News

2021 Open Evening Cancelled

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 11:50:20 AEDT

Cumberland High School's highly anticipated Open Evening scheduled for Monday 1st of March has been cancelled due to current COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines as required by NSW Health.

A digital link will be available in coming weeks on our website which will showcase all that our wonderful School has to offer.

Get #FirstDay2021 ready for the new school year

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 13:58:30 AEDT

Be prepared for the new school year with our back to school tips and tools.

The start of a new school year can be both an exciting and demanding time for parents and students alike.

Our parents and carers Back to school hub can help you prepare for the year ahead with practical articles, tools, activities, calendars and checklists so you and your child can be ready from day 1, term 1.

Find out about what your child will learn in high school, how to support their health and wellbeing, and help them make decisions about their future.

There's also a dedicated section for students starting Year 7 and Year 11 & 12 where you'll find tips for a smooth transition into high school, and pathways for students after school.

Video – #FirstDay2021

Duration – 0:49

Our public school students are top class

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 15:19:43 AEDT

Public school students have again dominated the HSC honours securing 71 of the 126 First in Course awards announced today.

Among the high achievers, Sariena Ye from James Ruse Agricultural High School became only the fourth person since 1991 to secure first place in both Chemistry and Physics – and the first female in 27 years to top both subjects.

NSW Education Secretary Mark Scott congratulated the winners and also paid tribute to every student that had completed their HSC in 2020.

“Those students who received a First in Course – and their families - should be rightly proud of their achievements,” Mr Scott said.

“Considering the particular challenges of 2020, we are extremely proud of every student that has shown the determination and resilience to achieve their best and finish their HSC.

“They now leave school with the skills to embark upon a successful life, no matter what they choose next.”

Public school students secured First in Course across a range of subject areas including, among others, three of the five mathematics and English courses, chemistry and physics, science extension, Aboriginal studies, economics, ancient history, languages and visual arts.

Mr Scott said the diversity of subjects topped by public school students showed NSW Education was committed to quality education across all fields of endeavour.

“Our success in the HSC is also a tribute to the quality of teaching and dedication of staff in supporting our students during their final year of schooling.”

The First in Course winners this year came from a wider selection of schools with James Ruse Agricultural High School the most successful school overall, securing six First in Course positions.

Schools Spectacular remixed for television

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 12:38:19 AEDT

Relive memorable acts and performances from the past four years in a special televised Schools Spectacular event.

The annual Schools Spectacular, cancelled this year due to the pandemic, will entertain audiences with a special television broadcast next week.

The Schools Spectacular 2020 Remixed will air on Channel 7 on Saturday 5 December at 7pm.

The two-hour broadcast will feature memorable acts and spectacular moments from the past four years.

The show will also feature a surprise digital performance from this year’s graduating Class of 2020 with the Year 12 students sharing their passion and talents while celebrating with NSW Education for one last time.

This technical feat aims to inspire audiences as more than 70 dancers, singers, instrumental musicians and signing performers from across NSW assemble virtually for the performance.

Mark Scott, Secretary of the NSW Department of Education, said this event is an opportunity to revisit memories of past performances and celebrate the talents of students in NSW public schools.

“Schools Spectacular 2020 Remixed will be an extraordinary broadcast and a unique opportunity to look back at some of the many achievements of our talented performing arts students and their hard working and committed teachers from the past four years,” he said.

Audiences can also share their own memories and see highlights from past Schools Spectacular performances on the Schools Spectacular Facebook page.

Schools Spectacular Remixed 2020 is produced by the NSW Department of Education and proudly supported by Presenting Partners, Telstra and the NSW Teachers Federation, and Segment Partner, RØDE Microphones.

Celebrate Schools Spectacular 2020 Remixed on Saturday 5 December at 7pm on Channel 7.

Supporting effective learning at school and home with the ‘What Works Best: 2020 update’

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 13:33:10 AEDT

The ‘What Works Best: 2020 update’ outlines the eight most effective teaching practices and how these can be supported at home.

Parents and carers can support effective student learning at home through the ‘What Works Best’ resource, now updated for 2020.

The What Works Best resource has been very successful helping teachers bring the best teaching practices into their classrooms. The ‘What Works Best: 2020 update’ outlines eight evidence-based teaching practices that teachers can use in their classrooms to improve student learning.

You can find out more about these practices, how it’s used in schools, our handy guide for parents and carers and conversation tips to help continue student learning at home when you visit the ‘What Works Best’ parents and carers hub.

School Updates App - be prepared for any emergency

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 15:41:48 AEDT

Receive notifications of school closures. Opt in to receive timely, accurate notifications about the operational status of your chosen NSW public school(s).

The NSW School Updates App was created to help our parents and carers check on the status of their school during last summer’s bushfire season. And it’s been invaluable during COVID when schools were required to close for deep cleaning.

The app is free and available now for iOS and Android users.

Visit NSW School Updates App to download and for more information

Privacy information

The app doesn't store any personal or identifiable information.

The Journal of Cumberland Science

Tue, 10 Nov 2020 13:32:52 AEDT

We are very proud and excited to share our three young scientists reports in this our very first Science journal.

Join in the virtual NAIDOC Week celebrations

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 16:20:18 AEDT

Education celebrates NAIDOC Week 2020 (8 – 15 November 2020) with the theme ‘Always Was, Always Will Be’.

It’s a time to reflect and celebrate the history, culture and achievements of the First Nation peoples – recognising them as the traditional owners of the land.

Schools were invited to film and submit videos to celebrate history, culture and achievements of past and present Aboriginal and Torres Strait students.

Secretary, Mark Scott will give an opening address on Monday, 9 November and then Aboriginal students run a Question and Answers session with Mark Scott, Cindy Berwick, President of the NSW AECG; Martin Graham, Deputy Secretary; Michelle Hall, Executive Director, Connecetd Communities and Karen Jones, Executive Director, Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships.

Tuesday will showcase how NSW public schools are embedding Aboriginal cultural practices. Special thanks to; Windale Public School Preschool, Terrigal Public School, Wilcannia Central School and Murrumbidgee Regional High School for participating.

Wednesday will highlight the outstanding achievements of Benson Igua Saulo, In-coming Consul-General to the US based in Houston (2021), as his is interviewed by current students from his former schools, Tamworth High School and Peel High School.

Thursday will see Uncle Michael Jarrett deliver a Gumbaynggirr language lesson.

Friday will close out our virtual celebration with a beautiful virtual choir led by Uncle Archie Roach. Students will join him singing ‘Took the children away’ and ‘Children came back’.

Join the virtual celebration via video streams hosted by Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships , each weekday morning, at 9:30am, during NAIDOC Week 2020.

2021 term dates now available

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 15:44:19 AEDT

Most students start Friday 29 January (or Friday 5 February for Western division) in Term 1 2021.

To support a strong start to 2021, school staff will now have two school development days at the beginning of Term 1.

For 2021, students will return to school on Friday 29 January (or Friday 5 February for Western division), unless otherwise notified by the school. School term dates for 2021 are now available.

Western division schools, also known as ‘late start’ schools, are located in the far western region of NSW. Check if your school is a Late start school.

#MathsTrainsBrains for the future

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 18:51:46 AEDT

Parents and carers can now explore the importance of mathematical skills with the new Everyday Maths experience, featuring activities, resources and explainers targeted to year groups.

The digital launch is part of the NSW Mathematics Strategy 2025, which aims to strengthen mathematics teaching in NSW public schools, promote understanding of the usefulness of mathematics and build positive perceptions of mathematics.

Tune into Education LIVE to find out how high profile Australians like media guru Kellie Hush, former Olympian Steve Solomon and former Masterchef Alice Zaslavsky use maths in their everyday lives.

Video – #MathsTrainsBrains

Duration – 1:00

New resources to help HSC students stay healthy

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 13:42:19 AEST

With only a month until the first written HSC exams, Year 12 students have an extra place to look for support.

Year 12 and the HSC can be a stressful time, and this year’s students have already overcome bushfires, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The department has brought together new and updated tools to help HSC students stay healthy, active and connected as they finish their final weeks of school.

Stay healthy HSC includes:

advice about looking after your own mental health and checking in on friends from ReachOut.com
exam tips from the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)
on-demand video lessons, written by teachers, to help with study.

Visit Stay healthy HSC to explore the resources.

Updates to COVID-19 restrictions affecting NSW schools

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 23:10:07 AEST

Latest COVID-19 case locations in NSW

NSW Health has a website to inform you of the actions you should take if you have been in a location where there have been confirmed cases of COVID-19 within NSW. Monitor the site and follow the relevant health advice if you have been at any of the locations at the specified dates and times.

