26 September 2014

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

It is with great sadness that I inform you that one of our dearly loved and respected staff members Dr Gurdeep Kaur has passed away. She will be much missed by both staff and students. We extend our sincere sympathy to her family.

Dave Bonner’s retirement has prompted a rearrangement of portfolios for our executive team. We are appointing an Executive Principal level 5, to work alongside me on such important matters as curriculum and professional learning. In a school of this size and with the advent of Australian Curriculum this support is necessary to ensure the continuation of the best learning outcomes for our students. We are advertising widely and the appointee will commence in January 2015. We will welcome additional expertise in the executive team. This will mean some of the portfolios of the Deputy Principals will change. More information will be given when decisions have been discussed and made.

Our Year 12 students have virtually finished for the year. We wish them all the best in their examinations and the next phase of their lives. We anticipate great things from this outstanding cohort and who have been well supported by parents and staff. Special thanks to Year Coordinator, Chris Kelly who has worked tirelessly with them over the past five years. Because of the building project our twelves are sitting the majority of the exams at Canning College and we advise them to take an early trip over to the college to discover the exact exam room location and so avoid unnecessary stress on the days of their first few examinations. Staff at school are, of course, always available to support the twelves during their study break.

Our buildings are progressing well. My thanks to all staff and students for maintaining a positive attitude and working environment during the build. The noise, dust and confusion could have precipitated issues but it is pleasing that we are all working together with the end goal in sight.

Christine Petersen and Jim O’Neill are working together on the 2015 timetable and consequent staffing. This is a long and complex task especially with the arrival of the extra cohort. We are confident we can resolve any issues which budget cuts may engender.

I look forward to meeting the parents of our incoming Year 7s and 8s at the meetings organised early next term. Willetton is a warm and friendly learning environment with great staff and student support and I know students will settle well into our busy community

Chris Booth

BOARD CHAIR REPORT

Newsletter Sept 12

It is again the time of the year when we wish the Year 12s goodbye and good luck. They have their mock examinations over the holidays and return to school for a very short time next term. From all reports, this is a great group and on behalf of the whole school community, I wish them all the best for their exams and their future.

I attended the four award ceremonies on August 13. I thoroughly enjoyed the day; it was great to share in the celebration of success of so many students. The awards are presented with such a spirit of encouragement that I am certain they provide inspiration to all students.

The Board held its August 27 meeting at Murdoch University. We received a great welcome and hospitality from Vice Chancellor Andrew Taggart and we visited the Law School and received information from the Dean, Prof Jurgen Brohmer. As well, we discovered some interesting facts about Murdoch research and programs. For example, did you know that the first two years of Notre Dame’s medical degree is held at Murdoch? They are taking advantage of their proximity to the new medical precinct close by.

As from next term, the uniform shop will be off site due to new Education Department regulations. The company is establishing a super store in the Willetton industrial area catering for several local schools. We have again negotiated with them on your behalf to ensure the best prices possible. Prices are available on the school website.

Many thanks to all staff and students for their positivity about the disruption due to the building project. At times, the noise and general chaos requires much patience and tolerance!

Finally, congratulations to Giselle Legg (Student Services) who was a finalist in the WASSRA School Officer of the Year awards. Giselle is an outstanding administrative officer and we also acknowledge her service to the school.

Lindsay Holland

At Murdoch University L to R Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Andrew Taggart, Board Vice Chair Simon Lappin, Principal Chris Booth, Dean of the School of Law Professor Jurgen Brohmer, Board Chair Lindsay Holland

Congratulations to the following students who were our semester one academic award winners

Year 8

Mubashshira Ahmed, Divya Angusamy, Claire Brisbane, Shauna Bruce, Vivienne Budiman, Yu Fan Chen, Sean Chionh, Christopher Chivers, Jayden Choo, Kevin Choo, Nathan Craigie, Ashlee Cronin, Hamish Cummings, Benita David, Ryan David, Claudia Goh, Ivana Golijanin, Aditya Gupta, Jacob Head, Jordan Hoffmann, Xin Yi Hong, Andrew Jin, Ryley Joynson, Simran Kamboj, Yasasvi Katragadda, Eric Lau, Andrew Lee, Joyce Lee, Delwyn Lee, Imogen Marks, Rhiannon Masters, Marnie McKenna, Shamim Mostafaei, Leopold Ngu, Sasha O'Connor, Adithia Padaparambil Krishnakumar, Himal Pandey, Sabira Pathan, Tia Powley, Roshan Prashant, Dhirren Ranjit Rajah, Josephine Santoso, Amber Saxton, Nancy Shi, Kaitlyn Sim, Adhya Thundathil Sreekanth, Erin Strle, Shefali Tantry, Clare Wan, Sumira Wijesuriya, Kaylee Wong, Ryan Woon, Grace Yong

Year 9

Isabella Berridge, Aashka Bhavsar, Raisa Biswas, Timothy Braun, Wing-Yi Chan, Sarah Chan, Jaida Christie, Cameron Dely, Jack Doyle, Kelsey Grant, Maryse Green, Kieran Hills, Chantelle Hoffmann, Natasha Hoffmann, Bellsye Illman, Sota Inoue, Lucy Jiang, Jennifer John Britto, Mikayla Johns, Hannah Lamb, Emmy Lappel, Anna Lee, Jamie Lee, Shi Mei Li, Xin Ru Lim, Vanessa Lim, Yong Low, Keshone Mahesvaran, Katelyn Martin, Munya Matema, Thomas McDonald, Joseph Moffat, Crystal Ong, Carmel Palan, Samali Pathira Kankanange, Devika Prasad, Jasmine Roberts, Ana Sharafi, Izzie Staniland, Andrew Tan, Chloe Tucek, Niklesh Warrier, Lilli Watt, Melissa Weeks, Dylan Wong, Jessie Yee, Sinya Zheng

Year 10

Annelle Angus, Ebony Bernard, Nick Berryman, Sonia Bouska, Molly Brann, Georgia Brown, Ashling Charles, Libby Charlton, Adrian Chye, Robbie Gadeke, Saveen Giri, Nikola Golijanin, Natasha Gould, Sylvia Ho, Shiya Huang, Siobhoin Ialacci, Tessa Jenkinson, Rhianna Jones, Christopher Jong, Apoorva Kantak, Jasmine Kaur, Hayley Kenyon, Annabel Kho, Wendy Lan, Alycia Lee , Jacinta Lim, Jaycoln Liow, Sabrina Low, Ben Madlener, Dennis Malinton, Miroljub Markovic, Ann Mathew, Jesse Naylor Zambrano, Sraynar Nuon, Sherrianne Oliveiro, Matthaeus Ong, Puvanish Perumal, Jack Pettersson, Joanna Pramudia, Kirtenaa Prem Kumar, Eda Pui, Kiran Ranjit Rajah, Devonny Sherwood, Kelly Shi, Shannon Street, Melissa Tan, Gladys Tang, Aileen Teh, Shane Teng, Simran Vijayakumar, Anice Wong, Ganesh Young

