News

Coronavirus - Department of Education statement

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 19:39:36 AEDT

The department is working with the Ministry of Health to monitor and respond to the unfolding international novel coronavirus situation.

Get up-to-date information about the department's response to novel coronavirus.

Are you #Ready2020?

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 14:49:56 AEDT

Hints, tips and resources to make a great start to the new school year – whether it’s your first day of high school or you’ve been here a while.

We work hard to make sure every student is known, valued and cared for – even before they walk into the classroom on Day 1, Term 1.

We’ve got great advice and resources for high school, no matter what year you’re heading into...

For families of students starting Year 7:

download our Getting ready for high school booklet
read our top tips for a smooth transition.

For families of returning students:

visit the back to school checklist to make a hassle-free start to the year
download the 2020 calendar to stay organised all year
check out our hints for setting up a study space.

Video – #Ready2020: First day at high school

Duration – 1:00

Join us for your HSC journey

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 15:35:54 AEDT

The HSC can be one of the most exciting moments of high school. Here’s how to be prepared.

We’re committed to supporting every student to do their best – especially during the HSC – and making sure every student is known, valued and cared for.

For HSC students, we’ve got advice on how to make the most of your study, set healthy habits and finish out high school in style.

Check out our HSC resources for hints, tips and checklists to make a great start to the new school year.

Video – #Ready2020: First day of Year 12

Duration – 1:00

Staying healthy into the new school year

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 16:42:53 AEDT

Immunisation is a simple, safe and effective way to protect your family from harmful diseases this holiday season and into 2020. Visit your doctor for general health and vaccination advice.

Immunisation not only protects you and your family but also others in your community, by reducing the spread of preventable diseases.

Children starting school in 2020 must have up-to-date immunisations to enrol.

These vaccinations help protect children from highly infectious and severe diseases including whooping cough and measles.

Travel health

If you’re travelling overseas during the school holidays, you may need vaccinations or medication – both for general health protection and for region specific diseases.

If you’re travelling to the Northern Hemisphere, you may even need a flu shot.

Find out more about staying healthy while travelling.

NSW schools respond to bushfires

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 16:07:23 AEDT

Many schools are responding to the catastrophic fire rating that is affecting communities across the state this week.

We are continuously updating the School safety page with a list of government and non-government schools, as well as TAFE NSW campuses that are currently non-operational.

While some schools are temporarily non-operational due to localised fires, many others in high-risk areas are non-operational as a precautionary measure.

Schools in some areas are being used as emergency evacuation centres at the direction of the Rural Fire Service.

For schools that are currently operational, school pickups and dropoffs will continue as usual. If your school is currently non-operational, it will likely remain so tomorrow.

Large scale distressing events affect our school communities in many ways. Headspace’s mental health support resource (PDF 100.52KB) is available to help students, teachers and school staff respond to the bushfires.

Visit the School safety page for updates. The department’s Facebook and Twitter accounts will also provide updates during this period.

Grab a ticket to Schools Spectacular 2019

Thu, 24 Oct 2019 10:59:36 AEDT

Will you be joining us at Schools Spectacular 2019? Tickets are on sale now. Experience our live show featuring a cast of thousands of public school students from across metropolitan, rural and remote regions of NSW.

Students from different ages, cultures and backgrounds will share the spotlight as they dance, play and sing for you. Choose from one of our four massive performances at Qudos Bank Arena on Friday 22 November and Saturday 23 November.

This year's events will feature:

more than 380 schools
5,500 performers
a 3000-strong choir
2,300 dancers
an 80-piece symphony orchestra
a world-class stage band.

Group bookings

Need to make a group booking for over 10 people? Complete the Schools Preview Order Form 2019 (PDF 110KB) to attend the discounted 11am Friday matinee. The Friday matinee is discounted for school students and accompanying teachers.

If you’d like to grab a spot at one of the other three remaining shows complete the Group Booking Form 2019 (PDF 110KB).

Tickets for you and your family and friends

Save you and your family a spot online or by phone on 132 849.

Video – Schools Spectacular 2019

Duration: 0:26

Book yourself in for Reading Hour

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 12:10:46 AEST

This Australian Reading Hour, encourage your child to discover or rekindle their love of a good book. Take the time to learn, escape and relax on Thursday 19 September and read for one hour.

Reading has been shown to reduce stress by 68% more than listening to music, going for a walk, or having a cup of tea.

Take the Book Swap Challenge

We all have favourite books that we come back to again and again.

To help celebrate Reading Hour take our Book Swap Challenge. We want students, teachers, staff and parents to try reading something new on the day. To get involved, simply pair up with someone and swap your favourite books.

Take a photo and tag it with #ReadingHour so we can see how you got involved.

Video – Ben Law asks students about their favourite author

Duration: 1:18

Author and #ReadingHour ambassador Benjamin Law talks with some of our students about their favourite books.

How to be smart and safe on social media

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 11:25:01 AEST

Use our new Digital Citizenship toolkit to empower your child to understand how their online behaviour affects themselves and others.

You and your child can find information on:

how to ‘be positive’ by understanding online behaviour and its effect
'be smart’ by thinking critically and being digitally aware
'be safe’ by protecting your security, privacy and wellbeing.

A toolkit to empower you and your child

You can find articles and videos to equip and empower your child to minimise the risks and maximise the opportunities in our digital future.

We’ve partnered with leading researchers to produce a curated toolkit – aligned to the curriculum – which teachers and you can share with the young people in your lives.

Guide your child through important concepts such as:

managing privacy settings in social media
collaborating online
avoiding scams and hoaxes
understanding the law when it comes to online speech
Internet banking, shopping online and much more.

Keep your child safe and happy online

Visit and bookmark the Digital Citizenship website. We’ll continue to add articles and resources to ensure the best possible tools are available to help you guide your child to be positive, smart and safe online.

What’s next after high school?

Fri, 30 Aug 2019 11:22:06 AEST

Is your child in Year 9 to 12 curious about their career choices? Now they can use LifeLauncher, a free online tool to explore and simplify their career choices.

Your child can explore courses and careers in-depth, at their own pace, anytime, anywhere and on any device. The tool includes 4,000 careers and 1,500 course options, all in one place.

How does it work?

Encourage your child to jump online and complete the 5-minute personality and subject quizzes to be matched to a range of career options that suit their passions and strengths.

If they take both quizzes, they’ll get more refined suggestions. They can even create free online pinboards to shortlist the courses and jobs that interest them.

When your child creates an account, they can save their searches and build a real understanding of the opportunities and pathways open to them.

What can your child learn about their career options?

Your child can explore the weekly salary of the career options they’re interested in. They’ll also find the employment and growth rates of those careers and the number of workers currently in those fields in Australia.

Each career option shows them the education they need as well as other related careers. They can follow links to other sites to find out more about a course to help them find the best provider for them.

