26 November 2020

Editor: Jenny LeSouef
Technology: Nola Regan

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

This is our last general newsletter for 2020. We will publish further administrative information in the last week of term.

Despite the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, we have had a very successful year with both staff and students adapting well to our changed world.

Student successes in Science, Languages, Physical Education, Mathematics and HaSS have been outstanding and are detailed further in this newsletter. We are still awaiting results of competitions entered by other students and learning areas and will let you know when they arrive.

Science Teacher and Gifted and Talented Education Coordinator, Darren Hamley was awarded the 2020 Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools. An exceptional achievement recognising an exceptional teacher. Well done to Darren for his inspirational work with his students.

Congratulations to Technology teacher, Jayson Bignoux who has been appointed Year Coordinator for the incoming 2021 Year 7 cohort. All being well, he will remain with this Year group for the next six years. Jayson is much admired by his students and will provide an excellent role model for them.

We all enjoyed the Year 12 Art exhibition of their year’s work. Well done to all concerned, their student talent is remarkable. Each year, our School board purchases two art works for display around the school and we are accumulating an alumni gallery to be proud of.

Congratulations to everyone involved in our graduation ceremony for the class of 2020, it was a fitting ceremony to end their high school time. Details further in our newsletter.

End of year examinations are complete and holidays are on the way.

We wish everyone a safe and happy break and look forward to another successful year in 2021.

Trevor Hunter

CONGRATULATIONS

PRIME MINISTER’S PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING – DARREN HAMLEY

We have been celebrating Darren Hamley’s Prime Minister’s prize for excellence in science teaching. The recognition for him, his students and our school is brilliant and the honouring continued after the afternoon tea we held to watch the announcement.

Darren and his students also chatted with our Prime Minister on Zoom and Darren is to be guest speaker at several conferences in the upcoming year.

The photos in the gallery below show our community joining together to celebrate this outstanding achievement.

Trevor Hunter Principal

PHILOSOTHON COMPETITION

Congratulations to HaSS teachers, Isobel Stevenson and Kate Rossi and their amazing students for outstanding results we achieved at the Philosothon competition held in September.

This was the first time ever, a public school won the annual WA Philosothon Competition.

Philosothon is an annual competition where students explore philosophical and ethical issues. Students are assessed on their critical thinking, collaboration and creativity.

The Willetton students won the Year 11 category and were placed second and third in the Year 8 and 10 categories and additionally won the overall WA Champion School Award.

The Willetton team was:

Year 8 - QiQi Lui (2nd place in Year 8)
Year 9 - Mara Hayes-Mache
Year 10 - Kavinraj Punitha Kaanthan (3rd in Year 10)
Year 11 - Oliver Rapanaro (1st in Year 11)

It was a wonderful night, and our students were all incredible.

The Don Munro prize for creativity was awarded for the second year to a worthy student from Hale, and Don's incredible contribution to philosophy was acknowledged.

DANIKA PISCONERI

We again congratulate HPE teacher Danika Pisconeri for winning the prestigious Dhara Kerr medal for 2020.

The Dhara Kerr medal is awarded to the player who receives the most votes in the Western Australian Football League Women (WAFLW) and is therefore named the Best and Fairest player for the season. Danika won this medal in 2019 as well.

This award is the equivalent to the Sandover medal for the men’s WAFL.

LAURENCE RIEMER

Congratulations to Laurence Riemer. He has been named in the Transformative 20 by Mathspace.

The Mathspace Transformative 20 is a national awards program designed to celebrate exceptional teachers and students. From a pool of more than 5,000 teachers nationally, Larry joins an impressive cohort of 19 other winning teachers from different schools across different regions, selected on a range of criteria which include purpose, impact, and selflessness demonstrated through commitment to helping others.

Mabel Mathew from Year 12 has been awarded the 2020 Asian Languages Student Award from the Department of Education and the Sangora Education Foundation. This significant award of $15,000 supports the cost of in-country placements associated with a student’s study of an Asian language, in Mabel’s case, Japanese.

At the awards presentation luncheon in March 2021, Mabel will be presented with a certificate from the Minister for Education and have an opportunity to meet other awardees and the Trustees of the Foundation.

The Sangora Education Foundation was established in 1990 following receipt of a donation of one million dollars from Shozo Kawasaki, Chief Executive of Sangora Holdings Pty Ltd (subsidiary of a Japanese company) with the principal objective of establishing a charitable trust for educational purposes.

