UCHSK School Board Vacancies

UCHSK Students' Journey

'Journey' is an art exhibition created by indigenous students from UCHSK through BCS's Bungee Program. The exhibition explores young men's identity represented by wood carvings and masks and runs for a week, from December 13th until the 20th at BCS Kippax.

Cody, Nathaniel, Tre, Dayne and Troy have spent the last 9 weeks creating and preparing for the opening of this exhibition. They’re understandably excited by the event and would be delighted to see as many friends, family and teachers at the opening.

'Journey' officially opens at 5.30pm on Tuesday the 13th, with light refreshments available. Please RSVP to bungee@bcsact.com.au or by calling 62640200 by the end of today.


UCHSK is very proud of our young men and the way they have explored these personal themes through creative expression!

Uniform Shop!

We are pleased to announce that UCHS Kaleen uniforms are available for purchase  from The Uniform Shop located at 2 Luke Street Holt (near Kippax Fair).

 

The Uniform Shop is open Monday to Friday from 8.30am – 5pm and Saturdays from 9am – 4pm (with plans to include a couple of Sunday trading days over the busy school holiday period!). As well as stocking our uniforms, the store also has a range of navy tracksuits, bootleg ‘Jazz’ pants and shorts! The Uniform Shop will offer direct sales, layby and will soon provide the option of a convenient online shopping facility for families for a small delivery fee. Their website is currently under review, so please keep an eye on it for further updates for when the online option will be available. The link to The Uniform Shop’s website is http://theuniformshop-canberra.com.au/ and the contact number for the store is 6255 3876.

We are having a flash sale for our remnants - first in, best dressed!

January Code Campers

This summer, we are hosting a very special school holiday program called Code Camp where your child can build their very own iPhone or Android app!

 

Code Camp have already taught more than 10,000 students in Australia in years K-10, teaching them important skills such as computational thinking, logic, creativity, user experience, app development and game building in a fun and engaging way.

 

The Camps Explained

 

Spark (Years 2-6)
Fun, engaging and challenging… and are our most known Code Camp which more than 10,000 students have completed. Code Camp Spark is where every student in years 2-6 should start their Code Camp journey.

 

Ignite (Years 2-10)

If you have completed Spark (or are in Years 7-10) check out Code Camp Ignite! Students will build their skills and create new apps with increasingly complex logic, more code, behaviours and problem solving.

 

 

Click here to enrol today and help your child become a coding superstar! Contact Code Camp for details or visit www.codecamp.com.au  for FAQs and videos.

UCHSK Uniform Shop News

As student numbers continue to flourish at UCHSK, it has become increasingly difficult to hold enough stock of our school uniforms at the school to meet demand. With this in mind, we have been in negotiations with our uniform supplier surrounding the possibility of outsourcing our sales to a shopfront.

 We are excited to announce that we are in the final stages of transitioning uniform sales to a store nearby (approx. 10 – 15 mins drive away)!

As such, we now hold minimal stock at the school in the hopes that the store will be in a position to commence sales of our uniform around mid-November.  If there are any urgent uniform requests in the meantime, we will certainly do our best to fill your order (please note however that there will be a delay of around two weeks if items need to be ordered in). All uniform orders received to date have also been processed.

It is anticipated that there will be multiple benefits to families being able to access our uniforms offsite with the store being open Saturdays, school holidays and having the convenience of online ordering. The store will also stock generic navy track pants and shorts.

All families will be emailed details of where to purchase our uniforms once the store is up and running, so watch this space!

If you have any queries, please contact the Front Office on 62055811 J

P & C Forum

Don't forget our P&C-run forum on drugs and teenagers being offered at the school next Wednesday evening. Psychologist and UCHSK community member, Genna Ward, is the speaker for the evening on the topic and all parents, carers and guardians are invited to attend.

Please click here to book for this event.

The P&C Meeting will be on immediately after the talk; all members of the UCHSK Community are welcomed to attend this also.

Family Portrait Fundraising Day

UCHSK P & C are holding a portrait fundraising day on Sunday 23rd of October, offered by Laura Jean fundraising, that are perfect for updating your family photos or for a special Christmas present for grandparents. Check out Laura Jean's informative flip-through guide here, or pop over to Laura Jean's website for sample portraiture or ideas on what to wear. Laura Jean is also on Facebook here, and UCHSK participants who 'like' her page and add 'UCHSK' in the comments will get an extra $2 per-like donated to the school.