Launch into the future today

Use this tool to chat with your child about their post-school options in a meaningful way.

Inspire your child to find their career match today at LifeLauncher.nsw.gov.au.

Education Week – Every student, every voice

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 12:50:46 AEST

We are celebrating our students and their powerful voices this Education Week Monday 5 August to Friday 9 August. Every year Education Week celebrates the achievements of public schools, our students and the value of public education.

This year, the theme is Every student, every voice.

Join us for #EdWeek19 as we celebrate our students and their power to shape the world.

Video – #EdWeek19 – Every student, every voice

Duration: 0:34

Creative and Active Kids vouchers now available

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 11:26:17 AEST

Creative kids can now put a $100 voucher towards extra-curricular creative activities outside of school.

Together with Active Kids, this program aims to encourage more NSW children to participate in a range of extra-curricular activities such as coding, languages, circus, performing arts and visual arts.

Parents can apply for one $100 voucher for each child enrolled in school on the Creative Kids website and use it towards the cost of registration, participation or tuition. You just redeem the voucher with a registered provider in your area when making your payment.

This is a great opportunity for your child to become involved in a range of activities that will build on their education, growth and development.

Service NSW is working with industry bodies to deliver the program.

For more information, contact Service NSW on 137 788 or creativekids@service.nsw.gov.au.

The Game Changer Challenge is back

Fri, 31 May 2019 11:41:06 AEST

It’s not too late to become a Game Changer with applications for the Education Week challenge due by 7 June.

The Game Changer Challenge brings 16 teams from public schools across NSW – eight from primary and eight from secondary – to Sydney during Education Week in August for a three-day, intensive design-thinking workshop.

The Game Changer workshops, which start on Tuesday 6 August, includes teacher training in the use of design thinking as a teaching methodology and its application for school planning.

It also includes a team competition where schools will work under the guidance of experts from industry and academia to develop a solution to this year’s critical question: How might we humanise technology?

Department of Education Secretary Mark Scott has encouraged students and teachers to get behind the event as it highlights the critical thinking students will need to develop to succeed in the future.

“The Game Changer Challenge is an exciting initiative that helps educate and inform our students and teachers on how to integrate the problem-solving methodology of design thinking into the classroom,” Mr Scott says.

“It embraces the 21^st century skills our students will need to thrive in a globalised world such as collaboration, creative thinking and communication.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students at all levels to be involved in discussing and addressing a real-world issue that will affect their future lives. I encourage every school to get involved.”

The challenge is designed to make strong learning and teaching connections to the NSW syllabus specifically in the area of developing general capabilities such as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, communication and problem-solving.

The challenge also provides teachers with an opportunity to gain exposure to the design thinking process and includes teacher resources to introduce this creative problem-solving methodology into the classroom.

Finalists will be selected based on a 60-second video that showcases your team’s vision around the question of humanising technology.

For more information email edweek@det.nsw.edu.au or visit the Game Changer Challenge page.

Your NAPLAN questions answered

Thu, 09 May 2019 15:54:32 AEST

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a point in time assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. The tests assess the foundational skills in reading, writing, spelling and numeracy that are essential for every child to progress through school and life.

This year NAPLAN takes place between 14 and 16 May for paper tests and between 14 and 24 May for schools participating in NAPLAN Online.

NAPLAN data is used to help monitor student progress over time against a national measure and to identify areas of strength and improvement. It is used in combination with other school assessments to guide and support student learning.

Watch students ask an expert the tough questions about NAPLAN.

Apply now for My Community Project funding

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 15:10:31 AEST

Do you have a great idea to improve your area?

My Community Project is a new NSW Government funding program that is all about local ideas, local projects and local decisions.

You can apply now for grants from $20,000 - $200,000 for projects that will make a difference to your community. Projects could include new playground equipment, sports facilities, paths or ramps to improve access, public art or a community service.

The local community can vote for their favourite projects in July and successful projects will be announced in September.

Project applications close 15 May 2019.

Apply for My Community Project funding

Bring back memories, not measles

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 14:11:20 AEST

With school holidays just around the corner, it’s time to visit your doctor to check that you and your family are fully protected against measles, before you travel overseas.

Measles is a serious, highly contagious, viral illness that is easily spread through the air when an infectious person coughs, sneezes or breathes. If you and your family are not fully vaccinated, or have never been vaccinated, you are at risk of contracting measles.

Not sure if you’re fully protected?

In Australia, the measles vaccine (MMR) consists of 2 doses. If you’re not sure whether you’ve had 2 doses of the measles vaccine, visit your doctor. It’s safe to receive another dose.

Children born in Australia

If your children were born in Australia, they may have received the measles vaccine at 12 months old and the second dose at 18 months, in accordance with the National Immunisation Program.
If you have a baby under 12 months old, consult your doctor about getting their measles vaccination.

Adults born in Australia

Born before 1966 – you were most likely exposed to measles as a child and are generally considered to be immune. If in doubt, ask your GP.
Born between 1966 and 1994 – you may not have received 2 doses. Talk to your doctor about the free vaccine if you’re unsure.
Born after 1994 – the National Immunisation Program offers 2 doses, and you can check your vaccination status using the Australian Immunisation Register.

For more information about the measles vaccination, visit NSW Health or consult your local doctor.

Follow your heart, not the herd

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 13:24:22 AEDT

We spoke with a group of Kindergarten students to find out what they had to say about going against the herd. They had some wise words for us on how we can care, respect and support each other in our schools.

Let’s start the year off right and prevent student bullying happening in our playgrounds, classrooms and online. If a group of 5-year-olds know the difference between right and wrong, shouldn’t everyone?

Video – Wise at 5

Duration – 1:08

Back to school

Fri, 25 Jan 2019 15:20:15 AEDT

The first day of high school and the return to school in the new year are busy times for your child – and for the entire family. To help you and your child get organised and enjoy the experience we've compiled some useful tips for each year group.

We want every student to be known, valued and cared for in our schools.

2019 school budget allocations

Mon, 12 Nov 2018 11:59:01 AEDT

Like all NSW public schools, this week we will receive a School Budget Allocation Report with our funding for 2019. The report will help us manage our total budget delivered through the Resource Allocation Model (RAM).

The RAM supports schools through needs-based funding to ensure a fair, efficient and transparent allocation of funds. Our school has the flexibility to make local decisions based on the specific needs of our students.

We will use our 2019 funding to support students and improve educational outcomes. The school executive will continue to work with the school community as we implement the school plan using this needs-based funding.

Learn more about the 2019 RAM funding.

WestNews T1 W10 now available

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 22:14:14 AEST

WestNews is our fortnightly update of events at the school. Stay connected and informed.

This issue is from Term 1 Week 6, 2018.

