GIB GATE • FRENSHAM • STURT
TERM 3 NO 2 - 13 AUGUST 2009

Developing Resilience: Preschool to Year 12
Much continues to be written about how to raise resilient children.  What we know is that the raising of children is a complex task which requires continual good judgement, humility, intense energy and our sharpest wit.   Children’s individual traits and needs require parenting and teaching techniques that are constantly evolving and being refined and what defines ‘good parenting’ (by parents and teachers) is also unique to each child, each family and each moment.  Yet despite all which influences our efforts, a strong body of literature defines an enduring, teachable set of values and traits upon which we should base our combined efforts to nurture socially, emotionally and academically strong young people.

At Gib Gate, Ms Robson and class teachers expect to work closely in support of parents in their efforts to build in children the skills and attitudes that allow them to function at their best in and beyond the classroom.  The 2007 Parenting Workshops led by educational psychologist Mrs Jane Whittingham, the Bounce Back and Stop, Think, Do programmes and the individualised work in support of our Positive Peer Relations policy are all part of the effort required to develop in children essential positive habits for life.  

For Frensham, the support continues, the expectations remain high and the willingness for parents and the School to share responsibility is essential.  We know that teenagers are risk-takers growing up in a complex and rapidly changing world; the very process of being confronted by new physical, intellectual and emotional challenges in a stimulating environment is inherently exciting and immensely rewarding for young people. We also know that exposure to these challenges, in a secure environment, can awaken a belief in themselves which will stay with them throughout their lives and that the skills, confidence and courage to deal with unfamiliar territory can be learned.

Frensham’s new Jamieson programme articulates our approach to the teaching of these skills and attitudes. 

A valuable resource highly recommended to parents of children of all ages (Available on loan through the Health Centre at Frensham (02 4860 2107) or from Ms Robson at Gib Gate – ISBN 1-876451-66-1) is Andrew Mullins’ book ‘Parenting for Character – equipping your child for life.’ In his introduction Mullins notes:

‘There are two simple ingredients in this process of equipping children for adult life.  They are universal principles.  The great writings of the East, classical literature, the great books of the religions, all emphasise these perennial co-constituents of good parenting:

• Children need a clear understanding of what is right, founded on clear reasoning and deep respect for others – values or conscience, if you prefer that word.
• These values, in turn, are the foundation for well-grooved habits of responsible behaviour.

Widely and understandably, parent express their keenness for their children to be ‘happy’ at home and at school but Mullins challenges what this means in his chapters that focus on Habits for happiness. 

Andrew Mullins ‘Habits for happiness’...
A child needs:

• habits of sound judgement guided by an accurate understanding of what is right and wrong, and of what enriches and degrades a human being
• a deep sense of responsibility to others and well-tried habits of generosity if he or she is to be capable of forming and maintaining permanent relationships
• self-possession and habitual self-control, conferring a relative freedom from internal weaknesses and bad habits
• resilience and habitual toughness in the face of difficulties or difficult people
• common sense and courage to resist external pressures from the media or peer group

Acknowledgment to:

• Sturt School for Wood teacher Mr John Gallagher, winner of Best Craftsmanship at the Design & Wood Exhibition, Sydney and to Nick Statham (graduate 1999) second place winner for Best Design;
• Gib Gate athletes, parents, staff and Frensham Year 8 students whose combined efforts resulted in such a successful Athletics Carnival last Friday;
• Mrs Sally Musgrove (Gib Gate Coordinator of Sport) and Grace Musgrove, Year 11, for their outstanding athletic achievements in the 2009 City to Surf (see front page);
• Gemma Moran-Gibson, Year 12, one of a group of 12 students invited by Professor Terry Gagen to attend the National Mathematics Summer School in January 2010 as part of an extension group, following her achievements at the Summer School in 2009;
• Recent Girdle recipient Elizabeth Friend (Year 12) for Academic Excellence;
• Sarah Loewy (Year 11), winner of the Berrima District final in the Rotary 4 Way Speaking Competition;
• The Oral History volunteers, a team of Old Girls coordinated by Mrs Sally Osborne with our Archives Coordinator Mrs Joanna Vink, former Deputy Head of Frensham.  The team met recently to offer suggestions about how we could proceed to build on the valuable records added recently;
• Staff leading Year 10 Goal Setting discussions with girls and parents on Saturday afternoon. We appreciate the significant time being committed to the half-hour interviews designed to assist with the transition from the School Certificate to Senior Studies;
• All who have assisted with the logistics of this weekend’s Father – Daughter Ball at Frensham and, particularly, Mrs Ros Buick, for her skilled, tireless work in planning and in supporting girls with every element of the night.

