Telephone: 9488 1900 • Fax: 9481 6135 •
info@fitzroyhs.vic.edu.au • Falconer Street NORTH FITZROY 3068
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Telephone: 9488 1900 • Fax: 9481 6135 •
info@fitzroyhs.vic.edu.au • Falconer Street NORTH FITZROY 3068
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School Email and Bulletin Board |
September 2008Click on the following links to access:
Fitzroy High School results - Italian poetry certificates
In June this year years 9, 10 and 11 Italian students participated in the Dante Alighieri Poetry competition. We have had three students who have done exceptionally well. They received Honors Certificates which is quite an achievement. These certificates show that our students just missed out on winning at a state level. Honors CertificatesYear 11:
Year 10:
We have also had students who received Certificates of Merit. Certificates of MeritYear 9:
Year 10:
Year 11:
Well done to all students who participated and worked very hard. We will participate in this competition next year with the objective of winning at State level. Congratulations to all students. Olie Australian Mathematics Competition 2008 resultsThis year forty-five students entered the Australian Mathematics Competition. Eleven students will receive a Distinction; eighteen students will receive a Credit and seven students will receive the newly introduced Proficiency certificate. All other students will receive a participation certificate and every entrant will receive an individual performance report. Certificate of Distinction
Certificate of Credit
Certificate of Proficiency
Principal’s report - 19 September 2008Strategic PlanningSchool Council Education sub-committee has been working extremely hard this term developing the school’s strategic plan for the next four years. At its meeting last night school council reviewed and approved the plan. It sets the school some very challenging goals that will require detailed and effective planning and execution. The final plan will be available next term but I have included below the sections dealing with our purpose and values as these are the core of what we will attempt to achieve. PurposeFitzroy High School has a strong educational philosophy that promotes the personalisation of learning and challenges students to take control of their levels of achievement and to improve their performance across a broad curriculum. The intent is to have a school where students reach their personal best in academic, physical, social and emotional areas, leading to high levels of performance and attainment. ValuesFitzroy High School values all young people as individuals, learners and contributors. Our students will become independent, reflective and creative thinkers, responsible and active citizens. The school will:
The school’s leadership team are working today to develop an operational plan for the realisation of the goals and targets established in the strategic plan. The rest of the staff are ensuring that their performance plans align with these new goals and targets. We will have an organisation where the school, staff and student goals and targets are aligned leading to improved outcomes for students. As I discuss below the recently released NAPLAN results indicate that the school can plan with a great deal of confidence to improve student performance at a level higher than the state average. NAPLANDuring this week the school and families have received the NAPLAN (National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy - previously known as the AIM) results for our Year 7 and 9 students. If any parents have questions about the results please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s advisory teacher or team leader. We have done a quick analysis and the following information is provided as a short summary of some of our observations. The Year 7 results provide us with further information as to the level students enter the school at. We will use this data to further develop appropriate goals and targets for all these students. In Reading the median result for Year 7s placed them around eight months ahead of the state median. The tests have changed significantly this year so we need to be careful in interpreting the Year 9 results and comparing them to their performance in Year 7 but we can say the following:
These are excellent results for all concerned and continue a trend we have seen with previous groups. The important thing now is how we use this information to plan for improved individual performance. Not all students show this level of improvement and we must ensure that we work with students and families to set meaningful achievable targets. JET PanelsAn example of the high level of engagement and challenge that our students encounter was given at the Jet Globalisation panels on Wednesday night. Those I attended had students displaying a high level of sophisticated thought and willingness to engage with a difficult topic. In one panel students engaged in a discussion of the historical origins of globalisation and even touched on aspects of mercantilism, something I had no concept of when I was in year 9. Congratulations to all involved, the students, the teachers and the parents and families who turned up on the night. AssemblyWe had a very interesting assembly yesterday run by the senior students with many awards given out. Sam W. was presented with the Defence Forces Long Tan Leadership and Teamwork award for a Year 12 student (and will receive a cheque for $500). Sam was a unanimous choice of the staff as a student who has demonstrated leadership and teamwork within both the school and the broader local community. At the same time, the awards recognise those who display strong values, such as doing one’s best, respect for others and “mateship”, that are integral to Australian society. Congratulations to Sam on his development over his time at Fitzroy. Another aspect of the assembly was a music clip of the band ‘Haze’ singing their original composition ‘Towered Over Me’. This clip was produced for their media class and is well worth a look at on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q94EFkEZx7g. I hope that you all enjoy the spring weather over the next two weeks. Tim Fitzgerald The Cabinet of Lost and Found: notes on the unveiling