Students and staff who have travelled through or visited Victoria

All students and staff who have visited Victoria must have a permit to enter NSW and are required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Except for students and staff who reside in a border town, all students and staff who have visited Victoria in the 14 days before the commencement of school should not attend school until they complete the 14 days self-isolation period since they left Victoria.

Students and staff who are unable to return to school due to these self-isolation requirements will be supported to learn and work remotely during the self-isolation period via the online learning hubs until they return to on-campus learning and teaching.

NSW Health has requested anyone who has been in Victoria and is unwell or has flu-like symptoms arrange to be tested through their local medical practitioner or one of the COVID-19 clinics.

Refer to current advice for people who have recently visited Victoria.

Information for students and staff on new NSW-Victoria border restrictions

The NSW Government has announced further tightening to the restrictions for people travelling across the NSW-Victorian border.

From midnight Tuesday 21 July a border zone, defined along the Murray River, will be established.

Anyone travelling from Victoria to NSW must apply for a new permit through Service NSW.

Victorian residents who have been in one of the restricted areas in Victoria in the last 14 days must not enter NSW.

Attending schools along the border

Current permits will expire at midnight, Tuesday 21 July. We strongly encourage all parents and staff to check they have a permit and if not, apply for one through Service NSW.

Students and staff who reside in Victoria will need to be eligible for a border permit to attend school in person.

Under the new public health order, the border zone has been reduced significantly.

Not all students and staff may be eligible for a border permit under the public health order. If you are not eligible for a border permit you will not be able to cross the border. Students and staff will be supported through remote learning and working via the online learning hubs until they return to school.

Further information on the new border zone is available from Service NSW.

Border permits can be rescinded at any time if a cluster outbreak in your community occurs. We encourage parents to monitor local circumstances regularly as things may change in the coming days or weeks.

Transport to and from school will run as scheduled. For travel advice to and from school refer to Transport for NSW.

New restrictions affecting boarding schools

Any student returning from Victoria to reside at a boarding school in NSW must now self-isolate for 14 days in a NSW location separate to the boarding school. They must also obtain a negative test swab from day 10 of their isolation before entering school and have written confirmation of the test result and the period spent isolating.

Those who are unable to return to boarding while they are completing the self-isolation period will be supported through remote learning and working via the online learning hubs until they return to school.

More information

Returning to school in Term 3

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 12:02:20 AEST

Our school will be open to welcome students back to onsite learning from the beginning of Term 3 – Tuesday 21 July 2020.

As you would be aware the border between NSW and Victoria closed as of 12:01am 8 July 2020.

All staff and students returning from Victoria after this time must have a permit to enter NSW and are required to self-isolate for a period of 14 days.

All students who have been in Victoria in the last 14 days before the commencement of school must not attend school until they complete the 14 days self-isolation period since they left Victoria.

NSW Health has requested anyone who has been in Victoria and is unwell or has flu-like symptoms arrange to be tested through their local medical practitioner or one of the COVID-19 clinics.

Refer to current advice for people who have recently visited Victoria.

Students who are unable to return to school due to the border closures or self-isolation will be supported to learn remotely.

We would like to remind our community the most important action you can take is to practise good hand hygiene and physical distancing. Our school will be vigilant in implementing these requirements to minimise the risk at school.

Curriculum reform focuses on deep learning

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 08:40:53 AEST

Changes to the NSW school curriculum will be the biggest education shake-up in 30 years.

The reforms, announced by the NSW Government on Tuesday, will start rolling out in 2021. All Kindergarten to Year 12 students will learn the new curriculum by 2024.

The changes are in response to the NSW Curriculum Review by Professor Geoff Masters and will ensure every student is prepared and ready for their future.

The reforms are based on:

decluttering the curriculum by reducing unnecessary subjects
a ‘back to basics approach’ that will see a renewed focus on the core subjects of English, maths and science
Year 11 and Year 12 prequalification for university and TAFE courses.

Education Week to celebrate learning together

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 13:03:32 AEST

Education Week 2020 will be held from Monday 3 August to Friday 7 August.

Education Week is our annual week of celebration to highlight the achievements of our students and staff and the role of public schools as the cornerstone of their communities.

This year’s theme is ‘Learning together’ and it reflects the incredible months of 2020 where NSW public school students have continued to learn and achieve, despite natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our schools have experienced significant disruption but our staff – in partnership with parents and carers – have worked tirelessly to ensure that high quality teaching and learning has continued for all students.

Department of Education Secretary Mark Scott said the best learning takes place when there is a partnership of students, teachers, parents, carers and the community.

“Our schools and families benefit from strong, respectful relationships where responsibility for student learning is shared,” Mr Scott said.

“As our lives slowly return to normal, it’s time for us to reflect on the achievements and resilience of our entire school community. We look forward to celebrating Education Week with all of you in August.”

Statewide events for Education Week include:

a live stream launch on Monday, 3 August
activities for National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day on Tuesday, 4 August
a live streamed student film festival on Wednesday, 5 August.

Schools are invited to share photos, videos and stories of local celebrations on social media using the hashtag #EdWeek20 or send an email to educationweek@det.nsw.edu.au.

New Canteen Menu

Fri, 22 May 2020 12:35:59 AEST

The Chicken Burger is back!

Our new canteen operator has a delicious new menu which is attached. Normally the menu can be found under the tab About our School and then select What we offer.

NSW students return to the classroom full-time

Tue, 19 May 2020 10:20:37 AEST

Students across NSW will be back in the classroom full-time from next Monday, 25 May.

The success of the phased return to face to face teaching has demonstrated the education system and community are ready for school to come back full-time.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell thanked school communities and parents for their patience during this difficult time.

Ms Berejiklian said a return to full-time face to face teaching and learning is crucial for the education progress of every child in NSW from Kindergarten to Year 12.

“Since starting a managed return to the classroom, we have seen a strong degree of confidence from our school communities in managing COVID-19 and a clear desire for all students to be back at school,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“We expect schools to stick with the health advice – increased cleaning, access to hygiene supplies and compliance with hygiene practices – and look forward to seeing all students back on campus five days a week.

“The health advice is very clear; a return to full-time face to face teaching is safe.”

Over the last two weeks schools have been working hard to support students practise good hygiene and implement new routines at school, which has been successful giving the community confidence that full-time face to face teaching can resume.

Ms Mitchell said she was eager to see students back in the classroom full-time.

“Our principals, teachers, support staff, parents and carers have gone above and beyond to continue the education of our students while we respond to this pandemic,” Ms Mitchell said.

“My priority is the education of our children. We know that parents across NSW share our desire for students to be back in school, and that is our expectation.

“Schools will need to maintain the measures and precautions they have put in place for the foreseeable future, including no assemblies and excursions.

“Teachers will be focused on identifying where their students are at in their education and we will be supporting them to recognise and assist those students who need additional help.”

Read the department's latest advice for families.

Week 4 Return to School Schedule

Fri, 15 May 2020 09:28:42 AEST

Term 2, Week 4 Return to School Schedule.

Year 12 will be returning to face to face learning for 4 days a week. This is the only change from the Week 3 schedule. All other Year groups remain the same.

Keeping our school COVIDSafe

Tue, 12 May 2020 16:22:05 AEST

Help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community by downloading the app.

Social distancing and washing your hands remain the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The COVIDSafe app, developed by the Australian Government, helps to reduce the spread by allowing health experts to find close contacts faster and more accurately.

The app does not track your location. It uses your phone's Bluetooth to record other users you come into contact with, so if they test positive, NSW Health can let you know.

Find out more:

Students begin return to classrooms

Fri, 08 May 2020 18:45:30 AEST

From Monday 11 May (Week 3) students will begin a phased return to school.

The phased return will maintain distancing in the classroom while supporting students' education and wellbeing.

Most students will continue learning from home and will only attend school 1 day each week.

Our school will continue to provide detailed information about the return to the classroom throughout the rest of Term 2.

Measures to keep schools clean and safe for all students and staff include:

25% more cleaning time focused on high-touch areas
priority deliveries of hygiene supplies including soap and hand sanitiser
local school changes to pick up, drop off, lunch and recess times and processes.

Phase 1 Return to school

Fri, 08 May 2020 15:04:13 AEST

Term 2 2020, Week 3 Phase 1 Return to school schedule and details.

Please read the attached below for more information.

Term 2 Phase 1 information

Religion and ethics lessons continue at home

Tue, 05 May 2020 10:36:56 AEST

Students learning from home can continue to access Special religious education (SRE) and Special education in ethics (SEE) classes.

Face-to-face SRE, SEE and Voluntary student activities of a religious nature in schools (VSA) will not be available until schools resume normal operations.

In response to requests from school communities, SRE and SEE approved providers are delivering their authorised curriculum with modifications to allow students to learn from home from the start of Term 2.

The lesson content and the mode of delivery has been reviewed and modified for easy access by students. The approved providers recognise that learning at home will not replicate face-to-face learning at school.

