30 March 2017

Editor: Jenny LeSouef
Technology: Nola Regan

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

We were very proud of teacher Debra Lievense who won the prestigious international Paul Harris Rotary Award for exemplifying the objectives of Rotary. Debra was quick to recognise the support she receives from her colleagues. The award epitomizes the values of unity and caring we hold dear at our school.

Science teacher, Marina Pitts has recently been awarded a doctorate in Physics. This is an amazing achievement combining full time teaching, family commitments and study and certainly enhances the already existing high level of qualifications of our Science learning area staff. We now have five teachers who have doctorate level qualifications.

Congratulations to Charmaine Smith and Rachel Harrington who were elected by staff to represent them for 2017/18 on the School Board. Many thanks to Peter Martyr and Pia Palermo for their contribution to Board operations over the last two years.

We held a well-attended parent teacher evening on March 14. Six hundred and fourteen families attended 2757 interviews. The high level of parent participation and interest in their children’s education enhances the outcomes for members of the Willetton educational community. Unity heightens success!

Our school ball was again a great success and the dress up morning on the day of the ball inspired creativity in many of the students (and staff). Thanks to all involved, especially Colleen Hayes and her Councillors.

The interior and exterior study areas near the canteen in our new buildings have proved to be an amazing success. The camaraderie and shared learning for all aged students is great to see. Before, during and after school, students can be seen participating in individual

The Year Big Day Out and zone and school swimming carnivals have run smoothly. Many thanks to all involved. The extra commitment shown by staff has ensured the smooth running of all events.

I am about to commence my study through Harvard University under the auspices of the Department of Education. It was an honour to be selected and knowledge gained will be used to enhance the educational outcomes for all Willetton students.

Chris Booth

BOARD CHAIR REPORT

2016 BOARD CHAIR REPORT PRESENTED AT AGM

There is much for the Willetton Senior High School (WSHS) community to celebrate and be thankful for over the past 12 months.

We celebrate and recognise;

• all of our students, who achieved personal learning success, enhanced their life outcomes and upheld the school’s values. Last year’s graduating students were one of the most successful cohorts in the history of the school; we congratulate each and every one of them for their contribution to the school community.
• all WSHS staff and the school leadership group who remain committed to providing world-class education and support for all students. We are thankful for their dedication to supporting our children to realise personal learning and life goals. 2016 saw recognition of a number of outstanding teachers, we are fortunate to have such exemplary practitioners.
• the broader WSHS community; all the parents and guardians, ex-students, local community, community organisations and local enterprises; all those that have volunteered their time and expertise, and invested resources in order to enhance and optimise positive outcomes for WSHS students. We are extremely thankful for these contributions; they are critical to the success of our school.

The opening of the new buildings gave us much to celebrate. They are stunning, and we are thankful that the staff and students have access to such impressive resources. There were a number of staff and Board members, both past and present, who made these buildings possible. We recognise the WA Government’s commitment to fund redevelopment of our school.

Willetton is one of our Western Australia’s most elite schools; our unique point of difference is that we are not an elitist school. But you need not take my word for it. The number of commendations the school received following the Independent Public School (IPS) triennial review highlighted this. We head into the next reporting period with a renewed confidence and a commitment to continuous improvement.

It would be remiss not to highlight the ground breaking work that Tele Tan has done to bring together the school, the Rotary Club of Willetton and Curtin University, to establish a program that seeks to provide learning pathways and development opportunities for WSHS students with autism. It is truly inspirational program that has been recognised, at a state and federal level, as an effective, innovative and collaborative approach to supporting and engaging young people in their learning journey.

I would like to thank Paola Chivers for all she has done in her capacity as vice-chair. Paolo has been outstanding, to ensure the Board continues to run as effectively and efficiently as possible. Her counsel and support has been invaluable. Helen Wong’s contribution as Executive Officer continues to be exceptional.

Sincere thanks to all Board members, parents, staff and community members who have in their own way contributed to the successful operation of the Willetton Senior High School Board.

Simon Lappin

GENERAL

CONGRATULATIONS

DEBRA LIEVENSE

Teacher, Debra Lievense was recently named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Willetton Rotary Club for exemplifying the humanitarian and educational objectives of Rotary.

Ms Lievense works with students with special needs and is co-founder of the Willetton Senior High School Interact program working with young leaders. She acknowledged the support of staff, students and accepted the award on behalf of the whole of the Willetton community.

The portrait of Ms Lievense was painted by Jana Vodesil-Baruffi who was artist in residence at our school, as a salute to contemporary heroines.

DR MARINA PITTS

Marina graduated with a PhD from UWA this month. Her research was conducted at the Gravity Discovery Centre (GDC) near Gingin. Since 2010, hundreds of Willetton students have had the opportunity to go on excursions to the GDC where they performed experiments related to gravity and met scientists who were conducting research related to the detection of gravitational waves.

Albert Einstein first proposed gravitational waves in 1915, as part of his Theory of General Relativity. They can be thought of as ripples in space and time created by violent cosmic events such as the collision of black holes. In February 2016 the first direct observation of gravitational waves was announced.

Marina Pitts (Science teacher), Crystal Hu (Pre-service teacher at Willetton) and Julie Grbavac (a long term supporter of Willetton and its students)

DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S INTERNATIONAL AWARD

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award continues to attract a large number of students. It is fantastic to note the achievements of students and see their confidence grow as they get into all corners of the school and community through camps, sports, skills or community and civic service.

We are busy planning the next Adventurous Journey opportunities for participants. Thanks to Mr Hamish McLean for taking on the planning and coordination of the Silver Camp scheduled for the July school holidays. I encourage all participants to access our Duke of Edinburgh Connect page, which is being used to communicate tips for managing Awards, opportunities that arise for Award Sections and lots of other relevant information on a regular basis.

Ongoing support for participants is available in H202, Technologies building on Tuesdays and Fridays at recess. We welcome new participants from the age of 14 years.

Congratulations to the following students for receiving Awards this year:

Gold (20 WACE points)

Chloe Tucek (Y12)
Bo Davie (Class of 2016)

Silver (10 WACE points)

Lachlan Forrest (Y11)

Bronze (5 WACE points)

Bianca Stevenson (Y10)
Brielle McKinlay (Y10)
Jae Brieffies (Y10)
Falicia Tay (Y11)
Yasasvi Katragadda (Y11)
Mackenzie Taylor (Y10)
Lucy McGinn (Y10)

Ms Judy Gauci School Coordinator

WILLETTON SHS PIPES AND DRUMS BAND

Our school Pipe Band has been rehearsing diligently for their performance at Multi Cultural Week. We welcome five new members, Jack Wright (Year 7), Louis Lee (Year 11), Navleen Kaur (Year 9) Haarsini Harish Perumal (Year 9) and Parveen Gill Kaur (Year 10). We have also appreciated the return of 2016 graduates Sean Lee, Vishnu Arumugum and Jasmine Kaur, whom are now assuming the role of drumming tutors.

Congratulations to three of our pipers who recently attended Castlereagh School Harmony Day Performance. Thanks to Jack Killoh (Year 9) Milasi Amarasingha (Year9) and Deep Gill (Year 10) for giving up their time to venture over to play a few tunes at there. We were well received by staff and students.

Congratulations also to Deep Gill who has just joined Perth Metro Pipe Band and Shauna Bruce for her participation with City of Cockburn Pipe Band in a number of recent marches and performances.

We welcome new band members from all year groups, no experience necessary. If you would like to learn pipes, snare or tenor drumming simply come to practice which is on Friday afternoons between 3 and 4.20pm in the theatre.

Judy Gauci Pipe Major and Coordinating Teacher

Willetton SHS Pipe Band 2017

NEW TEACHING STAFF TO WILLETTON SHS

INTRODUCING………………

IAN GALBRAITH

I was born and grew up in South Africa before immigrating to Australia with my wife 30 years ago. I currently live in an inner city Perth suburb with my wife and two sons. I enjoy travel, hiking and renovating and the odd marathon chess challenges with my son.

I have taught mathematics in three countries in a number of schools and have always enjoyed the relationships formed working in these schools. Besides social cycling, swimming, squash and sailing, I have recently had a go at rowing. Hope I don't rock the boat!

HAMISH MCLEAN

Having completed by high schooling at Willetton Senior High School, I am delighted to be back in my mathematics teaching capacity! I completed a Bachelor in Science, majoring in physical and analytical chemistry at The University of Western Australia. I then jumped straight into a Graduate Diploma in secondary education, at the University of Notre Dame - Fremantle Campus.

Prior to re-joining the Willetton Senior High School community I worked for an educational charity, focussing on bridging the gap in educational experiences for rural and disadvantaged students throughout Western Australia. I held roles such as schools officer, Executive manager of Logistics, Operations and Education teams, and finally Chief Operations Officer. My work with this charity inspired me to follow my passion of teaching.

