24 June 2016

Editor: Jenny LeSouef
Technology: Alex Mellor

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

As you are aware, we were recently reviewed by an external panel in line with the Department of Education Independent Public School review process. Thank you to everyone who participated both in gathering the documentation and in the series of interviews which were held over two days. Our verbal feedback was very positive, the panel commended the quality of leadership including the Board, the self-review process including all aspects of documentation, the data literacy of staff, partnerships, the Board, the breadth of programs, VET, the inclusive safe learning environment and the school vision. We look forward to the written panel report which we will post for you on our website. A summary of our data is, of course, always available to the community through our annual school report on our website.

In week 4 next term, we will be conducting a parent survey. Your feedback will provide strategic direction for our next three year planning cycle and I encourage all of you to participate in the survey.

Our staff and students continue to receive accolades and recognition in a variety of school and community settings. We take pride in their successes and acknowledge their achievements which are outlined further in this newsletter.

Our first semester examination period for Years 10, 11 and 12 has concluded. Results for Year 12s are looking particularly positive. This is a very busy and stressful time for staff with both a heavy teaching and marking load. Teachers are responding to the challenge in their usual positive and competent manner. We are trialling electronic reporting this semester and look forward to your feedback.

Our stage 2 buildings are progressing to plan and on target. Our boarded up walkways will be returned to us next term and movement around the school will be much freer. We have received notification that our stage 1 buildings won an award from the Australian Institute of Building. This was an acknowledgement of the professional collaborative approach of the BMW, the consultant team, DOE and the school.

I will be taking long service leave from the start of term 3 through to November 14. Associate Principal, Colin Marshall will be acting as Principal in my place. This, in turn, means that other staff will move into acting administrative positions. Sue Holland and Maura Sorrell will be acting Deputy Principals.

I wish you all the best for the upcoming vacation.

Chris Booth

FROM THE BOARD

Members of the Board were pleased to be part of the Independent Public School review process recently undertaken by the Department of Education Services on behalf of the Department of Education. The Board, parents, staff and students were interviewed and a comprehensive file of data analysis prepared for the reviewers. The initial response from the reviewers was extremely positive. They highlighted that Willetton is regarded as an elite school which is not elitist and provides real opportunities for all students regardless of the pathway they wish to follow. As Board chair, I was privileged to play a role in the review and like every member of the Willetton community feel a great sense of pride in our school. At the same time former Board members, including chair Lindsay Holland, who have contributed over this three year cycle, must be acknowledged for their role.

I encourage all parents to participate in a survey being developed to provide direction for planning for the next triennial cycle.

It is wonderful when parents proactively offer to support the school within their area of expertise. One of our parents, Ian Spence, is the latest member of our community to offer his skill to both teaching and technical staff members. As a parent group, our expertise ranges across wide fields and together we can work to support all Willetton students. The partnership committee of the Board chaired by Tele Tan and Jenny LeSouef are happy to work with community and staff on projects to enhance student learning. Please contact our executive officer Helen Wong who will liaise with the partnership committee.

Our last Board meeting was held at The University of Western Australia. The vice chancellor spoke to us about degree course changes and developments at the university and we were treated to a short campus tour and an address by members of the Languages Department. The visit explored the potential of partnerships to augment the learning programs for our students. We hope to visit Notre Dame University later this year to further explore opportunities for our students.

The quality of the Willetton teaching staff has again been recognised. Head of Languages, Nathan Harvey, has received a Certificate of Excellence in Education and Darren Hamley, GT Coordinator was a finalist in a United Nations Award for Excellence in Environmental Education. Congratulations to both these outstanding teachers.

Simon Lappin

HEAD GIRL AND BOY REPORT

Congratulations to all the Year 12s who sat there first set of ATAR exams and Externally Set Tasks! Your commitment and work ethic was impeccable and inspiring, with great results to match. We are definitely in for some great achievements this year by the majority of the 12s, keep up the hard work!

As we start to be informed about our future studies through Competency Education, it is scary yet exciting to start thinking about what our future holds. Commencing semester 2 and our final time at Willetton, we begin to stress about our next exams yet plan our futures. Many mixed emotions about the next few months!

In saying this, we aim to make the most of our final days as Head Girl and Boy.

As our last councillor forum was a great success, we are in the process of organising our next forum early term 3. We aim to leave our ideas and leadership in the minds of the great councillors at Willetton and educate the future head boy and girl. We have successfully started up a new mentoring program and are in the process of recruiting Year 11 and 12 mentors. This program is a way in which lower school students can seek help from a mentor from senior school for guidance, tutoring and any help needed. This program is open to anyone seeking a buddy! To apply simply see your year coordinator to find your match! We have great faith in this program taking off.

We hope you all had a successful semester 1 as we did, and we are excited to come back fresh next term to finish our journey at Willetton Senior High School. Have a safe holiday.

Carly Stokes and James Dow

GENERAL REPORTS

Congratulations to ……

NATHAN HARVEY

Our Head of Languages was recently awarded a Certificate of Excellence in Educational Leadership by the Australian Council for Educational Leaders for his excellent leadership in creating and sustaining quality learning, teaching and student achievement.

We congratulate him for this outstanding achievement and acknowledge his success in developing collaborative leadership. Nathan inspires both staff and students with his clear expectations and in modelling the work ethic and dedication he expects from all.

DARREN HAMLEY

The United Nations Association of Australia held its annual World Environment Day awards on June 6 at Federation Square, Melbourne. Gifted and Talented Education coordinator Darren Hamley was a finalist in the awards for his work on environmental education with the Year 8 Gifted and Talented classes. Darren and the students have been conducting research on dolphin echolocation patterns, the hydrodynamics of dolphins with dorsal fin damage and electro deposition coral reefs.

The awards were presented by The Hon Linda Dessau AM, the Governor of Victoria and Hon Lisa Neville the Victorian Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water. A recorded message of congratulations to the finalists was given by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon. The United Nations judging panel said Mr Hamley's pioneering work would suit being picked up by the Department of Environment for further use.

Congratulations to Darren Hamley and the Year 8 Gifted and Talented classes from the past three years.

Darren Hamley

ROYAL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY SPEECH COMPETITION

Speech written and delivered by Marnie McKenna Year 10

Greetings ladies and gentlemen. My name is Marnie McKenna and I attend Willetton Senior High School. Today, I will be addressing the topic of an Inclusive Commonwealth for the Royal Commonwealth Society Speech and Leadership Contest.

Over two billion people live in a member state of the Commonwealth and each and every one of those people has their own culture, story and potential. However, that potential cannot and will not be fulfilled in a society where xenophobia, gender based discrimination and homophobia are allowed to exist. An Inclusive Commonwealth not only advocates for equality, but actively works towards it. The Commonwealth charter states "We emphasise the need to promote tolerance, respect, understanding, moderation and religious freedom". Yet, it is not enough merely to have values that support equality in the Commonwealth charter. We must embody them, live them, involve them in our laws and our lives. I believe the Commonwealth champions hope, unites those countries who are a part of it in their common goal: equality. I believe in creating a future of inclusivity for all races, genders and sexualities.

The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma said "Gender equality is a human right and fundamental principle of the Commonwealth," I wish I could say that it was treated as such. Of the 145 countries studied, not a single country has yet achieved gender equality according to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2015. In Australia alone, the gender pay gap was 18.8% last year. However, the Commonwealth has managed to achieve a lot of progress in the area of gender equality since it was established in 1930. Seven of the top 10 countries for gender equality in Sub-Saharan Africa are Commonwealth countries. Nevertheless, the gender pay gap is just the tip of the iceberg and although the Commonwealth has been able to achieve a lot in regards to gender equality, sexism is still ubiquitous in our community. 1 in every 3 women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lives according to United Nations Statistics.

Xenophobia is still a prevalent and topical issue in today's society, although it is less publicised. According to an article published by the Daily Mail Australia, over 40% of Indians don't want a different nationality living next door to them. Half of the top 12 most racist nations are in the Commonwealth. However, they are ideally placed to break down barriers through cultural exchange and trade retributions. The Commonwealth Games, which has been occurring quadrennially since 1930, aspires to eliminate those very prejudices. Organisations such as the Commonwealth Trade Initiative also work towards racial equality, by encouraging businesses in the Commonwealth to work together by connecting buyers and suppliers internationally. As Martin Luther King Jnr said "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." We, as the Commonwealth, must learn to drive out hate.

18 Commonwealth countries punish homosexuality by imprisonment; 2 by death. How does this statistic incorporate the values of democracy and human rights that the Commonwealth stands for? Despite the values of the Commonwealth that are so readily advertised and encouraged, many of the sentences for consensual sexual practices between same sex adults remain severe, including 10 years imprisonment and hard labour in Jamaica, 20 years plus flogging in Malaysia and 25 years in Trinidad and Tobago. Homophobia in the Commonwealth seems like something from a different era… and that is probably because it is. In most cases, homophobic legislation was originally introduced by former British colonial administrators who established anti-gay laws in the 19th century. Many of these countries then retained these laws after gaining independence. They are like a time capsule of Britain in the 19th century, still upholding outdated and damaging values that do nothing but hold back society. It is our responsibility as Commonwealth member states to bring these countries into the year 2016, not trapped in the past. As Kamalesh Sharma said "Discrimination and criminalisation on grounds of sexual orientation is at odds with our values". It is time to make a change. We cannot continue to ignore the outdated prejudices of homophobia in the Commonwealth.