The learning from home SRE and SEE programs are now available:

ABC Q&A Interview with Principal Mechel Pikoulas

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 09:00:45 AEST

Hamish McDonald from ABC's Q&A program interviews our Principal Mechel Pikoulas on the intricacies of students returning to school during Term 2 2020.

Year 12 Encouragement

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 10:27:06 AEST

It has been a tough year for Year 12 and we are all thinking of you and have recorded a video to encourage you all to keep up the good work and keep going. We are all here to support you through these tough times.

Term 2 2020

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 10:25:38 AEST

Important dates for Term 2 2020

Interview with Women's Weekly May 2020

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 12:55:51 AEST

Please read the attached article printed in the current Australian Women's Weekly magazine paying tribute to Our Health Crisis Heroes featuring our very own Principal Mechel Pikoulas.

Tune in at 8.45am to NSW Education LIVE

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 20:21:09 AEST

To welcome our students back for Term 2, join us at 8.45am from Wednesday 29 April to Friday 8 May for a special live stream.

Musician Guy Sebastian, TV foodies Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and Manu Feildel, Gardening Australia host Costa Georgiadis, Sydney Swans player Ollie Florent, and our very own Eddie Woo, have donated their time to kick start learning from home each morning from 29 April - 8 May.

Tune in each day at 8:45am. We can't wait to see you!

Video – NSW Education LIVE sneak peek

Duration – 0:30

Check out this special sneak peek of NSW Education LIVE – 8:45am weekdays from 29 April.

NSW students to transition back to the classroom in Term 2

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 13:18:36 AEST

NSW school students will gradually transition back to the classroom during Term 2 as the Government continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell outlined the plan for students attending NSW public schools to progressively return to face-to-face learning in week three of Term 2.

Ms Berejiklian said health advice continues to be that schools remain open, and parents, teachers and students can be confident that school is safe place.

“We are grateful to all families who kept their children home from school at the end of Term 1 and to teachers who worked tirelessly to deliver education online,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“This allowed us critical time to prepare our schools to develop better online learning options and for considering additional hygiene measures to allow schools to return.

“We know that nothing is more important than a child’s education, and we must begin to return our students to their classrooms in a considered way.

“Under these changes, from week three of Term 2, every student will be attending school for one day a week.

“We will look to increase the number of days students are at school in a staged way and hope to have all children back at school full-time by Term 3.

“I’d like to thank the Catholic and Independent schools for working with the NSW Government at this time, as well as staff, including teachers, principals and cleaners, for working so hard to prepare for a resumption of school.

“I’d also like to thank parents for what has been a tough month, often juggling working from home and caring for children. We hope the partial resumption of on campus learning will provide some much needed relief to those families.”

During the first stage of on-campus learning, parents will be encouraged to keep their children home except on their allocated day of face-to-face learning. Initially, about a quarter of a school’s students are expected to be on site at any one time. The specific days students will be required to attend school each week will vary from school to school and will be clearly communicated to parents.

Classes will be split across schools, allowing schools to appropriately social distance students and teachers.

As always, schools will remain open for students who need them and no child will be turned away from school.

Ms Mitchell said careful consideration had been given to support the school community, providing clarity and certainty on the path forward.

“This plan provides a clear path that balances community concerns with a need to deliver continuity of quality education,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Hand sanitiser will be available in all classrooms and provisions are in place for at-risk teachers to work from home. Drop off, pick up, recess and lunchtimes will also be staggered to ensure social distancing.”

In addition to the staged return to school, the NSW Government has committed up to $95.7 million to help keep casual and temporary school staff engaged in active work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our casual and temporary teachers and other non-teaching staff across NSW schools are critical to our education system, and will help ensure the educational outcomes for our students during this staged return,” Ms Mitchell said.

A cross-sector working group of teachers will also be established to report back to the Minister on recent innovations and educational developments assembled during the COVID-19 period that are suitable to support future educational delivery.

“It’s important that we have an inventory of the cutting edge teaching solutions and recognise the best efforts of our amazing NSW teachers during a difficult time,” Ms Mitchell said.

Teachers will have an additional day to prepare for Term 2 on Tuesday 28 April making the first day of term for students Wednesday 29 April.

Latest advice

Get up-to-date information about the department's response to COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).
Explore the department's learning from home resources for teachers and parents to support both online and offline learning for all students.

Keep your family entertained these school holidays

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 19:31:21 AEST

We know it’s been a challenging Term 1. Just as many communities began recovering from fires, droughts and floods, we moved to learning from home to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The school holidays are coming, which means your family is about to have a lot of free time and nowhere to go.

To support you while looking after children we’ve put together a handy guide of activities to stimulate young minds and keep your family busy and engaged.

Check out our parents and carers toolkit for important self-care tips, free parenting podcasts and apps.

If you need a break, the Service NSW before and after school care finder can help locate vacation care programs near you.

Keep on reading Cumberland High

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 14:57:32 AEST

What have you been reading this week?

Teachers and staff share what they have been reading and now it's your turn to share a selfie of what you have been reading. Send your photos to Mrs Alexander by Monday Week 1 Term 2 and the most unusual/creative image will be sent a prize pack in the mail.

Send entries to: karen.alexander3@det.nsw.edu.au

Escape into a book these holidays.

Channel 10 Cumberland High School Online Learning

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 10:22:17 AEDT

Channel 10 interview with Cumberland High School in regards to online learning and how we are implementing this.

Channel 7 Cumberland High School Online Learning

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 10:55:38 AEDT

Cumberland High School interview with Channel 7 in regards to the systems we have implemented for online learning.

The Department of Education Showcases the work of Cumberland High School

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 14:59:47 AEDT

We are delighted that the Department of Education has chosen Cumberland High School to showcase our outstanding online work. There is a special feature on the Department of Education website and social media channels. Please take a look by clicking on the video below.

No child will be turned away from school

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 12:47:32 AEDT

The NSW Department of Education's advice regarding schools is very clear. No child in NSW will be turned away from school.

Schools will remain open for parents who want their children to attend irrespective of their profession or working arrangements.

The decision to keep schools open has been made based on advice from NSW Health, which has not changed.

The department will provide continuity of learning for all students both on and off campus and the Premier, for practical reasons, has encouraged parents to keep their children at home if they could.

Schools will communicate directly with parents on what learning options are available using their communication methods such as the school website, newsletters, emails and other online tools.

Latest advice

Get up-to-date information about the department's response to COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).
Explore the department's learning from home resources for teachers and parents to support both online and offline learning for all students.

New COVID-19 restrictions begin as schools move towards online learning

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 19:24:58 AEDT

The NSW Government has taken significant new steps to increase restrictions across the state - triggering the next level of enforcement necessary to fight COVID-19.

Following the decisions made by National Cabinet, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the shutdown to protect NSW citizens.

"I understand many in the community are worried, and these changes will affect everyday lives, and may be upsetting," Ms Berejiklian said.

"But these decisions will make us all safer, they are taken with the health of all citizens in mind, and they must be taken now.

"If you have the capacity to work from home, you should do so."

In line with health advice, from midday today, the following non-essential activities and businesses will be temporarily shut down:

pubs, registered clubs
gyms, indoor sporting venues
cinemas, entertainment venues, casinos, and night clubs
restaurants and cafes will be restricted to takeaway and/or home delivery
religious gatherings, places of worship (excluding small weddings and funerals that comply with the 4m2 rule, which can proceed).

It is important to note essential gatherings at places such as hospitals, workplaces, constructions sites and for public transport are exempt and will continue.

As confirmed last night by the Prime Minister schools will remain open, based on health advice, which has not changed.

But from tomorrow, in NSW, for practical reasons, parents are encouraged to keep their children at home.

"Because nearly 30 per cent of children are already being kept out of school, for practical reasons NSW is encouraging parents to keep their children at home," Ms Berejiklian said.

"This will ensure there is only one unit of work, whether the student is at home or at school.

"No child will be turned away from school."

Latest advice

Get up-to-date information about the department's response to COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).
Explore the department's learning from home resources for teachers and parents to support both online and offline learning for all students.

Schools to implement distancing measures

Sun, 15 Mar 2020 19:51:59 AEDT

The NSW Department of Education is introducing proactive measures to limit the impact of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in our schools.

Mark Scott, Secretary of the Department of Education, today announced that schools would adopt social distancing measures requiring them to cancel assemblies, excursions, travel, some events and conferences.

Mr Scott said these measures are precautionary and designed to reduce exposure via non-essential gatherings.

"Schools have been a focus of the community and the government as the impacts of coronavirus have developed globally," Mr Scott said.

"From Monday onwards, I expect school assemblies and substantial gatherings to be cancelled, along with all excursions.

