2010 Annual School Report Marsden High School

Transcription

1 NSW Department of Education & Training Annual School Report Marsden High School NSW Public Schools Leading the way

2 Our school at a glance Students Marsden High School is a coeducational school of 760 students, (75% from non English speaking background) who come from a wide range of cultural and socio economic backgrounds. They participate actively in their learning which is demonstrated in their results, participation and conduct at school and in the community. The school is proud of its cultural diversity. Staff Our staff are dedicated and hardworking and participate enthusiastically in the quality teaching of the students. All teachers actively engage in professional learning as part of their everyday practice. The long standing Principal Mr. Greg Wann retired in 2010 after 16 years of dedicated service to the school. All teaching staff meet the professional requirements for teaching in NSW public schools. The staff exercises their duty of care through a strong focus on the welfare of their students. Significant programs and initiatives Building Better Schools Science Laboratory upgrade. Year 7 Care Program Marsden High School provides a wide range of curricula and extra curricular programs. Transition from Year 6 to 7 has been a focus with the school providing designated home rooms for all year 7 students with interactive whiteboards and innovative structures to support their learning. Positive Behaviour Engaging Learners (PBEL) Marsden is an active participant in a Northern Sydney regional initiative PBEL Positive Behaviour Engaging Learners. PBEL encourages and rewards appropriate social skills and engagement in learning. Marsden High School recognises the efforts of students who assist in promoting a positive climate at the school through their care for others demonstrated by cooperation, with teachers and other students, engagement and achievement in learning, and respect for their school and themselves. Achievements of the PBEL team at Marsden High School this year include signage in playground areas, the introduction of whole school weekly assemblies, a new merit card system to be implemented in 2011 and end of term reward activities to recognise the efforts of students who exemplify the school motto of CARE through their cooperation, achievement, respect and engagement in learning and participation in school life. Our school was selected to receive a science faculty upgrade as part of the Building Better Schools Science program. FOUR of our present laboratories have been upgraded to create a broader range of teaching/learning spaces, and as part of the program, to include the infrastructure for integrated wireless technology and fixed data points in each upgraded learning area. Interactive whiteboards are in all four labs. Our science preparation room in B block has also been upgraded. These labs are now equipped to facilitate teaching and learning through technology. 1

3 Student achievement in 2010 School Certificate Science result in 2010 has shown significant gains with the highlight of outstanding results for the school certificate with 9 students placed in Band 6 well above stage average. English in the School Certificate showed appreciative improvement in Bands 4 and 5 71% of students. There was a significant reduction in the number of students scoring in the Band 2 and 3 range (16%). No students scored Band 1. Mathematics School Certificate showed rewarding results including seven students in band 6. This was above the state average indicating an excellent group of high- achievers in this year group. Principal s message Marsden High School was established 1959 and since then has provided educational, sporting and cultural opportunities to students from all socio- economic and ethnic backgrounds. We are a public, co- educational, comprehensive high school and we support and encourage all our students to strive to become independent, responsible, resilient and successful learners. Our high academic expectations are exemplified by 99% of our Year 12 students gaining an HSC, 52% of our students being successful in gaining entry to university, an additional 25% of students gaining a TAFE VET qualification. These results are significantly above state average. In catering for our students diverse needs we ran a number of enrichment programs across the curriculum. Talented Year 8 Visual Arts students entered a number of Art competitions and created the mural that will be on display in our foyer in Students had many opportunities to participate in dance, choir and band ensembles. Students from all years achieved excellent results in all state wide competitions with the number of distinctions and credits being awarded increasing every year. Teams qualified for a number of finals across a wide range of sports, including the newly introduced Australian Football League (AFL). The installation of the wireless network is now complete and every classroom has internet connection. The number of classrooms with Interactive White boards has increased, in particular the home- rooms for Year 7 Technological and Applied Studies (TAS) received money from the P&C and installed the latest equipment for creating 3D models. Staff have been involved in trialing the use of EDMODO, a web- based learning platform. It has been used to disseminate information and collaborate with students in learning activities in a range of subjects. Staff continued to attend professional learning to improve their skills in meeting the ever changing technological demands of teaching and learning. Our students and staff s commitment to helping others was demonstrated by the number of charities supported by fund raising throughout the year. Over $2, was raised for a number of charitable organisations, including sponsoring a child through World Vision. Margaret Paczkowski Relieving Principal 2010 I certify that the information in this report is the result of a rigorous school self- evaluation process and is a balanced and genuine account of the school s achievements and areas for development. Denise Lofts Principal

