Faces of Elderslie High School

Joel Hayward - Year 10

Tell us about your hobby?

Peta Young - Year 11

Tell us about the "Young Endeavour"!

Noah Gibson - Year 9

What is something you are passionate about?

Jayla Silbery - Year 9

What sport do you enjoy and why?

Winnie Hsu - Year 10

Winnie has started writing her own poetry.  Pretty Amazing!

‘Steady, child,

(spoken with a smile)

Careful with your feet!’ 

I hummed a mismatched beat.

When I stood, saw the world in all its glory,

Supposedly;

I only saw the blur of fidelity pass me by.

There was a lump in my throat when I asked why.

I daren’t voice my thoughts,

The mind embroids my naughts;

Carefully and closely,

It sets a place in my heart, homely.

On the cold of my palms,

Is your warmth which breaks my qualms -

The one I find myself to seek

In the winters cold with bleak.

It is out of my jaded reign;

I reached with all my strains,

The song's been spun -

From the start I was outrun.

Lingering on my fingertips,

Yours like an eclipse.

A foreboding to you,

With a mismatched step, I withdrew.

I let go of your calling, With every intent of falling."

Zelden Bell - Year 8

What sport do you enjoy and why?

Shanae Thorpe - Year 11

What do you want to do when you grow up and why?

Bianca Chauvin - Year 11

What I value most about Elderslie High School?

Jaiden Gardner - Year 11

Why do you enjoy coming to Elderslie High School each day?

Chloe Pasterfield - Year 11

What hobby do you participate in?

Erika Ward - Year 12

What do you want to be when you leave school and why?

Mikayla Craig - Year 10

What are you passionate about and why?

Esteban Paredes - Year 12

How has Elderslie High School helped you?

Logan Ockers - Year 10

Where would you like to be in 10 years?

Leah Mizyed - Year 8

Tell us about your cultural background...

"My Dad is from Jordan, a country in the Middle East, and my Mum is from Greece. The quality of hospitality is a big part of both cultures. My family loves to share their love of food, music and dancing and open their home to people of different backgrounds."

Jake Rouland - Year 11

What is my greatest achievement?

"For me, my greatest achievement is a collaboration of the successful roles I have obtained in the performing arts. Whether it be a small extra in a movie or a lead role in a production. All parts to me are amazing experiences and have assisted me in past events and will continue to do so for future opportunities. This achievement includes the skills and knowledge I have gained over the years that are strongly needed to be successful in the performing arts industry. For me this achievement is forever ongoing as there are thousands of opportunities I have not yet had the privilege to face yet."

Ellie Baer-Tomlinson - Year 12

What sports do you play? What do you enjoy about it?

"I have done competitive cheerleading since I was eight years old. Not many people recognise cheerleading as a ‘sport’ simply because they have little knowledge and understanding of the extremities of it. Competitive cheerleading is not involved in the sidelines of football games as many believe. It encompasses many characteristics of gymnastics, dance and acrobatics, but in a much more entertaining way. Unfortunately, I chose not to cheer this year so I can primarily focus on Year 12. However, I used to live and breathe it. I was in senior level 5 coed, meaning we had a few boys within our team. Training occurred three times a week having done over 11 hours of practice. All these hours spent in the gym certainly paid off when it came to our competitions. Typically, we compete in over 10 competitions throughout the year, with the biggest one being Nationals. In the majority of the competitions, my team would place first, which is a result of our hard working, dedicated and talented athletes. We have even received multiple bids to compete in competitions held in America. However, my biggest achievement would be winning grand champion for level 5, as it was such a hard division. 

What I enjoy most about Cheer is the amazing sportsmanship that not only your team members display but other clubs that are competing against you. It is such a supportive community, which has enabled me to make friends from all around the world. Other elements which I love about cheer include getting to dress up and wear our stunning uniforms, ‘hitting zero’ on the competition floor (performing the perfect routine with no falls) and continually striving to achieve new goals in tumbling." 

Matthew Greene - Year 11

Why do you think Education is important? 

"Education is important as it creates pathways for you to gain further education or pursue a career. Education also gives you the discipline to develop social skills that can be used in life beyond school.”

Ms Mulligan - Teacher

What do you love about Elderslie High School? 