Westnews T1W10 (pdf 477 KB)

WestNews T1 W6 now available

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 13:04:35 AEST

WestNews is our school's fortnightly update of events at the school. Stay connected and informed with us by reading each upcoming issue! This issue is from Week 6 of Term 1:

WestNews week 6 Term 1 (PDF 578KB)

School TV: Diet and Nutrition

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 13:22:45 AEST

We all know that diet and nutrition is vital to your child's development and growth, but are you aware of the effects it has on your child's brain development and how it can impact their academic achievement?

In this era of convenience, it is easy to reach for pre-packaged and processed foods to cope with busy schedules. However, these foods are usually packed full of sugar and salt which can have adverse health effects. Making a habit of reading food labels can help reduce the risks. It can also help to stabilise your child's energy, improve their mood, maintain a healthy weight and improve their general wellbeing.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will discover practical advice for teaching your kids about the benefits of incorporating a healthy diet and good nutrition. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month's edition and we always welcome your feedback.

If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information.

View this month's edition on diet and nutrition

School TV: Cyber Bullying - A Special Report

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 15:12:47 AEST

Many parents will be aware of the tragic circumstances in which Amy 'Dolly' Everett lost her life earlier this year as a result of cyberbullying. Dolly, as she was affectionately known, has since become the face of a campaign to raise awareness of bullying, anxiety, depression and youth suicide. A legacy that Dolly's bereaved family fully support with the intent of sparing other families from the same grief.

In this Special Report, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg highlights the dangers associated with social media and outlines how parents can help reduce the risk of cyberbully. Preventing such a tragedy from reoccurring again, needs to have the support of parents, schools and the wider community. All of which must work together towards reducing the risks associated with bullying. Parents especially, need to be aware of the dangers and be proactive in not accepting bullying behaviour of any sort.

Let's do it for Dolly.

If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information.

View this special report on cyberbullying.

2017 WAC presentation

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 15:12:17 AEST

Another impressive year during 2016-2017 saw a night of celebration to which we have become accustomed. We had planned on having Australia's greatest ever thrower Dani Stevens (nee Samuels) be our special guest however for only the third time in 16 years Dani was unavailable to attend due to International commitments. Instead we invited stars from the past to act as guest presenters: Paul Stickler, John Thornell, Sharyn Dickson and Matt Outzen did the honours and an enjoyable night ensued with 150 in attendance.

Our sincere thanks to the St Johns Park Bowling club who have for the last fourteen years hosted our function in their grand function room. Thanks as well to his Excellency Roberto Fromer (Brazil Consul General) for his presence in awarding the Adhemar Ferreira da Silva Scholarship and all the guests and sponsors listed below.

Participants

Juniors

Agee Amegashie, Aleksia Drinkwater, Alessia De Rossi, Alexandra Alizart , Anthony Fediakov, Ava Honore, Bianca Frketic , Bradley Jones, Cameron Banovich, Cameron Saville, Kristie Caplikas , Capri Noonan , Christina McGrath , Daniel Maran, Daniel Small, Elise White Gabbie Waite Geromy Cluff Gloria Vuki , Hayden Kovacic , Izabella Epati, Jack Fouracre , James Fitzgibbob-Solis, Jarrod Beasley , Jordan Roth 2, Kathryn Beck, Mahbobeh Hashemi , Maria Cenic, Marikit Reyes, Matthew Huang, Michael Taylor, Mitchell Parsons, Monalisa Sololia, Raven Pyda, Renae Dehn, Ryan Dueza , Shadi Bahlawan, Sophie Smith , Taneka Osgood , Thomas Tohi Hiku, Youssef Bahlawan

Seniors

Kyle Alexis, Hayden Kovacic, Daniel Small, Daniel Maran

State medallists

Juniors

Annelise Isaacs , Bradley Pereira , Callum Hancock , Dominic Darko, Gabbie Waite, Godwin Opoku-Mensah , Jakob Masters , James Cluff , Joshua Sanerivi , Kaitlin Woodward , Larry Adeniran , Maddox Asotasi-Barthou , Malik Abou-Halka, Natalija Pavicevic , Niraal Sharma , Noah Zoobi , Obssa Youssef , Paige Merriman , Praneesh Chand , Riley Butler , Shehan Dhanapala , Sophia Dagher , Tyler Clarke, Tyson Isakka , Zac Zaineddine (Also winning State medals: Aimey Bowrey , Sanaila Koroiravu , Sarah Ringrose, Yadin Ngeng , Dani Stevens)

Seniors

Sharyn Dickson, Alison White, Laura Martino. (Also winning State medals: Dani Stevens)

National medallists

Sharyn Dickson

Aimey Bowrey

Sanaila Koroiravu

Sarah Ringrose

Yadin Ngeng

Dani Stevens

Sports factory award

Zac Zaineddine - $150

Taneka Osgood - $150

Roger Green award

Aleksia Drinkwater ($100)

Event awards

Sprints

Male Junior - Yadin Ngeng - $100

Female Junior - Alexandra Alizart - $100

Male Senior - Hayden Kovacic - $100

Female Senior - Nil

Middle distance

Male Junior - Praneesh Chand - $100

Female Junior - Annelise Isaacs - $100

Jumps

Male Junior - Riley Butler - $100

Female Junior - Renae Dehn - $100

Male Senior - Kurt Jenner - $100

Female Senior - Laura Martino - $100

Throws

Female Junior - Sarah Ringrose - $100

Female Senior - Sharyn Dickson - $100

Winter athletes

Mitchell Parsons - $100

Paige Merriman - $100

Multis

Junior Female - Aimie Bowrey - $100

Junior Male - Tyson Isakki - $100

Athletes of the year

Male Junior - Yadin Ngeng - $250

Female Junior - Sarah Ringrose - $250

Male Senior - Bailey Woodward - $400

Female Senior - Laura Martino - $400

Adhemar Ferreira da Silva scholarship

Yadin Ngeng - $1000 plus trip for athlete and coach to Interstate meet

Thank you to our sponsors

Action Badges

Club Liverpool

St Johns Park Bowling Club

The Sports Factory

Rosemary and Wilf Mula

David and Karin Suchy

Consulate General of Brazil

CBAT

Thank you to our guests

Roger Davis, Joanne Kenny, Rosemary Mula, Wilf Mula, Roberto Fromer (Brazil Consul), Robert Marks (apology), John Thornell, Sharyn Dickson, Paul Stickler, Geoff Lewsham, Tom Jones, Dallas Stewart, Brian McCormack, Steve Want, Matues Cemal (Brazilian Consul driver), Quinn Elson Photography, Andrew Rogers, Robert Trueman, Antoinette Kealy-Ashby, Richard Tait, Mark Butler, Isabelle Osborne, Pete Knapman, Jarryd Chippendale.

Year 7 Vaccination Program Update

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:13 AEDT

Adolescent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Program

In early 2017 parents/carers of Year 7 students were asked to provide consent for their children to receive three doses of HPV vaccine in the NSW School Vaccination Program.

