Withers Way, Eltham 3095 Telephone (03) 9439 5111 Facsimile (03) 9431 0448

Eltham High School

Parent Newsletter

Tuesday, 3^rd October, 2000 Term 4 Week 1

Principal’s Report

Welcome Back

Welcome back to all our families for Term 4. It is a busy time of the year and can become stressful for students. I hope that we all find this term a productive and satisfying one.

Comings and Goings

Welcome back to Lyn Ivory who has returned from family leave and to Gordon Fluck and Anna Panas who have been on long service leave. We are also pleased that Sue Simpson has recovered from her operation and is back at work. Trevor Jenkins is on leave for four weeks. Trevor’s VCE classes will be aware of the additional classes that Trevor ran in Term 3 and Ms Helen Rix will be providing assistance to these classes while Trevor is on leave. I was sorry to hear that Graeme Crowther is unwell and will not be returning to school this term. Appropriate arrangements have been made to ensure that Graeme’s classes receive appropriate instruction.

Australian Schools English Awards

Eltham High School students have been highly successful in these awards. Our students were awarded five High Distinctions, five Distinctions and a range of other awards. This is an excellent result and reflects well on the students and their teachers. Well Done to all.

Parent Survey

My thanks to all those parents who recently completed the annual Parent Survey. The survey covers such important areas as teaching quality, academic rigour, student reporting, school responsiveness and general levels of satisfaction. Once again, parents of Eltham High School students have indicated that they are very pleased with the way the school is going, but that there are areas in which we can improve. Many parents took the time to write comments on various areas of the survey and these are much appreciated. The comments have been collated and will be passed on to the relevant staff and School Council Committees. There are a number of common areas that emerge from the comments and I will talk about some of these in the next few Parent Newsletters.

School Council

If you are interested in adding your name to a register of parents interested in contributing to School Council activities, please contact me, preferably in writing.

Paul Rose, Principal

MUSIC

All Groups Concert

Monday, 9^th October at 7.30pm Yarra Valley Anglican School Performing Arts Centre

Tickets should be purchased from the Music Office at the school (reserved seating plan).

Prices: Adults $10; Children/pensioner $7.00; Family $30 (2adults+2 children). Bankcard welcome.

Eltham High School Strings Group

The group will be performing at Lovegrove Winery on Sunday, 8^th October at 2.30pm as part of a commitment to the Arts in the Shire of Nillumbik.

Year 12 Recitals

Year 12 students will be presenting their final recitals tomorrow Wednesday 4^th and Thursday 5^th October. This is a great opportunity for students, teachers and parents to hear our leading instrumentalists and vocalists. Recitals will 7.30pm in the music room.

CANTEEN PRICES

Our supplier of pastry items (pies, pasties, sausage rolls, etc) and cakes has advised us of a price rise effective from 2^nd October. As a result prices for these items will be increased in the canteen from Monday 9^th October. The price rise will be 10 cents per item.

ST ANDREWS BUS

Panorama Buses advise that the bus service from St Andrews to Eltham High School will continue to operate through term 4. There will be further consideration about this bus service for next year before the end of term.

WORK COMPLETED AROUND THE SCHOOL DURING THE VACATION

It has been a very positive period for the school infra-structure during the term holidays.

· The interior of the music block/english block has been painted

· New vinyl has been laid in science rooms 802, 804, 806.

· Blackboards have been replaced by whiteboards in 11 classrooms

· Blinds have been installed to windows in seven classrooms

SOSE NEWS

Congratulations Year 8 students!

A record is broken! The last week of term 3 saw all of the Year 8 classes spend a double period working with a team of Green Corps people in planting out an area on the Falkiner Street side of Diamond Creek. This was part of our work on Endangered Species and involved teams of 3 or 4 students planting seedlings and speedlings! (Speedlings are seedlings planted in a coupe that is protected by a fence rather than by individual stakes and plastic shields). The Green Corps people are trainees on a six month course learning environment management theory and getting experience working in restoring a wide range of environments. It was a new experience for them being the manager of a team of Year 8 students too.

The students were given a brief outline of what they were doing and the significance of their work and then they were into it.

