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Principal’s Report Principal: Tony Jacobs Assistant Principals: Mike Stevens, Harry Ruff, Joanna Alexander School Captains: Jayden MacDowall Tiffany Cooper Phone: 9873 1077 Student Absence: 8872 6338 Postal Address: PO Box 138, Vermont Vic 3133 Website: www.vermontsc.vic.edu.au DIARY DATES 4/4
22/4 24/4 25/4 28/4 29/4
30/4
1/5 5-9/5 7/5
12/5
13-15/5 14/5
Year 12 Literature Guest Speaker Lunchtime Last day of Term 1 2.30pm Dismissal First day of Term 2 Sub School Assemblies Period 3A&B ANZAC DAY Anzac Day March performance by VSC Concert Band SSV State Diving SSV State Swimming Community Reporting Meeting 6.30pm College Council Meeting 7.00pm Year 8 Activity Day Year 12 Further Maths SAC - Pd 4 Year 11 & 12 VCD Excursion Melbourne Museum Senior Division Round Robin Year 9 History Excursion - 9.5, 9.9 Year 9 PEP Program VSC Cross Country Year 9 History Exc - 9.1, 9.3, 9.7 University of Melbourne Mathematics Competition Division Cross Country Year 12 PWD Excursion Top Designs Division Cross Country Year 7 & 9 NAPLAN Year 11 Geography Excursion Marysville CRICOS Code 00861K
THE END OF TERM 1 Term 1 comprising of ten weeks, has gone by extremely quickly. I wish all students, staff and families a safe and restful break. Term 2 commences on Tuesday 22 April 2014 and concludes on Friday 27 June 2014. In Week 1 of Term 2 there will only be three days of school - Tuesday 22 April to Thursday 24 April as the following days are Public Holidays:-
Following the Annual Community Reporting Meeting, at approximately 7:00pm, there will be a second meeting of the new College Council.
Easter Monday - 21 April ANZAC Day - Friday 25 April
CONGRATULATIONS RORY SHERIDANFERRIE Congratulations go to Rory Sheridan-Ferrie of Year 12 who has recently been selected to represent the Eastern Ranges TAC Cup side for 2014. Well done Rory and all the best for the season!
VERMONT SECONDARY COLLEGE COUNCIL EXECUTIVE 2014/15 I am pleased to announce that the new College Council executive elected for 2014/15 is:President: Steve Siems Vice President: Simona Jobbagy Treasurer: Jennifer McClintock COLLEGE COUNCIL MEMBERS for 2014 Parents: Andrew Treloar, Philip Horner, Simona Jobbagy, Sandra Spendlove, Steve Siems and Jennifer McClintock. Staff: Brigitte Ankenbrand, Joanna Bonetti, Rebecca Eames and Bill Duiveman. Co-opted Community members - School Captains: Jayden MacDowell & Tiffany Cooper
COLLEGE COUNCIL – 2013 COMMUNITY REPORTING MEETING TUESDAY 29 APRIL 2014 The Annual Community Reporting Meeting (open to all members of the College community) is scheduled for Tuesday 29 April 2014 at 6:30pm. The Vermont Secondary College 2013 Annual Report will be presented at this meeting. Once approved by DEECD (Department of Education and Early Childhood Development) the 2013 Annual Report will be made available on the College website.
COLLEGE NEWSLETTER A reminder that next term and beyond, the College newsletter will be published every second week. The newsletter will be published during Term 2 in weeks 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10.
