem. Thanks to everyone.
A special mention, also, to our documentary makers, Bryn C and Clare D who are now completing the documentary of the day’s proceedings. This will be available for your viewing pleasure on completion.

Principal's Report, 11 October 2007

Welcome back to all families for the start of Term Four. After travelling through NSW and Queensland for most of last term it has certainly been interesting adapting to the pace of school life again this week. I have also been struck by the achievements of students, staff and the school community in my time away.
I thank Pauline for her work as Acting Principal, as always she has been extremely professional and capable in handling the position. I would also like to thank Ben and Dean for their roles as Assistant Principal and Scarlet team leader, who also provided exceptional service to the school in their acting roles.

Looking ahead
Senior Classes

Year 12 subjects for next year have now been set and Year 11 subjects are being finalised. Thank you to Sandra (our careers teacher) for the effort she has put into counselling the students.
The first Year 12 exams to take place at the school will happen next month with a small number of students participating
All Year 10 and Year 11 students will be participating in transition programs in late November to prepare them for next year’s studies.

Leadership

Yesterday we hosted this year’s participants in the Williamson Community Leadership program. During the day we were joined by the Secretary of the Education Department, Professor Peter Dawkins, the Headmaster of Melbourne Grammar School, Paul Sheehan, the principals of The Alpine School and St Helena Secondary College, Mark Reeves and Trudy Thompson, well known psychologist Michael Carr Gregg and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, Professor Glyn Davis. This program takes up to forty participants annually who have been identified as potential future leaders in Victoria and for the last two years has used Fitzroy High School as its base when looking at the topics of education and youth. They were in the school from 7.00 a.m. in the morning till 6:30 p.m. The participants come from across the public and private sectors.

The program examines the concept of leadership and I am struck how much of its thinking reflects this school’s approach. We believe that leadership is something that everyone is capable of at different times in different circumstances. The program strongly endorses the notion that a ‘charismatic’ leader who makes heroic efforts may be appropriate in a small number of circumstances but doesn’t lead to long term improvement by itself.

This idea that all are capable of leadership was highlighted yesterday when the Williamson participants toured the school in five separate groups guided by our Alpine and other Year 8 and 9 students. They were able to see 50 students from Fitzroy High School, Melbourne Girls and Princes Hill Secondary Colleges planning the Challenge Camp to be held next month. They saw the students involved in the Kitchen Garden both planning and actually completing tasks to make this project a success. They were also able to talk to the Alpine students about the skills they had learnt last term. Many of the participants remarked on their conversations with individual students and how impressed they were with their ‘self leadership’ and their understanding of what they needed to do to reach their potential.

At the end of the tour four Year 8 and 9 students remained behind and had an open discussion with Michael Carr Gregg about the pressures placed on youth in Australia in the twenty first century. Our students were obviously intelligent, articulate and interested. Feedback from the Williamson group at the end of the day emphasised how impressed they were with all the students they had come into contact with. A number made the point of telling me how their day at Fitzroy had positively changed their perception of the quality of education in Government secondary schools.

Alpine School students

I met with this year’s students on Monday and was excited by their enthusiasm after they spent much of last term at Dinner Plains. They are well advanced in their community project which involves them working with local primary schools. I look forward to their presentation.

Tim Fitzgerald
Principal

Performing Arts News

A big term for Performance! Rehearsals for the school production, ‘Blood Brothers’ are back in full swing.
Many students are committing their time and energy to aspects of production – music, acting, choreography, costumes, set design, props and staging. For all students involved we acknowledge your great efforts and commitment and encourage you to enjoy the rest of the journey...

The production rehearsal schedule will be posted in the library this Friday, October 12. It is absolutely imperative that all students are aware of the times they are required for rehearsal. If you can’t be there, please let Helen M or Tom H know. Please consider other cast and band members as absences make ‘the journey’ a little less enjoyable.
Details of performances will be available soon. Final rehearsal and Performance week will be from Monday 19 November until Friday 23 November. Performance evenings being the Thursday and Friday 22 and 23 – Keep an evening free!!!! More details coming soon.

Kitchen Garden - Sponsor-A-Tree update

The Kitchen Garden PLT group would like to sincerely thank the generous parents and staff who have donated a fruit tree (and in some cases, several fruit trees!) to the garden. The trees look wonderful and are all faring well. We have ended up with nectarine, apple, pear, apricot, quince, blood orange, plum, lemon and bay trees, which is absolutely fantastic. There will be a wonderful display of blossoms next spring! A list of our generous donors will appear in the newsletter in the coming weeks.