23 May 2018

Editor: Jenny LeSouef
Technology: Nola Regan

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Our Year12, 11 and 10 examinations have commenced in sequence from May 21. This day heralds the beginning of an extremely busy period for both students and staff. This term is a short one and for Year 12s mid-term signals the half way point of their final year of schooling. They need to manage their load in the run to the end of the year.

Students are feeling the pressure in the examination build up and we encourage all families to maintain their normal recreational activities. They need a balance of work and play so should be encouraged to continue sporting commitments and relaxation, all within boundaries of course. Balance is the key at all times.

Staff well-being is also essential to keep our school positive and supportive. The extra marking load creates the most stressful period in the school year for them.

This year, for the first time we participated in the NAPLAN on-line trial and after a few teething problems all went smoothly which with our students numbers is a significant achievement. Thanks to our IT Department for their expertise and dedication in setting up and supporting the testing.

Our grounds are looking spectacular! The grounds team of Alastair Jones, Manh Hua, Ryan Tweddle and Ron Mead lead by Graeme Mason are both conscientious and creative and it shows. Some of our cleaning staff assist the gardeners with cleaning outside which supports the gardening team in garden maintenance.

Our recent Year 8, 9 and 10 parent/teacher interviews afternoon and evening was another success. Thanks to staff for their contribution. We had 606 families who attended 3021 interviews. The student musical items were much appreciated.

I am attending a discussion with David Gonski AC in Sydney, accompanying the Minister for Education. We are fortunate that two of our Heads of Learning Area, Nathan Harvey and Wayne Baseden were included in the invitation. Changes in education are likely to be radical, three weaknesses have been identified and a pathway to improvement is being set. I will make a report of the meeting available on my return.

Chris Booth

BOARD CHAIR REPORT

At our last Board meeting we were fortunate to have Josephine Santoso and Nikita Tcherkashnev (Head Girl and Boy) come and speak to us. They once again impressed on us how the Willo community band together to raise respectful, enquiring and inspiring young adults. What particularly impressed me was that the students felt welcomed and able to speak freely amongst a group of parents and teachers. They raised a few pertinent issues at this time of the year as the Year 10s head into their first major exams, and Year 11s and 12s into their midyear exams. Year 12s are feeling the PRESSURE! Interestingly, they reported that many of their friends were feeling the most pressure from their parents. As a parent I was obviously shocked and immediately was reassessing my own behaviour with my Year 12 son. Naturally he was bombarded with questions when I arrived home after the meeting.

This was a timely reminder, as parents and caregivers, to reflect on how we can support our children to perform to their potential whilst maintaining positive well-being. We should use our own life lessons and aspirations to constructively help break down barriers and create pathways, yet not burden our children with expectations that follow our dreams and not theirs. As a researcher in health, I know the importance of mental and physical wellbeing. With both my parent and research hat on, it is important that we (as guardians of our children) promote a healthy balance between study, leisure time, a healthy diet, and exercise. Good sleep habits are also essential. Our bodies need time to rest and recuperate in order to properly function during the day. And while we’re resting, our brain actually strengthens and reaffirms the new memories we’ve collected through our day. To study effectively, good sleep is a must. (see website below)

It is also important that we allow our children autonomy to work out when and how they balance their time. Different students study best in different ways and at different times. As a Board we are fully aware of the current and ongoing work the great Willo teachers and year coordinators, are doing with our students to manage study, mental health and stress. Together we can work to support students and also foster lifelong healthy habits.

Out and about. It was great to see the Willo brand in the community (Southlands) selling fantastic Mother’s day merchandise as a fundraiser for Cape4Kids. These volunteers (including teachers) gave up their time to support a worthy cause – thank you. We once again had our talented musicians on show during the recent parent-teacher meeting, aptly supported by the members of Front of School who always so warmly greet and direct us, and hospitality who kept our teachers well caffeinated! I also had the pleasure of attending the Why is creativity an important skill in the 21st century? free event. This also links in with our common purpose to equip our teens with important life skills. The speakers highlighted the importance of developing critical thought, creative reasoning, collaboration and communication skills.

Lastly, finishing off where we started, a reminder that Year 12 is not the life defining moment. When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us. (Alexander Graham Bell). The important thing for us as parents and caregivers is to help nurture and support our children to find the path that realises their potential and provides them a meaningful and fulfilling life.

Wishing our students all the very best in ‘keeping the balance’ as they prepare for midyear exams.