Most* Year 7 students who have received two doses of HPV vaccine are considered to be fully vaccinated and do not require a further dose.

This change is based on recent international studies that show for children aged 9 to 14 years of age, two doses of HPV vaccine provide the same protection as three doses, as long as the second dose is given at least six months after the first dose. Based on this evidence, the World Health Organization (WHO) now recommends a two-dose HPV schedule, and this has already been adopted in comparable countries (i.e. the UK, Canada, the United States and New Zealand) and is now being adopted in Australia.

In 2017 Year 7 students were given the second dose of HPV vaccine at least six months after the first dose to accommodate the urgent roll-out of the Meningococcal W Response Program to Year 11 and 12 students. Year 7 students who have received only one dose of HPV this year will be offered their second dose in 2018. Parents/carers whose children were vaccinated in 2017 but who still wish for their child to receive a third dose of HPV vaccine can access a free dose from their general practitioner (GP).

* Students with significantly impaired immune systems are still recommended to have three doses of HPV vaccine. Parents of these students should make arrangements to complete the vaccine course with their GP or by calling their local public health unit on 1300 066 055.

More information is available on the NSW Health website at www.health.nsw.gov.au/hpv or by calling your local public health unit on 1300 066 055.

SchoolTV: School Transitions

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:10 AEDT

Whether it is starting school for the first time, moving up to a higher grade or embarking on a journey through secondary school, there is no doubt that any school transition is a very exciting time for children and parents. It means your children are growing up!

However, transitioning is an ongoing process. It can continue long after students have entered their new environment and may encounter difficulties at a number of different stages. These stressors may appear as anxiety and frustration and result in negative or disruptive behaviours. Such behaviours can become problematic making the transitioning process even more difficult for children and parents.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will learn practical strategies to assist your child during the transition process and reduce stress and anxiety levels. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month's edition and we always welcome your feedback.

If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information.

Here is the link to this month's edition http://westfields-h.schools.nsw.schooltv.me/newsletter/school-transitions

SchoolTV: Exam Jitters

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:10 AEDT

Every year, more and more emphasis is placed on achieving good results in exams causing many students to feel extraordinary pressure and having unrealistic expectations. This month on SchoolTV, parents will find advice on how to help students cope with the pressure and how students can work smarter to achieve the results they desire.

Exams are like a game. Once you know how to play the game, your chances of achieving great results rapidly increase. Parents can learn how to assist their kids to maintain perspective and keep their sanity intact during exam time.

Diet, exercise and sleep all play an important part in helping a student balance a busy schedule and study smarter. Keeping stress levels to a minimum and reducing anxiety can be easily achieved through careful planning and having a supportive environment.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month's edition and we always welcome your feedback.

If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information.

http://westfields-h.schools.nsw.schooltv.me/newsletter/exam-jitters

SchoolTV : Impact of Gambling

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:10 AEDT

Parents, our school has subscribed to SchoolTV

Children and teenagers are particularly vulnerable to marketing tactics and this is greatly concerning. Research shows that children as young as 8, are able to easily recall the marketing for sports betting. It is having a major impact on the way in which young people think about the relationship between gambling and sport. The 'normalisation' of sports betting is posing a threat to Australian teenagers.

Children are also being inadvertently exposed to simulated gambling and gambling sites through mobile devices. With video games being extremely popular, this has the potential to blur the boundary between video gaming and gambling. Research suggests that more than 40 per cent of young people, who have an interest in video games with gambling-like features, will also have a preoccupation with gambling or intend to gamble in the future.

A study conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research, found that up to five per cent of young people in Australia will develop gambling problems before the age of 25.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month's edition and we always welcome your feedback.

If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information.

Click the image on the left for the latest newsletter.

2017 NSW schools relay

Mon, 14 May 2018 17:04:21 AEST

Congratulations to our 17 relay teams that contested the 2017 NSW Schools Relays at SOPAC on Wednesday 23rd August. 11 teams set new school and/or club records. The most impressive of which was the Girls U15 4x100m relay (Alizart Lolohea, Brown, Adeniran) breaking a record that has stood since 1993 (24 years). The existing record of 52.1 at the time in 1993 was a new NSW record. Our 2017 team set the new record at 51.73. In the 26 year history of the Westfields Athletics Club only 4 female teams of any age have run faster. Even more impressive was the fact that only one of the girls was actually under 15 (Alexandra), the other three were 13 (Shola), 12 (Claudia) and 12 (Latecia).

View the schools relays results (PDF 357KB).

SchoolTV : a new resource for parents

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:10 AEDT

Parents, our school has subscribed to SchoolTV

You'll find a range of topics each published monthly with comprehensive videos from leading specialists and organisations.

You'll also find Fact Sheets, suggested books, apps, websites and much more. And because SchoolTV is independent, we've pulled in some great content from organisations such as Beyond Blue, ReachOut, HeadSpace and others.

Click the logo on the left for the latest newsletter.

Once Upon a Sport

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:08 AEDT

The Sports High School documentary featuring Westfields Sports premieres Monday 1 May on FoxSports 501 at 9:30pm. It will be replayed on Tuesday 2 May on FoxSports 501 at 3:00pm & on Wednesday 3 May on FoxSports 501 at 7:30pm

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Indigenous Football Week 2017

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:07 AEDT

Indigenous Football Week 2017 (28/3/17 to 2/4/17) is about the power of football to create change for good, while delivering a standout talent pipeline to the game. The partnership of JMF, Football Federation Australia, Professional Footballers Australia, SBS and Fox Sports, will use Indigenous Football Week 2017 to highlight the achievements of Indigenous players past and present, as well as the next generation of incredible talent.

Jada Whyman (Year 12), interviewed for Fox Sports Football before the kick off of the March 28th Socceroos World Cup Qualifying game, spoke at length about Indigenous football and what her culture means to her.

The John Moriarty Foundation supports students in their sporting dreams, promotes their academic growth and offers assistance to the students if they live away from their Community as they pursue their dreams.

Read more about The John Moriarty Foundation and Indigenous Football Week 2017 http://www.jmf.org.au/#ifw-2017

Join Indigenous Football Week 2017 (IFW17) on social media using the hashtags #GameChanger and #JMFtalent and follow @FootballJMFon Twitter and Facebook.

Mr Mathison
Westfields Sports High School
ATSI Committee

Parent Online Payment

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:09 AEDT

It is now possible for parents to make online payments to the school, via a secure payment page hosted by Westpac. At this stage we would only like parents to pay for their child's school fees. Excursions must be paid by the student at school. Payments can be made using either a Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card The payment page is accessed from the front page of the school's website by selecting $ Make a payment.

For any enquiries regarding the Online Payment process please contact the School Administration Office.

English Faculty Review

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:06 AEDT

Dear Parents,

Westfields Sports conducts regular reviews of all key learning areas across the school. This week we are reviewing the English faculty. Could you please take a few minutes to complete the survey below to provide us with your perspective on the teaching of English at our school.

