17 August 2016

Editor: Jenny LeSouef
Technology: Alex Mellor

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

We are pleased with the success of the electronic reporting at the end of semester 1 this year. Much of the success is due to the hard work of the Operations Team led by Christine Petersen and Nigel Dutton and we thank them for sorting the various issues which arose. The feedback we have received has been positive and all future reports will be electronic. The trial has underlined the necessity of families ensuring email addresses are kept current. We have folders in which printed copies of reports can be stored at home and all families are welcome to collect one for each student from administration. Further feedback is welcome.

Congratulations to all our students who received awards based on their semester 1 results. They are listed further in this newsletter. Congratulations also to all who performed at their personal best, this is what makes us proud of our students.

With long awaited summer approaching, we have ordered shade cover for the Technology courtyard. This will provide a very comfortable and sun smart venue for our students. The area at the front of the school adjacent to the Languages/HaSS block is also in need of action as the lawn provided in the original landscaping has proven difficult to maintain. We are working to redo the landscaping and provide shaded student seating there as well. The School Board is also looking into increasing shaded seating areas when we again have access to our quadrangle area. Our students have responded with great maturity to the difficulties of a building site and we are looking forward to providing greater comfort for them.

This semester, I will be leading the school in determining our strategic direction and school targets for the 2017 – 2019 cycle. The school recently underwent an external review as all schools must every three years. The final report from this review is still not at hand; although we have been informed it was very positive. It will be posted on our website and parents informed as soon as possible.

We welcome Maura Sorrell to the position of acting Deputy Principal this semester as I am acting Principal in Chris Booth’s absence. Maura is familiar to most parents in her role as Transition Coordinator in Student Services. Lana Warner-Gillon is continuing her acting role in that position.

We are pursuing the solution to the problem of text book affordability and are in discussion with two e-text book providers. This introduces another unique set of challenges which we are working through. More of this when some solutions are achieved and decisions made.

Colin Marshall
Acting Principal

FROM THE BOARD

Stage two of the building program at Willetton is progressing according to plan. The new buildings will be completed and fitted out by early December, in preparation for the 2017 school year. These buildings and the surrounding areas will be a fantastic addition to the school, providing state of the art learning facilities and a number of new spaces for our young people to meet during recess and lunch. The Board would like to recognise and thank both students and staff for their understanding and patience over the past seven months; the school community has done an amazing job of adapting and working around the changes within the school.

There are many parents and community members who volunteer their time and expertise at WSHS, and it is important to take the time to recognise the efforts of these people. A great example of this is the people who run our second-hand uniform and second-hand bookshop at WSHS. Both of these services are extremely valuable to students and parents and they are made possible by a group of volunteers. We extend our sincere thanks to Karen Plumridge, Serene Kwan, Sasha Pearce and Lai Yong Wan who volunteer in the second-hand uniform shop and Steve Savage, Andrea Goh, Rohini Bakshi, Chit Lim, Daniel Staer, Kathya Tippur, Sabrina De Silva and Sujata Shinde who give their time in the second-hand bookshop.

The School Board is making preparations to host a morning tea for our teachers on World Teacher Day, which will be celebrated in WA on Friday October 28. It would be great if some parents were available to volunteer to help organise and coordinate this event. The teachers at Willetton are an inspiring and dedicated group of people totally committed to helping every student realise their potential; their expertise is one of the key ingredients of the success and reputation of our school. If you are able to assist, please contact the Board Executive Officer, Helen Wong on 9334 7217.

Mission Australia is calling on Australia’s youth to express their concerns and hopes for the future by taking part in the largest annual nationwide poll of young Australians, the Mission Australia 2016 Youth Survey. The 2016 Youth Survey is now open to all Australian youth aged 15-19 years, providing a platform for young people to have their say. The results from these surveys are used widely across the country to advocate to Government about key issues affecting young Australians. The survey can be accessed via the Mission Australia website:

I attended the five 2016 Semester 1 Academic Award ceremonies which were held on Wednesday 3 August 2016. Congratulations to all students who received an award, and for the manner in which all students conducted themselves during these ceremonies. Many thanks to the students who showcased their musical talents at each of the ceremonies. The key message from each of the speakers was about supporting every single student to work to their fullest potential, as this is the best indicator of success. Six students received a special award for consistent effort and performance and a commitment to supporting their community. They received a significant financial contribution to assist them along their learning journey. These awards were made possible by anonymous donor, a retired educator, who wishes to give something back to the education of our students. This is a substantial contribution made by the donor over the past two years, that is very much appreciated by the school community.

Simon Lappin
Board Chair

GENERAL REPORTS

SEMESTER 1 ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS

CONGRATULATIONS to the following students who were award winners for their outstanding performance in semester 1.

Year 7 Award Winners

Year 8 Award Winners

Year 9 Award Winners

Year 10 Award Winners

Year 11 Award Winners

Year 12 Award Winners

WILLETTON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL BOARD AWARD

The Willetton Senior High School Board Award has been made possible by a generous donor to the school, and presented at the recent Special Awards Ceremony. This award is presented to two Year 11 students and four Year 12 students each year, recognising their scholastic excellence and contributions to the community. The Board had pleasure in recognising these exceptional individuals who are exemplary role models to their peers and younger students. Each recipient received a certificate and cheque.

Congratulations to:

Year 11: Maryse Green and Niklesh Warrier
Year 12: Siobhoin Ialacci, Rohan Jiandani, Emma McLean and Ben Madlener

School Board Award winners with former and present School Board Chairs, Lindsay Holland and Simon Lappin

PARENT/CAREGIVER REPONSE SURVEY

The bi-annual National School Opinion Survey is being conducted between August 22 and September 9, 2016. All parents and caregivers are invited to participate.

The online survey only takes 10 minutes to complete and we would appreciate as many families as possible contributing their responses. Participation is anonymous.

We encourage you to take this opportunity to have your say about what our school does well and how the school can improve. Feedback from the survey gives us the ability to identify strengths and areas for potential growth in our school for 2017 and beyond.

Thank you for taking the time to participate, your assistance is greatly appreciated.

INTRODUCING…

DR JASMINE DAY

I studied Cultural Anthropology at The University of Western Australia, graduating with a PhD in 2002. My thesis was published as The Mummy's Curse: Mummymania in the English-speaking World (Routledge 2006). I specialise in the study of mummymania, the modern fascination with Egyptian mummies. My research has included studies of mummy exhibitions around the world and museum visitor surveys. Since many of my respondents were children, I became interested in the educational potential of museums, the media and history curricula, so I completed a Graduate Diploma of Secondary Education at Murdoch University in 2008, specialising in History and Media Studies. My background enhances my ability to teach students writing skills and critical thinking skills in History.

I was previously Head of History at Como Secondary College, Education Officer of the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library at Curtin University and an Anthropology lecturer and tutor at The University of Western Australia. I have lectured in Egyptology at museums, schools, universities and clubs in Perth and worldwide, including in my current roles as President of The Ancient Egypt Society of Western Australia Inc and Vice President of the Friends of the Western Australian Museum. I continue to publish international academic papers and would like to write and present educational documentaries.

SAMANTHA THAYER

Hi! I am Samantha Thayer. I am from Salt Lake City, Utah. I completed my degree in History Teaching at the University of Utah, and taught for one year in the United States before moving to Perth in 2014. I am excited to be working at Willetton and look forward to rest of the year!

Whenever I get the opportunity, I am an avid snowboarder and love to travel.

IMOGEN APPLEBY

My name is Imogen Appleby and I am currently completing my final university practical experience at Willetton. I am here for all of term 3 in Drama and Media.

I am in my fourth and final year of a Bachelor of Education (secondary) and Bachelor of Arts (theatre and drama) degree from Murdoch University. I have grown up living and breathing the arts; therefore am very passionate about my future career. I have been dancing and singing since the age of three, training at Studio24 and John Curtin College of the Arts. I began my serious studies in dance and drama through the ATAR courses in Year 11 and 12 and that is when I realised that I want my passion to become a career.

My practical experience at Willetton so far has been a fantastic learning experience, learning from both teachers and students. I am delighted to have the amazing opportunity to be teaching and learning at one of the state’s top schools. Every student I have worked with so far has been a delight to teach, so I hope to meet many more.

VANESSA JOY

I joined The Arts learning area at Willetton at the beginning of semester 2 2016. I am really enjoying teaching students from Year 7 to 10 and I have been made to feel very welcome.

I have a passion for the arts, especially drawing and animation. I wanted to pass my knowledge in these areas on to others, which is why I started teaching.

Outside the classroom, I compete in dry-land dog sledding with six of my rescue dogs (greyhound crosses and pointer types). This sport involves training my hounds to pull a sled on wheels, which I ride over distances from 2 to 6km. I also train my dogs in various other sports, including obedience, rally o, agility, dances with dogs, tracking, coursing and dock diving.

