South Sydney High School 2023 Term 3 Week 8

Year 11 Prefects: Laila Nekrasova, Duc Nguyen, Jo Roberts, Debs Shatari & Ryan Weatherstone

Sporting warriors

Congratulations Jules on being selected in the National Interschools Competition for snowboarding.

Uniform heroes

Attendance matters

SASS Week

We are very pleased to acknowledge the great work carried out by the School and Administrative Support Staff (SASS) as part of SASS Recognition Week. From balancing and dealing with the school finances, answering phones, assisting with broken limbs, mowing the grass, fixing broken windows, photocopying exams, greeting visitors, purchasing ingredients, managing the website, measuring out chemicals, assisting students in the classroom, helping the breakfast club, our SASS staff are kept very busy every day. On behalf of the South Sydney High School community, I would like to acknowledge and thank our SASS staff for their significant contribution to our students, teachers and parents.

Student numbers

If you know anyone who is wishing to apply to come to South Sydney High School, please contact the school as soon as possible as we are currently working on the number of classes and the timetable. Also, if you are moving please let us know as soon as possible so we can accurately forecast our student numbers for 2024.

Year 12

The Year 12 Graduation Assembly will be at 4pm on Thursday 21st September.

Following the Assembly a Graduation Celebration will take place including food, photobooth and entertainment. Tickets for the Celebration will be $30 per person and $25 for students. Please purchase tickets asap as tickets are limited.

Happy campers

A phone-free camp was a tremendous success with great memories for all students and staff who attended.

SSHS Rocks!

At the Big Band Bash at Daceyville Public School

Comedy for a Cause

A successful night was had by all and valuable money raised for the school.

Upcoming events

Year 11 final exams - Week 8 and 9

Big Picture Exhibitions - Week 9 and 10

Year 8 Gala Day - Wednesday 13th September

2024 Leadership Assembly - Monday 18th September

Year 12 Graduation - Thursday 21st September

Year 12 Picnic Day - Friday 22nd September

In this issue...

• From the Deputy's desk
• DELL Hackathon
• Wear it Purple Day
• NSW Volleyball Schools Cup Championships
• TAS news
• Butterfly Foundation
• Careers news
• Library news
• Questions, suggestions, thanks and congratulations...
• Community news & events

From the Deputy's desk

We are delighted to finally share some images from our School Development Day. We were most fortunate to hear from Aunty Barb Keely-Simms who also gave our Welcome to Country. Our inspiring presenters took us with them as they shared their journeys and we gained insight into cultural practices that helped us to better understand the perspectives of our First Nations students and families.

A big thank you to Rod Silva, Barry McGrady and Jeff Hardy and Kevin Heath for organising and hosting such a worthwhile and engaging day.

Ms Walton

DELL Hackathon

On 15th August, 25 of our Year 8 and 9 girls had the opportunity to attend a fantastic excursion to DELL Computers. The girls were able to delve into the world of tech, with a special focus on women in tech and the boundless opportunities it offers.

The day was filled with a range of interactive workshops and hands-on experiences that left our students inspired and enlightened. They explored the world of IT and AI and learned how these technologies are shaping the future.

One of the highlights was meeting DELL's female professionals who shared their stories of success, proving that the tech world welcomes diverse voices.

NSW Volleyball Schools Cup Championships

No words can do justice to the heart and toil displayed on the volleyball courts. No words can describe the embroiling emotion, bruised bodies and fortuneless fumbles surrounding our two-day affair.

The boys showcased their best and their worst, raising the stakes and meeting the challenges of the state's top teams. In the round robin matches, their unity prevailed to conquer Kingsgrove and Cumberland. In the match of their lives and possibly the performance of their lifetime, they fought hard to take a set and a lead against Ryde, the eventual champions and a top 5 team in all of Australia for Year 9 boys. Their efforts qualified them into the top divisional bracket of day 2 knockouts.

Here the boys were overpowered in offense but still managed leads and surprise attacks against Knox Grammar. However, they lacked the mental fortitude and experience to close out the match. The result placed them in the bronze medal match against our archnemesis Tempe, a back and forth affair, splitting the first two sets and then losing by three points in the final moments. Commiserations and congratulations were duly exchanged as we cemented our name into the state's top brass.