4 P & C and/or School Council message Schools are a fundamental part of our society, they are where tomorrows communities are built. A good education is an essential part of life s journey as our children grow and become engaged in the wider community. I firmly believe that all schools should be a part of the local community they serve and that is our responsibility to join with our school in ensuring the best possible environment for our children. The P&C gives you the opportunity to participate in the life of Marsden in many ways and our efforts in providing extra resources to the school benefit all of our students. I urge you to join with us in this important partnership with the Principal, teachers and administrative staff at Marsden in whatever way you can, you will always be welcome. If the natural disasters that have occurred in Australia in the last few years have shown us anything about the Australian character, we are generous with our time and money for a good cause. Marsden High School deserves a small amount of your time as the education of your children is so important to their future. The P&C continues to support the school in funding various projects and equipment that the school requires to continually improve the learning environment for our students. This year we have funded extra teaching and student resource materials across many faculties, providing new and enhanced opportunities for our students. We continue to fund technology improvements to the school with more electronic whiteboards in more rooms and faculties. The majority of this money comes from the Canteen and Uniform shop and my thanks to Rae Butler and Debbie Blumenfeld for their outstanding work this year. The Canteen and the Uniform Shop are always looking for volunteers to help out so please consider volunteering a few hours of your time. There will be more challenges and opportunities in 2011 to make our school an even better place for our children to get a great education, so be a part of it. My thanks to Keith Wass, Helen Williams and Linda Dicker and all the parents who come to our meetings and the volunteers who work in the Canteen and Uniform shop, their efforts make all of this possible. I would like to thank our recently retired Principal, Greg Wann for his leadership of Marsden, our Deputy Principals Sue Vasilevska and Margaret Paczkowski for their hard work and dedication. I would also like to thank all the teaching and administration staff who do such a great job with our students. Tony Morris President Student representative s message (SRC) Multi- cultural Marsfest This has been a very busy year for the SRC! We started with a BIG effort Marsfest, our multicultural festival in term Simultaneously, roses were sold for Valentines Day and we had a blast watching Ms. Brown shave the heads of many brave souls in our school for Shave for a Cure in term 1! SRC Sponsors fellow students The SRC sponsored our students to go to the TAFE NSW Digi- Girls Green Café program in North Sydney College. We sent three members of the SRC to the Sydney Women s College Girls Leading Social Change seminar. We also held 3

5 two barbeques for the athletics carnival and international students with Ms. McBryde. Prefects & captains make a difference In term 3 we held prefect elections so that our year 12 s could breathe and study for their HSC. Year 12 held their slave for a day auction fetching large sums which they donated to the school. SRC goes on Tour Term 4 saw the SRC out and about. We visited Parliament House, went to the Chullora Recycling plant with Ryde Council, held the Breast Cancer luncheon for female members of staff at Marsden, AND, held our planning day where we cleaned out the SRC Canteen (threw away 2 fridges and a freezer after Nathan our captain scrubbed them for 2 hours!!) We also spread holiday cheer when we sold candy canes in week 9 at school. We mustn t forget the Dodge- ball competition!! Thinking local, giving Globally Besides all the fun we ve had, we ve donated $200 to Medicine Sans Frontiers, $300 to Mr. Jones Ryde to the Gong for Multiple Sclerosis, $520 to World- Vision to sponsor our child Ahadu Atnafu and prizes for two outstanding members of our school community. This is over- and- above the money we raised for shave for a cure (close to $800) and Breast- Cancer. Members of the 2010 SRC Student Representative Council Year 7: Sally Dang Riva Shirol Emma Connolley Year 8: Connor Sadgrove Year 10: Fiona Cole Chris Dinh Miguel Moster Kristen Nguyen Jamie Pascoe Naomi Sommers Year 11: Adriana Bertoni Tara Cramp Kate Surian William Wachsmann Colin Wu William Yang Eric Warry Year 12: Rebecca Amat - - Captain Sean Best - - Captain Louise Xu - - Vice Captain Peter Wood - - Vice Captain Jennifer Yang - Prefect Bryce Steel - Prefect Nina Fitz- Gerald - Prefect Geoffrey Paine - Prefect Codey McDougall - Prefect Alan Lee - Prefect Albert Li - Prefect Shervin Sepehr - Prefect Student Representative Council Members of 2011 Active from Term Year 11 (2011 year 12) Tara Cramp - - Captain Nathan Wareham - - Captain Katie Seward - - Vice Captain Samuel Dicker - - Vice Captain Adriana Bertoni - Prefect Jessy Coulson - Prefect Kate Surian - Prefect Sean Madeley - Prefect Bryce Van- Ostayen - Prefect Colin Wu - Prefect William Yang - Treasurer Year 10 (2011 year 11) Fiona Cole 4

6 Miguel Moster Kristen Nguyen Naomi Sommers (new this year 2011) Madison Gipson Year 9 (2011 year 10) KasturiBai Kalidasan Kimia Koular Lauren Van- Ostayen Year 8 (2011 year 9) Connor Sadgrove Jack Willis Year 7 (2011 year 8) Sally Dang Jessica Paine Riva Shirol Emma Connolley 2011 Year Skyler Williams Student attendance profile Marsden High is above the state trend, however still aiming to improve attendance School Attendance Yr School State School context Student information It is a requirement that the reporting of information for all students must be consistent with privacy and personal information policies. Student enrolment profile Marsden has seen a steady growth in enrolment trend, particularly girls. Students School Enrolments Male Female Management of non- attendance Student attendance is recorded daily and in each class. Parents are notified if their child is absent or late to school. Attendance patterns are monitored for each student. Students with serious non- attendance are placed on an attendance plan which is jointly supervised by the Head Teacher Welfare and Home School Liaison Officer (HSLO). Retention to Year 12 Marsden High School is highly successful in providing a diverse curriculum for students progressing to year 12, with a broad range of options integrated with local TAFE Colleges. This is balanced with a rigorous academic program 5