Dr Paola Chivers

All young people are loved and safe, have material basics, are healthy, are learning and participating and have a positive sense of identity and culture. ARACY The Nest vision.

HEAD BOY AND HEAD GIRL REPORT

We have reached Term 2 with numerous projects underway. During week 8 of Term 1, along with the rest of the Year 12 council, we ran the first parliament for this year. It was undoubtedly the most jam-packed forum we’ve ever had to date.

The parliament was opened with a recap, summarising the achievements of the previous forum held in Term 4 of 2017. Thanks to the efforts of councillors across all year groups and School Board, we’ve implemented new lockers throughout the school and installed new water bottle faucets on existing drink fountains.

We had the privilege of having guest speakers throughout the forum such as Tania Russell, a Nell Gray representative, and Darren Lomman, the CEO of Green batch. Mrs Russell worked with the councillors to make minor adjustments to the school uniform. Unfortunately, we won’t be here to see the final product come to fruition, but we hope to improve the uniform’s style and comfort for future Willetton students. Immediately after we brainstormed concepts for potential designs, we got straight into discussing plans to implement the Green batch recycling bins. Hopefully, we’ll be seeing shiny new bins around our school towards the end of this year.

Finally, we worked on redesigning the school’s cultural infographic and discussed our goals for the council for this year. These exciting projects will undoubtedly be keeping us very busy but we’d like to remind everyone to continue utilising their council, raising ideas and/or issues with the councillors whenever necessary.

We’ve also kicked off Term 2 to a great start as over 60 students and staff participated in Relay for life. We are so proud that our school was the second highest fundraising school, raising over $14,000. However, as we have reached Term 2, midyear exams are also at the very forefront of many our minds. We’d like to wish everyone the very best for their upcoming tests, assignments, external set tasks and exams!

Josephine Santoso and Nikita Tcherkashnev

GENERAL

CONGRATULATIONS

BASKETBALL SUCCESS

Willetton students have achieved outstanding success in national and international competitions.

In the FIBA Asia U16 Championships in China Year 11s Luke Jackson and Luke Travers were members of the winning team and have been selected to represent Australia in the upcoming FIBA Under 17 World Cup.

In the Under 18 Australian Junior Basketball Championships held in Geelong, we had four of our Specialised Program representatives in the winning team. They were; Year 12s Lachlan Forrest and Adrian Nobensi and the two Lukes from Year 11. Also in the team was Kane Waters a former student, currently in Canberra on an NBA Global Academy scholarship.

A tribute to both the quality of our students and our program!

The winning WA Under 18 Basketball Champions

OUTSTANDING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Year 12 student Song Yi Loo did our school proud by passing the certification examination for the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) at the Foundation level. Song Yi started the course in December 2017 with help from software tester mentors from Bankwest and Curtin University. He took the examination in April 2018 and came up top in his cohort. The ISTQB is a professional certification pathway that is normally taken at graduate level and for Song Yi to complete it with flying colours is an astounding achievement. The ISTQB certification program is sponsored jointly by Curtin’s Autism Academy for Software Quality Assurance (AASQA), Planit Testing and BHP.

SPEECH COMPETITION WINNER

Marnie McKenna Year 12 won the speech section of the Royal Commonwealth Society speech and leadership competition from an accomplished group of students from a variety of public and private schools.

Each participant gave a speech titled If I could change one thing and Marnie chose to approach the topic from the aspect of cognitive dissonance.

Former Governor Ken Michael presented Marnie her award.

Former Governor Ken Michael, Marnie McKenna and Lyn Beazley head of competition committee

WILLETTON SHS VIETNAM SERVICE JOURNEY 2018

On Saturday April 28, students and staff returned safely from their 15 day trip service trip to Vietnam, basking in the sense of achievement which comes from accomplishing goals, gaining life-long memories and forging new friendships. The trip was incredibly fulfilling on so many levels and provided

• an amazing opportunity to experience the raw and unique beauty of the Vietnamese landscape and the rich tapestry of its diverse culture
• the satisfaction and privilege of working to provide resources for communities experiencing inequities in health, education and living standards, which empowered those passionate about making a difference
• an opportunity to experience the kind of personal growth that comes from truly challenging yourself

The service component saw the group spend five days digging, painting, sanding, mixing/rendering cement, teaching, playing and learning. An area was dug out and cleared to provide a large chemical septic tank to connect to the new toilet block. This replaced two holes in the ground that drained out into the open. New desks and tables purchased for the school were painted, and all the doors and windows were given a much-needed spruce up.