I am excited work with the teachers that led me through my high school experience, learn from them, and inspire the students I have the pleasure of teaching to achieve their best in everything they do. I can’t wait to see what the remainder of 2017 is going to throw at me.

MS AMANDINE COMMERGNAT FRENCH ASSISTANT

Bonjour (Hello),

I am Amandine, the new French assistant for 2017 at Willetton SHS. I grew up in Vendée, in western of France, and then I spent few years in the city of Nantes to study. I have already been teaching French at a Spanish High School for a year in Córdoba (Spain). And this year, I came to Perth to discover the Western Australian culture and to share about the French language and habits with your students.

À bientôt!

BELONGING AT SCHOOL BOOSTS NAPLAN SCORES

The Australian National University has found that a feeling of belonging to the school can influence how well students do in assessments and can increase NAPLAN scores by as much as 10 points.

Mentally Healthy WA, based at Curtin University has always strongly promoted belonging to a school community and having strong social connections for good mental health, through their Act-Belong-Commit Campaign and schools program. According to this study, feeling connected to the school community can also have a positive effect on school test scores.

School identification was an important and significant predictor of performance, said Kate Reynolds from the ANU Research School of Psychology. When students feel connected to a school, they are more likely to view their school’s norms and values as being self-relevant and are more likely to live up to the aspirations of the school.

Other research shows the benefits of belonging for good mental and physical health, with a sense of belonging linked to decreased anxiety, depression and cardiovascular disease. Having Act-Belong-Commit promoted in the school setting boosts the sense of belonging students have at the school, which increases the likelihood of students performing better during NAPLAN, says Phoebe Joyce, Mentally Healthy Schools Program coordinator. It also encourages students to look after their mental health and wellbeing during the stress and anxiety that can occur around NAPLAN testing.

Mrs Donna Gardiner, Student Services Manager, states We know that young people who have lots to do and are engaged in the school community are more likely to develop self-confidence and resilience. This will help them cope with the pressures of exams and the strains of growing up.

There are many opportunities at Willetton for students to boost their sense of belonging, says Mrs Gardiner. We have an amazing array of clubs, including the Rubik’s Cube Club, Book Club, Astronomy Club and many more listed on our website.

Acting, belonging and committing will help you cope better with problems and stress, lift your mood and will simply make you feel good.

Schools across WA can join the Mentally Healthy Schools Program to better equip their students to deal with life’s ups and downs. To find out more visit the link below or phone 9266 1873.

Contact:

Student Services Team
Willetton SHS
9334 7200

Phoebe Joyce
Mentally Healthy Schools Program Coordinator
Ph: (08) 9266 1873
phoebe.joyce@curtin.edu.au

HARMONY DAY

On Tuesday March 21, we celebrated Harmony Day as a school. In Australia, Harmony Day is where we celebrate our diversity and vast multicultural society.

In the morning, students were given orange ribbons, bookmarks, wristbands, stickers and pins - all symbolising and teaching us about Harmony Day. There were banners hung up on the front gates, where teachers and students handed out free gifts. At lunch, there were multiple interactive games set up for all students near the quad from Act Belong Commit. Although it was raining, we still managed to pull off the live music, where talented students volunteered to sing and play instruments. Overall, today was a great experience for students and teachers alike.

Trinyce Tong Year 8

INTERACT CLUB NEWS

INTERACT EXECUTIVE LEARN LEADERSHIP SKILLS

Eight students, each on the Interact Executive, were lucky enough to participate in a one-hour leadership course run by two leadership coaches from the John C Maxwell team.

Coaches Johnson Chng and Patsy Lim donated their time to the club to enhance the team’s leadership skills.

The students learned what effective leadership involves, including conflict resolution skills and a range of other key ingredients of effective leadership.

Students afterwards commented on how fortunate they felt to have been a part of the session.

I feel like it helped us to grow as a group and identify some of the ways that we could improve Interact, but also that it helped me to find out more about myself personally, Interact Club secretary Jae Brieffies said.

The executive hopes to run a similar session with the leadership coaches for all Interact members later in the year.

Pip Peake Coordinator

Leadership coaching: John C Maxwell leadership coaches Johnson Chng and Patsy Lim led the Interact executive in a session on effective leadership skills. Pictured left to right are secretary Mihan De Silva, publicity officer Kelvin Poulraj, vice president Hannah Page, publicity officers Threseena Jimson, Jo Groen and Shashank Gupta, secretary Jae Brieffies, leadership coach Johnson Chng, Interact president Jasmine Beck and leadership coach Patsy Lim

GIFTED AND TALENTED

SIMPSON PRIZE 2017

The Simpson Prize is a national history competition open to Year 9 and 10 students. The competition encourages students to reflect on the meaning and significance of the legacy of ANZAC. Entrants are required to respond to a quotation and essay question, using sources from the Simpson Prize Australian War Memorial Source Selection and their own research. Winners and runners-up are chosen from each state.

The winners and runners-up of the 2017 competition were announced on March 21 at a presentation ceremony at Parliament House. We congratulate two of our Gifted and Talented students, Jae Brieffies, the 2017 winner for Western Australia, and Char Min Ng, the 2017 runner-up for Western Australia. Both girls participated in a two-day Canberra program, which they thoroughly enjoyed, and Jae will be travelling to the Western Front, France as part of her prize.

We care very proud of our students’ achievements and recognise that it is the result of diligent application and consistent endeavour to achieve excellence. We thank their families for their continued support and the organisers of the Simpson Prize Competition for the opportunities presented to our students.

Joy Fourie Humanities and Social Sciences Teacher

Jae Brieffies and Char Min Ng

BLACK COCKATOO NESTING BOXES

The Carnaby’s Cockatoo is an endangered species of Black Cockatoo endemic to the south west of WA. Their population has been in decline for years due to land clearing for housing and in particular the destruction of very old trees with nesting hollows. The Gifted and Talented education program, in collaboration with the Rossmoyne Community Kindergarten, has been successful in winning a $13,500 grant to study the breeding of this magnificent bird. The funds were provided by the Natural Resource Management Landcare program and the City of Canning.

We are installing five Black Cockatoo nesting boxes with a surveillance system to monitor nesting progress. Our students are building a solar powered camera system to show live footage from inside the boxes. The nesting boxes are being installed in April in the Rossmoyne Kindergarten grounds. The reason that this site was chosen is that it has a large area of remnant vegetation and is a daily roosting site for the both the Carnaby’s and the Forest Red Tailed Black Cockatoos.

Many thanks to Yolanda Pereira (former Willetton student) and Amanda Spencer Teo (Kindergarten parent) for writing the grant application.

Darren Hamley Gifted and Talented Education Coordinator

Mr Darren Hamley and students with one of the black cockatoo nesting box

HIDDEN FIGURES - YEAR 8 GIFTED AND TALENTED FILM EXCURSION

On February 22, Mrs Duffy’s and Ms Appleton’s Year 8 Gifted and Talented classes went on an excursion to Hoyts Southlands to watch the newly released film Hidden Figures which is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly. The film is set in 1961, a time when the United States competed with the USSR to be the first nation to put a man in space, now commonly known as the space race.

NASA discovered unexploited talent in a group of African-American female mathematicians, who worked as the brains behind one of the most iconic operations in U.S history. Based on the true life stories of three of these women, who were known as human calculators, the film is based on the real life story of these women as they climbed the ranks of NASA alongside many of history’s greatest minds.

The film shows these women successfully calculating the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, and assuring his safe return. Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson and Katherine Johnson had to overcome the gender and race discrimination barriers considered natural at the time, in order to take their rightful place in the world of space exploration. Their brilliance saw them accomplish something never before achieved which cemented their status as true American heroes.

The film was about two hours long and after depleting the candy bar, the students all came back to school just in time for 5th session. Overall, everyone enjoyed learning about this hidden part of American history and it was a great excursion.

Raya Khan Year 8

Year 8 Gifted and Talented students

INTERNATIONAL PI DAY

Students, celebrated international Pi day in recognition of the great number; the ratio of a circle’s diameter to its radius. All students able to recite Pi to twenty decimal places were rewarded with either a meat or an apple pie. Fifty students were successful in the challenge, none better than our 2017 champion Bianca Stevenson with an impressive count of 101 decimal places.

Thanks to Miss Hamilton for being a judge.

Darren Hamley Gifted and Talented Education Coordinator

3.14159265358979323846

Enjoying Pies on International Pi Day

HAVE SUM FUN MATHEMATICS COMPETITION

The Have Sum Fun Mathematics competition is an annual interschool event organised by the Mathematics Association of WA. Teams of up to six students from both public and private schools come together to compete. The competition is always intense with four rounds of mathematically challenging questions and this year was no exception.

YEAR 7 AND 8 COMPETITION

This year we entered three teams of Year 7 and 8s who competed at Trinity College on the night of Friday March 17. These students performed exceptionally well. By the end of the night, All Saints College received a perfect score and two of our teams were tied for second place with Rossmoyne SHS with a score of 31/32. It was then up to the tiebreaker questions to separate them.