7 provided within the school curriculum. Our targeted academic and voacational programs see Marsden above the state average in retention rates for Year Proportion Staying On (SC to HSC) SC04- HSC06 SC05- HSC07 SC06- HSC08 SC07- HSC09 SC08 - HSC10 Services, Building Trades, Event Management, Project Management and Business Administration. Year 12 students undertaking vocational or trade training 25% of students gained a TAFE VET qualification, whilst 22% of students gained a School VET Framework qualification. Year 12 students attaining HSC or equivalent vocational educational qualification In 2010, 99% of students in Year 12 in 2010 gained a Higher School Certificate. School SEG State Post- school destinations % of students from Marsden High School were successful at gaining entry to university for study in 2011 (compared to 30% state wide). Students chose to study at all public universities in Sydney as well as Newcastle. They chose courses such as Media/Law, Actuarial Studies, Engineering, Teaching, Radiography, Mathematics, Information Technology, Medical Science, Design, Health Sciences and Nursing. % State Staff information It is a requirement that the reporting of information for all staff must be consistent with privacy and personal information policies Meadowbank TAFE was the choice for the majority of students attending TAFE with students choosing courses such as Childrens 6

8 Staff establishment Position Number Principal 1 Deputy Principal(s) 2 Assistant Principal(s) - Head Teachers 9 Classroom Teachers 46 Teacher of Emotional Disabilities - Teacher of Mild Intellectual Disabilities - Teacher of Reading Recovery - Support Teacher Learning Assistance 1 Teacher Librarian 1 Teacher of ESL 4.6 Counsellor 1 School Administrative & Support Staff 13 Total 78.6 The National Education Agreement requires schools to report on Indigenous composition of their workforce. An Aboriginal assistant is employed 2 days per week to ensure the education needs are met for our Aboriginal students and their wellbeing is cared for. Teacher qualifications All teaching staff meet the professional requirements for teaching in NSW public schools. Enter text here Qualifications % of staff Degree or Diploma 77 Postgraduate 23 Financial summary This summary covers funds for operating costs and does not involve expenditure areas such as permanent salaries, building and major maintenance. Date of financial summary: 30/11/10 Income $ Total income Expenditure Teaching & learning Key learning areas Excursions Extracurricular dissections Library Training & development Tied funds Casual relief teachers Administration & office School- operated canteen 0.00 Utilities Maintenance Trust accounts Capital programs Total expenditure Balance carried forward A full copy of the school s 2010 financial statement is tabled at the annual general meetings of the School Council and/or the parent body. Further details concerning the statement can be obtained by contacting the school. School performance 2010 Achievements Visual Arts One students work was displayed in the Art Express. Monique Bray s Body of Work skillfully combined digital and traditional media in Allegory of Societal Carpentry. This artistic masterpiece was pre selected and exhibited for Art Express within The Artillery Gallery. This exhibition was displayed and travelled to a number of venues within NSW. Monique was taught by Mr J Simaitis. Balance brought forward Global funds Tied funds School & community sources Interest Trust receipts Canteen

9 A catalogue was created by Mr J Simaitis and presented to each candidate to honour their commitment, enthusiasm and dedication to this subject. This archives both their conceptual and material practice both individually and as a cohort. Workshops were held in each of the school holidays to assist students with the development of their Year 12 Body of Works. These were conducted by Mr Jim Simaitis and Ms E. Larsson. Allegory of Societal Carpentry Monique Bray 2010 Art Express From the 2010 students, the quality of work generated was once again, a testament to the dedication and commitment of this years cohort. In particular: I Hope...Rebecca Amat: achieved band 6 with a layered sculptural piece, inviting the viewer to look through and within. 8 students sat the High School Certificate Visual Arts in 2010 with the following notable results: - 1 Band 6-5 Band 5-2 Band 4 Students in Years 10, 11 & 12 have practised answering responses in the style of the HSC to familiarise themselves with the demands of the paper and to encourage students to utilise their understandings of the visual and written cues within the examination format. Annual Photography & Art Exhibition Prelude to Independence Grace Kim: achieved Band 5 with a triptych as homage to her brother. Senior and Junior students have exhibited their works in the Annual Student Visual Arts exhibition. On the Opening Night, over 40 awards were presented to outstanding Visual Arts and Photography students, and Gifted and Talented Students. This was witnessed by over 280 parents and teaching staff. The entire Library was filled with artworks that provide a testament to the dedication and commitment of both the Visual Arts students and the Visual Arts teaching staff. 8