PARENT LINK – check this!!!! A very detailed website for parents is the Parent Link site. ‘ParentLink’ is designed to increase parents' confidence and skills by supporting and linking them with a network of information, ideas and community services. The site provides information and advice on the four key areas listed below and I encourage you to have a look at it. Parent Guides – A range of parenting guides from birth to teens, relationships and adult issues to download or order online. Services – Including a parenting services directory and resources for Children of Parents with a Mental Illness. What’s on - Increase parenting skills and learn new ways of coping with your kids; links to events, courses and activities. Links - Valuable links to resources for parents and families, including further readings on parenting guides. The web address is www.parentlink.act.gov.au
Tony Jacobs Principal
SCHOOL COMMUNITY NEWS DUE DATES FOR PAYMENT AND RETURN OF FORMS FOR UPCOMING EXCURSIONS/CAMPS 23 April
Year 8
Year 8 Activity Day
$18.00
30 April
24 April 24 April
Year 11 & 12 Year 9
Year 11 & 12 VCD Excursion – TOP DESIGNS Year 9 PEP 1 Program
$12.00 Plus travel ticket $60.00
30 April 6 May - 9 May
Easter in Germany The celebration of Easter is one of the most important events of the year in Germany. Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday are public holidays in Germany. Everything is closed and the church bells stop chiming until mass on Easter Sunday. In some Catholic areas, people go through towns and villages with rattles to make up for the bells not chiming. Many people attend a special church service on Easter Sunday and meet family and friends. Easter eggs are typical for Easter in Germany and symbolise fertility. They are being painted or dyed and people often decorate trees and branches with them (Easter egg tree). In many German cities on Easter Saturday or Sunday the people gather around huge bonfires (Easter fires) which should symbolize the resurrected Jesus Christ and also mark the beginning of spring. On Easter Sunday the children look for hidden chocolate Easter eggs and bunnies or little presents that the Easter bunny has hidden for them. Traditional German foods on Easter Sunday are coloured boiled eggs for breakfast, Easter lambs made out of sponge cake in the afternoon and lamb for dinner. At Livingstone Primary School I showed the students a short PowerPoint presentation about Easter in Germany and each class made its own Easter egg tree. Frohe Ostern!
Eileen Kaiser Deutsch für Anfänger (German for beginners) Osterei Easter egg Osterhase Easter bunny Frohe Ostern! Happy Easter!
MONDAY 21 APR to FRIDAY 25 APR Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
EASTER MONDAY Renate Hardman (A), Janine Anderson (A), Elissa Schmidtke (L), Donna Davies (L), Tracey Lont (A), Tracey Ware (R) Heather Pinolo (A), Louise Porteous (R), Yi Shen (L), Sandra Sievwright (L), Virginia Teese (L) Pam Pittard (R), Mandy Cooke (R), Robyn Nash (A), Keryn Jean (A), Christine Ruff (L), Sandra Weissel (L) ANZAC DAY
IF YOU ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR YOUR DUTY PLEASE CONTACT SUE OR SHIRLEY IN THE CANTEEN ON 8872 6330 (A) All Day 11.00am - 11.45 am & 12.45 pm - 1.55 pm
(R) Recess Only 11.00 am - 11.45 am
(L) Lunch Only 12.45 pm - 1.55 pm
VACATION TUTORING VCE English for individuals or small groups Ann Coish Phone: 9874 3691 or email
[email protected] Please contact for details
(Y-Generation Against Poverty) On Friday 21 March selected Year 10 students got the opportunity to attend an excursion to Balwyn High School run by an organisation called YGAP. On the day guest speakers including Emeli Paulo and Elliot Costello inspired us with their stories and hope to build a better future. Emeli who runs programs for schools everywhere informed us about what it is to be a leader and take control of not only the community around us but the world. She talked about Jim Stynes who also motivated young people just like her. For Emeli it was about building that first brick towards becoming her own person in order to stimulate others and we learnt that as young leaders this is what we must do. After Emeli said her part we formed groups with the other schools that attended on the day and brainstormed ideas about what action we can take to successfully helps those less fortunate than us. Each group was given a leader from YGAP (Y-Generation Against Poverty) who helped us along the way as they are experienced with the ideas we were providing. YGAP is an organisation run by un-paid volunteers who aim to inspire social entrepreneurs to end poverty. Elliot’s words of encouragement moved people towards really wanting to make a positive impact on the world. Everyone came out of the day with more knowledge about the world and wanting to make a difference.