For a $20.00 donation, families will receive a large framed 10" x 13" family portrait. The school receives 100% of funds raised, plus heaps of extra bonuses when more families participate. Also, once we have 25 families participating, there will be a complimentary three-pose portrait pack plus CD up for grabs.


To book for the UCHSK Family Portrait Fundraising Day, please contact Rachel on 0402893911 or uchskpnc@gmail.com or for booking and payment go to http://www.trybooking.com/225792 (a 30c booking fee applies).

Parent Forum at UCHSK

The Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Association of the ACT (ATODA) has been working

alongside ACT Health, the Department of Education, the ACT Council of Parents and

Citizens Associations, the Association of Independent Schools of the ACT and the

Association of Parents and Friends of ACT Schools to organise a series of

community information forums for parents, carers and teachers.

The community information forum will aim to target the parents and guardians of 12 to 17 years olds as well as members of the ACT community who may be in a position to influence young people.

 

These forums will aim to increase the knowledge of parents, carers and community

members about alcohol use among secondary school students aged 12 – 17 and the

risks of harm.

The forum objective is to increase knowledge and awareness of:

• Statistics on young people's alcohol consumption in the ACT
• The role of adults and the enabling environment
• Alcohol policy and law related issues in the ACT
• Generational shifts and attitudinal changes over time towards alcohol.

Forums will be held:

• Tuesday 11th October, 7pm - 8.30 UCHSK, Kaleen
• Wednesday 12th October, 7pm - 8.30pm Caroline Chisholm, Chisholm
• Tuesday 15th November, 7pm - 8.30pm Canberra Grammar, Red Hill
• Wednesday 16th November, 7pm - 8.30pm Emmaus Christian School, Dickson

ATODA will present a 10-15 minute introduction which will be followed by a 30-40 minute presentation addressing each of the objectives of the session. Expert alcohol and other drug trainer and facilitator, Annie Bleeker, will lead this presentation. The remainder of the forum will be allocated to Q & A. This will be a free event for attendees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UCHSK Term 3 P & C Report

The school P&C met again on Wednesday 7th September. Principal Lana Read presented a Principal’s report which had been compiled by staff and students, highlighting the wide variety of exciting things that have been happening around the school.

We are very excited about plans to hold a series of parent forums on a variety of topics. In Term 4 we will be hosting two forums, one on Parents, Young People and Alcohol (11th October) and the other on Teens and Drugs (26th October). If you have any suggestions about topics you would like addressed we would love to hear from you uchskpnc@gmail.com

Our next event is a Portrait fundraising day on Sunday 23^rd October. For a donation of $20 families receive a framed 10x13 portrait and the opportunity to purchase 3 pose packs at very reasonable prices through Laura Jean Fundraising. For bookings follow this link and pay online www.trybooking.com/225792

Families who 'like' Laura Jean Fundraising on Facebook and write 'UCHSK' in the comments, will earn the UCHSK P&C an extra $2.

Our Term 4 meeting is on Wednesday 26th October (Week 3) following the parent forum. All welcome!

Rachel Richards

UCHSK P&C Secretary

Health and PE Week

Next week is Health and PE Week! The nationwide event is designed to raise awareness of the value of Health and PE in the Australian Curriculum, and highlight the important role these subjects play in the learning and development of children.The benefit and educative value of Health and PE to schools and the wider community is immeasurable.

Throughout the week next week, UCHSK will be doing activities such as staff v students Futsal games and on Health and PE Day (Wednesday the 14th September) staff and students are invited to dress in their favourite sporting attire - or sport team attire.

Go Rabbitohs!

The Great Book Swap

Indigenous Literacy Day is Wednesday, the 7th of September, so to mark this next week (Week 8) UCHSK will be participating in the Great Book Swap which celebrates reading and raises much needed funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
Students and staff can bring a book (or books) they no longer want and swap it for another book/books that someone else has brought in. A gold coin donation is requested to participate, which goes to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
Any leftover books from the UCHSK Book Swap will be donated to Lifeline.

UCHSK School Satisfaction Surveys

The 2016 School Satisfaction Survey for Parents and Carers is now open. So far we have received 41 responses from parents and carers. We would like hear from everyone so we can get a complete picture of the level of satisfaction of our parents and carers. If you have not already completed the survey, please complete the survey by Monday 29 August 2016. A letter about the parent and carer survey was emailed to parents and carers or sent home with students. If you do not have a letter for each child in your family, please contact the school office. The letter contains all the information you will need to access the survey. The key ACT results from the 2015 School Satisfaction Surveys have been published on the Education Directorate website (www.education.act.gov.au) and a summary of our school results is provided in our 2015 School Board Report.