"The community expects schools to be as safe as possible. We are implementing these measures to provide peace of mind for students, parents and staff."

"These cancellations also extend to inter-school arts, sports, initiative activities and events.

All major arts, sports and initiative activities and events will temporarily be ceased until further notice. This includes whole-school sporting events and inter-school events involving three or more schools.

"Local inter-school sport and other activities can proceed, but we ask organisers to ensure that as far as possible, reasonable precautions are taken," Mr Scott said.

"I trust our principals and staff to show leadership during this time."

Schools will be provided with more detailed advice and suggestions on how they can adjust their day to day activities with minimal disruption.

The department is continuing to prepare for further closures if necessary with scaling up of technology, additional training of staff and preparation of offsite lessons.

Families and students in self-isolation can find useful information to continue learning from home.

For the latest information, check COVID-19 advice for schools.

Additional School Tour POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 09:17:01 AEDT

POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

Tuesday 17th March 2020
Principal's Address: 5pm sharp
School Tour: 5.30pm - 6pm

Coronavirus - Department of Education statement

Thu, 12 Mar 2020 11:50:35 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?

Thu, 12 Mar 2020 11:50:29 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

News Article Jan 2021

Thu, 12 Mar 2020 11:50:31 AEDT

Article description for Jan 2021 News Article.

Join us for your HSC journey

Thu, 12 Mar 2020 11:50:32 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

Help for families preparing for return to school

Thu, 12 Mar 2020 11:50:27 AEDT

The NSW Department of Education is working to support school communities affected by the summer bushfires to ensure a return to school as normal as possible for as many students as possible.

We encourage students and families who have been affected directly and indirectly to seek practical help through government and non-government agencies such as the NSW government’s Office of Emergency Management. The department also provides advice to assist parents, teachers and students.

The Office of Emergency Management has a list of bushfire recovery assistance contacts including emergency accommodation, animal welfare, recovery allowances and payments, farm and business assistance, legal assistance, water assistance, and counselling.

Affected staff can seek support through the Department’s Employee Assistance Program during the holiday and in term time, and counselling will be available for students and staff through their school once term begins.

The assessment of school buildings and facilities affected by the fires was started by officers of School Infrastructure NSW as soon as it was safe to do so, in order that school communities can be advised as soon as possible about the status of their school, and, if necessary, alternative arrangements.

It is expected that the vast majority of students will be returning to school as normal: advice about preparing for the start of school is on the Department’s Back to School page, but families facing any additional difficulty can also contact their school once term begins.

The school safety page will be updated with a list of government and non-government schools that are not operational.

NSW schools respond to bushfires

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 16:57:04 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 11:01:06 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

2020 Open Evening

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 13:16:40 AEST

All of our Faculties will open their doors and showcase what is available to the students who attend Cumberland High School. Come along and see what is on offer for your child.

Book yourself in for Reading Hour

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 12:11:42 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 11:26:24 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 11:24:58 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 12:52:33 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

Student Research Conference York UK

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 13:40:27 AEST

On Thursday 27 June eight of our student scientists showcased their cutting-edge research findings at the Institute for Research in Schools conference at the National STEM Learning Centre in York UK.

The conference provided an opportunity for our students to present their research to their international peers and an audience of invited guests from the scientific community.

Our students presented their findings from their research into the problem "Could the wool carpets in schools not only be replaced with recyled carpets, but also pulped and turned into fertiliser?" Overall it was found that all 10% wool pulp garden beds had higher growth rates!

The outcome of this research could see better use made of all of the carpets throughout our school system which would have a real world impact and a huge bonus for the environment.

For more photos please access our FaceBook page and our gallery will be updated with more photos in Term 3.

Young Womens Leadership Seminar

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 13:53:19 AEST

On Thursday 5th June two of our aspiring female leaders headed into the city to visit Parliament and attend the Young Women's Leadership Seminar.

The Seminar started with a talk from Nina Earl, a science Curator and Communicator who in 2018 participated in the Homeward Bound Expedition to Antartica. She gave a compelling talk about her leadership journey.

She shared four ideas that she felt important to becoming a leader:

1. Take the plunge - the first step is always the hardest

2. Have Integrity - always be the best you

3. Never give up - especially when things get really, really bad

4. Believe in yourself - even when no one else seems to

There was also time to meet three female parliamentarians and to witness a division in the Upper House.

This was a fantastic experience for the girls and hopefully an inspiring one.

Lets look out for the girls in future elections!

Creative and Active Kids vouchers now available

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 11:27:14 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 11:41:45 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 15:56:09 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 15:11:29 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 14:18:34 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 13:35:53 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 15:21:03 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.

International Students Shine in the HSC

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 09:07:19 AEDT

2018 was an incredible year for our International Student cohort achieving fantastic results in the HSC. 13 of our International Students were named on the Distinguished Achievers List. For more details see the full report here.

Cumberland High School Ranks 133 in 2018 HSC. Congratulations!

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 09:41:40 AEDT

Cumberland High School climbed 75 places in the 2018 HSC Rankings to be placed 133 in the State. Congratulations to the 104 2018 graduates including the 31 students who were named on the 2018 HSC Achievers' List.

Congratulations to Zilin (Scott) Shao who is celebrating receiving his 99.8 ATAR today. Scott achieved 10th place in the State in Extension 2 Mathematics! We wish him well as he goes on to study Actuary Studies at the University of NSW.

2019 school budget allocations

Mon, 12 Nov 2018 11:59:50 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.

Rebecca's Idea Makes it to Parliament!

Fri, 31 Aug 2018 09:18:00 AEST

Congratulations to Rebecca (7Red) whose idea for a new swimming pool in Rydalmere was mentioned in Federal Parliament recently! Rebecca's brilliant idea stemmed from her "Place and Liveability” Geography Assignment. Rebecca's teacher Mr Lummis challenged students to suggest an improvement for their local community.

Federal Member for Parramatta Julie Owens said, “It’s been an honour to read speeches from the young people in my electorate in Parliament… Our young people are switched on, and they're ready to be heard!”

You can view the speech here.

Ginko Writing Project - 2018!

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 13:08:41 AEST

Cumberland High School celebrated Education Week with our annual Ginko Writing Project celebration together with our Writer in Residence, Dr Bernard Cohen and our learning partners James Ruse Agricultural High and Carlingford West Primary School.

The project involved Year 5 and Year 6 students from Carlingford West Primary, Year 7 students from Cumberland High and Year 8 students from James Ruse Agricultural High exploring the farm at James Ruse and then returning to school to engage in a creative writing process culminating in the production of fine narratives and poems. The celebration event enabled us to showcase the creative work of our students and was a tremendous success!

Sydney Metro Superstars!

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 13:12:02 AEST

Our two Year 10 teams were finalists at the Sydney Metro Challenge and were given the opportunity to pitch their ideas and present their prototypes to expert panellists at the ICC at darling Harbour last week. They were outstanding in their presentations and had the panel of judges most impressed with their innovative thinking! Congratulations Sydney Metro Finalists Team DDDAN – Naman Ganjekar, Danial Amin Rahmanlou, Dev Chopra, Dylan Lay, Alex Warnecke and Team ARI - Adwithya Puri, Ronald Leung, Isaac Wu! We are all so proud!

Open Evening 2018!

Tue, 21 Aug 2018 12:16:01 AEST

Open Evening 2018 - Showcasing Excellence

Congratulations to all those involved in showcasing our remarkable school at our recent Open Evening. Thank you to our student volunteers who were such incredible ambassadors for our school on the evening.

If you missed our Open Evening and would like to organise a tour of the school, please do not hesitate to call the office on 9871 7718 to arrange a suitable time.

Download our Skoolbag App for regular school updates!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:40 AEDT

Congratulations Jingyuan and Nikola!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:39 AEDT

Our 2017 HSC All Rounders!

We are so proud to announce that two of our Year 12 students have been recognised in the 2017 HSC All Rounders Achievement list. Both Jingyuan and Nikola scored in the highest possible band across ten units. Congratulations!!!

Jingyuan received an ATAR of 99.65 and will be studying Commerce and Computer Science at the University of NSW.

Nikola received an ATAR of 98.85 and will be studying at the University of NSW.

Congratulations to all our High Achievers!

Image: 2017 Cumberland High School Dux Jingyuan and Prox Acc. Nikola - CONGRATULATIONS!

Presentaiton Assembly 2017

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:44 AEDT

Summer Band Tour 2017

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:45 AEDT

Check out the video below!

2018 Open Evening!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:38 AEDT

Please feel free to contact the school for more information pertaining to the 2018 Open Evening on 02 9871 7718.

All welcome!

Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2017!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:38 AEDT

Congratulations class of 2017! What an outstanding cohort; such exceptional school spirit not only in nurturing the Cumberland pride but by continuing also to serve our school community right up until the very end! Whether it be on the sporting field, through the diverse leadership activities or through the tireless commitment to our rich music program – we thank you Year 12 and wish you the very best for a bright, bold and fearless future!