We were quietly confident as one of our teams scored 4/4 in the tiebreaker and were awarded the second place. The third place was again drawn and came down to when the tiebreaker sheet was handed in. In the end we were awarded fourth place and all team members received an engraved fourth place pen.

A fantastic effort!

Congratulations to Allan Wu, Thyler Cung, Samuel Thoo, Ryan Goon and Felix Rego who were awarded second place

A creditable fourth place was awarded to Mihir Pareek, Monil Varma, Yue Fan, Ian Pinto, Lucas Riddle and Ethan Wan

All three Year 7 and 8 teams had a great night

Kerri Kalotay Mathematics Teacher

YEAR 9 AND 10 COMPETITION

Friday March 17 was a very busy day for Willetton with both the school ball and the hotly contested Year 9 and 10 Have Sum Fun maths competition. Two teams of six students headed off to All Saints College armed with their problem solving skills, enthusiasm, calculators, and enough lollies to sink a ship. (Apparently the brain only works on glucose???)

Of the 30 teams competing, Willetton did very well in placing second and fifth.

Congratulations to the following students:

Mutia Daruso, Thomas Laing-Hughes, Sep Kiminaie and Mihan Desilva from Year 10 and Jonathon Chivers, Jadeyn Feng, Jack Killoch, Aaron Lee, Angela Ahearn, Saikhushi Sesetti, Will Ho and Lucky Daniswara from Year 9.

Well worth sacrificing Wednesday lunchtimes to train under the excellent guidance of Mrs Gatland!

L to R Mutia Daruso, Thomas Laing–Hughes, Jack Killoh, Aaron Lee, Jonathan Chivers, Jadeyn Feng

Angela Ahern, ,Mihan DeSilva, Sep Kimiaei, Saikhushi Sesetti, Lucky Daniswara, Will Ho

Kate Thompson Mathematics Teacher

YEAR 11 AND 12 COMPETITION

The Have Sum Fun Mathematics Competition for senior school students, organised by Mathematics Association of Western Australia, was held at Trinity College on Friday March 10. We entered three teams of six Year 11 students per team who raced against the clock for four intense rounds of challenging problem solving. They were competing against teams of Year 11 and 12 students from other schools.

Two of our teams won the 6th and 7th places out of a total of 39 teams in the competition. Our third team achieved 2nd place, only two points behind Rossmoyne SHS. The second place winners were Christopher Chivers, Jordan Hoffman, Andrew Lee, Kee-An Seet, Nancy Shi and Kaylee Wong.

Congratulations to all the students and thanks to Peter Lee for the organising of these Year 11 groups.

Bottom Left – Kee-An Seet, Nancy Shi, Kaylee Wong
Bottom Right – Andrew Lee, Christopher Chivers, Jordan Hoffmann

Bottom Left – Dhirren Ranjit Rajah, Joannes Gandahusada, Claudia Goh
Bottom Right – Yuedeng Lee, Yi Seng Yap, Leopold Ngu

Bottom Left – Yves Diggle, Aditya Gupta, Dhruv Jobanputra
Bottom Right – Joseph Loveday, Roshan Prashant, Himal Pandey

L to R – Mr Peter Lee, Jordan Hoffmann, Christopher Chivers, Andrew Lee, Kee-An Seet, Nancy Shi, Kaylee Wong

Peter Lee Mathematics Teacher

GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS WIN GOLD!

Last year, the Year 8 Gifted and Talented English classes started learning touch typing in an effort to improve speed and accuracy of typing skills. They used an online program called Typing Tournament which teaches traditional touch typing in a technologically advanced and entertaining way. Students improved their typing speed and accuracy through a range of online challenges that are structured in 16 levels, just like the format of a game and just as fun. Students are not only taught how to spell words correctly using the correct keys, but they are also taught to use punctuation correctly. Mrs Duffy’s class won gold in both categories of the World Typing Tournament Championships - speed and accuracy.

Lara Duffy English Teacher

World Typing Tournament Championships Winners
Back Row: Stephanie Lim and Callum Hutchison
Seated: Amy Mercer and Leilah Warlik

SENIOR GIFTED AND TALENTED

Our after school study group meets in D8 every Thursday, from 2.45 – 5pm. Students are tutored by our highest performing Gifted and Talented students now at university, studying a range of courses, including Medicine, Engineering, History and Law.

It is a friendly and useful collection of students getting advice and help with a range of subjects in Years 11 and 12. We urge all Senior Gifted and Talented students to make the most of this opportunity.

Genevieve Earl, 2015 graduate works with Year 12 students Aparna and Praneetha

THE ARTS

MUSIC NEWS

WOW! What a start to the year! We have around 150 Year 7s in our Music and Keyboard classes. Ms Forster, Mrs Templar and Mrs Peake have commented on the strong organisation skills they’ve seen in the students, who have learned the Music Programme processes quickly. Well Done Year 7 Music students. Our bands and ensembles are happily bursting at the seams with these students: Junior Concert Band had 70 students at its Tuesday afternoon rehearsal.

PARENT MEETING

More than 100 parents and family came to our Year 7/New Music Students Parent Meeting on Wednesday. Instrumental Music School Specialist Staff (IMSS) were on hand to meet parents and answer questions, as well as our music staff and Head of The Arts, Cheryl Venter. Our Senior String Ensemble was on hand to perform, as was Year 11 piano student Carmel Lee and Year 9 clarinet player Jessy Tan.

PERFORMANCES

Our Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Mr Iain Robbie, wowed the audience at the opening of our new build. Their performance propelled amazing rhythms around the school and energised the audience. Year 12 flute students Xin Ru Lim and Claire Tho performed the National Anthem. Xin Ru also performed beautifully at the recent Investiture Ceremony. We thank our young musicians for their involvement in these school events.

BEGINNER INSTRUMENTAL CLASSES

Places in our beginner instrumental classes have quickly filled with enthusiastic Year 7s keen to learn oboe, saxophone, bassoon, contemporary guitar, percussion and voice. Some places in this exciting programme are still open (lessons are funded by Department of Education through IMSS). Interested students can get an information letter and an Expression of Interest form from the music staff or outside Arts office.

NEW INSTRUMENTAL STAFF:

We welcome our new Instrumental Music School Specialist staff:

Joe Bonini- classical guitar
Chee Yong- violin/ viola
Kathy Younger- pboe

CHOIR

Our choir is open to ALL students (not just music students). Our voice teacher, Mr Ryan Huxley, takes choir. Repertoire is mostly modern, including selections from singers such as Ed Sheeran, James Bay, and Avicii. We meet Thursday mornings 7:50-8:30am in Music Room 1.

The Senior Chamber String Ensemble has formed this year, under the direction of Mr Mark Tooby

MUSIC

The Music Department at Willetton Senior High is always grateful to our students and parents for their constant efforts and support of our subject, whether that be attending lessons, rehearsals and concerts or performing at assemblies and lunchtime concerts.

We take this opportunity to acknowledge a number of our students from the graduating class of 2016.

We had three students successfully audition for a position at WAAPA, Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts. The students, Chan Park, Jack Williamson and Joshua Ang were all offered a position in Diploma of Music courses. From here, the students will decide on a particular pathway whether that be in performance or the production/management side of the music industry.

A fourth student, Isaac Liew, worked very hard all year developing and updating his music portfolio. He included a number of performances of his original songs such as I Wont Tie You Down and Run into the Wind. He then successfully applied for a position at JMC Academy in Melbourne, not just receiving a position but a fully paid scholarship.

JMC Academy, in partnership with APRA/AMCOS offered Isaac a Song writing Scholarship exclusive to SongMakers students, which was a two day intensive Song writing workshop we held at Willetton SHS last year with 16 of our Certificate II and III music students.

The scholarship was open to all Year 11 and 12 Music Elective students across Australia who had completed a SongMakers Workshop in 2016.

Isaac received one of three exclusive, fully paid Academic Undergraduate Scholarships in the Diploma of Music (song writing) with the opportunity for a scholarship extension into the Bachelor Degree upon the successful completion of the Diploma.

Isaac Liew

We are very proud of all four students and their passion and dedication to their music. We look forward to seeing and hearing big things from them all in the near future.

Jenni Templar Music Teacher

DRAMA CAMP

Where do I start with drama camp? It was one of my favourite weekends ever. The Year 11 and 12 ATAR drama students were worked off of their feet. We only had just over an hour after we arrived before we were thrown into our first workshop. At the start, there was a divide between the two classes but after dinner and another workshop from a former Willetton student with some very entertaining games the two classes came together.