Time was spent with the students teaching English (with us less successfully learning Vietnamese), and playing sport at the stadium (introducing that weird Aussie game with the oval balls!).

On the final day, we were treated to a wonderful concert with songs, some fabulous recycled costumes and traditional dances. It was here that our donations were gratefully received. Apart from a considerable supply of stationary, books and educational supplies, we were able to purchase sporting equipment, a gas stove, portable PA system and a large water purifier (drink fountain), all from local suppliers. Additionally, in consultation with village leaders, we were able to supply 49 of the poorest families in Ham Yen with five chickens each. Huge and heartfelt thanks to all those who helped with fundraising efforts and donations.

The next challenge was the trek….and a challenge it was. The terrain was steep and slippery in places (with ascents of 700m and descents of 1200m recorded in one day), although the small group of Hmong ladies and children who walked much of the morning with us had little trouble negotiating it. We were rewarded with the sight of amazing verdant landscapes, meticulously carved into cascading rice fields which were occupied by an assortment of water buffalos, ducklings, chickens, pigs and ponies. Whilst it was pleasing to see students push past their normal physical limits, it was even more gratifying to see those who, despite injuries, pain and discomfort were able to draw on their inner strength, positive mindset and supportive encouragement from other group members, to finish the trek.

To complete our wonderful trip, we were lucky enough to spend a night aboard the luxurious Serena enjoying the spectacular seascape and emerald waters of Halong Bay – Where the Dragon Descends to the Sea. In that time, we learned to cook Vietnamese spring rolls, tried Tai Chi on the top deck, paddled canoes (or a sampan) into a lagoon, visited the spectacular Sung Sot (Surprise) cave and climbed to the top of Ti Top Island to take in the breathtaking panoramic views. A fitting reward for a group of students who were incredibly supportive, hard-working and resilient throughout the trip. It was such a pleasure to be involved with such a fabulous group of young men and women and their achievements, personal growth and endeavour is something they should be extremely proud of.

So finally, a big thank you to those who made this trip possible. Firstly, Jude Fapani who had the vision for this trip, worked incredibly hard to ensure its success and inspired students to be the change they wish to see. Mike Forsyth and I were privileged to also be a part of this trip and were happy to be able to contribute to its success. Secondly, to Chris Booth and Wayne Baseden for supporting opportunities for both students and staff to gain such valuable and rewarding experiences. Finally, but by no means least, a huge and sincere thank you to Scott Pinnegar and staff from World Youth Adventures who provided exceptional support and guidance throughout the process and arranged an outstanding itinerary, together with excellent guides (especially the very amiable and accommodating Mr Thoi).

Mrs Di Tuxford HPE Teacher

RELAY FOR LIFE

Over the weekend on May 5-6, six teams of enthusiastic Year 11s and 12s participated in the 2018 Relay for Life. Relay for Life is a worldwide charity event where teams must keep a baton in continuous motion for 24 hours. Symbolic of the fact that cancer (as well as the fight against cancer) never sleeps. We walked and talked and some of us tried to study, which was only successful to a marginal extent. As night fell we bonded over hot chocolate and card games. Getting much sleep at Relay for Life is already difficult, and it was made even harder by the rain that poured overnight, which seeped through on to unsuspecting victims. It was a great experience and the times shared compensate for our collective sleep deprivation.

In total, Willetton SHS raised $14,000 for the Cancer Council, the highest amount for any public school and the second highest amount raised by a school overall. Just ten dollars can offer free exercise programs that assist cancer patients in building strength and fitness during and after treatment and one hundred dollars can provide free accommodation for patients, families and carers during treatment.

The amount we raised will help fund ground-breaking research into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, bringing us all the more closer to a cancer-free future.

Claudia Goh Year 12

INTERACT NEWS

Throughout Term 2, the Interact Club continues to fundraise and support Capes4Kids, a charity that provides support and encouragement to children as they undergo difficult and often frightening medical treatment in hospital.

After concluding Term 1 with three fundraisers already under our belt, the Interact Club had the Mother’s Day Fundraising Stalls to look forward to in early Term 2. During the holidays, the Interact Executive Team organised a variety of sub-projects to make items for these stalls. The items included handmade soaps with essential oils, craft mixes, calligraphy cards, handmade roses and much more. Back at school in Term 2, Interactors volunteered their time after school to complete making the items and packaging them for sale. After many weeks of hard work and organisation, the Interact Club held their Mother’s Day Stalls at Southlands Shopping Centre on the Saturday of Week 3, and also during Pupil Free Day of the same week. Over the two stalls we had almost 40 Interact members volunteering their time, culminating in over 50 hours of community service - a fantastic effort from all Interactors!

