News

SAPG Exhibition

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 10:01:54 AEDT

IMPACT - "connecting to community"

Transport Diversions - Port Stephens Service

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 12:20:48 AEDT

Nelson Bay Diversion Information

Exhibition Week

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 12:33:28 AEST

Out-Learning and Internships

Important COVID-19 Information

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 12:18:57 AEST

Update to Term 3 Guidelines

Transport Diversions - Port Stephens Service

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 14:01:43 AEST

Tomaree Road and Route 135 Diversion Information

Student Perspectives

Tue, 19 May 2020 11:57:32 AEST

The video below features Professor John Fischetti, Head of the School of Education at the University of Newcastle interviewing via Zoom two Big Picture students - Anwen and Ben from Cooks Hill Campus and their Principal, Quinn Robertson. He talks to them about their experiences and insights into the Big Picture Education system.

Managed return to School

Tue, 05 May 2020 14:45:18 AEST

Managed return to Cooks Hill Campus

PHASE 1: 1 DAY PER WEEK ONSITE LEARNING FROM WEEK 3 • 11 MAY 2020

View overview and Advisory groups here

NBN Relief Package

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 18:49:33 AEST

COVID-19 NBN EDUCATIONAL RELIEF PACKAGE

As part of the NBN COVID-19 Education Relief Package, approximately $50 million will be directed from NBN to help retailer providers support low-income households with school-aged children who do not currently have an active NBN™ connection at home.

At this stage we don't have a list of which internet providers will be involved. As soon as this information is released we will communicate this via our many platforms. It has been asked that people refrain from engaging with retailers until NBN announces their official retail partners, as they are still working through how support will be provided to families experiencing financial hardship.

What can you do now?

Check the NBN Coronavirus and working from home page to stay up to date with the official list of retailers that you can engage with.
Read the attached NBN Media Release for further information.

We will provide further updates a soon as possible.

Newcastle Herald Article

Sat, 28 Sep 2019 10:15:45 AEST

_{This article appeared in the Newcastle Herald on September 26 2019.}

Y12 graduation at Newcastle High's Big Picture Education campus in Cooks Hill

By the fourth term of Year 8, Sam Norman, now 17, had stopped attending school. Bullying and falling grades convinced him it was best not to go back.

"I wanted to drop out. I didn't really care what happened," Sam said. "I just stayed at home and played video games."

The Year 12 student was one of a cohort of 14 at Cooks Hill Campus, an annex of Newcastle High School, who graduated on Wednesday.

The small school, run in partnership with Big Picture Education, offers a self-directed learning program, which makes it an alternative option for disengaged students to complete their secondary education.

Because the campus does not teach HSC courses, this week marks the end of school for most of its Year 12 cohort. School-leavers from other high schools will begin HSC exams on October 17.

The campus' leader Quinn Robertson said the graduation was emotional because each of the students had their "own story to tell" in regards to graduating. In Sam's case, the school's model of learning rekindled his interest in his future.

"I went from Cs and Ds to As and Bs, academically. It took me a couple of years to reignite some lost passions about working in emergency services," he said.

Through the school's internship program, Sam has completed training for the State Emergency Service and is a volunteer in Newcastle's unit. He wants to become a police officer and plans to complete a Bachelor of Criminal Justice after taking a bridging course.

His peer Emily Hicks, 18, is preparing an academic portfolio as an alternative method of entry into a bachelor of psychological science at the University of Newcastle. As part of the portfolio, she has written a 2,500-word academic thesis on social psychology.

She said a few years ago she did not think university was "necessarily an option for her". While in Year 7 at Maitland Grossmann High School she suffered hearing loss and now experiences severe to profound deafness if she is not wearing hearing aids. The change made class "difficult" and midway through Year 8 she began experiencing seizures too. By Year 9, she was having an episode "almost every day" due to epilepsy and anxiety.

"I was missing a lot of school," she said.

A teacher recommended Big Picture because of its flexible structure, which meant Emily could work from home and when she was away for dance competitions.

In her academic projects at the school, Emily noticed a "pattern of interest in psychology" and realised it was something she wanted to pursue further.

"Because I was passionate about it, not just for the sake of it," Emily said.

Mya Amosa, 18, who gave a speech at the gradation ceremony said school had also changed her "a lot".