Saturday was an early rise with a group of us sitting out and watching the sunrise (not the teachers!), breakfast at 7:30 and then into our first workshop with the very entertaining Adam Mitchell, he had us all intrigued from start to finish. Following this workshop we were taught about OSPs, improvisation and practitioners. In the evening, we were graced with The Theatre Diary. The laughs didn’t stop as we were taught about verbatim and physical theatre, sending us off in a great mood, we took part in a game of sardines and then before bed we enjoyed socialising with everyone and getting to know each other.

Sunday was another early start watching the sunrise again (still no teachers up at this time) and we enjoyed our last couple of workshops on text based approaches and an interesting stage combat workshop based on Romeo and Juliet!

Sadly, it was then time to leave. We said our goodbyes and missed it straight away. It’s an experience both classes will remember. Special thanks, to Point Walter for providing us with amazing meals and providing specially made meals for those with dietary requirements. An even bigger thank you to Mr Brand and Ms Talbot for giving up their weekend to spend with us and organising such an amazing opportunity for us all.

Georgia Barry Year 11

COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE

On March 8, the Year 9 drama students participated in an incursion to explore a theatrical art form called Commedia dell’ arte. In this workshop, we learnt the diverse characters associated with Commedia dell’ arte, including; Capitano, Dottore, The Lovers, Pantalone, Zanni or Zagna. We engaged in many warm-up activities to start, which could help us get an understanding of the form of drama.

We then began to assimilate the different characters and the walks associated with them. We learnt that Zanni/ Zagna has five walks, Capitano has two, Pantalone two, The Lovers have one and Dottore also has one. We developed a further and deeper understanding of each character throughout the day. We were also taught a few acrobatic tricks that are used in this form of drama to portray the energy used.

We then connected more with the characters through the use of the handmade masks made by Shane Watson, our teacher. The masks were handcrafted with leather and had a wonderful fragrance of beeswax. The use of these masks helped us to get a physical description of the characters. At the end of the day we all created a canavaccio (a series of dot points to create an outline of a story using the characters) which we had to give to another group to act out.

The workshop was a great learning experience for all the drama students and provided us with an understanding of the Commedia dell'arte drama.

Arushi Katti Year 9

Year 9 Theatrical Art Incursion

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE

CANBERRA TOUR 2017

Following the success of the 2016 Humanities Tour to Sydney and Canberra, Mrs Joyce, Ms Hale and Mr Johnson are preparing for the 2017 version. Twenty one Willetton Senior High School students will be undertaking an education tour of the national capital at the end of Term 2. Students will be given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs that focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democratic institutions.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the costs of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing $240 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program, towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon the completion of the excursion. The school appreciates this financial support as it helps to make the tour possible.

Some highlights of the 2016 included the ferris wheel and having coffee at sunset in Darling Harbour, visits to Manly and Bondi Beaches, a day’s fun snow sliding at Perisher, tours of Parliament and the High Court and attendance at a wreath laying ceremony at the Australian War Memorial. The students really enjoyed watching the 2016 election results unfold and Mr Johnson wearing a stocking on his head at the games night!

The photographs below show the students enjoying their trip in 2016 with teachers Mr Johnson, Mrs Joyce and Mr Ialacci.

2017 Canberra Tour

We are very much looking forward to the trip this year.

Mr Johnson and Ms Hale HaSS Teachers

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

WILLETTON GIRLS REIGN SUPREME

Huge Congratulations to Divya Angusamy and Emily Ting (both Year 11s) who won the grand final of the girls WA Badminton Pairs event played at Kingsway Stadium Madeley, on Friday March 17 beating Mount Lawley SHS’s top team. (Divya was in last year’s winning combination as well)

Eleven Metropolitan High schools participated with 206 students playing over 343 matches with our senior school Badminton team members, enjoying strong competitive game play throughout the day.

Winners Divya Angusamy and Emily Ting

Congratulations also, to Natalie Ng and Joyce Yap who made the semi-finals in the Girls Pairs.

Our seven boy’s pairs were also very competitive and performed well in the Men’s Doubles Round Robins.

Well done to all team members for your dedicated preparation beforehand and your sportsmanship on the day.

GIRLS TEAMS

• Divya Angusamy and EmilyTing
• Natalie Ng and Joyce Yap

BOYS TEAMS

• Aldin Dulic (12) and Jordan Dinardo (12)
• Joel Biju and (11) and Dwijen Nautiyal (11)
• Josiah Solomon (12) and Rahulan Subramaniam (11)
• Dhruv Jobanputa (11)and Mansoor Khawaja(11)
• Li Han Liew and Nick ky Heiw
• Yuedeng (Delwyn) Lee (11) Andrew Lee (11)
• Eric Lau (11) and Yi Seng Yap (11)

Badminton Team Photo

Shelley Banner HPE Teacher

2017 SWIMMING CARNIVALS

The Physical Education Department hosted another three very successful swimming carnivals this term at Riverton Leisureplex. On March 8 and9, Year 8-9 students cheered and raced for their factions to earn the most overall points. Results for each year group are as follows:

Year 8 Overall Faction Placing -

Year 9 Overall Faction Placing -

On the March 7, Year 7s Big Day Out took place. This full day event is designed to encourage participation and build positive relationships among the students, Student Services staff and Physical Education staff. The day was divided into two sections. One group started the day competing in events such as freestyle, breaststroke and butterfly. Points were awarded to factions according to individual and team achievement. In addition, novelty events were run to encourage all students to participate in challenging relays using floatation devices such as an inflatable whale and blow up ring. The other group spent the morning participating in a range of activities designed and run by the Student Services staff. Activities included soccer, volleyball, waterslides, skeeter relay and tug of war. Overall results for the Year 7 factions are as follows:

Year 7 Overall Faction Placing –

Congratulations to the following students who received the most points in their year groups.

All students were encouraged to participate and perform at their best; times were recorded as a reference to be selected for the Willetton SHS Swimming Team. This year, the Willetton SHS Swimming team participated in two interschool events. Mr Kearsely, Mr Stephen and Miss McLean travelled with the team to South Fremantle Senior High School to compete in the Zone Carnival. Leeming SHS, South Fremantle SHS and Lakelands SHS were some of the schools competing. Willetton came away with an impressive win, placing first and achieving over a thousand points overall. Almost double second places score!

On the March 15, the team travelled to HBF Arena to compete in the A Division Swimming Carnival against a number of very experienced swimming schools such as Churchlands SHS, Carine SHS, Applecross SHS, Rossmoyne SHS, Shenton College and Mt Lawely SHS. The Willetton Team put up a good fight against the rivals, many swimmers improved their personal best times. Unfortunately, we placed last in the division; therefore the team will compete in the B Division Carnival in 2018. Outstanding efforts were recognized from Marnie McKenna Year 11, who placed 2nd overall and Alix Harris Year 7, for placing 3rd.

Congratulations and thank you to the team for putting in the time to compete and represent Willetton SHS. Thank you also to the following helpers and leaders who assisted with timing and marshalling, Abigael Stipp, Emily McAllan, Cathryn McGrath, Charli Conchie, Chloe Napolitano and Erin Murray. Below is a list of the individuals who participated in the interschool events.

Sophie McLean and Blair Kearsley HPE Teachers

LANGUAGES

KOREAN TRADITIONAL GAMES

The traditional folk games of Korea are big on traditional holidays. When families gather to celebrate the times of new beginning, Seollolal, or thanksgiving, Chuseok, with the ancestral rites and abundant traditional Korean food, there always is room for playing a couple of folk games.

The rules of the games are never written down, but passed down from one generation to another naturally by playing together. The folk games add the special element of the holiday spirit by bringing all members of the family together regardless of age or gender for sole purpose of rekindling the family ties and spirit and, of course, winning. Here are some of the games which are still widely popular.

Yutnori is one of the most popular traditional games in Korea. It is basically a board game with four halved wooden sticks and played like dice which land either face-up or face-down(flat side). To play it you need sticks, Yut board, and some markers as well. The players, divided into teams, throw the sticks into the air then move a marker on the Yut board according to the number of sticks which have landed face-up and down(flat side). Usually the team which moves all four markers around the board first wins. This game was derived from divination rituals.

Jegichagi is an outdoor-game usually played among young boys. It can be played alone or with friends. Jegi looks like a shuttle-cock in a badminton game and is made of an old coin and hanji, traditional Korean paper. The player kicks a jegi up in the air and has to keep on kicking it to prevent from falling to the ground. A player usually uses one foot to kick the jegi up, but they can switch feet, too. In a one-to-one game, a player with the most number of consecutive kicks wins. In a group game, the players stand in a circle, and take turns kicking the Jegi. Players who fail to kick the Jegi upon receiving it and let it drop to the ground lose. As a penalty, the loser tosses the Jegi at the winner so that he can kick it as he wishes. When the loser catches the Jegi back with his hands, the penalty ends and he can re-join the game.

In Tuho, the players try to cast the arrows into the hole of a narrow-necked wooden jar. The score is determined by counting the number of arrows collected in the jar. It looks easy, but the hole is quite small and to throw the arrows accurately to make it go in is not as easy as it seems, for it requires good concentration and patience.