Thanks also to our wonderful Ms Nicholls, Year Advisor extraordinaire and of course to our parent community who have been exceptional learning partners and supported us throughout their children's journey at Cumberland High School!

The Cumberland High School community wishes you all the very best for your HSC exams and continued success for your future.

Stars on Show!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:45 AEDT

COSfest 2017!

The Cumberland Community Connection's second annual short film festival was held on Thursday 9th November at Cumberland High School. Almost 400 of our community's parents, teachers and students attended the event. Read all about the evening in the Parramatta Sun

Celebrating our 10th Annual MAD Concert!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:38 AEDT

Congratulations to Mr Andrews (Head Teacher Faculty of Arts) and all of the students involved in the 10th Annual MAD ( Music, Art and Drama) night. Two exceptional shows were run entirely by the students, with positive feedback coming from all in attendance.

Mr Andrews and our students were featured in the Parramatta Sun. The full article can be read here

MAD 2017

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:43 AEDT

Our 10^th anniversary MAD concerts are fast approaching! Come and join us on Tuesday 5^th & Wednesday 6^th of September as we celebrate 10 years of MAD at Cumberland High School.

Ginko Writing Project

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:41 AEDT

Ginko Writing Project Education Week Launch

Ginko is a Japanese term used to describe a walk in nature to inspire poetry and creative writing.

During Term 2, students from Carlingford West Public School, Cumberland High School and James Ruse Agricultural High School joined renowned Australian author Dr. Bernard Cohen on a Ginko observational workshop through Hunts Creek Reserve.

Students were encouraged to walk mindfully and pause to create awareness, paying attention to what was around them without the distractions of traffic, noise and
electronics. Students then attended a second workshop with Dr. Cohen to help develop and refine the students' observations into creative writing pieces. Each student's final piece of writing was judged based on originality and creativity, clarity of language, structural balance and creative use of the observational walk.

Finalists from each of the three schools had their compositions printed in a joint publication which was launched in Education Week on 31 July.

Read more about the launch in The Parramatta Sun and read the finalists compositions in our Ginko Writing Project (pdf 4871 KB) publication.

Above Image: Marcel Lister from 7 Red reading his composition at the Ginko Writing Project Launch

Microsoft inspires us to Code!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:43 AEDT

Microsoft's Academic Programmes Manager, Dan Bowen visited the school on Tuesday and inspired Mr Andrews to try some coding with his students.

The Year 11 Music class were met with a worksheet and a MicroBit. The worksheet contained some simple code that represented a bar of music. Students had to analyse the music, the code and then work together to ‘unlock' the mysteries of the code that represents music.

The students edited the code to see how it would change the output of the MicroBit. Through experimentation and team work, the class worked out how to code different melodies. The students each coded a different bar of music, that when played with the others, forms a piece of complex, layered music.

Together, the class performed an arrangement of Matthew Hindson's ‘Technologic'. A piece that is based on a number of repeating motifs that start at different times. Each MicroBit was programmed with a different motif. The students were then motivated to do more than the task required… They worked out how to program a different tune onto ‘button b' and how to change the image that was displayed on the Micro Bit.

Some quotes by the students at the end of the lesson: "That was pretty rad." "Can we do some more of that sir?" "I want to program my own image."

Our mission is to get some other classes coding! There are so many educational opportunities that the MicroBit can help our students access.

Mr M Andrews
Head Teacher
The Faculty of Arts

Winter Band Tour 2017

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:46 AEDT

It has been a busy month for the Cumberland High School Ensembles Program!! After recovering from Arts Camp, 86 students packed into the bus to go on tour to promote our wonderful school. Performances included the Concert Band, String Ensemble, Vocal Ensemble, Junior Rock Band, Rock Band and Senior Rock Band.

We visited Oatlands PS, Rydalmere PS, Rydalmere East PS and Ermington West PS. As always, our audiences were fabulous! All of the schools welcomed us and the students sang, clapped and danced with us. Our Principal, Ms. Pikoulas joined us for one of the shows and demonstrated her exceptional dance moves!

Our students worked as a team to pack the bus, unpack and set up for every show, perform and pack up. They worked as a ‘well-oiled machine' and our Winter Band Tour was a resounding success.

A big thank you goes to Mrs Son and Mrs Petrulis who joined us on the Tour to support our students.

Check out the photo gallery HERE

Congratulations everybody!

Mr M. Andrews
Head Teacher
The Faculty of Arts

Arts Camp 2017

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:38 AEDT

Arts Camp

This year we welcomed Narrabeen Sports High School to our Music Camp. Narrabeen brought along their Drama and Art students so the camp was not just a Music Camp, it became an Arts Camp. Between the schools we had 83 students, 10 staff and 4 volunteers attend!

Every year at camp, students rehearse in their main ensemble group (Concert Band, Rock Band, Strings & Vocal Ensemble). They also get to select an elective ensemble and learn new skills. The elective ensembles included: Ukulele ensemble, Brass/wind ensemble, Musical theatre group and percussion group. Students spend 6 hours each day in rehearsals!

Every night we held an Evening Concert. Students were encouraged to perform and showcase their skills. We had a number of Students perform and our Wednesday night concert was the longest on record with 15 students taking up the opportunity to perform. After Evening Concert was Evening recreation where the students played group games. Wednesday night's trivia completion was a huge success. Our Year 11 boys cabin was one of the wining teams!

The showcase concert (on the Friday night) was simply spectacular. The highlight was the Camp Item, 2 songs that involved all of the performing students, a combined orchestra and choir. The vocals were the strongest that they have been at any camp.

As always, the food was delicious and the staff at Elanora Conference Centre looked after us extremely well. I would like to sincerely thank all of the staff who attended and helped make camp such a success!

A special ‘thank you' goes to Ann & Peter Petrulis and former students Michael Lee and Michael Hoyle who volunteered their time to attend camp to support our students.

Martin Andrews
Head Teacher
The Faculty of Arts

"Ginko" Writing Project Launch

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:45 AEDT

"Ginko" Writing Project with Renowned Australian Author Dr. Bernard Cohen

Cumberland High School's Writer in Residence, Bernard Cohen today launched the inaugural "Ginko" Writing Project, a three school initiative involving Cumberland High School, Carlingford West Public School and James Ruse Agricultural High School.

Students will participate in a "ginko observational walk" of Hunts Creek Reserve with Dr. Cohen followed by a creative writing workshop to develop a written piece to be judged by a panel of experts.

The work of 12 finalists from each school will be included in a printed book!

Helmsman Project - Outward Bound 2017

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:42 AEDT

From the 1^st to the 5^th of May, 8 Cumberland High School students and myself travelled down to Tharwa, south of Canberra, to complete the 5 day Helmsman Outward Bound trek. The trek was designed to build resilience, team work and leadership in the students, and it certainly did! We had to trek roughly 8km each day carrying everything in our packs, including sleeping bags, bivouacs, food, water etc. At the time the students struggled with the weight and the walking, but at the completion of each day they became stronger and more confident in themselves.

One of the most testing aspects of the trek was not the walking, but the weather. Daytime temperatures were a perfect 15 degrees, however at night time the temperature dropped to -6 degrees. We awoke to frozen water bottles and frost and ice on everything. This built not only resilience, but it meant all students had to work together as a team to ensure they completed all tasks in such testing conditions.

Our guides for the week started our experience by discussing comfort zones and the benefits of pushing our limits. Each and every student on the outward bound trek definitely pushed themselves and learnt they are capable of a lot more than they thought. The Helmsman and Outward Bounds trek was a great learning experience for the students and myself, and it has been fantastic seeing the growth in confidence of all students involved.

Mr Bradley Smith

Coordinating Teacher

Cumberland - Breeding the Next Generation of Leaders

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:39 AEDT

School Leaders from Cumberland High School and nine of the surrounding local primary schools came together on Tuesday for a day of self discovery and team work. Students were given the opportunity to explore their leadership roles within their school community, reflect on their own leadership skills and participate in activities designed to inspire these students to discover new opportunities.

The Parramatta Sun was at Ermington West to cover the story.

View more photos from the Leadership day in our gallery.

Optometry at UNSW for Ryan!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:39 AEDT

Congratulations to our 2016 HSC High Achievers!

Twenty of our Year 12 2016 cohort were invited to yesterday's celebration assembly. Each of these students received a Band 6 in one or more of their subjects. A special congratulations to our 2016 Dux, Ryan Kim. Ryan received a Band 6 in Biology, Chemistry, English (Advanced) Mathematics and Mathematics Extension 1. His 98.65 ATAR has secured Ryan a position at the University of NSW to study Optometry.