We must awake to the reality of the world we live in. As the Queen's young leader, Sara Ezabe Malliye said, "Indifference is no longer an option". In Emma Watson's speech at the UN, she said "the reality is that if we do nothing, it will take seventy-five years, or for me to be nearly 100, before women can expect to be paid the same as men for the same work". Both of these women fight for equality in our Commonwealth. Is it not time we began to fight, too? The values of equality and human rights are ours to uphold. As members of the Commonwealth, we need to unite and work together in order to create a world free from prejudice and discrimination and fulfil our potential.

Thank you for your time.

Marnie won third place (from nine finalists) in the Royal Commonwealth Society's Speech and Leadership contest today. There were students from Perth Modern School, Scotch College, Balga Senior High and the Australian Islamic College speaking on the topic An Inclusive Commonwealth.

Thank you to Marnie's HASS teacher Mrs Bettermann for her support and guidance in preparing her six minute speech – and to Cassie Bettermann for helping her prepare for the finals.

Marnie McKenna, finalist Royal Commonwealth Society Speech and Leadership Contest

ROYAL COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY SPEECH COMPETITION

Speech written and delivered by Melvin Tom - Year 10

Let's face it, my presence on this stage is very unlikely. I was born in a small village in India in an extremely underfunded hospital and I went to a local school that was just as underfunded. My parents were not rich. They both lived under the poverty line of a dollar a day. My father lost two of his brothers as children because my grandfather could not afford hospitals, medicine and food, at time when this was considered basic rights. However this did not stop their dreams. Through education and hard work my father became a soldier in the Indian army and my mother became a nurse. But they wanted to educate their children in the best schools possible and to give them the best opportunities possible. That is why with a lot of determination, my mum got sponsored to come to Australia and work here. Trust me, not even one step that we took to get here was easy. This is my story and this is usually the story of many immigrants who come to Australia to seek a better life.

The Commonwealth of Nations was established in 1926 to create an intergovernmental organisation with the aim to unite 53 member states who are so different in culture, race and traditions. The idea of an inclusive commonwealth is the basic and most important ideology the Commonwealth was based upon. It is based upon three things, tolerance, respect and understanding and in our home country Australia, these three things to a degree are in play but there is great room for improvement.

In Australia we believe in respect. I can personally tell from my experience that my culture and tradition has been respected and many of my cultural activities were able to be practiced without any disapproval. However, Australia still needs to better their ways. The traditional owners of this land, the indigenous people have still not been respected by the Australian nation. They still have not been given the full recognition and given the respect they ask for. This would be one of the biggest challenges Australia faces to be fully part of the inclusive commonwealth.

In Australia we believe in equality. We are a democratic nation, built on the principle that all humans regardless of gender, race and religious belief are equal and have equal rights. Well in reality equality is not always in play within Australia. Women are earning 18.2% less than men. Indigenous Australians have life expectancy that is 10 years less than the rest of Australians and 48.3% of Australians reported to have fear of Islam which leads to discrimination. However Australia has taken drastic measures to make it as inclusive as possible. 50 years ago, Australia was closed and exclusive to mainly white Australians only but today over 28% of Australians are born overseas. That shows a great sign of inclusiveness and the welcoming attitude of Australia.

There is a solution to these problems. The best and possibly the only way to stop racism is through education of the new generation. Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world, said Mr Nelson Mandela. Racism isn't born, it is taught and if we teach our youth, the politician, doctors and artists of tomorrow that all men and women are equal and the pigment of their skin doesn't make them a better or a worse person than the rest of society then we have achieved in making a big step to eradicate racism. The children are the future. They are future leaders. They are the society of tomorrow. It is through them that we must correct the mistakes of our ancestors and they will be our legacy.

I love Australia. Australia is my home. Where else in the world can you go to the shops wearing shorts, an open shirt and thongs and the man at counter would ask you, G'day Mate? Even though he doesn't know me I'm his mate. That is the true spirit of Australia - the great sense of brotherhood, comradeship and inclusiveness. However there are people in our society who through their actions tarnish this identity. We as Australians must help renew our Australian identity. We as Australians have the responsibility to educate those who act racist and discriminatory and we as Australians must become the change.

There is a lot more to be done. The commonwealth is striving for equality amongst all people regardless of age, gender, colour, belief and other identity. However this is easier said than to be done. To bring together people of different and possibly conflicting cultures and beliefs to have a mutual agreement on important matters are hard. The definition of equality may differ from place to place. For example, for a Muslim the hijab is not an oppressive object that is forced upon women but rather a result of a beautiful culture and tradition that has been passed on for centuries. It is conflicting matters like these that separate and us and gives colour to each one of us. Our differing cultures and tradition helps give uniqueness to our decisions and helps bring many perspectives to the table and that is what the Commonwealth of Nations is about. An inclusive commonwealth is one that embraces the difference of opinions, not one that forces ideas upon people in the name of equality. An inclusive commonwealth, is one that embraces variety, an inclusive commonwealth is a commonwealth that finds unity within diversity.

Melvin was a finalist in the Royal Commonwealth Society speech competition

Melvin Tom

DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S INTERNATIONAL AWARD

More than 140 countries have adopted The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award program with over eight million young people having participated worldwide. Locally, over 700,000 young people have completed the Award in Australia in the past 57 years, with on average 40,000 very diverse participants annually working towards achieving an Award. At Willetton, around 120 students currently participate in the Award. Congratulations to Year 10 students Charlie Watt and Lachlan Forrest who have recently completed their Bronze Awards.

The Award is a leading structured (non-formal education) youth development program, empowering all young Australians between ages 14 and 25 to explore their full potential regardless of their location or circumstance. The Award is a fully inclusive program and has no social, political, or religious affiliations. Each young person who takes part in the Award learns a skill, improves their physical well being, volunteers in their community and experiences a team adventure in a new environment. All participants are supported by a network of adult award leaders, assessors, supervisors, and mentors.

The choice to do The Duke of Edinburgh is entirely voluntary and every Award is different. Each participant chooses what activities they want to take part in for each section. It is a very personal program that offers young people a structure to fulfil their passions and ambitions in a way that suits them. Apart from the requirements for each section, and the safety training requirements for the Adventurous Journey, the activities a participant chooses to undertake is entirely up to them. They have the freedom to progress through The Duke of Edinburgh Award according to their personal needs and abilities.

The key elements of the Award are:

• Open to all between the ages of 14 to 25.
• Three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold, each progressively more challenging.
• Four Sections: Physical Recreation, Skill, Service, Adventurous Journey plus Residential Project (Gold Level only).
• Achieving an Award recognises individual goal setting and self-improvement through persistence and achievement.

Through this challenging journey of self-discovery, our participants:

• Are equipped and empowered to achieve their personal best
• Learn to take responsibility for their goals and choices
• Become connected to and actively engaged within their immediate community
• Make a real difference to society through their positive contributions and involvement
• Learn to persevere and overcome barriers to success
• Learn important life skills
• Increase their career opportunities.

In WA, the Award is an endorsed program with the School Curriculum and Standards Authority and Year 10, 11 and 12 students can count towards the WA Certificate of Education (WACE).

In addition, the Award;

• will be listed on their Western Australian Statement of Student Achievement
• may contribute towards the breadth-and-depth requirement of the WACE
• may contribute towards the C grade requirement of the WACE

Judy Gauci Coordinator

INTERACT NEWS

RYPEN camp

Twice a year, the Rotary Club of Willetton fully sponsor our students to participate in the RYPEN camp. RYPEN (Rotary Youth Program of ENrichment) is a residential camp where participants are involved in a variety of workshops, activities and games. Sessions provide the opportunity for self-development, challenge and increasing confidence and self-esteem. Throughout the weekend, participants learn to build their skills in areas such as leadership, working in a team, communication, goal setting, exploring one's values and about contributing to the community.

Here are the reflections of some of our students:

RYPEN was an amazing experience as I got to learn more of what it means to be a leader as well as a team member. My memorable moments would be the team-building activities that we did, I learned more about my own thinking skills as well as my mates. I would also to thank the Willetton Rotary Club for offering me this opportunity to gain new experiences at RYPEN – Judith Year 12

RYPEN was an eventful weekend, packed with amazing activities. What I learnt from the camp was that communication comes in more ways than just speaking. My favourite activity at the camp had to be the night rescue mission – Day Year 11

The thing I learnt from the camp is team work and more communication with team members. My favourite experience of the camp was the OCC where we couldn't talk to each other. Instead we had to have team work to solve the problem – Kun Jia Year 9

For me, RYPEN was an amazing experience - I was able to meet so many new people, whilst at the same time working on my teamwork, leadership and communication skills. Not to mention that the activities were super fun! Thank you to Rotary Willetton for sponsoring me to go on this camp, it was incredible – Jae Year 9

Attending the RYPEN camp in May was such a great opportunity and truly a once in a lifetime experience. Not only did I challenge myself physically in all of the fun outdoors activities, but also mentally. I learnt so much valuable information and made some great friends along the way.