Guest for the Year 9 Parent Weekend Service:
We are pleased to note that Ms Lucinda Watson (1996) BA (Hons I) Government & International Relations, MIL will offer the Address at the Year 9 Parent Weekend Service.  Lucinda completed the 3 Peaks 3 Weeks Challenge in January 2009.

Ms J A Gillick
Head of Frensham
Head of Winifred West Schools

AHEAD:

Parent / Community News

GIB GATE

Thank you to the parents who supported Gib Gate staff in the organisation and running of the Gib Gate Years 2-6 Athletics Carnival last Friday and especially to the FOGG parents who organised lunch.  Many assisted also with the running of events and many acted as timekeepers, with parents enthusiastically supporting and encouraging students during the events.  The students enjoyed the day and the standard of the competition and sporting spirit displayed was impressive. Assistance of a team of Frensham students was also appreciated.

Students in Year 6 enjoyed an excursion to Frensham and Sturt last Thursday as part of their Term 3 studies in Visual Arts and HSIE.  Mrs Spencer and Mrs Wheeler accompanied the class who took part in an Adobe Photoshop workshop at the Frensham ICT centre and a Sturt Weaving Workshop tour and demonstration.

Ms Sally Robson, Head of Gib Gate

Curriculum Insights Week 3
Students aged 9 years and over have been invited to participate in the 2009 Young Writer’s Awards. This is a local community initiative organised and sponsored by Berkelouw Books, Berrima to provide students with a real purpose to develop their creative writing skills by completing a 500-1,000 word story.  Gib Gate students have represented the School with success by entering many high quality and imaginative stories over the past three years.  This year our young writers are encouraged to take part in this worthwhile challenge and have been advised that the first prize winner in each of the school student categories will receive a personal prize and a $1,000 book voucher for the school’s library.  More information and entry forms are available from class teachers or by visiting the sponsor’s website at http://www.berkelouw.com.au/whats_on

The ICAS Science Competition Awards will be presented to participating students in Years 3-6 at Performance Assembly on Friday 28 August and parents are invited to attend.  Gib Gate has performed strongly in this annual international competition with one High Distinction, eight Distinctions, 16 Credits and 32 Participation certificates to be awarded.  Results for each competition will be published in the newsletter following the presentation of certificates at Performance Assembly.

Mrs Kate Chauncy, Curriculum Coordinator K-6
Coordinator Gifted & Talented Programmes

Music
All students from Transition Preschool to Year 2 are preparing for the Musical Production of The Colour Factory which will be performed on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 September at Clubbe Hall.  

Students from Years 3-6 were excited to learn that their Musical Production, to be performed in Term 4, is C S Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.  

Many Gib Gate students are in the process of sitting for their AMEB Music Examinations.

Extra-Curricular classes for this term have commenced.  Students participating in Touch Typing have improved their skills and speed. 

Mrs Anne Graham, Gib Gate Coordinator

Winter sports
The 2009 Soccer and Hockey winter competitions finish this weekend.  All Gib Gate students who were involved are commended for their participation and commitment to training and games this season with a large number of Gib Gate students involved in extra curricula sport.  This winter the School had over 100 students from Kindergarten to Year 6 participating for Gib Gate in team sports.

The Southern Highlands Netball Competition continues until the end of August, after which semi finals will begin.  All Gib Gate Netball teams are looking strong in preparation for this stage of the competition.
At the conclusion of the Netball competition, an end of season breakfast will be held for all Gib Gate winter sport teams to thank supporters, coaches and managers for their time and commitment over the season.

