Important Dates 2014
Year 7 2015 Connections Night - Monday 1 December
Year 10 Work Experience - Monday 1 December-Friday 5 December
Second Hand Book and Uniform Sale - Wednesday 3 December
Late Start for Students - Wednesday 3 December
(11.45am for a 12.06pm start)
Year 7 2015 Orientation Day - Tuesday 9 December
Pupil Free Day for all 2014 Students - Tuesday 9 December
College Assembly: Thursday 11 December
5 Session Day
Last Day Years 7-9 - Friday 12 December
Semester 2 Reports are Released - Friday 12 December
Year 7-9 Presentation Evening - Monday 15 December
Some useful links
Dear all, welcome to week 8 - Term 4
Year 10-12 Presentation Evening
These awards are presented to students who have not
only achieved excellence academically, but also for their contribution to the
College, Debating, Sport and the Instrumental Music Programs. Whilst
it is not possible to acknowledge the contribution of every child in the
school at this event, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all
students/families for the contribution they make to ensuring that Forest
Hill College is a fantastic place for students to grow and learn. Congratulatios to the students below on receiving the following prestigious awards.
School Endeavour Award - Hamsa J
Senior School Debating Award - Paul K
Female Athlete of the Year - Samantha W
Male Athlete of the Year - Matt W
Instrumental Music Award - Zac M & Jun Bao S
Year 10 Australian Defence Force Award - Annaliese C
Year 12 Australian Defence Force Award - Helen Z
IMPACT Award - Ashleigh C
Caltex All-Rounder Award - Madeline T
Bob Adams Award - Sarah S
Dan Ebdon Award - Jason E & Natalie P
Year 10 DUX Award - Jaime G
Year 11 DUX Award - Annie V
Year 12 DUX Award - Benjamin S
Principal's Award - Paul K
World Challenge 2014
Vietnam/Cambodia 2014 - week 1
Well it's been a crazy first five days here in Vietnam, but as the kids are quickly realising, that's kind of the norm here. Everyone is well, happy and already loving the experience. The two schools have connected well and we have almost forgotten that we are two separate groups. We've already encountered bears, crocodiles, gibbons and of course leaches. The kids have chowed down lots fruit, noodles, rice and of course pho, they have even survived crossing roads with some of the craziest traffic in the world! We have just returned from a two day acclimatisation hike and for the first time since we arrived, the heat and humidity seem bearable.
Day 1 17-18th November
For FHC students, the trip began at Nunawading train station at 7pm where parents, family and friends said farewell. A quick train ride ride into southern cross station and then the Sky bus to the airport, saw us meet up with Belmont HS, who were waiting for us. Long queues at the ticket counters and customs meant only about a 20 minute wait at the gate before boarding. This barely gave us enough time to distribute US$13,000 amongst the kids to carry and the obligatory toilet stop before flying. We were spoilt this year and flew with Thai airways. This meant for those who couldn't sleep, individual screens to watch as many movies as they could in 9 hours and free soft drink and food for the duration of the flight. A brief transfer at Bangkok (the worlds most Drab airport) and another quick flight, had us arriving in Ho Chi Min City (Saigon) just after breakfast. We were met at arrivals by the heat, humidity, smell and of course Samzie our world challenge expedition leader, who had flown in from the UK two days earlier. Jet Lagged, tired and a little overwhelmed the students managed to organise a bus to take us to our hotel in the backpackers quarter of district 1 in the middle of HCMC. They were soon awakened however, by what can only described as the most exciting traffic in the world. The scooters, bikes and vehicles that make up this organised chaos, is certainly a highlight for first time travellers to Vietnam. After a quick refresher in our rooms and dumping our bags, we headed on foot, to Banh Thang Market. A popular tourist destination BT market has everything and we had a quick look and lunch. When in Vietnam, of course Pho is one of the most popular dishes and we all sampled some for our first meal. The rest of the day was made up of a few hours sleep/rest back in the hotel, meetings to work out roles and responsibilities, and of course planning what we were going to do over the next few weeks. We split for dinner as some of the group wanted to try traditional Vietnamese food from street side eateries while others wanted to try traditional Vietnamese pizza and pasta :).
