Newsletter Week 7, Term 4

From the Senior Executive

It is quite possibly the busiest time of the year with so much happening. Years 7 and 8 have their Luna Park excursions this week. The weather has been wonderful for them. An enormous thank you to Mr Bill Spyroulias for his organisation of these events. So far we have not heard of one teacher brave enough to go on the Rotor! In the upcoming weeks both year groups will be involved in surf week where they will engage in a range of water activities designed to increase their skills and confidence in an aquatic environment. 

The Courage to Care incursions have been so valued and appreciated by all the staff and students who have attended. I met a couple of wonderful presenters yesterday who were ex-students from many many years ago. They were delighted to be back and all were just so complimentary about our students.

Orientation Day for the 2023 Year 7 cohort takes place on Tuesday next week. The event management has been superbly led by Maria Alonzo and the two year advisors for next year, Ms Georgia Bowd and Mrs Adele Flack. We can't wait to meet all of our new students!

The SRC are working on our first ever, Rose Bay's Got Talent, occurring in the afternoon of the last day of term. Who will be the inaugural winner I wonder? The event team, led by Mrs Maria Alonzo and Mrs Christy Godby are also working on presentation day and next week there are year assemblies for each year to recognise the efforts of many students in each year. Thank you to Ms Juliet Beiglari for her organisation of these assemblies.

All of these events require an enormous amount of work by our office administration team and we are so grateful to them for their expertise and assistance.

V-Fest is also coming up soon and I know Ms Deb Cave is excited about being back at The Chauvel cinema for the screening of the student films. Details about getting a ticket are below.

The whole executive team has been working on the timetable for next year and enjoying learning about the foundation steps to building a timetable. Meanwhile our Business Manager, Mrs Jacquie Giles has been putting together our finance forecast and budget for next year as well as building a spreadsheet for staffing for each faculty which makes building the timetable so much easier. In addition to this teachers are still finishing assessments and writing reports and of course designing exciting lessons and teaching them.

Our final P&C meeting for the year will unfortunately be held via zoom due to the increase in COVID cases and I am looking forward to seeing the performance of the Bondi Suite at the Bondi Pavillion on Saturday featuring our MEP students.

Thank You from the Music Department

The Music department would like to thank all the students, parents, carers, and the wider community for their ongoing support for the subject. During the year, we have been able upgrade a range of equipment due to your contribution to subject fees.

The biggest upgrade this year is a brand new, studio quality upright Yamaha piano. This will be placed in our multipurpose art space in C block for practice and performance assessments. Previously, piano assessments have been presented in the hall, where the school’s baby grand piano is located.

New equipment includes a new drum kit, three new guitars, recording speakers, a digital piano, two bass guitars and recording condenser microphone. The outcome for these latest items has created two new spaces. The first is an additional rehearsal space for junior and seniors and the second is a recording area that has been used to record our 2022 HSC Encore Performance Nomination and is also used for the Musical Ensemble Program’s Rock Band Fundamentals.

The final upgrades have been for the school’s live sound needs. These include a digital mixing console, two subwoofers, additional live speakers, wireless microphones, acoustic drum modulator, instrument microphones, wireless communication system and an ATEM Mini Pro. These items will be frequently used for assemblies, presentation nights, CAPA nights, orientation days, graduations and for multiple events Rose Bay Secondary College hold every year, now with the capacity to live stream. These items will also be a learning tool for the new VET Certificate III in Live Production and Entertainment course being offered in Year 11 and 12.

The Music department is incredibly grateful to have such an amazing, supportive, and dedicated community. We would not have been able to complete these upgrades without your support.

Thank you.

- Mr Scott Wright

The Bondi Suite

Rose Bay Secondary Concert Music Ensemble and Bondi Brass invites you to attend the world premiere of Evan Lohning’s Bondi Pavilion Suite, alongside a repertoire featuring a range of works from popular classics by Gustav Holst to jazz standards by George Gershwin. 

Proudly supported by Waverley Council, the Bondi Pavilion Suite was commissioned in 2021 by Rose Bay Secondary College Music Ensemble Program to provide the high school concert and stage bands with a composition that would reflect the unique role that the Bondi Pavilion, the historic building at the centre of Bondi Beach, plays in the local cultural landscape.

A three-movement composition that encapsulates the past, the present and the future, the Bondi Pavilion Suite musically reflects the cultural significance this iconic building has had through the ages. Using ‘composed spontaneity’, Evan Lohning creates the impression that this musical piece is formed as naturally as the beach setting. The instrumental solos weave and flow as if improvised yet interact precisely with the band capturing the sounds and rhythms of the beach and the surf culture and sonically reflecting the long association the venue has had with dance hall, swing and brass bands.