Athletics
A successful House Athletics Carnival was held at Gib Gate last Friday for all students in Years 2-6.  The level of skill development exhibited by the students was made obvious by their confident approach when participating in the track and field events. 

A team of approximately 45 Gib Gate athletes will compete at the Southern Highlands Independent Schools (SHIPS) Carnival at Tudor House School this Friday 14 August. 

Mrs Sally Musgrove, Coordinator of PE and Sport

STURT

FRIENDS OF STURT Christine Hurditch (President), Joan Dinning (Secretary), Julie Musgrove, Henrietta and Ralph Ierace, Ruth Wright, Bill Dinning (Ex-officio members: Megan Patey, Melanie Olde).

Sturt News
John Gallagher, teacher at the Sturt School for Wood, won the prize for Best Craftsmanship at the opening of the exhibition Design & Wood, at Danks St Gallery, Waterloo, Sydney last Wednesday evening.  John’s piece, a contemporary glass-fronted display unit was part of the Woodworkers Association of NSW biannual exhibition.  The exhibition featured studio furniture, referring to one-off or limited edition works designed and made by one or a small number of people.  Four of the ten exhibitors in this exhibition, are graduates from the Sturt School for Wood, with Nick Statham (graduate of 1999) taking out second prize for Best Design.

September Weekend Courses - Two weekend courses will be held on 12-13 September: Mosaics with Ellen Nolet and Coiled Basketry with Meri Peach.  For information regarding either of these two weekend courses, view the website www.sturt.nsw.edu.au or phone Sturt on 02 4860 2083.

Summer School enrolments are coming in for a choice of 24 courses to be held between 4-9 January 2010.  All information regarding the Summer School is available on the website or phone Sturt 02 4860 2083.

Sturt Gallery - Following the present exhibition of paintings and monotypes by Sarah Gray, on display until 23 August, the Gallery will feature furniture made by five designers in wood who are all teaching at the Sturt in 2009.  The teachers are John Gallagher, Niklavs Rubenis, David Upfill-Brown, Michael Fortune and James Carr.  To accompany this exhibition, David Upfill-Brown will be presenting images and talk about his recent experiences as full-time tutor at the Centre for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine, USA.  David is currently teaching the last twelve-week intensive courses for 2009.  This presentation will be held in the Frensham Drama Theatre at 5.30pm on 13 September 2009. RSVP Ph 02 4860 2083.

Megan Patey, Head of Sturt

FRENSHAM

Deputy Head

At the end of each Term, all Form Groups elect a Head of Form to represent that group. The Heads of Form collect the morning Bulletin and read it to the Form Group; they also act as a conduit of information between the administration of the School and the other students in the Form.  Ms Gillick announces Heads of Form during the first week of each Term.

This week Year 9 has been preparing for their Year Weekend and preparations for the Year 11 Weekend are well underway. 

The Year Weekends are an exciting time for Frensham girls and staff.  Not only are they a chance for parents to discuss with staff the progress of their daughters, they also provide the opportunity for girls from that year to share their talents with the rest of the School.  To this end, the weekends play an important role in building community and School spirit and it is important that every girl at Frensham support the year group by being at both the Service and Concert.

Year 10 students are in the process of completing their Work Experience interviews and are looking forward to their Goal Setting Interviews on Saturday.

Mr Geoff Marsh, Deputy Head

Director of Studies

Saturday 15 August will be a full day in the life of the School with Year 9 Parent–Teacher interviews in the morning and Year 10 Goal Setting interviews in the afternoon.  In addition, the first of the HSC Languages Speaking Examinations (French Continuers) will be conducted at Frensham on that day.

The HSC speaking examinations are important features of those Languages courses with a speaking component and, this year, Frensham HSC Language students will sit for speaking examinations in French Continuers, French Extension, Japanese Continuers and German Continuers.  The examinations last for approximately 10 minutes and are designed to assess a student’s knowledge and skill in using the spoken language.  Students will be led by the examiner in the respective language being studied, in a conversation about the student’s personal world, with questions centring on a student’s life, her family and friends, and her interests and aspirations.

