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Melville Matters

Wednesday, 6 August 2014

Principal: Mr J Hollingsworth B.Ed, Dip. Teach (P.E.) Deputy Principal: Mr T Stewart B.A. (Hons), Dip. Ed. M.Ed. Deputy Principal: Mrs V Staunton B.Sc, Dip. Ed. T 6562 7511 F 6562 7405 E melville-h.School@det.nsw.edu.au

Term 3– Issue 11

WHAT’S COMING UP AT MELVILLE HIGH

Term 3

Week 4

Wednesday 6 August Trial HSC Begins

Friday 8 August Yr 10 History Excursion

Week 5

Monday 11 August Yr 10 History Excursion

Friday 15 August Trial HSC Ends

Melville Students Excel at

National Art School

Year 11 Visual Arts students Tiarna (pictured left) and Jack have just completed the first module of the HSC Intensive Studio Practice course at the National Art School in Sydney. Travelling to Sydney by train in the holidays, the students boarded at the “Y on the Park Hotel” for 4 days while completing their studies.

Talented artists throughout NSW compete for entry to this course. To gain admission they must demonstrate a record of academic excellence and present a strong portfolio of work. For Melville High School to have two students selected is a great achievement.

Both Tiarna and Jack enjoyed the experience and have developed skills which will assist them in achieving at the highest level in the HSC. The course, which will conclude with a second module in the September holidays, also counts as an additional unit towards the HSC. When visited at the college by their Visual Arts Teacher Mr Guihot, both students indicated how much they had already learned and what a boost it was to be working with other talented artists.

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Wednesday, 6 August 2014 Melville Matters

PBL and STUDY to improve learning outcomes

As most of the Melville Community may be aware, the Year 12 trial HSC begins this week. Our hardworking Year 12 students have been busily studying in order to maximize their results for this, the second most important set of exams in their school career.

Obviously, success in these or any exams requires more than just last minute cramming. It requires an ongoing pattern of study and revision that, ideally, should begin several years prior to the HSC.

Melville High School‟s core PBL values of being Industrious, Growing and Healthy all go towards instilling this habit in our students. If a student is Industrious, then academic success and improvement are what follow. If a student is Growing, they are developing and improving skills and abilities which will also lead to greater academic achievement. If a student adopts Healthy practices such as eating nutritiously and getting adequate sleep then the academic effects are obvious.

This is true for our current HSC cohort. These habits should continue to be adopted by Year 12 while the exams are on. However, there is no reason that all our students cannot continue or begin these behaviors, regardless of the stage at which they are in their schooling career.

There are many websites that reflect these habits and others and concerning what to do during exams. Some are: http://www.dec.nsw.gov.au/students/high-school/assignments-and-study. and http://www.youthcentral.vic.gove.au/Studying+%26+Training/Studying+tipst%26+resources/Top+ten+study+tips/.

Below see the suggestions from one such web site, but please look at others. The more help you get, the more successful you will be:

Top 10 Tips for Taking Exams 1. Get a good night‟s sleep Studies have found that if you stay awake for 21 hours straight, you have the mental capacity of someone who is legally drunk (in terms of your ability to concentrate, memorise and recall information, etc.)

You can‟t afford to stay awake all night studying for an exam because you just won‟t be effective on the day of the exam. Make sure you get on average 8 hours of sleep a night. 2. Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, everyday I make myself go to the gym for 1 hour each day during my exam period, but 30 minutes of walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, etc. will be enough. Often students stop exercising when it comes to exam time because they begin to think that they don‟t have enough time (“I must spend every moment studying!”). Big mistake. Exercise helps us study more effectively for various reasons. Firstly, it‟s a great way to relieve stress and anxiety. Secondly, it gets blood flowing to your brain (supplying oxygen, antioxidant and glucose) which can help you to think more clearly. Think of daily exercise as being an investment in your final marks. 3. Drink plenty of water Often when we can‟t think clearly and have a foggy memory, it‟s because our brains need to be hydrated. While studying and taking your exams, make sure you take regular sips of water. 4. Remember, your teachers want you to do well Years ago, I started thinking that my teachers and lecturers were out to get me and would mark me down wherever they got the chance. As a result of this thinking, I became too scared to write anything in one of my first tests for law! After receiving my terrible mark, my brother said to me “Remember sis, your teachers want you to do well. They will try to give you marks wherever they can. It‟s in their interest to do so”. Don‟t worry about writing a perfect answer. If you‟re unsure, still put it down (even if it‟s in dot points). They may not give you any marks for it, but they won‟t take marks off. Just remember, your teachers really are on your side (despite all evidence to the contrary). 5. Focus on what you do know rather than what you don‟t know Chances are there will always be something that you could have studied more thoroughly or don‟t know so well come the day of the exam. By that stage, you can‟t do much about that, so is there any point worrying about it? You are better off focusing on the fact that you now know so much more than you did before and a large number of the exam questions you‟ll be