In the opening movement, ‘We Are Here’, the wind instruments create a sonic impression of the ocean from the crashing of the waves to the presence of the Bidjigal, Birrabirragal and Gadigal people who walked on its shores and fished and swam in its water. The second movement, ‘The Most Up-to-date Surf Sheds in Australia’, with its toe-tapping swing rhythms, echoes the Swing Bands and Big Band era and recaptures the glamour of the dance hall days. The final movement, ‘Sparkling Surf and Golden Sands’ with its charging percussion section and irresistible bossa-nova rhythms anticipates the future of the Pavilion, a time of energy and renewal and a hub that connects the sea with the cultural heart of the community.

News from the MEP

The final MEP meeting for the year will be held this Monday night, 28 November, in the MEP rooms at school. Come along and meet some fellow parents and find out what we have planned for the rest of this year and 2023. And we’re always keen to get your feedback on what you like about MEP and what you’d like to see more of!

The MEP end-of-year concerns will be held on Tuesday 6 December (ensembles) and Thursday 8 December (rock bands). There will be fundraising raffles on each night and we urgently need donations so if you know of anyone who might be able to donate prizes including goods and services please contact us. 

A Message from the SRC

Rose Bay's Got Talent

Have you got a special skill you’ve always wanted to show off? Comedy? Dancing? Singing? Well, on the 16th of December (Friday Week 10), you’re getting your chance to at Rose Bay's Got Talent, our end of year talent show! 

Alongside this spectacular showcase, your SRC will be holding a bake sale to supply you with delicious treats to help push you through the final day of school and celebrate the end of another year.

Rose Bay’s Got Talent is open to all students (and teachers), and you can sign your act up online.

We can’t wait to see our extremely talented community shine, so be sure to save the date, sign up to perform, or come and cheer your peers on as they take to the stage. 

See you there!

Update

This week, SRC are working hard to prepare the talent show so you can all show off your amazing abilities! We also are going through all your responses for the Gratitude boards. This week, our senior girls’ volleyball team earned a silver medal in the volleyball schools cup, where they competed against teams from schools all around Sydney. Years 7 and 8 enjoyed an excursion to Luna Park for their rewards day. We would also like to take this opportunity to remind students to not litter to keep our school clean. We hope you had a good week.

P&C ZOOM Meeting and End of Year Virtual Drinks! - Tues 29 November 2022

The next P&C Meeting will be on Tuesday 29 November starting at 7:00pm via ZOOM!  All parents, carers and school community members are welcome. We especially look forward to welcoming those new to the school. 

We usually end our year celebrating another great year for the RBSC with a drink and some delicious nibbles. Due to to the increase in COVID and predicted wave peak we are not able to meet in person. Therefore, we would like everyone to pour themselves a large drink so as we can all have a cheers together celebrating how amazing our staff have been. We will be inviting the staff to join us for a drink online. 
 
We look forward to seeing you there!

Access the meeting by clicking here. Alternatively, use the following details to "join a meeting" in Zoom on your device:
Meeting ID: 699 5714 4124
Password: 132580

Membership of the P&C and voting rights is by gold coin donation which will need to be paid online. In order to be able to vote on motions at the meeting, please pay a ‘gold coin donation’ into the RBSC P&C account by Sunday 27 November. 

Please note, the P&C voluntary contribution paid with school fees is separate from the gold coin donation for P&C voting rights. In order to vote the P&C Federation requires you to be a financial member, this is achieved with a gold coin donation. The P&C voluntary contribution allows RBSC P&C to provide funding to many school programs and projects.

The bank details for a gold coin donation are:
 
Name: RBSC P&C  
BSB: 062238
Account: 10113005

Payments should note ‘P&C 2022 + name’ so membership can be verified.
Please also send an email with the bank receipt. 
 
Please feel free to email the P&C. 
 
The agenda and meeting documents are available 7 days prior on the P&C Public Drive. 

Mental Health Incursion

On Tuesday, Year 10 attended a talk delivered by mental health advocate, Nic Newling, and Headspace GP Leader, Dani. 'The Champions' discussed mental health, as Nic told his own personal, and family story, of lived experiences of mental health challenges. Nic spoke openly about his experience with mental illness, and offered advice to our students to consider how we talk, act and think about mental health, prompting students to realise how openly talking about mental health can have a positive impact in their own lives and in the lives of their mates around them. Students asked meaningful questions, and Dani shared Headspace Bondi Junction’s ‘open door policy’, encouraging students to consider whether Headspace could offer support for them – now or in the future. There are many services Headspace can offer (students, parents or schools can make referrals for young people).

Courage to Care

Over the last two weeks, RBSC was proud to host the Courage to Care Classroom Program. Years 7 to 9 participated and should be congratulated on their respect and undivided attention to the program leaders and holocaust survivors.

The program is designed to support the Australian curriculum, including HSIE and PDHPE, with links to the understanding of diversity, creative thinking, critical thinking and values promoting a fair and just society.

