Issue 1

The CONCH
Issue
1/2008
February
Community News & Chat for Darwin Middle School
PO Box 2257 Parap NT 0804
Email: admin.darwinmiddle@ntschools.net
Welcome
Telephone: 8942 5200
Fax: 8942 5211
Dear Parents,
Once again our thanks as a school staff for your assistance in ensuring a fluid and effective start to the new school
year. The students in our school are a terrific group of young people and the feed back I am getting from them, a
number of parents and staff is that they are really enjoying their school and the many exciting educational
programs we are running. Another piece of good news is that the Performing Arts Building is now in operation.
Facilities include:
• Dance/ Ballet Area & Stage
• Music Room
• Four (4) music tuition rooms and storage
• Macintosh Laboratory
• Sound Recording Studio
• PE Store
• Manual Arts/Arts Area
• Toilets
• Performing Arts/PE Faculty Offices
• Maintenance Officers office and compound
Works in progress include grounds development, additional bike paths, some fencing, stage lighting, curtains & sound
for auditorium. The Sound Shell is also having soft fall laid during the first term break.
On another note; included in this correspondence is a staff photo and contact details for enquiries with which staff
may be able to assist. Our school motto is RESPECT and I think this is an important value for all of us to work
towards upholding. As a community we are all stakeholders in giving our students every opportunity. Communication
is the key to ensuring that the best outcome is available. If you are concerned about your child’s progress contact
the teacher and relay your concern. Alternatively you may wish to acknowledge the good things that are occurring
with your child. The staff too will have information and perspectives on your child’s progress and will be able to fill
out the broader picture. We are now finalising a date for our first parent interviews and this will provide a formal
opportunity for parents to get an update later this term on thier child's progress.
Thankyou
Marcus Dixon
Principal
Darwin Middle School

Contacting Darwin Middle School
When contacting the Darwin Middle School about your child, one point of call would be your child’s Pastoral Care
teacher or if you require information from a specialist subject teacher you can contact them via email or by calling
our front office staff who will pass on the message. Email addresses are first and second name separated by a full
stop then @ntschools.net eg. to contact Jane Perkin the email address would be: jane.perkin@ntschools.net
The phone number for Darwin Middle School is 8942 5200.
Darwin Middle School Staff
Back Row (left to right): Veronica Ross (7V1), Dahna Milosavljevic (8N2), Ben Slocombe (7C2) , Rhiannon Frawley
(7V4) , Grant Ebbers (Physical Recreation), Tracy Etherington (Music) , Fansi Hitanaya (7C1) , Lovell D’Souza (7V2),
Jill Ravens (School Counsellor), Merryn Brown (7C4), Kelly Ku (Administration Officer), Phillippe Monforte (IT), Glen
Alp (Maintenance Officer).
Middle Row (left to right) Jodi Peters (Physical Education), Bernadette McGrath (8N3), Jacqui Murray (Driftwood
Café), Nick Miaris (8N4), Paul Reardon (8M2), Hayley Ettridge (Indonesian), Linda Joy (8M3), Helen Leach (Senior
Teacher Science), Sam Grinceri (Lab Tech and Home Economics Assistant), Mere Barlow (7V4), Sue Neal (Special
Needs/Student Services), Loraine Caldwell (Senior Teacher Year 8 Humanities), Tina Watt (PA to Principal &
Assistant Principal).
Front Row (left to right): Barbara Roberts (English Second Language), Antony Vanderwey (8M4), Joshua Thomas
(Aboriginal Islander Education Worker), Rene Cajayon (8N2), Jane Perkin (Assistant Principal), Marcus Dixon
(Principal), Tricia Smith (8M1), Jeannie Bennett (Senior Teacher Year 7 Humanities), Kelly Gregorio (7C3), Kana
Shinozaki (Japanese), Pam Vaughan (Home Liaison Officer), Helen Macmillan (Manager Administration).
Absent in this photo are: John Moulds (Senior Teacher Maths), Paula Simeone (Italian & Librarian), Aphrodite
Georgiadis (Finance Officer), Nilda Scott (VET), Peta Lazar (Library Tech).
Diary Dates
Wednesday 12 March - School Council Annual General Meeting 6pm for a 6:30pm start in the Staff Room
Wednesday 12 March - Blue Light Disco 6 - 9pm in the Assembly Area (Darwin Middle students only)
Week 10 - Parent teacher interviews (date to be advised)

