Page 1 Week 6 Term 4 Friday 16th November, 2012 Congratulate Dear Parents Our Commitment; Excellence, Innovation, Community After what was initially a great response from my request that parents not enter our staff car parks, recently the practice has resumed. I am considering installing electronic boom gates as a measure to ensure the safety of our students and staff. While not wishing to single out any particular parent group it appears that the Band parents account for a significant number of these incidents. I again ask that parents not enter either Waratah or Emma Street Staff car parks. Thanking you in anticipation. Student Leadership Team 2013 Congratulations to the following students who have been elected as student leaders, Prefects, for 2013. Developing student leadership is an important focus at Mona Vale and the following students have been elected by their peers and staff to hold Prefect positions. From this group our School Captains and Vice Captains have been elected, by their elected peers, and they will be announced at Presentation Day. I wish the new leadership team all the best and look forward to working with them in 2013. Girls Ella Worland, Jamie Bell, Jemma Murphy, Lara Hather, Logan McCann, Sarah Nelson, Sophie Martin, Zoe Bakker. Boys Anton Peden, Lachlan Rose , Tyler Ratcliff, Ben Trbojevic, Ben Hepburn, Luke Nelson, Flynn Rogley , Joel Wiles. Class Formation 2013 Parent information for 2013 Class Formation is now closed. Thank you to parents who provided information they wished us to consider when forming classes for 2013. As indicated, while every consideration will be given, we cannot guarantee that we can meet every request. When forming classes, current teachers on the grade consider parent requests, social groupings, gender balance, ability levels and behavioural issues. As you can appreciate it is a very complex process but one which the staff take very seriously in an effort to provide the best possible learning outcomes for every student. From the Principal
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Page 1
Week 6 Term 4 Friday 16th November, 2012
Congratulate
Dear Parents
Our Commitment; Excellence, Innovation, Community
After what was initially a great response from my request that parents not enter our staff car
parks, recently the practice has resumed. I am considering installing electronic boom gates as a
measure to ensure the safety of our students and staff. While not wishing to single out any
particular parent group it appears that the Band parents account for a significant number of these
incidents. I again ask that parents not enter either Waratah or Emma Street Staff car parks.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Student Leadership Team 2013
Congratulations to the following students who have been elected as student leaders, Prefects, for
2013. Developing student leadership is an important focus at Mona Vale and the following
students have been elected by their peers and staff to hold Prefect positions. From this group our
School Captains and Vice Captains have been elected, by their elected peers, and they will be
announced at Presentation Day. I wish the new leadership team all the best and look forward to
working with them in 2013.
Girls
Ella Worland, Jamie Bell, Jemma Murphy, Lara Hather, Logan McCann, Sarah Nelson, Sophie
Martin, Zoe Bakker.
Boys Anton Peden, Lachlan Rose , Tyler Ratcliff, Ben Trbojevic, Ben Hepburn, Luke Nelson,
Flynn Rogley , Joel Wiles.
Class Formation 2013
Parent information for 2013 Class Formation is now closed. Thank you to parents who provided
information they wished us to consider when forming classes for 2013. As indicated, while every
consideration will be given, we cannot guarantee that we can meet every request. When forming
classes, current teachers on the grade consider parent requests, social groupings, gender
balance, ability levels and behavioural issues. As you can appreciate it is a very complex process
but one which the staff take very seriously in an effort to provide the best possible learning
outcomes for every student.
From the Principal
Page 2
Week 6 Term 4 Friday 16th November, 2012
Catering for Individual Differences & Extension Class Review
We have now completed a survey as a component of our 2013 school planning and following my
commitment, when appointed, to conduct a school-wide review of Catering for Individual
Differences and Extension Classes at Mona Vale. The purpose of the review was to determine
staff, student and parent attitudes towards these programs at Mona Vale and to inform school
decision making. The review findings are based on 37 staff, 110 student and 274 parent
responses and were collected through the recently closed school-wide survey. Survey
methodology included both written and multiple choice responses.
Review Findings
An overwhelming number of students, 90% and parents, 98% believe students with learning
difficulties should receive additional support. When asked should we provide academic extension
for students 91% of parents and 72% of students agreed.