The atmosphere was relaxed but the job was done. I’m sure everyone enjoyed the different way of learning and contributing to the environment. These students will be able to come back to this area and observe the difference they have made over the next few years.

The school is very fortunate to be able to be involved in this program and once again congratulates Mrs Carolyn Mellor from the Friends of Diamond Creek on her organisation and the way she sets the tone for the whole project.

And that record – this year the students planted over 3,000 plants in the week! Well done to the students and thanks to the staff who supervised their work.

John Cousins, SOSE KLA.

VIETNAM TRIP APRIL 2001

There are spaces for two students for our April school holiday school trip to Vietnam. The total cost is $2,000 which includes airfare, accommodation, meals, etc. If you are interested, please telephone Di Parry, Pompa Brady or Brendan Monigatti during school hours. 9439 5111.

SPORT

Eltham High School Swim Squad

Starting this Thursday morning the swim squad will begin a ten week term of one hour sessions with level 2 performance coach Neroli Nixon. The sessions are held at the Eltham Leisure Centre from 7.00am until 8.00am each Thursday and cater for swimmers of all levels of ability. The cost for the ten week term is $55 and is payable to the school cashier. For further information contact Max Balchin at the school.

2000 Victorian Schools Track and Field

The U12/U13/U14/U15 & U16 Championships will be held on 4^th and 5^th November. Entries close 5pm on Friday, 13^th October. Mr Balchin for entry forms.

Athletics

The Diamond Valley Athletic Club is conducting a Trials and Registration Day on Saturday 7^th October at Willinda Park, Greensborough, starting at 2.00pm. competition is available for girls and boys in the U14, U16, U18 and Open Age groups. The season of track and field athletics commences Saturday 11^th November. ph 9439 5062 or check out our website: http://www.athsvic.org.au/clubs/diaval

LIBRARY NEWS

Overdue books

All books that were borrowed before the end of last term are now overdue (except for some English class sets). Would parents please ask students to return all overdue books.

Meet the author

Meet Andy Griffith author of Just Tricking, Just Annoying and newly released Just Crazy at Watsonia library Thursday, 5^th October at 4.30pm and Eltham library Tuesday 10^th October at 4.30pm. Bookings essential. Watsonia 9435 2397, Eltham 9439 9266.

Rhonda Malone, Library Co-ordinator

PARENTING ADOLESCENTS – A CREATIVE EXPERIENCE

Beginning Thursday, 19^th October, 2000 7.30-9.00pm in the school library, educational psychologists Helen Clements and Geoff Bowen will be conducting a five week course on parenting adolescents. This is open to all parents who have a child at Eltham High School.

The course has relevance to adolescents of all ages. It is necessary to book.

If you would like to attend, please contact either Evonne Locke, school receptionist or myself, or return the slip below to the General Office. A donation of $10.00 per family is required for the course. There is a limit of 20 participants.

Brendan Monigatti,

Student Welfare Co-ordinator.

LOTE NEWS

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to term 4. We start off with lots of exciting news. Congratulations to Kim Tan of Year 11 who has obtained a grading of Highly Commended in the Annual Alliance Francaise competition held this year and she also scored Commended in the speaking competition held at the same place.

The Victorian Indonesian Teachers’ Association Annual writing competition results should be out soon and will be published shortly.

During the last week of the September holidays, Indonesian students from four different schools came together on Wednesday with their Indonesian teachers and native speaker assistants to practice for the CAT 2 oral exams which will take place on 13^th October for Indonesian students, and on 19^th October for our French students.

Eltham High School students met with students from St Helena Secondary College, Whittlesea Secondary College and Mullauna Secondary College from Mitcham. It was a great experience for those students who turned up and for all the teachers involved. It was agreed that we should join efforts to run a similar day again next year.

Finally, we wish a great bon voyage to our French students and to Mesdames Wheatley, Sophocleous and Monsieur Clark as they prepare to depart for warm and sunny New Caledonia on 16^th October. We will hear all about their interesting experiences when they return on 23^rd October.

