21 May, 2018

Gulgong High School Term 2

Newsletter Week 4

SCHOOL
INFORMATION

Address:
Belmore Street,
Gulgong, 2852

Phone: 6374 1201

Fax: 6374 2360

Website:
http://www.gulgong-
h.schools.nsw.edu.au/

Principal:
Linda Macleod

Deputy Principal:
Angela Heath

Head Teachers:
Sharelle Fellows
(English/HSIE/LOTE)
Chivonne Gofers
(CAPA/Welfare/
Careers)
Kathryn Lane What’s Happening
(Mathematics/Library/
Sport)
Graham Wilson June
(Science/TAS)
1st, School Cross Country
Year Advisers:
Amelia Greenwood
(Year 7/8)
8th, School Colour Run
Chantal Tyrrell
(Years 9/10)
26th, Principals Morning Tea
Carly Sewell
(Years 11/12)
28th, School Concert
Support Staff:
Justine MacLennan
(Learning and Support
Teacher)
Melanie Freudenstein
(Counsellor)
Cheryl Seis
(School Administrative
Manager)

LEARNING RESPECT SAFETY

 Principal’s Report

Welcome to our first newsletter for Term 2, which has already

seen students participate in many activities.

Firstly, thank you to all the students who represented

Gulgong high School in the local Anzac Day March and
Ceremony. Your attendance was greatly appreciated
particularly given that Anzac Day took place during the
school holiday period. Thank you to Mrs Woods and the
students who baked many hundreds of Anzac Biscuits to hand
out after the Anzac Day Ceremony.
Our annual Athletics Carnival was a great success with
excellent student participation and some outstanding results.
Thank you to Ms Davis and Ms Sewell for their excellent
organisation and to Mrs Woods and Year 12 for catering on the day.
Our U16’s Rugby League team continue on their winning way with a recent victory against
Molong. Congratulations to Mr Hollow and the students and we wish them all the best for
their next match in the competition.
I would like to welcome Ms Gill Enterkin to our staff as the permanent replacement for Mr
Newton. Ms Enterkin comes to us from Arthur Phillip High School in Sydney and will be a
great asset in the TAS faculty.
As the cooler weather has commenced I encourage students to be organised and ensure that
they are wearing the correct winter school uniform to school. A reminder that tracksuit pants
are not school uniform and if there are any concerns in this area then please contact the school.
Assistance is available at the school to support the wearing of uniform by students.
It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the sudden passing of our beloved teacher and
colleague, Mrs Sophia Tooney. This will be an extremely difficult time for the staff, students
and community. Counsellor support has been made available at the High School. We will
publish a tribute to Mrs Tooney in our next newsletter. Our thoughts are with David, Maddi,
James and their extended family at this time.

Linda Macleod
Principal
 Athletics Carnival

On Friday 4th May staff and students from Gulgong High School descended upon Victoria Park for a
day of competition and fun at the 2018 GHS Athletics Carnival. Students competed in a range of track
and field events including sprint races, middle distance running, throwing and jumping events. Relays
and a tug of war competition concluded the day on a high note, with plenty of house spirit shown by
both competing and non-competing students. Year 12 did an amazing job catering for the event with a
BBQ, food stall and coffee machine. With the high jump event yet to be completed, there are only 2
house points separating the two leading sport houses. The end result should be very close!
We already have a large number of students who have met qualifying standards to progress to the
Western Area Athletics Carnival, to be held in Dubbo on the 3rd of August. Well done to the following
students on their qualifying performances:
Mia Stephenson, Jasmine Lane, Amelia Marsh, Olivia Papworth, Chloe Patrick, Renee Apap, Jasmine
Frost, Summer McPhail, Chelsea Everingham, Alysse, Ilsley, Summer Malone, Chloe Perry, Mackayla
Griffiths, Montana Lucas, Gabrielle Wiltshire, Dustin Riley, Connor Delaney, Lachlan LeBreton, Blake
Power, Zane Wisbey, Zeek Lukacic, Patrick Papworth, Brett Doherty, Nathaniel Olyve, Slayde Rumney,
Logan Scrivener, Jack Egan, Nicholas Hardy, Nayte Hartnett, Wesley Mullette, Jayden Pepper, Liam
MacLennan, Blake Newell and Mackye Purdon.
Well done to all students for their enthusiastic participation, encouragement and cooperation on the day.
 Under 16’s Boys Rugby League

On Tuesday 8th May the Gulgong High School Under 16’s Rugby League team
progressed to the next round of the Tom Kemp Shield after defeating Molong 32-18.
Well done boys and best of luck for the next round.