"I have been at Elderslie High School for over 5 and a half years now. Over the time I have been here, both as an English teacher, a HSIE teacher, and as a casual teacher, it is hard to pick one specific aspect that I love most about the school. I am extremely blessed to work with (the best) Faculty (HSIE & Social Science), in who, our past Head Teacher, Mr Raeburn and current, Ms Cavaleri, have put trust in me, as an Early Career Teacher to mould my pedagogy and skills. 

I am thankful for the wonderful students, who inspire me to be the best teacher I can, in whom I try and create fun and engaging lessons for. The students, I love seeing that 'light bulb' moment, and willingness to get involved, whether it is a debate on social issues, or to push their own positive initiatives to encourage and support others. I love hearing stories of alumni who have become active citizens in their own field, and often, going into careers inspired by their learning in my class. Those are the moments you inspire to have as a teacher, and I am so fortunate to have experienced those in my few years of teaching. ”

Emma Brooker - Year 9

What your proudest moment? 

"I compete in gymnastics and I am on level 6. I train four days a week. My favourite apparatus is beam. I like gymnastics because I get to meet lots of different people and its fun.

My proudest moment would have to be when I had worked so hard over the competition season and went to the State Challenge. I achieved three seconds and one first ribbon. I also won a gold medal in the overall point score.”

Noah Amos - Year 

What are your interests and hobbies? 

"Hi, my name is Noah Amos. I enjoy playing soccer and normally attend soccer training 1 day a week. I also do Karate twice a week for self-defence and fitness and I am currently on my brown belt. I have always enjoyed swimming and used to do swimming training but now I just like to compete in the annual school swimming carnivals. If I am not playing sport, I like to play video games or watch YouTube and movies."

Anna Choudhary - Year 9

Can you speak another language? What makes knowing your language special and important to you?

“I had been raised in India so my first language is Hindi, one of the official languages of India along with English. Throughout my school life in India, Hindi was one of the compulsory subjects in my curriculum and at home, we mainly conversed in Hindi. The movies, the TV programs I watched and the songs I listened to in my first 9 Years of life were mainly in Hindi. My early childhood was filled with this language, therefore it holds a special place in my heart.

When my family moved to Australia the importance of Hindi became more prominent to me as I rarely had a chance to speak it outside. Hindi is my link to India here in Australia, it’s something that allows me to freely converse with my family members in Australia and overseas. Hindi holds great importance in my life as my mother tongue and I have grown attached to the language that I spoke my first words.”

Emily Condon - Year 11

What keeps you busy? 

“Outside of attending school, I have a casual job at a local supermarket and participate in hockey and swimming for sport. For me, hockey is a time away from school work, to enjoy and play competitively against people I know and to improve my physical health and fitness. My casual job has kept me busy especially during the holidays and this phase of COVID-19, where I have been working on average 25-30 hours each week."

"It has been very full-on working in retail during COVID-19 but it has taught me lessons of resilience and gratitude when it comes buying only the essentials during a tough time. Outside of these activities, I have a study schedule set up to balance my work and school. This schedule keeps me in a routine and allows me to get things in on time and to a high standard. Away from all of this, when I have spare time I like to go for a walk, watch Netflix, have online calls with friends and family, go shopping and go to the beach.”

Abbey Reed - Year 8

What is something you are proud of? 

"I am proud of achieving my black belt in Taekwondo.

It took 4 years of consistent and hard core training but in the end it was worth it.

I train 2 days a week for over 1 hour each day. I train under the United Taekwondo Organisation. There are some days when I am tired but I go to get fitter, healthier and stronger. Taekwondo helps me in a lot of areas of life, like when we do jumping back, side and front kicks. The jumping involved helps me do things like hurdles in athletics. This sport not only helps me in physical areas but also in social areas in life. Taekwondo teaches you defence which lets me keep my head held high.

To get my black belt, I had to remember 13 different patterns which are defence and attack moves, put together they form a sequence of moves that can be used in situations where you are in trouble. I had to spa (fighting without contact) many people for several minutes and sometimes two at a time. The last part which I had to complete was board breaks, where I had to break a 2cm thick board with a side kick, then a jumping back kick and a flying side kick. The hardest one to break was a two board (4cm) with an elbow. 

Being able to receive my belt was a great honour, I was able to share it with my Dad and it was amazing to do." 

Liv Carter-Smith - Year 11

What is your greatest achievement? 