Tuho was originally an aristocrat's entertainment, but today it is played by people from all walks of life.

Initially, Gonggi was a game played only by girls. It can refer to the western game called jacks The principle of this game is to throw in the air five small stones then let it fall to the ground and then they have to pick all of them and throw them all on their hand, if one fall out of the hand then they failed.

(How to make a ddakji)

Ddakji, sometimes called ttakji, is a traditional South Korean game played using folded paper tiles. It is similar to the American game of Pogs that was popular in the 1990s, but there is no slammer piece involved in the game play. All you need to play are the folded origami ddakji tiles.

To play Korean ddakji, choose a throwing player. Many people suggest a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to choose a throwing player, but this is up to you. The other player places his ddakji tile on the table. The throwing player tries to throw his tile so that it makes the other player's tile flip over. If he is successful, he gets to keep the tile. Therefore, it would be a good idea to fold several tiles before you begin playing.

Throwing ddakji looks simple, but getting the angle and force necessary to flip the other player's tile takes practice.

Here are some websites that can be visited.

ROTARY CLUB WILLETTON

(From left to right): Anand Karma, Aditya Gupta, Luke How Son, Jae Brieffies, Mr. Heimel (French teacher), Mihan De Silva, Kun Jia Tan and Kelvin Poulraj

On March 11, WA election day, the Rotary Club of Willetton held an amazing fundraiser. Several languages students, along with other Rotary Club members, helped fundraise for ROMAC (Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children), a rotary funded organisation established to help the young from foreign countries where adequate medical attention is not available. The fundraiser included scrumptious cakes and sweets, each individually baked by the students, as well as a sausage sizzle. The Willetton community is a diverse, multicultural group, with students who are willing to help for a selfless cause. The languages community in Willetton supported this event with great enthusiasm and highlighted the advantages of being multilingual. It enables students to proactively engage in community events such as these and provides a terrific opportunity for students to stand up amongst their peers. The fundraiser was a very successful event, and I’m sure all members had a day to remember!

Aditya Gupta Year 11

YEAR 9 JAPANESE EXCURSION: RICEBALLS (ONIGIRI)

Shingo Usami, Japanese actor

On February 22, the Year 9 Japanese students were invited to a workshop at Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre presented by Shingo Usami. This workshop was an insight into Japan’s unique culture and it was about the famous Japanese food, onigiri or rice balls. Shingo Usami is a Japanese actor who has acted in many famous films such as one of the Wolverine movies, Red Dog and Paper Planes. He also directed and acted in the short film, Riceballs. He showed us his short film and then we were able to ask questions about his experience of acting in both Japan and Australia. While we were at Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre we were taught lots about how onigiri is closely intertwined with Japanese culture. We were given a traditional Japanese lunch and then we were briefly taught about the different types of riceballs. Afterwards, we had a quiz on how onigiri is made, eaten and the history of onigiri. For example, did you know that children in Japanese primary school are taught the best way to eat rice? This was just one of the things that we learnt at Hyogo Prefectural Government Cultural Centre that day. We had great time.

Nathan Prosser and Aaron Lee Year 9

RINA NAGAE JAPANESE LANGUAGE ASSISTANT

Farewell Rina Nagae, one of our Japanese Language Assistants. We are sad to see her go as she has been an asset to the Japanese and Language departments. She put in a lot of work to the Japanese Club and oral work with the students. We wish her all the best for her future.

From Rina – Thank you for having me, I have learnt a lot and enjoyed the canteen food. I will visit again one day.

Rina Nagae with Marilyn Onishi

Seyma Kaya and Nikki Birrell, former Willetton students discussing the impact learning Italian has had on them

MATHS

HAVE SUM FUN MATHS COMPETITION

The Have Sum Fun Mathematics competition is an annual interschool event organised by the Mathematics Association of WA. Teams of up to six students from both public and private schools from all over Perth come together to compete against each other. The competition is always intense, with four rounds of mathematically challenging questions.

Willetton entered three teams of year sevens and eights who competed at Trinity College on the night of Friday March 17. The same night our two teams of Year 9 and 10s competed at All Saints College. The senior competition was also held at Trinity College on the night of Friday March 11 when three teams of our year elevens competed.

After weekly lunchtime training sessions, our Year 7 and 8 students performed exceptionally well.

Congratulations toThyler Cung, Samuel Thoo, Allan Wu, Ryan Goon and Felix Rego who were awarded second place out of 31 teams from18 different schools

A creditable fourth place was awarded to Ethan Wan, Lucas Riddle, Ian Pinto, Monil Varma, Yue Fan and Mihir Pareek

Doing us proud was our third team of Leanne Raj, Saran Bicknell, Shenan Ariyaratna,Annika Soo, Adit Pradipta and Farhan Ahmed

A big thank you to all our teams for displaying impeccable manners and great sportsmanship while representing Willetton SHS.

You were great ambassadors for our school.

Mrs Kalotay Mathematics Teacher

Watch out for the solution in the next newsletter.

Our Year 9 and 10 students also performed exceptionally well with one team achieving second place and the other fifth place out of a total of 30 teams.

Congratulations to Mutia Daruso, Thomas Laing-Hughes, Sep Kiminaie and Mihan Desilva from Year 10 and Jonathon Chivers, Jadeyn Feng, Jack Killoch, Aaron Lee, Angela Ahearn, Saikhushi Sesetti, Will Ho and Lucky Daniswara from Year 9.

To make the hat trick complete, one of the three senior teams competing, also came second.

Mr Booth congratulated these students on behalf of the staff and presented them with their certificate.

L to R – Mr Chris Booth, Christopher Chivers, Andrew Lee, Nancy Shi and Kaylee Wong
Jordan Hoffmann and Kee-An Seet (Absent)

For more information please refer to the Gifted and Talented section of this newsletter.

THE MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT AT THE YEAR 12 BALL

The staff of the Mathematics Department had a ball of a time with the Year 12 students at the Hyatt Hotel. They welcomed the students into the Ball before having dinner together. It was a fun night of dancing and celebrating with the students.

Maths Department at the Year 12 Ball

NEW PEARSON TEXTBOOKS

We have been fortunate to receive a delivery of approximately 800 new Pearson textbooks to be used in all our lower school Maths classes. These new books will replace the old edition to keep in line with the new ebooks that students are using.

We now have the enormous task of covering these books. Some of our Year 7 parents have generously given their time with the help and advice of the lovely library staff, to cover all of the Year 7 and 10 textbooks so that we now have these books in use in all Year 7 and 10 Maths classrooms.

If any parent would like to assist us to cover the remaining Year 8 and 9 textbooks, we would be extremely grateful. Volunteers are more than welcome to come to the library any morning for the remainder of the term. We ask that parents sign in at the front reception desk before making their way to the library, where staff will show you what is required.

Thank you from the Maths Department

SCIENCE

YEAR 11 BIOLOGY

PERTH ZOO EXCURSION

As part of the fieldwork component of the course, classes attended an excursion to Perth Zoo this term.

Students were given a presentation by an Education Officer about how organisms are classified. We were allowed to get up close and personal with a number of lizards including a shingleback lizard.

Students then went walkabout to make first hand observations of animals in their enclosures. It was very interesting to see the different structures and behaviours that allow animals to survive well in their habitat.

The glorious sunny weather, ambience of the zoo and conscientious students with exemplary behaviour all contributed to an excursion that was enriching and rewarding.

STUDENT FEEDBACK

The excursion to Perth Zoo was interesting and also fun learning about the animals whilst actually observing them during their day to day life. It really gave me a different perspective for learning.

Matt Henry Year11

I think the zoo excursion was of great benefit to me because Biology is the study of all living things so having the opportunity to come up close to the animals and study them is greater than any work that could have been done in the classroom.

Devis Emengini Year 11

Mrs Gloria Wynhorst and Mrs Atkinson Science Teachers

DID YOU KNOW - TIGERS ARE ON THE BRINK

• Soon Tigers may only be found in captivity
• 100,000 Tigers prowled the Earth in 1901, 5,000 Tigers survive today.
• Caspian, Javan and Balinese are already extinct.
• Tragically only 300-400 Sumatran Tigers exist in the wild today. Due to the huge population in Asia, much of the natural habitat of the tiger has been destroyed for timber or agriculture. The remaining habitat is in isolated parts receiving constant pressure from human encroachment.
• Poachers kill tigers to supply the black market with pelts, bosses and organs for traditional Chinese medicine. Tiger bone is worth $1000 per kilogram.
• Unfortunately, there are still people who believe that: tiger penis – is an aphrodisiac, tiger bone – can be used as a tonic, tiger eyeballs - cure convulsions, tiger brain – cures acne and laziness.

Mrs Gloria Wynhorst Science Teacher

ICAS (INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS AND ASSESSMENTS FOR SCHOOLS) SCIENCE COMPETITION

The ICAS Science Competition will be held at Willetton Senior High School during Session 2 on Tuesday 30 May 2017.