Year 11

Shalini Anand, Jacob Baron, Wade Bendtsen, Laura Bullock, James Byrne, Jean Chong, Alvie Chowdhury, Shannon Cleary, Raymond Deng, Georgina Earl, Genevieve Earl, Shashank Gadiraju, John Gochez, Cody Green, Jozette Jansen van Vuuren, Saisha Kishore, Chi Yuen Koh, Christina Lau, Ji Hoo Lee, Jiahe Li, Miyuka Lim, Ernie Lim, Sarah Lin, Beth Loader, Chin Low, Jessica Mac, Callum Macrae, Maja Maric, Maximilian Mathews, Casey Ngu, Jack Noonan, Jai Osborne, Alexander Parish, Aliya Peer, Rohit Pillai, Wade Platell, Brooke Reeves, Samuel Reeves, Jaimee Rich, Emily Rutter, Ryan Sam, Joshua Scoles, Rayyan Shahid, Leo Shi, Jasmine Sidhu, Madeline Skinner, Keziah Solomon, Claire Somers, Megan Tan, Grace Tan, Jolene Tan, Sushmita Tantry, Shiya Tee, Jason Ting, Navin Vijayaratnam, Hamish Vreeken, Amy Walsh, James Watson, Jeffrey Wong

Year 12

Alex Berridge, Daniel Bettermann, Ashlea Borstelmann, Jordan Breen, Mark Brisbane, Yaw Chung, Lowenna Clemence, Lakeiya Flynn, Jordan Fry, Daniel Furtado, Taylor Grant, Roshni Deraniyagala, Stephanie Harper, Lizzie Haynes, Alicia How, Sam Jeffries, Christina Jo, Amandeep Kamboj, Herlyn Kaur, Tiffany Keasberry, Amberly Kilmartin, Lachlan King, Alvin Kingsley, Riva-Jean Lander, Melissa Larg, Alex Lathbury, Edrick Leong, Benjamin Loh, Ann-Marie Maddocks, Vishnu Mangalath, Brock McKay, Raziq Muhayuddin, Meng-Ze Ni, Elena Ong, Dena Pit, Daniel Provan, Caity Randall, Charlton Rebello, Brendan Robinson, Michaela Sharkey, Justine Short, Nicholle Sim, Ravina Soni, Benjamin Stone, Astrid Sweeney, Yasmin Thring, Brooke Weaver, Matthias Widjaja, Hayley Winter, Tahnee Wynne, Wen Yi Yek, Aidan Zeverona, Dennis Zhao

NAPLAN

Willetton students have performed soundly in this year’s NAPLAN testing. The numeracy results were again outstanding. Congratulations to all involved.

Below are the graphs showing achievement of which all members of our school community can be justifiably proud.

WA YOUNG WRITERS’ COMPETITION

Congratulations to Claudia Goh from the Year 8 Gifted and Talented Program for winning the first prize for her short story Flea Market in the WA Young Writers’ Competition. This competition is run by the West Australian newspaper and this year over 2000 entries were received from government and private schools across the state. Han-Jien Yeoh was a finalist in the Year 7-8 Prose section and Emily Munro in the Year 9-10 Poetry section. The students’ performance against such talented opposition was truly outstanding.

FLEA MARKET

Everyone likes a good flea market. Despite the occasional crook and faulty furniture, you can usually leave with a handful of new items and the memories of a pleasant shopping experience – all for a low price.

Mary Greens walked down the street, watching as people around her haggled over prices of toasters and stroked hand-made scarves. Flea markets had always appealed to her – the way that they did not work like a retail superstore, where everything was so automated and monotone. Street markets were always full of different folks and faces with the bonus of finding beautiful items at cheap prices. She had just been soaking in the atmosphere when something in her peripheral vision caught her eye.

It was the glint of a delicate necklace. It sparkled in the light, giving off the illusion that it was a ray of sunlight itself. It was gorgeous, but what was more gorgeous? Having that necklace around her own neck.

“It’s beautiful, and it’s mine,” she whispered, walking over to the stall.

Courtney Hannigan pushed through the crowd, starting to feel annoyed. She hated flea markets. Her sister had dragged her to the market in hopes of her “finally realising what she had been missing out on.” Courtney grunted. She knew what she was missing out on – a fun day with her friends, taken away by her artsy sister and her love of trinkets.

Of course, her sister had managed to get lost in the crowd, leaving Courtney to find her way by herself. Looking around, she got increasingly more agitated. If her sister did not come back in ten minutes, she’d go home by herself. Turning around, she spotted a sparkling necklace – one she’d always wanted.

Maybe she wouldn’t go home after all.

“That necklace is mine,” she whispered, running over to the stall.

Both women made it to the stall at the same time.

“Sir, how much is that necklace,” they asked the seller simultaneously. Both surprised, they looked up at each other and smiled.

“Sorry! Did you want it?” asked Mary. Courtney smiled politely.

“Oh, no. You go ahead,” she said. She’d find a better necklace some other time.

“But surely you must want it, take it!” Mary pressed. The necklace didn’t really matter, right?

“I can’t bear to if I know you want it! Tell you what, how about we both leave it here and hope some lucky person will be as happy as we were when we saw it?” said Courtney.

“Great idea!” agreed Mary. “Alright, bye then!”

Mary turned around the corner. Courtney bit her lip anxiously. She wanted the necklace so badly, and the sparkling glint of it wasn’t helping at all.

No, it’s for someone else to find, she said to herself.

She’d never know you bought it, said a voice in her head.

That’s immoral, she argued back.

Do you know how much that thing is worth?

Courtney bit her lip, looking at the necklace. There had to be some real crystals in there, maybe even slithers of diamond. It was only sixty dollars - a bargain really, for something so precious.

Just buy it, said the voice. It’s worth a fortune!

You’re right, replied Courtney at last. I could sell it for so much.

Courtney smiled and leaned over to the seller.

“Sir, please keep this necklace for me. I will be back soon, once the other woman is away.” The seller smiled and nodded, clearly not knowing a lot of English. He pointed at the necklace and gave Courtney a thumbs up. Grinning, she walked away.