The Sangora Education Foundation was established to:

• Promote excellence in Education
• Provide opportunities for the study of language and culture
• Seek co-operation and understanding between students of the world.

Nathan Harvey Head of Languages

MARCUS WONG

Marcus Wong, 2015 alumni, was recently awarded the Curtin Alumni Young Achievement Award. This award recognises Marcus' documentary and photography work that has illuminated the stories of marginalised people in Ugandan and Ethiopian communities. His work raises awareness of social, cultural and economic differences and similarities between countries and us all, urging people to live more generous and considerate lives.

ASTRID SWEENEY

Astrid graduated from the Willetton Class of 2014. Over the last two years, she has been supporting the school by coaching the Willetton teams for the Law Society of WA Mock Trial Competition.

Astrid has been appointed to the position of Judge’s Associate in the WA Supreme Court for 2021. We wish her well in her new position and hope she has time to continue her relationship with the Willetton SHS Politics and Law program.

Ms Hale and the Mock Trial Team

Marg Hale with Astrid Sweeney

GENERAL

LAST DAY CELEBRATIONS

Our Year 12s celebrated their traditional last day with a breakfast prepared by Year 11 hospitality students and inscribing messages on each other’s shirts. In the future these memories will be precious.

Year 12 Last Day

GRADUATION 2020

The Year 12 Graduation Ceremony held on Friday 20 November at HBF Stadium was a great success with over 1200 family members and friends attending. Year Coordinator Kimberley Atkinson gave a tearful goodbye to the first group of students who entered Willetton Senior High School as Year 7 students in 2015.

Special guests included The Honourable Sue Ellery MLC, Minister of Education and Training who presented the VET Dux and ATAR Dux awards and The Honourable Dr Mike Nahan MLA, Member of Riverton.

YEAR 12 ACADEMIC AWARDS – 2020

THE ARTS

ENGLISH

HEALTH & PHYSICAL EDUCATION

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

LANGUAGES AND EALD

MATHEMATICS

SCIENCE

TECHNOLOGIES

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION TRAINING

CURTIN UNIREADY COURSES

NAIDOC WEEK

NAIDOC is a time when Australians engage with and celebrate the cultures and histories of our First Peoples. NAIDOC celebrations have no exception. We were privileged to enjoy performances from our former students Olman and Alton Walley, Boorloo, the Moorditj Mob from Wesley College, the Starlight Hotel Choir from St Pat’s Community Centre and Zero Emcee from Perth Creative College. Michelle Kickett worked with the Aboriginal students and friends to create a beautiful painting around the NAIDOC theme – Always was, Always will be.

A special thank you to the music and sound students for setting up for performances and to the Interact students for the beautiful banner and other decorations. Thanks to all staff for making this an excellent acknowledgement of Aboriginal culture.

Marg Hale HaSS Teacher

CULTURE ENGAGEMENT VIDEO

WAAPA SUMMER SCHOOL 2021

This summer WAAPA is offering an exciting school holiday program at their campus in Mount Lawley. There are classes for students from Year 1 to Year 12 in drama, acting, screen performance, film making, music theatre and of course Shakespeare. For information about the many courses on offer please visit the link below or contact Gabrielle Metcalf at explore.waapa@ecu.edu.au or 9370 6775.

ADVICE FOR PARENTS FROM THE CITY OF CANNING

A CAUTION FOR THE OFFENCES BELOW:

Nature of Offence Penalty

Stopping contrary to a 'no stopping sign’ $80
Parking contrary to a 'no parking sign’ $80
Stopping/Parking on path, median strip or traffic island $80
Obstructing access to and from footpath $80
Double parking $80
Stopping on verge $60
Causing obstruction $80
Parking against the flow of traffic $80
Stopping in a bus zone or near bus stop $60
Parking contrary to signs or limitations $60
Denying access to private drive or right of way $80
Driving or parking on a reserve $60
Stopping in disabled parking area $300

Please refer to the City of Canning Parking Local Law 2010 for the full list of prescribed offences.

SCHOOL PARKING

In an effort to provide a safer environment for everyone, Officers from the City of Canning patrol school parking in the mornings and afternoons throughout the school term.