Kara Ashton-Fox of 10.1 2
Baseball – the very enthusiastic and energetic boys baseball team played their Round Robin at Napier Park. With some amazing pitching, sensational catching and fast fielding the boys were overall winners on the day. They won against Highvale SC (7-0), Mount Waverley SC (14 -3) and Glen Waverley SC (14-1). A great day was had by all and we are looking forward to playing at Region early Term 4. Thanks to student coach Taylor Davidson who was fantastic on the day. Photos on Page 4 of this newsletter. Cricket – the Boys Cricket team was well trained and an enthusiastic bunch. They won all their games and finished on top at the end of the Round Robin. They played Glen Waverley SC first and got them all out for 24 runs with Jack Riddle taking 2 wickets. Match 2 was against Mt Waverley SC and this time we batted first. We smashed the ball around to make a total of 148 runs. Top batsmen were Jack Riddle (36 runs) and Tyler Dobay (21 runs). Heading out to field we got the opposition all out for 72 runs. Great bowling from Matt Joseph (2 wickets) and Corey McKenzie (3 wickets). Well done to all the boys and good luck at Region in Term 4. Thanks to Mr Johnstone for coaching and looking after the team on the day. Volleyball – with super coaches Seymour and Scott in charge, the Year 7 Volleyball teams were tough competition in their Round Robin. With some super serving, really good team work and some set plays happening, both the girls and boys teams had some great matches that were close in the final scores. All teams, both the boys and girls ‘A’ and ‘B’, finished in 3rd place overall. Well done to you all! Thanks to Ms Seymour and Ms Scott for coaching and looking after the students. Tennis – A lovely day of tennis at the North Ringwood Tennis Club was had by our boys and girls ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams. The girls ‘A’ team won all their matches and progress to Region in Term 4. Well done girls! The girls ‘B’ team won a few sets throughout the day and had some really good rallies. The boy’s teams both had some top serves and also had some nail biting rallies in their matches and both finished in 2nd place in their Round Robins. Well done to all players and thanks to Mrs Bird and Ms Bruce for coaching the teams on the day.
Congratulations to the following students who won their event(s) and will be competing at the State Finals on Tuesday 29 April: Eliza Ham (50m breastroke, relay), Zoe Robertson (100m butterfly, relay), Tess Reed (relay), Bridget Shanks (relay), Hayley Hogan (50m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 50m backstroke), Josh Hargreaves (100m breastroke), Nelson Xie (50m breastroke, 50m backstroke, relay) , Tom Baynard – Smith (relay), Fraser Smith (relay), Nathaniel Diong (relay), Nick De Voil (50m freestyle). Photos on page 4 of this newsletter.
Sports on offer to play in term 2 are: Badminton, Soccer, Netball, AFL. Coaches are: Junior & Senior girls AFL – Mr Jacobs Senior -
Badminton – Mrs Cabble Soccer boys – Ms Natoli Soccer girls – Mr Squire AFL boys – Mr Shores Netball girls – Mrs Hubble
Intermediate -
Badminton – Mr Amos Soccer boys – Mr Woodcock Soccer girls – Ms Allison AFL boys – Mr Sutherland & Mr Billings Netball girls – Ms Macfarlane
Year 8 -
Badminton – Ms Lyon Soccer boys – Mr Sanders Soccer girls – Mr Gillespie AFL boys – Mr Trollope Netball girls – Ms Dunlop
Year 7 -
Badminton – Mrs Freeman Soccer boys – Mr Duiveman Soccer girls – Ms Clarke AFL boys – Mr Henderson Netball girls – Mrs Powell & Mrs Callegaro
Mr Woodcock was the golf coach this year and he accompanied 4 of our students, Jani Goutsiaris, Nathan Chua, Matt Hardcastle and Taylor Davidson to Division Golf last Friday. 18 holes were played at the Glen Waverley golf course. There was some great golf played and some equally great sportsmanship throughout the day. Final results are yet to be sent out to schools as to who has made it through to Region.
On Monday 31 March the Eastern Region Swimming was held at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre. It was a highly competitive day with 26 Vermont SC students competing in various events on the day. A big congratulations to all students who swam, as they did a great job and many swam personal bests in multiple events. It was fantastic to find out that as a school Vermont SC finished in second place overall. This is a fantastic achievement as there were 36 schools that competed from the Region. Well done to the whole team! Team members were: Bianca Balocca, Gemma Balocca, Tom Baynard – Smith, Billie Bennett, Brock Caddaye, Mikayla Callen, Mary Chan, Nick De Voil, Nathaniel Diong, Michaela Facun, Brooklyn Fearn, Lara Finlayson, Courtney Gillespie, Eliza Ham, Josh Hargreaves, Hayley Hogan, Tarsha Kenendy, Tess Reed, Zoe Robertson, Bridget Shanks, Tegan Shaw, Fraser Smith, Claire Vance, Nelson Xie and Louisa Xie.