As we hit the midpoint of the school year, we are aiming to shift our focus more globally, in terms of voting for an international charity, and also focusing on how we improve our club’s involvement not only in the school but also in the wider community. We always welcome new student members to join us. We are a junior form of Rotary Club and we focus on fundraising and community. We meet in F13 Thursday recess.

Mihan De Silva President

UHU GLUE COMPETITION WINNER

Our school was entered into the company promotional competition by our Manager of Corporate Services Jega Jegathesan

Alan Meadows from UHU presented a cheque of $1000 to the school as winner of the promotion. Each teaching staff member was also given a complimentary bag of UHU products.

Many thanks to Jega for entering the school in the competition. The prize will be spent on items to improve our learning programs.

Alan Meadows from UHU presenting cheque to Principal Mr Booth

TISSUE CULTURE CLUB UPDATE: RISE OF THE TRIFFIDS

Willetton’s very own club for people of culture is showing signs of green shoots.

Here you can see a Western Australian trigger plant, Stylidium repens, that has been cloned and is growing in a tube of agar.

Culture club runs every Wednesday after school in Science room E7.

Dr Harris and Mrs Rajor Coordinators

CURTIN UNIVERSITY

The Curtin University Psychology Clinic is currently accepting child, adolescent and adult referrals for our group and individual treatment programs.

The Clinic offers evidence-based, best-practice assessments and treatments for children, adolescents and adults experiencing mental health difficulties and psychological concerns. Information is also available on the Curtin website:

All treatments are provided by postgraduate Psychology Trainees under the expert supervision of Clinical Psychologists and at an affordable cost. A standard consultation is $45 or $25 for group sessions. Cognitive assessments are also available at a reduced fee of $255.

Referral to the clinic is at the discretion of parents and the school cannot accept responsibility for outcomes.

GIFTED AND TALENTED

DNA EXTRACTION FROM STRAWBERRIES

As a part of their Genetics course, Year 10 students learnt to extract DNA from strawberries.

Mita Munshi and Leon Harris Science Teachers

THE ARTS

BLACK SWAN WORK EXPERIENCE

On May 10 and 11, I was fortunate enough to participate in Black Swan Theatre Company’s work experience program for Year 10, 11 and 12 students. The new program is designed for students who are planning to pursue a career in The Arts, specifically theatre. It included a self-devised theatre and improvisation workshop with Katt Osborne and Libby Klysz and a sound design workshop with Ben Collins relating to one of their new productions. The experience of working with industry professionals was invaluable and I learned a lot.

We were also given a tour of the State Theatre Centre in Northbridge and attended the school’s matinee of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. Overall, it was an incredible opportunity, and I thoroughly recommend it to any students considering a career path in theatre.

Marnie McKenna Year 12

MAD FOREST

On April 11, the Year 12 ATAR drama class had their final scripted performance together of Mad Forest, a play about the Romanian revolution of 1989. An amazing effort was put in by all class members in directing, designing and acting. It was Willetton’s first ever dinner theatre performance and it was a huge success! All members of the audience were well fed by the very talented hospitality students. A massive thanks has to go out to Mr Brand for helping and guiding us through this crazy process.

We should all be very proud of ourselves for putting in the early mornings and late nights and problem solving an interesting play! Obviously, finishing the performance was very emotional for us being our last performance that we work on together, but the memories of crazy rehearsals will never be forgotten. I feel very lucky to be a part of this class, and I am very proud of all my fellow classmates for putting this together. Here’s to the rest of this crazy year together!

Georgia Barry Year 12 ATAR

DRAMA UPDATE

It has been a busy start to the year with the successful Year 12 Drama production and the most recent Year 10 Drama production.

Our fantastic Front of House Team have been trained and working at different events. We will feature them in our future newsletters. This a great program for Year 9 and 10 students. Thank you to Ruth Barratt and Cheryl Venter for assisting with their training.

WHAT’S COMING UP?

Term 2

Year 10 - 12 Practical examinations
Lower School Semester Drama showcase featuring an array of Year 7 to Year 9 Drama students: Monday June 11 (tickets on sale at the website below)

Term 3

Year 11 Production: Cosi
Year 12 Original Solo Performance Night
Year 10 Production: The Lesson

Thank you for your ongoing support in the drama program. Please feel free to contact any of the staff

Stefan Brand
Clare Talbot
Amberly Panuu
Jackie May

MUSIC NEWS

A Date for Your Diary: Winter Concert Wednesday June 13, 6:30pm

Our big Semester 1 concert will see most of our big ensembles perform at the WSHS Performing Arts Theatre. Tickets always sell quickly, so keep an eye on Connect notifications for details of when tickets will be made available.