"I used to be a small, shy, girl who never spoke. This school has made me the most confident person I can be and I am just happy with who I am," Mya said.

The 18-year-old is starting a TAFE course next year in music production and is currently recording her own vocals, rap and poetry under the moniker Miss M.

Exhibition Week

Sat, 28 Sep 2019 10:18:19 AEST

Exhibition Week at Cooks Hill Campus has been an amazing success for our senior students, showcasing their hard work, passion and talents. We also welcomed special guest Tim McCullum Executive Director, School Performance, who sat in on some of the exhibitions. We are very proud of the enormous personal growth that our student's have achieved and look forward to hearing of their future endeavours. For more pictures visit Exhibition Gallery and for more info Big Picture Education Australia

Cooks Hill Campus Open Day

Thu, 29 Aug 2019 14:26:58 AEST

Cooks Hill Campus Open Day

NAIDOC Celebration

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 11:37:03 AEST

We recently concluded our NAIDOC Week celebration activities with great performances by the Aboriginal Dance Group and the Yidaki Boys (Didgeridoo Group) from Newcastle High. The Dance group were organised by Aunty Belinda Wright and the Yidaki Boys were led by Liam Begnell. The Cooks Hill Campus Junior AECG were also instrumental in organising and running the day, which also included a history walk and traditional weaving demonstrated by Aunty Jan Besoff. Huge thanks to everyone who contributed to this wonderful celebration. For more photos please visit the photo Galleries on our home page.

Minor Bus Changes

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 10:41:45 AEST

MINOR CHANGES TO BUS TIMES

From 30 June there will be improvements to Newcastle Transport timetables. While there have been NO changes to dedicated school service routes, some minor adjustments have been made to timetables to better reflect congestion and actual travel times to and from schools around the Newcastle Transport area - key service improvements to services include:

expanding the On Demand service south to include Redhead, Jewells, Floraville, Croudace Bay, Valentine, Belmont North and Belmont
routes 41, 43 and 48 will continue to operate between 6am and 6pm weekdays, 7am and 6pm Saturdays and 9am and 6pm on Sundays, hen On Demand is running, the frequency will change to a two hourly service
adjustments to bus timetables to improve reliability
adjustment to early morning ferry services from Stockton to connect with light rail services
some school timetables have been updated at certain bus stops to better reflect congestion and travel times

School students who use Newcastle Transport dedicated school services or regular routes will need to check their timetables to and from school prior to the changes commencing 1 July Term 2, Week 10. Information on Trip Planner and other apps are now available:

visit Plan Your Trip online
type your school name into the search field
select your school bus route to download the PDF timetable that will be effective from 1 July

There are a number of ways to access information:

at Newcastle Transport Info you can download the new network map and key changes by area
our Travel Concierge will provide assistance to customers to understand the changes and plan their new trip
at the Newcastle Transport Hub (Newcastle Interchange) you can talk to the Newcastle Transport team face to face Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm
the Newcastle Transport Facebook page
our customer service team will be out and about on the network and in local shopping centres check our calendar of locations

University of Newcastle School Visit Day

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 11:46:37 AEST

Come and experience what life is like as a first year uni student – attend lectures, take part in hands-on activities and have a good look around campus. It’s your chance to learn more about the University and all that we have to offer, including our pathways programs and admission services.

Social Action Project (SAP) groups - Human Rights

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 11:19:18 AEST

Over the past semester, students from the Global Human Rights SAP group have been learning about a range of human rights issues facing individuals and groups of people from around the world.

We have used various sources, including Amnesty International, to increase our knowledge of case studies impacting children, the LGBTQI community, refugees, people with disabilities and more. Strategies to advocate for human rights have been put into action this term - this has involved learning how to write a letter (email) to relevant government representatives, corporations and creating petitions.

This week students finalised a petition and collected over 100 signatures to send to the Amnesty International head office in Sydney in regards to a case where a Human Rights lawyer has been sentenced in Iran without a fair trial.

Your NAPLAN questions answered

Thu, 09 May 2019 15:36:18 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.

Video – Kids ask the hard questions

Duration – 3:45

Career Expo

Tue, 07 May 2019 10:49:22 AEST

Career Expo- Newcastle and Lake Macquarie

When: Thursday 16th May

Where: Newcastle Racecourse, Broadmeadow

Cost: $5

Permission note with transport and details to follow.