Vanessa in action

RINA NAGAE, JAPANESE ASSISTANT

Welcome to Rina, our new Japanese assistant, replacing Minako Yoshitsuru who left school at the end of May this year. Rina is from Kagoshima in the South of Japan. She arrived on the June 19 and will be part of our Language department until March 2017. Prior to coming to Willetton, she studied a Language and culture Course at Kagoshima Immaculate Heart University and will assist students with learning tasks in the classroom.

MICHELA FUMAGALLI, ITALIAN ASSISTANT

My name is Michela Fumagalli and I come from Truccazzano, a little town in the North of Italy. I am an assistant of the Italian teachers with the Association, WAATI which encourages contact between Italy and Australia. This experience gives me the possibility to observe how to teach my language, to improve my English and to explore a country and a culture that are really far away from my own.

A WINNER

It with pleasure we inform you that the Autism Academy for Software Quality Assurance was announced winner at the Western Australia Information Technology and Telecommunications Awards (WAITTA) in the Most Impactful Social Benefit Category.

One of the Academy's central features is the outreach program for Year 7 to 12 students on the autism spectrum to equip them with the tools to develop interest in science, technology and engineering. Four of our Willetton Senior High School students have been diligently attending the coding club on Saturday afternoons this term. Thanks to Resource Unit Manager Jenni Hood and her staff for helping in identifying and supporting suitable students for the program.

Thanks also to all Board members, the School and for supporting Curtin in this wonderful program.

Associate Professor Tele Tan
Deputy Director Autism Academy for Software Quality Assurance

The Resource Unit of our School has the pleasure to be involved as part of the award winning team at the 2016 Incite Awards held in June this year. The Autism Academy for Software Quality Assurance (AASQA) was the winner of the Most Impactful Social Benefit Category at the Awards ceremony. Some students on the autism spectrum from our School have been participating in the weekend coding club organised by AASQA to help them develop skills in coding and the application of coding. It is hoped that the skills they learn will further assist them to transition into future employment in the Information Technology sector.

AASQA SCHOLARSHIPS

An industry recognised information technology certification for a university or TAFE student on the autism spectrum has the power to unlock barriers, create opportunities and further increase future employment opportunities.

While people with Autism face many challenges, they also have many strengths and unique qualities desirable in the Information Technology industry. The Autism Academy for Software Quality Assurance (AASQA) at Curtin University is an Australian social innovation initiative with the vision of harnessing these special talents. The AASQA is creating a unique pathway for transition to work for these talented individuals through training, education and mentoring programs.

The AASQA is raising money to provide scholarships to cover the costs of completing an industry recognised software testing qualification. We hope to raise $6,000 to fund ten $600 scholarships for students at the academy.

This certification will make a huge difference in the lives of these students and the success of this campaign will further pave the path for future university or TAFE students on the Autism spectrum, enabling greater opportunities in the future.

Please consider making a gift towards this incredibly valuable initiative. You have the power to make a difference in the lives of these students by clicking on the below link and donating to the crowdfunding campaign.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Kind regards

Associate Professor Tele Tan
Deputy Director Autism Academy for Software Quality Assurance

DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S INTERNATIONAL AWARD

Preparation for Gold Award Vietnam Expedition with Antipodeans Abroad

As a part of preparation for our Vietnam expedition in December, the whole Nam Crew recently participated in a one-day, one-night training and teambuilding camp. This involved a number of activities, practical and verbal, which incorporated and exposed us to many of the challenges that we are likely to face while in Vietnam.

Starting on Friday night after school, everyone gathered in the school theatre with our full hiking gear, ready to be checked. We were all excitedly chatting, the guys throwing a ball around, as what had once seemed like a distant possibility now felt like reality. Although many of us were still fairly new to each other the group very quickly gelled, and this showed, with both the nightime activities of planning our meals for the next day as well as an hour long brainstorm into teamwork, went without a hitch.

The next morning, although faced with drizzle, we left with packed bags and the food we’d prepared, all-in-all, in high spirits. Along our planned ten-kilometre route we practised staying as a group, frequently numbering off and having designated leaders and people at the back. This in itself was fairly simple, although as we went along our expedition leader, Ray, threw in a few hiccups, including pretending to be a Vietnamese guide who tried to lead us off in different directions to simply collapsing on the floor and refusing to go any further! These challenges, coupled with a stop off at the Shelley foreshore to go through multiple emergency scenarios as a group with our happy go lucky expedition leader Kiera, culminated in what was a very successful training camp. As a group, we all got a taste test of facing challenges together and being able to cooperate and utilise everyone’s strengths in order to overcome them.

Our simulation training day started in Kings Park. We met and worked out our budget and then planned our schedule for the day. We had three requirements; travel by three forms of transport, see three different types of tourist attractions and be back to Kings Park by 3.30pm. We hiked down to Elizabeth Quay, spending some time there to admire the new landmarks and then caught a bus to Fremantle. We broke up into groups to go and get lunch, then visited the Round House. We caught the train back to the city and then had a very fast walk back to Kings Park, arriving at 3.40pm. The day really helped us to get a feel for the responsibilities we will have in Vietnam and the importance of planning our days and spending carefully, so we get to do and see as much as we can.

We fly out to Ho Chi Minh on November 25 for what I am sure will be a once in a lifetime experience.

Ben Madlener Year 12

Antipodeans Abroad Preparation

WILLETTON ALL STARS

Our Arts Learning Area is looking for enthusiastic and talented students to enter the Willetton All Stars competition.

The three categories are

• Dance (group or solo)
• Music (band)
• Singing/Music (solo/duet)

During Term 3 week 8, there will be a number of recess and lunch time performances in the theatre, where students will perform in front of fellow students and a panel of three judges. Prizes will be awarded to the winner in each category.

To take part in this showcase, students complete a nomination form and return it to The Arts office by the end of week 5, August 19, 2016.

Students will not take time from regular classes and there will be a limited time to set up at the start of each performance.

Questions about the Willetton All Stars should be referred to Mrs Venter or Mrs Templar in The Arts Learning Office.

Entry forms are available from outside the Arts office.

INTERACT NEWS

The Interact Club has had a spectacular first semester. Having raised $1500 for the Starlight Foundation earlier this year, we continued the efforts and raised another $1,014.83 for Australian Rotary Health, which funds research on mental health.

We would like to extend a huge thank you for the support from the Rotary Club of Willetton, without them we would not have been able to do all that we have done. The efforts and dedication of our Interact members is what has made this possible.

We will continue to strive to achieve better and bigger things this term, so watch this space for details of our upcoming activities!

We would love to see more students and even parents getting involved with Interact, so do feel welcome to join us.

Dayaanita Prabhahar
Year 11 Interact President

Students Interact Fundraising on Federal Election Day with volunteer, Trudy Gribble and Local Member, the Honourable Mike Nahan

ROTARY YOUTH PROGRAM OF ENRICHMENT (RYPEN) CAMP 2016

Applications are now open for the RYPEN camp, to be held from September 16-18, 2016 at the Serpentine Camping Centre in Jarrahdale.

The camp is open to students aged between 14 and 17 years of age, and who are;

• wanting an opportunity to develop and challenge themselves
• looking to develop their self esteem and confidence
• interested in developing skills including leadership, teamwork, communication, goal setting and problem solving
• wanting to build a network of young people and to make new friends
• excited for a weekend of fun

The cost of attending the camp is $285, but participants only pay $50 each, thanks to the generous sponsorship of $235 per student offered by the Rotary Club of Willetton.

This is a fantastic opportunity, with past participants full of praise of their experience.

Participation in this camp can also be recognised as one of the requirements for the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award.

Application forms are available from Helen Wong (helen.s.wong@education.wa.edu.au) and must be returned to her with payment by August 26.

WHAT IS ThinkUKnow?

ThinkUKnow Australia is a partnership between the Australian Federal Police (AFP),Microsoft Australia, Datacom and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and is proudly supported by the New South Wales Police Force, Northern Territory Police, Queensland Police, South Australia Police, Tasmania Police, Western Australia Police and Neighbourhood Watch Australasia.

We recommend parents subscribe to their free online newsletter to check out the useful and relevant information about our cyber world.

CAR POOLING

Car-Pooling - a way to save time and cost going with together to school and from school.

A parent is looking for a service or car pool for her daughter after school from WSHS to Hammond Park or Hammond Park to WSHS. Anyone interested, please contact Ms Bernie Tan, telephone no: 0449 648 819

GIFTED AND TALENTED

YEAR 7 GIFTED AND TALENTED SCIENCE

On Tuesday, June 22, the Year 7 Gifted and Talented students visited the Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA) as part of the science program. We had been studying animal and plant biology and went to see some of the creatures we had been learning about. It was raining heavily the day we went; we all got soaked!!

Going around the shipwreck coast aquarium was really fun. We went on the conveyor belt that took us under the building, where we could see lots of different types of ocean life. We saw stingrays, big sharks, starfish and lots of fish.