I am so grateful to Willetton Rotary Club for sponsoring me and allowing me to attend this camp. It was such an enriching adventure and I made some memories I will always remember! Brielle Year 9

The best part about the camp was the thrilling and innovative games. What I found interesting was how every little task that one does was appreciated and not taken for granted. When we did a good deed like simply opening the door for everyone we were awarded a shiny (lolly) as they would call it. It was definitely a worthwhile experience so grab it if you have the opportunity! Rebecca Year 12

One of my favourite experiences at RYPEN was the big swing at Manjedal Activities Centre. At RYPEN, I learnt to challenge myself both mentally and physically. Teamwork was also of equal importance. I would like to thank the Rotary Club of Willetton for sponsoring us on this amazing camp – Veronica Year 9

Presentation of Badges

At the last Interact meeting, club members who have been attending the meetings regularly were formally recognised by being presented with a badge. The badge displays the Interact logo, which is an international symbol recognising the efforts of members in their contribution to the community.

Thank you to Marcus Wong, inaugural 2015 Interact President for attending to present the special badges to the executive team members.

Helen Wong Interact Club facilitator

GIFTED AND TALENTED EDUCATION

Selection of our Year 7 classes of 2017 is well underway. I have met many of the students and they are all excited about the prospect of starting high school. Interest in our Gifted and Talented program continues to grow resulting in a higher cut off score each year. We are looking forward to helping each of the new students in the program achieving to their full potential.

Darren Hamley Gifted and Talented Education Coordinator

ASTRONOMY CLUB

Astronomy club students have had two observation nights in the past few weeks using the UWA telescope. We have been using a black and white camera with red, blue, green and clear filters. The four images are then superimposed onto each other to produce a high definition colour photograph.

Our own school observatory should be operational by October.

Darren Hamley Coordinator

Photograph of M20 The Trifid Nebula by Andrew Lee

The M20 is 5200 light years away, so we are viewing the nebula as it was in 3200BC

NASA SPACE CAMP

Shrenik Jobanputra, Year 12, made a presentation to the Year 10 Gifted and Talented Science classes recently to inspire them about his NASA trip.

Shrenik presenting to Year 10 students

I was one of the 300 students from 36 countries who were fortunate enough to attend a week-long space camp in February at US Space and Rocket Centre in Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.A. It was a once in a life time experience with fun-filled activities related to space exploration and leading into a pathway to becoming an astronaut!

Our journey in Space Camp started with us meeting Robert hoot Gibson, who is an astronaut and has been in five different missions into space! We were even lucky enough to talk to him and ask him about his amazing experience in space and working with NASA. A few were even luckier, and had a chance to take a selfie with Robert Gibson! Along with other exciting activities we did like the Multi-Axis Trainer, the 1/6th Gravity Chair and the G-Force accelerator; we also did team building activities like the rocket building challenge (which flew an estimated of 300 metres directly upwards), the rover building challenge and many more.

Along with the vast knowledge and experience I gained that week was friendship. Getting to know people from different countries and learning about their lifestyle and culture was a part of the treasure I collected that week. Something else which I will never forget were the very fun but weird competitions which the students did together. These were the chilli eating competition (I came 4th), the snowball fighting competition and many-many more. And I do have to say that this was the most AMAZING week I have ever experienced!

Shrenik Jobanputra Year 12

WAR-SHING LINE

What?!?! You may be wondering, do washing lines have to do with one of the biggest events in the 20th century, a conflict that took over 50 million civilian and soldier lives? What does drying clothes have ANYTHING to do with World War II???

On Thursday May 27 the Gifted and Talented Year 10 HaSS class built a washing line to hang up all the events occurring in the period of World War II. Each student selected a topic from which they found events and wrote it down on a square of paper. However there were a few cases in which our topic-allocated-to-student guy, Matt Robson, accidentally chose for us.

To present this on the timeline, Mr Johnson came up with a method using his unmatched creative skills. Each event was categorised as political, social, economic or technological, which could be identified by the colour of paper, and attached to a long line of string by pegs in order of date. Mr Johnson went all out with the coloured paper, supplying us with yellow, blue, orange and beige to reflect each category, and even little pegs for the washing line.

It was noticed that before the beginning of the war there were quite the number of blue events, displaying the large amount of technology being invented and used to further the success of countries. However as the war progressed, we began to see more and more social and political events taking place.

This activity was extremely helpful to develop our team skills as a class and increase our knowledge of the events of World War II. Overall, it was enjoyed by many, especially those who were given permission to yell at others and feel powerful. Now we can only hope that Mr Johnson decides to let us be free to be creative again.

Ryan Woon, Ben Pitkethley, Ashlee Cronin, Chris Wallace, Clare Wan, Kaylee Wong, David Wu and Purnima Padmanabhan Year 10 GT

The completed activity

YEAR 8 GIFTED AND TALENTED ENGLISH

Since the first week of 2016 the students in both Year 8 Gifted and Talented English classes have been forced to suffer through Mrs Duffy's punderful jokes at the end of class. We've also read many different pieces of fine literature, including age old classics like Animal Farm by George Orwell and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The other English class read Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera and have been taught by Miss Wright, a student teacher from Murdoch University for a few lessons per week. Miss Wright created a website on the novel for students to access via Connect and they could create a digital film poster for the novel.

Both classes read a feature article about census day, and, without any extra information, were given a challenge to write either an imaginative or persuasive response to it. Below is a copy of the poem Alexsis wrote in response to the article:

The Change of Census

A knock at the door.
A ring,
A shout.
"Where is your form?"
"Please get it out."
A cautious question.
"Indeed it's true."
"The info kept is all about you."
An angry response.
"Now, now, calm down."
"We'll make sure to keep it from spreading around."
A blunt denial.
"Aww, don't be this way."
"You know that everything is perfectly safe."
But is it really?
A question not asked.
A scowl, a frown, but not more doubt.
A conflicting mind;
Two options to choose.
The one that is done,
Seems right to do.
A quick excuse,
A smart retreat,
The filling of boxes on the paper sheet.
A regretful return,
Half-hearted surrender.
"Thank you, goodbye!"
You don't feel any better.

Our next task is essay writing and Mrs Duffy has entrusted us with creating our own essay questions to respond to. We are looking forward to our next topic, debating, which will give us a break from writing…for a little while, anyway.

Why didn't the skeleton go to the ball?

Because he had no BODY to go with.

Alexsis Talbot and Kate Donovan Year 8

Poster by Amy Mercer

ENGLISH

WILLETTON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL'S FIRST INTERN

Samantha Wright is currently working in the English Department as Willetton Senior High School's first intern (a student teacher who works at a school for the full year). Samantha, a former Willetton student, is studying a Bachelor of Education, majoring in English and Australian Indigenous Studies at Murdoch University.

On Tuesday May 3, Miss Wright was presented with the Vice Chancellor's Commendation for Academic Excellence for the second year in a row. This award is given to students for outstanding academic performance, having placed in the top 2% of students enrolled in a bachelor degree at Murdoch University and achieving 15 credit points of High Distinction within the review period.

Our students will benefit from having such a positive role model working with them this year.

Samantha Wright, flanked by her mother and grandmother, after receiving her award.

Lara Duffy Acting HoLA English

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

2016 AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHY AND HISTORY COMPETITIONS

During week 4, term two, all students in Year 8 mainstream and all the GT (Years 7-10) classes, in total around 540 students, took part in the 22nd annual Australian Geography Competition. Then during week five of term 2, teachers selected the top 60 Modern History students from Year 10, to participate in the Australian History Competition.

Approximately 75,000 students from all around Australia enter the geography competition annually, which is organised by the Australian Geography Teachers' Association and the Royal Geographical Society of Queensland. In the history competition the entry numbers are around 25,000 nationally.

These competitions give the Humanities and Social Sciences Learning Area an opportunity to highlight geography and history, and for this reason all entry fees into the competition are paid for by the learning area. We feel that the study of geography is very important for all students as it helps to establish valuable understandings about the world around them and the interconnectedness that exists between people and the environment. Geography is the perfect mix of humanities and science. It is about developing an understanding of the environment and its many facets of change. The study also investigates things as diverse as human health, history, politics, international relations and migration. The important skills we teach in history are transferrable to other learning areas and the competition allows students to challenge their own historical understandings and apply the skills learnt in their Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) class.

Both of the competitions were very challenging and required the completion of a test, which involved skill based and general knowledge in the form of multiple-choice questions. Students' knowledge of developing countries, environmental issues, geopolitics, maps, current events, historical events, source analysis / interpretations and physical terrains were tested.

Students who achieve outstanding results in the geography competition may have the opportunity to represent Australia in an international geography competition.

All students who have participated in these competitions will receive a certificate and a scorecard of their achievement level, early in term three.

Traditionally, students at Willetton SHS perform very well in both competitions, with many receiving high distinction certificates and an analysis of the final results will be provided to parents.