The topic of extension classes generated considerable comment from students, staff and
parents. A significant number of parents, 77% and students, 72% supported the formation of
extension classes to cater for students working at a high level. Staff were evenly divided with
40% supporting and 40% not supporting their formation. Staff overwhelmingly, 100% agreed that
student success was regularly celebrated within the school. A significant number of parents, 30%
whilst supporting the formation of extension classes, did not understand how they were formed
and only 36% understood how students with learning difficulties are identified.
Review Recommendations
Recommendation 1
That Extension classes be formed where appropriate numbers of students in the grade support
this structure.
Recommendation 2
A clear and transparent Policy and Guidelines Document be developed to oversee the selection
and placement of students into Extension classes at Mona Vale. Students are placed for one
year and class placements are reviewed annually.
Recommendation 3
The School’s Learning Support Team continues to monitor and manage students identified as
requiring additional support services to access appropriate educational programs.
Student Success
Academic Excellence
Each year Mona Vale enters the University of NSW Academic Performance competitions. The
school’s performance this year is excellent in both English and Mathematics with a combined 6
High Distinctions and 64 Distinctions. Well done to students and the staff.
ICAS English
Page 3
Week 6 Term 4 Friday 16th November, 2012
Students read a variety of texts which narrate, describe, explain, argue, persuade and review.
The types of texts include extracts from picture books, novels, poems, play scripts, transcripts of
interviews, letters, diary entries, advertisements, web pages, feature articles, opinion pieces and
comics. These texts cover a range of topics and may include tables, diagrams, maps and other
visual information. The texts which students read will increase in complexity within each paper as
well as from Paper A to Paper E, moving from simple texts dealing with familiar subjects and
topics to complex texts incorporating abstract concepts and sophisticated language structures.
In the English paper MVPS scored 7 High Distinctions and 28 Distinctions.
Congratulations to these students on their impressive results in what is always a challenging test:
High Distinction: Indiana Pike 4/5S, Kelly Xu 4B, Jaime Bell 5B, Benjamin Hepburn 5B, Alex Lu
Congratulations to: Allie Broun who was selected to be a part of the North Shore U11 Rep Hockey Squad. We wish her all the best for the second round of selections early next year. Jenna Powell who has been selected as a part of the 12Yr Manly Warringah Netball Squad. Jasmine Bonomi who has been selected in the Trans Tasman Athletics team competing in January. Well done girls! We are proud of your achievements.
Tick Awareness
We are well and truly into the Australian tick season which began in September. Vets and doctors are bracing
themselves for one of the worst tick season, which has started earlier than previous years due to the weather.
Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that are often found in tall grass or bushland areas where they will wait to attach to a
passing host. Ticks often latch on to shoes or clothes, and then work their way up your clothing until they find exposed
skin. Some ticks carry an array of diseases which can be passed to humans via a bite, one such bacteria being Lyme
Disease. There are certain places in Australia that are known Lyme Disease tick hot spots, including the Northern
Beaches area of Sydney.
Long term complications of Lyme Disease can include neurological pain/damage, joint and muscular inflammation, chronic fatigue, frequent illnesses, and anxiety or behavioural mood changes. Lyme Disease has been known to lead to potential death in chronic cases.
What to do if you or a family member is bitten:
Remove carefully with long nosed tweezers – this is so that you avoid squeezing the tick and its potentially toxic contents into your blood stream.
You should not cover the tick in metho, rubbing alcohol, bi-carb soda, vaseline, any other substance or burn it with a match
Watch for symptoms - Early Lyme Disease symptoms include flu like symptoms such as headache, fever, muscle soreness & unexplained fatigue. Fewer than 50% of people with Lyme Disease develop a “bulls-eye” rash a few days or even a few weeks after their tick bite (if they remember the bite).
If you develop any rash or flu like symptoms following a bite, see a doctor as soon as possible to get a course of antibiotics which will stop any bacterial infection from progressing.
More information is available via the Lyme Disease Association of Australia website (http://lymedisease.org.au) or the Karl McManus Foundation