The touch pool (our favourite part) was filled with lots of interesting creatures. The brave ones went straight in and stroked the shark without a second thought, whilst others didn't even want to touch the harmless starfish. Some people got up close and personal to the marine life by putting on a face mask and dipping their heads straight into the water (with goggles on of course).

We had heaps of fun inside the building. We even managed to find both Dory and Nemo! We looked at the baby crocodiles inside their enclosure. There were five in there, but they can camouflage so well we were only able to spot a few of them.

We had such a fun time at AQWA!

Pfeiffer Myers, Brooke Meynert and Emily Rahaley
Year 7

Year 7 Gifted and Talented AQWA Excursion

ENGLISH

DYSTOPIAN NOVELIST SKYPES YEAR TWELVES

Year 12 General English students skyping Melbourne author Marlee Jane Ward.

On Wednesday, June 22, Mrs Brown’s and Mr Sharp’s Year 12 General English classes had an enlightening and entertaining skype session with Australian author, Marlee Jane Ward.

Ward is the author of Welcome to Orphancorp, the exciting dystopian novella both classes have been studying over the last few weeks. The questions asked and answers provided were thought-provoking and wide-ranging, encompassing politics, the fluidity and complexity of identity, tattoos, and the symbolic significance of a mandarin.

Mrs Brown, Mr Sharp, and all the Year 12 students involved appreciated the time Marlee took to engage with them and the honesty with which she answered their questions; it was an immensely valuable learning experience for all involved.

David Sharp
English Teacher

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

HUMANITIES CANBERRA TOUR 2016

Twenty-four students along with Mrs Joyce, Mr Ialacci and Mr Johnson undertook an educational tour of the nation’s capital during the last school holidays. Students on this tour participated in a variety of educational programs focused on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy. The students found the trip both educational and enjoyable.

This trip was a valuable learning opportunity for me, but also an opportunity to get to know people from a diverse range of backgrounds and to forge new friendships.
Matt Wither

The trip was absolutely amazing. The AEC not counting the election votes in a timely manner, however, ruined our election party.
Anahita Sharafi

It was absolutely amusing to witness Mr Ialacci stack it on his toboggan at Perisher.
Tharini Ravindran

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit their National Capital as part of their civics and citizenship education. To assist parents in meeting the cost of the travel, the Australian Government contributed $240.00 per eligible student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) program. This contribution was deducted from the cost of the excursion to parents and is paid to the school directly. We thank the Australian Government for their support of this program.

In the coming weeks students in Year 10 and 11 studying a humanities subject in 2017 will be offered the opportunity to embark on a similar trip next year.

David Johnson HaSS Teacher

Humanities and Social Sciences Tour to Canberra

POLITICS AND LAW NEWS

Hon Sue Ellery visit

Sue Ellery, MLA visited the Year 11 Politics and Law classes early in term 2 for an insider’s view on the functioning of our state parliament. The students enjoyed the frank and interesting responses to their questions and really felt that their text book knowledge was enhanced. We thank Sue for giving her time to talk with students.

James McHale visit

James McHale, ABC news anchor and former Willetton student recently visited the school for a Q&A session with the Year 11 Politics and Law classes. He was impressed with the quality of the questions which were put to him, mainly about the media, politics and the law, and he gave the students some valuable insights about the media world as well as some good tips to help them think about their own future education and career paths. It was lovely to have James back in the classroom.

Teacher Marg Hale with News Anchor James McHale

Notre Dame Symposium

In June, 40 Year 11 and 12 Politics and Law students attended the Notre Dame Politics and Law Symposium. They enjoyed a day of university lectures, discussions and interaction with students from other schools over lunch. As always, this was a valuable day for the students, giving them a sense of university life and a more in-depth look at some of the concepts they study.

Law Courts Excursion

Earlier in Term 2, the Year 11 Politics and Law classes attended the Francis Burt Law Education Centre for the annual excursion, which included viewing trials in both the Magistrates’ and District Courts, followed by lunch in the city. The students had their eyes opened to the difficulties of people trying to self-represent because they cannot afford legal representation. They also viewed intense scrutiny of technical evidence in a drugs manufacturing case, which revealed much about police and legal processes. An enjoyable and informative day was had by all.

Law Society Mock Trial Competition

A Willetton team participated in the Mock Trial Competition again this year. I have entered teams from the school in this competition since 2000, and I believe our involvement goes back even earlier. The competition provides an incredible opportunity for students who run their cases in the WA Supreme Court. The high level of commitment of our students to the preparation of cases is to be commended. Students from Years 10 to 12 work together in a cooperative and mentoring spirit and gain many skills from participation in this competition. Scott Wilkins, another of our former students, has been coaching the team this year, and we are immensely grateful for his help. Pictured below are the team members who competed in the final round in June.

Margaret Hale
HaSS Teacher

Mock Trial participants

L toR: Vishwa Hewag, Yijing Chen, Rosa Mott, Ms Hale, Anna Lee, Scott Wilkins, Jacky Tay, Ashmita Senthilatiban, James Maillot, Hilda Chan, Ashvini Senthilatiban.

YEAR 12 ECONOMICS SEMINAR

On Monday August 1, the Year 12 Economics students were lucky enough to hear the expertise of Steven Kemp, experienced WACE examiner, marker and author of the prescribed text for the Year 11 and 12 courses.

Mr Kemp started the seminar by stating how important economics education is in preparing for life in the workforce. He then discussed with students strategies to maximise their examination performance (including his predictions for this year’s examination) and the important data they could use to demonstrate a superior level of understanding. Students were then shown common errors made by candidates in last year’s paper and how to ensure they didn't experience a similar fate.

At the end of the seminar Ashlyn, Sabrina and Puvanish asked Mr Kemp to autograph their textbooks.

We thank Mr Kemp for giving us his time to help our students as they enter the final furlong of their Year 12 Economics adventure.

David Johnson
HaSS Teacher

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

GIRLS NETBALL HIGH SCHOOL CUP COMPETITON

This year, we nominated four teams to contest this Netball Cup competition. The competition has extended over two day carnivals and after school games. The girls have played against both public and private schools from metropolitan and country areas.

All four teams, the Year 7, Year 8, Year 9/10, Year 11/12 won their way through to the Inter Zone finals and then into the Elimination Day carnival which concluded on Friday July 22 at Gibson Park Fremantle.

Huge congratulations to the Year 8 team (Ms Banner) and the Year 9-10 team (Ms Wheeler) who finished in the top four teams in this tournament and now must play in a semi-final and hopefully, the grand final at the State Netball Centre on August 17, 2016.

Congratulations and best wishes. Represent yourselves and our school with pride. You are all amazing!

Andrea Wheeler
HPE Teacher

Year 8 HS Cup Netball Team

Year 9/10 HS Cup Netball Team

SQUASH STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

This year, Willetton was invited to the state championships which took place at Mirrabooka Squash Club. Each team consisted of three players and teams were placed in separate round robin draws to determine the champions.

Despite not having a squash court in the school, we had a huge number of students sign up for the competition. Squash in general has improved its numbers to such an extent that the senior boys had to be moved to a second day which meant they were unable to compete this year.

In the Year 7 – 9 competiton, the girls teams had to play up in the Year 10 – 12 division since no other school could enter a team, so by default, they ended up first in the state. In the senior girls, we did not progress through the round robin stages but held our own against some tough competition. The junior boys divisions were very busy competitions with multiple entries from all schools. There was some very tough competition but we managed to be competitive in most of our draws.

Huge congratulations to all participants who represented our school with pride.

Team coach: Erik Pretorius
HPE Teacher

Willetton Squash Team

Back row L to R: Ethan Lim, Dimitrije Komnenovic, Justin Moro, Damien Raja, Nivek Pratt, Kajanda Ninyette, Diviya Nandhini Angusamy, Tarenjit Singh Dhaliwal, Kelvin Lim

Front row L to R: Jaypreet Singh, Mitchell Anderson, Sarthark Mehta, Abbey Cilia, Tiffany Simpson, Aimee Simpson, Aastha Malik, Pavanpreet Singh, Philip Luong

GIRLS SOCCER

Year 9 Girls Soccer Lightning Carnival

The day started off rainy and gloomy. We headed to the oval expecting the worst, but luckily the rain cleared up. We were soon pumped and ready to go. We found out that we were competing in Division A2 but would still be playing the A1 teams! We were nervous but excited about the day ahead.

Willetton SHS v John Curtin College

Our first game was against John Curtin. They are a soccer program school, so we knew it was going to be a hard game. We played persistently but unfortunately were beaten 7-0. Our goalkeeper Merci was a star saving lots of goals.

Willetton SHS v Safety Bay SHS

Lynwood is another soccer program school. This game, we were prepared and rested after our bye. We put up a fight but lost 1-0. We were very close to scoring at the end of the game but time ran out.