It is imperative that drivers are aware of the road rules and understand signage around schools to ensure the safety of children, road users and pedestrians in general. Unlawful parking in school areas is a major safety hazard and parking infringement notices may be issued for incorrect, unlawful or dangerous parking.

At the beginning of each school year, City Officers conduct educational patrols in school areas. During this period Officers remind drivers of the need to park legally and safely and ensure compliance with the City’s Parking Local Law 2010.

As part of this initiative, City Officers work closely with the school community to promote safety around schools. Information leaflets are also distributed to schools for inclusion in school newsletters to advise parents of the parking requirements under the Local Law.

COMMON PARKING PROBLEMS

• Stopping/Parking in a No Stopping area
• Parking in a No Parking area
• Stopping/parking on a footpath
• Double parking
• Stopping/Parking on a verge without the adjoining occupiers consent
• Parking so that the vehicle causes an obstruction
• Parking against the flow of traffic
• Stopping/parking in a bus stop

TIPS FOR PARENTS

• Observe Parking restrictions (read the signs)
• Stick to the speed limits at all times
• Be aware – young children can be unpredictable and hard to see!
• Be courteous and responsible
• Use ‘Pick Up and Set Down’ areas correctly (if provided)
• Always be aware of children
• Walk or cycle to and from school
• Plan your trip so that you arrive earlier
• Stop on the school side so your child does not have to cross the road
• Use the crosswalk services at all times
• Utilise parent’s parking bays (where provided)

WHAT NOT TO DO

• Block driveways
• Stop or park on footpaths
• Obstruct children’s pedestrian crossings
• Get frustrated – try and stay calm
• Ignore speed limits around schools
• Ignore parking signs

Please contact Ranger and Community Safety Services on 1300 4 CANNING (1300 422 664) if you need help or advice regarding parking.

SCHOOL ZONES

40km/hr school zones are in place around every school in the City of Canning. School zones operate from 7.30am to 9am in the morning and 2.30pm to4pm in the afternoon.

Children warning signs and 40km hour school speed zone signs are the responsibility of Main Roads WA and requests for additional signs or sign damage reports should be directed to them on 138 138.

Pick Up and Set Down Areas

Pick Up and Set Down Areas are designed to allow large numbers of vehicles/parents to pick up or set down their children in a short length of time. Typically, they are located adjacent to the main school entrance.

When using these areas, kiss your child, say goodbye, allow them out and drive away as soon as possible. When using the designated Pick Up and Set Down Areas around schools never leave your car unattended.

CANTEEN MENU

We thought you might be interested in an old canteen menu both to check prices and what was on offer!

GIFTED AND TALENTED

YOUNG SCIENTISTS OF THE YEAR

L to R: Sinkai Zheng, Casey Cronin, Ian Pinto and Samuel Sundara Rajan

These young men were judged to be Young Scientists of the Year 2020 by the Science Teachers’ Association of WA’s Science Talent Search Judging Panel. They also won the first prize in the Engineering, Years 9-10. Their contribution to science is the AI Retina Disease Detector.

The AI Retina Disease Detector is a python based web application that uses the Fast-AI module to detect retina diseases such as cataract, glaucoma, retinopathy and macular degeneration based on fundus.

Mita Munshi Science Teacher

YEAR 8 HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

At the beginning of Term 4 the Year 8s were given an introduction to Economics and the basics of consumerism, resources and industry.

Below, students can be seen ‘choc-chip mining’ as we learned about the four processes involved in the mining of minerals: exploration, extraction, rehabilitation and processing.

At the end of the activity the students had to calculate the profitability of their mining venture and best of all, they got to eat their choc-chip mine-site.

Jenny Chow HaSS Teacher

Year 8 Gifted and Talented students at work

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

2020 SCHOOL SPORT WA JUNIOR BASKETBALL FINALS

In Term 3, we entered the School Sport WA Junior Basketball Competition. We would firstly like to thank our teachers/coaches – Mr Forsyth, Mrs Black and Mr Kearsley for allowing us to participate and put into practice the skills we have been working on in class, in a high level competition against different schools. Thanks also to Ben, Hayden, Tia and Brooke for giving up their time to help with the coaching.

Being a specialist basketball school, we had some high expectations put on to us. Considering it was our first time playing together as a team, we jelled together very well, improving not only as individuals, but with our teamwork the longer the tournament went.