John Maxwell Head of Humanities and Social Sciences

UNITED STATES PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION FORUM

On Tuesday May 10, four Year 12 Politics and Law students attended an informative discussion on the state of US politics and the upcoming presidential election in November. Speakers included Penny Lee, a prominent member of the Democratic Party who over many years has served in key roles including as the top communications and political advisor to the US Senate Majority leader. Also present was prominent Republican Alex Conant who was communications director for the 2016 presidential bid of Marco Rubio. The US Consul General for Perth, Cynthia Griffin, was also present. An Australian flavour was added through the contribution of Australia's former opposition leader and former Ambassador to the United States. Kim Beazley.

The main format of the session was a question and answer panel discussion. Our own Annelle Angus bravely took the microphone and asked the first question of the night! The panel gave informative insights into the US electoral system, how presidential candidates operate, and the unexpected rise of business tycoon Donald Trump, (although the panel concluded that we are not likely to ever be saying President Trump)! The insiders stimulated our interests and built our understanding of the United States political system in ways that will undoubtedly help us with our studies.

Annelle Angus, Hilda Chan, James Dow and Miroljub Markovic

Year 12 Politics and Law

Willetton Senior High School Head Boy James Dow with Kim Beazley at the United States Presidential Election Forum

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

YEART 10 LIGHTNING CARNIVAL SOCCER REPORT

The Year 10 boys soccer tournament took place on Tuesday May 10 at Beale park. This year we were put into A division with the draw comprised of six teams. To accommodate this amount of teams, we had to squeeze in two 10 minute halves to make one game and played a total of 5 games to determine the winner.

Willetton vs Melville 2 – 0

1 goal – Charlie
1 goal – Brian

During this game we hit the woodwork three times. On top of this, one of our goals was deemed offside in a close call. Lastly, Brian scored the second goal of the game on his first touch after coming in as a substitute. It was a very good start to the tournament for us.

Willetton vs Applecross 1 - 1

1 goal – Charlie

A very close game that could have gone either way. Charlie scored a great goal to peg it back to evens. We continued to apply the pressure but could not convert to seal the deal

Willetton vs Safety Bay 2 - 0

1 goal – Charlie
1 goal – Own goal

A great win against a specialist soccer school. The highlight of the match was Charlie's fine solo effort. He took on two players and calmly wrong-footed them and slotted it home. Special commendation must go to Nikita in goals who denied a cannonball shot in the top corner to keep them scoreless.

Willetton vs John Curtin 1 - 2

1 goal – Charlie

We started this game and let them control the passage of the ball. They dominated possession and took advantage of this to go 1-0 up by half time. In the second half, we were a whole new team. We got stuck in, had more confidence and were not scared to take them on. Charlie scored to go 1-1 level and the boys fired right up. With 10 seconds to go, they long-balled it in from the wing and it bounced over our defender. Their captain used his head to flick the ball over his head, over our goalie and scored with only 5 seconds left. It was a devastating goal as a draw would have put us in second place.

Willetton vs Rossmoyne 2- 0

1 goal – Nixon
1 goal – Nima

For our final game, we brought on all of our subs to give everyone a fair amount of game time. The main highlight would have to be Nima's goal which was a great shot from well outside the box.

Mr E Pretorius Coach/Manager

Year 10 Boys Soccer Team
Back Row (L to R): Joesh Teng, Christo Shaju, Vernon Lucas, Nima Najarfian, Nicita Tcherkashnev, Charlie Watt (Captain), Jay Grimston, Nazel Siregar, Brian Magombedze, Rifqui Nurfaizi
Front Row (L to R): Jay Ganakuru, Nathan Craigie, Maheesha Dias, Montel Moodley, Nixon Dinal, Patrick Banthan, Mason Nichols

HIGH SCHOOL CUP REPRESENTATIVE NETBALL

Congratulations to our Year 7 and 8 girls teams who were undefeated in their first full day carnival at Fremantle courts on May 25.

They both now proceed to an afterschool Inter-zone game then the north-south metro crossover elimination day carnival on Friday July 22. If successful, the grand final will be played at the WA Netball Centre on Wednesday August 17.

Year 8 Team

Teya Saville
Chloe Dreyer
Kayla Perkin
Tiffany Simpson
Kaya Wardle
Cate McGrath
Chloe Napolitano
Holly Briggs
Kayleigh Stephen
Emily McAllan
Mrs Banner Coach

Year 8 HS Cup Team

Year 7 Team

Jade Steenkamp
Mia Jacobs
Druvinka Fernando
Emily Morgan
Catherine Kershaw
Millie Della
Saskia Saville
Bethan Grant
Hollie Tucek
Joanne Fuh

Year 7 HS Cup Team
Back row left to right: Bethan Grant, Druvinka Fernando, Jade Steenkamp, Catherine Kershaw, Saskia Saville, Hollie Tucek
Front Row left to right: Millie Della, Mia Jacobs, Joanne Fuh, Emily Morgan

Rianda Clemons Coach

TOUCH

We would like to congratulate the touch teams that competed in the WA Cup Touch Carnival. There was one girls' team and two boys' teams, altogether 32 students. This was the largest number of students that we had try out for touch and we are looking forward to getting larger numbers involved.

We are proud of all the students' efforts and team work. They all played with played hard, strong and fair and with integrity. Each team played six games.

The boys A team came 3rd in their pool with a special mention to the game against the skilled Mandurah Community College. They had a tight finish with the score 4-3. The boys' B team played hard, with only a few subs due to fasting and injuries. All played really well, great job! The girls came 4th in their pool, with a special mention to the game against Lumen Christi, the first game of the day, starting off strong with a score 3-1. Great teamwork by the girls.

We would all like to say a massive thankyou to the teachers, Mrs Fapani for coaching the boys' A team, Miss Peters for the boys' B team and Miss Clemons for the girls' team. We are all very grateful for your guidance and for helping us improve our skills and technique.

We may not have made it to the finals but we all had fun, our fingers froze and we all made it back to school in one piece.

WA Cup Touch Carnival

Georgia Shearer Year9

YEAR 10 GIRLS LIGHTNING CARNIVAL - SOCCER

On May 10, the Year 10 Girls Soccer Lightning Carnival was held at Winthrop Park. Willetton Senior High School took 14 enthusiastic and energetic girls to the tournament. For the first time in years we played all schools with no differentiation between A and B Divisions.

The day was filled with wins and losses against some tough opponents including John Curtin and Safety Bay. The girls worked extremely well securing a wins against Gilmore and South Fremantle. Our teamwork and camaraderie on and off the field was exceptional.

Finishing in 5th position the girls came home proud of the new skills they learnt and the fun times that were had on the day. Congratulations to all players for consistently rotating through all positions on the park with special mention to the lovely girls who went into goals. I would also like to thank my fantastic assistant coaches Kimi-Fleury Tuck and Caleb Boyd for their efforts throughout the day.

Lauren Andrews Coach

Year 10 Girls Soccer Team

YEAR 11 AND 12 CERTIFICATE ll IN OUTDOOR RECREATION

It has been a busy start to Term 2 in Outdoor Recreation.

Year 11 Students trekked off into the wilderness during Week 4, successfully completing their bushwalking unit with a Bibbulmun Track Hiking Day Trip. The students started their walk at Fern Road in the Mundaring/Kalamunda area and finished the day at the Mundaring Weir. Cooking lunch on the trangia stoves was a highlight for many with some junior master chefs in each class making delicious three course meals in their groups. The student's teamwork and behaviour was outstanding over the four days and we look forward to their Mountain Bike Camp in Term 4.

Year 12 Outdoor Recreation students completed a two day Sea Kayaking Expedition in the Rockingham/Point Peron area early this term. The students paddle approximately 14 kms over the two days, starting at Warnbro Sound, paddling to Penguin Island for lunch on the first day. The first day ended with a paddle around Point Peron into the Point Peron Camp School. Day two involved a paddle under the Garden Island Bridge finishing at the end of the Rockingham foreshore for lunch. The Year 12 students showed exceptional leadership, group work and maturity throughout the camp and we are very proud of their efforts.

Rianda Clemons HPE Teacher

LANGUAGES

ASSISTENTI LINGUISTICI

Hello!

My name is Maddalena. I come from Milan and I'm an Italian Assistant Teacher here in Willetton.

I have a MasterS in Economics and Management of Cultural Heritage and Entertainment from the Catholic University in Milan, as well as a degree concerned with museum policies and management issues. In addition to my MA, I have a Bachelor of Arts that allowed me to study Roman and Ancient Greek art, history and language and of course Italian language and literature.

This interest in Italian language prompted me to pursue, during my MA, a teaching experience in a middle school in order to support foreign students in different subjects, especially Italian language. During this experience as a volunteer, I discovered my desire to share my knowledge and my interests with other people.

I lived in France and in Spain and for this reason I have developed a strong fascination for cultural diversity. This is my first time in Australia and for sure I want to take advantage of this new experience.

Maddalena Pizzioli Luporini Italian Assistant

10 Tips and Tricks to Learn a Language

Advice for learning languages from a person who speaks nine

Matthew Youlden speaks nine languages fluently and understands over a dozen more. We work in the same office in Berlin so I constantly hear him using his skills, switching from language to language like a chameleon changing colors. In fact, for the longest time I didn't even know he was British.

When I told Matthew how I've been struggling to merely pick up a second language, he had the following advice for me. If you believe that you can never become bilingual, take note!

Read more here…

THE ITALIAN WORLD OF YEAR 7 STUDENTS

Ciao (hello) everyone!