For over 20 years ICAS has taken place each year in schools throughout Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, the Pacific region and South Africa.

ICAS is an initiative of Educational Assessment Australia (EAA). EAA is a not for profit organisation owned by the University of New South Wales (UNSW).

ICAS provides an opportunity for all students to gain a measure of their own achievement in an external assessment situation. It provides teachers, parents and students with comprehensive reporting of results in Science.

All students receive a certificate and an individual student report indicating which questions they answered correctly, their total score as well as their average compared with the rest of the students in the state/region. The student report is also useful for highlighting student strengths and weaknesses in the skills and processes in Science.

These documents are suitable for your child to include in a portfolio.

High quality UNSW certificates are awarded for each year level in each state/region as follows:

• High Distinction to the top 1% of entrants
• Distinction to the next 10% of entrants
• Credit to the next 25% of entrants
• Merit to the next 10% of students
• Participation to all other participating students.

All students who achieve the highest score in each state/region receive a UNSW medal.

For more information please visit the EAA website at the link below or email info@eaa.unsw.edu.au

The cost of entry is $9.90. Interested students are asked to see Mr Ta for an entry form during recess. All payments must be received before Monday 1 May 2017.

THANK YOU

The Science department thanks the Willetton Butcher for providing an outstanding quality of meat products to us. The Human Biology and Psychology classes use brains and hearts for dissection, allowing better understanding of their function in the human body. Their ability to reliably supply quality products is essential to our student learning process.

Janet White Lab Technician

Human Biology and Psychology students using the brains and hearts for dissection

TECHNOLOGIES

TECHNOLOGY REPORT

The Technologies Department is an exciting place to be. Our innovative and enterprising students design and create outstanding work samples in a range of contexts including woodwork, programming, graphic design, textiles, robotics and foods, to name a few.

Some recent events include:

• The purchase of a CV Table Router and Laser Cutter a whole new world of opportunity has opened up for 3D Designers with very exciting results. Year 11 student Steve Orange has created some outstanding work samples including a bread box and violin!
• The Year 12 Hospitality students have Willo Café up and running with the whole school community having an opportunity to experience a variety of tasty morsels and beverages including slices, coffees and bubble tea.
• The Certificate 2 in Visual Arts Graphic Design had a successful visit to Cottesloe’s Sculpture by the Sea exhibition as part of their unit Explore the Use of Color.

Enjoy the gallery of work samples produced by Technologies students and photographs of recent classes and events.

2018 COMPUTER SCIENCE EXTENSION SELECTION TESTING FOR 2018 INTAKE

Year 7 students at Willetton SHS who are interested in entering the Computer Science Extension course in 2018 can find the required information and dates on the school website:

This course is only available to students in Year 7 who are currently enrolled at Willetton SHS.

Further details contact Mr Chris Carmody: chris.carmody@education.wa.edu.au

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

WORK STARTS EARLY FOR SOME STUDENTS AT WILLETTON

Students in Year 11 and 12 who are working to complete a Certificate II in Community Services as part of their study programme are required to complete hours of industry experience.

Willetton SHS and the Certificate II Community Services students are fortunate to be able to work in one of two schools, Burrendah Primary School or Castlereagh School during their academic year and weekly timetabled session. Principal Janine Kinniment of Burrendah PS and Jacqueline Burns Principal at Castlereagh, both in their first year at their respective schools have both embraced and are supportive of continuing with this working relationship. Additional support has also come from deputies Juliet Stratton, at Castlereagh and Phil Bradshaw at Burrendah PS. Students valued the warm and welcoming beginning to their time at the schools.

All students attended an induction on the work sites prior to beginning work in an allotted classroom, supporting class teachers. As with new employees, our students were provided with information about confidentiality in the workplace, safety awareness, accident reporting processes, the names of members on staff and expectations in the workplace. Students also received the Job Description Form outlining specifically the duties of an Education Assistant. This is useful in terms of meeting aspects of completion of the Certificate II Log Book requiring specific examples of work completed and recorded. This can include effective communication, organising and completing activities, managing stress in the workplace or what is involved in being an effective volunteer.

A walk around the schools proved informative to be able to get up close with the creativity and energy of teachers working with classes and at Castlereagh to understand the need for age appropriate poster displays as well as life skills learning of cooking, cleaning and making beds. Castlereagh School is an education support school for 4 – 18 year olds with severe intellectual disability and/or Autism. It has specialist teachers and education assistants who are working to empower their students to maximise their independence and educational opportunities. Equally, Burrendah Primary School’s myriad of programmes include specialist art, music ( including choir and a Chamber Strings), languages, junior and senior physical education which sits alongside classes from kindergarten to Year 6. A popular focus for Burrendah is the assemblies this year, so far, celebrating Chinese New Year and cultural diversity on Harmony Day.

After day one, some of our students made the following observations about their day in the classroom:

• The children were excited to see the Willetton students arriving at classes to begin work
• The students are really little!
• The students are energetic, talkative, enthusiastic and happy!!
• Whilst reading a story to a group of junior students, our student noticed the children creeping forward as they became more and more interested in the story being read.

As of March 15, there were approximately 300 Education Assistant jobs advertised on the Jora job site. Prospects for the future are promising or perhaps in career management our students will make this Certificate II completion as a stepping stone to further study and other jobs.

Ruth Barratt, Kate Sorensen, Sarah Blunt VET Teachers

YEAR 7

On Tuesday March 7, approximately 340 Year 7s experienced their first Big Day Out at the Riverton Leisureplex. The day worked in conjunction with the Physical Education Learning Area running their swimming carnival.

The Year 7s divided into two groups with one enjoying the Big Day Out activities while the other half swimming races in the 50m pool. Students very much enjoyed the Big Day Out activities including slippery slide, soccer and volleyball with a giant beach ball. Half way through the day the two groups swapped activities. Lunchtime was a delicious affair with students provided pizza and bottled water to drink.

Within the swimming carnival students participated in races, relays and novelty events. Congratulations to all those who won ribbons!

As you can tell by the photos, the students had a great time and a great day.

I would like to thank Mrs Wheeler and her Year 10 Peer leaders who did a magnificent job in helping students out on the day and helping set up and pack away all the equipment. They were a wonderful help and worked very efficiently and enthusiastically. Thank you! Thank you also to the Physical Education department for their work in running the swimming carnival portion of the day!

Finally my congratulations and thanks go to all Year 7 for their enthusiasm and spirit of participation. Their enjoyment and sportsmanship went far it creating a successful and fun day. I hope to see this enthusiasm continue for future events. Well done year 7s!

Michael Ialacci Year 7 Coordinator

YEAR 9

YEAR 9 LEADERS

2017 sees the start of an extremely busy year for all of us involved in Year 9. To help me navigate all that is required throughout this year, I have a wonderful group of leaders. They are made up of the School Councillors and Peer Leaders.

They have already been busy assisting with the induction of new students twice a week, the facilitation of the quad games every day every recess and lunch, collecting the recycle bins twice a term and this month they will be helping to make sure the Year 8 immunisation runs smoothly. That is just a handful of jobs that they are involved with!

I look forward to informing you off all the exciting things we get up to throughout the year.

Kimberley Atkinson Year 9 Coordinator

2017 Year 9 Leaders first photo

SWIMMING CARNIVAL

On Thursday March 9, the Year 9 Cohort had their annual Swimming Carnival at Riverton Leisureplex. The day started with everyone filling on buses one by one. The first competitive swim was 50m Butterfly. Races went by until the first novelty event for the day. Everyone jumped from their seat and shot up their hand to be picked for their faction team. Throughout the day, cheering and screaming from each faction was heard. The day ran smoothly and a big thanks goes out to the Phys Ed Department and Mr Kearsley for organising such an amazing day.

Taine Mitchell Year 9

WHAT IS HARMONY DAY?

Harmony Day is celebrated on March 21 every year. For Australia, it is a day to celebrate our diverse and multicultural society. Harmony day is when all cultures from all around the world come together to celebrate the day that everyone accepts each other for who they are and what they believe in.

Harmony Day at Willetton Senior High School

Harmony Day was a great day with all the orange ribbons, bands and stickers. I loved seeing everyone with orange ribbons in their hair or on their bag and all the orange wristbands. I would like to thank Mrs Gardiner and all the staff for making the day possible.

Wesley Francis Year 9

Wesley Francis

HALOGEN NATIONAL YOUNG LEADERS DAY

On the March 16, councilors and peer leaders from Years 8-11 attended the Halogen National Young Leaders Day at the Perth Convention Centre.

Many people came to speak to us about their story of how they became a leader and the core values needed to become a leader. Such people were: The Kerry Sanderson, the Governor of Western Australia; Brad Ness, a basketball para olympian; Peter Sharp, a viral-video creator; Tracy Vo, a Channel Nine news presenter; Poppy Starr, pro skateboarder and Sam Skinner, CEO of Halogen.