Day 2 - 19th November
As one can imagine, with most students jet lagged and trying to get use to a new time zone (4 hours behind), bed was pretty early last night. This morning saw most awake pre dawn due to noise of traffic and too cold from leaving their air conditioners on all night. The teachers met students out in the street, where we were enjoying freshly squeezed juices and Vietnamese coffee and partaking in the morning ritual of eating street food such as Banh Mi (BBQ Pork rolls) and Pho or Bun (noodle soups) on little plastic seats and tables on the side of the road or even sometimes on it. The morning was spent having a little explore, buying food for that day and planning ahead. We headed just before lunch two hours out of town to a place called Cu Chi and visit the tunnels that the Vietcong used during the Vietnamese/American war. The kids got to crawl through some of them, which can be a daunting experience and learn a little about the war from the other side. We got back to HCMC at peak hour which is a tourist attraction all in itself, had dinner and busily got ready for the next day which included shopping for food and planning.
Day 3 - 20th November
Another early morning rise, street food breakfast and then a quick dash to a bakery and fruit and veggie market, to grab supplies for the next three days. At 10am we boarded another bus and left HCMC, heading North East for four hours to a National Park called Nam Cat Tien. Upon arrival, we got dropped off at the side of a river and told it was on the other side. An hour later we managed to work out how to get across (all it took was money) and took a small ferry across and arrived at park headquarters. A complete contrast to the bustle, smell and noise of a big city, the park was full of the cries of hornbills and gibbons and of course we were surrounded by thick thick jungle. We were given our keys and A/C remotes and settled into our little bungalow styled rooms for the remainder of the evening. Dinner was together in a small open air restaurant and after a small meeting, we decided to shower and hit the beds as the Mosquitos were beginning to come out and say hello.
Day 4 - 21st November
It really is something to be woken up to the noise of the jungle in the morning. The squeals and cries and whistles are quite amazing. Breakfast we made ourselves and 0then we backed ready for our days little adventure. Our guide met us that morning and took us to the bear sanctuary to look at the moon and sun bears that are being rehabilitated into the wild here in the park. A little like black bears except they have like a mane around their heads and a big v-shape or u-shape patch of white fur on their chest. As you can imagine the girls thought they were very cute! We also got to see the Gibbons which are a type of monkey and have the craziest cry of any animal I've ever heard (ask the kids to imitate it for you lol). After this we all piled into the back of a truck with our packs and headed about 9kms into the jungle along this very bumpy road to the start of our little hike. A bit of a test to introduce the kids to jungle trekking, this 5km walk took over 2 1/2 hours and acquainted them to the joys of jungle trekking ... heat, leeches, humidity, leeches, prickles and leeches. Lol needless to say we all lost a little bit of blood that day, but the kids took it really well and when we got to our destination they all agreed it was worth it and loved it. Crocodile Lake was our camp for the night. Small bungalows again built on stilts on the edge of a large lake/swamp which was full of fish, birds and as the name suggests crocodiles! The students enjoyed sitting on the safety of the porches and watching the crocs swim, the sun setting and then a lightning display later that night. The rangers there went out and netted some fish and cooked us dinner, which eagerly consumed by all. Another early night under mosquito nets in one of the most beautifully serene places I think any of the kids have ever been too.
Day 5 - 22nd November
A 5.30am rise, 6 o'clock breakfast and 6.30 start, saw us back on the trail and making the 5km walk back to the road before the day got hot. This time it only took 90mins. Back on the truck we only went about 4km down the road and jumped off again and started another trail, which 5km later would lead us back to the park HQ. This track however was a lot more difficult. A lot more like bush bashing, with no real trail to follow other than painted marks on trees to guide the way. Lots of ducking and weaving, dodging spiky vines, mud and of course way more leeches. It several hours to make it back to HQ and once back the counting began. I got two, I got three and even I got five, was some of the numbers I heard, from students and teachers counting leech bites. I know it sounds horrible, but the kids were really good about it and barely complained. A well earned rest was reward and the afternoon was spent showering, washing clothes, reading, writing journals and catching up on sleep. Dinner was at the Park HQ restaurant again and the evening was spent playing games. Tomorrow we head to the incredibly beautiful mountain town of Dalat and then our real trek! My next blog will be when we get back from that in a weeks time.
Well it's been a crazy first five days here in Vietnam, but as the kids are quickly realising, that's kind of the norm here. Everyone is well, happy and already loving the experience. The two schools have connected well and we have almost forgotten that we are two separate groups. We've already encountered bears, crocodiles, gibbons and of course leaches. The kids have chowed down lots fruit, noodles, rice and of course pho, they have even survived crossing roads with some of the craziest traffic in the world! We have just returned from a two day acclimatisation hike and for the first time since we arrived, the heat and humidity seem bearable.