Congratulations Aydin and Ethan

Congratulations to Aydin and Ethan Patrick who have recently been selected in the
NSW Polocrosse team. All the 4.30am starts working their horses, hard work and
determination has paid off. Well done Aydin and Ethan.
 ANZAC Day

Students from Gulgong High and Gulgong Public Schools came together to commemorate
ANZAC Day with a joint service held at Gulgong High School on Thursday 3rd May.

It was a pleasure to have several members of the Gulgong RSL Sub Branch in attendance
for this commemoration.
 Careers News

MIRAGE is the rural health club at University of Sydney and Gulgong High School
students were lucky enough to have them visit recently. The team travel to rural high
schools to promote the health professions (medicine, dentistry, nursing, physiotherapy,
occupational therapy, pharmacy). 12 university student volunteers gave our students a
taste of the professions through hands-on activities as well as an open forum on the
practical aspects of applying for and studying at university.

Examples of the activity stations that students participated in today included:

 Reading X-rays
 CPR dummy
 Plaster casts
 Making Webster packs using lollies
 Health readings like heart rate, blood pressure etc.
 Occupational therapist activities.

A great opportunity for our students to talk to current students about the different
pathway options as well as being exposed to the huge variety of careers within the
health industry.
 Senior Debating
Well done Liam Maclennan, Sonia Green, Lillyandra Laurie-Daylight and Aiden
Everingham who debated Dubbo College Senior Campus at the end of Term 1. The
topic was ‘That all schools should have compulsory drug testing’ and our team argued
the affirmative side.
While the Dubbo team won the debate, the adjudicator was very impressed with
Gulgong’s arguments and presentation. It was a very encouraging day and we can’t wait
for the next debate.
 Farewell Mr Darryl Newton

The last day of term one was a sad day at Gulgong High School as students and staff
farewelled Mr Darryl Newton. Mr Newton commenced Term two at Tomaree High
School.
We wish Mr Newton and his family all the very best and would like to once again thank
him for the dedication and commitment that he has given Gulgong High School over the
past ten years.
 Gulgong High Colour Run
This year SRC will be running their first Colour Run - the original date was the 25th of May but has been
now moved to the 8th of June. Fundraising for this event will take place before and after this date, and
students are encouraged to find sponsors who can donate towards the SRC’s school improvement goals.
More information about how to fundraise will be given to students in Week 4 – the permission note for
this event needs to be returned to the school by Friday 25th of May.
The SRC Colour run will take place during periods 3 and 4 on the Friday of Week 6. Regular classes will
be held before recess and after lunch, as well as an alternate educational activity for students who
cannot participate in the physical event.
On the day, students will need to wear school uniform in the morning and change into a packed outfit
before the run. White shirts (to make the colour powder stand out), shorts and a pair of joggers are
recommended. It is very likely that the colour powder may temporarily or permanently stain any fabrics,
which should be considered carefully when packing clothes.
All students will need to change back into their school uniforms before the end of lunch – and ideally
bring plastic bags to store the colour items. A water bottle, towel, sunscreen and a hat are also needed
for the day.
Additionally, the SRC will be cooking a sausage sizzle and selling slushies at lunch time – some of the
funds raised from this lunch will be donated to Headspace, a Youth Mental Health organisation.
Students and staff are working very hard to co-ordinate an enjoyable event that will benefit the school,
and support is appreciated. Any questions can be directed to Mrs Grech or Mr Lee at the school.
Gulgong High School’s first Gala Concert for 2018 will be held in the
school hall on Thursday 28th June commencing at 7.00pm.

The concert showcases the wonderful array of musical talent that we

have at Gulgong High School from students who are just beginners
in year 7 to very polished performers performing a wide variety of
styles from years 8 - 12.