Upon turning the corner, Mary had been thinking. What had she just given up? That necklace was worth at least five hundred dollars, and it was lying there, untouched, just for sixty dollars.

Think of how much classier you’d look, piped up a voice in Mary’s mind.

Images flashed through Mary’s mind. Her co-workers staring at her, silencing judging her plain shirt and skirt - the clothing of middle-class poverty. A new picture entered her imagination - the shocked faces of the same coworkers, staring at the sparkling gems she wore upon her neck, wanting to be her friend, actually inviting her to lunch, maybe even letting her use the coffee machine without hearing comments about not being able to afford a deli cappuccino.

Mary stopped walking – the voice was right. The other girl wouldn’t even know. Another thought of her coworkers’ shocked faces when she showed up to work wearing it sent her back to the necklace shop.

“Sir! Keep that necklace for me! I’ll be back soon!” she sang. Once again, the seller grinned and gave a thumbs up. Satisfied, Mary walked away.

Half an hour later, Mary and Courtney came hurtling to the shop at the same time. At first smiling pleasantly, they soon both realised what the other had come for.

“I thought you were..” began Courtney.

“As I thought you were…” replied Mary quietly.

As realisation dawned on both the two women, anger arose from the calm.

“Do you know immoral that is?” seethed Courtney.

“Hypocrite, you’re here too,” snapped back Mary.

Through the accusations and pointing fingers, a wrinkled hand came between them, slowly lowering the necklace back down onto the table. Shocked, the two women backed away.

“Are you ladies buying this? My wife turns seventy-five tomorrow.”

Shocked, the two women stuttered.

“Oh, n-no. Go ahead!” squeaked Courtney.

“Y-yeah, I was just looking,” added Mary.

“I’ll take it,” said the elderly man, smiling.

The seller, pleased to be actually selling the necklace in the end, gladly took the money and placed the necklace carefully into a padded box. The box was then taken by the man, whose eyes crinkled in joy.

“It’s perfect,” he whispered.

That thing is worth a fortune, thought the two women simultaneously. And he’s giving it to his wife?

Mary and Courtney froze as the man left the market, looking absolutely delighted with himself. His wife would be so happy.

At the end of the day, he was the happiest man at the market - much happier than Mary or Courtney could have ever been.

The place was still full of people. Trays of items were being surveyed, rolls of fabric were felt, sweets on plates were sampled. People walked left and right, oblivious to what had happened. Courtney and Mary would find other things, eventually.

Everyone loves a good flea market.

SECOND HAND UNIFORM SHOP

Opening hours for Term 4 will return back to 9 -11.15am.

We are now located opposite the second-hand bookshop and canteen.

Please remember to donate any uniforms that you no longer use as we always need donations.

All of the money made goes straight back to our wonderful school.

All items are only $5 except for jackets, jumpers and dresses which are $15.

Thanks again for your support,

Karen and Serene.

YEAR 11 and 12 PHOTOGRAPHS

Year 11 and 12 students have had their photographs taken by Academy Photography. Each student has been given a secure shoot key to enable on line ordering.

Photographs may be ordered at http://academyphoto.com.au. This facility will be available until the end of the term.

FROM STUDENT SERVICES

We are trialling a new system for students who arrive late to school. This system allows us to sign students in to school on our new Lates Kiosk using their Smartrider card. For this to happen efficiently, all students must carry a Smartrider card with the barcode on the back with them at all times. If your child does not have a Smartrider or it is damaged or lost – they can pay $5.00 to the Registrar’s Office for a replacement and bring the receipt to Student Services where will order them a new one.

If your child feels sick at school, please encourage them to visit our nurse before ringing home. We have a duty of care for all our students and need to gauge their health issues.

INTERACT CLUB

For the past three months, the Interact Club of Willetton, a youth branch of Rotary, have been planning and initiating several fundraisers in support of Act for Kids, including many cake stalls. The kind donation of $270 from Ms Trudi Gribble, representing Aztec Ies, contributed tremendously to the final tally of $1000 raised for Act for Kids. This money will be utilised in education programs to help support parents and children where child abuse is prevalent or risks arising.

Recently, Interact ran a raffle for a chocolate themed Fathers’ Day hamper and also sold hand-crafted cards to raise support and awareness for Compassion, an organisation aimed at bringing relief through tangible gifts for impoverished communities. Interact is planning on generating a positive impact on remote villages. Congratulations to Shreya Shyam who won the beautiful hamper for her dad. Thank you to all staff, parents and students who have contributed to this success. $230.75 was raised from this fundraiser.

Upcoming fundraisers will include a Guess the Staff Baby/Toddler photo competition and another cake stall. We thank you in anticipation of your support.

Genevieve Earl Interact Club Vice-President

Club President Suthish Rathakrishnan receiving a cheque from Ms Trudi Gribble

Cake stall

Club members making Father’s Day cards

A small sample of the hand-crafted cards

Suthish Rathakrishnan presenting the Father’s Day hamper to winner Shreya Shyam

FOLLOW THE DREAM: PARTNERSHIPS FOR SUCCESS

Deadly Dreaming is a chance for indigenous students to see how and what the universities of Perth have to offer them once they have completed their WACE. It is an opportunity for them to come together to experience a careers showcase.

This is a part of the Follow the Dream tuition for our indigenous students who are studying for WACE at Willetton SHS get to put the books down and see what is there post school for them.

These two young ladies conducted themselves in a manner that puts Willetton on the map and for the universities to keep an eye on them and give them support to get them to study at University. By their hard work, the girls are becoming a wanted commodity in higher education. While only a few indigenous students make it through to University straight after school or even later in life, these students are doing it in style. Well done Zarni and Katherine, you make Willetton and your families proud to have worked alongside you in your journey.

Nathan Barrow Aboriginal and Islander Education Officer

Year 11 students Zarni Littler (left) and Katherine Little (right)

2014 New Zealand Ski Trip

Over the July school holidays, 18 Willetton students signed up for what was to be a fantastic experience on the 2014 New Zealand Ski Trip. One year 12 student, 16 year 11s and one 2013 graduate were accompanied by Mr Kearsley and Ms Banner on the Ski trip to Queenstown and Wanaka in New Zealand.

The 18 of us took the long six hour commute to Auckland. After such a long flight, long lines at customs and problems at the baggage claims office were not ideal, especially when a yummy breakfast meal was calling. We only had one more flight until we arrived finally in Queenstown – where we land surrounded by snowcapped mountains.