Willetton SHS v Rossmoyne SHS

This was basically the grand final of the lightning carnival; the two Division A2 teams playing off to win the pennant. We were keen to win and ready to play. We finished the first half two goals up, including a great goal Courtney scored from outside the box. I was also lucky enough to score with an assist from Jade and Jasleen. We fought hard in the second half to keep our lead but unfortunately conceded a goal. The last few minutes of the game were nail-biting. Rossmoyne was close to scoring, but our defence was great and we kept them out. We won the game 2-1.

We won the Division A2 pennant! John Curtin won the A1 pennant. Throughout the day we showed great persistence and sportsmanship. I was very proud of our performance and the good sportsmanship Willetton showed. Special thanks to our goalkeeper, Merci, and well done to all of our team members. Thank you to our Year 12 helpers Caleb and Kimi, and of course Ms Andrews for making our carnival happen and for having a great time with us.

Goal scorers: Courtney Johns – 1, Lucy McGinn – 1

Lucy McGinn
Year 9

Year 9 Lightning Carnival Girls Soccer Team

LANGUAGES

MINAKO’S FAREWELL

From left to right: Bae Kent, Minako Yoshitsuru and Haruko Nomoto

Dear all,

I have worked at Willetton Senior High School for about ten months. I had a really good experience! The students are very cute, sometimes too lively but they are good.

I feel happy that I was able to work in this school and these ten months passed very quickly. I will never forget the days I spent here. Thank you so much.

Minako Yoshitsuru
Japanese Language Assistant

ウィレトン高校で過ごした１０ヶ月は、とてもいい経験になりました。生徒たちはかわいくて、時々元気すぎるぐらいでしたが、みんなとてもいい子たちでした。

毎日とても楽しくて10ヶ月はあっという間でした。ここで過ごした日を忘れません。ありがとうございました。

We were extremely fortunate to have had Minako, a university student from Japan, who stayed with us for ten months. Minako worked alongside the Japanese teachers as a full time assistant to help improve the students’ linguistic skills as well as to promote the Japanese language and culture. She was a very efficient worker and the students loved her. Thank you for your outstanding work, Minako, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

Mrs Haruko Nomoto
Japanese Teacher

READY? SET? PLAN! AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM FOR LANGAUGES CONFERENCE

As part of our work as the Teacher Development School for Languages, we hosted the Ready? Set? Plan! Australian Curriculum for Languages (AC:L) Conference in March. The day was attended by 120 teachers from around the state.

The one day workshop promoted and supported a national conversation around the AC:L and provided opportunities for teachers to become familiar with the structure and key elements of the AC:L. Suggestions and samples of various approaches to planning with the AC:L were provided and teachers examined a range of unit plans to identify useful approaches to programming.

The main presenter for the one day workshop was Mrs Kylie Farmer, President of the Australian Federation of Modern Languages Teachers Associations. In her letter of thanks, Mrs Farmer said We appreciated the opportunity to use your impressive Langauges Centre ….. To have the very enthusiastic and very capable VET catering students to look after us ….. is an indication of the diversity and quality education your school provides …… The Languages Team, impressively led by Nathan Harvey were so helpful in ensuring every detail of the day ran smoothly ..… We truly appreciate this commitment.

From left to right: Mrs Kylie Farmer (AFMLTA President), Mrs Fulvia Valvasori (MLTAWA Immediate Past President and AFMTA Executive) and Kate Reitzenstein (MLTAWA President)

Many thanks to Kristen Gibson, Brad Curran, Judy Ialacci and their team (certificate 2 Hospitality Students Year 11 and Year 12). Special thanks to past students Emily Jarrett and Jessica Mac who helped on the day.

Nathan Harvey
Head of Languages

YEAR 9 ALLIANCE FRANCAISE MOVIE FESTIVAL

Year 9 students ready for an excursion to the Cinema Paradiso

On a Wednesday in March, the French students of Year 9 embarked on an excursion to the city to attend the Alliance Française French Film Festival, where we watched Avril et le monde truqué, or April and the Extraordinary World.

The film is set in an alternate history world where Napoleon III and his team try to develop a serum that will make his soldiers invincible. This fails terribly, and in 1931, April, a young girl, watches as her parents and grandfather (Pops) attempt to finish the serum in a secret lab. They are hunted down by detective Pizoni and his team, and April is separated from her parents. In 1941, Napoleon V rules over a smog-choked Paris, with leading scientists mysteriously disappearing in a world stuck in the coal and steam age. April is a young lady living with her talking cat, Darwin, trying to finish the experiment herself. They are soon tracked down again by Pizoni and a young thief named Julius, on a hunt that takes them across France in a dangerous journey of menace and peril.

I found the excursion fun and delightful! It was wonderful to go out into Perth metro with the French cohort and see a great film like Avril et le monde truqué. The movie was captivating, and spread over a good two hours of sit-back, relax-and-enjoy. The dialogue was entirely in French, so it gave us a good dose of the language itself, and there were English subtitles, so we could understand every line.

’Twas a fine, pleasant day.

Amos An Choo
Year 9

YEAR 9 JAPANESE EXCURSION

On a Thursday in March, the Year 9 students learning Japanese had an excursion to the Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre in City Beach. We participated in a workshop learning all about Hyogo, Western Australia's sister state in Japan. It was a great time to visit the centre as Harmony Day was coming up. We learnt all about the relationship WA has with Hyogo and the opportunities it holds for us as students learning Japanese.

Throughout the day we all took part in many fun educational games and activities which used our skills that we had learnt in class over the past year. For lunch, the team at the Hyogo Centre put on a traditional obento style meal where we enjoyed many delicious Japanese dishes including sushi, yakisoba noodles, karaage chicken, fruits and vegetables.

At the end of the day, all the groups worked hard to put on a ‘Travel Expo’ (advertising why people should go to Hyogo) to present to the teachers. This was a fun activity which put our knowledge of reading, speaking and understanding Japanese to the test. Overall it was an excellent day where everyone learnt so much and got to experience Japanese culture in a different light. It was a fantastic opportunity and we are all so grateful to have been a part of it!

Brielle McKinlay
Year 9

HOW COOL IS IT KNOWING OTHER LANGUAGES IN THE MODERN WORLD?

Knowing a foreign language can help you in many aspects of your life, including travel, family connection, and even mental health. But did you know that you can find some of the coolest jobs just by knowing another language?

While you can benefit from knowing a foreign language with nearly every industry, here are the main highlights from 2016 research:

• Media (journalism) and film
• Tourism and travel services, including airlines and hotels
• Banks and insurance
• Local, state and federal government
• International non-profit organizations
• Publishing companies
• Departments of defence and international embassies
• Health services
• Social services
• Immigration services
• Primary, high schools, universities and colleges

The 10 Top Language Jobs are

• Game Translator
• Brand Specialist
• Community Representative
• Flight Attendant / Pilot
• Lead Coordinator
• Analyst or Associate
• Photographer
• Fashion Buyer
• Recruiter
• Foreign Correspondents

Don’t get left behind.

Reference:

Set the goal(s) and we will inspire you to pursue a happier existent

Nathan Harvey
Head of Languages

MULTICULTURAL WEEK

Multicultural Week at Willetton SHS

For nearly 30 years, the Willetton Senior High School community has celebrated Multicultural Week at the end of term 1. 

Under the leadership of the Languages team, we embrace the richness of our community. During this week, the school becomes a microcosm of international festival and students, staff, parents and guests work as a team to share personal and traditional aspects of culture and story. A variety of guest speakers, performances, intercultural lessons, showcases and fundraising take place during the week.

Each year, the students choose a charity to which they donate funds raised. This year, students chose the Starlight Foundation and Compassion. This supports the fundraising of the school’s Interact club which comes under the umbrella of the Rotary Club of Willetton.

Highlights during the week were Japanese kite flying, sari and kimono demonstrations, bush medicine and international menu at the canteen each day.

Nathan Harvey
Head of Languages

FESTA DELLA REPUBBLICA

Mr Harvey and Mrs Petale during the celebration of the Festa della Repubblica at the consulate.

Festa della Repubblica is the Italian National Day and Republic Day, which is celebrated on June 2 each year. The day commemorates the institutional referendum held by universal suffrage in 1946, in which the Italian people were called to the polls to decide on the form of government following the Second World War and the fall of Fascism. With 12,717,923 votes for a republic and 10,719,284 for the monarchy, the male descendants of the House of Savoy were sent into exile. To commemorate this, a grand military parade is held in central Rome, presided over by the President of the Italian Republic in his role as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The Prime Minister, formally known as the President of the Council of Ministers, and other high officers of state also attend. There are important celebrations in all the Italian embassies and foreign heads of state are invited. Even though the main parade is in Rome, many Italian cities celebrate the day as well.

2016 marked the 70th Anniversary of Republic Day. Mr Harvey and Mrs Petale were invited to a celebration at the Italian consulate of Perth as VIP guests.