In the first carnival against the local schools, we were able to have two boys’ and two girls’ teams. The best games of this day were when we played each other in very exciting and tense games.

We then progressed to the South of the River finals, where we again came out on top, allowing us to progress to the grand finals.

The grand finals were played at the Bendat Basketball Centre with both the boys and girls teams playing against Woodvale SHS. The boys beat Woodvale 64 – 38 with a strong all round performance. Nic Lahiri was named grand final MVP. After a very close first half, the girls unfortunately were not able to put the ball in the hoop when it mattered, eventually losing 40 – 53.

It was a massive learning experience for both teams and was definitely an experience to remember. It was a great for the basketball students to come together and play in a team scenario and test our teamwork skills with one another. We are sure that we can speak on behalf of the students and coaches in saying that it was a much enjoyed experience.

Kian Ng and Eva Cooke Year 9

2020 School Sport WA Junior Basketball Finals

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE

2020 AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHY COMPETITION

In Term 2, students from Year 8 and Year 7-10 Gifted and Talented Education classes challenged their geographical skills and knowledge in the annual Australian Geography Competition.

Our students were amongst 65 800 students Australia wide from 699 public and private schools who took part in the 2020 competition, which has been running for 28 years. Willetton Senior High School was once again well represented in the competition with a record 581 students taking part. The competition was very challenging and required the completion of a test, which involved skill based and general knowledge in the form of multiple-choice questions. Students’ knowledge, application and reasoning of developing countries, environmental issues, geopolitics, maps, current events and physical terrains were tested.

The table below shows the number of students at Willetton Senior High School who received the higher certificates.

HD High Distinction, D Distinction and C Credit

The following five students are to be commended on their fine results, achieving a certificate of high distinction and finishing in the top 1% in Australia.

Year 7 - Jeremy Hams with a score of 27/30 and Shajin Islam with a score of 25/30
Year 8 - Mathew Rollin with a score of 27/30 and Xinghua Zhu with a score of 26/30
Year 10 - Andrew McKenzie with a score of 36/40 and achieved the equal top score for his year group in Western Australia.

L-R: Matthew Rollin, Xinghua Zhu, Jeremy Hams, Shajin Islam and Andrew McKenzie

All 85 students who achieved High Distinctions are to be congratulated as most were in the top 8% in the country in their year group. These pleasing results are reflective of Willetton Senior High School students’ ability, their thirst for learning and the high standard of skills taught by this learning area. While this course is losing popularity across Australia in senior school, geography continues to be a strength in national for achievement in lower school.

John Maxwell Head of Humanities and Social Sciences

2020 YOUTH PARLIAMENT

Congratulations to Kate Graham on her participation in the 2020 WA Youth Parliament. Kate is passionate about Politics and has been accepted to study Political Science at UWA next year.

We wish her well in her future studies.

Marg Hale HaSS Teacher

I was very privileged to be chosen to participate in the Youth Parliament program for the second time this year and serve as a representative of the electorate of Willagee.

I was a member of the Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs Committee, and we wrote a bill to expand the scope of acts that constitute racial hate crimes to aid in the prosecution of these offences and support the victims. Only 21 people have ever been convicted under hate crime laws in Australia, despite the many offences connected to racial discrimination that have been recorded. Even when prejudice is flagged as a factor, police often prefer to pursue charges that are easier to prove in court, such as stalking or wilful damage.

Youth Parliament was a wonderful experience that was just as exciting and valuable as it was last year, despite not being able to be held at Parliament House as usual due to COVID-19 restrictions. I am always inspired by being surrounded by other passionate young people.

Kate Graham Year 12

MAKING A DIFFERENCE BY CELEBRATING OUR WONDERFUL WORLD

As global citizens, we have a collective responsibility to engage in and promote environmentally sustainable practices.

Meet the students who write the Connect notices celebrating a range of international environmental days to remind us that we, as individuals and groups, can make a difference to achieve positive and lasting change. To learn more, please visit your HaSS cohort page.

Joy Fourie HaSS Teacher

Standing L to R: Hannah Cooke (World Oceans Day); Jade Regel (International Day of Forests); Mehvish Mehboob (International Day for Biological Diversity); Abuzar Muddassar (World Soil Day); Mara Hayes-Marche (World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought); Melody Furness (World Bee Day and World Food Day)
Front: David Phillips (World Environment Day)

Hursh Ganghas, Year 10 (Earth Hour)

LANGUAGES

ITALIAN TEACHERS AND ASSISTENTI

In 2020, teachers across the globe innovated with new ways of meeting students’ needs, and of connecting with each other. This has included the use of various online platforms for learning, teaching and collaborating.