Attendance at this concert is compulsory for all students involved in Senior Band, Junior Band, all Guitar Ensembles, Choir, Percussion Ensemble and Jazz Band. A performance opportunity for Junior and Senior String Orchestra will be announced soon. This is a night of celebrating the hard work and dedication of our students have and is always rewarding for family and friends. We look forward to seeing you there.

PERFORMANCES ADD COLOUR TO SCHOOL EVENTS

Our musicians have been busy providing musical entertainment at recent school events, including Multicultural Week and Parent/Teacher Interview Day. Such events are perfect for honing performance skills and we encourage students who missed out on recent performance opportunities to take up those in the future.

PARENT/TEACHER INTERVIEW PERFORMANCES

MULTICULTURAL WEEK PERFORMANCE

Jazz Band wowed the crowd during their Multicultural Week performance

LANGUAGES

MULTICULTURAL WEEK

Multicultural Week is a major highlight for our school community, occurred in Week 11 of last term. The many attraction set up and promoted over the week included a traditional dress-up opportunity, several musical performances and food stalls as part of the weeklong celebration of the different cultures, languages and ethnicities that coexist in our community.

Arguably the most popular stall of the week was the yakisoba stall, whose popularity was such that by 1:30 pm every lunch break it was active its stock was sold out. It was one of the Japanese stalls open in the quadrangle.

Students also tried different activities, including calligraphy and kendama, a traditional toy from Japan. While the other exhibits had varying degrees of popularity throughout the course of the week, many students lined up for a taste of Japanese cuisine.

Leopold Ngu Year 12

WRITING SHORT STORIES TERM 1 - YEAR 10 EALD

In Term 1, Year 10 EALD students focused on analysing and writing short stories. This was in preparation for OLNA and also to encourage them to think and write creatively and with personal flair. Sophie Su Year 10 is one of our outstanding Year 10 EALD students, and shows the depth of talent we have in our program at WSHS.

Ms Tammy Unkovich EALD teacher

Sometimes You Have To Follow Your Own Path

It was half past midnight. The moonlight scattered throughout the narrow window of the room onto a little bed. A skinny boy crawled between the bed sheets. He opened his eyes and listened carefully for a while. It was quiet and his dad had gone to bed. He quickly got out of bed and tip-toed out of his bedroom. “The second piece of the wooden floor squeaks. Don’t step on it,” he told himself as he entered the store room where an old pain stood among all the other rubbish.

The boy carefully opened the lid of the hollow paint chair and told out several stained, yellow sheets of music. He carefully put them onto the stand and sat on the chair. Imaginary music flew out of the piano as his long but skinny fingers flew on the keyboard without really touching it. He was deep in his own world of music until a loud snore came from next door. The boy’s body shivered and he packed up roughly before running back to his room.

* * *

“Hi, Gally!”
The boy nodded to other friendly students with a pale smile as they greeted him in class. It was Friday: his favourite day of the week because they had music with Miss Baker. Miss Baker was his favourite because she listened and let him play, like now. She smiled at him warmly as the music poured out from his fingertips. It was the piece he had practised last night and many other nights before.
“Beautiful, Gally. That was beautiful,” Miss Baker praised as she applauded. “You have improved. Do you often practise at home?”
Gally didn’t answer but gave her a smile which spread wide on his face. The recess bell rang. He could hardly hide his disappointment and said goodbye to the young female teacher. As he was stepping out of the door, Miss Baker stopped him and asked in the voice of an angel:
“Oh, by the way, Gally. There is an end-of-year-concert coming up. Would you like to join the school band and perform?”
The boy’s face lit up immediately.
“Yes, of course,” he answered excitedly but with uncertainly. “But, can…Can I practise at school?”
“Yes, feel free to do that. So we’ll see you next Monday morning.”
“Thank you, Miss. Have a good weekend,” Gally said cheerfully and skipped back home with a heart filled with joy and happiness.

* * *

He rushed into the house and hopped straight into mother’s room. She didn't seem happy and usually he would grab her hands and hold hers in his thin, frail arms. But that day was different. It was the big day. “I’m joining the school band, Mum. I will be performing at the end-of-year-concert!” he announced with his eyes shining brightly. However, the light soon faded as he saw his mother’s terrified face staring at the doorway. He turned around almost in slow motion and saw a furious man standing in the doorway. He was drunk. Gally was almost trembling.