P. Brady, KLA leader LOTE.

YEAR 12 FORMAL

Eltham Mensland will offer their Dinner Suit Hire Service. A representative will attend the school on Wednesday, 11^th October.

CANTEEN ROSTER

WED.. L.Burleigh, L.Alford, R.Wembridge

THURS T.Goonan, J.Johnson, Y.Wong, Y.Connard

FRI. M.Young, Di, G.Brockman, C.White

.MON J.Molloy, S.Batchelor, R.Burke

TUES. C.Snedden, T.Edgoose, C.Lachmund

School Calendar

October
Sun. 8^th	Official Opening EHS Photographic exhibition 2000
Sun.8-15	EHS Photographic Exhibition
Mon. 9^th	All Groups Concert
Thurs.19^th	Year 12 Formal
Sat.28,Sun.29	Eltham High School Arts Festival
November
Mon. 6^th	Pupil FreeDay
Fri.10^th	Year 12 exams conclude
Fri.24^th	Year 11 exams conclude
December
Tues.5^th	Canteen Christmas luncheon
Fri. 8^th	Year 10 last day
Tues. 19^th	Years 7, 8 and 9 last day

EHS PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION 2000

Family and friends are invited to attend the Official Opening of

‘Believe’

8^th October at The Long Gallery, Montsalvat at 7.30pm

Opening by photographic artist Ralph Schuhback

The gallery opens at 7.00pm

Dance concert

The next dance performance evening is planned for Friday, 13^th October. All dance students will be involved in the evening so please keep it free.

EHS ARTS FESTIVAL

12.00-4.00pm Saturday 28^th and Sunday 29^th October

Official Opening by Dominique Falla

2.00pm on Saturday 28^th October

Lost: Large Collins Robert French/English dictionary of sentimental value. If found, please return to Ms Nicassio in the LOTE faculty. Reward offered

How to drug proof your kids - Hosted by Eltham Baptist Church

Are your children at risk? Your answer may be NO, because you see them as too young. The sad reality is the drug problem isn’t going away. Statistics now show drug use includes primary school children which means nearly every child is at risk – even yours. At last – something for parents. ‘How to Drug Proof Your Kids’ is a remarkable six weeks program (2 hours per week). Developed by Focus on the Family Australia, its for every parent who is saying “show me how?”

Around Australia nearly 12,000 parents have already been exposed to the principals of ‘How to Drug Proof Your Kids’. Parents following the steps of this drug proof plan will save thousands of children the anguish of drug abuse. Whilst that’s no guarantee, it’s the best prevention measure you can take!

The ‘How to Drug Proof Your Kids’ program will be in your area SOON. Using facilities at Eltham High school, Eltham Baptist Church will host this program. Commencing 12^th October and concluding 16^th November. Thursdays from 7.30-9.30pm - $35 per person or $45 per couple. To register ph. Peter/Di Roberts 9435 7794 or Eltham Baptist Church

Telephone 9431 1115.

“Rock the Hill”

A rock extravaganza for 12-16 year olds at Panton Hill Community Hall on Saturday, 7^th October 8-11pm. Featuring ‘Esoteric’, ‘Tangent’ (Eltham High School), ‘Poignant’ (Diamond Valley College). $5 admission. No alcohol, No pass outs. Cheap soft drinks and pizza. Security supplied by New Breed Security

Lower Plenty Cricket Club

Training at Lwr Plenty oval Para Rd.:U16 & U14 Thurs from 4.30pm; U12 Sundays from 10.30am. Ph.9439 6258

Fun and Free for the whole family – The Ridge Health Club

Saturday, 14^th October, 9am-5pm, 266 Bolton St. Eltham. Bookings essential 9431 1223.

Fashion parade 11.30am; Mini health evaluations 10-4pm; naturopaths from 2pm; kinesiology energy balancing 10-2pm; spinal checks 10-4pm; handball comp. With Tony Shaw 2pm; slam dunk comp. With Brett Rainbow 3pm; child care, jumping castle, face painting 9-1pm; adults group fitness classes all day; local art exhibitions, wine and cheese tasting, local jazz band, show bags, door prizes, spinning wheel.