One of the advantages of this is that it makes connecting internationally even easier. The wonderful bond between our Languages staff and our counterparts overseas has continued with some of our Italian teachers - Prof Pia Palermo, Prof Kylie Carroll and Prof Bianca Petale - continuing to connect with former assistant language teachers Cinzia Chiarolini and Gian Luca Fugazza. Despite being 13,000km away from each other, and having a seven-hour time difference between Perth and Italy, the teachers and assistants are able to maintain their professional connection, engage in cultural exchange and discuss ideas for student learning.

Italian teachers and assistenti

Nathan Harvey Head of Languages

MATHS

AUSTRALIAN MATHEMATICS COMPETITION

At the beginning of Term 3, 250 of our students from Year 7 to Year 12 competed in the Australian Mathematics Competition.

Following in our school’s long-standing tradition, our students have performed exceptionally well. From the 250 entries, four of our students were in the top 0.3% and were honoured with an AMC prize certificate.

A huge congratulations to these students for their outstanding achievement

• Joshua Lee – Year 7
• Daniel Marshall – Year 9
• Ian Pinto – Year 10
• Thyler Cung – Year 10

Ian Pinto was also honoured with the Best in the School award

Principal Trevor Hunter, Ian Pinto, Daniel Marshall, Joshua Lee and Ms Zoe Tay

To be awarded a high distinction, a student’s result needs to be ranked in the top 3% in their year group.

We had 21 students who have received this outstanding level of achievement. Congratulations to the following students

The top three students from each year group were congratulated by the Principal, Mr Trevor Hunter and the Head of Mathematics, Ms Zoe Tay and acknowledged by the staff for their exceptional achievement.

Front row: Ms Zoe Tay, Anna Siew, Brian Chan, Allan Wu, Dinali Illangasinghe, Ben An, Cohen Beveridge, Ananya Sanivarapu, Vincent Ho and Mr Trevor Hunter
Back row: Felix Rego, Saran Bicknell, Ian Pinto, Eoin Caffrey, Joshua Lee, Daniel Marshall and Zo Carlsson

YEAR 12 HIGH DISTINCTION WINNERS

AUSTRALIAN MATHEMATICAL OLYMPIAD COMPETITION

We acknowledge the outstanding achievements of Thyler Cung in both the Australian Mathematical Olympiad and the Australian Mathematical Olympiad’s Senior Contest. Thyler has been invited to compete in both of these competitions as a Year 9 and again this year as a Year 10. These competitions are the equivalent of representing WA in Mathematics, competing with students up to the age of Year 11 from across Australia. The competitions are a gruelling four hours long with no break and Thyler has consistently achieved an Honourable Mention each time.

Thyler Cung with Darren Hamley

AUSTRALIAN INTERMEDIATE MATHEMATICS OLYMPIAD COMPETITION

Last term was very busy for the Maths department… we also held the Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad where all students sit the same question paper and are awarded certificates regardless of year group. We entered four Year 10 students, five Year 9s, five Year 8s and seven Year 7s.

Distinctions were awarded to Thyler Cung and Brian Chan both in Year 10 with scores of 23 and 18 respectively.

Brian Chan with Principal Trevor Hunter and Zoe Tay

Credits were awarded to Ian Pinto and Allan Wu, both from Year 10, with scores of 17 and 14. Teresa An and Daniel Marshall from Year 9, with scores of 13 and 10, were also recognized with a Credit.

The papers for all the Olympiads are the same questions for all year groups entering the competition and every question is designed to challenge the oldest of the students competing. The following is the third question in this year’s paper:

3. ABCD is a square of side 10cm. E,F,G and H are points on the sides AB,BC,CD,DA respectively. Given that EB = FC, CG = DH, and CG − EB = 4cm, find the area of the quadrilateral EFGH in square centimetres. [3 marks]

(Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad 2020)

The Year 7s and Year 8s who attempt this competition are stretching themselves far beyond the mathematics they learn in their classes. Congratulations to Sai Charan Kotica and Adam El-Fayoumi who also achieved a Credit in this year’s AIMO, with the correct answer to this question and achieving a score of 10 and 12 respectively.

