Cootamundra High School Newsletter

PRINCIPAL: Mrs Leesa Daly  

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL: Mr Christopher Payne

I want to congratulate the Year 7 female pop band on their perseverance, resilience and commitment during remote learning to this new project. They met consistently twice a week over the last 3 weeks in their lunch times and tested the capacity of their listening skills, as we trialled having jams over the web in real time on Teams. 

The individual practise of drummers Ashley Irving, Grace Derrick, Raya Prakkid and Hanna Hunt also deserve a mention. 

​Regards,

Sarah Whitteron

Spring has definitely sprung at the Ag Plot, with Cootamundra High School students returning during a very busy time of the year. The Dubbo Wether Challenge has come to an end, with the sheep being delivered safely to their drop off point a few weeks ago. Due to the evolving Covid-19 situation, they are yet to be processed, so we are still anxiously waiting to see if all our hard work paid off! Farm Club students had the opportunity to create a video submission to send off with the wethers instead of attending the excursion in Dubbo, which was cancelled earlier in the year. A big thankyou to Danny Bowditch who came in and tidied up the boys before they were sent in for judging.

Show Team have also had a busy term, despite the lockdown. Our steer Back Creek Square Meaters “Ringo” continues to gain weight, and is now 390kg, getting ever closer to his finished weight of around 400kg. Show Team have been busy feeding Ringo a specific and balanced feed ration to ensure his growth continues at a rate that will see him reach his target weight early in November. A big thankyou to Tony and Sue Dickeson for their continued support of our Show Team, we are so grateful for your expertise and generosity.

If you have been following the Cootamundra High School Facebook account, you will have seen that we have had quite a few new arrivals over the past few weeks. We are lambing at the moment, and currently have 2 healthy lambs on the ground out of our new maiden ewes. The incubator has also been busy, with 2 batches of fertile pure-bred Lavender and Light Sussex chicks hatching, giving us over 25 birds. We will be looking to sell surplus birds at point of lay and budgies towards the end of the year, so keep an eye on the Facebook page or call the Office and ask for Miss Callaghan to find out what we have available.

To cap off a very busy term, Stage 5 and Year 11 Agriculture classes have entered into the UNE Soil Your Undies Challenge for 2021. This is an excellent competition that helps educate students about soil health. Miss Callaghan was sent 2 pairs of cotton undies to bury in the Ag Plot for 8 weeks, before they are dug up and sent back to UNE for analysis. This is a competition between classes also, as both pairs have been buried in different parts of the Ag Plot, with the most decomposed pair at the end of the 8 weeks declared the winner. Results and progress shots will be posted on the Cootamundra High School Facebook page. 

As another busy year begins to wind down, there is still plenty happening at the Ag Plot. This term, our team of wethers for the Dubbo Wether Challenge were sent off for processing at the conclusion of the competition. Cootamundra High School placed 49 out of 65 schools across the state for the restocker value of the sheep, and 22nd out of 65 for the wool value. Unfortunately due to interruptions caused by the pandemic, we were unable to get the carcase data for our wethers. I would like to congratulate the Cootamundra High School Show Team for their persistence, hard work and dedication to fulfilling the requirements of the competition under such tricky conditions.

This term we have also sent our school steer through the sales. R10 or “Ringo” as he was called here was generously donated to Cootamundra High School by Tony and Sue Dickeson of Back Creek Square Meaters earlier in the year. Tony and Sue have worked closely with the Cootamundra High School Show Team, and we are very appreciative of their ongoing experience and support. Prices were strong on the day of sale, with the end price being $560c/kg liveweight being achieved. Square Meaters are favoured at Cootamundra High School for their low birth weights, vigorous growth, placid temperament and early maturing times. We are very pleased with the results, and we look forward to working with Tony and Sue again for the 2022 Show season.

Our poultry enterprise continues to develop at Cootamundra High School. We are currently developing show quality lines of Light and Lavender Sussex. Students have enjoyed raising day old chicks hatched in our incubator, and have taken great pride in selecting the best birds to keep for our breeding program. Towards the end of term, we will have Light Sussex pullets and Light and Lavender Sussex cockerels for sale. If you are interested in adding to your flock, please contact Miss Callaghan through the Front Office.

I would also like to thank Mick Raleigh and Paul Watson for their assistance in shearing our school sheep at no cost. Mick and Paul took great care in handling our sheep, and we greatly appreciate their assistance in keeping our stock comfortable for the summer.

Finally, we are anxiously awaiting the results of the UNE Soil Your Undies Competition. After several attempts were made to find the Stage 5 Agriculture pair of undies, we successfully located them after the flag marking their position went missing. Stage 6 Agriculture also exhumed their pair, and now both pairs have been sent back to UNE for analysis. Stay tuned to the Cootamundra High School Facebook page for updates on the soil health of the site.

Welcome to new members of Staff

A warm welcome is extended to Ms Kaitlin Jenkins who has replaced Mr Rob Plain in the PDHPE Faculty. Ms Jenkins joins us from Cessnock High School, and is insisting she is not missing the sea breeze too much!

Ms Ellisha Large has also been a wonderful addition to the PDHPE faculty, fulfilling a temporary role until the end of 2021. Ms Large is a graduate from the University of Canberra and a past student, enjoying working alongside a number of her teachers who are now colleagues!

A warm thanks is also extended to Mr Paul Frilay, who has taken a small break from retirement to work with us. Students have been afforded a rare opportunity to take part in some rigorous and challenging activities centred around his expertise in a well-known football code – we are certain that all students in his classes are now Australian Rules converts!