Congratulations Ryan and all of our 2016 High Achievers listed below.

Abigail Bae

Lillian Cheng

Ellen Ding

Almis Gibovic

Haris Gibovic

Jason He

Kirushihan Jeyananthan (Prox. Acc.)

Jessica Lu

Jonathan Lukman

Yiqi Luo

Paul Morian

Haemin Mun

Leonida Najdovska

Sakie Takenaka Cynthia Wang

Chrie Wei

Howe Wu

Ankh Xu

Ian Zhou

Welcome Back - Channel 7 Sunrise visits Cumberland!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:46 AEDT

Back to school with Sam the Weatherman!

A huge thank you to Channel 7 for showcasing Cumberland High School on this morning's Sunrise Program!

All of the action can be seen right here!

Sunrise Cross 1

Coffee with Sam

Sam Mac gets into Music

Sam Mac goes back to school

Sport with Sam

Sam jams with Cumberland

Equipment and Book Lists!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:41 AEDT

Equipment and Book Lists for students in Year 7 to 10 are now available on our website!

Budding Filmmakers Share Screen time!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:46 AEDT

What a wonderful evening at the inaugural COSfest Short Film Festival!

Parents, teachers and students flocked to Carlingford West Public School for the red carpet premiere which showcased the finalists from our Community of Schools.

See the article featured in the Parramatta Sun Budding Film Makers

A special congratulations to our winning students!

Junior High School:

"Let's Be Friends"

Aditya Agnihotri, Cumberland High School

Junior High School Group:

"Ring of Love"

Ashton Masters and Taylor Barrientos, Cumberland High School

A selection of photos from the "Red Carpet" event can be seen on our Community of Schools website.

Photo courtesy of Isabella Lettini from Fairfax Media.

Hills News - Cumberland High School ready to tackle the HSC!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:42 AEDT

Across the state more than 77,000 students have commenced the HSC. Cumberland High School was featured in the Hills News on October 20 with Ms Pikoulas commenting, "This is an exceptional cohort, academically gifted but also have a generosity of spirit and are very community minded." Read the full Hills News Story.

MAD 2016

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:43 AEDT

Every year in early September, the Faculty of Arts goes a little MAD! This year was Cumberland's 10th MAD and next year we will be looking back on 10 years of MAD.

MAD is our annual Creative Arts showcase. Over 150 students took part this year. We featured numerous soloists (from Years 7-12) and all of our ensembles. This included: Concert Band, MAD Choir, Vocal Ensemble, String Ensemble, Stage Band, Junior Rock Band, Rock Band, Girls' Rock Band and Senior Rock Band. We were thrilled to have our Hip-Hop dance group perform! This was a combined item with the dancers from Burnside Public School.

The MAD Choir (which was open to all Year 7-8 students) sang everything from 80s Rock to Opera. Our amazing stage crew ran the sound, lights and staging elements. A huge ‘thank you' goes to Mr. Tony Moffatt who donated his time and lent us some amazing equipment to make our show look even better. The Hospitality team served up delicious hot drinks and our wonderful P&C served food and refreshments during the intermission.

Congratulations to the staff and students who made MAD2016 such a big success! We look forward to seeing you all next year.

MAD 2016 Photo Gallery

Dan Haesler Super Session - All Parents Welcome

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:40 AEDT

In lieu of our monthly P&C meeting, all parents are invited to attend the Dan Haesler Super Session on Wednesday 19 October from 6.30pm in the Cumberland High School Auditorium. For more details refer to the attached Dan Haesler Flyer (pdf 475 KB)

Tell Them From Me - Parent Survey

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:44 AEDT

We need your help!

Parent Survey Information - August 21^st October

The Partners in Learning parent survey is part of the Tell Them From Me suite of surveys that we are conducting on student engagement. The parent survey helps to clarify and strengthen the important relationship between parent and school.

How does it work?

The survey is anonymous and can be used either as a one-off survey or over time, with the ability to identify trends within schools and better inform school priorities. The survey is held once a year in Term 3 and is run at the same time as the teacher survey and the second optional student survey. The survey is conducted entirely online at home or on public computers during the specific survey window. The survey takes around 15 minutes to complete. Schools are provided with a unique URL which they provide to parents to log into the survey. School leaders receive their school's data within three business days of closing the survey.

For more information, please refer to the Tell Them From Me webpage.

Animals Alive Exhibition - Sculptures on the School Trail

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:38 AEDT

Monday 01 August 2015 - The Animals Alive Exhibition was a joint initiative by Cumberland High School, Carlingford West Primary School and James Ruse Agricultural High School. The idea fist came about in 2015 when Year 7 students (now in Year 8) from both high schools came together with the Year 5 students (now in Year 6) at Carlingford West Primary to discuss ways in which the "Community of Schools" could work together.

The idea of a combined Sculptures Exhibition was the brain child of Rowan Chate (Cumberland High School) and Dineth Fernando and Danny Luo (James Ruse). The boys wanted to develop a project that engaged students of all ages, was fun and yet addressed a global issue, that issue being pollution. They proposed that the sculptures were to be made from recycled materials to create an animal (real, mythical or imagined).

The initiative resulted in 103 sculptures created by three schools which lined the path from James Ruse High School, via Carlingford West and ending at Cumberland High School. A wonderful example of team building and community connection.

Below: The winning Cumberland High School Sculpture "Winter Wanderer" by Jacinta Chen and Rachael Chamberlain. For more photos refer to the Gallery page on this website.

Sydney Morning Herald - NSW HSC Turns 50!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:45 AEDT

This year marks 50 years since the first group of New South Wales Year 12 students commenced studying for the newly introduced Higher School Certificate.

On Friday of last week, the Sydney Morning Herald visited Cumberland High School to interview our current School Captains, Leonida Najdovska and Luke Salt, along side our 1967 School Captain, Malcolm McDivitt and Prefect David Cook. The full SMH Articlecan be read on-line.

Hills Shire Council Public Speaking Competition - 1st Place

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:42 AEDT

Our very talented new English teacher, Ms Joyce Back enjoyed tremendous success at the Hills Shire Council Public Speaking and Drama Competition on 2nd June. Year 10 student Sakshi Kelaiya achieved first place in the Prepared Speech section and the opportunity, as a result, to participate in the Youth Eco Summit in September. Congratulations to all our participants!

Year 7 Gifted and Talented Class Placement and Scholarship Program 2017

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:47 AEDT

Cumberland High School is a school of excellence that takes great pride in nurturing the development of it's students.

We are once again excited to be offering five Scholarships for Year 7 students in 2017. For parents interested in applying for Gifted and Talented Class Placement in 2017 or for one of the five Scholarships available please refer to the following link Scholarships & awards

"Tell Them From Me" Survey

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:45 AEDT

Over the course of 2016, Cumberland High School will be taking part in the Tell Them From Me surveys. These surveys provide school Principals and school leaders with insight into student engagement and well-being and the impact of teaching practices at their school from the perspective of students, teachers and parents.

More information about this survey and the research is available on the CESE webpage under the FAQ Section.

Year 12 Graduation - "The Remains of Cumberland" by Anoosh Mohammadi

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:46 AEDT

The Year 12 class of 2015 said their final farewells this week. As part of the formal graduation assembly, Year 12 student Anoosh Mohammadi treated the students, teachers, parents and special guests to a moving tribute to his school life entitled The Remains of Cumberland.

We thank Year 12 for their contribution to Cumberland and wish each of them the very best for their upcoming exams and for the future.

SRC Nominations

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:45 AEDT

Nominations for SRC 2016 are open from week one term 4. If you think you have what it takes to be a leader, start your journey with the SRC, a dynamic and results-driven team. You can self-nominate for the elections to be held on November 17 by downloading the form here SRC Nomination Form (pdf 108 KB) or by obtaining a nomination form from Mrs Cassel in the Arts staff room and depositing it in the SRC election nomination box located in the common room. Good luck!

MAD 2015 - Showtime!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:42 AEDT

For two nights in September, the school goes MAD! MAD stands for Music, Art, Dance and Drama and it is Cumberland's annual showcase concert. This year, 1 in 5 of our students were involved - that is almost 150 students. This does not include the many students who had their wonderful artworks displayed in the foyer of the Hall.

The Year 7 & 8 choir sounded better than ever. They sang a variety of songs from opera, musical theatre and pop. The string ensemble tackled one of Mozart's most famous pieces and the Concert Band played a homage to Les Misérables.

The Vocal Ensemble sang ‘ And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda' a tribute to the 100 ^th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli. Our 5 rock bands were also featured throughout the show. The Hip Hop dance group was a crowd favorite and the Year 11 Drama item explored the issues that are faced by today's teens. Soloists from Years 7-12 also performed.