Day 1 17-18th November
For FHC students, the trip began at Nunawading train station at 7pm where parents, family and friends said farewell. A quick train ride ride into southern cross station and then the Sky bus to the airport, saw us meet up with Belmont HS, who were waiting for us. Long queues at the ticket counters and customs meant only about a 20 minute wait at the gate before boarding. This barely gave us enough time to distribute US$13,000 amongst the kids to carry and the obligatory toilet stop before flying. We were spoilt this year and flew with Thai airways. This meant for those who couldn't sleep, individual screens to watch as many movies as they could in 9 hours and free soft drink and food for the duration of the flight. A brief transfer at Bangkok (the worlds most Drab airport) and another quick flight, had us arriving in Ho Chi Min City (Saigon) just after breakfast. We were met at arrivals by the heat, humidity, smell and of course Samzie our world challenge expedition leader, who had flown in from the UK two days earlier. Jet Lagged, tired and a little overwhelmed the students managed to organise a bus to take us to our hotel in the backpackers quarter of district 1 in the middle of HCMC. They were soon awakened however, by what can only described as the most exciting traffic in the world. The scooters, bikes and vehicles that make up this organised chaos, is certainly a highlight for first time travellers to Vietnam. After a quick refresher in our rooms and dumping our bags, we headed on foot, to Banh Thang Market. A popular tourist destination BT market has everything and we had a quick look and lunch. When in Vietnam, of course Pho is one of the most popular dishes and we all sampled some for our first meal. The rest of the day was made up of a few hours sleep/rest back in the hotel, meetings to work out roles and responsibilities, and of course planning what we were going to do over the next few weeks. We split for dinner as some of the group wanted to try traditional Vietnamese food from street side eateries while others wanted to try traditional Vietnamese pizza and pasta :).
Day 2 - 19th November
As one can imagine, with most students jet lagged and trying to get use to a new time zone (4 hours behind), bed was pretty early last night. This morning saw most awake pre dawn due to noise of traffic and too cold from leaving their air conditioners on all night. The teachers met students out in the street, where we were enjoying freshly squeezed juices and Vietnamese coffee and partaking in the morning ritual of eating street food such as Banh Mi (BBQ Pork rolls) and Pho or Bun (noodle soups) on little plastic seats and tables on the side of the road or even sometimes on it. The morning was spent having a little explore, buying food for that day and planning ahead. We headed just before lunch two hours out of town to a place called Cu Chi and visit the tunnels that the Vietcong used during the Vietnamese/American war. The kids got to crawl through some of them, which can be a daunting experience and learn a little about the war from the other side. We got back to HCMC at peak hour which is a tourist attraction all in itself, had dinner and busily got ready for the next day which included shopping for food and planning.
Day 3 - 20th November
Another early morning rise, street food breakfast and then a quick dash to a bakery and fruit and veggie market, to grab supplies for the next three days. At 10am we boarded another bus and left HCMC, heading North East for four hours to a National Park called Nam Cat Tien. Upon arrival, we got dropped off at the side of a river and told it was on the other side. An hour later we managed to work out how to get across (all it took was money) and took a small ferry across and arrived at park headquarters. A complete contrast to the bustle, smell and noise of a big city, the park was full of the cries of hornbills and gibbons and of course we were surrounded by thick thick jungle. We were given our keys and A/C remotes and settled into our little bungalow styled rooms for the remainder of the evening. Dinner was together in a small open air restaurant and after a small meeting, we decided to shower and hit the beds as the Mosquitos were beginning to come out and say hello.