Mr Nathan Harvey
Head of Languages

NOTRE PREMIER SEMESTRE EN CLASSE DE FRANCAIS

Bonjour,

This semester, we studied many things in French! We have been learning how to say the alphabet, the numbers from 0 to 100 and greetings. We also learned some vocabulary and sentences to talk about our age, nationality, family, the verbs to have and to be, animals, colours and months, our zodiac sign and how to say our date of birth. We had many events organised for us to learn more about the French culture such as the multicultural week and in the lecture theatre we watched a movie in French. Every Tuesday between 3pm and 4pm there is a French club in room LAN09.

Monsieur Heimel, our French teacher, put a lot of websites and resources on Connect to help us learn and progress with our French at our own pace. There is a really good website called education perfect that Monsieur Heimel has introduced to us and it is designed to help us learn French and it also can be used to learn other subjects such as English and maths. This has really helped us with learning French and it is also a great way to revise. Monsieur Heimel has also put YouTube videos on Connect on how to say the words in French and that has also been very helpful with our learning and revising.

Millie Sales and Raya O’Dell Year 7

Millie Sales and Raya O’Dell, two outstanding language students

ONIGIRI MAKING

Year 8 students making Onigiri with Mrs Onishi and their Japanese assistant, Rina Nagae

In Week 10 of Term 2 the Japanese students made onigiri（おにぎり）. おにぎり is a ball made with rice（ごはん）, some kind of meat（にく）, pickled plum（うめぼし）, seasoned （ふりかけ）and seaweed（のり）. Yummy！おいしい！

おにぎりis made with a handful of white or brown cooked rice, filling it with the above ingredients, shaping the rice in a triangle and wrapping it with the のり.

While we were waiting for the to cook, we watched a cute Japanese movie called The Cat Returns

It was a fun and delicious way to end the semester.

Imogen Bloxham, Amy Mercer and Hana Lont Year 8

KOREAN INCURSION

Students enjoying the Korean culture at Willetton SHS

On the June 21, around 20 people from the Korean Society of Australia came to Willetton to show the Year 7, 8, and 9 Korean classes some Korean culture. After an introduction, there was a Taekwondo presentation, as well as a K-Pop dance presentation and a Korean traditional drumming presentation. After that, we made gimbap (which is like Korean sushi), did some K-Pop dancing (side note: Hudson can bop like a pro), and played the Korean traditional drums. To conclude, we played some traditional Korean games, such as throw-the-stick-in-the-pot and play-kick-ups-with-a-not-shuttlecock. It was great.

Jack Myers Year 9

BIG DAY OUT

Mr Nathan Harvey with consultants from the Department and the Schools’ Curriculum and Standards Authority

Willetton again hosted a successful professional learning event for teachers of Languages from throughout WA. As the Department of Education’s Teacher Development School for Languages, Willetton languages staff worked with consultants from the Department and the Schools’ Curriculum and Standards Authority to present workshops related to the new Western Australian Curriculum for languages. One hundred and ninety teachers participated in the day and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

The Teacher Development Schools (TDS) initiative acknowledges teachers learn best from other teachers. TDS share their expertise and classroom innovation across schools, networks and professional learning communities. Teachers and schools can access a range of practical support for whole school planning, teaching, learning and assessment.

We acknowledge Mrs Gibson, Mrs Ialacci and Mr Curran, and their senior school hospitality students who did the catering for the event. This was a massive job which was done so professionally that visiting teachers assumed it was a professional catering company.

Teachers in our lecture theatre

Nathan Harvey
Head of Languages

2016 KOREAN GOVERNMENT INVITATION PROGRAM

I arrived in Incheon, Seoul at 7 AM after a connecting 12 hour flight from Perth. Summer had just begun and the weather was sticky and humid, even in the early hours of the day.

There were 30 participating students from Japan, Paraguay, France, Ukraine, Belarus, China, Mongolia, Indonesia, America, Vietnam, Argentina, The Phillipines and there were four of us from Australia. Each day we all went out by bus to new destinations following our set schedule. We experienced life as a university student, living in dorms, taking lectures and eating in the guest house cafeteria. We swam at Ilsan Beach, spent a day in Everland (a theme park) and went shopping in Myungdong. We visited the Ulsan Hyundai Car Factory and went to the KBS (Korea Broadcasting Station) hall. As part of a traditional Korean cultural experience, we wore hanbok (traditional korean clothing), participated in tea ceremonies, learned taekwondo and played gayageum (a traditional stringed instrument).

Staying with my host family gave me an insight on the domestic Korean life. They took me out to karaoke and showed me around the neighbourhood. Most families live in apartments and houses are very uncommon. My host mum made me kimbap (Korean sushi) and rice cakes and breakfast was a little heavy compared to your standard cereal or toast, sometimes consisting of beef with rice and a variety of greens.

There is so much to love about Korea. The people are lovely. They are well mannered, respectful and patriotic. The culture is rich in history, yet at the same time embraces modern society, heavily associating family and respect towards elders. I am grateful to the Korean Government for the opportunity to experience Korea and to Chungbuk National University for being amazing hosts. I owe everything to my tutor Miss Kim for her encouragement and for showing me what I am capable of by putting my name forward for an amazing experience to further my Korean studies. 

선생님, 빨리 와요. 정말 고맙슴니다 그리고 보고싶어요.

Merci Tuiavi’I Year 9

YEAR 12 ITALIAN EXCURSION

Year 12 students in front of the Corica's Pasticceria

The Italian contribution, both locally and globally, is one of the major components of the Unit 3 course in Year 12. To witness first hand what is available in Perth, the Year 12 students, along with our three newly-arrived exchange students from Italy, spent the day visiting the Northbridge and North Perth area. The Italian Club and IAWCC were able to highlight the history both past and present of the Italian immigration as well as the services provided to the present day Italian community. In Northbridge, the European Warehouse and the Re Store in Lake Street show-cased the wide range of imported Italian goods. Following a typical Italian lunch of pasta and pizza, the group went off to see the Vasto Lake in Plain Street, a site built as a memorial to the many italian immigrants making Perth their new home in from the early 1950s to the present day.

Bianca Petale
Italian teacher

WAATI/INTERCULTURA ITALIAN EXCHANGE PROGRAM 2016

On the June 28, we welcomed our three Italian Exchange students to Willetton. Introducing…

Luca Rossi, Letizia Silva and Lidia Bertolotti

I think this was the most beautiful experience in my life. At the beginning it was hard because I missed home and I missed Italy and everything was different, but now this is my home and I want to stay here
Luca

Hi, my name is Lidia I'm an exchange student from Italy. Now that I'm here I don't want to go home but I'm enjoying my days trying not to think that I'll soon have to leave the beautiful people that I've meet here. I'll miss them a lot. Coming here maybe has been one of the best ideas I've ever had in my entire life!
Lidia

SCIENCE

YEAR 7 SEMESTER 1

Year 7 students had a great start and transition to high school learning all about the laboratory.

They loved making slime and testing chemicals to see which colours the chemicals made when burnt in a flame.

Gloria Wynhorst
Science Teacher

Mrs Wynhorst’s Year 7 Science Flame Testing

Mrs Wynhorst’s Year 7 Science class making slime

THE AUSTRALIAN BRAIN BEE CHALLENGE

On June 27, four students from the Year 10 cohort participated in a state-level neuroscience competition, the Brain Bee Challenge. This is an internationally recognised neuroscience program for students in Year 10 to learn about the brain and its functions and the research taking place, to dispel misconceptions regarding mental illness and neuroscience. The competition consists of four rounds: the regional, state, national and international finals. After two months of in-school training, the four participating students, Himal Pandey, Huiyen Siaw, Lycia Liew and Vivian Tung, had successfully passed Round 1 of the competition to reach the state finals for Western Australia.

At UWA, we collected a parcel allocated to our school, where we received a name tag, a book about neuroscience and some other miscellaneous items featuring UWA. The event started off with congratulating the 15 schools and over 100 participants for making it to the state finals as more than 50% of the participants were eliminated in round 1. While our school was from a nearby suburb in Perth, there were schools all the way from the country areas of WA, who flew to Perth to attend the competition. Vivian Tung, from Willetton successfully reached the top four, missing out on the finals by just one mark.

We also participated in the tour which consisted of interesting talks such as MRI scans and how they work, demonstrations and procedures for recording reflex actions in our body, looking at the nerves of our brain and spinal cord through the microscope, specimens of different animals’ brains compared to the human brain. However, the most awesome tour was the one to the Anatomy lab, where there were specimens of human body parts donated by people, especially those of the brain.

The experience was unique and inspiring, giving us all a new passion for a new field of study, making us curious about what we had learned. We were all thankful to our teachers Dr Conocono, Mrs. Snow and Ms Rajor for giving up their free time to help us to prepare for the competition, and the school for sending us as representatives in this prestigious neuroscience event.