Cara Macfarlane Sports Co-ordinator
VSC UPCOMING SPORTS EVENTS Monday 28 April Tuesday 29 April Thursday 1 May Wednesday 7 May Monday 12 May Friday 23 May Wednesday 28 May Friday 6 June Tuesday 17 June Friday 29 June
Region & State Diving State Swimming Division Senior Round Robin VSC Cross Country Division Cross Country Division Intermediate Round Robin Division Girls AFL Division Year 8 Round Robin Regional Cross Country Division Year 7 Round Robin
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SPORTS PHOTOS Year 7 Boys Baseball
Year 7 Boys Cricket
Region Swimming
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LION’S CLUB ‘YOUTH OF THE YEAR’ On Wednesday 5 March, at Natalie’s restaurant, Mitcham, a competition known as ‘Youth of the Year’ was held. Vermont SC was lucky enough to have two entrants compete, Rose Hawthorne-Scott and Anne Marie Ionescu. ‘Youth of the Year’ is namely a public speaking competition, however it also requires participants to be up-to-date with current world issues and be involved in community and cultural projects. The night began with a quick 15-minute interview about the various school commitments and extracurricular activities we were involved in. When everyone had completed their interview we sat down to a lovely pasta or fish and chips dinner, which was quite scrumptious. After a lovely meal and a more familiar feel to the audience, it was time to answer two impromptu questions on current issues. The first question was a rather recent issue asking our opinion on Russia in the Ukraine, and the second question, an ongoing issue, being the effect of social media on the distancing of younger and older generations. With three-quarters of the night behind us, all that remained were the prepared speeches. With the crowd welcoming us with much cheer, Rose spoke about gay marriage and Anne Marie spoke about her transition into leadership and volunteer work.
We all came out as winners, however, neither of us technical winners and consequently not progressing to the next round. We had a great time, bathing in the limelight and all the time increasing our public speaking and confidence skills. A HUGE thank-you to Mrs Bird, for approaching us to attend the competition and accompanying us on the night, and just as big a thank-you to the Lions club for making the night and competition possible. If you are lucky enough to be presented with the opportunity to compete in the Lion’s Youth of the Year, it is definitely an option worth considering.
By Rose Hawthorne-Scott and Anne Marie Ionescu
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EAL and LOTE students if you would like to participate in the Premiers Reading Challenge reading in languages other than English, please see a Teacher Librarian for more information. If you would like a Permission form to participate in the Challenge, please collect one from the Library. Forms are in English, Chinese or Vietnamese.
The ‘Was it something I ate?’ acoustic guitar library lunchtime session on Friday March 28 was great. Students and staff alike were treated to a beautiful selection of songs. The favourite song of the day was the ensemble playing " Brown-Eyed Girl" with students clapping along all across the Library study area. Great dancing from some students too!
Fake recruitment ads used to target job seekers for identity theft and possible money laundering: SSO Alert Priority High Scammers are targeting job seekers for identity theft and possibly also as ‘money mules’ (a form of money laundering) by posting employment ads online pretending to be from legitimate Australian recruitment agencies. The fake ads have been posted on a number of Australian job boards, recruiting for a variety of entry-level positions such as part-time retail, clerical or financial roles. The scam takes advantage of a job seeker’s willingness to ignore their suspicions about disclosing personal information because there is a chance of employment, and the fact that any job application involves providing personal information as a matter of course. The ads include links to legitimate looking (but fake) recruitment websites and applicants who respond to the ad are led through a series of steps via email which eventually includes requests for their bank account details, personal information and copies of identity documents such as passports and driver’s licence. Some victims have also reported a deposit (or payment) made into their bank account which they were instructed to redirect onto other specified banks accounts, which suggests the scam also involves attempts at money laundering or using the applicant as a ‘money mule’ to shift suspicious or illegally acquired money via the victim to a safe account—typically in another country.