White Card Training

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 13:20:39 AEDT

A Safework NSW (WorkCover) White Card course is being organised for Thursday 2nd May, 2019. It is a legal requirement for those people doing construction work, including students participating in work placement on a construction site. The course will be delivered at Newcastle High School.

Cost is $99. See our Learning through Internships (LTI) coordinator for details and the consent form.

Out Learning Newsletter

Fri, 22 Mar 2019 22:30:42 AEDT

Our first Cooks Hill Campus careers and out-learning newsletter. You can find current information in relation to careers, training, employment and out-learning events and opportunities for our students. Each newsletter will also profile one of our business learning through training (LTI) mentors. This term we profile Holliday Music (Joshua Holliday). Please download our first issue (PDF 816KB).

Newcastle Uni Trip

Fri, 22 Mar 2019 22:32:31 AEDT

The University of Newcastle is hosting a schools visit day on Thursday 5 July. All Cooks Hill Campus students are required to attend this event. It is a valuable outlearning opportunity that relates to our creating futures distinguisher which is about preparing students for further education.

Thursday 5 July 9am to 2:30pm

Transport and meeting point – students will need to arrange their own transport to and from the university. We will meet between 8.50am to 9.10am at the great hall.

News

SAPG Exhibition

IMPACT - "connecting to community"

Transport Diversions - Port Stephens Service

Nelson Bay Diversion Information

Exhibition Week

Out-Learning and Internships

Important COVID-19 Information

Update to Term 3 Guidelines

Transport Diversions - Port Stephens Service

Student Perspectives

Managed return to School

Managed return to Cooks Hill Campus

PHASE 1: 1 DAY PER WEEK ONSITE LEARNING FROM WEEK 3 • 11 MAY 2020

View overview and Advisory groups here

NBN Relief Package

COVID-19 NBN EDUCATIONAL RELIEF PACKAGE

As part of the NBN COVID-19 Education Relief Package, approximately $50 million will be directed from NBN to help retailer providers support low-income households with school-aged children who do not currently have an active NBN™ connection at home.

What can you do now?

We will provide further updates a soon as possible.

Newcastle Herald Article

Y12 graduation at Newcastle High's Big Picture Education campus in Cooks Hill

Exhibition Week

Cooks Hill Campus Open Day

NAIDOC Celebration

Minor Bus Changes

MINOR CHANGES TO BUS TIMES

School students who use Newcastle Transport dedicated school services or regular routes will need to check their timetables to and from school prior to the changes commencing 1 July Term 2, Week 10. Information on Trip Planner and other apps are now available:

There are a number of ways to access information:

University of Newcastle School Visit Day

Come and experience what life is like as a first year uni student – attend lectures, take part in hands-on activities and have a good look around campus. It’s your chance to learn more about the University and all that we have to offer, including our pathways programs and admission services.

Social Action Project (SAP) groups - Human Rights

Over the past semester, students from the Global Human Rights SAP group have been learning about a range of human rights issues facing individuals and groups of people from around the world.

This week students finalised a petition and collected over 100 signatures to send to the Amnesty International head office in Sydney in regards to a case where a Human Rights lawyer has been sentenced in Iran without a fair trial.

Your NAPLAN questions answered

Video – Kids ask the hard questions

Career Expo

White Card Training

A Safework NSW (WorkCover) White Card course is being organised for Thursday 2nd May, 2019. It is a legal requirement for those people doing construction work, including students participating in work placement on a construction site. The course will be delivered at Newcastle High School.

Cost is $99. See our Learning through Internships (LTI) coordinator for details and the consent form.

Out Learning Newsletter

Newcastle Uni Trip

The University of Newcastle is hosting a schools visit day on Thursday 5 July. All Cooks Hill Campus students are required to attend this event. It is a valuable outlearning opportunity that relates to our creating futures distinguisher which is about preparing students for further education.

Thursday 5 July 9am to 2:30pm

Transport and meeting point – students will need to arrange their own transport to and from the university. We will meet between 8.50am to 9.10am at the great hall.

The day will begin at 9.20am at the great hall for a welcome presentation.

Students are able to go online and choose the presentations, tours and workshops that match their interests, and print a personalised planner.

Simply go the University of Newcastles visit day website for more information.