Ticket prices are: Adults - $8.00, Students and Pensioners $4.00,

Family (2 Adults, 2 Children) $20.00.

Tickets will only be available from the school’s front office from
Monday 4th June and can be purchased up until 1.30pm on
Thursday 28th June. No tickets will be sold after this time.

I.MacLennan (Music Teacher)

 Sydney Royal Easter Show

Gulgong High School’s annual excursion to the Sydney Royal Easter Show received an enormous boost
this year with 79 students and 7 staff making the long journey to see ‘where city meets country’. An
excursion of this size and nature can lead to anxiety amongst supervising staff with the potential for
injury and lost children. However, our student representatives behaved in such an exemplary manner
that several members of the public contacted the school to congratulate us.
Asking the students, rides and show bags were the highlights but the night spectacular also lived up to
its name with circus acts, extreme motorcycle and fireworks.
With a 2am return, it was very quiet in many households the following day but students are already
planning for 2019 and so are the staff who are to be congratulated for an outstanding effort to provide
such an enriching opportunity to our students.
At the end of last term, as a culmination of their studies of Spartan Society, the Year 12
Ancient History class underwent an agoge training day. The agoge is the rigorous Spar-
tan educational training system. Ancient writer Plutarch states, “The whole course of
[Spartiate] education was one continued exercise of a ready and perfect obedience.”
Spartan males had to complete a challenging programme of education which shaped
them into soldiers. At just seven boys left their family to be brought up in barracks with
other boys. By twenty, having completed the agoge and undergone army training, he
had to be elected into a mess. He then became a full adult soldier.

At the temple of Artemis Orthia a Spartan

rituals took place, where students were
“flogged” as part of their initiation rites in
order to toughen them up. Xenophon
accounts that cheeses (in this case,
Cheezels) were placed on the altar and
students had to run the gauntlet to steal the
cheeses (Cheezels), and having stolen a
cheese then had to run back, again Votive offering placed at the
receiving a good whipping. sanctuary of Artemis Orthia

Potential Spartiate Bryant running

through to steal the Cheezels and
Greedy and disobedient students were viewed with contempt,
prove his strength while being
lashed by pool noodles and as such, boys were trained to strictly obey orders and were
provided only minimal food. As such, in order to survive future
military campaigns, they were encouraged to steal to make up for
their lacking diet. They were praised for successfully stealing, however,
if they were found out, they were heavily punished. Plutarch tells the
story “of one who had stolen a fox cub and had it hidden under his
cloak… [and] endured having his stomach lacerated by the beast’s
claws and teeth, and died rather than be detected.” In honour of this
poor young boy, and to practise their own skills of deceit, the Year 12
class stole Miss Bowen’s plush fox and had to remain undetected to
win a prize.

Miss Bowen's missing fox cub

 Girls at Sparta practised athletics and were known for their running and
jumping at Spartan and Pan-Hellenic contests. Many leisure hours were
likely spent on the training field. There were foot races in honour of Hel-
en and Hera. The most famous race in honour of Hera was held in the
Olympic stadium at Elis and unmarried Spartan girls were among those
who competed there (as cited in Brennan, 2007). The prize in the race
was an olive crown and a portion of the meat offered in sacrifice. Jade
Nayler was the winner of our auspicious race in honour of Hera.

Athletics was a favoured pastime of Spartans, particularly wrestling. As

the Ancient History cohort is a very competitive bunch, it was decided
that this athletic skill would best (and most safely) be shown in thumb
Jade Nayler with her "olive" crown
wrestling. This escalated to arm wrestling, but a winner could not be
and sacrificial meat prize
determined.

Bibasis was a kind of

Spartan dance where
you must jump and
touch your buttocks
with your heals.

Students displaying important Spartan qualities: Strength and determination

There is an anonymous inscription honouring a girl, “Who once did a

thousand at bibasis, the most ever done”. Students competed in their
own bibasis competition and their stamina was most impressive.

Bibasis jumps
 Sparta was not renowned for its literature. This is not surprising given their emphasis on mili-
tarism, discipline, and the importance of working as a unified whole (creative thinking was
not at the forefront of this society). Spartan men and women were literate, but the literary
arts did not thrive. Two literary names stand out in Sparta: Tyrtaeus and Alcman. During the
agoge training session, students recited Tyrtaeus’ patriotic song “Spartan Soldier”. Their
recitation certainly required more work.