Parent Survey

All responses are confidential.

If you would like to give further comment please contact the school on 9604 3333 and ask to speak to Mr Rogers.

Thank you for your assistance.

Mr Rogers

2016 Assessment and Reporting Booklets are now available.

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:04 AEDT

The 2016 Assessment and Reporting Booklets for Year 10,11 and 12 are now available.

Go to Curriculum & activities > Assessment & reporting to download the latest course and assessment outlines.

Westfields Sports Football Clinic

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:11 AEDT

Players of all levels are invited to attend a 3-day holiday clinic. This is is an excellent opportunity to train under the guidance of highly qualified, accredited coaches.

Information & Application Form
Westfields Sports Football (pdf 90 KB)

NCCD Parent Information

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:08 AEDT

Parent/Carer Information

Criteria for inclusion in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD)

In 2015, all schools in Australia will participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (the national data collection (NCCD)). It is an annual collection that counts the number of school students with a diagnosed disability and/ or had a reasonable level of support/adjustments made to support their participation in education. Therefore it is mandatory for Westfields Sports High School to be involved and be recognised for the work in supporting each child identified with a learning and support need.

The NCCD will collect data on the number of students receiving adjustments who meet the definition of disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education.

For e.g.

Physical impaired
Cognitive (intellectual or learning need)
Sensory
Social/emotional

Students being provided with an adjustment for disability are included in the Annual Data Collection where there is evidence that:

The adjustments have been provided for a minimum of 10weeks in the 12months preceding the NCCD
The adjustments is based on the assessed education needs of individual students
The adjustments is provided in collaboration and consultation of the student and/or parent/.carers.
The impact of the adjustment is monitored
The functional impact of the student's ability results in the school actively addressing the student specific additional education needs.

These include a student in the NCCD schools will draw on wider range of evidence in school.

Effective management of data to maintain evidence of the process of Personalised Learning and Support for students, forms part of the school's accountability for students with additional learning and support needs.

THE NCCD IS COMPULSORY

Furthermore, parents/carers of students currently being provided an adjustment for disability cannot ‘opt out' their child/ren from being entered in the data. Staff entering the data will consult all parent/carers of their child/ren that are being included.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Contact your child's school Learning and Support Team if you have further questions about the NCCD on School Students with Disability and how it may involve your child.

You can also visit

http://www.education.gov.au/nationally-consistent-collection-data-school-students-disability

An e-learning resource about the Disability Standards for Education 2005 is freely available for the use of individuals, families and communities at http://resource.dse.theeducationinstitute.edu.au/

Channel Seven to Westfields

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:06 AEDT

Channel Seven personality Jim Wilson travelled westward to share with some of our year 12 students and the senior assembly about his personal journey of being a journalist to becoming a news presenter on Channel 7. The school was then featured on Channel Seven that night.

A Week of Harmony Day Activities

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:05 AEDT

Harmony Day might be March 21st this year but all week Westfields Sports staff and students have been raising awareness of and appreciating the many cultures that make up our school, nation and world. The central message for Harmony Day is that ‘everyone belongs', reinforcing the importance of inclusiveness to all Australians.

Orange Ribbon: staff have been waring the orange Harmony Day ribbon all week. Traditionally the colour orange relates to social communication, stimulating two-way conversations. It aids in the development of new ideas and frees the spirit of its limitations, giving us the freedom to be ourselves. At the same time it encourages self-respect and respect of others.

Trivia Quiz: Twenty posters are spread around the school with the Trivia questions testing how much our students know about other cultures, their food, language and beliefs all featured. A prize for the first correctly completed quiz is on offer.

Assembly Items: all three assemblies were entertained and informed by student performances highlighting the diversity of talent and cultures at Westfields Sports.

Music In The Quad: As the week progresses the engagement increases, Thursday will feature music in the Quad from all over the world.

International Food Stall: The week will finish with a treat for our taste buds as Staff and Students are helping to provide for our International Food Stall to be held at Recess in the Quad. Bite sized selections from all over the world will be available from 50c.

Harmony Day March 21st 2015: There are many ways you and your family and friends can celebrate and recognise the benefits and potential that cultural diversity brings. All Australians are encouraged to wear something orange on March 21st to show their support for cultural diversity and an inclusive nation. Visit the Harmony Day website to lean more.

School Uniform Shop (new hours)

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:10 AEDT

Parents are advised that the new opening hours for the uniform shop will commence on Thursday 31 July, 2014. The shop will be open from 8:00am to 11:30am.

Athletics Carnival

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:05 AEDT

2000 events. 430 students. Sunshine. A great day. Thanks Mr Suchy for all of your organisation.

Teach in NSW

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:10 AEDT

teach.NSW

30 minutes ago

https://www.facebook.com/events/825276574149863/

Parents & Community Information Day. Sydney Uni. July 31

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:09 AEDT

Parents and community representatives are invited to a special Information Day on Thursday July 31, from 10.00am to 1.30am.

Find out more about your child's future. Open the link below.

Parent Day (pdf 451 KB)

Be SunSmart!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:05 AEDT

Australia has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world for both males and females. Two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70. Tragically, skin cancer in one of the most preventable cancers.

As part of informing our students to the danger of Skin Cancer we have added the The SunSmart UV Alert widget to our school intranet page - the home page on all our school computers. Alerts are issued throughout the year by the Bureau of Meteorology when the UV Index is forecast to reach 3 or above.

The website has information including the Free SunSmart App which lets you know when you do and don't need sun protection, making it easier than ever to be smart about your sun exposure all year.

Book Parent Teacher Interviews Online

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:05 AEDT

This year all bookings for Parent Teacher Nights are online. A letter containing instructions and the family code required to access the online booking system has been mailed home. You are able to make bookings for all three nights. Please wait until you receive the letter with the code before attempting to register.

We will be sending a reminder SMS message in the week prior to Parent Teacher night.

Link to Online Bookings: http://bit.ly/wshsfamily

Year 11 and 12 Parent Teacher night is on Tuesday, 3 June from 3.30pm to 5.30pm.

Year 7 and 10 Parent Teacher night is on Tuesday, 17 June from 4pm to 7pm. Year 10 into 11 Subject Selection from 6:30pm in the stadium.

Year 8 and 9 Parent Teacher night is on Tuesday, 24 June from 4pm to 7pm. Year 8 into 9 Subject Selection from 6:30pm in the stadium.

Bookings close 3pm the day before.

HopeFM Broadcast 6am to 9am Tuesday 18th

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:06 AEDT

HopeFM Breakfast show broadcast.

Tuesday 18th March 6-9am.

Join us for live radio, breakfast BBQ and special Guests.

Held at the front of the school in front of the Jim Masterton Stadium

School Restarts 2014

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:09 AEDT

School Restarts first for Years 7,11 and 12 on Wednesday January 29th.