Welcome to the
world of Year 7 Italian. Learning Italian is great. It's like stepping into a whole
new world of fun. It's completely
different from English, but easy to learn. It's a great subject to
take because you get to do lots of
things with such as going on an
exchange to Italy for two months or host
an Italian exchange student of your own! It's a great language to learn so if you're thinking about learning a language Italian is the way to go. Italy is a beautiful country so if you ever go there, you'll be prepared.

Alise Wilton and Laura Ludlow Year 7

Buongiorno, mi chiamo Bethan. Just kidding. Hi I'm Bethan and I'm here to talk to you about Italian Year 7 2016.

In Term 1 we learnt how to introduce ourselves to people using greetings and how to pronounce the words properly. We also covered numbers, colours and a few classroom phrases.

This term we are also covering adjectives, verbs and pronouns. We also had to create a family tree and talk about our pets. We also had to choose our favourite person and describe them in Italian and present it to the class.

So far my Year 7 journey, Italian has been fun, interesting and fascinating. It's a lovely subject to learn and with Mrs Petale as a teacher, it makes it easier to learn.

Bethan Rosier Year 7

치하

Congratulations to Merci Tuivai'I from Year 9 who has been selected as one of four Australian representatives to travel to Korea. As part of the Korean Language Program, the Korean government has invited excellent foreign students who have potential to become leaders in their home countries to deepen their understanding of Korea and provide motivation for future study pursuits in Korea, through education and cultural experience programs.

Sixty high school students from throughout the world have been selected. The 11 day study tour will give students the opportunity to participate in special lectures, visit to universities, cultural historical sites industrial facilities and home stay. The government of Korea pays for all costs for the students.

We are very pleased with Merci's success and look forward to her sharing this with other students when she returns.

Tae-Jung Kim Teacher of Korean
Nathan Harvey Head of Languages

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO JOIN THE ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE OR DIALECT (EAL/D) AT WILLETTON?

Students from Mrs Driver's class

Two students new to Willetton SHS and to EAL/D say:

• Everyone Is really welcoming and friendly. I got to learn more about different cultures of different countries, as well as the cultures in Australia.
• The students in the EAL/D class are very friendly. This EAL/D Course is one of the new courses for me. I have learned different topics in this course that I have never learned before. There have been a lot of assignments to help us understand better the topics we have to do.

One student new to EAL/D says:

• We've learnt about Australian culture and different ways of life and making choices. Every EAL/D teacher always makes their best effort to help us reach our maximum potential in English.

One student new to Australia says:

• Coming from Malaysia, it was for sure a drastic change, but, overall, for the better. Everyone in school is friendly and welcoming. The classes are very interactive with teachers showing a lot of concern about our progress and are more open to feedback during class. EAL/D is particularly enlightening – it gives me a chance to explore more about local Australian culture. I also find it entertaining, with literature and film study.

Students from Ms Driver's Year 11 EAL/D class

MULTICULTURAL WEEK: SARI EXPERIENCE STALL APRIL 5

Teachers and students trying on saris

Along with some enthusiastic Year 8 students, Mrs Anthony and Ms Driver, we spent recess time to plan and organise this event, which was worthwhile because we got to experience a different culture with our friends from different countries.

It was a great experience since everyone – both the helpers and the students who tried on the saris really enjoyed themselves. For those students who migrated to Australia, Multicultural Week brought them memories about their culture; it made them feel at home again when they're missing some things from their background.

Thanks Mr Harvey and the Languages learning area!

Meng Yee Yuen and Megan Koh, Year 11 EALD

MORE WA STUDENTS SAY 'VIVA ITALIA!'

The following article featured as an online press release of the Department of Education.

27 May 2016

Italian language in WA public schools will live on after the renewal of a promising pledge yesterday afternoon.

Signing a memorandum of understanding, Director General Sharyn O'Neill and Italian Consul David Balloni agreed to continue to encourage students to study the Italian language.

Ms O'Neill said it was important for students to learn a second language as it helped them become well-rounded citizens when they graduated from secondary school.

Learning a language exposes students to another culture and gives them a greater understanding of their place in the world, she said.

It helps them form a connection with people who come from all walks of life, and become more thoughtful and broad-minded citizens. Our schools really benefit from the teaching of Italian language and this memorandum is symbolic of the agreement between Australia and Italy.

At Willetton Senior High School, Year 12 students are immersed in Italian culture during a two month exchange program as part of their Italian language course.

Pia Palermo

Italian language teacher Pia Palermo said the course gave students immense insight and they delighted in experiencing rich Italian culture.

Aspects of Italian culture – and the contribution Italians have made to Australia - are learnt through the language, she said.

While our students are on exchange they are exposed to the language and culture through daily interactions at school and their home-away-from-home that they can draw on in their studies. Learning a language provides students with an opportunity to appreciate the diversity of humanity and to reflect on their understanding of human experience all around the world.

FROM THE HEAD OF LANGUAGES

Recently on social media there have been several high profile people talking about the importance of learning languages.

Alynd is an international employment and marketing firm whose motto is: Agile workflow for agile marketing teams. Their Chris Heur says it's about choosing the right words for creating understanding and alignment.

As we globalize and work across more countries, just as significant as knowing a second or third language, there is a rising need for people skilled in understanding the context that stems from how people speak or interact. This goes beyond issues of inclusiveness and having a culturally diverse workforce. It is much more an issue of leadership in being about to comprehend and hold different perspectives readily and why people may think in different ways.

I'm heartened most by Lord Ashdown's words in The Guardian of the impact of language on the self and on society: Human beings are, above all, communicating animals. That's what we do best and it's what we do first with our brains. Language is, quite literally the stuff of life. The more you can speak of other people's languages, the more you can be part of their lives and enrich your own.

Nathan Harvey Head of Languages

VISIT FROM SOUTH AUSTRALIAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

Earlier this term, three Executive Directors visited our school from the Department of Education, South Australia. In SA, there is currently significant educational reform taking place and the Directors approached the WA Department of Education about conducting a visit to WA. As they wanted to see some successful and high functioning teams in action, DoE WA suggested that a visit to Willetton Languages would be a highlight.

The Directors met with Principal Chris Booth, and Nathan Harvey, Head of Languages to discuss learning innovations, operational and strategic planning, building a culture of learning and staff development. As a national leader in Languages, the success story of Languages at Willetton was presented to the visitors. With over 20% of Year 12 students learning a language and achieving outstanding results, the Directors will take the suggested processes and strategies back to SA and share these with Principals so that they can be adapted to all learning areas.

The Directors were particularly impressed with students' engagement and motivation when they visited lessons.

Nathan Harvey Head of Languages

SCIENCE

TRANSFORMER ACTION

Year 12 Physics students waiting for water to boil using heat lost in a transformer.
Left to right: Joshua Tan, Jordan Beamsley, Deepak Balasubraniam. Michael Lee and Cole Bannister

M Munshi Science Teacher

TECHNOLOGIES

GRAPHICS

The galleries below are work samples from Year 11 and 12 students completing their Certificate II in Visual Arts, Graphic Design.

Year 12 students have now completed the units CUVDIG201A – Develop Digital Imaging Skills where they have explored digital cameras, taken images and applied graphic design skills to edit the photo.

Year 11 students have completed BSBDES202A – Follow a Design Process. In groups they have made brochure designs for a range of businesses with some spectacular results. All work has been produced in Adobe CS6 applications: Photoshop, Illustrator and In Design on IMac Computers. WACOM digital drawing tablets have also been used in numerous instances.

Judy Gauci Technologies Teacher

THE ARTS

ATWELL YOUTH AWARDS 2016

The Atwell Youth Awards is an art exhibition run by the Atwell Arts Centre in Alfred Cove. This exhibition is in its 14th year, and this year, 189 entries were received from 15 schools from the government, catholic and independent sectors.

Willetton Senior High School entered several works from students in Year 9 Visual Arts Extension, and Year 12 ATAR Visual Arts.

Since the beginning of the year, the Year 9 Visual Arts Extension class have been creating works especially for the exhibition, addressing this year's theme of Chocolate - The Irresistible Paradox. Each student created a ceramic box of chocolates. Nine students from this class had their work selected for the Atwell Youth Awards. They were Jean Creelman, Sonali Grover, Jia Yi (Joey) Kok, Jie Ru Lim, Char Min Ng, Georgia Pinder, Sarah Singho, Bianca Stevenson and Emily White.

In Year 12, three students had their works selected for exhibition; Devonny Sherwood, Nikita Wynne and Tessa Jenkinson.

The exhibition opening and awards ceremony was held on Thursday June 16, at the Atwell Arts Centre. Willetton Senior High School won several awards, which are listed below.

Year 9 Highly Commended

Emily White for her ceramic chocolate box Life is like a box of chocolates…

Object of Interest Chocolate

Willetton Senior High School

Year 12 Winner

Joint winner with Rebecca Faller from Santa Maria College

Nikita Wynne for her painting This is Me

Best in Show: Gillian Peebles Award of Excellence

Devonny Sherwood for her painting Pretty Little Cancer

School Art Department Award

Willetton Senior High School

These prizes reflect the hard work and dedication of our Visual Arts students, and the many hours our students spend in the Art department after school, and at home, perfecting their works. These students should feel very proud of their achievements.