The program included:

• An introductory historical presentation provided background to WWII and the Holocaust, with a particular focus on the role of the rescuer.

• A Holocaust survivor, ‘living historian’, shared their experiences with students, emphasising the story of their rescue and support provided by others – the support which enabled them to survive.

• An interactive workshop invited students to examine the roles of the bystander and upstander. Students discuss some of the roadblocks to becoming an upstander and become aware of their own ability to make a difference in their own worlds.  

RBSC would like to thank Ms Kremmer, Ms Westbrook, Ms Stern, Ms Bright and Mr Wright for organising the delivery of the highly engaging and important Courage to Care Program.

Year 8 Luna Park Rewards Day

he following passages were written by two Year 8 students about their experience at Luna Park:
On Monday, the 21st of November, the entire Year 8 cohort attended a Rewards Day at Luna Park, Sydney. As soon as we arrived at Australia's oldest amusement park, smiles appeared and glistened in the sun. The sentence “You can go now!” echoed through everyone’s ears and a sense of excitement arose. Everyone sprinted through the entrance, racing towards their favourite rides. The Big Dipper and The Sledgehammer, two of the park’s most infamous rides, were incredibly popular amongst the cohort. Rollercoasters shrieked; eyes twinkled; laughter spread around Milsons Point and echoed out beyond the pier. Even Year 8’s advisers, Mr McEvoy and Mr Regina, experienced the thrill of Luna Park’s newest ride, The Sledgehammer. Most students ended their day with an overpriced, but delicious meal from one of Luna Park’s food outlets. With full stomachs but empty wallets, everyone hopped back onto the buses and reminisced about their day. Although the queues were long for the rides, the day was still filled with exhilarating moments and memories for students to cherish forever.
- Anna O

On Monday, 21st November, the entire Year 8 cohort attended a Rewards Day at Luna Park, Sydney. Kids smiled; teeth sparkled; screams echoed across Lavender Bay and screeched over the queues. The wind tickled my skin as the buckled in schoolboys and girls zoomed over my head. My legs wobbled as I waited in the hour-long line. Enclosed in a cramped space with the four walls of children surrounding me, the limited amount of air suddenly turned into a strong gust of wind as everyone ran to the front of the line to get on the next ride. As I entered the ride and my torso was trapped in the jailcell of a buckle, the Sledgehammer started spinning and swinging and I let go of everything and screamed my heart out. My stomach dropped as every swing released from its great heights. Even though I felt uneasy about the fact that I was swinging 30 meters in the air at rapid speed, I felt a sense of freedom. As soon as the ride decelerated, my adrenaline slowed down and I felt the state of my dry, croaky throat. The ride came to a stop, the buckles popped off, and I peeled my legs off the seat and ran out of the gate with my friends to figure out the next ride.

- Mia B

IEF Update

The IEF break area has had a welcomed upgrade. Students can now eat, socialize, and relax on 3 new picnic style tables under generous market umbrellas. They are enjoying their inclusive space and are welcoming mainstream students to sit under the shade of their umbrellas too. 

Year 10 Geography

Our Year 10 Geography students were enjoying outdoor learning opportunities whilst out sketching plant species around the RBSC Yarn Circle last Friday.

V-Fest

The Chauvel Cinema has just contacted us, saying the back section of Cinema 1 (where V-Fest is screened) is closed for maintenance. As a result, I have created an online booking event to ensure everyone either gets a seat or choses to view the festival online. Please click on the included link for tickets. Maximum of 2 per person.

Careers

15 Students from Year 12, 2022 are celebrating their success in being offered entry to Macquarie University for 2023

UNSW's GERRIC for Gifted Students Program is running in the January 2023 holidays. The program is a three day workshop that can be completed online or at UNSW's Kensington Campus. For more information, or to collect a flyer, please see Mr Weavers in the A-Block staffroom or send an email. 

Library News and Reviews

Over the past two weeks students in years 7, 8 and 9 have attended the Courage to Care program. A program emphasising the goodness in some in the face of dire circumstances. The hope is to empower our students to really care about those who face discrimination and to become upstanders. We have a myriad of books in the library, both fiction and non-fiction, to further inform on the topic of discrimination across all races and creeds.

Courage to Care informs about the Holocaust and in that vein, I have selected a few of the many books that support this topic. Those below are all non-fiction and offer firsthand accounts of survival and experiences because there were incredible individuals who stood firm and cared.

All resources are listed on the library website found in OLIVER. In addition, there are links to a couple of excellent digital series on the topic of the holocaust and history found on ClickView.  We in the Library invite you to check them out, borrow read or watch.

Reminder:  Homework Club is run every Monday and Wednesday from 3:30 – 5:00 pm. Assistance is given to all students with research, homework, assignments, and any studying issues they may have. No bookings are required.