With all students in attendance from Thursday January 30th.

A Handful of Talent

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:04 AEDT

Five students from our school have taken the first steps into the rest of their lives winning a Scholarship from the University of Sydney through the E12 scheme Not only do each of the students receive an iPad and $5000 in cash they have also reserved a conditional place in the course of their choice.

Picture: Simon Bennett : Westfields Sports High School student Peter Pham has won a place at Sydney Uni prior to the completion of his HSC.

Congratulations to Paul Collier (Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Science), Shlemon Eshow (Bachelor of Arts), Alexandra Grzesik (Bachelor of Arts), Peter Pham (Electrical Engineering) and Georgia Rowntree (Physiotherapy).

We are very proud of their efforts and wish them every success as they pursue their dreams.

Click to get the full story at The Fairfield Champion.

Canley Car Show

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:06 AEDT

The 13th Annual Canley Car Show was held Sunday September 8th. This day is a wonderful day out and the proceeds are donated to our school. This year over $8000 was raised. Westfields Sports would like to thank Canley Heights RSL and Sporting Club for their generous support of the school throught the annual Canley Car Show.

Future restauranteurs of WSHS

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:12 AEDT

With great pride Westfields Sports High presents the future restauranteurs of Australia.

Our Year 11 students will be running La Vita Nuova restaurant at Edensor Park on Tuesday 15th October 2013. Please come along and support the students, school and the community.

Class Chef (pdf 319 KB)

13th Annual Canley Car Show THIS SUNDAY

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:03 AEDT

Join us for a sausage sizzle and a great collection of Vintage, Classic, Custom, Hot Rod and Commerical cars at the 13th Annual Canley Car Show THIS SUNDAY September 8th from 9am.

All proceeds are Donated to our school.

This is a great day out and a fantastic way to support our school.

With thanks to the Canley Heights RSL & Sporting Club.

When: Sunday 8th September 2013

Where: Carpark at Canley Heights RSL & Sporting Club 26 Humphries Rd Wakely

Start Time: 9am

Adminission/Spectator Fee: Gold Coin Donation : Proceeds Support Westfields Sports High School

Show Cars arrive: 6:45 - 8:45 am

Car Entry Fee: $10.00

Apprenticeship and Traineeship Information Nights

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:05 AEDT

Apprenticeship & Traineeship Information

Free Apprenticeship and Traineeship information nights are being held at Canley Vale on Tuesday, June 11 and Campbelltown on Monday, June 17.

See Apprenticeship Link for more details

NAPLAN 2013

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:08 AEDT

Students in Years 7 and 9 sit for the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) test in May each year. The assessments are an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they have learned in class.

For students in Years 7 and 9, there are five tests including two tests in numeracy – a calculator allowed test and a non-calculator test.

The NAPLAN test results and the student reports are released in September.

The results provide information about student achievement that can be used to inform teaching and learning programs. NAPLAN tests provide point-in-time information regarding student progress in literacy and numeracy and are intended to complement the wide range of formal and informal assessments that are already conducted in schools. NAPLAN test results are not intended to be used in isolation from other school-based assessment programs.

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) has responsibility for the central management of the NAPLAN. From the beginning of 2013, the Board of Studies NSW became the NSW Test Administration Authority (TAA) and is responsible for the administration of the NAPLAN tests in all NSW schools.

Specific information, including details about the tests, student participation, special provisions and reporting can be found on the NAPLAN website. Further details will be available in the near future on the Board of Studies NAPLAN webpages and in the weekly Board Bulletin.

Test aspects

The tests assess areas of literacy and numeracy.

The following areas of literacy are assessed:

Language conventions – spelling, grammar and punctuation
Writing
Reading.

In numeracy, the content areas assessed are:

Number
Measurement, chance and data
Space
Algebra, function and pattern.

Test format

For the Writing test, students will be given a stimulus. They are required to write up to three pages in response to the task.

In the Language conventions, Reading and Numeracy tests most questions will require either a multiple-choice response (shade a bubble to indicate the answer) or a constructed response (write the answer in a box or on a line).

Preparation for the tests

Information about the NAPLAN tests is available on the NAPLAN website.

Example tests for literacy and numeracy are available for each year level.

Information for parents

NAPLAN tests will be held from 14 to 16 May 2013 for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Parents or carers of students who sit for the NAPLAN tests will receive a written report of their child's achievement in September 2013.

NAPLAN Organisation at WSHS

Naplan Testing 2013 (Years 7 & 9)

Naplan testing for year 7 & 9 students this year will take place in the School STADIUM on the following days. Students are required to report to the Stadium for the periods listed below instead of attending their normal classroom.

Tuesday 14^th May Language Conventions (45 mins) and Writing (40 mins)

Year 7 periods 4, 5 & 6

Year 9 periods 1, 2 & 3

Wednesday 15^th May Reading (65 mins)

Year 7 period Assembly time 11:02am, R/C time and period 5

Year 9 periods 2 & 3

Thursday 16^th May Numeracy Calculator and Non-calculator (2 x 40 mins)

Year 7 periods 4, 5 & 6

Year 9 periods 1, 2 & 3

Important

-Year 9 sports students to attend Naplan period 1 on Tuesday and Thursday.

- All students must bring their own calculator

Information on accessing practice tests

To access practice go via Moodle on the school intranet.

NAPLAN 2013 (doc 25 KB)

Annual School Report available for Download

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:05 AEDT

The 2012 Annual School Report is our evaluation of the school, its teachers, students and school community during the past year.

The report also summarises our school's initiatives and targets, and other educational practices, achievements and aspirations.Read the report to find out statistical information about us, such as how our students have performed against national minimal standards for reading, writing and numeracy in the NAPLAN tests, and details of the learning outcomes of students drawing from our school's internal assessment information.

The 2012 and previous Annual Reports are now available for download.

Jim Wilson, Channel 7 sports journalist, visits Westfields Sports.

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:07 AEDT

Jim Wilson, sports journalist for Channel 7, visited Westfields Sports to speak with senior students. Jim spoke of his pathway to a career in journalism. His advice to students to ensure success was: work hard, be passionate and be persistent.

HSC Class of 2012

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:07 AEDT

Congratulations to our HSC students who have achieved over 100 University offers for 2013. A wonderful achievement. In addition, over 40 students from Years 10 and 11 sat HSC exams in either Advanced English or 2/3 Unit Maths- or both courses. Congratulations on the excellent results.

Special congratulations to our Dux - Marcus with ATAR 99.75 and Jasmine - 97.3

Georgia Rowntree, Captain Australian Schoolgirls Football

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:06 AEDT

Georgia Rowntree recently left Australia as Captain of the Australian Schoolgirls team. The team will compete in Brazil.

Pictured with Georgia are two Australian Schoolboys team members, also heading for Brazil- Andre Schroeder (l) and Daniel Arauja (r).