Reciting war poetry (badly)

The krypteia are sometimes described as Sparta’s “secret police”.

They played an important role in the control of helots (Sparta’s class
of serfs). Myron states, “if any exceeded the vigour proper to a slave’s
condition, they made the death penalty”. Plutarch describes how as
part of their training, specially chosen bands of young men were sent
into the countryside to deal with the helots. Former Ancient History
student Daniel Potter played the role of a dangerous helot in our
“krypteia sneak” activity. Drinking was strongly
controlled and it was considered shameful to
be drunk. Helots were brought in to mess halls
and made drunk as an example of the effects
of wine. Daniel also attempted to model this
behaviour for our Spartans to laugh at and
humiliate.

Alyson enjoying a hearty cup of
The most famous element in the Spartan cuisine was the black broth
which was made of pork, vinegar and blood. To celebrate their
successful completion of their Spartan agoge training, students
were allow a cup of black broth to celebrate. In this case, rather
than the traditional broth ingredients, students enjoyed a warm cup
of Bonox.
Learning and Support Report
Setting goals and exploring motivation

Setting goals brings focus, motivation, allows young people to think about what’s
working well, what‘s not and ultimately, increases their chances of achieving things! When setting goals,
the easiest place to start is to focus on things that are meaningful. Three goal setting starting points are:
1. Start with things you enjoy
2. Don’t get too caught up with ‘big’ things
3. Think about what you don’t want
To keep motivation high it helps for young people to track and plot their progress towards goals-this can
be through apps such as Goal Tapper or through a written journal. Making goals public with friends can
also help keep motivation high.

How to set goals

Setting goals is a great way to give yourself direction, focus and motivation. Whether your goals are big or
small, the first step in achieving them is deciding what they are! Learn how to define your goals and to
put together a plan for how you'll achieve them.
This can help if:
 you feel overwhelmed by how much is going on in your life
 you feel like you’re lacking direction
 you have a big project or dream that you want to get started on.

Why goal setting is useful

Making something you want in life an actual goal is a really great way to make it happen. That’s because
you’re making a decision to act in order to get what you want. Goals give you direction, keep you focused
and motivated, and increase your chances of achieving things. The goals you set need to be meaningful to
you; they shouldn’t be things that you think you 'should' be doing. You’ll get the most benefit out of
achieving goals that are important to you.

How to define your goals

To set a goal, you need to know what it is you want in the first place. Failing to identify what you’re
hoping to achieve can be a huge stumbling block. Here are some tips for helping you to work out what
you want:
1. Start with the things you enjoy. We are happiest when we’re using our strengths. Write down the five
things you enjoy most in life. Can you identify any goals associated with using these strengths?
2. Don’t get too caught up in ‘big’ things. A lot of the time when we think about goals, we think they need
to be really big – and this can be overwhelming. Change how you think about goals. A goal can be
anything you want to do or achieve – big, small or completely random, such as learning how to tell a great
story at a party, or taking part in a fun-run dressed as a storm trooper.
3. Think about what you don’t want. Write a list of five or ten things that you don’t want. Then turn them
around to become positive goals. For example, turn the negative goal ‘I don’t want to be stuck at home’
into a positive one: ‘I want to travel.’
Three steps to effective goal setting
When you have an idea about what you want, there are three simple steps you
can take for setting a goal for yourself.

1. Define your goal. Remember, you need to make your goal specific and realis-
tic. This means that your goal should be achievable, measurable and have an end point. If you’re not
sure whether your goal is realistic, talk to someone you trust about it.

2. Set sub-goals. Breaking up your goal into sub-goals will help you stay motivated, particularly in the
case of a larger goal that will take time to achieve. Write down your sub-goals and make them mile-
stones, so you can recognise and celebrate the progress you’ve made in achieving them.

3. Set a time frame. Deadlines keep you on the go and help you to stay motivated. For each written sub-
goal, add a deadline to prevent you from putting things off or losing sight of your main goal.

What can I do now?