Charan Kotika and Adam El-Fayoumi with Mrs Kerri Kalotay

Congratulations to these rising stars.

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN JUNIOR OLYMPIAD COMPETITION

In week three of Term 4 we held the Western Australian Junior Mathematics Olympiad. Forty students were selected to participate and six of these students attended a prize ceremony at the University of Western Australia in recognition of their outstanding achievements.

From a total of 524 students from around the state, we had four Individual merit awards.

These students each received a prize for their outstanding achievement

• Dinali Illangasinghe – Year 8
• Sebastien Turner – Year 7
• Vincent Ho – Year 8
• Adam El-Fayoumi who finished with the third highest Year 8 score

Dinali Illangasinghe and Sebastien Turner

Vincent Ho

Adam El-Fayoumi

Our Year 8 team were also presented with a merit award and were ranked the second highest Year 8 team in the state. Congratulations to

• Vincent Ho
• Adam El-Fayoumi
• Matthew Langford
• Thavis Cung

WAJO Year 8 team at the UWA ceremony
Thavis Cung, Vincent Ho, Adam El-Fayoumi and Matthew Langford

WAJO award winners

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS AND ASSESSMENTS FOR SCHOOLS MATHS COMPETITION

The ICAS Mathematics competition was held in term 3. It is an online competition and because of COVID-19, the senior school component of the competition was cancelled and so we entered 53 students from Years 7-10 in 35 multiple choice and five short answer questions in one hour.

Students are marked and judged according to their year level. To obtain a High Distinction award, students need to be in the top 1% of participants. For Distinction, Credit and Merit award, students need to be in the next 10%, next 25% and next 10% of the participants respectively.

This year we had 14 Credit, 28 Distinction and 10 High Distinction awards:

Huge congratulation to the following students who received a High Distinction in their age categories:

• Year 7 – Shajin Islam, Muhammad Al-Rafi, Benjamin An and Jonathan Soh
• Year 8 – Keisha Chiang, Adam El-Fayoumi and Vincent Ho
• Year 9 – Rachel Cheong
• Year 10 – Brian Chan and Ian Pinto

Principal Trevor Hunter, Brian Chan, Ian Pinto, Ben An, Shajin Islam, Keisha Chiang, Muhammad Al-Rafi, Jonathan Soh, Rachel Cheong, Adam El-Fayoumi, Vincent Ho and Ms Zoe Tay

HAVE SUM FUN ONLINE YEAR 10 MATHEMATICS COMPETITION

Two groups of Year 10 Gifted and Talented students have been competing in the Have Sum Fun Online Mathematics Competition on Tuesday afternoons after school during Term 4. It is a maths problem solving competition where teams have to submit all answers within a one hour time limit. The competition is judged both on most correct and how quickly answers are submitted.

The team consisting of Ian Pinto, Farhan Ahmed, Samuel Sundara Rajan and Allan Wu came in first place. An excellent effort.

Ian Pinto, Farhan Ahmed, Samuel Sundara Rajan and Allan Wu

Our other team consisting of Brian Chan, Nethmi Nikagoda, Zhi Ren Loke and Myles Boeve ́ came in equal second place on number of correct answers, but then on a time countback they came in third. Well done to this team as well for their performance.

Brian Chan, Zhi Ren Loke, Myles Boevè and Nethmi Nikagoda

Karen Gatland Maths Teacher

SCIENCE

WILLETTON IS SCHOOL OF THE YEAR

We were judged to be the School of the Year at the Science Talent Search Competition organised by the Science Teachers’ Association of WA. It was a whole team effort led by the Science Extension and Gifted and Talented teams of teachers Brett Boughton, Leon Harris, Charissa Man, Mita Munshi and Hao Ta.

Chief Guest Jarryd Sommers, Sales Manager from Rowe Scientific, the sponsoring company was present to hand out the prizes. Lance Taylor, Head of Learning Area accepted the trophy for the Science School of the Year.

FIRST PRIZE IN ENGINEERING, YEARS 9-10

L to R: Sinkai Zheng, Ian Pinto, Casey Cronin and Samuel Sundara Rajan

They produced the AI Retina Disease Detector is a python based web application that uses the Fast-AI module to detect retina diseases such as cataract, glaucoma, retinopathy and macular degeneration based on fund us.