The boys recently completed their HSC, while Georgia was very successful in completing AdvancedEnglish one year ahead of her cohort.

2013 Assessment Procedures for Year 10,11,12 now available

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:04 AEDT

With RollOver underway the 2013 Assessment Procedures are now available on our website. Available from the Year pages or all are available at the Assessment & Reporting page. These guides are invaluable resources for a year 10,11,12 student and their parent/s or guardian/s.

Student Art Goes Public

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:10 AEDT

At the Schools Spectacular, 41 Westfields Students will have their art displayed in the foyer of the event.

As promotion for the event 10 pieces of work were chosen to be part of a poster that is being displayed at Liverpool and St James Station. Entitled Mapping the Journey Year 7 students made artworks that trace each student's journey to school. Their daily trips are depicted using traditional Aboriginal painting techniques.

Download Poster (pdf 592 KB)

Latest Year 12 Careers Newsletter Available

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:08 AEDT

Lastest Year 12 Careers Newsletter (3#) is Now Available.

Contents:

Macquarie university school visit
Australian catholic university school visit
Australian internation conservatorium of music open day
National careers and employment expo
UWS open day
Bedford college open day and scholarship assessment
Design centre enmore open day
Teacher education scholarship program
University of new england early entry program
Optus engineering cadet program

Industrial Action June 27th

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:07 AEDT

On Wednesday June 27th NSW Teachers Federation members will taking Industrial Action in opposition to the Local Schools Local Decision changes. Due to the number of staff who will be involved there will be No Timetabled Lessons that day.

Minimal supervision will be provided for students who need to attend school.

P&C Meeting June 27th Cancelled

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:09 AEDT

Due to Industrial Action being taken by staff on Wednesday June 27th the P&C Meeting scheduled for that night has been cancelled.

Pipers Visit

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:09 AEDT

It was a great pleasure to welcome the Scots College Pipe and Drum Band to our assemblies on Wednesday May 23rd. Some may be aware that the Scots band is one of Australia's best. Our own piper, Lachlan Micati joined the Scots pipers in a special performance. We wish Scots success as they head off to Scotland to compete in the World Piping Championships.

The event was covered by The Fairfield Champion, you can read the full story on their website.

UPDATE 18/6: The Sydney Morning Herald has also covered the event. Full Story.

Sydney’s Compass – find your way to higher education

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 22:14:12 AEST

Westfields Sports is proud to be in partnership with The University of Sydney. The Compass – find your way to higher education (‘Compass') program encourages primary and secondary school students to participate in higher education.

Activities are designed to nurture interest in lifelong learning and support the attainment of the results necessary to continue in higher education, and include writing workshops, careers information, campus visits and leadership development.

2012 Prospectus now available

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:04 AEDT

Learn more about Westfields Sports, our facilities, programmes and achievements.

Westfields Prospectus 2012 (pdf, 888 KB)

2011 Annual School Report now Available

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:04 AEDT

The Annual School Report is our evaluation of the school, its teachers, students and school community during the past year. The 2011 Annual School Report is now available for download.

Read the report to find out statistical information about us, such as how our students have performed against national minimal standards for reading, writing and numeracy in the NAPLAN tests, and details of the learning outcomes of students drawing from our school's internal assessment information.

The report also summarises our school's initiatives and targets, and other educational practices, achievements and aspirations.

Assessment Policy Documents

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:05 AEDT

Each year our school publishes Assessment Policies for Year 10,11 and 12. Those documents are available on our website. Parents and students should view the documents to ensure that correct procedure is followed. Especially with regards to missing Assessment Tasks and other misadventure situations.

The documents are on the relevant School years page and links to those pages are below.

Year 10

Year 11

Year 12

Careers News

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:06 AEDT

Career and Study News for school leavers

Careers News (docx, 21 KB)

Job Opportunities for 2012

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:07 AEDT

The following low SES National Partenrship positions are available for 2012 :

EOI-CLO (docx, 18 KB)

EOI-SLSO (docx, 18 KB)

CRT-LITERACY (docx, 14 KB)

CRT-NUMERACY (docx, 14 KB)

Applications close Friday 9 December, 2011

Japanese Visit 2011

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:07 AEDT

2012 Assessment Procedures available

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:04 AEDT

The 2012 Assessment Procedures documents contain important information for Years 10,11 and 12 students and their parents. School policies and deadlines are outlined as well as Subject by Subject Assessment requirements. The policies are available for download on the School Year pages as well as from the list below.

Year 12 - HSC (pdf, 437 KB)
Year 11 - Preliminary (pdf, 421 KB)
Year 10 (pdf, 1194 KB)

School Certificate Information

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:09 AEDT

School Certificate exams are being held November 7th to 11th.

More information is available in this PDF (128 KB). The document includes general information regarding examinations as well as the programme for the School Certificate including the Computing Skills Test.

Westfields Football Clinic

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:08 AEDT

Westfields Football Clinic

Westfields Sports Football Staff are providing an opportunity for children aged 7 to 12 years interested in improving their football skills under their guidance on Tuesday afternoons from 3.30pm to 5.00pm. Enrolments for Term 4 are now being taken.

For more information contact Trevor Morgan on 0412 091 740 or thjmorgan@optusnet.com.au

Fairfield City Library

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:06 AEDT

Wednesday saw Carolyn Bourke visit our school to talk about the facilities available at Fairfield City Library for use by students. As well as a number of Homework Centres the Library also offers a wide range of online services including:

Online Databases - NewsPapers, Business, Law, Health, IT, History, Literature, Science
yourtutor - online tutoring for all school years and subjects
library catalogue - search the library catalogue from home, if registered you can place a hold on (reserve) books.
HSC High Fliers - a variety of information, resources and links to assist our Higher School Certificate Students.

Refugee Workshops

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:09 AEDT

Work Solutions consultant Peter Rose invited Senior Constable Allan Clapham to join our special workshops for refugee students. Great discussions were held with many questions answere by our police Liaison officer.

Westfields goes to USA Downunder

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:10 AEDT

USA Downunder

Westfields athletes compete in Queensland

The 2011 USA Downunder tour was an outstanding success. Our group of 17 athletes, 3 coaches and team managers had a very successful meeting against more than 100 athletes from all over the USA. The 5th annual International Tournament was held at the Gold Coast City Council Athletics Centre which is managed by husband and wife coaches Sharon and Peter Hannan (Sharon is Sally Pearson's coach). The venue is a very popular track that runs regular athletics competition during both the summer and winter seasons, and is frequented by elite athletes as they prepare for the Northern Hemisphere circuits. Our 17 athletes performed well coming home with 16 medals and 7pb.'s.