The big man moved and dragged Gally by his collar towards the old store room while shouting at his crying wife:
“After my old man with his useless music spent all my family’s money and ruined my life, you’re encouraging my son to be a bloody musician?!”
His voice deafened Gally. They entered the store room. Father stepped on the second piece of the wooden floor and it squeaked painfully. Gally was then thrown on the floor. Father was on the edge of going mad. His eyes were red: veins bulged on his forehead as he muttered:
“You want to be a musician, huh?” He grabbed a baseball bat from the corner of the room and smashed the piano. Each swing carried endless loathing and hatred.
“No!!!” Gally screamed and threw himself on the huge man, hitting and biting his legs like a desperate little animal. He couldn’t just stand there and watch his dreams, future and everything collapse as the piano slowly turned to ash. Father turned around as he felt the boy on his leg. He slapped him with a backhander so hard that the boy fell backwards and landed on his head.

Everything faded away. Gally felt dizzy. He could also feel father’s cold gaze and mother holding his head and he could hear her begging:
“Tim! For god’s sake. He’s your son!” she cried. “Save him, please, I’m begging you!”
Gally could tell that she's sad and he wanted to hold her in his arms like he always did. He hated father and had always been terrified of him but he never dared hate him. Now he did. He hated him so much that he wanted him gone, and then he thought of the music.

“I’m part of the school band now,” he thought, “and I’m having my very first concert in my life. I'm going to play piano forever and grow up to be one of the greatest pianists in the world and take mum away from this hopeless plight. I will.”

He heard the sound of the ambulance siren in the distance and closed his eyes.

Sophie Su Year 10

LANGUAGES CHAMPIONS

In April, the Year 10 language students attended an incursion where three former Willetton students talked about how learning a language has impacted on their lives and careers. As language students, it was very interesting and inspiring to listen to their stories and hear about their studies of languages in senior school, university and onto their lives outside of school.

They all had very different career paths, such as medicine and engineering but were all connected by their love of learning languages. It helped us understand that languages can assist you in whichever path you make take in life. It was a great experience and encouraged us all to continue our language studies into the future.

Amy Mercer Year 10

STUDY TIPS TO SUCCEED IN FRENCH presented by past students Praneetha Kurmala and Deepika Prasad

Last week, two past French students came to visit the Year 11 and 12 French students. They talked to us about how they succeeded in French in senior school.

I found their presentations extremely helpful. One of the past students, Deepika said French is a lifestyle not a subject. This small thought made me realise why I enjoy doing French so much. Their ideas gave me and many other students the motivation to do well in French. I am really grateful that we got an opportunity to hear them talk about their experience and it has made me want to continue French in the future.

Isha Nagar Year 11

MATHS

ONLINE LITERACY AND NUMERACY ASSESSMENT

Earlier in the year many of our students sat for the first round of OLNA assessments for 2018. Students who have not reached band 8 in NAPLAN reading, writing or numeracy, are required to sit the OLNA assessments until they reach a category 3, which is the prerequisite for achieving the Western Australian Certificate of Education, and hence, graduate from high school.

The Mathematics department was pleased to receive information last week detailing the results of this first round of OLNA. We had more than half of the Year 10 students achieve a category 3 in their first attempt at the OLNA Numeracy assessment. A number of the Year 11 and 12 students were also successful. These students have worked extremely hard, attending extra OLNA Numeracy classes at school and completing extra online practice at home in their own time. The Mathematics Learning Area congratulates these students for their dedication and success.

The following is written by a current Year 11 student who has been successful in OLNA recently.

If you are like me and you have lived your whole life struggling with maths then you will understand how much of a burden OLNA can be if you don’t pass maths NAPLAN. The hour you miss every single week working in practice classes to pass one test you can only sit twice a year when you’d much rather spend those hours with your friends doing things you actually enjoy. I completely understand. But if you’re reading this with the mentality that because you’re bad at math then those hours you spend are worthless because you’ll never be able to overcome OLNA anyway, then you’re completely wrong. I know that because I carried that mentality my whole life and the one time I decided to take the initiative and work hard towards passing OLNA, I actually did. I promise you that if you believe in yourself and your abilities and commit to going to Mrs Yost’s practice classes every single week and consistently do extra math work at home then you will pass, and that’s a guarantee! It might seem pointless and inconvenient now but the inconvenience of OLNA is nothing compared to the inconvenience of not getting your WACE attainment when you graduate. So work hard now so you won’t have to later on. Remember to always keep your head up, carry on working hard and don’t give up.