Year 11 students are now in their third and final term of Preliminary HSC studies, with their examinations scheduled for the last two weeks of Term 3 and their HSC studies to commence in Term 4.  During this term, they need to be evaluating their progress in their various courses and making decisions about any modifications to their overall programme for the HSC; for example, whether to take up an Extension course or whether to reduce their unit total.  Individual interviews will be held with all Year 11 students over the rest of this term to assist them in their decision-making and parents will be able to receive feedback on their daughter’s progress from her teachers at the Year 11 Parent–Teacher interviews on Saturday 29 August.

Mrs Sue Flaxman, Director of Studies

Director of Boarding

As the Father/Daughter Ball approaches, it brings to mind that some girls will need more support than others on this night.  Support for others was the theme of the School’s Sunday Service led by Year 11 students, who reminded us that ‘No man is an island’, that we are all in need of extra support at some time in our lives and that we need to be aware of those around us that might need our help no matter how large or small.

Watching Year 12 girls in the Library on Sunday giving assistance to each other leading up to the second week of their Higher School Certificate Trial examinations made us aware of the importance of such a support network.  This is the basis of the Shadow and Crack system and it is how the Boarding Houses run, with Year 10 girls working collaboratively with staff to support all members of the House.

The following poem was also read at the Sunday Service:

A Creed to Live By, Author Unknown

Don't undermine your worth by comparing
yourself with others,
It is because we are different that each
of us is special.
Don't set your goals by what other people
deem important,
Only you know what is best for you.
Don't take for granted the things closest
to your heart
Cling to that as you would your life, for without
them life is meaningless.
Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living
in the past or the future.
By living your life one day at a time, you live all the
days of your life.
Don't give up when you still have something to give
Nothing is really over … until the moment
you stop trying.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less
than perfect,
It is the fragile thread that binds us to each other.
Don't be afraid to encounter risks,
It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's
impossible to find.
The quickest way to receive love is to give love.
The fastest way to lose love is to hold on too tightly,
And the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Don't dismiss your Dreams. To be without
dreams is to be without hope.
To be without hope is to be without purpose.
Don't run through life so fast that you forget
where you've been,
But also know where you're going.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savoured
every step of the way.

Travel Information - To accommodate travel requests, girls have the responsibility to fill in the appropriate sheets which are provided at White Cottage by 11.00am Thursdays.

Travel requests are available for all Open Weekends.

The Sydney bus information is available in the Frensham Information Handbook, page 25.  Drop off and pick up is from Bay 9, Eddy Avenue.

Parents who would like their daughters to travel by air to a destination at the end of term need to be aware that transport to the Airport will be provided. 

Whilst we are not able to accommodate individual requests for Airport pick up to return to School, the Sydney Bus to Frensham departs Central Station at 6.00pm and parents are encouraged to arrange their daughters’ transport to meet that bus or make alternative arrangements.  If assistance is required, please contact Mrs Wansey.

Mrs Ros Buick, Director of Boarding

Teaching and Learning

In preparation for field study this week, Mrs McCarroll provided Year 10 Geography students with a detailed orientation to water quality testing tools and processes.  She was assisted in that task by Ms Leah McCarroll, Water Watch Coordinator for the Lachlan River Catchment who joined Year 10 via Video Conference using SKYPE telecommunications technology.

Use of SKYPE technology in HSIE follows piloting of the use of SKYPE to assist preparation of Year 11 students who will participate in the Religious and Ethical Questions section of the AHIGS Festival of Speech.  Dr Mianna Lotz, Lecturer in Applied Ethics at Macquarie University provides prior reading via email which she discusses with students through a process of Socratic questioning.

The use of SKYPE technology has allowed us to enhance the expertise of our teachers by allowing them to invite specialists to join discussions and encourage dialogue at the highest level.  

Mrs Bronwyn Tregenza, Director of Teaching and Learning

English and Drama

Sarah Loewy (Year 11), accompanied by Mrs Williams, spoke at the lunchtime meeting of the Berrima and District Rotary Club on Wednesday 5 August.  Her speech on tolerance was well received and she is progressing to the next level of The 4 Way Speaking Competition.