Upon arrival we had one lost bag and one misplaced passport. We collected our luggage and jumped in our bus and headed to our accommodation for the next five nights at Wanaka Heights Motel.

After a very early wake up call, we were ready to embark on our five day ski/snowboarding adventure. The plan was to shred up the slopes. Sadly, the weather and snow conditions were not the best but that did not stop any of us from hitting (and falling on) the slopes. After five long, amazing days on the slopes of Cardrona, we returned our ski gear and headed to our new hotel in Queenstown.

Over the next two days in Queenstown, some would attempt a very cold, but exhilarating thrill ride that was white water rafting and those brave enough took the plunge on the canyon swing. This involves a 60m free fall drop, followed by a 200m pendulum swing across the canyon.

After an amazing day of being tourists and witnessing the beautiful scenery that Queenstown has to offer, we still had one more day left that included our Shot Over Jet Boat ride before we made our long depressing trip back home – none of us wanted to leave. With an early start and two plane rides we were finally back in Perth, welcomed home by our parents.

By Catrina Hopson (with help from Mr Kearsley)

Where are they now?

Each newsletter we will be publishing mini biographies of former Willetton students. We hope you enjoy them.

If you would like to submit a bio, please email it to jennifer.lesouef@education.wa.edu.au. We would love to have a photo as well.

Jeremy Chetty

• When did you attend Willetton?

From 1993 - 1997

• Where did you go from there?

I did a bridging Diploma business course at Challenger TAFE, which provided entry into second year Bachelor of Commerce at Murdoch University.

• What are your qualifications and your job?

My Bachelor of Commerce was in the disciplines of Marketing & Management, so I currently utilise this skillset for my current role as Director of Marketing & Communications at Student Edge.

• Where to in the future?

International marketing and business is definitely on the cards. Currently Student Edge is identifying new markets for the growth. I love working with different cultures and people from various backgrounds. I learnt a lot about this whilst studying at Willetton SHS, as we are such a multicultural school.

• Did we help you in choosing the right path?

Absolutely! I still remember Comp Ed classes and Life Skills sessions. Even today when I bump into my former teachers who stay in touch with me, they help and support me in my career.

Megan Del Borrello

• When did you attend Willetton?

I attended Willetton from 1993 – 1997

• Where did you go from there?

I studied Marketing at Central Tafe then also Multimedia Development and Design.

• What are your qualifications and your job?

Diploma in Marketing and Multimedia. My current role is Director of my Boutique Digital Agency – Gloss Digital. I recently started this company after leaving my role as Managing Director of a large Perth Agency. I’m also Director of Sourcefit, which is a Business Process Outsourcing company based in Manila.

• Where to in the future?

I hope to grow my agency, and see the companies we work for become successful. Also to continually upgrade my skills and knowledge that is so important in my industry.

• Did we help you in choosing the right path?

WSHS provided a solid foundation for me, teaching me the skills I needed to enter the “real world”. They provided career advice and guidance that helped me to decide the industry I wanted to be in.

Learning Area Reports

Languages

French – Extension Class Testimonials

These are some good reasons while students of French in Year 10 and 11 should join the French extension class:

Broaden your understanding of French while making new friends. See familiar faces every Wednesday after school and finishing off French work keeping your weekend free!. Bettina Rebelo.

Explore the beauties of the French culture, language and cuisine through fun and innovative ways. French classes after school promise these things and so much more! Aliza Waterhouse and Miriam Villan

It has improved my French drastically because I am able to interact with my peers and my teacher more intently Ashlyn Kaur

The French extension class is a wonderful place to keep improving in French and learn more about the French Culture while having some fun. Puvenish Perumal

The extension class had positive effect on my French because I wa able to get one on one help from the teacher Sean Lee

Italian

ITALIAN EXCHANGE: AUSTRALIAN VISIT 2014

On Monday August 18, nine students and their accompanying teacher, Aurelio Manzi, arrived from our sister school Istituto Superiore Statale Algeri Marino in Casoli (Abruzzo) to begin their three week Australian adventure. This is the second group from our sister school to visit Willetton SHS.

During the exchange the students spent a number of days at school participating in school activities with their host brother/sister. This allowed them to make comparisons between the two school systems. At other times, students went on various day excursions, including the Pinnacles and sandboarding on the dunes at Lancelin, as well as learning how to play a didgeridoo.

Sincere thanks and appreciation is extended to each host family for the generous and warm hospitality shown to their exchange student. Those involved were the Burnett, Ferrell, Muru, Quealy, Rudman Sauzier , Singh/Jassal, Sweeney, Thompson and Watson families. Each family provided their ‘child’ the opportunity to experience first-hand the Australian way of life as well as the opportunity to visit many places of interest during their stay.

We look forward to welcoming another group from Casoli in two years, thus strengthening our sister school relationship.

ITALIAN ASSISTENTI

This term the Italian students and teachers welcomed three Italian Assistenti into their classes: Samuela Roccasalva, Fiammetta Scarone and Anita Sala. The Assistenti have worked alongside the teachers to help improve the students’ linguistic skills, while at the same time promoting the Italian language and culture.

The University students belong to the Assistenti Linguistici programme that was established in 2012 between the WA Association of Teachers of Italian (WAATI) and the Università della Cattolica in Milan.

Sincere thanks and appreciation is extended to the following host families: Burnett, Waller and Hew (Anita Sala); McKenna and Tan (Samuela) ; Tho and Ajwani (Fiammetta); MacDonald and Hayrebetoglu (Sofia Bonfanti, Term 1). Without the generous hospitality of these families these programmes would not exist.

If you would like further information regarding the hosting of an Assistenti in 2015 please contact the Languages Department.

Italian Exchange Reflections:

This year was has been fantastic for the Italian Exchange Program at Willetton. Six lucky Italians, Carolina, Maria, Gabriele, Francesco, Michele and Romano, all from various parts of Italy experienced an amazing two months down under and at Willo. Here are a few reflections:

Having some last minute fun with the Year 11 Italian Class!

J. Steinbeck wrote that People don't take trips… trips take people and I’m happy that this long trip in the down under has taken me. I enjoyed living in Australia for a while discovering a world completely different from mine. Here I’ve met new adorable friends and a new lovely family I hope to come back soon.

Michele Pozzi

Last day at WSHS and a birthday celebration!

I’ve experienced the most amazing adventure of my life here, I’ve met so many people that have been always kind with me, and everybody was ready to help me, to find a class, to translate something or to pass me notes.

I’ve loved staying here with my wonderful new family.