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Wednesday, 6 August 2014 Melville Matters

able to answer. 6. Eat a low GI, nutritious breakfast Studies have found that students who skip breakfast experience a 20-40% reduction in thinking skills (i.e. concentration, memory and alertness). You want to eat a low GI, nutritious breakfast to feel fuller for longer, stabilise your mood and give you plenty of energy for the day. Here are some healthy breakfast ideas:

Raw muesli or porridge with nuts and chopped

fruit

Wholegrain toast with a variety of toppings (e.g.

baked beans, tomatoes, avocado, etc.) and a

piece of fruit

An omelette made with added vegetables (i.e.

onion, spinach, tomato, and mushrooms)

A fruit smoothie

7. Avoid drinking caffeine (e.g. energy drinks, coke and coffee) Caffeine is a stimulant drug. It gives you a rush and makes you feel good in the short term, but eventually it wears off and leaves you feeling cranky and wanting more. It‟s also a diuretic, so it makes you urinate, which means you lose water, become thirsty and want to drink more soft drink. Studies have found that when we slurp on our cup of coffee or can of coke, we are actually inducing a state of stress. Caffeine drives the adrenal glands to produce stress hormones that in turn produce the fight or flight response. Why not consider gradually replacing your caffeinated beverages with good old, simple water? If you must drink something sweet, try drinking low GI apple juice with no added sugar. 8. Go straight home after the exam How many times have you stayed back after an exam to talk to your friends about what you put for each question? How many times have you felt anxious after doing so? Whilst it can be reassuring to know that you wrote the same answer as your friends, if you find out that you wrote something different and you have another 4 or 5 exams to take, this may throw you off your game. The exam is over. There‟s nothing much you can do about it, so move on and focus on the next one. 9. Take a few deep breaths when you get stuck If you come across a question you‟re not sure how to answer in the exam, stop for a moment and take

a few deep breaths (in for the count of 3 and out for the count of 3). If you are not sure how to answer it there and then, move on to another question. The worst thing you can do is start to panic, because as they say „stress makes you stupid‟. You won‟t be able to think clearly. 10. Dealing with writer‟s cramp/elbow. I‟m sure many of us are familiar with writer‟s cramp/elbow. This can be due to holding your pen too tight. Loosen your grip or get a pen that you won‟t have to press down so hard on the paper. The reality is, even with a good pen, your elbow will start to hurt at some point if you‟re taking a 3 hour exam. When it does hurt, have a rest for a few moments (yes, you have time to do this!) and stretch it out on your desk.

Remember Doing It RIGHT will only advantage YOU regardless of the activity in which you are engaged. Engage with school, Melville, and Do It RIGHT.

Success in school endeavours

The Boys school Rugby League season has come to an end last week with the 14s & 16‟s boys team bowing out of the Country Cup Competition here in the Macleay. Both teams confidently beat all the Zone teams in the tournament but unfortunately went down in the finals by a try each.

The successful open‟s team season has also wrapped up and the results are as follows:

Vs Kempsey – win forfeit Vs Macksville - win 42-22 Vs St Paul‟s - win 56- 6 Vs Wauchope - win 30-16 Vs South Grafton - win 20-14 Vs Newman‟s Port Macquarie- win 32-12 Vs Inverell high - win 24-18 Vs South Grafton lost 26-30 Vs St Johns Woodlawn lost 12-14 Vs McKillop College (Hunter) lost 4-24

Opens–3rd at Northern NSW All Schools Champs 15‟s– 4th at Northern NSW All Schools Champs

Congratulations go to all the players and assistants for a wonderful season.

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Wednesday, 6 August 2014 Melville Matters

Our Year 11 Primary Industries under the expert tutelage of Mr Lobb, have just completed their Work Placement at Taree TAFE. Reports received indicate that the students, Hope, Jaime, Shelley, Sharnee, Synden, Jessie-Ann, Daniel, Sidney, Dylan, Ryan and Lachlan acquitted themselves with Professionalism and maturity and gained some very worthwhile experience and skills.

Their teacher Mr Lobb was ecstatic with their performance and said “They are a credit to our school and themselves”

Well done Mr Lobb and year 11 Primary Industries.