The girls entered the competition with tempered expectations, having eluded podium finishes all year. With our 5 core players, through the thick and thin, plus two new additions, the girls remained hopeful and eager to improve. Inspired by our state-selected player, Nyssa, the team created winning opportunities in all of their round robin matches. Confidence corralled us but tension tormented us. Nonetheless, we exceeded all expectations to qualify into the top divisional bracket for day 2. In the semi-finals we dominated our perennial nemesis, St Scholastica, in the first set, but their quality server stymied our defence and the girls were at a loss to construct a favourable conclusion. As the pressure intensified, fatigue started to strike. In everyone's eyes this was an achievable win but alas the fairytale gold slipped away.

The girls showed great composure and renewed vigour to fight for Bronze. Fort Street overcame us in straight sets on day 1 but the Souths girls never go down without a fight. We roared our way into an uncatchable lead and strategically dissected their defence, lifting our game when it mattered the most. Across eight matches, the girls evolved their gameplay to string together highlight after highlight. This time, it was the girls' turn to take home the medal and I couldn't be any more proud.

Mr Shan - Volleyball Coordinator

Student match report

Congratulations to the Year 9 and 10 girls volleyball team for their outstanding performance at the two day Schools Cup Championship. They played eight games across Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th, securing a well-deserved third place.

We began the competition strongly by defeating Rooty Hill, thanks to consistent serving from our outsides Nyssa and Lianne and excellent plays set up by our setter, Aleena. Our next match against Fort Street was closely contested, with each set going point for point, though we ultimately lost. This loss motivated us to give our all in the games coming up.

Facing St. Scholastica was a challenge, but our rivalry with them fueled our determination. With Abby, our libero, making crucial saves and Nyssa delivering impressive spikes, we won against St. Scholastica with 2 out of 3 sets. In our final game of the first day against Amity College, Abby H (our opposite hitter) made smart decisions with her hitting and tipping. Aleena's skillful setting also stood out, but despite our efforts, we lost. This setback fueled our determination to come back improved for the next day.

On day 2, we kicked off early with a tough match against Ryde. Nyssa and Abby C played a crucial role in boosting team spirits, and after a hard-fought game, we won by a close three points. For our last game facing Sydney Girls High School, we secured an easy victory.

In the semi-finals, we confronted our arch-rivals, St. Scholastica, expecting a tough fight. We played harder than ever, but some minor injuries affected our spirits, resulting in St. Scholastica winning. This set us up for a bronze medal match.

Once again, we faced Fort Street, determined to make a comeback. Millaine and Christina's serves brought the opposing team out of system and forced them to scramble a bit more , and all players contributed to great plays and consistent hustle. Ultimately, we secured third place after two intense days of competition.

A special thanks to Mr. Shan for his support and coaching throughout these days. Great job to the entire team and everyone involved!

Lianne, Year 9

TAS news

Year 10 Food Technology

Students have been focusing on the topic area Food for Special Occasions. Students are looking at the importance of many special occasions, exploring the social, cultural, religious and historical reasons for celebrating with food and examining the elements of small and large catering in these events.

This week 10 FTE2 had their group practical assessment making a range of dishes. Each group needed to prepare and present two dishes used when celebrating for special occasions. A fantastic effort from the whole class.

Much fun and valued learning experiences happening down here in J block!

VET Hospitality

As we approach the end of term we get ready to say farewell to the Year 12 Hospitality class, as they start to prepare for and sit the HSC. They enjoyed their last practical experience in our commercial kitchens here at South Sydney High School, making dumplings.

It was a pleasure teaching you all and I wish you all the best for the HSC and future. Remember to study with diligence.

Mrs Stephenson - TAS/VET-Hospitality Teacher

Welfare

Supporting teens to eat well in a food confused world

Join Butterfly and two practising, accredited Dietitians and learn how to help your teen have a positive and balanced relationship with food.

You will explore:

• Why charting a healthy course in a food confused diet culture can be so hard
• Figuring out problematic diet information vs helpful information
• Impact of body image on eating and diet behaviour
• The differences between eating for health vs eating for weight or shape control and why it matters
• The risk of teenagers dieting regardless of body size
• Helping our teens stay in touch with their appetite and trust their body through puberty and beyond
• Troubleshooting common teen food dilemmas:
• Eating too much 'junk' food
• Eating to 'bulk-up'/high protein diets
• Wanting to go vegetarian/vegan
• Not eating at school.

Date: Tuesday 12th September

Time: 7 - 8pm (AEST) plus question time

Via: Zoom click to register

Register now

Careers news

Return and Earn

Big Picture students have set up Return and Earn for South Sydney High School. The main aim is to clean up the environment and also raise money to build a Cafe here at school.