The speakers talked about how they got to where they were and had some inspiring stories up their sleeves. They talked about how they all persevered to get to where they are now. Their stories ranged from trying hard to achieve and set their goals every day to just staying positive. We were able to ask the speakers questions, which was useful because we could learn more about them and what their core leadership values were.

At recess and lunch time we moved downstairs to a large function room where companies and organisations had set up stalls. The stalls on show included: a charity group called Thank you (link below), and a virtual reality station that showed users what poverty stricken countries looked like; it was very eye-opening. These are just a few examples of the stalls on display.

Everyone who attended had a great time and found what the speakers had to say very interesting and motivational.

Thomas Kammerman and Andrew Liang Year 9

FEBRUARY 28 NATIONAL RED BALLOON DAY 2017

National Red Balloon Day also known as the Last Day of Summer was held on February 28, to celebrate the firefighters that risked their lives to save us and our homes. At recess on the oval, the volunteer brigade from Gosnells came to the school to raise awareness of the dangers and importance of firefighters and to raise money for charity. Students were able to buy merchandise that included pens, pins and balloons, climb into the fire trucks and do some shooting with the water hose. Overall, the amount raised was $380 to be donated to the volunteer fire brigades. The event was a lot of fun for the students and they had a great time doing activities and to see the firefighters for themselves in person. To find out more information about National Red Balloon Day please visit:

Tiffany Allen Year 9

Volunteer Firefighters from Gosnells demonstrating to students

FAMISHED FOR FICTION YEAR 9 BOOK CLUB REPORT

THRONE OF GLASS by SARAH J.MAAS

Celaena Sardothien

Other than being an extremely difficult name to pronounce (like every other name in this book), it is also a name that is whispered in the ashes, and heard in the breeze that carries the scent of beheaded bodies. She is Adarlan’s most notorious assassin and she knows it. But the girl with the heart of ice, brain of wisdom and will of steel made a fatal mistake of getting captured; causing her enslavement in the fanatical salt mines of the Endovier jail. But when one day the Crown Prince of Adarlan itself comes to her with a proposition, there is nothing she can do but to accept for the prize she gets is sweet freedom. She is to partake in a competition (one to death) that if won, will make her the king’s champion. After her six years are through, she is free to be and do whatever she fancies. Throughout the journey, she is to juggle two men who have been caught in the mess that is Celaena: the prince himself, Dorian Havilliard and the captain of the guard, Chaol Westfall. According to some of my fellow Famished for Fiction friends, Dorian is the best but I assure you that Chaol is the one (well, at least that is what I think, I urge you to agree).

Throughout the exhilarating adventure that is this book, there is not a moment where you are not entertained or left on a precarious cliffhanger. One fact that I am sure of is that the book Throne of Glass is a tremendous read and is worth every bit of your time.

Mabel Mathew Year 9

YEAR 10

These students have been closely involved in Year 7 orientation, Big Day Out and mentoring Year 7s in tutor groups so far this year.

Congratulations to our Year 10 swimmers who competed in the interschool carnival last Friday

Emily Brown
Rhys Dunn
Courtney Johns
Kelvin Lim
Simone Male
Kayla Thomson
Lyndon Tilbee
Parakram Vishwakarama

Year 10 interschool carnival swimmers

OLNA

The main events this term have been the online literacy and numeracy assessments (OLNA) and students have been able to attend after school classes in reading, writing and numeracy to prepare. I wish all students good luck when the results come out late next month, but remind them that there will be other opportunities to reach the required standards later this year.

A few parents have been asking about subject selection in senior school. The process at Willetton SHS is as follows:

• Examinations in Week 7 Term 2
• All Year 10 students will participate in a comprehensive Decision Time program in Weeks 8 -10 Term 2 to assist them to make realistic course decisions for senior school.
• This is accompanied by a parent Information evening
• More information about course counseling interviews for parents and students will follow soon.

The Year 10 semester one report provides us with the most up to date information about a student’s ability and work ethic; so it is imperative that this report is the best that it can be. These results will be used in the course counselling process.

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR YEAR 10

Term 1: Week 10 - Lightning Carnival Netball, Soccer and Football
Term 2 : Week 4 - Meningococcal immunisation
Term 2 : Week 7 - Year 10 Examinations
Term 3 : Week 2 - School photos
Term 3: TBA - River Cruise

Parents and students will be pleased to know that I have booked the Hyatt for the Year 12 School Ball Friday March 8, 2019.

Most information to students and parents is now available on connect. If parents are still not registered on connect they can find the link and information on the Willetton SHS website.

Andrea Wheeler Year 10 Coordinator

YEAR 11

IMPORTANT DATES

March 27/28 - Year 11 Rottnest Camp
March 31 - Italy tour departs
April 1/2 - French tour departs
April 3-7 - Multi-cultural week
April 3 - Free Dress Day- in support for Relay for Life
April 5 - Year 12 Drama Performance: Rhinoceros
April 6 - Year 11 Dinner Dance
April 7 - Final Day of Term 1
April 26 - Students return
April 29/30 - Relay for Life

It has been an exceptionally busy time with the beginning of the Year 11 journey. Congratulations to all students in settling down into their new courses. With the investiture ceremony, the successful drama camp, rehearsals underway for the school musical, the student mentor system up and running, the organization of the dinner dance and the Year 12 Ball, the leavers jumpers, the successful swimming team, academic results already for students in competitions.

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO:

Christopher Chivers - invited to participate in this year’s AIOC Selection School
Maria Paul -full contact Karate competition at the Arnold classic in Melbourne
Charlie Watt & Cameron McLean – training with Perth Glory.
Divja Angusamy and Emily Ting - won the Open Division for the Badminton Championships held last Friday.
Lachie Forrest, Hamish Cummings, Sophie Doran, Marshall Kearing, Imogen Ayliffe Selected for U18 Australian Basketball championships

It would be great to know of other student achievements. Hopefully you have received the most recent parent email and the numerous connect messages.

Please keep up the communication.

Stefan Brand Year 11 Coordinator

YEAR 11 COUNCILLOR REPORT

We have been quite busy recently as the Year 11 council. As we prepare for different upcoming events, we have been tasked with providing input on a few subjects concerning both the Year 11 cohort and the school in general.

One of the more prominent matters that has arisen is that of our leaver’s jackets, which are set to be released next year as is traditional of those of past year cohorts. One difference that we have decided to implement is that part of the proceeds raised from selling these jackets is to go towards the charity Zero to Hero, with whom we have been affiliated in several charity activities including R You OK Day. Furthermore, four designs have been proposed with the students soon to cast their vote on their preferred design.

Recently, there has been a rise in the amount of people choosing to dye their hair in colours that differ from their natural hair colour. As there is some concern over the rule that extreme hair colours and styles are not permitted what is considered extreme, we had a meeting with Mr Booth, the Principal of Willetton Senior High School, to discuss the true value of the rule and how, if possible, to define extreme in the context of hair styles. While we didn’t arrive at a complete conclusion, we have at least come to a relatively general consensus as to what actions we could take in dealing with this issue.

These are just some of the subjects with which we have been engaged, with the future set to have the Year 11 Council involved in many more throughout the year. This means that we will likely become busier than we already are as we aim for the betterment of the school environment.

Leo Ngu Year 11

HALOGEN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

Every true leader aspires to be a better one. That is why on the March 16, a selected group of Willetton student leaders over all year groups attended the Halogen Leader’s Conference. It was a very inspiring and action invoking. Along with the fantastic and extremely comical hosts, all students who attended received valuable leadership advice from successful leaders.

Samantha Skinner, the CEO of the Halogen foundation was the first guest speaker. She got her audience to select the most important leadership value. Mrs. Skinner’s personal value choice was authenticity which she highlighted. The second speaker was Poppy Star, international skateboarding champion. She now owns six shops around Australia which sell her art and clever crafting.

The third presenter was Her Excellency, Kerry Sanderson, the Governor of Western Australia. She presented a passionate anecdote on how people did not believe inner goals and compared it with her current position. The presenter who followed was Brad Ness, the man who helped the Australian Wheelchair Basketball team to Olympic victory. He gave his story about the loss of his limb which did not deter his future.

9 News presenter, Tracy Vo, was also one of the speakers. She explained her parents’ harsh migration story and also how she experienced racism at her school. Last but not least, Peter Sharp, a social activist put on a great show. His presentation began with him snipping his tie in half and suddenly breakdancing. Peter performed an experiment with footage for over hundreds of people from all over the world. The rule of the test is that a volunteer has to stare into the eyes of another randomly chosen volunteer for one minute. Peter’s footage indicated how some individuals started crying due to their realisation of social connection. He made us students perform this experiment which we found very awkward but comical.