Day 4 - 21st November
It really is something to be woken up to the noise of the jungle in the morning. The squeals and cries and whistles are quite amazing. Breakfast we made ourselves and 0then we backed ready for our days little adventure. Our guide met us that morning and took us to the bear sanctuary to look at the moon and sun bears that are being rehabilitated into the wild here in the park. A little like black bears except they have like a mane around their heads and a big v-shape or u-shape patch of white fur on their chest. As you can imagine the girls thought they were very cute! We also got to see the Gibbons which are a type of monkey and have the craziest cry of any animal I've ever heard (ask the kids to imitate it for you lol). After this we all piled into the back of a truck with our packs and headed about 9kms into the jungle along this very bumpy road to the start of our little hike. A bit of a test to introduce the kids to jungle trekking, this 5km walk took over 2 1/2 hours and acquainted them to the joys of jungle trekking ... heat, leeches, humidity, leeches, prickles and leeches. Lol needless to say we all lost a little bit of blood that day, but the kids took it really well and when we got to our destination they all agreed it was worth it and loved it. Crocodile Lake was our camp for the night. Small bungalows again built on stilts on the edge of a large lake/swamp which was full of fish, birds and as the name suggests crocodiles! The students enjoyed sitting on the safety of the porches and watching the crocs swim, the sun setting and then a lightning display later that night. The rangers there went out and netted some fish and cooked us dinner, which eagerly consumed by all. Another early night under mosquito nets in one of the most beautifully serene places I think any of the kids have ever been too.
Day 5 - 22nd November
A 5.30am rise, 6 o'clock breakfast and 6.30 start, saw us back on the trail and making the 5km walk back to the road before the day got hot. This time it only took 90mins. Back on the truck we only went about 4km down the road and jumped off again and started another trail, which 5km later would lead us back to the park HQ. This track however was a lot more difficult. A lot more like bush bashing, with no real trail to follow other than painted marks on trees to guide the way. Lots of ducking and weaving, dodging spiky vines, mud and of course way more leeches. It several hours to make it back to HQ and once back the counting began. I got two, I got three and even I got five, was some of the numbers I heard, from students and teachers counting leech bites. I know it sounds horrible, but the kids were really good about it and barely complained. A well earned rest was reward and the afternoon was spent showering, washing clothes, reading, writing journals and catching up on sleep. Dinner was at the Park HQ restaurant again and the evening was spent playing games. Tomorrow we head to the incredibly beautiful mountain town of Dalat and then our real trek! My next blog will be when we get back from that in a weeks time.
James Webb
Gingerbread Houses in Year 9 Food Technology
This week the
Year 9 Food Technology students design their own Ginger Bread Houses with great
success. An amazing array of houses are on display in the kitchen this week,
showing the skill and enthusiasm our students have when given a little freedom
to experiment.
An outstanding
example was designed and made by Natalia B.
Well done to all
Jane Boras
College Library News
Poppy Project
This week we have started making poppies for the 5000 Poppies project.
Students and staff are invited to meet each Thursday over the recess and
lunch breaks to work on making poppies for Anzac Day 2015.
Contributions have included knitted, crochet, woven and fleece poppies this week.
Our challenges to create a poppy, or many poppies, pales into insignificance as we reflect on the hardships and challenges our troops faced 100 years ago.
Contributions have included knitted, crochet, woven and fleece poppies this week.
Our challenges to create a poppy, or many poppies, pales into insignificance as we reflect on the hardships and challenges our troops faced 100 years ago.
Library Reading Challenge Winner
Ansul R from year 9 was selected the 2014 Winner for her reading
commitment and creative photo. Ansul received a book store voucher and pens for
her outstanding effort.
A “Summer Reading Challenge” will be
available for all year 7, 8 and 9 students who wish to continue reading over
the summer holidays.
5 books of the readers choice plus watch a movie with
a book tie in is all it will take to successfully complete this challenge.
Students need to register with the library to receive
their invitation to a morning tea on Monday 8 December 2014 when they
will be able to collect their participation kits.
Vale Margaret Mackellar 13 September 1941 - 21 November 2014
Margaret was a teacher librarian at Burwood Heights High School and retired at Forest Hill College in 2003.
Margaret spent some years as a welfare coordinator and in later years as the manager of the International Students Program which involved extensive travelling to Japan, China, Vietnam, Laos & Thailand. Margaret made many friends at Burwood Heights High School/Forest Hill College and will be sadly missed.
Painting Working Bee
We are in the process of establishing a high performance Strength and Conditioning Room in the Gym at the College, for all students to access in 2015.
Attached to it will be the services of a personal trainer that all students can access at lunchtimes from the first day of the 2015 school year.
I have allocated significant money to the equipment fit out, and am now seeking some volunteers to help me paint the room across the weekend of December 6 and 7.
Any volunteers willing to help please contact the General office to register your attendance so we can plan effectively to maximise all help offers we get.I Look forward to hearing from you.
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