The stage crew did an amazing job with the setup and operation of the sound and lighting equipment. It was a tremendous collaborative achievement. The majority of our crew were ‘first timers' and they handled the responsibility exceptionally well.

The TAS faculty prepared café-quality hot drinks and the parents from our P&C association provided food during the intermission. A big thank you goes to the staff who volunteered their time to help supervise the students in the hall and in the holding rooms. And lastly, a huge congratulations goes to the performers. MAD 2015 was one of our best shows yet!

To view the gallery please click HERE .

Mr. Andrews
Head Teacher
The Faculty of Arts

Honouring our ANZACS

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:42 AEDT

Cumberland High School Representing NSW at Gallipoli 2015

Cumberland High School is extremely honoured to be one of 25 NSW schools to be selected to represent the new generation of Australians at the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing. Students Ronan Brehony (Yr 12), Georgia McPherson (Yr 12), Suzi Monaghan (Yr 12), Luke Salt (Yr 11) and supervising teacher Mr Bradley Smith are participating in a nine-day Gallipoli tour during which they will visit historical sites and First World War battlefields in Turkey and attend the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Gallipoli. Follow their progress at https://cumberlandtogallipoli.wordpress.com.

Outstanding HSC results! Congratulations Class of 2014!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:44 AEDT

The class of 2014 excelled in the Higher School Certificate and has both inspired and lifted our community. Hope - courage –resilience and self-regulation characterise this exceptional group of young people who embarked last year, on the ultimate pursuit of academic excellence. These young leaders had hope – they could see themselves shaping a bright future – not only for themselves – but also for their community. They knew that there would be challenges and showed great courage, resilience and self-regulation that enabled the achievement of personal best and contributed to their outstanding HSC results.

The Helmsman Project

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:45 AEDT

16 lucky Cumberland High School Year 9 students embark on a coaching and adventure journey and a unique sailing experience in 2015!

Cumberland High School is one of the few fortunate schools, and the first in Western Sydney, to embark on the Helmsman Project in 2015.

Mr Gambino will be supervising and sailing with the boys and Ms East will be supervising and sailing with the girls next year. The 16 students will be engaged in a 13 week coaching course that will assist students as they develop life effectiveness skills with a focus on hope, self-regulation and resilience. Through this course the students will participate in two adventure experiences that will involve sailing. In week 3 of the program students will sail for two days and one night. In week 6 of the program, students will sail for a whole week! Students will be equipped with the necessary crew skills to sail the James Craig or the Flying Fish yacht. What an extraordinary opportunity for our students!

Congratulations to the successful applicants:

Claire Pearson-Bourne, Stephanie Gooley, Aleksandra Najdovska, Kaitlin Strickland, Tamara Lazarevic, Tomoka Tanaka, Jane Lim, Paloma Carvajal, Michael Kane, Thomas Halford, John Bekiaris, Ben Wijngaarden, Phoenix Pereira-Meihana, Adam Evans, Tharusha Thirimanna and Lachlan Langford.

Market Day

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:43 AEDT

Earlier this term, the Cumberland High School Market Day was held. This was the second time that this event has been held at the school and the results were most impressive. Year 11 Business Studies classes and Year 9 Commerce classes produced 24 different stalls, each marketing a different product. many influential business people from industry were present to oversee the market day and congratulated all concerned on the success of the day.

Variety was the key throughout the stalls, from crepes with various toppings to a selection of different games. Most stalls were fortunate enough to sell out and little waste was left over. The day was a great success with the profits to be donated to a charity, yet to be decided on by the Yr9 and Yr11 classes.

Individual stalls were lucky enough to receive critiques from external mentors which provided valuable additional knowledge on how to operate an effective business.

Overall, Market Day was received extremely well and provided a positive vibe throughout the school. The experience that it has given the participants has allowed for a greater understanding of the functions and operations essential within the business environment. We would like to thank Mrs Carroll and Mrs Rigg for their efforts in the creation of this highly successful event. To see some more photos of the day go the Gallery.

Georgia Bradbury and Georgia McPherson

Yr11 Business Studies

Gallipoli Triumph for Cumberland!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:41 AEDT

Cumberland High School has been drawn in the Gallipoli 2015 School Tour ballot and we now have the opportunity to send four students and one teacher to the Anzac Day Dawn Service Commemorations at Gallipoli in April 2015.

Students who will be in Year 10, 11 and 12 in 2015 have the opportunity to create a written or visual piece addressing one of the Centenary of Anzac topics. This can be in a range of media. Work must be submitted by October 8. After shortlisting, interviews of students will follow. The Selection Panel will have a minimum of five members and will include the Principal, the local State Member of Parliament (MP) and a Returned and Services League (RSL) NSW representative as well as a P&C representative and the teacher going to Gallipoli.

What an extraordinary opportunity for Cumberland High School!

Further details and application forms are available here: Application Form (pdf 540 KB)

Completed applications should be returned to the Principal through the school's Front Office before the final closing date of WEDNESDAY 8 OCTOBER 2014.

MAD2014

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:43 AEDT

MAD2014 was the school's biggest production this year. Over 150 students took to the stage to perform, highlighting the diverse talents of our students.

The Year 7 & 8 MAD choir consisted of over 80 students who sang Verdi, Beethoven, Beyoncé and ‘Video Killed the Radio Star' by the Buggles. The students had been rehearsing the songs during their Music lessons throughout the term, culminating in the performances at MAD2014.

The Concert Band performed 5 solo items and played for the 5 songs that were sang by the MAD Choir. The standouts of the Concert Band performances were Bohemian Rhapsody and their amazing rendition of the William Tell Overture. The String Ensemble joined the concert band to from the MAD Orchestra who played for all of the choir's songs. The String Ensemble also performed their own item. The Vocal Ensemble debuted 2 new songs. ‘I Only Want to Stay' and ‘Perfect'. The Vocal ensemble is a large group of dedicated singers and they were excellent!

The Junior Rock Band, Rock Band and Senior Rock Band performed 5 different songs over the course of the two evenings. It was great to see the number of students who are members of multiple ensembles. The majority of our Rock Band members are also in the Concert Band, String Ensemble or Vocal Ensemble.

The solo performances demonstrated the vast variety of instrumental talent that our students possess. There were HSC performances and solos from students in from years 7-12.

With the amazing support from our school community, $3000 was raised.

I wish to sincerely thank all of the staff, students, P&C, parents and friends who helped make MAD such a resounding success. A special mention must go to Mr Paul Campkin who gave up 2 days of his time to work with the sound and lighting crew.

How can we possibly make MAD2015 bigger and better? You will just have to wait and see!

Click here to see the photo galery.

M. Andrews
Head Teacher
The Faculty of Arts

MAD 2014

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:42 AEDT

MAD is our annual Creative and Performing Arts showcase. This year, MAD is on Tuesday 2/9/14 and Wednesday 3/9/14. The concert will feature the school ensembles, soloists and our Year 7 and 8 Choir.

Tickets are now available from the front office and will also be available for sale at the door on each night.

Winter Band Tour

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:46 AEDT

Twice a year our talented students set off on Band Tour. The Cumberland High School ensembles perform a free, one hour concert for our local primary schools. As part of the Winter Band Tour we visited: Rydalmere Public School, Rydalmere East Public School, Parramatta North Public School, Dundas Public School, Ermington West Public School & Burnside Public School.

Over 60 Cumberland High School students represented our school on the Winter Band Tour. All of our ensembles performed: Concert Band, String Ensemble, Junior Rock Band, Rock Band, Senior Rock Band and the Vocal Ensemble. Some of the highlights of the show were 'Let It Go' from Frozen, a Grease Medley, 'Viva La Vida' by Cold Play, 'Eye Of The Tiger' and 'Under the Sea' from the Little Mermaid.

The audiences at our local schools were absolutely fantastic! They sang, danced and clapped their way through the show. We look forward to vising more of our local Primary Schools on our Summer Band Tour.

Check out the photo gallery Winter Band Tour Photos

Cumberland WINS!!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:40 AEDT

After a long eight year drought, Cumberland beats Wauchope and takes the Jack Parsons Shield!

Check out a few of the photos below. More details will follow.

Wauchope is here!!!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:45 AEDT

A History of the Wauchope – Cumberland Interschool Visits.

Prior to 1976, Wauchope High School had been part of an annual triangular sports tournament with two other North Coast schools, but for reasons few can remember, it folded by 1975. Several staff and parents were collectively keen to get their beloved school into another ‘special' competition, so when someone suggested that it would be a good idea to develop a reciprocal arrangement with a ‘big city' school, they went on a hunt to find a Sydney school that might be interested. A Wauchope staff member happened to know a member of the Cumberland High staff quite well, so a phone call to Sydney started the ball rolling and the Wauchope / Cumberland tradition began in the winter of the following year, 1976.

