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JAMISON HIGH SCHOOL - A CANADIAN PERSPECTIVE
On Monday, August 2, I arrived at Jamison High School fresh off the airplane after a 22 hour flight from Niagara Falls, Canada. I was eager to see the differences between students in Australia from students in Canada. Differences? Uniforms - Canadian students in public schools rarely wear uniforms. School Buildings? All Canadian public schools are closed-in structures with heatingsystems for our very cold winters. Of course another difference is your delightful accent which I enjoy listening to so much.
Beyond these three points, I believe we are very much the same. Teachers work hard to ensure students have opportunities to be successful beyond their high school experience.
Students have their own ideas about how things should be done but for the most part, follow the wisdom of the institution. Students, although they are all dressed in uniform, seek to individualise their appearance to reveal the truly unique person they are - and we all enjoy the same music and each has a distinct culture that we share readily.
My very short time here at Jamison High School has changed my life. I will forever remember your kindness, your warmness and your many questions about Justin Bieber (who grew up in Stafford, Ontario about 1.5 hours from Niagara Falls). Thank you,
Carol Purcer
Principal - Westlane Secondary School - Niagara Falls, Canada.
ACHIEVEMENTS WE ARE PROUD OF:
I am constantly amazed with the phone calls and letters I receive congratulating our students and our school, says Mr Hodgkins.
Outstanding Student Achievements
Congratulations to ...
 PIERRE DE COUBERTIN AWARD Alara Cassells-Forward receiving the Pierre De Coubertin Award for 2010 from the Australian Olympic Committee
FUTURE STARS - ANTHONY DELIPETAR & VICTORIA DELIPETAR
Anthony is one of our Year 12 ‘s who has a bright future in his chosen sport of rowing.
Anthony has recently been selected to represent Australia in China in an Invitational Roff Race against teams from Hungary, New Zealand, Netherlands, Great Britain and USA.
In rowing Anthony has been invited to attend the talent identification program in Canberra. He is the Men’s NSW Under 19 Single Champion and set the fastest time for a school boy at the Australian Rowing Championships.
Anthony’s sister Victoria is also making an impact in the sport - she is the NSW Women’s Under 17 Double Champion.
Congratulations to both Anthony and Victoria - two of our rising stars.
RAFTING COMPETITION - ANTHONY DELIPETAR
On 17/7/10 Sam Norton and I left Australia for an International White Water Rafting Competition in Cheng Du province China. (1600km south of Beijing). The course was a natural waterway approximately 10km in length. The area is still recovering from recent earthquakes (two years ago) and re-construction is ongoing. 
We were given a training day on Monday 19/7/10 to familiarise ourselves with the course and get to know the other crews (including teams from New Zealand, Hungary, UK, Macao, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and eleven Chinese teams). During this practice Sam and I had to rescue one of the Officials that fell into the fast flowing current.
On the day of the race, we travelled by bus into the mountain to the start line and raced in a time trial format for the finish. We were lucky enough to finish with line honours and 2nd overall on time. The Chinese hosts provided a great reception after the event including bonfire and music celebrations. (Mao Tse Tung's granddaughter attended, demonstrating the high level of
importance of this event and international friendship. The event was broadcasted on the main Chinese television station and had wide newspaper coverage).
Considering all that the local people have been through over the last couple of years they were most welcoming and generous, we had a great time.
The Hungarian team were part of last year's six man crew world champions, one of the Chinese
crews were representatives in Beijing for the C2 team and the New Zealand team member is the
spokesman for the International Rafting Federation, so we made some great new friends and
contacts for the future
· Joshua Clarke (Year 11) - selected in the NSW Under 19 Cricket side to compete in the National Carnival in Canberra from November 30.
· Amy Walton (Year 11) - presented with the Victor Chang Research Institute Award for Achievement in Science.
BELINDA WOLLASTON
26-year-old Belinda Wollaston has established herself as one of Australia's leading musical theatre performers.
A singer, actor and dancer, Belinda has trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (Singer, Actor, Dancer and Young Actors Studio), The McDonald Performing Arts College (Certificate IV in Musical Theatre), the Sydney Dance Company, the Penrith Dance Company and is a graduate of the prestigious Talent Development Project.
Most recently, Belinda performed the lead role in the Korean tour of Jekyll and Hyde.
In major commercial theatre, Belinda has appeared in 'Mamma Mia' (Ensemble Cover), 'Titanic' (Kate McGowan), 'Respect' (Miriam), 'Shane Warne The Musical' and 'Summer Rain' for the Sydney Theatre Company (Cathy Doyle).
She has appeared in numerous other productions of plays and musicals, including 'Three Winters Green' (SBW Stables Theatre), 'Milk' (Old Fitzroy Theatre), 'Assassins' (New Theatre), 'Putting It Together' (Seymour Centre) and 'Balm In Gilead' (Imperial Hotel Theatre).
Belinda has performed extensively in cabaret, having appeared at both the 2002 and 2003 Sydney Cabaret Conventions. She has presented three separate solo shows - 'Songs From My Hairbrush: The Bedroom Mirror and Me' (2002), 'Hymns From The Hurricane' (2003) and 'Everything In Show Business is 20 Minutes Too Long' (2006).
In 2006, she made her New York cabaret debut, and was named AussieTheatre.com's Cabaret Artist of the Year.
Belinda has also worked with Brown Fox Productions in conjunction with the East Coast Theatre Company in their production of 'Late Nite Wired' at Café 9, performed at Starstruck in Wollongong, the Schools Spectacular in Sydney, the Bicardi Festival at Darling Harbour and in Sydney Theatre Company's 'All Star Cabaret'. She has performed as guest on 'The Muf-Tee Show' with Hayden Tee, and at countless corporate functions.
Belinda has appeared on 'Mornings with Kerri-Anne' on the Nine Network, 'Today' on the Nine Network, 'Rising Stars' on ABC TV, 'All Saints' for Channel Seven and has taken part in a variety of television and radio interviews for various media organisations.
She also appeared in the Workshop Production of 'Red Squawking Mad' with STC, and the world premiere production of the John Williamson musical 'Quambatook'.
In 2006 Belinda travelled to New York on the ASCAP Scholarship, where she worked with some of the theatre world's biggest names, including Stephen Schwartz.
Belinda is currently teaching musical theatre, with scheduled performances for later in 2010.
Belinda assisted in the production of our 2009 musical ‘Oliver’.
Lorenzo Rositano
“I attended the graduating performance of the Talent Development Program. All the performances were outstanding and the fact that Jamison High had two students performing was a real credit to the music department of the school.
As the ex-principal of Lorenzo’s (ROSITANO) primary school I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all the staff that made it possible for a boy with such unique talents to flourish in a public school. Whenever I saw a child nourished by his primary teachers but who did not fit the typical mould go off to high school it was always with nervousness. Many were unable to make a successful transition. Lorenzo was not one of these. With an interest outside the world of the average teenager he has been able to forge a personality of which any school could be proud. He has become a twenty-first century Renaissance Man. Not only has his musical talent been developed but the flamboyance so necessary for a successful performer has been encouraged and is demonstrated in his ability to relate to the adult world in a most mature way.
Well done Jamison!
(Signed: Lynne Head)
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