This school is fantastic and the teachers and the students are all very beautiful people.

I saw awesome places, ate weird but delicious food but the most special thing is to have new friends now, which are honest, funny and gentle.

I will always have a piece of this fantastic country in my heart, I’ll never forget this experience that has improved me, helps me to grow and to be more mature and mind opened.

Cheers for all guys, see you soon (I hope!).

Carolina Cipollaro DeL’Ero

There are too many things that I could say about my amazing experience here. If I would like to tell everything that I’ve seen or done here in Australia I could write a book. This is certainly the best experience of my entire life. It has changed me a lot making me a better person and also with a lots new friends, Australian and Italian. Being a student of the Willetton Senior High School has been wonderful. I’ve attended really interesting classes, such as literature, dance and food science , that have taught me fascinating things. I can’t believe that already passed two months passed since I arrived here and I don’t want to leave. Everything is better here and I’m really going to miss everything and everyone, in particular my new Australian family. Being an Australian teenager has been amazing and I hope to come back soon. Thank you. Maria Casiello

Japanese – Year 11 Exchange group to Hyogo

Departing on the September 20, we wish the best and safe travels to the 26 Year 11 students and their superivising teachers, Ms. Haruko Nomoto and Ms. Marilyn Onishi on a three week study tour to Japan featuring home-stay with host families. They will be sightseeing around the cities of Hiroshima, Kyoto and Tokyo as well as around Hyogo prefecture and Himeji city. Students have been looking forward to this trip all year [and possibly even earlier!], and they are sure to have an unforgettable experience.

Year 11 Japanese students conversing with Hyogo Exchange students

Mathematics

Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) 2014

Willetton Senior High School has once again excelled in the Australian Mathematics Competitions which was held on Thursday August 7. The competition consisted of three divisions, Junior Year 8, Intermediate Year 9 and 10 and Senior Year 11 and 12, each with 30 gruelling questions which had to be completed in 75 minutes without a calculator.

We received eight prizes, 16 high distinctions and 91 distinctions. These results are a credit to all our students and their maths teachers.

The outstanding performances were recorded by the following prize winners as their results were in the top 0.3% of all students in the state. Congratulations to you all on this excellent achievement.

PRIZE WINNERS

Year 8
Christopher Chivers
Nancy Shi
Jordan Hoffman

Year 9
Andrew Tan

Year 10
Alex Lugovskoy
James Dow

Year 11
Jeffrey Wong
Ryan Sam

Special congratulations also to the following students who were awarded high distinction and distinction and to many others who gained a credit award for their efforts.

HIGH DISTINCTIONS (In the top 2% of their year group in the State)

Year 8
Yi-Seng Yap
Leopold Ngu
Joseph Loveday
Jacob Head
Karmel Gandahusada

Year 9
Minki Kim
Yi Shien Lew
Anton Soloshenko

Year 10
Dennis Malinton
Christopher Jong
Raemon Lim
Jianyu Yang

Year 11 (In the top 5% of their year group in the State)
Jiahe Li
Rohit Pillai
Stephen Siswanto
Arjun Srikanth

DISTINCTION (In the top 15% of their year group in the State)

Year 8
Xin-Yi Hong
Ashlee Cronin
Sean Chionh
Gwangmin Jin
Dhirren Ranjit-Rajah
Kaylee Wong
Andrew Lee
Roshan Prashant
Jayden Choo
Mubashshira Ahmed
Samantha Lo
Ujvala Vemuru
Gabriel Boon
Erin Strle
Dhruv Jobanputra
Benjamin Pitkethley
Ryan Woon
Kevin Choo
Ryley Joynson
Rhoschana Prem
Yves Diggle
Kaitlyn Sim
Claudia Goh
Marnie McKenna
Matthew Robson
Anand Karna

Year 9
Samali Pathirakankanange
Cameron Dely
Munyaradzi Matema
Julian Harrison
Maryse Green
Melissa Weeks
Manal Shaheen
Tate Hagan
Lucy Jiang
Lachlan Jackson
Keshone Mahesvaran
Devika Prasad
Krishna Sriganth
Meagan Chong
Jack Doyle
Daniel Hardy
Marcus Tan
Raisa Biswas
Tyler Hares
Sota Inoue
Xin Ru Lim
Katelyn Martin
Matthew Grady
Vanessa Lim
Adalia Kwan
Jayden Millard

Year 10
Ben Madlener
Wallace Maillot
Shrenik Jobanputra
Kiran Ranjit Rajah
Loron Wong
Ebony Bernard
Kirtenaa Prem Kumar
Jonathan Tan
Kelsey Way
Ganesh Young
Yun-Jia Lau
Matthaeus Ong
Brianna West
Hamza Nabeel
Dushika Pathirana
Nicholas Sereda
Ying Zhang
Vishnuram Arumugam
Nikola Golijanin
Euan Lloyd
Miroljub Markovic
Sherrianne Oliveiro

Year 11 (In the top 25% of their year group in the state)
Jacob Baron
Jean Chong
William Jin
Melvyn Siaw
Gowtham Chilaka
Hridya Sachidanandan
Hur Fong Chia
Shiya Tee
Brandon Kusnadi

Year 12
Dennis Zhao
Alvin Kingsley
Gabriel Wong
Vishnu Mangalath
Rakin Khan
Amandeep Kamboj
Benjamin Stone
Pavitra Premkumar

The Prudence Award winner is Yi Seng Yap (Year 8). This is awarded to the student with the highest number of consecutive correct responses starting from question one. Well done, Yi Seng Yap.

The prize winners have now progressed to the Maths Olympiad Intermediate Division. This was a four hour problem solving examination. We await the results with eager anticipation.

Marie Law : Competition Coordinator

The Arts

Jazz Band Crowned!

On August 6, the Willetton Senior High School Jazz Band made its debut performance at the WA Government Schools’ Music Society concert series. The concert series was held at Crown Theatre and was a brilliant opportunity for the students to perform in this venue. The Jazz band has performed at a number of community events, such as the Murdoch Open Day and at Tompkins on Swan, but this was the first time in such a formidable venue.

This performance was the culmination of many weeks of intensive practice and a showcase of how far the band has come over the past couple of years since the current line-up of the group was established.

We are looking forward to performing at the Canning Showgrounds on Saturday November 1 as a part of the City of Canning’s annual show. This will give us another opportunity to showcase the excellent work being done by the students from our school. The Jazz Band will be joined by the Senior Band and the Year 8 Dance students to put together an hour of entertainment for the wider community. More information will be coming out soon for students but it would be great to see lots of people there to support us!