Uniform

Congratulations to the vast majority of students who, in the spirit of Doing It RIGHT, continue to proudly wear the correct entire Melville High School Uniform. We have much to be proud of at Melville and, as such, wearing the uniform promotes and celebrates our successes, such as those above. Please ensure that Melville High School jumpers form part of your uniform as these are arguably the most identifiable component of our uniform and demonstrate our pride!

Mr Troy Stewart

Deputy Principal

FREE LIVE ONLINE INFORMATION SESSION FOR Melville High School STUDENTS AND

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE IN 2014

Hear from our experienced Program Manager, find out more about discounts and scholarships available

and ask questions.

Thursday, 14 August 7.30pm (AEST)

Register now

Visit www.studentexchange.org.au or call 1300 135 331 for more information

Gala Opening Day Trial Bay

2014 Sculpture in the Gaol Exhibition

11.00am, Sunday 10th August ~ $2 entry fee Entertainment ~ Children’s Activities ~ Wood Turning Creations, Bonsai & Gem

Stone Demonstrations ~ Car & Bike Displays ~ Speciality Stalls & Crafts ~ Food & Beverages available for

purchase

TREK FOR FREEDOM Saturday 6th. Sept. 2014 @

1:00pm. A cycling fundraiser for World Vision’s

Child Rescue Program World Vision’s Child Rescue Program has 25

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Wednesday, 6 August 2014 Melville Matters

Can teach

“YOU”

General self defence, street defence and for the girls - ladies self defence

It will help with your confidence, self-esteem, coordination

& self discipline Whilst teaching you an important skill– how to protect

yourself

Mon and Wed 6.30pm to 8pm Kempsey High Gym

First two lessons free Ph: 65672128 0427967842

Gala Opening Day Trial Bay

2014 Sculpture in the Gaol Exhibition 11.00am, Sunday 10th August ~ $2 entry fee

Entertainment ~ Children’s Activities ~ Wood Turning Creations, Bonsai & Gem Stone

Demonstrations ~ Car & Bike Displays ~ Speciality Stalls &

Crafts ~ Food & Beverages available for purchase

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Wednesday, 6 August 2014 Melville Matters

Helping kids make sense of the MH 17 air disaster

Submitted by: Michael Grose 23 July

From the Parenting blog at the following address

http://www.parentingideas.com.au/Blog/July-2014/Helping-kids-make-sense-of-the-MH-17-air-disaster

Reports of the recent shooting down of Flight MH17 over Ukraine air space has saturated newspapers, television and the

Internet for the last week. The events were shocking and many of the images shown on our television screens have been quite

confronting. Worldwide outrage has been the result.

But what about the impact of the event and the subsequent media coverage on children and young people?

As adults we all want our children to live carefree lives and keep them from the pain and even horror of such tragedies and

natural disasters. In reality we can’t do this.

So what is a parent, teacher, or other caring adult to do when such events fill the airwaves and the consciousness of society?

Here are some ideas:

1. Reassure children that they are safe. The consistency of the images can be frightening for young children who don’t

understand the notion of distance and have difficulty distinguishing between reality and fiction. Let them know that while this

event is indeed happening it will not affect them directly.

2. Explain what happened. Sounds obvious but it’s important not to simply assume that children and young people

understand what’s happened. Be calm and stick the facts, using a map to show older children where it happened.

3. Be available. Let kids know that it is okay to talk about the unpleasant events. Listen to what they think and feel. By

listening, you can find out if they have misunderstandings, and you can learn more about the support that they need. You do

not need to explain more than they are ready to hear, but be willing to answer their questions.

4. Help children process what they see and hear, particularly through television. Children are good observers but can be poor

interpreters of events that are out of their level of understanding.

5. Support children’s concerns for others. They may have genuine concerns for the suffering that will occur and they may

need an outlet for those concerns. It is heartwarming to see this empathy in children for the concerns of others.

6. Let them explore feelings beyond fear. Many children may feel sad or even angry with these events so let them express the

full range of emotions.

7. Avoid keeping the television on all the time. The visual nature of the media means that images are repeated over and over,

which can be both distressing to some and desensitizing to others.

8. Be aware of your own actions. Children will take their cues from you and if they see you focusing on it in an unhealthy

way then they will focus on it too. Let them know that it is happening but it should not dominate their lives.

Children’s worlds can be affected in ways that we can’t even conceive of so adults need to be both sensitive to children’s

needs and mindful of what they say and how they act in front of children.

In difficult times, it is worth remembering what adults and children need most are each other.

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Wednesday, 6 August 2014 Melville Matters

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Wednesday, 6 August 2014 Melville Matters