Newcastle High School

BOOK WEEK > MONDAY > 6 WORD STORY CHALLENGE
Ernest Hemingway famously wrote a poignant, possibly heartbreaking narrative using only six words. If, as the good Bard noted, brevity is the soul of wit, then we can expect some truly witty 6 word submissions indeed!! Drop your entry into the Library or email [email protected] with 6 WORD STORY as the subject line.

SCIENCE WEEK TRIVIA > THURSDAY
Which Australian native plant relies on the extreme heat of bushfires to open its woody seed pods?
a) tea trees & eucalypts b) banksia & hakea
c) kangaroo paws d) wattles
Tell your science teacher your answer.
https://www.scienceweek.net.au/
And Remember to Demand Evidence and Think Critically.

SUPPORT UNIT UPDATE
We have started the year as we always do, with gusto! We started by moving into our new learning and common spaces after the rebuild and students are enjoying being able to collaborate closely with peers, while staff are actively engaged in team teaching across all classes and subjects.

Our talented, hardworking students fully integrate with their peers during mainstream electives, whole school swimming and athletics carnivals, assemblies and school and community cultural events. We have had students representing Newcastle High School at Boccia, touch football, rugby league, performed at Starstruck and linked in with Sailability and Making Waves to complete regular sailing programs, where students continue to gain valuable skills in problem solving, tenacity, teamwork, display increased confidence and have developed a growth mindset.

On top of their sporting and creative skills, our students have been working hard in their classrooms exploring Continents and Countries of the World in HSIE, Insects in Science, studied the novel, Holes, in English and undertook intensive learning in Financial Literacy and Numeracy in Maths. This term, students are about to embark on even more learning adventures by studying Cells, Factual Reports and Newspapers, Fractions and Decimals and Outdoor Education in PDHPE.

While our junior students are busy attending mandatory electives and working collaboratively in cross-class maths groups, our senior students continue to build on their skills each week during Work Education in preparation for life after school. Not only do they bake brownies, froth milkshakes and hone their organisation and communication skills delivering orders to staff around the school, they also build and beautify the school - undertaking gardening jobs and are learning how to safely use a variety of tools.

In fact, to ensure all students can participate in Boccia, the Gardening Crew helped to make a Boccia ramp, from scratch, to be used for training and competition. We also had 88 Custom deliver a hands on barbering session (with a few impromptu student haircuts), have students participating in a number of short TAFE courses in childcare, automotive, pathology and furniture making and students attending work experience and supported employment.

The future of Newcastle High School is in very good hands as our students continue to step up and out of their comfort zones to ensure their voices are heard - by speaking on assemblies, participating in Clontarf training and by actively seeking leadership roles through the SRC and junior AECG.

Yet … it is only Term 3. We have so much more to do! With even more exciting activities and opportunities lined up before we finish the year. Our scope for learning, growing and exceeding, are endless. And, this is just how we like it in Support.

Khym Harris - HT Support

AU CLASS REPORT
Throughout Term 2, students in the Autism Class took part in the Winds of Joy Sailing Program held at Newcastle Harbour. Over 10 weeks, students headed to the harbour each week to learn the basics of sailing while enjoying the unique experience of being out on the water. The program offered students the opportunity to develop confidence, teamwork and independence in a fun and supportive environment. As the weeks progressed, students built new skills, challenged themselves and formed positive relationships with their peers and the volunteer instructors. It was wonderful to see the confidence and resilience our students demonstrated throughout the program. We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm they showed each week and grateful for the opportunity to participate in such a valuable community program.

IO SUPPORT
What a busy year it's been in our class! We kicked things off with Star Struck and had a great time performing with friends and for our families. In Maths, we have been building our number skills through money maths, working out change and budgeting. In English, we are exploring the news, talking about current events and learning about what makes a great news article. We have also been learning about living things in Science, where we discovered all sorts of wonderful insects. We also enjoyed getting out into the community, with a trip to the movies to watch Toy Story 5 as well as a morning of op shopping in Hamilton. The Come & Try Athletics day was also a great day to build our sportsmanship skills and try new activities. It's been a fantastic year of learning, exploring, and having fun together!

ROOM 1 ILSMH
Our Room 1 students have had a fantastic term, engaging in a range of hands-on learning experiences. In Science, they collected and dried native Australian herbs while learning about their uses and local environments. Community access excursions included wall ball, which built teamwork and communication skills, and whale watching, where students practised observation and explored local ecosystems. In HSIE, students investigated world geography by mapping FIFA World Cup matches and researching their chosen countries. Mathematics focused on financial literacy, with students applying budgeting and money skills during community outings. We are also proud to have students participating in Didge Group, developing their musical talents while celebrating Aboriginal culture.

JUNIOR IM CLASS
It's been a busy and rewarding semester for the Junior IM class! We've enjoyed some great outings, including multiple trips to the beach, a fun movie day and shopping excursions to both Charlestown and Kotara. We've also loved joining forces with the MC class for some outings together, building new friendships along the way. Some of our students have also been out on the water, enjoying the "Winds of Joy" sailing program.
In the classroom, our Maths learning has focused on the importance of money, and in English we're about to kick off an investigation into news and media. In Science, we're gearing up to start learning about cells. It's been a fantastic term, and we can't wait to see what Semester 2 brings!