Uniform Supplies
We have the following uniforms in stock:
• Cargo Shorts in all sizes @ $20
• Basketball Shorts in all sizes @ $10
• Skirts in all sizes @ $25
• Female T Shirts in all sizes @ $37
• Unisex T Shirts in size youth 14, M, L, XL, 2XL and 3XL @ $37
A large order of Unisex T shirts in smaller sizes are expected to arrive just after the Easter weekend. We will let
you know as soon as they arrive.
Author Visit Written by Jessica Lim and Harry Winspear, Nautilus 3
Darwin Middle School was privileged to welcome Boori
“Monty” Pryor to our School on Thursday 14th
February. Boori shared some of the entertaining
stories from his childhood with us. He has also written
several award winning children’s novels with Meme
McDonald. Some of those of books are:
- My Girragundji
- The Binna Binna Man
- Njunjul The Sun and
- Flytrap (which is one of his more
recently written book)
Boori had us all laughing, telling us the stories from
one of his books. His exaggerated facial expressions
and the way he told the stories was what had us
laughing. From Boori we learnt that to make a good
story you need some truth and experiences to which
everyone can relate. To make it interesting you
need to add some colour and flavour and even a bit
of exaggeration.
Photographic Competition
You may have noticed that our Administration Office has some inventive pictures on the walls. These photos were
taken by some of our students in a competition, details of which were in the last newsletter. We only had a few
entries and the winner has been judged as being Harry Winspear with his photo entitled ‘The Five Faces of
Education’. Harry wins a $50 Driftwood Café voucher. Other prize winners were Shelley Bryant, Dominic Cabrera,
Miranda Cowley and Bayley Valentine. These students win a $20 Driftwood Café voucher.
Please take the time to come in and see these inspiring photos from these imaginative students as shown in the
photos below.

School Council AGM
The final Interim School Council Meeting was held last week. It is important to acknowledge the incredible amount
of work and time that this group of people have given to Darwin Middle School. Their firm clear directions and
their intent to meet objectives has been astounding.
Darwin Middle School will hold it’s Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 12 March at 6:30pm in the Staff Room.
Light refreshments will be served from 6:00pm. If you would like to be part of the School Council for 2008 please
contact Marcus Dixon or Jane Perkin on 8942 5200 for more information.
Parents interested in nominating for a position will need to attend the AGM or collect from the school a nomination
form so it can be submitted during the evening for consideration. Forms are available at the front office and can be
collected by your child or sent electronically.
Chinese Language
We are pleased to be able to offer Chinese as a language choice commencing in Semester 2. If
you had a preference for Chinese for your child please contact Tina Watt on 8942 5200 to advise
your interest.
Absences and Late Arrivals
Student Absence
Please call the school on 89425200 to notify student absence on the day of absence. Alternatively, you may send a
note with your student upon their return to school. However, if your student is going to be absent for an extended
period eg. holidays, please notify the school before going.
Late Arrival
If your student is going to arrive at school after 8am, please send a note with your student or call the school and let
us know. Students must come to the front office upon arrival to school, sign the attendance register and collect a
late slip to give to their class teacher. Late arrival without parent/caregiver authorisation will be noted and repeat
occurrences will result in parent contact.
Early Departure
Permission for early departure will not be obtained unless the school has authorisation from a parent / caregiver.
When a parent / caregiver notifies the school, either through a note, e-mail or telephone call, an Exit Note is
completed for the student. Students can collect their exit notes from the office at recess or lunch and can use
them to be released from class at the appropriate time. When students leave the school, they should sign out on
the attendance register in the front office before leaving the grounds.
Should you require further information please contact Pam Vaughan our Home Liaison Officer on 8942 5200.
Reminder - School Photo Order Forms and Immunisation Forms
Infocus Photography have requested all school photo orders to be back at school by Wednesday for collection. If
you require any more envelopes please ask your child to collect one from the front office. Any photo queries need
to be directed to Infocus Photography on 8945 4444.
Eileen Hall (the Darwin High School Nurse) has also requested immunisation forms from Year 7 girls and Year 8 boys
and girls be returned by Monday for processing. Eileen has been checking enrolment forms and may contact you
regarding any health issues that your child may have. If you would like to contact Eileen, please leave a message
with our front office staff.