On Wednesday 27th August, students who had been participating in the Red Room Company’s ‘Papercuts’ program unveiled their ‘Cabinet of Lost and Found’ to the public. The library was transformed into a sea of glowing lamps, and the installation – a lovely old wooden cabinet and cosy green chair accompanied by an old book and a kicked-off pair of shoes - contained poetry by all of the students involved. The night featured fantastic poetry readings by many students, showcasing the brilliant work that they had written. A large jade plant also regaled guests with pre-recorded poetry readings. Those in attendance were given tiny torches upon arrival, and encouraged to explore the cabinet and all its nooks and crannies as well as the individual ‘cabinets’ of all of the student poets, which varied from old biscuit tins to miniature cupboards with miniature clotheslines. It was a very special evening, and one which will be remembered very fondly by us all. The cabinet is currently on display in the library. Student WritingFor the past two terms a group of students from years 7-9 have been participating in an excel class called ‘Poetry Project’ or ‘The Cabinet of Lost and Found’. It was funded by The Red Room, a Sydney poetry company and culminated in an exhibition night (Wednesday before last) where we presented our cabinet as an installation in the school. The cabinet featured poems by all the participating students, objects both lost and found, and a poem by Briohny Doyle (the visiting poet) about an object we gave her to write about. The night ran very smoothly, with the library lit entirely by lamps and candles to provide a softer and more poetic atmosphere. Almost all of the participating students read one (or more) of their poems, and Robert and Nyree gave a fantastic speech of thanks to The Red Room, Jo (the person who created the project), Briohny (the poet), the students, and of course, our wonderful teacher, Briony. Along with the main cabinet, each student created their own Personal Cabinet, featuring their own poems and some favourites by other poets. Overall, the poetry project was very successful and a wonderful experience for all. I will miss the class very much! Evie T. For the past few months a group of students and one teacher have been secreted away in the corners of the school, composing lyrical prose and working with an almost devilish speed and efficiency to finish the ‘Cabinet of Lost and Found’. These workings accumulated with the softly-lit ‘Unveiling’ in late August. The night was a success, orchestrated by our very own Briony O’Keeffe and her connections at the Red Room Company. Several of us kids read out our work, and our own ‘personal cabinets’ of poetry were displayed alongside major attraction of the night (the prolific Cabinet of Lost and Found) with guests free to peruse them as they wished. Several weeks before the big night, we had a guest poet come in - Briohny Doyle - to help us experiment with and experience new styles of writing. She came in for a few weeks and, needless to say, helped us all a lot, showing us performance poetry and broadening our own ideas as to what poetry could be, and what we could achieve ourselves. All in all, the classes and the ‘Unveiling’ were great experiences, with words flung about at all times of night and day enabling everyone involved to enter and appreciate new realms of expression. Undoubtedly, it was something worth a scribble and a shy-eyed mention, probably wouldn’t mind doing it again, either. Katie W.
Some feedback from one of our parents:I would like to express my sincere thanks to Fitzroy High School for offering The Red Room's ‘Cabinet of Lost and Found’ project to students. My girl’s participation in the adventure has had a profound effect. I recently walked by an Art History lecture at a Melbourne University and paused to watch for a while. I noticed that about one third of the students were asleep or very close to it. A considerable number of others were busy with their mobile phones. Some were whispering to each other and others were doing homework. For whatever reason, the majority of students were not engaged with the material that was being presented. So when I came to the poetry night recently I was immediately intrigued. The school library had been transformed from a utilitarian space to one that was rich with atmosphere. The lamps the students had brought along, the rearrangement of the space, the food and drink, readings, the collections of classic and original poems and the students’ overall investment in the evening was a lively testament to their engagement. It was very moving to hear the students read their original poems aloud to the audience and at the end of the night there was a palpable feeling that something extraordinary had just happened. I think it had. A group of young people had become so engaged with their own learning that they were able to express it powerfully, creatively and generously. This is the kind of learning I long to see more of. It was clear too, that the students’ interest in traditional poetry had been greatly enhanced by the invitation to also explore poetry through their own expression. This is a wonderful working model of Education Theory and anything that can play such a meaningful part in a young person’s becoming is worth investing in. Inspiring teachers and mentors need to be acknowledged and supported. To watch as students presented their teacher with flowers, chocolates and wine at the end of the night and to see the enthusiasm with which they gave their speeches of gratitude speaks for itself. I wonder how often that would happen after a conventional poetry class. I hope The Red Room finds the support it deserves to spread its program throughout Australian schools as it will benefit students, poets, schools and the community, and enrich our cultural growth generally. It is a fantastic exemplar of Aussie fusion - vision, energy, irreverence and wit. It was not just the library that was transformed. Kind Regards, Steve H. Principal’s Report - 12 September 2008BlueprintThe Premier announced during the week the launch of the next Blueprint for Education in Victoria. The centrepiece of this is the amalgamation of the Early Childhood section (covering kindergartens and other pre-school issues) of the Department of Human Services with the Education Department. It is hoped that over the course of a number of years this will improve the educational outcomes for all children in Victoria. Anyone interested in finding out more about this can go the site at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/directions/blueprint2008/default.htm Strategic PlanVarious groups associated with the school council have been developing the school’s strategic plan for the next four years. The draft includes various goals and targets drawn from the review that took place earlier in the year. We are setting particularly challenging academic targets that would place our performance well ahead of the state average. If you would like to contribute to the development of the draft please contact the convenor of the Education Committee of School Council, David Brant, or come to the Education Meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16. Elearning PlanWe are also currently developing our elearning plan which will support us in ensuring the highest possible performance by our students. We are interested in how we can use Information and Communication Technologies to assist in developing a teaching and learning program that challenges and engages students. Pupil Free DayEach of the above plans will help guide the school’s operation over the next four years. The staff will be using the last day of school this term to develop implementation plans for these strategies. Senior classes (Years 11 and 12) will run where required. No other classes will run. Tim Fitzgerald Let's go to Italy in 2009Fitzroy High School is organising a school trip to Italy open to Year 10, 11 and 12 Italian students at the end of term 1, 2009. There will be an information evening on Thursday, 11th September at 7pm in the school library for all interested parents and students. If there are any queries please contact Olie at FHS on 9488 1900 or email olieb@fitzroyhs.vic.edu.au. Hope to see you on the night!
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Telephone:
9488 1900 • Fax: 9481 6135 • info@fitzroyhs.vic.edu.au •
Falconer Street NORTH FITZROY 3068 |