Festival Fever

August saw the annual Festival season hit town with Willetton SHS proudly represented by the Music students. The String Ensemble was first cab off the rank with the fantastic performance at the ABODA Orchestra festival. They did a brilliant job and earned themselves an award of Excellent from the adjudicators. It has been great to see the improvement of this ensemble over the years under the various directors who have been involved with this group. Congratulations to Mr Phillip Waldron and the students on the hard work they have put into their performance.

The Junior Band followed soon after with their performance at the ABODA Schools’ Band Festival and also did a brilliant job. The band has been out and about completing a very successful tour to the local primary schools and the RAAF Centre. They are getting valuable performance and learning experiences from Mr Phil Hatton and are fortunate to have a Director who is keen to show their talent off to the wider community. We look forward to seeing them move up into the Senior Band in the near future to continue this fine work!

Brad Oversby HOLA The Arts

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Career and Enterprise

Our students have been able to gather up some of what they have learned over the year to help their efforts in planning, developing and running a small business on the school campus. This has meant being able to communicate effectively in a group, to problem solve and work as a team as well as the crucial skill of planning and organising. Occupational Health and Safety has been a concern as well, in the need to share workloads, show responsibility and commitment to the small business and to each other. This required not only using skills well but also learning, in this sometimes, pressure cooker situation.

Our small businesses seemed to be about the “B”s -

Brownies all ways!
Burgers and Buns
Buns and sausage sizzles
Beaut cup cakes including a monster oreo cupcake which was raffled and won my Mrs Conoco in Science – an excited winner.
Bonza Milkshakes.

To support the endeavours in selling and making a profit the Career and Enterprise students have staff in the Business Office, the Canteen, the Front Office, the Student Services and the Science Prep Area to thank many times over.

After small business groups repaid their float of $35, students contemplated long and hard to share profits between the following organisations:

• Children’s Leukaemia Foundation of WA
• Street Swags for the homeless
• The Butterfly Foundation to support people living with eating disorders
• Make a Wish Foundation
• McGrath Foundation

Ruth Barratt Career and Enterprise Teacher in Charge

Brandon Kane and Jessica White

Corey Wise, Megan Adams and Matthew Bennett

JJ McMillan, Imogen Craigie, Lenny Cao, Jozette Jansen van Vuuren and Mrs Conoco, the raffle prize winner of a giant orao cup cake which was delicious!

a sample of the beautiful food prepared in the Career and Enterprise small businesses

Sunni Chan, Lakieya Flynn and Jerome Amrutha Raj

Jozette Jansem van Vuuren and a happy customer

Samantha Williams, Sarah Kim, Andy Teh in disguise and Kareem Ghannoum

Year Group Reports

YEAR 8

Life with the Year 8 cohort has been very busy with activities such as the last round of immunisations, the Year 8 group photo, the merit barbecue, the athletics carnival, the river cruise, the submission of the written applications to become part of the Year 9 councillor program.

Currently, the Year 8s are working through a study skills class. During this class, students have been looking at the difference between study and homework, identifying their study strengths and weaknesses, goal setting, study tips and setting up a study timetable. The current Year 8s should be studying and or completing homework four to eight hours a week and all Year 8s should be operating on a study time table.

We are glad to recognise student achievements outside of school: Congratulations to the following students,

Emma Johnson State U13 & U15 Fencing
Tyler Nel State U13 Hockey
Nathan Box State U12 Sailing
Nikita Tcherkashnev National Futsal Junior Championship
Isabelle Colvin who is currently going for her black belt in Karate

Please email me of achievements for which we can give recognition to your child.

Thank you for the support from the Year 8 students for the river cruise which was held on Wednesday September 17, where 266 students attended. Please make a note in your diary, their next social outing is the end of year function at Adventure World on Friday December 12.

A friendly reminder if you are going away on a family holiday or your child is going to be away for an extended period. Please let both me and the teachers know two weeks in advance. We encourage independence and the students need to be responsible for catching up on homework and study.

If you are concerned with your child’s progress at any time please contact their classroom teacher.

Thank you for your continued support. As always I can be contacted on 9334 7254 or Stefan.brand@education.wa.edu.au

Stefan Brand Year 8 Coordinator

YEAR 9

A big thank you to Ms Kimberley Atkinson for filling in for me for the first half of this term whilst I was on Long Service Leave. Her efforts are much appreciated both by myself and the students. It was also lovely to come back to such a warm welcome from all the students.

I am very much back into work mode now and would like to thank all students who nominated to be peer leaders. Congratulations to the 50 students who will play a major role in assisting with the transition of new students in 2015, along with other responsible administrative roles through the year.

Nominations for Year 10 Counsellor positions open soon and I encourage all students who want to play a bigger role in the decision making aspects of Year 10 to apply. Positions will be decided by a peer voting system.

Congratulations to all those students who achieved recognition at our Semester 1 Awards ceremony. We had 48 students who achieved 7 A grades or higher and a big congratulations to Bellyse Illman who achieved 10 A grades in first semester. A fantastic effort.

Year 9 NAPLAN results have now been posted. The following website may assist with any questions you may have regarding your child’s results.

The Year 9 Athletics Carnival ran smoothly with high attendance and great enthusiasm demonstrated by all. There were some outstanding performances with some long standing school records being broken.

Congratulations to Champion Boy Tom McDonald and equal runners up Joseph Moffat and James Miocevich . Champion Girl was Mikayla Johns with Kahawa Randall as runner up. Both Champions broke records on the day.

Congratulations to those students who performed at the Youth on Health festival in Mandurah last week. They all had a great time and were judged Creative and Confident in their delivery.

The River Cruise tickets will be on sale soon and I look forward to this major social event. Ticket numbers will be restricted so students will need to get in quick so they don’t miss out. Unfortunately we have a few students with outstanding unexplained absences and they will not be allowed to attend until these have been rectified.

A large number of students continue to progress well with their Duke of Edinburgh Awards and we will be going on camp early in October to give the students an opportunity to achieve the Adventurous Journey aspect of the Bronze Award. Students need to pay ASAP if they wish to attend this camp.

Please contact me if you would like to discuss any issues with your child’s progress or well being.

Colleen Hayes Year 9 Coordinator

Year 10

Term 3 has been nothing short of hectic for the Year 10s. Some of the highlights have included Yo Fest through the Drama department and the Mock Trial competition through Society and Environment. A handful of Year 10 students had a fantastic day representing Willetton at the recent Open Schools Touch Championships. It was awesome to see the Year 10s turn out for their final Athletics Carnival, giving the events on offer their best shot. Thanks to the PE Department for organising a great day. The premier event for the term was our Ice Skating social. Thanks to all the students who came along and made it an evening to remember, and to Ms Duffy, Ms Walsh and Ms Atkinson for assisting at the excursion.