10 canteen. The mural represents symbolically the PBEL inspired CARE and RESPECT motto, which is being introduced to the school body. This mural is being organised and directed by Ms Ksenia Krywenko. Visual Arts on the Road for enriched experiences Year 11 Visual Arts visited the Museum of Contemporary Art to view contemporary art works. Year 10 Visual Arts class travelled to Circular Quay and Cockatoo Island for a photography excursion. Images of urban decay form part of their portfolio and assist with image making within the class room. The arts and our community achievement The Visual Arts Gifted and Talented (GAT) group was re- introduced in 2010 by Ms Ksenia Krywenko. A group of dedicated students from Year 8 met each week, after school, during Term 3 and worked on community projects and competitions. Due to the success and popularity of this program, it continued into Term 4. Some of the wider community competitions entered include: - Ryde Council s Youth Environment Prize Waterways competition - DET s Digital Art My Favourite Place - Toyota s Create Your Dream Car - RSPCA Animal Drawing GAT Visual Arts students have designed and created a ceramic mural which will be permanently displayed in the The Visual Arts Gifted and Talented group cleaned up with over $2000 worth of awards at the Waterways Ryde Council. Marsden High School had the highest number of entrants & award winners, with students work exhibited at West Ryde Library. - Competition winners (photo above) from left to right: Eunjung Park, Rachael Madeley, Yalda Yasir, Ebony Orrin - Participants left to right: Conner Sadgrove, Ericles Chi, Anastasia Gryzbowski, Hosai Anwari Our Director and Director General visits our Visual Arts Classrooms On 2 occasions, the Regional Director & Director General have both visited Ms Ksenia Krywenko s classrooms and commented on the students good behaviour and the high standard of artwork being created within Marsden High School s classrooms. 9

11 Vocal Group performed a program of Christmas Carols for patients and residents at Lottie Stewart Hospital. Performing Arts Night all ensembles as well as numerous small group and individual items. Approximately 60 students and 6 staff members performed in a very successful evening. Junior Performers Night approx 40 students from Years 7-9 presented an evening of solo and group items, with all money raised going to the Smith family Christmas fund. Music Students achieve in the performing arts Christopher Dinh, Year 10, selected for Boys Hip Hop dance group for Schools Spectacular. Harry Campbell- Russell, Year 9, travelled to and performed in a number of European cities, including the Montreux Jazz Festival with youth band Zoo. Jack Willis, Ross Trodden, Zeke Coleman, Jordan Amin won People s Choice Award at Ryde Council Battle of the Bands. Marsden High School achieves in Vocal Group 1 st place in Chamber Choirs Section in Galston District Eisteddfod Music and our local community Vocal Group participated in Arts North Festival at Angel Place Recital Hall. Big Band and Jazz Ensemble performed at North Ryde RSL Children s Christmas party on Sunday 13 th December. Jack Willis, Ross Trodden, Zeke Coleman, Jordan Amin of Year 8 performed at the Granny Smith Festival in Eastwood in October. Big Band performed at Eastwood Public School Spring Fair. Technological and Applied Studies Development of compressed air rockets & cars courtesy Mr Hannah. The compressor and attachments acquired during the F15 upgrade. Continuation of CO2 racers and Trebuchets (medieval catapults) 2 successful excursions to ride the Segways at the Armoury at Homebush Bay. Mr Hannah participating in Space Camp in Alabama. Presentations to classes, whole school and P&C with an excursion in Use of the Computer Controlled Milling Machine to produce intricate carvings and gears for Wooden Clocks. 10

12 Resurgence in Senior Engineering Studies as a flow on from Stage 5 IT Engineering. Success for Technology Mandatory classes in the design and production of Bridges, Wind chimes, creative footwear, numerous menus, singlet tops in textiles and the increased use of Google Sketchup, Solid Edge & Prodesktop drawing programs. Preliminary class in D&T producing innovative Lamp Designs and Advertising Graphics. Preliminary class in Industrial technology Wood producing wonderful tools and carved boxes utilising the CNC Mill and innovative jig design. Successful excursion to the Working with Wood show at Homebush. Successful upgrade of room F15 to increase to 15 computers, wireless networking & cabling upgrade. New design software includes Bridge Design, No Limits Rollercoaster Design, Engineering & Mechanisms simulations, Engineering interactive units of work, Focus on Woodwork Joints and processes and Audio Visual system. The P&C funded the Rapman 3D Printer for the TAS/ VA faculty. This $8,000- machine allows for exciting opportunities in rapid prototyping from computer generated designs. The ability to produce hollow forms allows all faculties to produce 3D versions of imagined models. The TAS/ VA departments have embraced EDMODO as our online learning system with students having access to resources and subject data via the internet. This offers tremendous flexibility for students who are absent to keep up to date or absent teachers to supply extra resources. In the future, EDMODO may be used in conjunction with Moodle. Human Society and Its Environment Marsden High School acquired a new Head Teacher HSIE, Ms Cimen Fevzi. The HSIE faculty continues to provide an important part of the school's rich curriculum through to HSC level. They also encourage and provide the foundation for broad participation by students in extra- curricular activities including a Marine Studies Camp, and the Mock Trial Competition, a team of dedicated students, led by Mrs Anne Buckley and coached by Mr Richard Buckley saw the Mock Trial team flourish, proceeding to Round Two of the competition undefeated. The HSIE Faculty is keenly aware of the need to support all students. The HSIE teachers work closely with the ESL and support staff to monitor the progress of their students and improve their skills. Enrichment classes are offered to some students to assist them to extend their knowledge and skills. An emphasis on building History throughout the school was a focal point during A number of Gifted and Talented initiatives were 11

