Student Exchange Open Day

Ever wanted to study abroad for 2 weeks to 11 months? AFS have over 57 countries to choose from, with programs still available for departures in late 2014 and early 2015. You can have the chance to brush up on your French language, learn Spanish or how about learning Finnish?

There’s scholarships available, so come along to find out about these and much more.  Attend our local student exchange Open Day. You’ll meet our team of local volunteers and returned students and have all your questions answered.

When: Sunday 8^th June 11am-1pm

Where: Civic Library, Civic Square Canberra

For more information and to register head to www.afs.org.au/opendays

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data

The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data project collects data from schools about the number of students who require adjustments to participate in education. It will present a national picture of the supports schools provide students. From 2015, this information will be collected in every school across Australian, every year. The purpose of the process is to help governments to target support and resources in schools to help all students reach their potential.
During term 2 2014 all ACT Public Schools will be taking part in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD). Schools will identify students who need adjustments and are identified as meeting a broad definition of disability. This definition is based on the Disability Standards for Education 2005 which is an inclusive definition of what constitutes a disability and does not require a medical or professional diagnosis. If your child currently requires some additional support at school they may be included in the data collection. Examples of the sorts of adjustments and supports a school may provide include:

• Personalized learning plans
• Study lines
• Additional time to complete tasks

A letter will be sent home to families of students that have been identified as requiring adjustments and supports. This letter will outline the process and ask for your permission to include your child in the data collection. No names or personal information is collected as part of the collection process and students. More information about the NCCD can be found at the Australian Government Department of Education website.

Mission Australia’s 2014 Youth Survey

Mission Australia is conducting a research project, the Youth Survey 2014, which aims to identify both the values and issues of concern to young people. Year 10 students at Mount Stromlo High School have been invited to participate in the survey this year, which will be completed at school and take about 15 minutes.

The survey is available online and seeks to obtain socio-demographic information and investigate some of the social inclusion/exclusion dimensions from the perspective of young people, including their participation in education and employment, values and concerns, sources of support, and community participation.

Participation is voluntary, the privacy and confidentiality of participants is assured and no identifiable information is collected by Mission Australia. We are hoping to have at least 100 Year 10 students complete the survey as we then get a school-specific report, which will allow us to make comparisons between State and National results.

Year 10 students will be given letters and consent forms in TEAM. If you consent to your child participating in the survey, please get them to return the signed form to their TEAM Teacher. If you do not consent to your child participating in the survey, no action is required. Students will complete the survey during TEAM on Wednesday 11^th June (Week 7).

Music Soiree

The Music Soiree is on Wednesday 28th May at 6pm. Held in the Mount Stromlo High School Space, it is a great night of performances from musicians in Year 7 – 10.

Gold coin donation entry with refreshments provided by the Mount Stromlo Cafe Class.

For more information please contact Alex Morton, 6205 6139 or alexandra.morton@ed.act.edu.au

We hope to see you there.

College Open Nights

Important information for year 10 students and their families. Please see below for the dates for the College Open Nights this month:

Canberra College
http://www.canberrac.act.edu.au
Tuesday 20 May 6:00pm-8:00pm
6205 5777

Erindale College
http://www.erindalec.act.edu.au
Thursday 15 May 6:00pm-8:00pm
6205 8111

Lake Tuggeranong College
http://www.lakeonline.act.edu.au
Thursday 22 May 5:30pm-7:30pm
6205 6222

Narrabundah College
http://www.narrabundahc.act.edu.au
Thursday 15 May 9:00am-12:00pm 6:30pm – 8:00pm
6205 6999

If you are unable to make it to an open night, but would like to visit the college, you can call the relevant college and make an appointment to meet with staff and tour the school.

College Enrolment for 2015

College Enrolments are now open for all students who want to attend an ACT College in 2015. Students will need to enrol through the ACT Department of Education Website at http://www.det.act.gov.au by midnight Friday 30 May and then accept their offer of placement by Friday 27 June. Please see the College Enrolment Timeline below:

28 April 2014
Application to enrol/transfer in an ACT Public School
30 May 2014
Online applications close at midnight. Any applications after this time will be considered as late and processed at each college.
2-6 June 2014
Colleges process applications.
16 June 2014
Offers of placement are dispatched by colleges.
27 June 2014
Last day for students to advise colleges of acceptance of placement.

Yr 10 Work Experience

Forms for the Yr10 Work Experience Program need to be returned as soon as possible to ensure your child has a placement for the Week 10 Program. Cut off for applications in Monday Week 8 (16 June).

Please assist your child in finding a work experience placement and contact  Ms Makowski at the school if you are having difficulties.

Bridge to Indonesia

We are very excited to announce the beginning of our Bridge to Indonesia Program this week. Ms Edwards and Ms Collins will be meeting our sister school teachers from Indonesia this week and undertaking some program training in Melbourne. In weeks 4 and 5 two teachers from our sister school will be visiting MSHS, learning about our curriculum and programs and visiting different classes. Our guests will also be teaching Indonesian classes with Ms Edwards so all our students learning Indonesian will have the chance to meet the teachers they will continue to work with online.

Our sister school is SMP NEGERI SATU ATAP 2 LOSARANG. It is a Junior Secondary School, similar in size to MSHS and  like our school teaches Languages (English) in years 7 and 8 to all students. Losarang is located in West Java (see the map below).

The Bridge Program is an initiative of the Asia Education Foundation (AEF) and we are very proud to be one of only 8 schools selected nationally (and the only school in the ACT)  to participate in this program in 2014.

The objectives of the Australia-Indonesia BRIDGE Project are to:

1. create and support school-to-school partnerships.
2. improve the intercultural knowledge and skills of all participants.
3. improve the ICT knowledge and skills of all participants.
4. build professional knowledge and skills, including strategies of effective teaching practice, among participant teaching staff.
5. provide particular support to developing Basic Education Program schools in Indonesia.

The Australia-Indonesia BRIDGE Project will provide Australian and Indonesian participants with the opportunities to:

• learn about each other’s contemporary society, culture and religion.
• strengthen language skills and programs (where applicable).
• share pedagogical practices.
• participate in professional learning around the use of Web 2.0 technologies and online collaboration

 

 

Mount Stromlo Open Night

Mount Stromlo Open Night for 2015 students will be held on Tuesday 20th May, from 6.00pm to 8.00pm.

Japanese Language Teacher Assistant

This term we welcome Akihide Maeda to Mount Stromlo High School. Akihide is a student of the Education Faculty of Kagoshima University in southern Japan. His home town is Ibusuki, famous for its hot springs and volcanic sand baths so Canberra’s climate is a bit of a shock! For the remainder of 2014 he will work with students learning Japanese at MSHS and home stay with the school community. Out thanks to the families of Aidan Sawyers (Yr 10 2013) and Lucy Vandergugten who will be hosting Akihide in Terms 2 and 3. We are still looking for a host family for Term 4 of 2014 so if you’re interested please contact Ms Collins in the Languages Faculty for further details.