How the scam works Once an applicant clicks on the job ad they are directed to a fake recruitment website. The legitimate recruitment agency (hrnational.com.au) first reported the scam when its website was mimicked by scammers using a fake hrnational.net address. While the fake HR National website has been taken down, similar scams impersonating other Australian companies are still believed to be taking place. People who enquire about the position or submit their resume in response to the bogus ad or fake website receive an email, such as the example below, pretending to have come from the recruitment agency. The email includes a bogus application form which the candidate is asked to complete in order to apply for the position.
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From: "Angelina Sheppard, HR National" Subject: Available vacancies! Date: 11 March 2014 1:09:36 PM AEDT To: [Removed]
Dear , Now we are ready to assist you in finding a job. Your resume seemed to us very interesting. In order for us to move ahead in our selection process, could you please complete Application Form attached and return it to us. Job Title: Part-Time Retail Sales Assistant Employer: Realty Solution Our staffing team will carefully assess your qualifications for the role(s) you selected and others that may be a fit. All information about our agency and services you can see at our website. Best Regards, Angelina Sheppard HR national has grown to become one of the most respected Recruitment, HR Consulting & Career Management providers in Australia.We contribute substantially to the success of our clients by working with them to: recruit top talent; discover the full potential of each employee and realise the collective strength of a highly engaged workforce.
Once a candidate submits the application, a further response is received, advising them that the application was received successfully and has been passed along to the prospective employer for evaluation. It also includes other possible jobs of interest. Another example is below:
Dear ! We have sent your details to our employers. If your application is approved, they will contact you. Employer: Realty Solution Job Title: Part-Time Retail Sales Assistant (Training provided) Salary: $2300/month Job Type: Part Time Location: Melbourne, VIC More jobs available: 1. Employer: The Sopreto LLC Job Title: Assistant Clerk (Training is not required) Salary: $2900/month Job Type: Part Time/Temporary/Internet-office Location: Toorak, VIC 2. Employer: Travelodge Melbourne Job Title: Hotel Clerk Supervisor (Training is not required) Salary: 14$ /hour Job Type: Part Time/Temporary Location: Melbourne, VIC We sent your resume and apply for the above position. If you do not receive a response within 48 hours, your request has been declined. Best Regards, Angelina Sheppard HR national has grown to become one of the most respected Recruitment, HR Consulting & Career Management providers in Australia. We contribute substantially to the success of our clients by working with them to: recruit top talent; discover the full potential of each employee and realise the collective strength of a highly engaged workforce.
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Finally, the candidate receives an offer for the position via a third email, this time from the so-called prospective employer. The most recent example was from a fake company called, ‘The Sopreto LLC’. This e-mail also comes with a series of attached documents that the ‘employer’ requests be completed and returned, including ID document information and possibly also bank account details for payment purposes. The scammers may then attempt to execute the money mule/laundering phase of the scam, setting up payments to be made into the candidate’s bank account, which are then expected to be transferred onwards to the scammer’s destination account. This is often done under assertions that the position is financially or transactionally related, so it is part of the job or how payment for the job is managed. A small ‘commission’ may be offered for handling the transactions, usually pitched as part of the payment. This is a scam and participating in such activities is illegal.
What should you do? Be suspicious of any overt or unsolicited requests for your personal information or your bank account information via email—even from a potential employer. A recruiter should require nothing more than a CV during the initial stages of a job application. No employer or recruiter should ask for excessive personal or banking details upfront. This would include asking for copies of documents such as your driver’s licence and passport, or for your banking details. You can provide the necessary banking details for salary payments later in the process—usually after you have been offered the position and negotiated your employment with your new employer. Any recruiter should be upfront about how this will work and be clear about how your personal information will be handled. You should also be able to verify the address, contact information, website and general business undertaken by any organisation you are dealing with—independently of the information you are sent via email. As part of applying for any employment position you should research the employer and the recruiter by independently checking their website and other online presence. You should also try to meet and evaluate your potential employer before you provide personal or financial information. A reputable recruiter should be able to discuss an employment opportunity with you at length and in detail. They should be able to satisfy any questions you might have about the position and the company before you would be expected to offer any personal information. Be suspicious of any advertised positions that look too good to be true, in particular advertisements or messages that have poor English or lack the appropriate detail. If you suspect you might have encountered this type of scam, you can report the scam to SCAMwatch. You should also report the incident to your local police. If you have provided any financial details in a suspected scam, contact your bank immediately and monitor your account for suspicious activity.