13 introduced, e.g., Archaeologist for a Day at Macquarie University; and attendance at the production of Ben Hur. Quality teaching and learning remain a focus for the HSIE Faculty, with some Stages 4-6 programs evaluated, re- written and implemented, to cater for the BoS syllabus changes. Staff and students also have greater access to technology with the installation of a SMART board in CF1. Sport & PDHPE PDHPE Faculty 2010 has seen some significant changes in the PDHPE Faculty. Mr Gates arrived early in the year and Mr King arrived during Term 4 as the new Head Teacher. Our swim school program was offered to Year 7 students and will be implemented as a compulsory part of the PDHPE program during 2011 for students in Year 7 and 8. Stricter guidelines on PE uniform have been implemented which has seen a significant improvement in student appearance during sport and PE lessons. The faculty has acquired an exclusive room within the school to be set up with smart board technology. This will be ongoing process throughout New programs, scope and sequences and assessment tasks have been designed and will be implemented next year with the vision to improve student engagement. Finally, next year will see the return of an external venue being used for the school s athletics carnival. School, Zone and Regional Carnivals Marsden High School enjoyed a successful year at Zone Carnivals in Our Cross Country team finished in 3rd position, a vast improvement on previous years. Over 15 of our students qualified for the Regional carnival. We achieved excellent results at Zone Athletics also. Our 4th place was an outstanding achievement considering we are the smallest school in Northern Suburbs Zone. Many of our students competed at the Regional Athletics Carnival, including three of our relay teams. Bryce Steel was a member of the winning 4x400m relay team at the CHS Carnival. Furthermore, Bryce received the prestigious Zone President's award for his efforts. Buckley Shield Marsden's Under 14s Boys Rugby League team did the school proud by qualifying for the Buckley Shield Regional Grand Final. Our team also finished Runners Up at the Annual Balmain All Schools Carnival, defeating Holy Cross Ryde to qualify for the Grand Final. Standout players were Michael Flynn (Yr 9) and William Nicholson (Yr 8). Junior Rugby League (Robbie Farah Shield) In May of this year Marsden H.S. entered a team in the annual 7 a- side Rugby League Tournament at St.Luke's Oval, Concord. After a series of round- robin matches, the team qualified for the grand- final match against De La Selle, Ashfield. Winning the match against such a well- drilled Rugby League team was always going to be a hard task. With a hard fought run to the grand final and mounting injury toll, Marsden were competitive for a good part of the match before losing by a moderate margin. Key performers on the day were Adam Nurdin, Ryan Whittaker, William Nicholson and Gavin Stewart. Open Boy's Touch Football In April of this year Marsden High School hosted Cromer HS in an Open Boy's touch football match on our school grounds. Cromer High School were known to be a good touch football side with a number of representative players. After conceding two early tries, Marsden High School bounced back producing some scintillating tries of their own. In the end it was only a couple of individual tries by a Cromer student that enabled them to hold Marsden at 12

14 bay narrowly winning 9-8. Whilst Masden's performance was very much a team effort, Bryce Steel was in everything, encouraging everyone and scored 5 of Marsden's 8 tries. Bill Turner Cup The Bill Turner Cup is a football competition run for U/15 boys from NSW and Queensland. This year on the back of some solid performances, we progressed to the third round. We were fortunate enough to have a bye in the first round and then came up against Muirfield High School. With some solid defence and quick counter attacking football the team secured a 4-1 win. The next opposition were the formidable Epping Boys High School, who have previously won the tournament. On the day, the team was unfortunate to go down to Epping. The boys are looking forward to progressing further next year and savouring the opportunity to beat Epping for the first time. local derby against Macarthur Girls High School. It was a very tight match with both defences well on top. Marsden was able to break down the defence to secure a solid 2-1 victory. Our next opponent was the highly rated Burwood Girls High School who boasted current state players. The Girls fought hard and improved with every minute of the game but were out classed by the opposition and eventually went down. With the experiences of 2010 under their belt, the girls are primed and ready to surpass this year s result. Netball Knockout Two teams were selected and trained for the Northern Sydney Knockout Competition by Ms Bernyk during Terms 1 and 3. The Opens team included Katie Seward (Captain), Adriana Bertoni, Jessy Coulson, Tara Cramp, Chantelle Zerf, Jessica Harrison and Rhiannon Knipe. The Opens girl's team played away, against Riverside Girls High School and even though the girls performed extremely well they scored a close loss against the opposing team. The Open Girls team was managed on the day by Mr Cunningham. The Junior Girl team (years 7/8) travelled to Gosford with Ms Bernyk for a whole day of competition which included a round- robin competition against all the entered Northern Sydney school teams. Emily Godden of Year 8, performed outstandingly in her role as Captain and helped motivate and coach her team mates extremely well during each game. A special mention also goes to Rachel Madeley for her positive attitude to help her team mates. Both teams worked exceptionally well and deserve a commendation for their commitment and dedication to their teams. Career Education Open Girls Soccer The Open Girls soccer team competed in the state wide knock out competition and performed above expectations. Their first match was the Quality Career Education is a priority at Marsden High School. The following careers programs support the transition of students from school to work and further education: Destination survey of all students from the previous Year 12 to determine their post school destinations 13