It was thought by all parties at the time that it would be good for the kids from the country to spend some time in the ‘big smoke', and just as good for the city kids to have a taste of rural life. Despite vast improvements in highway travel times between Sydney and the North Coast in recent years, which have made visits to Sydney much easier than they were in the seventies, this original premise still works for both ends of the equation, to which successive generations of Wauchope and Cumberland students can testify. They both still enjoy sending each other up during ‘welcome' and ‘farewell' speeches each year, which has almost become part of the competition itself.

From its' inception, the competition between the two high schools has been for the ‘Jack Parsons Shield', a trophy sponsored by the then proprietor of the Parsons Bus Company, a local service provider in the Wauchope area. When Jack died in 1992, the name of the trophy was adjusted to ‘Jack Parsons Memorial Shield'. Each year, even when it is Cumberland's turn to host the visit, a member of the Parsons family is invariably on hand to present the shield to the captains of the winning school – another feature of the long-standing nature of the event.

The tournament is a turnabout, home and away affair, run over three consecutive days at the end of Term Two each year, with each school taking turns to host and ‘billet' the other. It starts in the cold and dark at 6am on a Wednesday morning for the team that is travelling, as they depart their school on a couple of chartered coaches and head off, either up or down the highway. Six hours later, welcome speeches are under way, as both teams of 100 students, each 50 boys and 50 girls, eye each other off, trying to gain an early psychological advantage, before the competition proper commences a short time later.

The actual details of the make-up of the tournament have evolved slowly over the years. Originally there were twenty separate events between teams of both boys and girls, and a debate, the only non-sport event, was included in that twenty. At 2 points for a win and 1 for a draw, there were 40 points up for grabs in 1976. As it happens, Wauchope won that first year, hosted by Cumberland, 22-18. Today, in the 39^th year of its history, there are 44 points to be targeted across 22 individual events and the debate has made way for a ‘mock' trial, a form of public speaking favoured and practiced by both schools.

Of the 38 visits so far contested, Wauchope has had the better of the results table by far, winning 27 times. Cumberland has won 9 times and there have been 2 draws. Cumberland has never beaten Wauchope at Wauchope – the best result was one of those 2 draws, in 1979. Cumberland last won the event in 2006, at home. Although it is often said that it is not about winning or losing, good luck trying to find either a Cumberland or Wauchope student who agrees with that, in regard to this event. It is, and always has been, fiercely contested on each and every playing surface from Wednesday afternoon to Friday lunchtime. The big winners always are, of course, sportsmanship, good-natured rivalry, and in some instances, the formation of long-term friendships.

Central to both the feasibility and longevity aspects of running a tournament such as this, is the hospitality factor. The host school billets the visitors within the family homes of its students. In terms of logistics and cost factors, this is the only way that two public schools can afford to stage such an event. In the modern age of increased awareness of legal liability, and the influx of wide-ranging cultural attitudes, particularly at the ‘big city' end, it is a wonder to many outside observers that the visit is still going. Many, if not all similar ventures between other state high schools have long-since faltered because of both perceived and actual difficulties with the billeting concept and/or process. Finding homes to put a hundred students in for two nights is no mean feat, but the overwhelming support the visit has within the populations of staff, students and parents at both schools is not only why this crucial goal is achieved every year, it is the key to ensuring the continued longevity of the event, which will celebrate its 40^th anniversary next year, 2015.

New Year 7 Scholarship Program in 2015!

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:43 AEDT

We are delighted to announce that in 2015 we will be offering 5 scholarships for students applying for placement into the Gifted and Talented program!

The Year 7 2015 Gifted and Talented Scholarships have the value of $800 each and the successful applicants will have automatic placement into the Gifted and Talented Class. Each scholarship is for one year only (Year 7) and consists of an $800 school credit for this period.

The $800 scholarship will cover the following costs: All school/subject costs ($275), the cost of the Year 7 Camp ($290), excursion costs to value of ($180), book pack ($30), and a scientific calculator ($25).

We are very excited about this initiative and look forward to processing all the information and working with the Gifted and Talented Panel to determine our successful applicants.

Interested families are to submit applications by Friday 14 August. Applicants will be notified of the outcome by Friday, 5 September 2014.

Application forms can be accessed here: Application (pdf 216 KB)

Geography Students Sponsor

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:41 AEDT

Geography connection with Lesotho!

A major part of the Year 8 Geography course focusses on civics and citizenship (basically around being an upstanding citizen of Australia and a good global citizen) and also the course looks at global inequalities.

Year 8 Geography students last year decided to combine these two course elements and to take positive action by undertaking to sponsor a child.

Through World Vision, the present year 9's and the new year 8's are now collecting and donating money to sponsor a ten year old girl named Tholoana. Tholoana was born on May 13^th 2014 in Lesotho, which is one of the poorest countries of the World. It is landlocked by South Africa. Her father is a construction worker. Tholoana is in grade 4 at school and her favourite subject is Mathematics. She helps out at home by washing clothes.

If anyone would like to make a donation or reorganise a fundraising opportunity to aid in supporting this delightful young lady, please contact me. We are hopeful that some former residents of Lesotho will come along as guest speakers at Cumberland later this year.

Mr Thomas

AMPing!!! it up at Cumberland

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:38 AEDT

A for Academic

M for Mentoring

P for Program

This is a brand new and very unique program which commenced at Cumberland High this year.

Mr Thomas explains "the program derived from two main sources:

The boys mentoring program from Castle Hill High. The Head Teacher of Mentoring, Mr Peter Kerrigan, from Castle Hill High spoke to our welfare team last year on my invitation after I'd got wind of his great boy's program.
The old 10% on top program, which I had participated in as a student at Canobolas High School in Orange in 1988.

I combined ideas and approaches from both programs, with the support and suggestions of the school's welfare team, in order to create AMPing it up!!!"

The program has been extremely well received, with 31 teachers offering their services to our Year 12 students as mentors and 44 HSC students requesting mentoring support.

The key to the program is regular meetings between mentors and mentees, known as "mentor meets", as negotiated between the participants.

Where possible students were allocated their first preference mentor, however, that was not always possible.

To support our HSC students and to mentor them as best as possible the program includes:

A staff training session
"Meet the parents" afternoon tea, allowing parents to meet their child's mentor
The procurement of a professional and ongoing online study skills tutorial
Homework help centre
The development of a Semester II assessment calendar
Encouragement of mentees to book a parent-teacher night interview with their mentor
A goal setting / planning for the future session by renowned speaker Brent Sanders
The culmination of AMPing it up!!! should involve a reward / celebration day out and personal best results!

Any queries about the program should be directed to Mr Thomas

Cumberland High School Scholarship Program

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:39 AEDT

Recently, our 11th annual Scholarship Assembly was held in the hall and featured a growing number of scholarships and sponsors.

These scholarship funds are donated by local businesses, community groups and private individuals.

Many of these sponsors have been supporting our program since its inception in 2004.

This year 51 scholarships and over $5000 in scholarship funds were granted to students and the school community would like to thank our sponsors:-

Dr & Mrs Psarommatis

Ms Janelle Simpson-Goodwin

Mr & Mrs Rappoport & Family

Mr Michael Farbenblum, AusCater Hospitality Supplies Pty Ltd

Ms Therese Hanna, Business with Blooms Florist

Ms Anne Abraham, Rotary Club of Carlingford

Mr Bill Ferguson, Carlingford Music Centre

Mrs Mary Brehony, Cumberland High School P & C Association

Mr Peter Marriott, Dundas Shopping Business Centre

Mr JP Macasaquit, Macro Computer Services

Mr Frank Walter, NSW Teachers' Federation

Mr Partho Das Uttaran, University of Western Sydney

The program is open to all students from year 7 to year 12, and students are encouraged to apply in February and March each year.

These sponsorship funds are used by students to purchase resources to assist them with their studies in their respective year of study.

Year 7 Camp 2014

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 21:13:46 AEDT

Recently most of our Year 7 students travelled north by busses and ferries to Broken Bay Sport and Recreation Centre for a few days of fun and excitement.

The days were packed with activities ranging from raft building and (attempted) raft sailing, surf skiing and beach games, to swinging on the high ropes course and the flying fox. Our Cumberland students impressed everyone as they worked together and assisted each other with their full body harnesses and the teamwork tasks! Free time was spent either in the pool, playing soccer with Boorowa Central School on the oval or exploring the beach.

Nights were spent in competition; on Wednesday with a mini Olympics and a great game of Beat the Biff followed by a Thursday night disco with DJ Tim Smells who even had the teachers up and dancing – no photographic evidence, you had to be there!

The large cabins sleeping 22, were thoroughly enjoyed, though whether enough sleep was had by all is debatable!

Arriving back at school on Friday afternoon with all staff and students safe and smiling, though exhausted, was a really wonderful feeling!