"I have always had an interest in drama and theatre. I have selected it as a subject every year and now continued into Year 11 and 12. I have also taken weekly screen acting classes at NIDA for the past year now. My interest hasn’t just been in performing but the whole process of putting together a production.

In Year 10 I was excited to have been selected to participate in the Campbelltown Arts Centre Ticket Parade Program which exposed me to shows that I may not have normally gone to see. At the end of Year 10 I became aware of the Sydney Theatre Company’s Young Wharfies Program and although I thought my chances would be slim due to the number of applicants I decided to apply. The application process was initially an essay about a show I had seen, followed by an audition and I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the program. I attend every few weeks doing workshops with industry professionals and watching performances which have so far included Terence Rattigan’s play The Deep Blue Sea and Marieke Hardy’s adaption of Dario Fo’s play Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay?.

The Sydney Theatre Company team has been overwhelmingly supportive of all twenty Young Wharfies in the program. This generosity of people working in the industry has allowed me to gain so much insight into all areas of production, especially areas that I had not even previously considered such as the process of play adaptations. I’m looking forward to the rest of the year. The knowledge that I will gain will hopefully assist me through my HSC and in making career decisions in the future." 

Ryan Tomsett - Year 7

What is your proudest moment? 

"When I became the youngest in history, two time Australian Champion. It is extremely hard to do and requires a lot of effort to do so. I had to participate in five different race meets in Victoria, Queensland and NSW. I had the most points to take out the championship.

I normally test or race every weekend and my Dad takes me to my race meets. I love Go Karting because it is fast and fun and I get to compete against other people." 

Ruquaya Abdow - Year 9

What is your favourite sport and what do you love about it? 

"NRL!! NRL will forever be my favourite sport, the best game of all time. I was bought up since birth with nothing but NRL, playing tackle with my cousins on the weekends. Learning and developing skills just by passing around the footy with my Dad. I love that feeling of excitement and getting overwhelmed when being at a game. I want to play in the NRLW myself one day and become an amazing athlete like the NRLW players today!!" 

Samuel Smukulis - Year 9

Why is education important? 

"Education is important because it improves our way of life and opens opportunities. It enables people to get a job that could improve their way of life. It plays a big part in our career growth as well as personal growth, giving us knowledge of the world around us, so that we can change it to something better.

Education is all around us and in our daily lives, in building, planes and cars. Without Education we wouldn’t have the knowledge and understanding to develop ideas to improve our lives through things like the industrial revolution and advances in technology. Education provides people with wider knowledge and skills they require for life.

Education teaches us how to develop opinions and allows us to respect the views of others. We can debate ideas in an educated manner. It makes us open to suggestions so that we can see the world through someone else’s eyes." 

Ryan Mills

What is your greatest sporting achievement? 

"I’ve been racing Go-karts for the last 6 years and after winning numerous events and series here in Australia, in October 2019 I was invited to race in the Rotax Max World Championships in Sarno in the south of Italy. After months of training and preparation, I arrived with my family a week before the event to meet with my team and learn the new kart and track. The week went well with its usual ups and downs and after qualifying 6^th, I had some good close heat races but after receiving a penalty for some loose bodywork, I had to start rear of the field for the final.

In the final I drove through to 7^th by the end of the race which I was absolutely stoked with as it was my first time racing overseas in brand new equipment I had never driven and a track that I had never seen. I see this as my greatest sporting achievement as I was the youngest driver in the field racing against some of the world’s best drivers. It was an awesome experience and I was invited to come back and race the whole European season for 2020 but unfortunately as I am doing my HSC this year, I’ve had to put that on hold, but I’m still racing locally this year and plans are underway to go back to Europe in 2021.

I’m just an average kid from Western Sydney who has got to do an extraordinary thing. It just goes to show, don’t give up on your dreams because they can come true!" 

Will Cullen

What am I passionate about? 

"I​'m passionate about a lot of things, but one of the main things is about diabetes research. I'm really passionate about this because it could help a lot of people with their diabetes. I'm currently on a diabetes trial right now, that could help me and could help a lot more people. The trial that I'm on helps me control my blood glucose levels. It is a pump that gives you insulin when you are going high and takes away insulin when your levels are low." 