The success of our students would not be possible without the support and encouragement of parents and caregivers.

Congratulations to all students involved in this exhibition, and we look forward to seeing the continued success of Willetton Visual Arts students in 2016.

Claire Rushton Visual Arts Teacher

DRAMA UPDATE

It has been a busy time in the Drama department. We have appointed two Drama Captains, the Year 11 & Year 12 Drama students attended their annual camp at Point Walter, the Year 7s, 8s and Year 9s performed at a lower school drama showcase and after much decision making, the school musical has been decided for 2017.

TERM 3 PRODUCTIONS

• Year 12 production

The Witches by Roald Dahl Adapted by David Wood

CAST

Date: Wednesday - August 3 - 6:30pm

Tickets are on sale Monday July 25 from the registrar's office. Cost is $7. It would be fantastic to have support with what is going to be an amazing performance.

• Year 11 production

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Date: Wednesday August 31 6:30pm

• Year 12 production: Dance/Drama Original Performances

Date: Wednesday September 7 6:30pm

• Year 10 Drama production: Oliver Twist Adapted by the stage by Jeremy Brock

Date: Wednesday 21 September 6:30pm

DRAMA CAPTAINS

Congratulations to the newly appointed drama captains:

Lower School Drama Captain: Marnie McKenna
Senior School Drama Captain: Thomas McDonald

These two students will be responsible for such areas as public relations, attending and support all drama performances, liaising with Front of House and production teams, collaboration with the newsletter, encouragement of students to continue their drama journey, hosting certain events, creating ideas and intiatives, working and assisting with the drama teachers, assisting students with lines/rehearsals and assisting drama club.

Senior School Drama captain

I am Thomas McDonald the new senior Drama Captain. I have been a drama student since my first days at Willetton SHS and it has always been a class I have enjoyed. It soon became more than just enjoyment. Very early on I started doing lighting and sound for various productions at school including the Year 11 and 12 ATAR class throughout my first couple of years at the school.

When auditions for the school musical camp came around I was naturally drawn to it. I got the lead role of Joseph in the musical and had an amazing experience over the year of rehearsal and performance.

This is what I bring to the role: I am passionate about drama and all its areas. I hope to encourage others in their drama endeavours. I am excited to be taking on this role and supporting the drama program at Willetton. I hope to see you all at a performance very soon.

Lower School Drama captain

My name is Marnie McKenna and I have been selected as the lower school drama captain this year. As an aspiring actress, I hope to encourage more students to pursue drama in our school. My role is to assist and promote drama performances and organise future theatre and drama related opportunities with Mr Brand and Ms Talbot. I am incredibly excited for the upcoming performances and hope to see many students auditioning and involved in the approaching musical, Cinderella Enchanted.

YEAR 7 - 9 LOWER SCHOOL DRAMA SHOWCASE

On Monday the 13th of June, the first semester Year 7, 8 and 9 drama students performed their improvisations at the Lower School Drama Showcase. Throughout term 1 and 2, students have been working on vocal and non-verbal communication, improvisation and script work.

The year 7 and 8s were given a topic to base their ideas on, and the end results were exceptional. The Year 9 students created class devised pieces based on the stock characters of melodrama, which they have been studying. All students performed fantastically and are to be congratulated for their hard work and wonderful performances. I hope to see them continue their excellence in drama in the coming years. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Marnie McKenna Year 10 Drama student/Drama Captain

DRAMA CAMP

It started on Friday the June 10 at around five in the afternoon. The Year 11 and 12 Drama ATAR students and I were lucky enough to travel down and spend the next two nights at Point Walter Recreation and Conference Centre. The following three days were packed tight with workshops and just enough time to eat, sleep and socialise a little. The calm and serene nature of the facility added to the atmosphere of the camp, a slice of rural paradise in amongst suburban housing, with a modest view overlooking the Swan River. It helped all of us to branch away from technology and the umming and ahhing of life to focus in and hone our drama skills. That essentially was the aim of this camp, workshop after workshop, practitioner after practitioner, to further develop our abilities as drama students and actors.

Friday afternoon started off with a workshop in stage combat. Specifically, working with fake blood both as capsules in our mouths and as plastic lunch bags attached to our bodies. It was a good ice breaker for the students to mingle and mix with one another and feel comfortable performing in front of each other whilst our shirts got slowly soaked more and more with a glucose, colouring dye and detergent mixture to make it easier for our parents to wash out when we get back from camp of course! This was followed up by a movie night, something simple and easy to help get us into bed early enough to be ready for the next seven workshops the next day.

• SATURDAY started bright and early with breakfast at 7:30am followed by a workshop between 8 and 10am all about alternative ways to act emotionally and intensely without subjecting ourselves to thinking constant negative thoughts. It was fun to start with and a good wake up call to get our bodies ready for the rest of the day.
• From 10 to 12 we had a workshop with Lisa Scott Murphy. Lisa was Head of Movement at The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) for over 20 years. Lisa led us through many different practitioners from Butoh to Lecoq focusing in on movement and the effect movement has on our characters and lines we deliver.
• Between 12 and 1 we broke off into lunch and a mix of workshops. The Year 11s had a theory workshop and the Year 12s were brought out in pairs to work particularly on their monologues. For me this was very helpful as Diane is a specialist in Shakespeare and his works and helped me greatly in terms of giving a good performance and high scoring performance in my WACE and school practical exams.
• We then had a vocal workshop with Julia Moody, a voice specialist and Senior Lecturer at WAAPA. This was a fun workshop the Year 12s did earlier in the year focusing on warm ups and what we can do as actors to alter our voices. This is helpful in both terms of preparing for performances and our exams but also auditions and outside of school acting.
• After these two workshops we had an afternoon tea break and a design workshop held by our very own Ms. Talbot. This workshop was a fun session for many of us and for me it was a good session to sit down with some of the Year 11s, make some jokes and make new friends. It also taught us how to create set pieces to scale. This is helpful for when we do our theory exams and we now know exactly what kind of diagrams to draw and how to draw them.
• After this workshop we had dinner and then the final workshop for the day, one on verbatim and physical theatre. This workshop was held by the The Theatre Diary, a new and upcoming company focusing on contemporary issues and styles of theatre. We were broken into groups and worked on creating a small verbatim performance, where we took newspaper articles and using the words on the page constructed a piece. We then broke into pairs and created movement pieces using different types of physical practices. It was a unique experience for all of us that helped to explore our understandings of theatre by brainstorming ideas or new ways to present our ideas and wow our markers. It also gave us more practitioners to write about in our exams. After this all of us were pretty tired and either had showers or headed off to bed.
• SUNDAY was one of the easier days as we all started to get used to the wake up routine and made breakfast on time. We started the day off with a workshop based on movement and how each little movement needed to be filled with energy and intensity to be convincing and enjoyable to the audience.
• We broke off for a sausage sizzle before coming to our final workshop of the weekend, another physical workshop focusing on the theory side of movement and application of those practices.

Every workshop was fantastic. It was in the most perfect setting available to us with such a close link to nature. As a budding actor it gave me an insight into what I want to do later on in life and helped open my eyes to the world of theatre and different perspectives on how other people see theatre as well. The only thing I wished for with this camp was it to be longer, with more workshops and maybe not so jam packed with workshops one after another. We were definitely burnt out as students by the end of it and were glad to head home and take a nap after a wonderful and enjoyable time. All in all a great camp.

Thank you to all the practitioners who came to help us in our journey and an especially big thank you to Ms Talbot and Mr Brand who made it so memorable and all their hard work behind the scenes.

Edward Morgan Year 12

HELP WITH COSTUMES AND PROPS

The Drama Department is seeking donations of Costumes, Clothing and Props for the new Costume Room.

We are in particular need of the following items for upcoming productions:

Ladies Evening wear
Cocktail Dresses
Ball Gowns
Wedding and Bridesmaid Dresses
Pilgrim/1880's Dresses
Hoop Skirts
Hats, Gloves and Accessories
Material
Black Dress pants
Suits
Shirts

All donations will be greatly appreciated and can be dropped off at the Front Office during school hours. Thank you for your support.

WILLETTON'S FRONT OF HOUSE PROGRAM

Willetton's Front of House (FOH) program has been running since 2010 and teaches students how to work as a united group while promoting some of the best attributes of the school. The program consists of over 20 student volunteers who give up their time and be on hand to meet and greet visitors to our school with a friendly smile. Our aim is to assist school staff by coordinating the smooth running of all open school events.

The students dressed in black and white and are always on hand to answer questions and point you in the right direction each time you attend a school function. We are always looking for new students from Year 8 upwards to join our team, so students are invited to volunteer and leave their name at The Arts office.

Over the years our team members have had the honour of greeting some very special people, from the Premier of Western Australia and Government Ministers, to sporting stars and celebrities who visit Willetton to promote leadership and present awards. Being able to meet these special guests makes it all worthwhile.