15 Career Education lessons for all Year 10 students one hour per fortnight Work Experience for all Year 10 students Vocational testing for all Year 10 and other students on demand Information sessions for parents of Years 8, 10, 11 and 12 to provide information about subject selection, HSC requirements and tertiary options Subject Selection afternoon for parents and students from Language Backgrounds other than English HSC Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses offered at the school and at local TAFE colleges Open door policy at recess and lunchtimes to ensure that students in all years have access to the Careers Adviser and the resources of the careers office Tax file numbers for all students on request Visits to tertiary information providers to familiarise students with transport and facilities on offer eg Macquarie Partners Program, University Experience Program, Tertiary Information Expo, TAFE visit Vocational HSC to prepare students for TAFE and their working life Work Experience for all students undertaking the VET HSC Café Doonya a fully operational Café in the staff common room, staffed by Year 11 Work Studies students 3 times a fortnight Year 10 School Leavers Days Mock Interviews for Year 11 students with representatives from industry and Regional office 30 students completed the Certificate II in Outdoor Recreation through Lithgow TAFE 70 students completed TVET courses at Meadowbank, Hornsby, Ryde, Bradfield and Ultimo TAFEs Vegetable garden project funded by the School to Work Program Macquarie University School Tutoring program, where students from the university provided free tutoring for senior students from Marsden high school on Tuesday afternoons Industry Experience Program for 10 at risk students TAFE carelink courses for at risk students Interviews on request for all students and parents Exit interviews for all school leavers. Work education and Sustainable water project. Alan Southcombe has continued to expand the vegetable Garden Program with the help of Year 9 Work Education Students. Money has been made available to schools for Rainwater Tank Grants to provide water tanks for use in a sustainable project. The 22,000 litre tank will be installed adjacent to the vegetable garden and installed by mid next year. Vocational Education & Training (VET) Construction With funds provided by the P&C, Years 11 and 12 Vet Construction classes have been working on the terracing along side the oval since term 2 this year. Plans to build security cages adjacent to the COLA for the male and female change rooms have been put on hold. 14

16 Science Success and achievements The ongoing dedication being displayed in the science faculty has been the culmination of ongoing enthusiastic participation in all areas of the science curriculum. Science Scho ol SSG Sta te Pacific region. It provided a valuable assessment of our students ability to understand and apply scientific concepts. Of the students who participated 5 Distinctions, 12 Credits were awarded. The remainder were awarded Participation certificates. The following students are to be congratulated for their outstanding achievements. Average mark Year 7 Distinction Robert Ewings (top 3% of NSW & ACT) Yujin Wang (top 5% of NSW & ACT) Nikhil Deka (top 3% of NSW & ACT) Performance band distribution Performance band Number in band Year 7 Credit Alex Cahlin Harry Darwand Elizabeth Dunn Austin Hojin Kang Henry Morton Year 8 Distinction Percentage in band School Average SSG average State average Nicholas Kim (top 7% of NSW and ACT) Second year that Nicholas has achieved a Distinction Thomas Woolcott (top 7% of NSW and ACT Year 8 Credit Jake Morton David Guo Year 10 Credit Science competition 2010 Students from Marsden High School won University of New South Wales awards for their academic achievements when they participated in the recent International Competitions and Assessments for Schools Science. The competition attracted over students from across Australia, New Zealand and the Fiona Cole Rohan Coleman Year 12 Credit Yikun Jiang 2010 R.A.C.I. Australian National Chemistry Quiz This is a competition run by The Royal Australian Chemical Institute, based at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, NSW. It attracts many thousands of students from across Australia, New Zealand, and other parts of the world. The 15

17 competition provides an excellent assessment of our senior students scientific ability in Chemistry. Congratulations go to the students from years 11 and 12 who entered the competition this year. We received the following excellent results: Year 11 Distinction Sean Madeley Credit Aein Eskandari Kate Surian Gifted Scientists extended Three workshops were held during the year for Year 8 students who were identified as having ability and talent in Science. Interesting experiments were carried out in these workshops. These sessions were designed to extend the students beyond the set program and continue to foster their interest in Science. English ICAS English and Writing Competitions 2010 For over 20 years, Educational Assessment Australia (EAA) has been conducting the International Competitions and Assessment for Schools. ICAS is the largest independent assessment program for schools in Australia. The ICAS program is also delivered to schools in Brunei, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the Pacific region and the United States of America. EAA is part of UNSW Global Pty Limited, a not- for- profit provider of education, training and consulting services and a wholly- owned enterprise of the University of New South Wales (UNSW). The English Faculty has not participated in these competitions before but as part of the English Curriculum for 2010, there has been a strong focus on improving writing skills and exam technique. Students were encouraged to enter these competitions to extend or challenge themselves, discover any areas for improvement and gain invaluable experience. There were two competitions held on two separate dates. The first was the ICAS Writing Competition which was completed on Tuesday, 22 nd June, The second was the ICAS English Competition which was completed on Tuesday, 3 rd August, Competition questions covered a wide range of skills in reading and language across both literary and factual genres and text types. Students were required to locate, identify, interpret, infer and synthesise information in and about texts, focusing on the aspects of reading for meaning, textual devices, syntax and vocabulary. Students also needed to write a narrative text, demonstrating text purpose and structure, language choices that enhance the writing, syntax, grammar and punctuation. This year there were 12 students who entered the competitions. Of our 12 entries, two students achieved Distinctions and five students achieved credits in the ICAS Writing Competition. The following participants should be congratulated on their efforts and commended for their level of achievement: Year 7 Simone Bray, Nikhil Deka, Jessica Fuchs, Jessica Lambert 16