Thank you in anticipation of your participation in this important school survey.

BYOD at UCHSK Information Session

 With the entire ACT Education Directorate moving towards Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), we are looking to start 2017 with every student bringing their own device or entering into a lease agreement with the school.


This can be confusing to those of us who had little or no experience with technology in our own schooling, so we are running a brief Information Session next Wednesday night at 6.30pm, immediately after the VET Information Session.


You can read more about BYOD here.

UCHSK 2017 VET Information Session

The popularity and success of our VET Construction course has been observed by all here at UCHSK. These Vocational Education Training (VET) courses give students the opportunity to learn applied skills and earn themselves a nationally recognised qualification.  Next year we will be offering Yr 9 and 10 students an opportunity to study in three VET courses: Construction, Hospitality and Agrifood.


To learn more about VET at UCHSK next year, please come along to our Information Session next Wednesday evening from 6 to 6.30pm...the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)/GAFE Information Session will follow immediately afterwards and everyone is welcome to attend both sessions.

The Rio Trivia Night!

The 2016 Annual Maribyrnong/UCHSK Trivia Night is coming up!

 

Time: 7pm Friday 19^th of August

Place: Canberra Labour Club

Theme: RIO!

Price: $25 p/ticket

 

8 people per table. A hot Chef’s Selection platter (with vegetarian options) on each table and bar service is available. There will be a silent auction, plus lots of games and prizes!

Book a table with friends or come and make new ones!

 

Please join us at this major P & C FUNdraiser!

Meet Our New UCHSK Staff!

This is (a representation of) Ms Jennifer Comans, our new Maths/Science teacher. Ms Comans was a medical scientist for ten years and says her greatest achievement has been teaching someone to drive!

Andi Stapp-Gaunt returns to us to teach English and SOSE, and she likes writing music in her downtime and enjoys ice-skating on moving ships.

Finally, Carey Hill will be working at UCHSK as an LSA for the rest of the year. Carey speaks Spanish and can twist his thumb until it faces backwards.
Aren't we lucky to have such a talented bunch? Welcome!

Want to Purchase Poultry? Cheep!

Two of our entrepreneurial VET Ag. students, Johnny and Callum, are taking orders for chicks and ducklings from people interested in having a backyard flock.


The poultry hatchings at UCHSK have always been popular and now attract a high level of local community interest as people have become more aware of how handy and easy it is to have a couple of chickens or ducks in their yards.


Johnny and Callum are offering to sell unsexed chicks and/or ducklings with an initial deposit of $5 per egg, and additional $5 per chick and $10 per duckling, which is highly competitive in the poultry market. Families can choose whether to buy day-olds to raise themselves, or buy them fledged, which means when their feathers have grown in and they don't need to live under heat.


All profits will go towards the school farm. If you know of anyone who is interested in having backyard poultry, please let them know about this fantastic deal! The order form can be found on our website or by clicking this link.

Well-Deserved Rewards

Every semester, Ms O'Rourke rewards Year 7 students who average above 95% on their Hiragana reading and writing tests. This is a hard result to achieve, but 5 students (Kolya, Richard, Ben, Mikayla and Ryan) got it this semester and a few more were just off winning a prize. These students are enjoying Japanese foods as a reward for their excellent results.

Good job to the whole class as well for their tireless, hard work.

Otsukare sama deshita!

Dreamteam

Thanks to the handiwork of Years 7/8 Design and Tech students and the Years 9/10 VET Construction students, this fabulous sign indicates the entrance to the Design and Technology Workshop.

The Year 7/8 Design and Technology students worked hard designing and constructing the sign, using recycled and found objects to spell out the letters in an aesthetically pleasing way. Wood offcuts, light switches, paper scraps, metal pieces and plastic remnants are amongst the collage of materials used.

Year 9/10 VET Construction students utilised the scaffolding and appropriate power tools (under supervision) to fix the sign prominently into the brick wall.

The combined efforts of the students has made for yet another project to be very proud of!



Cross Kids!

See that tiny speck speeding through the middle of this picture? That would be Kolya from Year 7, coming in 6th place in the 12 years Boys ACT Cross Country Championships!

After a number of postponements due to the crazy rainy weather, we were finally able to get our team of Kolya, Dean, Joel, Bec and Hayley, over to Stromlo Park where they all performed very well. Well done, Peeps!