We provide extra support for students who are required to sit the OLNA Numeracy assessments. These extra classes are provided free of charge and are run by our own Mathematics teachers who are extremely experienced with helping students achieve category 3. If students choose to attend these classes they will receive all the support and encouragement they need for success.

COMPUTER GAMES IN MATHEMATICS

I’m sure many students would rather play computer games than do Maths!!

Some of the Year 7 students have been lucky enough to do both at the same time!!

Maths Prodigy combines mathematics questions in a computer game format. It is a free resource and is aligned to the Australian curriculum. Teachers (or parents) can set a topic of mathematics and the students have to answer the questions to attain points and move to higher levels in the game.

If parents would like to look at this game the link is:

Another site some classes have been using lately is the website below where students can experiment on their own and draw various functions to develop their understanding of graphs. Students can explore this site on their own if they wish.

Some Year 7 classes have also been working on various activities on the website below. The Gifted and Talented Year 7 classes have been doing an activity package called Function Carnival which requires the students to plot distance/time graphs for three different situations. Graphing Stories is another similar activity which also builds on students understanding of graphing authentic data. As students attempt these graphs, teachers can track student’s responses on their own computer, which allows for instant intervention as necessary.

These are great activities that provide an entertaining platform for intense learning as can be seen in these gallery photos from Mrs Kalotay’s Year 7 classes.

Kerry Kalotay Mathematics Teacher

SCIENCE

YEAR 12 BIOLOGY EXCURSION TO HARRY PERKINS MEDICAL INSTITUTE OF RESEARCH – BIO DISCOVERY CENTRE

The students’ day at Perkins included engaging sessions hosted by research scientists to help them better understand how mutations can be identified by PCR, electrophoresis and sequencing.

Students discovered why Melanoma can present a serious risk for young Australians and how West Australian research is leading the way in the search for better treatment and management of this condition.

Students engaged in a laboratory session that explored how to identify and amplify a potentially mutated gene of three melanoma patients which can lead to improved treatment options.

Some of the students’ comments on the feedback survey about the day are as follows:

An overall excellent day, I enjoyed it very much

Learning how to use a professional pipette and feeling like an actual scientist

Getting to do the hands on work and seeing how a science degree can be applied in real life and getting a tour of the building to see the different labs

Getting our own hands on experience with PCR and gel electrophoresis. Also when we had a tour of the building and got to see the different things people were doing while working

Understanding the different fields of work within genetics and working on PCR and gel electrophoresis

Learning about other people’s journeys on how they started working here

Mrs Wynhorst and Mrs Smith Biology teachers

RECREATING FACES

The Year 11 Integrated Science class used skull models and 3D printed skulls to recreate faces. In forensic science facial reconstruction is the process of recreating the face of an individual from their skeletal remains. They did a fantastic job.

Ms Grace Hamilton Science Teacher

Year 11 Integrated Science General

Isabelle Shearer

CONOCOPHILIPS SCIENCE EXPERIENCE

The ConocoPhillips Science Experience is a fun three or four days of science activities for Year 9 and 10 students.

The activities are designed to provide students with an interest in science an opportunity to engage in a wide range of fascinating science activities under the guidance of scientists who love their work.

In Western Australia, the activities take place at UWA or Murdoch University, within their various laboratories and lecture theatres. Participants perform experiments in the laboratories, meet and hear senior lecturers in the lecture theatres, attend site visits and walk around and experience what it is like to be on the campus of a university or tertiary institution. More than 65,000 Australian students have taken this opportunity, up to date.

The activities also provide information about further studies in science, technology and engineering. It highlights the wide range of careers that allow students to pursue their interest and abilities in the sciences.

One aspect of the program often commented on by participants is the opportunity to meet and share ideas with students from different schools. Each program includes a BBQ or other social activity.

More information is available from The CoconoPhilips Science Experience website:

Interested students please see Mr Ta during recess in TE05 for further details and application forms.

Mr Hao Ta Science Teacher

FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION

Students from Willetton Senior High School participated in the FIRST – For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology - Robotics Competition, 2018 held in Sydney in April as a part of a team from Curtin University, WA. They were a part of a thirty member strong team which formed an alliance with two other national teams to win the first position in the national competition.