Brooke Martin-Smith and Madeleine Bowdern travelled to Bomaderry High School for the Local Final of the Legacy Junior Plain English Speaking Competition, with Madeleine being Highly Commended for her presentation.

All teams for the AHIGS Festival of Speech are being finalised and topics will be released in the coming weeks.

The team for The South Coast Public speaking is preparing for the evening of Tuesday 18 August: Caitlan Mahony and Adelaide Wallace – Year 7; Freya Spencer and Rebecca McCreath – Year 8; Emma Gorman and Emily Maker – Year 10, Zoë Philip and Katherine Porter – Year 11.

Mrs Sandra Strahorn who has recently retired as an English Consultant and Head Teacher English has been assisting Mrs McClay and Mrs Symons in the double marking of the HSC Trial Examination papers, in line with the HSC marking process.  Her feedback and comments will be invaluable for the revision programme.
Auditions for the End of Year Production, Guys and Dolls, have commenced and there is also intensive activity with the rehearsals for the Junior production.  Year 11 Drama students are preparing for the AHIGS entry and Year 12 are finishing their  Individual and Group performance works  for the HSC marking date which has been set for 7 September.

Mrs Trish Symons, Director Language Arts

HSIE

On Friday 31 July, Year 9 students participated in an activity to mark National Tree Day.  The students cleared a section of the Lower Holt, then mulched the area and planted 400 native grasses and shrubs.  Representatives from the Wingecarribee Council assisted the girls in selecting suitable locations for the plants.  The students are to be commended for their positive and enthusiastic approach throughout the day.

In preparation for their fieldwork activities on the 11 August, Year 10 Geography students participated in a SKYPE session with Ms Leah McCarroll, the Waterwatch coordinator for the Lachlan catchment.  Ms McCarroll outlined her role as a catchment officer in assisting landholders and community groups in managing and protecting water resources.  She also demonstrated various fieldwork measuring techniques and explained the significance of these results.  This information will be of value to students when completing their assessment tasks based on the fieldwork activities.

Year 10 History travel to the Australian War Memorial on the 11 August as part of the unit they are studying on the Vietnam War.

Mrs Jacqualine McCarroll, HISE Coordinator

Young Achievement Australia (YAA)

Young Achievement Australia (YAA) is a non-government charitable institution which provides opportunities for young people to participate in a small business programme which teaches them how to start up and operate their own business.  Open to Year 11 students, the 2009 team members are: Claudia Ablett, Antonia Cadell, Charlotte Cosyn, Fiona Davidson, Millie Ellice-Flint, Georgia Fairbairn, Arabella Kilmartin, Charlotte Lymbery, Emily Moller, Isis Oliver, Katherine Porter and Sally Stafford.

Recently the students have been selling shares to raise the necessary capital to start their business which will involve designing and selling a unique range of tote bags.  The students have thought of a catchy name for their business Junkyard with the business name needing to conform to YAA rules and contain ‘ya’ in the name.

Each student is appointed to a team in areas such as Human Resources, Marketing, Finance and Operations, and is required to work with her fellow team members on myriad activities over 26 weeks.  Some examples of the tasks recently completed include: writing a business plan, preparing human resource files, opening a bank account, designing prints for the tote bag range, sourcing a manufacturer, obtaining quotes and negotiating with manufacturers on costs to produce the tote bags, preparing promotional material such as advertising flyers and running Board Meetings.

The students are fortunate to be mentored by volunteers from the Southern Highlands community.  This year Mr Chris Pearsall of Sydney Capital Partners, Mr Terry Mortensen, Mr Nick Padol, Mr Trevor Fair of Oxley Partners and Ms Machelle Williams of Frensham are guiding the students in the establishment of Junkyard.

Ms Machelle Williams, Teacher of Business Studies and Economics

Mathematics

During second term, 64 students across Years 7 to 10 completed the demanding competition known as the Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians, run by the Australian Mathematics Trust.  This was a commendably high rate of participation by so many enthusiastic students in what is a very difficult and extended problem-solving competition, in which they need to be inventive, resourceful and persistent.  The results were excellent, with several students being awarded High Distinctions, Distinctions and Credits in either the Junior Division (Years 7 and 8) or Intermediate Division (Years 9 and 10).  