18 Year 8 Casey Cahlin, Emily Godden, Nina Kendall, Jonghee Nicholas Kim, Victor Lau Year 9 Alice Connolly, Timothy Wass Year 10 Christopher Dinh Marsden High Students at the Movies Marsden High School students had the opportunity of a lifetime to be extras in an independent Australian feature film called Panic at Rock Island. This experience gave selected Year 10 and Year 11 students a wealth of knowledge about film production and how much hard work and manpower is involved in shooting just a few scenes of a movie. Engineering at Sydney University A group of 12 students from Year 11 went to Sydney University for an engineering day. All students enjoyed the day which enabled them to gain specific knowledge about the role and challenges facing engineers in today s workforce. Distinctions for Westpac Mathematics Competition Again this year, over 160 students, competed in this elite competition with the great majority of entrants receiving awards. Five students were honoured with High Distinction awards and a further 19 students received Distinctions. These were truly excellent results. A further 58 students received credit certificates and 51 students received proficiency certificates. The Python Programming challenge I.T. A selected group of Year 9, 10 and 11 students participated in this advanced programming challenge. All participants enjoyed the competition and our best performers were presented with distinction certificates with one student receiving a high distinction award. Mathematics Gifted and Talented Day year 8 Ms Samuel took 28 students from 8M1 on a very successful excursion to Lachlan Macquarie College in Term 2. The aim of the day was for gifted and talented students to be given a series of challenges and tasks to complete in a competitive, yet supportive, environment. Our students worked especially well and actually won the overall prize for best performing school on the day. Extending our Maths minds at CSIRO Year 11 Extension 1 students and some Year 10 IT students went on an excursion to the CSIRO Centre at Marsfield. The students were informed about the role of the large radio telescopes at Parkes. They were able to use the computing facilities at Marsfield to remotely access the controls of the telescope and manoeuvre it to view a different area of space. 17

19 Languages at Marsden High Marsden High School is one of the few high school in this state to offer three Key languages of economic and cultural importance to Australia; Chinese Japanese and Korean to senior level saw several initiatives outlined below that have strengthened the delivery of languages at Marsden High School. Outstanding achievement in language results Languages continues to achieve excellent results at Marsden High School. Grace Kim came 1 st at Open High School Japanese Continuers ably supported by Ms Joo Yoon Lee of the Languages Faculty. Currently we have senior classes in Japanese, Korean and Chinese. Choon Pa Korean language Scholarship The Choon Pa Korean Language Scholarship was awarded to students in Year 7 for excellence in study of the Korean Language. The Consul of Korea also generously awarded the Languages faculty a monitor for the languages homeroom in D4 which will be equipped with an Interactive White Board and computer kiosk for a language. Our teacher studies in China Languages teacher, Mr Tom Broadfield (Head Teacher Welfare) at Marsden was awarded a scholarship to complete a diploma in Modern Languages (Chinese) to complement languages abilities in Japanese and German. This was further supported by a three week intensive language study trip to Shaanxi University in Xian China during the summer break. Language technology excellence The Parents & Citizens recognised the need for technology in the delivery of language and granted funding for installation of an Interactive Whiteboard and stand alone computers for a language lab in the languages homeroom in D4. Japanese in Years 9 & 10. This year a Korean Heritage class will also be offered for study commencing The motto for Marsden is Learning for Life. Language study at Marsden prepares our students for work, travel and further study. It is an international passport for reaching out to the world. Academic In the National Assessment Program, the results across the Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 literacy and numeracy assessments are reported on a scale from Band 1 to Band 10. The achievement scale represents increasing levels of skills and understandings demonstrated in these assessments. Yr 7: from Band 4 (lowest) to Band 9 (highest for Year 7) Yr 9: from Band 5 (lowest) to Band 10 (highest for Year 9) and/or In the School Certificate the performance of students is reported in performance bands ranging from Performance Band 1 (lowest) to Performance Band 6 (highest). Whilst results for year 9 students in Numeracy were solid there were some key areas in which results could be improved. The key indicator of success the value- added data showed substantial improvement had been made by year 9 students compared to year 7 results. Plans are already in place for 2011 to ensure that key topics that have been identified for improvement will be revised thoroughly before the Naplan tests. This year sees Year 12 classes studying Chinese and Japanese and elective classes in Chinese and 18