Mr Brassington

PE Teacher

"I became a PE teacher as a result of my love for a wide range of sports. I grew up on two acres with three sporty brothers and we were all close in age.  We were all competitive and we constantly spent our time playing sport against each other with the main sports being Rugby League, Cricket and Tennis. The best thing about teaching at EHS is the sporting culture of our students and local community. I love that our students share my passion for physical activity and get involved in a range of team and individual sports." 

Kiara and Erin Bloor

What motivates you to participate in so many different sports on a competitive level?

"Growing up we were always encouraged to play outdoors and stay active by our parents. We loved watching our older sister (Madison Bloor) play sports with her friends, when we were too young. So, when we got to that age, we couldn’t get enough of it. At school we try and sign up for as many sports as possible, because we love being in that environment, especially with our friends. Being twins has made us more inclined to join a larger variety of sports. It is also more enjoyable to play sports as twins as we know there is always someone to encourage you and make you feel comfortable. Having a twin has made us competitive within ourselves and each other, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Playing sports whether it is a team or individual sport is always so much fun. Whether it be the thrill of winning and sharing the moment with your team or getting a personal best in an individual sport."

Caitlin Greene

What is your favourite hobby and why?

"Karate and Kobudo are two of my favourite hobbies. I started karate when I was younger and now train six times a week (every day except for Sunday) and I train for Kobudo a couple of times a week too. In 2018 I was the most improved senior student in Karate, which I am very happy with. I currently have a brown belt in the sport and with continued training I should achieve my black belt next year. I love karate and Kobudo because it is a good tool for self-defence and it keeps me fit and motivated."

Kayden Murphy

What is your favourite sport to participate in and why?

"My favourite sport to participate in is BMX riding. I have been doing this for 6 years and for the past year I have been sponsored by STAATS – which is BMX Company that specialises in making BMX parts and frames for bikes. The company offer me discounts which is really good. In 2018, I competed in the State Championships and I made it into the final where I came 8th, which earned me my 8N Plate. It was my first time making it into the final and I was really happy with my result and I hope to do better in my next competition. I love BMX riding because I can make new friends and learn new tricks – It’s a feeling where you have no weight and you feel as though you are floating, it’s pretty cool!"

Mrs Woo - Science Teacher

Why did you become a Science Teacher?

"Hi all! My name is Jenny Woo and I have been teaching Science for 27 years, of which 16 of those years has been here at Elderslie High School! When I was growing up, I was always one of those kids with a curious mind, who asked Why and How? I loved structures and knowing about how things functioned. For my HSC, I selected Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, English and Physics. I then went to university to graduate with a Bachelor of Science (Biology). I worked in conservation for a while before I became a teacher. The thing I love about Science, is that I believe it will cure all diseases one day. Science inspires creativity and is the underpinning of innovation. Humans can build the fastest, tallest, smallest anything and also in the blink of an eye... destroy. So I believe my role as an educator is to foster that curious mind and balance that with a caring attitude about the world we live in."

Shae Elguindy – Year 10

What about your culture has influenced who you have become today?

"Hi I’m Shae I’m currently completing Year 10 at Elderslie High School. I am lucky enough to have a diverse cultural background, being born here in Australia and having my mum born in England and my Dad’s parents born in Egypt, and him born here. Both of my parents cultures have influenced me and led me to become more understanding and able to take sacrifices I’m not used to. My religion is Muslim, because my dad and his parents are African, however, my mum doesn’t believe in religion. Being Muslim allows me to experience Ramadan which means not being able to drink or eat from sunrise till sunset during the day which goes on for a month and a bit. Ramadan has made me realise how much people take things for granted and aren’t happy with what they have knowing people in poorer countries are struggling to survive. This has made me become who I am and be grateful with what I have and what I have achieved."

Mr Douglas – Maths Teacher

What has it been like as a teacher at EHS?

"I have been a Maths teacher for 29 years and have seen a lot of changes in this time. The staff at EHS have changed significantly and I believe EHS students have been extremely lucky that the new staff are all outstanding teachers. I was lucky enough in my early years to take many soccer knock-out teams and they were very successful, ranging from the state and national Futsal Championships for 5 Years. At one stage the EHS Girls Futsal team were the Australian team to tour Argentina. I believe the demands on teachers these days are exhausting, but it is all worthwhile when you know you have made a positive impact on a student’s life."

Lana Sabir – Year 9 

What did you find most challenging about moving to a new school and what have been your favourite part of Elderslie High so far?