More information Similar types of scams, such as the recent overseas loan scam, which operate in a similar way, have been discussed previously on Stay Smart Online. These differ mainly in that they try to fool you in to making a payment to the scammer, rather than laundering their money for them. Information provided by HR National and CERT Australia .
Kerri Simpson Information Resources Leader - Library
VSC Ritchies IGA Community Benefit Card Program Ritchies' Community Benefit Card Program donates a percentage of the money spent by you to your nominated club, school or charity. Nominate VSC to help raise funds for the College.
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VSC Bakers Delight – ‘Dough Raiser’ Present your card at Bakers Delight in Brentford Square each time you make a purchase to raise funds for VSC.
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2014 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools The University of NSW is offering your child an opportunity to participate in the International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS). ICAS assessments have taken place annually in schools for over thirty years and in 20 countries. Educational Assessment Australia (EAA), who design and deliver the assessments, is the not-for-profit arm of the University of NSW. ICAS:
is an annual skills development assessment program in key areas of learning for students in Years 2-12; assessments are available in Computer Skills, English, Mathematics, Science, Spelling and Writing gathers performance information through a 30-60 minute supervised in-school test provides a continuous, independent and comprehensive record of a student’s performance, and maps their development over the full period of primary and secondary schooling enables the progress of each student to be mapped in each skill against their previous performance, demonstrating personal improvement no matter the starting point uses fellow students’ results as a reference point; results are mapped against all students sitting at the same year level in Australia provides an excellent preparation for national testing enables students at all levels of ability to participate; ICAS contains questions designed to specifically explore the abilities of students of all standards – this includes those of both lower and higher levels of achievement medals are awarded to the top students in each subject in each school year in each state when sufficiently meritorious and the test was sat in the official test date achievements certificates are awarded to all student at a range of levels: o High Distinction to the top 1% of students o Distinction to the next 10% of students o Credit to the next 25% of students o Merit to the next 10% of students o Participation to all other students results are available to parents and students online; these online reports and analyses remain available indefinitely. ICAS reports indicate which questions were answered correctly, compare student performance to that of the other students tested and are highly suitable for inclusion in a student’s portfolio for future tertiary entrance or job opportunities entries are administered through the school, so teachers can also access the information
To enroll your child in ICAS, please complete the registration form below and return it, with your entry fees, to school by the due date. For more information about ICAS go to www.eaa.unsw.edu.au, contact Customer Service on (02) 8344 1010 or send an email to
[email protected] Your child can also prepare for ICAS using Practice Online. Practice Online tests are available for English, Mathematics and Science. Find out more about Practice Online at www.eaa.unsw.edu.au/practice-online Mr Donald Hew IT Leader
Ms Flora Moraitis Science Leader
Ms Tracy Mills English Programme
Ms Laura Churcher Mathematics Programme
2014 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools
Please return this section to the General Office by Friday, 4 April 2014 (last day of Term 1) I give permission for my child listed below to participate in the following 2014 International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS):
Computer
Science
Writing
Spelling
English
Mathematics
Skills (7-10 only) Tue 20/5/2014 $8.00
Wed 4/6/2014 $8.00
Mon 16/6/2014 $17.00
Tue 17/6/2014 $11.00
Tue 28/7/2014 $8.00
Tue 12/8/2014 $8.00
Student’s name: …………………………………………………………….………………………
ID: ………………… Form: …….…...
Name of Parent/Guardian …………………………………………………………..
Date: …../…../…..
Parent/Guardian’s signature …………………………………………………..……
Enclosed $.................. total entry fee 11