High Distinctions - Junior Division: Rebecca McCreath, Lauren Zawal and Georgina Whatmore.  Distinctions - Junior Division: Lani Maher, Phoebe Cook, Jessica Burns and Annabel Locke.  Intermediate Division: Madeleine Quinn.  Credits - Junior Division: Mary Lamond, Adelaide Wallace, Catherine Hall and Edith Gregory.  Intermediate Division: Sophia Macken, Emily Marsh, Georgia Ross, Elizabeth Lamond, Georgina Alison, Molly Collins and Brooke Martin-Smith.

Mrs Sue Flaxman, Coordinator of Mathematics

PDHPE

On Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 August, the Year 11 PDHPE class, along with a small group of other Year 11 students and staff, participated in a First Aid Course.  Mr Norm Spalding from Medixcare who has been an Ambulance Officer and Paramedic for the past 30 years and has extensive expertise and experience in this area, ran the course.  All participants were successful in obtaining their First Aid Certificate.

Year 10 students are currently studying ‘The Club’ which looks at the different roles and positions within an organisation, with a major focus on coaching.  They are also participating in some Gaelic Football lessons, which are proving to be challenging and fun.

‘So You Think You Can Dance’ is a unit in which Year 9 girls are participating this term.  The unit focuses on the aspects required to prepare and perform quality movement performances.  With the help of Desiree’s Dance Academy, the students will be choreographing and performing a group-devised dance as their assessment task.

This term, Year 8 students are learning about the skill-related and health-related components of fitness.  They will learn ways in which to improve each component and also have the opportunity to participate in testing of each component.

Year 7 students will be participating in a Bush Dance unit which focuses on the development of an understanding of space, timing and rhythm associated with dance.  Throughout the term, they will learn a number of Bush Dances and also be required to choreograph their own dance based on the steps they have learned.

Ms Jane Barrett, Coordinator of PDHPE

Science

Year 9 Science students are in the initial stages of planning their Open Ended Investigation (OEI). This assessment task provides them with some degree of freedom in the choice of question they would like to investigate.  Students are expected to undertake an experiment to test a hypothesis and record their results accurately.  The OEI will develop skills in problem solving, experimental design, recording and presenting data and carrying out a planned procedure safely.  Students will follow a series of steps using the scientific method and are expected to maintain an accurate logbook documenting their progress.  Students will also learn skills in graphing and data analysis which will be utilised in their OEI final report. 

Students are encouraged to plan investigations related to one of the topics they have studied or in an area of interest.  They should address problems relevant to their immediate environment and use readily available materials to undertake their investigation.  Class time is allocated to assist girls in planning their investigations, carrying out research, clarifying their questions, developing hypotheses, identifying variables and reporting results.  During this long-term undertaking, students will be developing the skills required to demonstrate that they can think scientifically.

Mr Jason Smith, Coordinator of Science

Sport

Note from Ms Gillick: The Games Field has been a lively place to be for the first two weekends of the season, thanks to the number of parents and friends in attendance, in support.  I am delighted to acknowledge the strong, positive messages offered to girls when parents are united in their ‘silence’ or simply offering the occasional ‘well done Frensham’ from the sidelines, allowing girls to enjoy the game and focus on their coaches’ advice.

Also a highlight throughout the year is the ongoing work of Year 9 parents, led by Mr Mark Bowdern in the Games Field Pavilion.  We are hugely appreciative of the warm welcome offered by our parents to visitors – the best possible way to model the generosity and team effort we are fostering amongst girls.

Wet Weather arrangements for Saturday Sport
Owing to the short season for all IGSSA Sports, every attempt is made to play the inter-school matches and cancellations of Saturday Sport are rarely made before Saturday morning, unless a venue notifies IGSSA that the facilities will not be playable prior to this.

Means of gaining information concerning play:
IGSSA Wet Weather Line 1900 922 834
IGSSA WEBSITE  http://igssa.ahigs.nsw.edu.au
Boarding Houses
All the above are updated throughout the morning.

Mrs Amanda Wansey, Coordinator of Sport

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