"At the beginning of my transition from Macarthur Girls High School to Elderslie High School was hard and challenging. These challenges included finding my way around the school and making new friends. However, I was able to overcome this with the help of the students and teachers who guided me through the school and made me feel welcome. During my transition opening up and asking questions also helped me accomplish a smooth transition. My favourite part of Elderslie High School would be the new friends I made. Not only did they make me feel welcome, but they also made my experience one I will always remember."

Raphael Pereira - Year 10

How did you find your work experience at Peter Warren as a mechanic?

"After my father was successful in completing his Certificate 3 in 2008 in Fiji on a paid scholarship, I decided I wanted to challenge him and get a higher award for my efforts as a mechanic. I approached Ms Caruana and spoke to her about an apprenticeship. She told me there was a place available at Peter Warren, so I took it. In my work experience, it started off with learning the basic things. Later in the week, I was servicing cars all on my own. My father had previously taught me all of these things, so it was good for me to put my knowledge into practice. At the end of the week, Peter Warren offered me a full apprenticeship. My parents want me to finish school, so next year I will hopefully be involved in a School Based Apprenticeship, so I can finish school and attend TAFE. This makes me excited to start Year 11 and get started on some casual work as a mechanic."

Caitlin Kubisch - Year 8

What is your experience in Dancing?

"I have been doing Dance for around 2 years. I started Dance because one of the Dance teachers at my studio taught me a combination, which I performed in front if the owner of the Dance studio. She was impressed with my skill so she continued to enrol me into more classes, which really kicked off my love for dance. Once my skill progressed, I started doing Ballet exams. I got high grades in these exams and this year my teacher has trained and encouraged me to audition for the Australian Ballet. This is an exciting opportunity for me and I can’t wait to see how my career in Dance will grow and become a massive part of my life. I want to become a full time Dance teacher when I am older and continue to Dance for a very long time. "

Mr Coghlan - General Assistant

Tell us your history and how you decided to become a School General Assistant?

"After leaving high school, I served for 21 years in emergency services. I saw some awful things during my time but also experienced some great moments which I wouldn't change for the world. After a short retirement, I studied for my Diploma and became a Licenced Conveyancer, a role in which I worked for 5 years. I then decided to leave and completely change my career and perform a role which makes me happy, hence my positive attitude every day at school! I love the challenges my role as a General Assistant brings and the interactions I have with the students, they are a great bunch of kids, as are the staff!"

Chloe Sharpe - Year 9

What is your favourite subject and why?

"After being at EHS for over 2 years, I think it’s safe to say that Drama is my favourite subject of them all. I’ve always being drawn to CAPA activities. Ever since I could walk I’ve been doing all kind of dancing, gymnastics, drama, karate and Kung Fu. So there are really no surprises here. I feel like drama has brought me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to be more accepting of my appearance and can get me into doing greater things, rather than staying in my little bubble. I also feel like among most classes, I enjoy drama the most. Everyone in my drama classes are so nice and don’t care if I make a fool of myself. This makes everything more exhilarating and fun as I am able to be myself and not care about being judged. Though, I think I still have a lot more work to do with drama, I’m excited to see what the future brings and where drama takes me, I’m glad to have been able to do the drama elective this year."

Baileeh Fitkau - Year 8

What is your favourite subject and why?

"My favourite subject is PDHPE. I like it as I am a big fan of sports and I like watching and playing all of them. I also like the theory side of it as you can learn how the human body works and functions. My favourite sport would probably be soccer as I play it on weekends and I enjoy it the most. I love watching footy and cricket and I am a big supporter of the West Tigers and Chelsea. PDHPE is fun and I enjoy it a lot."

San-Huy Hoang - Year 9

What is your cultural background?  Why is it important to you?

"My cultural background is Vietnamese, and it’s important to me because, well, basically everything about it. Growing up with this culture has proven itself both enjoyable and difficult. Enjoyable because I get to be able to understand a completely new language. Difficult because of the name I was given – most people find it hard to say – and the comments on how I look. Either way, I think Vietnam is a very beautiful place, from their floating markets to their golden lights. Though, what I find most beautiful about Vietnam is its wide planes of rice fields. But all I really know about Vietnam is the war and what I’ve learnt from my parents, and I’d like to experience everything with my own eyes. One day, I will.  I hope to touch its soil and say these two very words, “Hello, Vietnam”!"