Some of our coming events are:

• Oliver Twist - Year 10 Drama Performance
• Witches - Year 12 Drama Performance
• The Importance of Being Ernest - Year 11 Drama Performance
• Alienated - Year 9/10 Drama Club
• Parent Information Evenings
• Lower School Drama, Dance and Music Showcases

I would like to thank the FOH team who have helped out so far this year

Sally Gilchrist, Jasmin Ely, Carolin Muru, Jordyn Montague, Grace Kim and Nandana Binu.

FoH at the Drama Concert, L to R: Jasmine Ely, Sally Gilchrist, Grace Kim and Aaron Chappell

Aaron Chappell FOH Manager

MUSIC CONCERT IMPRESSES FULL HOUSE

More than 300 music students performed to a capacity crowd at the recent Winter Concert, which featured eight ensembles and several smaller musical acts.

Teacher in charge of music Pip Forster said our students did the school and their families proud, with joyous performances to an appreciative audience.

Masters of Ceremony, Year 9 students Jordan Montague-Moses and Sonali Grover performed with great flair, the night featured the school's Junior and Senior Bands, String Orchestra, Classical and Contemporary Guitar Ensembles, Choir, Jazz Band and Percussion Ensemble.

Conductors included Mrs Jenni Templar, Mr Iain Robbie, Mr Wayne Slater, Mrs Robbie-Ann Rossi, Mr Mark Tooby and Mr Ryan Huxley.

Ms Forster thanked the school's team of 18 Instrumental Music School Services teachers for their hard work over the semester.

Certificate II & III Music students managed backstage duties admirably, with front-of-house covered by Mr Brand's Year 10 Drama students Jasmin Ely, Aaron Chappell, Grace Kim.

ESKIMO KAV AND TOP-NOTCH PRODUCERS MENTOR MUSIC STUDENTS

Eskimo Joe frontman, Kav Temperley and music producers and engineers Anna Laverty and Grant Windsor spent two days with Certificate II & III Music students at a recent Songwriters Workshop.

Organised by music teacher Jenni Templar, The Songmakers Workshop was funded by a grant from AMCOS and APRA, the national body for performers, songwriters and publishers.

The workshop saw students compose and record songs with invaluable technical, song-writing and performance mentoring from the trio of industry professionals.

This was a fantastic opportunity for our students at Willetton to be working with such accomplished performers, song writers and producers.

Industry input: Eskimo Joe frontman Kav Temperley and music producers/ engineers Anna Laverty and Grant mentoring a new generation of song-writing talent.

PRODUCTION 2017

The exciting time has arrived for us to put on another Musical Production, to be performed on the March 29-31 and April 1, 2017. The show we have selected to perform is Cinderella Enchanted. This is a great musical that will involve many students and will be entertaining for the whole family.

In Week 10 of Term 2, we will be holding vocal auditions after school between 3:00pm – 5:00pm on Tuesday June 28. Students auditioning for the vocal roles must obtain the audition requirements from outside The Arts office and book a five minute time slot for their audition. The dance auditions will be conducted on the Wednesday June 29 between 3:00pm – 5:00pm. The dance audition will involve learning a set routine.

We would love parents to be involved and assist in the staging of the Cinderella Enchanted. So if you talented parents have skills in set, makeup design and costume making, graphics design or another artistic creative area- please email Cheryl Venter Cheryl.venter@education.wa.edu.au.

Showcases

Weeks 7, 8 and 9 were intense but exciting weeks for our Arts students and teachers. There were many performances in music, drama and dance, plus Visual arts excursions and exhibition and a senior school drama camp. THANK you parents and Arts staff, for your commitment and support. Students have positive outcomes when we all support them in their learning.

Selection Time for Year 10s

The Arts are a wonderful arena for fostering creativity, an important skill to have in a rapidly changing world. The Arts helps students develop critical intellectual skills. Arts students learn to read notes, compose music, play an instrument, learn dance steps, create a painting, act in a drama, whilst they are also learning how to develop new concepts, build vocabulary, and a new language. The Arts requires use of measurement, number manipulation, and proportional thought, all of which foster mathematical and creative thinking. Involvement in the Arts, promotes empathy, tolerance and understanding of others.

Please encourage your student to select subjects that they feel confident in and give them the opportunity to achieve their best possible results. In the Arts there are choices from ATAR, General and Certificate II and III courses.

Cheryl Venter HOLA The Arts

YEAR GROUP REPORTS

YEAR 7

Year 7 Coordinator, Rachel Harrington is currently on leave.

YEAR 8

As this is the first year of having Year 8 councillors, it was decided that the tenure would run for only one semester to give as many students as possible the opportunity to be part of this important section of the cohort. The semester 1 councillors have worked tirelessly, meeting once a week to brainstorm ideas and organise jobs that needed to be undertaken.

I am very proud of this group of young people and even though it will be sad to see them give up their positions I am excited about getting to know another group of students who will take up the reins for the final semester of the year. Later in term 4, I will call for applications for Year 9 councillors, who will hold the position for the full twelve months. They will be announced by the end of the year.

On Wednesday 15th June we were treated to a wonderful evening of music and song at the school's Winter Concert. Even though it was a whole school production, the year 8 students certainly had an overwhelming presence. From string to woodwind to vocals the talent from our year group was amazing to see. Well done to all those involved it was a most enjoyable evening.

I love hearing about what our students are getting up to in any field that they enjoy, so please let me know. I am aware that we have some very talented musicians so if you have any details of their endeavours outside of school please drop me a line and, if possible, attach some photos so we can celebrate all that is good about our Year 8s.

Kimberly Atkinson Year 8 Coordinator

SEMESTER 1 YEAR 8 COUNCILLOR REPORT

This Semester has gone by like a blast with all the events and functions we had to attend. One of our favourite events was the Halogen Young Leaders Day which taught us about how to be better leaders. It was held at the Perth Convention Center in the city. There was a university expo giving the older school councillors an opportunity to plan for the future.

This semester we organised and many events such as the Easter movie night. We got to dress up and watch the movie Hop. We also sold lolly bags and other fun merchandise. It was great to have the opportunity to socialize with the members of our year group.

Being a part of this semester's councillor committee was a great way to meet more students in our year group and socialize with other year groups and people who have the same interests, such as at the whole school Councillor Forum. It is inspirational to see these people who were just like us - making a difference. Speaking at assembly has improved our confidence to speak in front of large crowds. We had a great semester and we hope to be councillors again next year.

Taine Mitchell and Felicity Dureau Year 8

SECONDARY SCHOOLS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

On the May 30, four students from Willetton Senior High School took part in the Secondary Schools Golf Championships. The event was held at Western Australia Golf Club and was run by Golf WA and School Sports WA. One hundred and three students from thirty secondary schools took part. Representing Willetton Senior High School were Kelvin Lim, Year 9, Amy Mercer and Ethan Lim, Year 8 and Ai Leng Lee, Year ). Everyone competed extremely well and Amy won first place in the Year 8 individual competition with 39 points. Well done to all participants.

Amy Mercer Year 8

YEAR 9

Term two is nearly finished and has been full of activity. Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the drama showcase on Monday night and the music showcase on Wednesday. Congratulations to all the Year 9 students who performed. I am blown away by your talent and your confidence.

Drama Showcase

Congratulations to Abbey Cilia who was the first Under 15 girl across the line in the Mothers' Day Classic fun run held on the first Sunday in May. Abbey was part of the Will Warriors team and left her Mum behind to win this medal.

Congratulations to the Year 9 touch team who competed in the recent interschool carnival. It was a very tough competition with many schools fielding teams who were larger in size than ours. Congratulations to all Willetton players who played with the boys team finishing in a creditable third place.

Year 9 Boys and Girls touch teams

Eco Bins Fund Raiser

We are asking all families at Willetton to assist us in filling the clothing bins inside the front gates of the school with unwanted clothing and linen. This is collected by the company and shipped overseas for sale in developing countries. Our school receives an amount per kilogram of collected clothing and any not sold overseas is donated.

Brielle McKinley and Char Min Ng with the Eco Bins

Best wishes for the upcoming school holidays

Andrea Wheeler Year 9 Coordinator

Year 10

Year 10 Music Students

Important dates:

Friday - July 1 - Final day of school term/reports sent out to emails

Term 3

Tuesday - July 19 - Students return
Tuesday - July 26 - Year 10 Parent Night
Monday - August 1 - Year 10-12 Italian UWA excursion
Tuesday - August 2 - Alliance Francaise Examination Year 10-12
Wednesday - August 3 - The Witches
Monday - August 15 - Friday August 19 - Year 10-11 Interviews for 2017 course selection

Year 10 News

Wow! It has been a busy term. I can't believe as I am writing this that we are almost halfway through your child's journey in high school.

The Year 10s are currently going through the Decision Time process thinking carefully about their choices for next year. All students would have received a package of materials, please familiarise yourself with all the documents as decisions being made are very important.

Please remind your child to get the teachers' signatures for the green card and if they are going into the FLIS program next year to make an appointment with the VET staff. A parent must be in attendance at the interview.

At the parent night in Term 3, you will be given the information the students have received. An email will be sent shortly outlining how to book an appointment with your course councillor. These interviews will take place in Term 3.

Congratulations to all students in being successful in sitting their first ever examinations. The feedback from supervising teachers has been very positive. Students should now be setting goals for the next semester.