Please bring your Return and Earn into Ms Mattock - Careers

South Sydney High School is hosting our inaugural Christmas Market and Career Expo on Saturday 25th November from 9am to 3pm.

To date, we have over $2,000 worth of stall holders secured for the day.

If you would like to run a stall or advertise your business at the market and expo, or if you would like to sponsor this event, please email me - meredith.mattock@det.nsw.edu.au

To have a stall follow the links below depending on the type of stall you wish to have:

Retail, Food, or Careers. All support and help will be greatly appreciated.

We are also sending out a volunteer form to see if we can get members of South Sydney HS community to help on the day.

UAC key date reminders

Details of all Semester 1, 2024 courses offered by UAC’s participating institutions are now available, so it's a perfect time to get started on your UAC application if you haven't already. Remember, if you apply before 29th September, you’ll avoid a significant increase in the application fee.

Your Key Dates:

• 18th September - School Recommendation Scheme applications close
• 29th September - Early Bird deadline - significant increase to application fee after this date
• 23rd November - Educational Access Scheme (EAS) application and documentation deadline for December Round 2 offers
• 14th December - 2023 ATARs released
• 21st December - December Round 2 offers released https://www.uac.edu.au/media-centre/news/dreaming-of-uni

UAC Schools Recommendation Scheme

Applications close 18th September

The Schools Recommendation Scheme (SRS) is one way institutions make early offers of undergraduate admission to Year 12 students. They do this by using criteria other than (or in addition to) the ATAR.

Each institution has its own policy for determining SRS eligibility and making offers. For example, you may also have to submit an EAS application institution-defined dates, or attend a school in a particular region.

SRS is not available for all courses. The institution-specific SRS criteria detail any exceptions.

ATAR Notes Free HSC Revision, Head Start Lectures

https://atarnotes.com/lectures/nsw#lectures

25th - 29th September - Join thousands of students that tune in to our live-streamed lectures. Our legendary lectures, delivered by elite past students, can give you a huge study advantage. Lectures in a variety of topics, including:

• English (Standard and Advanced)
• Biology
• PDHPE
• Chemistry
• Mathematics (Extension 1, Advanced and Standard 2)
• Physics
• Economics
• Legal Studies
• Business Studies
• Modern History

Sutherland Shire Apprenticeship/Traineeship and Jobs Expo

Tuesday 12th September 2023 - 3pm to 8pm

Tradies Gymea, 57 Manchester Rd, Gymea NSW

https://www.tafenswevents.com.au/event/sutherland-shire-apprenticeship-traineeship-and-jobs-expo

Would you like to combine on-the-job training with structured study and skills development, while working towards a nationally recognised qualification? Come and see TAFE NSW at the Sutherland Shire Apprenticeship/Traineeship and Jobs Expo to find out how you can earn and learn with a Fee-Free (*Eligibility criteria apply) Apprenticeship or Traineeship. With the infrastructure boom we are experiencing, the future need for apprentices, trainees and skilled workers has never before been in such high demand. Exciting opportunities are available for all career and job seekers.

Work Experience Work Experience at the Sydney Opera House

https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/about-us/careers-and-other-opportunities/work-experience#openprogram

Applications close 10th September, the Program Runs 9th - 13th October. The Open Work Experience Program is open to secondary school students who are ideally studying in Year 10. The week-long program (Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 3.00pm) gives participants a hands-on experience of how the Opera House operates. Participants will meet and work alongside a diverse range of Opera House employees from Ticketing Sales Representatives to Stage Managers to Building Operations Supervisors. We are one of the world’s busiest performing arts venues and the experiences we offer will vary between programs depending on our programming commitments. The Opera House is committed to providing artistic, cultural, educational and employment opportunities that build capacity and understanding. The Opera House believes creating these opportunities is essential to nurture the next generation of artists, audiences and visitors.

Meredith Mattock, Careers Adviser

Library news

Book Week

Book Week was a great success with many students participating in the competitions. Due to the overwhelming number of responses to assess, the winners will be announced in Week 9.

Our magic beans sprouted and certainly followed the theme of grow and inspire.

Premier’s Reading Challenge

The Premier's Reading Challenge has finished for another year. Congratulations to those students who completed the challenge and were invited to a morning tea in the Library. Remember to keep a list of the books you are now reading – you can add them to your PRC reading record in 2024.