Year 10 Peer Leaders are preparing to welcome the incoming Year 7 cohort at orientation next term. The enthusiasm and dedication of this group will hopefully result in a smooth transition to high school for our youngest students. Our Year 10 Peer Leaders come with a year of experience having already assisted with year 7 – 8 transition last year.

It is such a pleasure to see this year group growing up and maturing before my eyes. Decision Time has definitely assisted in helping students realise the options available to them are a direct result of their attitude and effort at school. The majority of students have been counselled into their preferred courses based on teacher recommendations, excellent results and report comments. With so many new requirements for graduation, we hope everyone has selected courses that they will allow them to graduate successfully.

Upcoming events

Year 10 examinations - Week 6 next term (November 17 – 21)
Year 10 River Cruise - Wednesday December 3

Judy Gauci Year 10 Coordinator

Year 11

Well done to you all. Watching you grow into fine young adults is wonderful. The way that you are handling yourselves around the school is a real credit to you all. As more and more of you get your senior status, I am confident that you will show the wider community your great attributes. You will gain a lot from having this privilege.

There are two important concepts that you need to know about (and apply) for a successful education. They are integrity and responsibility. Those words have been thrown around a lot over the past four years by your teachers and parents. But have you ever sat down and truly reflected on what they mean?

As you know, being a wood work teacher, I like to break things down to the simplest of forms.

Integrity, for me, means that if you say you are going to do something then you do it. People can count on you to do your best, to keep your word and follow through on your commitments.

Responsibility means that others can trust you to do things with excellence. When you make a mistake, you offer to make amends instead of excuses. You need to be responsible for your choices to be in integrity.

To be in integrity and to be responsible has to come from within you. You need to work on having the self-honesty to say to yourself, I am going to do this. I am going to do these things to make sure I achieve it, and most importantly I did it. Having this honesty with yourself will propel you on to great things.The really good news is that we all can live in integrity and honesty.

I wish you all the best for the coming term.

Paul Hogg Year 11 Coordinator

Year 12

'The time has come,' the walrus said, 'to talk of many things:
of shoes and ships - and sealing wax - of cabbages and kings.'
Of bake sales, sausage sizzles, performances galore
And hoping that all the hard work has given us that score.

Raving the night away at Metros with lights and music screaming
Happy winners on the footy field with faces beaming
Dodge ball, Volleyball, trees to plant and time for fun
The Great Escape - freezing on the water slide, looking for some sun.

Adventure World, River cruises, Runway café and Freo gaol.
A ready supply of food , drink and sweets – how could they fail.
Water police and dolphins frolicking as we skimmed along the river
Teetering on heels and cocktail attire, trying not to shiver.

Wonderful day of the Ball when time stopped for red carpet flare
Walking dead, Roller coasters, even Kim and Kanye did their share
Money raised, limousines all ready, hair, nails and makeup good to go
We really did ourselves proud and put on a great show.

World Challenge, Red Kite, Relay for life to name but a few
We raised money, awareness, and so our community grew
So many bake sales, free dress days and other great feats
Like candle light vigils, butterfly badges and culinary treats.

We broke records of all kinds all over the school
Fewest peachies, supensions – still looking cool
Merits, star badges, academic awards, sporting heights
First to get early semester 2 senior status rights

I mastered chopsticks ( kinda) but never the rice
Sports day at Hyogo had us all looking twice
Lost some on the subway, ran into a deer
Roller coaster at Universal – mastered a fear.

The sights and sounds of Japan made me reel
Ate raw chicken and had miso with every meal.
Disney world, Saki factory and the wonders of soy sauce.
Little wonder Japan is such a dominant world force.

Conquered mountains with back pack alone
Lived in a world for three weeks without a phone.
Clawed our way to peaks that made us gasp,
Saw sights of poverty and hunger hard to grasp.
Attempted to cross the road in Ho Chin Minh
Trying to haggle over t shirts felt like a sin
Took in the breadth and beauty of parts far away
Looked at the world in quite a different way.

New Zealand, Venice, Paris, New York, China – all over the place
Now the rest of the world is yours to face
Travel, study, work – live life to the upmost.
See our great continent from coast to coast.

Words can’t really express the journey that has been shared
I really need you to know how much it means that you all cared.
Your love of community, life, family and friends
enriched my world and these memories will never end.

We have laughed and cried together since that first year
Now the time has come to part ways and conquer all our fears.
I keep you all in my heart and thoughts and hope we never lose touch.
I have enjoyed this journey and thank you all so much.

Chris Kelly Year Coordinator

Apologies to Lewis Carroll.

School Board News

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

The final two School Board meetings for the year will be held on Thursdays October 30 and December 4 at 5.30pm in the school conference room. All are welcome to attend. Please contact the School Board office on 9334 7217 to register your attendance.

At a recent Board meeting, a second round of funding applications submitted by staff were considered. In 2014, a total of $22 572.66 has been approved to fund various programs in the school. The Board is proud to support these programs, which have enhanced the students and staff welfare and learning outcomes. It is the parent support of School Board levies that enables the Board to financially support valuable projects such as the Year 8 Big Day Out, Cyber Safety Presentation, Scholarships, Year 12 Art Exhibition, Year 12 Graduation, Language Projects, Engineering Programs, Student Leadership Development, Poetry Club, the Reading Promotion Program and the Motivational Multimedia Presentation, to name a few.

WA SECONDARY SCHOOL OF THE YEAR SCHOLARSHIP

Applications are now open for the WA Secondary School of the Year scholarship. 2015 Year 7 and Year 8 students who have satisfied the regulatory requirement for enrolment at Willetton Senior High School are eligible to apply. Further details may be found in this newsletter, or by contacting the School Board office.

YEAR 12 GRADUATION

The Year 12 graduation will be held on November 21, 2014 at the HBF Stadium, Mt Claremont. This is the most prestigious event on the school calendar. The school recognises and rewards academic excellence by presenting the top achiever in each subject with a special award. The School Board invites parents, community organisations and local businesses to sponsor one of our 2014 Year 12 Top Achiever Awards with a donation of $80. Your generous donation will be acknowledged in our list of sponsors included in the graduation programme and school newsletter. To be involved, please send your name, contact details and cheque made payable to Willetton Senior High School Council, to Helen Wong, School Board Executive Officer, Willetton Senior High School, Pinetree Gully Road, Willetton WA 6155 by Monday October 27.