20 Literacy NAPLAN Year 7 Literacy NAPLAN Year 9 Percentage of students Percentage of students in bands: Year 7 writing Band Percentage of students Percentage of students in bands: Year 9 writing Band Percentage in band 2010 School average SSG average 2010 Percentage in band 2010 School average SSG average 2010 Numeracy NAPLAN Year 7 Percentage of students Percentage of students in bands: Year 7 numeracy Band Percentage in band 2010 School average SSG average 2010 Numeracy NAPLAN Year 9 Percentage of students Percentage of students in bands: Year 9 numeracy Band Percentage in band 2010 School average SSG average

21 School Certificate Percentage of students in performance bands: School Certificate English-literacy Percentage of students in performance bands: School Certificate Science Percentage of students Percentage of students Performance band Percentage in band 2010 School Average Performance band SSG average 2010 Percentage in band 2010 School Average SSG average 2010 School Certificate relative performance comparison to Year 5 (value- adding) 40 Percentage of students in performance bands: School Certificate Mathematics School Certificate: Relative growth from Year 5 (value-added) 2.0 Percentage of students Relative growth Performance band Percentage in band 2010 School Average English Mathematics Science Australian History, Civics and Citizenship Australian Computer Skills Geography, Civics and Citizenship SSG average 2010 School 2010 School Average

22 Higher School Certificate School 2010 School SSG School 2010 School SSG English as a Second Language Information Processes and Technology General Mathematics Mathematics Mathematics Extension 1 Personal Development, Health and Physical Education Society and Culture Chinese Background Speakers School 2010 School SSG Higher School Certificate Course Summary School 2010 School SSG 2010 State Biology Business Studies Chemistry Community and Family Studies English (Standard) English (Advanced) Biology Business Studies Chemistry Community and Family Studies English (Standard) English (Advanced) 21

23 English as a Second Language School 2010 School SSG 2010 State 2010 Information Processes and Technology General Mathematics Mathematics Mathematics Extension 1 Personal Development, Health and Physical Education Average HSC Relative Performance from Year 10 (value-added) Low Middle High School, 2010 School Average SSG average 2010 School 2010 School SSG 2010 State Society and Culture Chinese Background Speakers Minimum standards The Commonwealth Government sets minimum standards for reading, writing, grammar and punctuation, spelling and numeracy for years 3, 5, 7 and 9. The performance of the students in our school in the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy is compared to these minimum standards. The percentages of our students achieving at or above these standards are reported below. Percentage of Year 7 students in our school achieving at or above the minimum standard in 2010 Higher School Certificate relative performance comparison to School Certificate (value- adding) 22

24 Percentage of Year 9 students in our school achieving at or above the minimum standard in 2010 Significant programs and initiatives Aboriginal education Marsden is a welcoming school for incoming Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, their parents and carers. Our initiatives have supported: visits to Aboriginal sites, BBQ s for parents and carers The engagement of motivational speakers Linking our school with the local TAFE and career organisations. Our Head teacher Welfare, Mr. Broadfield has worked in consultation with students and their families to develop individual Education Plans (IEP) for every Aboriginal student. Students are magnificiently supported by Kerry Smith our (AEW). The employment in 2010 of an Aboriginal Education Worker (AEW), with the assistance of Regional Education Funding, has continued to build supportive contacts and engage the local community. To facilitate the move to High School the AEW has communicated with primary schools and future parents as well as attended the Year 6 Orientation Day to welcome future students and parents to Marsden. Respect and responsibility Welfare and wellbeing of all our students The position of Head Teacher Welfare was created in 2009 to support the wellbeing, engagement needs of students at Marsden High School. The wellbeing of students in fundamental to enabling our students reach their potential and actively participate at the school. Student Welfare is a pillar that supports the learning and participation of students. If you have concerns or initiatives that can be considered by the Head Teacher Welfare, Learning Support and Welfare teams or year advisors please contact us at Marsden High School. PBEL Positive Behaviour Engaging Learners Marsden has been actively developing the PBEL whole- school program throughout the year into the school s planning and into the day to day process of running of our school. The core team members have met regularly and frequently to discuss the successes that have been achieved between each meeting, strategies, direction and planning for the program to be successfully developed with each phase of development. Ongoing training has been undertaken by the core team members and Simone Taylor of Northern Sydney Region has been involved as a Coach for our staff team. Team members include executive staff Ms Margaret Paczkowski, Dr Suzanne Vasilevska, Mr Tom Broadfield, Ms Penny Waters and Ms Cimen Fevzi, as well as teaching staff Ms Laryssa Bernyk, Mrs Eva McNaughton, Ms Ksenia Krywenko and Mr Wayne Lloyd. Both student and staff involvement in each phase of development has been paramount in the small steps of success that have been achieved over the course of the year. It is most pleasing to report that there have been quite a few monumental successes in the course of the process that PBEL has gained, most notably has been the PBEL momentum and growth of the CARE expectations within our school. 23