We have our merit award system, which recognizes students for positive behaviour either in or outside the classroom. It also rewards those students who are involved in community groups. Congratulations to the following students in being awarded Student of the Week this semester.

Jay Grimston
Claudia Goh
Kara Allen
Christopher Chivers
Roshan Prashant
Benita David
Alphy Kannukuzhiyil
Dhruv Jabanputra
Sarah Musumeci
Yee Han Wong
Raz Rabiya
Leopold Ngu
Jordan Hoffman
Tegan Gregory
Imogen Ayliffe

It has been fantastic to see so many Year 10 students involved in the Arts. I have been to all of the Arts events (drama, music and dance) and have been very impressed with the students' ideas and skills. Thank you to the hard working Arts teachers in facilitating opportunities for the students to showcase their performances.

Please contact me anytime on Stefan.brand@education.wa.edu.au

Stefan Brand Year 10 Coordinator

GRANT AND NATHAN BOX

Congratulations to Grant and Nathan who have achieved great things in the 2015 – 2016 sailing season. We expect to see them in an Olympic team in the future!

The boys have sailed in multiple sections of SOPYC this season

• Keel Boats as crew
• SOPYC Youth squad activities including ISAF Little wheel Match racing regatta on BW8, Youth Interclub Teams racing events on pacers and Youth Cup Foundation 36 races.
• Centreboard - Pelican Class
• Scout sailing

Nathan in action

Geographe Bay Yacht Club Regatta 8-11 January 2016 (2012-2016)

Championship - 1st overall out of 22 boats after 8 races

Nathan skippering a Red Witch called Shenanagans

YEAR 11

Congratulations to all Year 11 students who conducted themselves well over the exam break. For some, sitting the exams was a steep learning curve whilst others relished the experience.

FLiS students attended school in this period and most managed to catch up on work which was pleasing to see. Please be aware joining the FLIS programme in Year 12 is an option for all students.

Semester 2 work has commenced and it is important all students continue to work towards their best possible achievement.

During week 9, Year 11 students participated in their final MYLO session on Year 12 course selection. They have been asked to share this information with their parents/guardians.

Interviews with course counsellors for students and parents (optional) will take place during weeks one to three of term three to select new or maintain Year 12 courses. Semester one results will be used as a guide for this selection process. Please ensure course selection cards are completed.

Year 11 Semester 2 course changes will only take place if a student needs to change and/or withdraw from courses due to extenuating circumstances such as illness and/or they are at risk of not attaining WACE at the end of Year 12. In this instance, alternative pathways would need to be considered for the remainder of 2016.

Extra curricula activities continue to play a major part in our Year 11 life and it is great to see students involved in music, dance and drama performances along with many sporting activities.

Tickets have gone on sale for our Dinner Dance in October. It will be a great opportunity for students to socialize with both students and teachers before examinations start in November. It is the only social event of the year for this group and I have allowed plenty of time to save for this special occasion. Please encourage your child to come along as I truly believe this type of event is what school memories are made of.

Colleen Hayes Year 11 Coordinator

YEAR 11 FLEXIBLE LEARNING

This semester, approximately 70 Year 11 students in the Flexible Learning in Schools Course have been attending a work experience placement in various industry areas across the Perth metropolitan area.

The Workplace Learning course at school requires students to complete a minimum of 55 hours in the workplace each school semester. They must keep a log book of their completed hours and the tasks that they complete, as well as completing a written skills journal.

Willetton students have been attending either one day a week in the workplace or during school holidays and the exam breaks, depending on their individual TAFE course requirements.

Students have been placed with local plumbers, electricians, child care centres, hospitals, photographers, primary schools, panel beaters and gyms, just to name a few. All the students in the 2016 placements, students have done exceptionally well with glowing comments from many of their employers.

We continually strive to engage local businesses and industry in our student work experience placements. If you are able to offer any work experience opportunities to our students, please contact the VET department at the school.

Natalie Greenham VET Coordinator

YEAR 12

Congratulations to all Year 12 students who recently sat Externally Set Tasks and ATAR examinations. Feedback indicates that on the whole, students have performed admirably. It certainly looks as though a large weight has been lifted from the shoulders of many students.

I would like to acknowledge my colleague Lana Warner-Gillon and the Competency Education teachers for the tremendous amount of work being done to prepare the Year 12s for life after Year 12. Competency Education runs once a week and is a forum for addressing many issues relevant to leaving school and assuming the responsibilities of an adult. Besides this, I see a huge volume of students visiting Ms Warner-Gillon on a daily basis seeking guidance on current courses and future studies. Early next term, she has arranged for counsellors from Western Australia universities to visit Willetton and run information sessions for students. The information sessions will be for up to eight students at a time. More information will be available through Competency Education regarding the booking process.

Thank you to the large number of Year 12 students who are sharing their wisdom with younger students as part of the Year 10 Decision Time program. Thanks also to the large number of students volunteering to mentor younger students through our new Peer Mentoring system founded by the Year 12 Council.

We are nearing our final leg of Year 12 and at this time the virtues and good habits we have tried to instill in all students such as perseverance, resilience and commitment should be shining through. Sometimes, nearing this milestone can be a huge challenge to students. I encourage everyone to ensure they see their commitment to school through to the end of their school year. Being punctual and attending all scheduled lessons remains compulsory – no exceptions. As well, putting best effort forward in all courses, wearing the school uniform and being a positive role model to younger students by showing the integrity, self-respect and maturity expected of school leavers. I know I can count on this group to maintain their excellent track record with all of these things.

Graduation is just around the corner. This year it will be held at HBF Stadium on Friday, November 4. We invite students interested in performing at graduation to perform first at assembly, and then apply to audition to the graduation committee.

Judy Gauci Year 12 Coordinator

SCHOOL BOARD

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

The next School Board meeting will be held on Tuesday June 28, 2016 in the conference room. A list of Board meetings for this year can be found on the school website, under School Board information. All are welcome.

SCHOOL TOURS

A school tour will take place at 9.00am on Tuesday June 28. Bookings are essential as places are limited. Please contact 9334 7217 to register.

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK FUNDRAISER

The 2016/2017 Entertainment Books are available to purchase through the School Board. For enquiries, please contact willetton.shs.schoolboard@education.wa.edu.au or 9334 7217, or make a purchase at the link below. Orders are available for immediate collection but supplies are limited so don't miss out!

Profits raised from the sale of these books will go towards a Student Leadership Development Program initiated by the Board. Your support will be much appreciated.

DISCOUNTED HOYTS MOVIE TICKETS

Discounted Hoyts movie tickets are available for purchase through the School Board. The tickets are valid for use at any Hoyts cinema, Australia wide. Profits from the sale of these tickets go towards funding projects around the school, which enhance our students' learning outcomes.

With the school holidays fast approaching, now is the perfect time to stock up!

Pricing as follows:

Order forms are available on the website under the School Board tab, or from the School Board office by contacting willetton.shs.schoolboard@education.wa.edu.au

SECOND HAND BOOKSHOP

The bookshop has a large supply of Physics, Chemistry, Human Biology and Mathematics textbooks which are no longer used with the current curriculum, but are excellent as resource or reference books. Priced at $6 each. Books include: STAWA Exploring Chemistry Stage 2 & 3, Chemistry for WA Stage 2 & 3, Chemistry WACE Study Guides, Heinemann Physics Content & Context Stage 2 & 3, Physics WACE Study Guides, Human Perspectives 2A/2B & 3A/3B, Human Biology WACE Study Guides, Sadler Maths and Specialist Maths, Maths WACE Study Guides, Creelman Maths Exam Questions, and more.

The bookshop is located next to the canteen.

SECOND HAND UNIFORM SHOP

Thank you to all the wonderful families who have donated uniforms for the second hand uniform shop. The funds raised from the sale of uniforms go back to continually fund projects around the school. All items are priced at $10 or $15 each. With the cold weather upon us, we are in short supply of the school jackets, so donations of these will be especially appreciated. Donations may be dropped off at the shop during trading hours or at the front desk during school hours.

HOW TO CONTACT THE SCHOOL BOARD OFFICE

To find out more about the School Board or how you might get involved, please contact Helen Wong, School Board Executive Officer on email helen.s.wong@education.wa.edu.au or 9334 7217.

WILLO PARENT GROUP

MEETINGS

The Willo Parent Group meets each term, coming together for parent information sessions or meeting socially over morning tea, lunch or dinner. This is a great way to meet with members of the school community and find out what is happening around the school. Suggestions for meetings are always welcome. For details of Willo Parent Group events please contact Helen at willetton.shs.schoolboard@education.wa.edu.au

COFFEE MORNING HELD May 20

This session by Associate Principal Colin Marshall on Changes to the WA Curriculum and WACE/graduation requirements was well attended and gave parents an excellent opportunity to raise questions about the new changes. If you missed the session and would like an electronic copy of the powerpoint presentation, please contact
willetton.shs.schoolboard@education.wa.edu.au

UPCOMING COFFEE MORNINGS

Parent E-News

If you would like to be included on a parent email distribution list to be kept informed of Willo parent activities and sent information relevant to parents, please provide your details to helen.s.wong@education.wa.edu.au. You may request for your details to be removed from the list at any time. Please incorporate your and your student/s name, your email address and phone number.