ATTENTION YEAR 12 STUDENTS

Would you like to sell your textbooks when you have completed your end of year exams? The School Board will accept for sale on your behalf the following items:

• Second hand or new textbooks
• Calculators and class pads
• WACE revision study guides
• Dance shoes
• Language dictionaries

Items for sale must be placed in a bag together with the completed bookshop form and dropped off at the school front desk, bookshop or School Board office. Copies of the bookshop form may also be obtained from these drop off points.

The 2015 Year 11 and Year 12 booklists will be available late November.

The second hand bookshop is located next to the canteen, and is open every Wednesday 9.00am to 11.30am during the school term. It will be open for additional trading in December, and times will be listed in the next newsletter. For further information, please contact the bookshop on 9334 7282 during opening hours.

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:

Tickets may be purchased from the second hand bookshop on Wednesdays (9am-11.30am) during term, or by arrangement with the School Board office.

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 phone 9334 7217.

The School Board office is located in the Health Centre demountable at the front of the school, nearest the electronic signboard.

A leading Independent Public School celebrating achievement

WILLETTON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL BOARD
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL OF THE YEAR SCHOLARSHIP
YEAR 7

Willetton Senior High School is celebrating its position as the inaugural WA Secondary School of the Year 2011/2012 by offering an annual scholarship to a student who will transition from primary to secondary school.

The Willetton school community is committed to maximising the intellectual, creative and social growth of its students. The school works to develop competent, skilled and socially responsible citizens who recognise they are members of a world community, respect the needs of others and have a sense of self worth and future direction.

We recognise that this process begins during a student’s primary education and wish to acknowledge a student who is on the pathway to achieving the desired outcomes.

One scholarship will be awarded each year to a student who is enrolled and has satisfied the regulatory requirement for enrolment at Willetton Senior High School.

The recipient of the WA Secondary School of the Year Scholarship will receive:

• The WA Secondary School of the Year Scholarship 2015 award and certificate
• Payment of 2015 Year 7 subject contributions and charges
• Payment of school uniforms up to $200
• Leadership training opportunities

This scholarship is proudly presented by the Willetton Senior High School Board.

Application forms are available on the school website or by contacting Mrs Helen Wong at helen.s.wong@education.wa.edu.au or 9334 7217.

Applications close 4.00pm Tuesday November 4 2014
Late applications will not be considered.

An email confirmation will be sent upon receipt of application.

Short-listed applicants will be contacted by Friday November 14 with interviews scheduled to take place during the week beginning Monday November 17, 2014.

The successful applicant will be notified by Monday November 24, 2014.

Applications should be returned to:

Mrs Helen Wong
School Board Executive Officer
Willetton Senior High School
Pinetree Gully Road
Willetton WA 6155

A leading Independent Public School celebrating achievement

WILLETTON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL BOARD
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN SECONDARY SCHOOL OF THE YEAR SCHOLARSHIP
YEAR 8

Willetton Senior High School is celebrating its position as the inaugural WA Secondary School of the Year 2011/2012 by offering an annual scholarship to a student who will transition from primary to secondary school.

The Willetton school community is committed to maximising the intellectual, creative and social growth of its students. The school works to develop competent, skilled and socially responsible citizens who recognise they are members of a world community, respect the needs of others and have a sense of self worth and future direction.

We recognise that this process begins during a student’s primary education and wish to acknowledge a student who is on the pathway to achieving the desired outcomes.

One scholarship will be awarded each year to a student who is enrolled and has satisfied the regulatory requirement for enrolment at Willetton Senior High School.

The recipient of the WA Secondary School of the Year Scholarship will receive:

• The WA Secondary School of the Year Scholarship 2015 award and certificate
• Payment of 2015 Year 8 subject contributions and charges
• Payment of school uniforms up to $200
• Leadership training opportunities

This scholarship is proudly presented by the Willetton Senior High School Board.

Application forms are available on the school website or by contacting Mrs Helen Wong at helen.s.wong@education.wa.edu.au or 9334 7217.

Applications close 4.00pm Tuesday November 4 2014
Late applications will not be considered.

An email confirmation will be sent upon receipt of application.

Short-listed applicants will be contacted by Friday November 14 with interviews scheduled to take place during the week beginning Monday November 17, 2014.

The successful applicant will be notified by Monday November 24, 2014.

Applications should be returned to:

Mrs Helen Wong
School Board Executive Officer
Willetton Senior High School
Pinetree Gully Road
Willetton WA 6155

Willo Parent Group News

WILLO PARENT GROUP MEETINGS

The Willo Parent Group meets together for parent information sessions or 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.

Events for Term 3 & 4

For further information on these events, please contact Helen Wong on 9334 7217 or helen.s.wong@education.wa.edu.au

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Over the years, the Willo Parent Group has assisted the chaplains at this school with Operation Christmas Child, a worthy project that can make a difference in the lives of many young people. It is now time to start bringing in your donations of gifts to fill the Christmas shoe boxes. Items needed include soft toys, toys, colouring pencils, crayons, puzzle books, toiletries and clothing. All items need to be new. Please drop off your items at the chaplain’s office, located in the demountable at the front of the school. More details on this project can be found on www.samaritanspurse.org.au Volunteers are also needed to assist with wrapping and packing the shoe boxes. If you are able to assist, please contact Heather Gare in the chaplains’ office on 9334 7242 (Tuesdays and Wednesdays).

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.

Parents and community members of
Willetton Senior High School
are invited to

Coffee Morning
With

Hosted by: Willo Parent Group
When: Friday September 26 2014
Where: Willetton SHS Staff Room
Time: 8.45am to 10.00am

Speaker: Mike Fitzpatrick
Topic: The role of Youth Focus in the community

What is Youth Focus?

Youth Focus provides information and support to:

• Understand the pressures and challenges of adolescence
• Understand what is mental health and mental illness
• Understand the facts about mental illness
• Be able to identify the signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Be able to recognise the link between alcohol and other drugs and mental illness
• Be able to understand the importance of early intervention
• Be able to understand the link between mental illness and suicidal thoughts and the signs that someone may be thinking about suicide
• Be able to understand how to support someone who is having suicidal thoughts
• Be able to understand how to maintain good mental health
• Be able to understand what you can do if you think someone needs, or you need help

Gold coin donation for coffee or tea
Please bring a plate of morning tea to share

Please RSVP your attendance to willoparent@gmail.com by Monday September 22.