Himal Pandey
Year 10

YOUTH ANZAAS

During the semester 1 holidays, as the ambassadors for Willetton Senior High School, we had the privilege of attending a science conference, Youth Anzaas. Youth Anzaas was held in Brisbane, at the campus of the University of Queensland, which is ranked in the top three in the nation for universities and in the world’s top fifty. It was a five day program for students across Australia and New Zealand where we participated in activities such as hands-on workshops, inspiring lectures and an immersive tour of the university’s facilities. There were many fun and engaging activities too such as pipetting in grade one medical research facilities and using fractional distillation to eliminate mosquito larvae, and even an innovation challenge, where we worked in groups to invent, develop and market a new product.

Highlights of the many activities included making mozzarella from curdled milk and looking at ways to stop mosquito population growth as the world’s number one killer. We also travelled to University of Queensland’s Gatton campus, where its agriculture and wildlife courses are orientated. There, we had a look at animal anatomy and structure, and also plant fungi diseases under a microscope. In the evening we also had a talk from the Dean of Gatton campus about agriculture. As aspiring scientists, it was among one of the most inspiring speeches we have heard. He listed the many problems that humanity faces in terms of production of our food resources such as lack of land, water, nutrients for growing crops, and the need to satisfy the ever-growing population of humans. He then went on to explain that though the scientists of the now are busy solving this world crisis, we as young students will grow into the problem and soon, will have to face and tackle the challenge. It was an inspiring moment where we realised that we can help to change the world and people’s lives for the better.

We also had a tour of the Queensland museum, seeing the extensive species collection. This was followed by a talk at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), and the University’s Integrated Pathology Learning Centre, where they hold a collection of human organs, particularly diseased, for students to study and learn from the real world. Our favourite was the removal of a pig foetus from the placenta of a dead pig. The sow had died due to illness, and along with it, her eight babies, and it was interesting to see the foetus up close, to examine its features and its once evolving structure. Every aspect of the scientific world was covered in depth, with interesting lectures, as along with the other students, we were able to explore the different fields of the world of science.

To end the week on a high note, we had a formal dinner with some renowned scientists with some very interesting stories about their scientific journeys, inclusive of: Dr Barry Noller, Dr Joel Gilmore, and Dr Michael Smart. Many photos were taken and hugs were shared on that night. Over the course of four days, our interest and love for science had brought us together and we know that we have made some friends that we can count on. The University of Queensland is one the best, especially in research and we both would love to study there. Youth Anzaas had been such a life changing event and we truly believe that each one of us will have the potential to achieve success.

Hannah Pitts and Lucy Jiang Year 11

Youth Anzaas Science Conference

YEAR 11 BIOLOGY NEARER TO NATURE EXCURSION

This excursion was such a good opportunity to live the life of a biologist having close encounters with native animals and conducting a quadrat survey. I felt it was really fun and it made the prospect of being a biologist even more appealing.
Lucy Jiang

Had a wicked time with Lulu the echidna.
Loryn Hampson

I learnt that if your car hits a kangaroo you should stop and check its pouch for a joey. I never realized that before. I also loved seeing the animals. It inspired me to maybe volunteer in the future.
Claire Young

I enjoyed it because I was surrounded by nature and had the opportunity to touch and see the animals. It was very interesting and informative.
Grace Mathews Philip

I gained knowledge about the kinds of traps used to capture and monitor animals.
Saxon Rocke

My biggest takeaway from the excursion was seeing the beauty of the interaction between nature and animals.
Meagan Chong

The N2N excursion was heaps of fun and it was great to learn about all the adorable but sadly endangered native species.
Hayley Rolfe

I am now interested in wildlife care.
Jayde Broun

I feel as if I learnt a lot and it was a great experience.
Amber Roenfeldt

I really enjoyed the experience and it has made me want to learn more about Biology.
Lauren Thompson

I learned a lot more than I expected about native trees and animals and how they are affected by human impact. It was an amazing and memorable experience.
Suresha Jayawardane

THE ARTS

DRAMA UPDATE

What is coming up?

Wednesday August 31, Year 11 production of The Importance of Being Earnest 6:30pm -tickets on sale soon

Wednesday September 7, 6:30pm-8:00pm, Year 12 Original Solo Performance Dance/Drama Nights

Wednesday September 21, 6:30pm-8:30pm, Year 10 Drama production Oliver Twist

It has been a busy time in drama. Following the success of the scripted production of Our Town and Stories of the Dark, The Witches was performed by the Year 12 and Year 10 Drama students to an amazing and supportive audience of almost 200. The positive reports from this production were fantastic for the students to hear. Thank you to all who were involved in this production. Your efforts were much appreciated.

As we head towards our two scripted performances from the Year 11s and Year 10s it would be great to have even bigger audiences. The calibre of our students is amazing. Please get in touch with any of the drama staff for information about future courses and questions in general.

Stefan Brand
Drama Teacher

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

The Willetton Senior High School Year 11 ATAR Drama class will be presenting The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde on August 31 at 6:30pm.

This comedic show is centered on the hilarious yet complex problems of two families living in England in the 1890s. As a class, we are still in the process of rehearsing our show; however, I’m sure it’s going to be absolutely amazing once it’s complete! The character I am playing is Cecily, a supposedly innocent country girl who has become infatuated with the idea of marrying a man by the name of Earnest, and she isn’t the only one.

As well as performing in the play, each member of the class has to be responsible for designing the costumes, sound effects, lighting, hair, makeup, and more. I elected to be part of the costume team, which helped to design each character’s costumes for certain parts of the show, and connect them to each character through symbolism.

Tickets for this amazing play will go on sale on Monday August 15 for $7. We hope to see you there!

Alana Munkelt
Year 11 ATAR Drama

Rehearsals for The Importance of Being Earnest

META 2016

Meta is an annual art and design exhibition presented by North Metropolitan TAFE (formerly the Central Institute of Technology) at Gallery Central in Perth. The exhibition selects innovative, exploratory and exciting creative works from Year 11 and 12 students from schools across Western Australia.

Year 12 ATAR Visual Arts students Nikita Wynne and Qintha Yuansyah had their works selected for this exhibition. The opening night was held on Tuesday July 26, with 70 artworks on display from 40 schools.

We congratulate these students on the quality of their artworks, and their selection in this competitive exhibition.

Claire Rushton
Visual Arts teacher

Nikita Wynne at the opening night of Meta 2016 with her painting This is Me

ST GEORGE’S ART 2016

St George’s Art, now in its 14th year, is an annual exhibition of senior school art presented in the unique gallery of St George’s Cathedral, Perth. This year’s exhibit was held from July 16-24, and featured works from Year 10, 11 and 12 students from all educational sectors.

Year 12 ATAR Visual Arts students Kasey Jenkinson, Nikita Wynne and Qintha Yuansyah exhibited their paintings from semester 1.

Congratulations to these students on the high standard of their works.

Claire Rushton
Visual Arts teacher

Qintha Yuansyah at the opening night of St George’s Art 2016 with her painting Silenced

JULY DRAMA BOOT CAMP

During the first week of the July school holidays I received a scholarship, organised by The Arts learning area, to attend a Broadway boot camp at MSJ Productions. This consisted of five full days of rehearsals with a performance of the musical Hairspray: Jr on the final night.

It was a big eye-opener into the world of theatre and all of the work that goes into a show, and it was an amazing experience. I worked with some fantastic teachers and met so many talented students. It was very exciting to work with a group of students who had learnt all of their lines and songs before we had even begun to rehearse and who were so dedicated.

I had a small lead role, playing Prudy Pingleton, which was a character role that really stretched my ability and allowed me to explore a very different personality. It was such an adrenaline rush to be a part of a show that was produced in a week. My confidence has grown so much and I would highly recommend the boot camp to anyone who loves musical theatre.

Erin Strle
Year 10

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

OUT THERE TESTING THE WORKPLACE WATERS

Many of our students in Year 11 and 12 are completing a Certificate II in Community Services or a Certificate II in Hospitality. To support the work in these TAFE certificates, students are required to complete hours in the workplace. Community Services students work at the Burrendah Primary School and Castlereagh School weekly in a variety of classes whilst Hospitality students work in the Willetton Café weekly or in preparing for school functions.

Apart from this organised work, students take the initiative to complete extra hours with work during the April holidays, the semester 1 exam break or most recently during the July holidays. Working to industry standard in any workplace can be a challenge. Our students have risen to the challenge and acquitted themselves well.

Students also test the waters in different workplaces, learning what behaviours and attitudes contribute to effective teamwork, productivity and efficiency as well to an enjoyment of being at work.

Willetton Senior High School is fortunate to have the support of many employers who kindly agree to support our students in their work experience placements. For this, we are most appreciative.