Twenty members of the team seized the opportunity to attend an international event at Houston, Texas where they designed and built an industrial scale forklift robot to stack cubes. Here are some photos to appreciate the scale in which this competition took place.

Mita Munshi Science Teacher

The competition venue in Houston

TECHNOLOGIES

YEAR 12 THEATRE DINNER EVENT

The Year 12 Hospitality students participated in our first Theatre Dinner in April. The students created and served a three course sit down dinner to 80 people as the drama students performed. This showcase event was only possible due to the hard work and development of skills during their Hospitality course. The students left school that evening buzzing from such a successful event.

Brad Curran Home Economics Teacher

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

LEARNING THE ROPES …. ON WORK EXPERIENCE

Work experience was completed by students who planned to test drive possible future careers in the police force, medicine and architecture. Their experiences did not involve hands on work but more observation of experts, their roles, behaviours, attitudes and what was required to do the job well.

At Adventist Residential Care, Leesha learned the value of patience when working with the elderly, what can be gained from asking questions and truly listening for understandings of lives well lived, then developing caring relationships.

At the Beeliar Family Practice, Mubashshira who has a passion for medicine worked alongside nurse Julie Anne, who was a fount of knowledge, she was able to appreciate that working with patients in a general practice can be unpredictable, demanding, enjoyable and rewarding.

Shamim worked as support in the Outpatients Clinic at Royal Perth Hospital. It is a pressured, busy place to work, people need to work together as a team and be aware of the needs of patients anticipating treatments … and always helpful.

At the Murdoch Police Station, Eunchan learned that the work there can vary from assisting members of the public who need help and clarification, to observing the work of the forensic officers, the lock up and CCTV collection. The pace of working life varies and is also unpredictable.

Faith worked in with Cameron, Chisholm and Nicol, architects in Perth. She explained she felt she had been taken out of her comfort zone, being challenged to be more creative and understood the need to listen and ask questions of clients to ensure the project meets needs.

Faith worked on projects to extend her learning experience, using some of her artistic skills in conjunction with skills introduced during her placement.

The education and training journey to achieve a first career may have begun with these students having a more clear idea of what the end career could look like.

Many sincere thanks to our employers who generously supported our students with their time and expertise, opening windows and doors to career futures.

Ruth Barratt Career and Enterprise Teacher

Leesha Dias Siriwardana Samaraweera at Adventist Residential Care

YEAR 12 COMMUNITY SERVICES

This year a group of ten Year 12 students have been visiting neighbouring Burrendah and Castlereagh schools once a week as part of their Volunteer Unit in their Certificate II Community Services course.

The students have each been allocated a teacher to work with and have been busy in the classroom assisting students with their reading, maths, art and crafts and even giving help opening student’s packaged lunch items! A couple of the students have also assisted the Physical Education teachers out on the oval during sport.

The younger students are always excited to see our high school students come into their classroom and look forward to the visits every Wednesday morning.

We would like to thank both Burrendah Primary School and Castlereagh School for allowing our students the opportunity to complete their work experience placements with their teachers.

Natalie Greenham VET Teacher

SCHOOL BOARD NEWS

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

The next School Board meeting will be held on Tuesday May 29, 2018 in the conference room. A list of Board meetings for this year can be found on the school website, under the School Board information. All are welcome.

SCHOOL BOARD COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES

Two members of the local community will be appointed by the School Board in June each year. Terms of appointment are for 12 months. Expressions of interest from our local community are now open and an application form may be obtained by contacting helen.s.wong@education.wa.edu.au

PARTNERSHIPS COMMITTEE UPDATE

The Partnership Committee of the School Board had a productive start to the school year by hosting a visit by senior executives and academics from the Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical Science, University of Western Australia (UWA). The discussions included introducing programs that will facilitate the learning of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) discipline areas in our school. Students can draw on the mentoring support from UWA’s academics, researchers and students to enhance their learning experience. Specific discussions are now taking place and we hope to start introducing some of the programs very soon.

SCHOOL TOURS

School tours can now be booked through the school website:

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK FUNDRAISER

The 2018/2019 Entertainment Books are now 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 website below. Limited supplies of bonus vouchers are still available. Books are available for collection and use immediately, and digital memberships can also be activated for immediate use.

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

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 helen.s.wong@education.wa.edu.au

WILLO PARENT GROUP

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 COMING UP!

Our next coffee morning will be held on Friday May 25. Would you like to know how to help your child succeed in life? Hear a success story first hand? Then this is a session not to be missed! See details below.