 Find some time to sit down and define and set your goals.
 Discuss your plans with someone you trust.
 Keep yourself motivated by planning rewards when you’ve achieved each milestone.
 Use the Goal Setter app.

Tips for getting motivated

Motivation is what drives us to make the things happen – but staying motivated isn’t always easy. Get
some tips on how to become (and stay!) motivated, and suggestions for what to do if you just can’t get
into gear.
This can help if:
 you want to figure out your goals and learn how to achieve them
 you’re feeling unmotivated
 you want to get stuff done.

Positive and negative motivation

Motivation is what drives you towards a goal, gets you up in the morning, and keeps you working
through a task, determined to succeed when things get tough. But motivation can be both positive and
negative:
Positive motivations focus on the positive things that will happen when you take action. For example:
‘Finishing this assignment means I’m only a step away from being qualified.'
Negative motivations focus on the negative backlash that will occur if you don’t take action. For exam-
ple: ‘If I don’t finish this assignment in the next few hours, I’ll fail my course.'

Negative and positive motivations can both be effective in different circumstances. However, it’s much
easier to do something because you actually want to, rather than because you want to avoid a particular
outcome if you don’t do it. If you don’t have a positive plan of action, using negative motivation can
make you feel helpless and may even reduce your motivation.
How to become (and stay) motivated

 Set goals. When you set a goal, you make a decision to act in a way that
will help you achieve what you want. Goals give you a direction to focus on
– one that’s measurable and has an endpoint. This can help you to stay
motivated.
 Choose goals that interest you. You’re much more likely to stay motivated if you’re working
towards something that you genuinely want to do or achieve, rather than what other people want
for you.
 Find things that interest you within goals that don’t. Sometimes other people set goals or tasks for
us that we don’t find interesting or want to do. So, try and find something within that task that
does motivate you. For example: ‘I hate maths, but it’s going to help me become a builder, which I
want more than anything.’
 Make your goal public. If you tell someone – or write down – your goal, you’ve essentially made a
promise to keep your word.
 Plot your progress. When you’re working towards something, it can be really motivating if you can
see evidence that you’re making progress. Draw or create a visual representation of how you’re
coming closer to achieving the goal you’ve set yourself.
 Break up your goal. Start with easier tasks and work your way up to bigger challenges. Breaking up
a task in your mind into achievable chunks helps build confidence.
 Use rewards. Promise yourself some sort of reward each time you complete a step/task.
 Don’t do it alone. Join a class, or find a teacher or someone you can share the experience with.
Other people’s encouragement to keep going can be a big boost to your motivation, particularly
when you’re doing it tough.

If you’re really finding it hard

If you’ve tried but failed to get motivated, then it might help to talk it through with someone you trust.
Sometimes it can be hard to achieve things on your own, so having a good support network may help
when you’ve taken on a big challenge.

You could also try talking to a counsellor, who can help you to work out which motivating strategies will
work best for you.

What can I do now?

 Write down some goals for the coming year.
 Plan some rewards or treats to keep your motivation up.
 Tell someone about your goal, to keep yourself accountable.

Learning and Support teacher
Justine MacLennan
Community Noticeboard
 Staying In Touch
Term Dates for 2018

2018

*School development days occur at the

beginning of Terms 1, 2 and 3 and the last two
days of the school year.
Term 1 Friday, 30 January to
Friday, 13 April
Term 2 Monday, 30 April to
Friday, 6 July
Term 3 Monday, 23 July to
Friday, 28 September
Don’t forget to subscribe
to the school app!
Available on Apple and
Android phones and tablets.
Search the App Store or Play
Store for “Gulgong High” or
“2852”.

Term 4 Monday, 15 October to

Friday, 21 December

Student Absences:
Schools are required to keep important
attendance data and it is essential to
maintain accurate records.
In the event that your child/ward is
absent, please contact the school and
provide an explanation. Gulgong High School
Students may still bring in notes to ex- now has a Facebook
plain their absence, but parents and
caregivers are now encouraged to use page for regular
our new electronic system.
school updates.
In the event of a student’s Search for ‘Gulgong
absence you can now notify High School’ and hit
the school by SMS on ‘Like’.
0418 131 099.