Thanks to the following businesses:

Ruth Barratt
Work Experience Placement Teacher

YEAR GROUP REPORTS

YEAR 7

Semester 2 is well underway and the Year 7s are continuing to do Willetton Senior High School proud! We celebrated our first academic awards ceremony recognising the high achieving students from semester 1 with 7 – 10 A grades. All the students behaved with respect and it was wonderful to see so many students receive an award. What a fantastic achievement, well done. A special thank you to Corey Rynvis for the photography.

This was also a time to commend the Year 7 students on all of their recent achievements. We are lucky to have so many talented students, and we embrace every students’ success. So please let me know achievements inside or outside school.

To continue to celebrate outstanding achievement we hold a reward barbeque for the top 35 merit award scorers in each cohort. This was held during session 4 to reward students for their fantastic efforts. Students that continue to earn a high number of merits will be eligible to attend a full day reward excursion at the end of semester 2. So keep up the hard work!

Year 7 Merit BBQ

Our first charity event was held during week 3. We held a tie-dye your own clothes session which ran every recess and lunch for a gold coin donation. The student councillors ensured the smooth and successful running of the event. We managed to raise $184, which will go to our chosen charity Operation Christmas Child. We will soon begin to collect shoeboxes and fill them with treats which will be sent to children all over the world that are less fortunate than us. Want more information? Visit the following link.

Charity Event

If you have any concerns or would like to share a recent student success or achievement please contact me.

Rachel Harrington
Year Coordinator

YEAR 8

We are now half way through the academic year and on Wednesday August 3, we came together to celebrate the academic achievements of those students who had gained 7 A grades or higher in Semester 1. Congratulations to all those students.

There are many students that may not be seeing their hard work and dedication reflected in this way. However, as long as they are setting goals, reaching them and reassessing the goals that is just as important.

The start of semester 2 sees a new incoming councillor group. Many thanks go to the wonderful students who put in so much time and effort during semester 1 to help with the smooth running of the assemblies and our social and fundraising efforts. Thanks Agi Bakshi, Arushi Katti, Elise Maidment, Emma Boyd, Felicity Dureau, Ifeoma Anyuko, Jack Killoh, Kate Donovan, Louis Jones, Sourish Agarwal, Taine Mitchell and Tiffany Allen.

Congratulations to Sophie Cook, Abigael Stipp, Mikka Lad, Deidre Godin, Xinyu Choot, Jocelyn Siswanto, Roosevelt Williams, Henry Lindsell, Liam Barnett, Andrew Liang, Jit Singh and Manaram Mendis our semester 2 councillors.

Year 8 Councillors Semester 2

The councillors are busy with preparations for the upcoming river cruise to be held on the September 15. Paper work for this will be distributed in due course.

Each semester, we reward those students who receive the most amount of merit points. Approximately 30 students from each lower school year group were invited to a sausage sizzle and an extended lunch break on Wednesday August 10. They were addressed by Deputy Principal, Philip Sherwood and congratulated on their achievement. At the end of this semester there will be a larger full day reward for those top merit award students so they need keep up the good work.

Year 8 Merit BBQ

At the moment, we have the Japanese exchange students from Hyogo High School. The exchange program has run for over 20 years. We were lucky enough to have the 24 students come to our assembly and perform a cultural dance. It was full of colour and movement and thoroughly enjoyed by the cohort.

Japanese Exchange Students performing at Year 8 Assembly

Kimberly Atkinson
Year Coordinator

YEAR 9

Late term 2 and early term 3 have been busy with many Year 9 events. The Year 9 Lightning Carnival was held on June 22, and students competed in soccer, basketball, football and netball against schools in the South Coastal region.

Year 9 Lightning Carnival

As a follow up to the fabulous music, drama and dance showcases at the end of last term, Ms Boxshall’s Year 9 dance class performed Ghostbusters at assembly and Tom Walker performed for us on the saxaphone.

Tom Walker performing at assembly

Manas Sunil, one of the Year 9 student councillors organised a Kahoot online science competition which has been running Friday lunchtimes. This is a great idea which he has developed for fellow Year 9 students.

Manas Sunil guiding the Kahoot session

The awards ceremony last week saw 46 award winners who achieved 7 or more A grades receive their achievement certificates in front of their parent and peers.

In my speech I also congratulated the 158 students who achieved 98% attendance or above in semester 1. These students have been awarded merit points recognising that fabulous achievement.

This week, 33 students who have been awarded the most merit points in semester one attended a merit awards luncheon.

We have organised Elevate Education to return to the school and run another free study skills session after school on Thursday August 25 from 3pm to 4pm. Information about this has been posted on Connect and there are 30 positions available for Year 9 students who would like to become more efficient with their study habits. Parents or students please email me your interest as soon as possible.

On Thursday September 1, the Year 9 Athletics Carnival will be held. This is the last whole year group carnival for the year. All students are expected to attend and participate in at least some events. There is no pressure to compete in all events and the fellowship of being together with the whole year group is one of the aims of the day. The carnival is a school day that is part of the whole school experience and students who are absent without a reasonable explanation may put their attendance at the upcoming river cruise also at risk.

The Year 9 River Cruise is the culmination of term 3 and will be held in week 10 on Tuesday September 30. Permission letters and information will be sent home with your child shortly. A reminder to ensure that payment is made on the Friday prior to the event as late payments cannot be accepted

Best wishes for the remainder of term three and please contact me by email; Andrea.wheeler@education.wa.edu.au with any queries.

Andrea Wheeler
Year 9 Coordinator

YEAR 10

IMPORTANT DATES

TERM 3

Week 5

• Year 10 interviews with course councillors continue

Week 6

• Tuesday August 23, Year 10 student councillors involved in leadership course
• Thursday August 25, School Councillor Forum (involving all school councillors from all year groups)

Week 7

• Peer Leaders assisting at Year 7 – 9 carnivals from Tuesday 30 August - Thursday September 1
• Thursday September 1, Year 10-12 Carnival- selected Year 10 students
• OLNA testing- August 29 - 2 September 2

Week 8

• Thursday September 8, Year 10 English excursion; A Midsummer Night’s Dream

We have now reached the halfway mark of your child’s journey. There are 394 students in the Year 10 cohort, with predicted numbers of over 400 in senior school.

By now all Year 10s would have completed the Decision Time process and had their interviews with the course councillors or with the VET office. For the pathway they have chosen for senior school it is important to be realistic and set new goals to prepare for what lies ahead. Thank you to the parents/guardians/students/course councillors/VET team for their support.

Learning in the Lecture theatre

For the past two and half years we have awarded merit points to those students who have shown a positive outlook in the classroom or in the community. Last week, 30 students from Year 10 were invited to a celebratory barbeque. Congratulations to the following students:

Year 10 Merit Award BBQ

The Duke of Edinburgh is a fantastic award scheme which a lot of the Year 10s are working towards and it was a pleasure at a recent assembly to award our first students their Bronze awards. Congratulations on this success to Lachlan Forrest, Benita David, Ujvala Vemeru, Charlie Watt and Bailey Tucek.

Katelyn Humphrey has successfully completed a Willetton Senior High School work experience program with Miss Maud.

Katelyn at Miss Maud

Well done Ethan Pui who was recently overseas participating in the Denmark Cup One in Copenhagen and Gothia Cup (Youth Soccer World Cup) in Sweden from July 9 - 24 with his soccer team.

Ethan Pui

Year 10 Students also performed in the South of Swan Dance Festival last term.

Year 10 Students at the South of Swan Dance Festival

I would love to hear of other success stories of students. If there is anything that your child is doing out of school or in school please let me know.

Stefan Brand
Year Coordinator

YEAR 10 COUNCIL

Time spent in Willetton Senior High School has been a pleasant experience for most Year 10 students. With the help of the year coordinator Mr Stefan Brand, the Year 10 council have also been quite successful in the events they have organised.

The council meets together every Monday, to discuss various things to make the school experience for other students better. First of all, it is decided who hosts the assembly each Wednesday, to introduce teachers and special guests and read the daily notices. After deciding on the host, the council moves on to discuss possible fund raising events to support various causes, such as Zero2Hero campaign to spread awareness about Mental Health. If there are no new fund raising campaigns, the discussion moves onto any year group issues or problems and possible ways to solve them. In the 15 minute discussion, most things are covered, leaving some topics for the week.

Recently, the council decided to create a survey for all the students in the year group on ways to enhance their experiences. A presentation is also being done by one of the councillors, Himal Pandey, about Everyday Leadership on August 23, for students who aspire to be a leader. Furthermore, the council has been actively participating in organising more shaded areas around the school and requesting the school to design a new winter uniform. With the help of the survey, where questions regarding various things will be asked, the council is looking forward to creating more opportunities for students to display their talents to others.

After the river cruise in Term 1, which more than 200 students attended, the Year 10 student Council has been planning to organise another social event in the near future. With all these things, the student council for Year 10 is trying their very best to increase the happiness of the year group.

Himal Pandey
Year 10

CHARLIE WATT IN THE UK WITH FOXTEL ALL-STARS

Winning the first ever Foxtel All-Stars Scholarship in March, Willetton Senior High student, Charlie Watt went to Manchester on the August 6 to train at the Manchester City Football Performance Program.