Basketball Courts open!

After a number of delays, the courts are finally back open for business! The roofing is an excellent addition, and we are looking forward to fencing, seating and the finalisation of drainage in the new year, to complete the job.  It is a beautiful facility that has been well worth the wait!

Junior PDHPE

 Year 7 are building on their learning earlier this year with the theory unit “Respectful Relationships II”. This topic further examines power balance in relationships, a sense of belonging and connection to groups and communities. Students will explore how these elements impact an individual’s sense of self.

This term, Year 8 are studying a unit entitled ‘Protect Yourself’.   This unit examines the importance of safety when it comes to the decisions that our students make in their everyday lives.  To date students have discussed their digital footprints, explored how to keep safe online, and used the POOCH method to analyse risky situations to ensure they are aware of all options and the consequences of their decisions.

 Our Year 7 and 8 practical unit for the term is Net and Racquet sports.   Students have been participating in badminton, table tennis, tennis, volleyball and variations of these games over the course of the term.

Year 9 have commenced a Building Positive Relationships unit.  This unit focuses on developing all students’ understanding of developing relationships that are inclusive, equal and respectful.  To develop these relationships students have identified the important skills needed in a relationship and discussed the rights and responsibilities of individuals within these.  Students have examined the influence of strong negative and positive emotions on their behaviours and why it is important to acknowledge and seek strategies to help manage these.  We have also looked recently at active listening and why it is important in healthy relationships.

Understanding Resilience is the unit of study for Year 10 this term.  In this unit students learn how to respond positively to life’s challenges and how to build resilience. To date, students have identified some personal challenges, discussed the importance of choosing positive coping strategies to deal with these and researched how to locate jobs, address the selection criteria and how to be successful in a job interview.

In practicals, both Year 9 and 10 are completing a unit entitled Striking and Fielding.  Students have participated in T-ball, softball and cricket and variations of these games.

Keeping you in the loop ...

Tutors have done their best to minimise the impact on revision classes for our COVID ILSP by taking students from their elective’s classes over the Examination period.  Student participation remains high despite the students’ feeling tired by the additional study they had been doing for the exams.

It is recommended that your child should be coming along to at least two COVID ILSP small group classes each week.  For the timetabled lessons Alasdair and I have across the week with Year 9 and Year 10. Apologies if your students are behind in electives subjects, they now should have ample time to catch up.

Students are doing well to remain committed to their learning, and I am very impressed by the hard work they willingly engage in.  Our students continue to do their best despite tiredness and a feeling like the academic year is drawing new an end.

There are still things to learn.

Complex sentence writing using the Seldon Bubble Method – This …does that …does this

Punctuation within complex sentences

Writing a formal letter

Self-editing skills

Spell-it Program

Some students have been identified as needing additional support with spelling.  This program will begin in week 6 this term, and students identified have taken a letter home with additional information.  If you have not received a copy of this letter, please contact Ms Katherine Moore or Rebecca Perry.

With thanks for your support,

Ms Katherine Moore

COVID ILSP Coordinator and Tutor

This term year 10 are investigating energy and motion.

10Y made simple electric motors using wire, a magnet, and a battery to explore how motors convert electrical energy into mechanical energy.

Year 9 are learning about the dynamic earth and investigating phenomena such as earthquakes and volcanoes caused by the movement of tectonic plates.

Here 9X are creating model seismographs that used to measure the motion of the ground during an earthquake. 

Cootamundra High School’s budding scientists have been very busy in term 4. Year 7 are currently studying cells, microscopes and micro-organisms in their topic “Building Blocks of Living Things”. Students in Miss Fritsch’s Year 7 class have been developing their skills in using microscopes in their practical lessons.

Year 8 Science are currently studying types of weathering and erosion in their topic “The Earth Beneath Us”. Miss Callaghan’s Science class has been working hard in their practical lessons. Here are some photos of students conducting experiments that demonstrate different types of weathering and erosion on a variety of materials.

Year 9 have been working through their topic called “From Ice Age to Heat Wave”. Currently, Year 9 are looking at interactions between tectonic plates and how these interactions affect the world around us. Miss Callaghan’s class enjoyed using plasticine to make models of the different faults and folds in tectonic plates and had a great discussion on the types of natural disasters interactions between tectonic plates can cause.

Year 10 Science are learning about energy in their new topic “Cars and Rockets”. Miss Callaghan’s class designed and made marble roller coasters to demonstrate the Law of Conservation of Energy, and have been investigating different types of renewable and non-renewable energy, and have had lots of discussions about improvements that have been made in technology supporting renewable sources of energy.

Our Stage 6 scientists have been applying themselves in Chemistry and Biology, and Mr Sides, Miss Fritsch and Mrs Drum are very pleased with their progress. Year 11 Biology are currently working on their depth study Assessment on the effectiveness of antibacterial substances, and are currently working through a module on Infectious Disease. Year 11 Chemistry are currently working on an Assessment Task on Equilibrium Systems in the natural or industrial worlds, which is developing their understanding of equilibrium reactions.

Work Experience is still on hold until further notice, due to our ongoing COVID restrictions. Hopefully this will change in time for students to undertake some workplace learning before the end of the year.

Please find below some opportunities for a number of unique traineeships which may be of interest.

https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/career-and-study-pathways/infrastructure-traineeships.html

A number of our Years 9 and 10 students have been attending this course and the feedback has been excellent. Students are really enjoying the ‘hands on’ experience and their teacher, Mr Ian Kemp has contacted Mrs Alderman a number of times to praise our students.