The overall message from the Halogen conference was that as young leaders, we need to begin making changes in the real world. We need to find solutions to problems and that we need to work with others to put these solutions into action. There were a few universities which offered advice for students during break time. Another major element of the conference was the 10k table. Someone would write a problem on a sticky note and another person would come along and write a solution to that problem. That is why the theme of this years’ conference was called Together we can.

Maheesha Dias Siriwardana Samaraweera Year 11

YEAR 12

What an eventful start to the year for this wonderful group of students.

We saw the timely delivery of the leaver’s jackets on a wet and windy day. The students love them and they have proven very good value for money.

We handed out Senior Status badges to all Year 12s and most students are wearing them with pride. The privilege of being able to leave the school during recess, lunch and private study is not to be taken lightly and I am proud of the way they have handled this responsibility. A reminder that replacement badges cost $5 with money raised going to our charity Zero to Hero.

All course changes should now have been made and hopefully students are happy or at least satisfied with their subject selections. If students have chosen Private Study please encourage them to use this time wisely. There are study areas made available at school or students are free to go home and study if preferable.

As mentioned at assembly and on connect Special Examination Arrangement application forms for ATAR examinations are now available. This is a detailed application and students are requested to pick up an information file from Student Services if they wish to apply. Closing dates for applications is mid-May.

Friday the March 17 saw the much-anticipated Dress Up day and School Ball.

It was wonderful to see the students make such an effort in their costumes/characters to raise money and food for such worthy causes. We managed to raise approximately $1100 for Zero to Hero and many cans of food were donated to the needy through the assistance of our school chaplaincy.

The morning demonstrated student creativity, generosity, humour and care, the ball itself showed that the students are more than capable of dressing up and dancing the night away in a respectful, mature and cohesive environment. It was a pleasure to witness them enjoy themselves and all staff present commented on the positive, mature way in which all students presented themselves.

I congratulate all Year 12 students on this successful event.

All Year 12 students are to receive a Graduating 2107 key ring memento. If your student did not receive one at the ball or left it behind please encourage them to come to Student Services to pick one up from me.

A reminder that Meningococcal consent forms are due in. Students are to place them in the box at Student Services.

Many important information and notices are being put on the Year 12 connect site. You are actively encouraged to join through the school home page if you have not already done so. It is an important method of communication between teachers and student/parents.

A big thank you and congratulations to all the students who continue to participate in extracurricular activities. At this busy time it is important to find balance and the school appreciates the effort that students are putting in to these voluntary roles.

As always, I encourage contact with me or the Student Services team with any questions or concerns.

Colleen Hayes Year 12 Coordinator

A TRIBUTE TO YOUTH

And so ends one of the most exciting events of Year 12, 2017. Friday the 17th was brilliant, as many students and staff alike had invested a lot of effort into their ball attire. We had all waited for this day with great anticipation. The morning began like no other, when wave after wave of students dressed as random objects, cartoon characters and famous figures swamped into the school grounds. There was an overwhelming sense of euphoria as everyone gawked and applauded each other on their efforts. Indeed, the morning was filled with a joyous cacophony of laughter and colour. After giving in our donations, we proceeded to parade through Southlands. It was a bizarre sight, and many bystanders and parents paused to video the event. At the end, some spectacular costumes were declared winners, and with much excitement, students and parents alike quickly headed home to prepare for the ball that night.

The ball was situated in the Hyatt Regency, located in the city. Many of us took the liberty to hire limousines with our friends and take some pre-ball photos in iconic locations. We uttered gasps of excitement as we saw each other’s beautiful suits and dresses. As students arrived, we were greeted with warm applause from staff members when we walked down the entrance to our ballroom, congratulating all of us for making it to the last year of school. The ballroom was swathed in a magnificent shade of lavender, with elegant tables and seats each with our own personal place cards. The ball began without a hitch, as loud music started and everyone indulged themselves in generous helpings of delicious cannelloni, BBQ chicken and much more. The dance floor was crowded with enthusiastic people thumping along to the beats of the music, whilst others opted to sit back and chat animatedly over a nice meal. Some lucky tables were even visited by a magician who gave a personal performance, providing the ball with a sense of mystery and excitement. One of the highlights however, was definitely the surprise dance routine from our teachers, which attracted many cheers and applause from students. Later on, we discovered some photo booths, and had fun with friends enacting out silly poses. Most of us also organised formal group photos with our friendship groups and favourite teachers. These photos will be treasured fondly for many years to come. As the celebrations raged on, inevitably, the end of the night came all too soon. The DJ set one final song, one with a slow beat as if to signify the end of an era. Then off we went, some already nodding off and ready for bed, others still buzzing with energy and eager to party some more. We bade each other farewell, our insides still fizzy from excitement. The ball was a spectacular tribute to our youth, and the energy of the night paid a special homage to one of the greatest times in our lives. How else would we end Year 12, but with a spectacular bang?

Andrew Tan Year 12

SCHOOL BOARD NEWS

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

The School Board AGM was held on Monday March 20 2017 in the staffroom, where the Chair’s Annual Report and the Annual Financial Report were presented. Thank you to all who attended. A list of Board meetings for this year can be found on the school website, under the School Board information. All are welcome to attend.

SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION

It is with great pleasure that we announce the 2017 Willetton Senior High School Board.

Mr Chris Booth, Principal

Parent Representatives

Mrs Karen Allen
Dr Paola Chivers (Vice Chair)
Mrs Jo Collier
Mr Simon Lappin (Chair)
Dr Tele Tan
Mrs Liz Vuleta

Staff Representatives

Ms Rachel Harrington
Ms Jenny LeSouef
Mrs Sharee Seeburuth
Ms Charmaine Smith

Community Representatives

Mr Jeremy Chetty
Miss Kailee Marshall

Ex-Officio Members

Mr Colin Marshall, Associate Principal
Mr Jega Jegathesan, Manager for Corporate Services
Mrs Helen Wong, Board Executive Officer
Ms Avril Campbell, Board Administrative Assistant

We thank Mr Peter Martyr and Mrs Pia Palermo (staff representatives), and Dr Kai Fai Ho (parent representative) for their time and contribution to the School Board. They have now completed their elected term of appointment. We wish them all the best.

2017 School Board members
Back L-R: Jega Jegathesan, Helen Wong, Kailee Marshall, Paola Chivers, Charmaine Smith, Simon Lappin, Liz Vuleta, Colin Marshall
Front L-R: Tele Tan, Jo Collier, Sharee Seeburuth, Chris Booth, Rachel Harrington, Karen Allen, Jenny LeSouef
Absent: Jeremy Chetty

SCHOOL BOARD COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES

Two members of the local community may be appointed by the School Board in June each year. Terms of appointment are for 12 months. Expressions of interest from the local community are now open and should be forwarded to the School Board office, willetton.shs.schoolboard@education.wa.edu.au

WA SECONDARY SCHOOL OF THE YEAR SCHOLARSHIP

The WA Secondary School of the Year Scholarship awards were presented to our worthy recipients Corey Rynvis and Dev Venugopal at the Year 8 assembly on March 23. The joint award recognises Corey and Dev for their leadership and contribution to the school community. We look forward to watching them continue to grow and develop over the next few years.

Dev Venugopal, Principal Mr Chris Booth, Corey Rynvis and Ms Rachel Harrington Year 8 Coordinator

SCHOOL TOURS

School tours will take place at 1.00pm on Thursday March 30 and 10.00am on Tuesday April 4. Bookings are essential as places are limited. Please contact 9334 7217 to book a place.

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK FUNDRAISER

The 2017/2018 Entertainment Books are available to purchase through the School Board. For enquiries, please contact Helen Wong on helen.s.wong@education.wa.edu.au or 9334 7217 or make a purchase at the link below. Bonus vouchers are now available for early bird orders.

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, and are valid Australia wide. Profits from the sale of these tickets go towards funding projects around the school, which enhance our students’ learning outcomes.

To ensure sufficient supplies for the school holidays, orders should be placed by Thursday March 30.

Pricing as follows:

Tickets may be purchased from the bookshop on Wednesday mornings (9am-11.30am) during term, or by arrangement with the School Board office. Please contact the School Board office for an order form to be emailed to you.

STOP PRESS!! Clearance sale on limited stocks of Hoyts movie tickets (expiry end March, but will be honoured a month after expiry).

Child/Senior (standard, not valid after 5pm Sat) $50 for booklet of 5
Child/Senior (unrestricted) $62 for booklet of 5
Adult (unrestricted) $78 for booklet of 5

HOW TO CONTACT THE SCHOOL BOARD OFFICE

To find out more about the School Board or how you might get involved, please contact the School Board office on email willetton.shs.schoolboard@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.s.wong@education.wa.edu.au

COFFEE MORNING – MARCH 10

We had a wonderful turnout at our recent coffee morning and it was great to meet some new parents. We look forward to you joining us regularly at our future meetings. Thank you to the organising committee Tanya, Rohini and Tina who tirelessly assist with these events.