Charlie spent four days at a state-of-the-art football facility training with City’s expert coaches, and two days of intense footballing at Manchester City’s Official Football Academy.

This is such a great opportunity for talented young footballers from all walks of life to follow their dream – Tim Cahill

Charlie’s Scholarship includes:

• Ongoing mentoring and support from Socceroo’s player, Tim Cahill
• One year Foxtel subscription
• 2016 football registration fees
• New Balance kit
• Tickets to the 2016 Hyundai A-League Grand Final
• 2017/18 Season A-League Membership

Charlie Watt with Tim Cahill

Charlie Watt in action

EMMA JOHNSON

Congratulations to Emma Johnson who recently represented WA at the Australian Under 15 and Cadet Fencing Championships in Sydney, where she achieved outstanding results. She was either the sole WA girl or the top-placed WA girl in all six possible categories, winning three individual medals and one team medal.

Emma is currently ranked 5th, 5th and 6th in Australia in the three Under 15 categories (Sabre, Epee and Foil). Emma has also had an excellent year at state level, including gold and silver medals in the Open Sabre category. She is in a good position to add several more State Championships to the eight she won over the last three years. She is already mathematically guaranteed at least two championships this year and is leading the rankings in four other categories.

Emma Johnson

YEAR 11

It has been a very busy few weeks with course counselling, now mostly completed for all Year 11 students. I thank all parents and students for their efforts in getting these done in a timely manner. There are still a minority of students who have not made an appointment with their counsellor and I urge them to contact me to make an appointment as soon as possible so they do not miss out on their requested courses. I also urge all students to be realistic about their choices, particularly in ATAR classes. If progress is not as expected this semester then students need to come and see me to amend the selections made to avoid not achieving suitable qualifications in senior school.

Congratulations to all the award winners recognised at our special assembly last week. It was pleasing to see many new faces receiving awards in many different areas including VET.

I am proud of all our Year 11 students, not just the award winners for their efforts around the school and community. It is hard to acknowledge everyone, but special congratulations to our scholarship winners Maryse Green and Niklesh Warrier.

Maryse has not only received 6 A grades, she is currently working towards her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award and travelling to Vietnam to work in a community environment. She will be travelling to Japan on an exchange programme where she will homestay and be immersed in the Japanese culture. Maryse volunteers weekly at her local church where she educates and guides young children in the values of the church. Maryse is a quiet, hardworking student who deserves this award.

Niklesh has also achieved 6 A Grades whilst completing school and community based volunteer work. Niklesh has been a reliable hard working councillor since Year 9. He referees and coaches basketball on weekends. He is a mentor in his local church and is co-creator of a new web page initiative that recognises the great work that other youth are achieving within our community.

Year 11 Award winners Niklesh Warrier and Maryse Green

If you would like to nominate someone for future recognition, please let me know what community /social work is being undertaken. We aim to start recognising these students at assembly and it would be great to hear of the wonderful things our students are doing.

Leaver’s Jacket sizing and ordering through the school has now closed. It is still possible to complete an order form, (available at Student Services) however it will need to be taken to the Uniform Concepts shop in Yampi Way Willetton. Thank you to the councillors for all the hard work put in to design this jacket.

Dinner Dance tickets continue to be on sale. Please encourage all students to support this great social opportunity. It will be the only social function this year.

Colleen Hayes
Year Coordinator

YEAR 12

This is the speech made by Judy Gauci at the Awards Ceremony on August 3

This ceremony marks the end of semester one and the beginning of your final semester at school. Congratulations to all of you for reaching the final stage of your formal and compulsory education.

So far this year we have experienced some amazing highs together. The first group ever to be wearing their leavers jacket complete with a shiny new senior status badge from their first day of Year 12.

The incredible effort you went to for the dress ups on the morning of the ball. The Salvation Army was 300 cans of food better off and the Red Cross for the Fijian cyclone crisis appeal benefited by $1600, all because of your generosity and community spirit. And of course how sophisticated and amazing you all looked for the evening itself. What a fantastic night.

Our relay for life team carried on Willetton’s tradition raising over $1500 for cancer research, taking time from their studies, sporting and work commitments to be part of the event and represent the school.

Year 12 councillors have coordinated a very successful forum for all student leaders from years 7-11 and created a new mentoring concept that will benefit current and future generations of Willetton students.

As individuals you are starting to shine. We have amongst us talented actors, future politicians, designers and artists, international and state reps in an array of sports, musicians rocking the local and international music scene, researchers of the future jetting off around the world exploring exciting new fields of science, and volunteers working in all corners of the community

Then we have those of you who are excelling in courses at school, many of whom are sitting in front of you today. Congratulations to all of you for your outstanding achievements.

And don't think we've overlooked those countless others who are doing incredibly well, in some cases despite great adversity. Life isn't always easy and stuff happens, often when we least expect it. As your year co I know many of you have overcome major personal obstacles and hardship to still be sitting here today on the pathway to achieving WACE and graduation. I for one am incredibly proud of all of you.

More than anything, your final term is about perseverance and resilience no matter what course you are studying. Your teachers and I ask that your focus remains consistent through to the end. You are almost there….

Finish strongly. Continue to support each other and the school, just as it has supported you and provided so many opportunities for you to thrive and excel over the last four and a half years.

Continue to put your best effort forward. Make the most of after school tutoring sessions, revision programs, private study sessions and meet deadlines for all coursework.

This is a time to give back and enjoy the solid reputation that you have created for yourself as a cohort of hardworking, fun loving and respectful individuals. Make the most of these last few weeks. They will fly by! Enjoy the moment.

Judy Gauci
Year Coordinator

SCHOOL BOARD NEWS

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

The next School Board meeting will be held on Wednesday August 24, 2016 in the conference room. A list of Board meetings for this year can be found on the school website, under the School Board information. All are welcome.

The Board will review funding applications by staff at the next meeting, and look forward to reporting on the projects funded, in the next newsletter issue.

SCHOOL TOURS

The next school tour will take place at 9.00am on Tuesday August 30. 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 made in August include free delivery straight to your home.

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.

Pricing as follows:

Order forms are available on the school website 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 NEWS

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

THINK U KNOW PRESENTATION

The Willo Parent Group, together with Student Services, will be hosting a ThinkUKnow presentation on Wednesday September 14 at 6.00pm and all parents, carers and teachers are encouraged to attend.

ThinkUKnow Australia is a cyber safety education program that educates parents, carers and teachers of how people are using technology, the challenges they may face online, and how to help them overcome these in a safe and ethical way.

ThinkUKnow Australia is a partnership between the Australian Federal Police, Microsoft Australia, Datacom and the Commonwealth Bank. The program is delivered in collaboration with policing partners New South Wales Police Force, Northern Territory Police, Queensland Police, South Australia Police, Tasmania Police, Western Australia Police, as well as Neighbourhood Watch Australasia.

The presentation will be delivered by a local law enforcement member and an industry volunteer. The presentation covers issues relating to children and young peoples’ privacy and security online, their relationships with other users and their online reputation. It provides insight into the devices young people are using, as well as the popular websites, apps and social networking sites they’re accessing.

This is a fantastic opportunity for you to learn more about young people and the online environment, and how you can help them to be safe and responsible users of technology.

For more information, you can visit the link below. Please register your attendance with willoparent@gmail.com by September 9.

COFFEE MORNINGS

Parenting Teenagers and Setting Boundaries - June 24

Daniel Prokop is an author, stand-up comic, geologist and parent educator who presented to the Willo Parent Group on the topic “Parenting Teenagers and Setting Boundaries.” Over 40 parents attended this presentation and the feedback was positive. The purpose of the presentation was not for Mr Prokop to tell parents what to do but rather to inspire parents to reflect on parenting strategies and discuss with other parents what has worked or not worked for them. The Coffee Morning was a fantastic forum for this sort of discussion and there was a lot of talking over morning tea following the presentation. Thank you to all those who attended. If you missed the session and would like a summary of the presentation, please contact willetton.shs.schoolboard@education.wa.edu.au

Healthy Food Choices for Teenagers – August 5

It was a pleasure to have Cancer Council nutritionist Gael Myers speak to parents on this important topic. Ms Myers covered the following topics:

• The current diet of Australian teenagers
• Consequences of poor diet
• Dietary recommendations
• Top nutrition issues and tips
• Advocating for improved food environments

Nutritionist Gael Myers

All participants were given a recipe book each, and a nutrition information panel guide to work through an exercise on how to read nutritional labels on packaging. It was surprising to discover the high sugar content on some cereal items! An excellent resource is the Live Lighter website for healthy recipes and an interesting activity to try out is the Junk Food calculator to see how many kilojoules you or your teenager is consuming each day.

Willo Parent Group - Healthy Food Choices for Teenagers

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.