MC CLASS
Well we have to admit, we love being in our new school classroom. Below is a picture of how we have set the classroom up. Not only do we have brand new furniture, brand new carpet, amazing technology that we are still learning how to use, we have a beautiful deck out the back where we can complete our morning exercise after our walk. This year so far in the classroom, we have improved our knowledge of financial maths, living things including insects and read the book Holes. The students enjoyed finishing the term watching the movie Holes. Through

Community Access; this year the boys in MC have enjoyed some beautiful weather swimming at the Ocean Baths, shopped for all the mums at Charlestown Square for Mothers Day and enjoyed the Newcastle Museum and the newly refurbished Tower Cinemas.

Work Crew; during our work crew Program the senior students have continued to maintain our beautiful school gardens. Our one big project was to design and build a Bocce ramp so our students in wheelchairs can enjoy playing with their peers. This was a great project that everyone was eager to help and complete. We all enjoyed a game on the last day of work crew for term 2.

SENIOR IM
The Senior Support Unit students at Newcastle High School have been busy developing valuable workplace skills through our weekly Work Education Program. Every Thursday, students put their learning into practice by participating in one of two hands-on programs: the Catering Crew or the Garden Crew.

Our Catering Crew proudly operates the Shake and Bake Café, where students prepare and serve a variety of delicious treats to staff. Throughout the day, students build practical skills in food preparation, customer service, teamwork, communication and cash handling, while also learning the importance of hygiene, organisation and working to a schedule. Their confidence continues to grow with every shift, and the café has become a popular Thursday destination for staff.

Meanwhile, the Garden Crew has been working hard to maintain and enhance the school grounds. Students take pride in caring for garden beds, weeding, planting, mulching and keeping outdoor spaces neat and welcoming. Along the way, they are developing practical horticultural skills, learning to use gardening equipment safely and working collaboratively to complete a range of tasks that contribute positively to the school environment.

These authentic workplace experiences help students develop independence, responsibility and valuable employability skills. It has been fantastic to see some of our senior students use these skills to participate in community work experience placements, building confidence and gaining real-world experience. We are incredibly proud of their dedication, enthusiasm and continued growth.

The students also participate in regular community access excursions to develop essential life skills by providing opportunities to build independence, practise social and communication skills, and engage with real world environments such as shops, cafes and public transport. In addition, a number of students are participating in work experience placements and TAFE courses, allowing them to develop vocational skills, explore future career pathways, and gain valuable experience to support a successful transition beyond school.

ADD YOUR LEAF TO THE KNOWLEDGE TREE
The Knowledge Tree is on Level 3 R Block in the student hub, but it can only grow with your help. We need to cover this trees in the most fascinating, surprising, weird or most mind-blowing science trivia you know. Ask your teacher for a leaf, write down your favourite piece of science trivia & help our tree of wisdom grow!

Need some inspiration? Here are a few facts to get you started:

Wombat p**p is cubed shaped: this stops it from rolling away so they can mark their territory.

Clouds weigh tons: average fluffy cumulus clouds weigh about 500,000 kilograms (roughly 100 elephants).

Time goes slower at the beach: time actually passes microscopically faster at high altitudes than at sea level due to earth's gravity.

What absolute curveball of a fact are you going to add to the canopy?

# STEM

SCIENCE WEEK TRIVIA > THURSDAY
Dandelion seeds use tiny parachute-like hairs to fly. What other physics force helps them stay airborne?
a) aerodynamic wings b) a parachute
c) anti-gravity d) a low pressure vortex
Tell your science teacher your answer.
https://www.scienceweek.net.au/
And Remember to Demand Evidence and Think Critically.

🌱 WE ARE OFF & GROWING !!!
Our National Science Week activities are officially underway, & our students are already diving headfirst into the Seeds of Science - Seedling Growing Challenge.

Each participant has begun planting their own seeds to nurture, tend & care for over the coming weeks. The race is now on to see who can apply their scientific skills to produce the most impressive little plant in the school! With our seeds nestled in their cotton wool beds, it is the perfect countdown to warmer weather - getting our project started just in time for Spring.

Did you know? Seeds actually grow faster in the dark! It is a survival trick called etiolation, where the seedling stretches upwards rapidly to search for light. Stay tuned for updates to see which green thumbs sprout to the top of the leaderboard!

# STEM

SCIENCE WEEK TRIVIA > WEDNESDAY
In May 2022 scientists at the University of Florida announced they had successfully grew plants in real soil collected from:
a) Mercury b) Mars c) Moon d) Venus
Tell your science teacher your answer.
https://www.scienceweek.net.au/
And Remember to Demand Evidence and Think Critically.

POLLY SELECTED FOR DANCE ENSEMBLE
Congratulations to Polly (Y7) who was selected to be part of the Hunter Junior Dance Ensemble; a representative ensemble bringing together talented dancers from Y5 to Y7 across the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Hunter and Port Stephens areas. The ensemble recently performed at the Hunter Dance Festival at NEX Newcastle and has now been selected to compete at State in September. We wish Polly all the best for State!!

UNBOXED PHYSICS @ UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Nine female NHS Year 9 students recently visited the University of Sydney to take part in Physics Unboxed: Ignite; a program that aims to inspire girls to pursue their interest in physical sciences. Students participated in practical activities like measuring the speed of light with a microwave, exploring Newton’s third law of motion and using fire to view sound waves. The girls engaged with scientists and researchers at the cutting edge of their fields, hearing from women across a range of areas in physics and asking lots of questions. Getting home was also a learning experience, navigating trains through significant delays but students met the challenge with positivity, responsibility and resilience. Well done!!!