Probably the most impressive performances came from training partners Kyle Alexis and James Thistleton. 15 year old Kyle was very impressive in the 100 metres where he ran personal best times of 11.71 in the heat and 11.59 in the final. He withdrew from the 200m event with tightness, jumped an equal personal best in the high jump, then saved himself for the final event on the calendar the long jump. Kyle was up against the athlete he had beaten by one centimetre to take the 2011 National title earlier this year. It was going to be a monumental re-match. Unfortunately Kyle did not register a jump with 6 fouls, but they were all just a toe over the take-off board.

His nemesis Jamal Emadian- Naini won with 6.45 metres, however Kyle measured four of his leaps at 6.60, two 6.70's and his 6th attempt at 6.80. James Thistleton, in the middle of his heavy preparation training, used this meet as his first hit out of the season to test his fitness. He ran a personal best in 100 metres of 11.17 and looked very strong in his 200m heat. In the 200m final running against Olympic Silver medallist Sean Wroe, James was on target for his first sub 22 second run. He was closing on Wroe with 50 metres to go but felt ahamstring twinge and cruised the 50 metres to the line taking the silver medal.James also ran an impressive 48.79 in the 400m final to take another Silver medal.

Very strong performances came from Tepa Lemi, particularly in the Hammer throw with a near personal best of 45.30m. Tepa competed in Open, under 20's and under 18's picking up 5 medals. WAC coach and number 3 nationallly ranked open discus thrower Christie Chamberlain easily won the discus event with Tepa coming in second. Shidhanth Mudaliar also picked up a Bronze medal in the 100m hurdles competing up an age group with a personal best time, then scored silver medals in Triple jump and Long jump. Medals also went to Michala Ford (Silver) in the 3000m, Ivana Nikitovic (Bronze) in the triple jump, and a Gold medal to Jack Fouracre running an impressive time in the 300m hurdles.

On a sad note Westfields new sprint sensation Hayden Kovacic easily won his heat of the 200 metres but had to withdraw from all further events with a strained hamstring. Hayden was a clear favourite for the 100m and 200m sprint double. Equally disappointing was our sidelined Youth Olympian Kurt Jenner who came along for support with his foot in a protective boot.

Finally, now that Athletics Australia has all but destroyed the Australian All Schools, Westfields Sports will make the USA downunder a permanent fixture on its annual calendar. The Australian All Schools has been reduced to a State versus State Knockout and no longer is an opportunity for qualified athletes to compete. With only three age groups and only the top two athletes permitted to attend, the All Schools is all but dead. Traditionally Westfields would send up to 40 athletes in the past. Accordingly the USA Downunder will fill that void and guarantee that all Westfields students can look forward to an annual trip to a quality athletics meeting.

Full results are in the attached document below.

Westfields @ USA Downunder (docx, 1249 KB)

Debating

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:06 AEDT

Year 7 took on Year 8 debaters in the Premier's Debating Challenge last Friday. A challenging topic made for excellent debating.

"That the compulsory voting age should be lowered"

Trial HSC starts soon

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:10 AEDT

Held from Monday, 8th August to Friday, 19th August (inclusive) the Trial HSC are an important step in the lead up to the HSC examination in Term 4. Full details and an Exam Timetable are available on the Year 12 section of the web page or you can go directly to the page.

Alexandra wins scholarship

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:05 AEDT

Alexandra presented with Two Way Scholarship by Robyn Mansour

News story

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:08 AEDT

The Westfields Sports P&C meeting invited School Liaison Police to visit and address the meeting on June 22. Senior Constable Allan Clapham spoke with parents about their concerns regarding "cyber bullying". Parents were given very helpful advice as well as some examples of the danger of placing inappropriate words and images on the internet. Parents were strongly advised to supervise the use of computers in their homes. In addition, a list of common expressions frequently used by teenagers was distributed for parent information.

The P&C plan to have guests address each meeting. Further information will be provided in Westnews

Parent Teacher Evening 7&8

Mon, 06 Aug 2018 22:14:09 AEST

Year 7 and 8 evening is on Tuesday 28 June. If you have not already done so, please place these dates on to your calendars at home. Parents, please ensure that your sons and daughters book in appropriate times with their teachers for these interviews. We look forward to seeing all parents in attendance on these evenings.

Annual School Report 2010

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:05 AEDT

The 2010 Annual School Report is our evaluation of our school, its teachers, students and school community during the past year.

The report also summarises our school's initiatives and targets, and other educational practices, achievements and aspirations.

Past reports are also available on the Our School - Annual school report page of this website.

Annual School Report 2010 (pdf, 1121 KB)

NAPLAN 2011 Term 2 - Week 3

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:08 AEDT

NAPLAN 2011 Term 2 - Week 3 - 10, 11 & 12th May

NAPLAN testing for year 7 & 9 students this year will take place in the School STADIUM May 10,11,12th
Students are required to report to the Stadium for the periods listed below instead of attending their normal classroom.
You will be seated in the stadium in your Roll Call groups.
You should bring with you some reading material to read between exams.

Web Links

This site allows you to download past papers - NAPLAN 2011 Official Site

These sites allow you to practice online

http://www.naplanonline.com.au/

http://www.exceltestzone.com.au/

http://www.naplantest.com.au/

http://www.det.nt.gov.au/parents-community/assessment-reporting/nap/schools/tests

Timetable & Web Links (pdf, 84 KB)

Term 2 Start Dates

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:10 AEDT

A reminder that Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 April are holidays.

Wednesday 27 April is our School Development Day

All students return on Thursday 28 April.

Latest WestNews now available

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:08 AEDT

The latest issue of WestNews is now available for download.

WestNews Term 1 Week 9 (PDF) (pdf, 475 KB)

ESSA Online Trial 2011

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:06 AEDT

Essa Online Trial 2011 – Library

The online ESSA exam will take place for year 9 students in roll call groups over 2 days during week 10 in the library as follows –

Thursday 31st March

9R1 & 9R2 Periods 1 – 3 (9am to 1020am) Students to return for remainder of period 3

9R3 & 9R4 Periods 4 – 6 (1130am to 1250pm) Students to return for remainder of period 6

9R5 & 9R6 Periods 7 – 8 (1250pm to 310pm)

Friday 1st April

9R7 & 9R8 Periods 1 – 3 (9am to 1020am) Students to return for remainder of period 3

9R9, 9R10, & 9R11 Periods 4 – 6 (1130am to 1250pm) Students to return for remainder of period 6

Important – students are required to do the test on their DER laptop and must ensure they bring it to the exam fully charged on the day. Students are also responsible for providing headphones to plug into their device.

WestNews 2011 Term 1 Week 5

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:12 AEDT

The latest WestNews is now available for download.

WestNews 2011 T1W05 (pdf, 502 KB)

WestNews 2011 Term 1 Week 3

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:12 AEDT

The latest issue of WestNews is now available for download.

WestNews 2010 T4 W10

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:57:11 AEDT

WestNews 2010 Term 4 Week 10 (pdf, 14239 KB)