SECOND PRIZE IN ENGINEERING, YEARS 9-10

L to R: Aaron Yong, Jerone Mathews, Alan Joju

These young men created a bushfire-proof Bee Smoker to stop one of the primary causes of bushfires in Australia, which are bee-smokers. They achieved this through the use of a vape tank and a homemade pump. A smoke-propylene glycol was collected, as it has similar chemicals to smoke, to use as the vape juice, to calm the bees.

FIRST PRIZE IN SCIENCE INVESTIGATION, YEARS 9-10

L to R: Adit Pradipta, Annika Soo, Megan Kwok and Lucas Riddle.

With the advent of social media, we are exposed to hundreds of visual images and advertising. Changing our behaviour in order to ‘fit in’ with the people around us is known as conformity and in some cases, this social influence might involve agreeing with or acting like the majority of people in a specific group, or it might involve behaving in a particular way in order to be perceived as ‘normal’ by the group. Their research findings indicate that there is always a subtle level of conformity within people. While the quantitative data showed lower levels of conformity, their qualitative data there were prominent and significant trends of conformity in the critiques that participants presented.

THIRD PRIZE IN SCIENCE INVESTIGATION, YEARS 9-10

L to R: Harshitha Bhupathiraju, Angela Thompkinson, Elyse Yong

The Stroop effect is a simple phenomenon in psychology that shows the delay in reaction time between congruent and incongruent stimuli. The Stroop effect is our tendency to experience the difficulty of naming a physical colour when it is used to spell the name of a different colour. It was found that for year 8 male incongruent and year 9 female congruent had the fastest reaction times demonstrating that the age nor the gender affected the results of the reaction times.

THIRD PRIZE IN SCIENCE INVESTIGATION, YEARS 7-8

L to R: Nikita Benjamin, Emma Davies, Jacinta Ellis

Their experiment was an investigation of galvanic cells. In their investigation, there were two parts: the first part aimed to determine the relationship between the number of cells and the current and voltage produced, whereas, in part B they determined the relationship between the plate area covered by the solutions and voltage and current produced.

Our other award winners were:

CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE

Robert Lewis, Huw St Clair - Year 10 G&T
Carrie Soo, Darcy Saul, Natalia Wipane – Year 8 Extension
Cormac Tingay, Shabib Shaikh, Amogh Sharma – Year 8 Extension

CERTIFICATE OF COMMENDATION

Year 7 Gifted and Talented

Sarah Mohd Raya, Emily Yap

Year 8 Science Extension

Cameron Jefferyes, Alyssa Rahni, Eric Wang
Cassidy May, Sowmya Sri Nallan, Sophia Ody
Merlene Koh, Caitlin Montani, Ashleigh Powell
Elwin Lai, Zento Matsumura, Jeswin Thomas
Latika Koteswaran, Taylor Law, Agneta Sabu
Jessica Gauntlet, Emily Garton, Stephanie Irons
Sophia Kuan, Joey Yap, Grace Yii
Gautam, Viveakananda, Tianho Yang, Jayden Zeng
Mandy Lim, Sereena Shibu, Yiran Yuan
Kenneth Hendarman, MinZhen Soh, William Thong

Year 9 Extension

Asher Kwan
Bometh De Silva
Erwin Godin
Tashan Karubagaran
Gavin Wu

Brett Boughton, Leon Harris, Charissa Man, Mita Munshi and Hao Ta   Science Teachers

AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY OF MEDICAL RESEARCH QUIZ

The Australian Society of Medical Research (ASMR) WA branch congratulates two Year 8 students for their participation in the 2020 ASMR School Quiz.

Well done to Jessica and Darcey for their efforts.

Darcey Saul and Jessica Gauntlett

Gloria Wynhorst and Hao Ta Science Teachers

UNSW-INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS AND ASSESSMENTS FOR SCHOOLS SCIENCE COMPETITION

In August, a number of Years 8 to Year 10 science students took part in the ICAS Science Competition. This Australia-wide Science Competition tests students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills with topics ranging from environmental issues, cutting-edge research and information and technology.

Our students were amongst the top achievers in the competition. Two students achieved the ultimate Top 1% ranking while another eight students were ranked in the top 10%.

Congratulations to the following students for their outstanding achievement:

HIGH DISTINCTION

YEAR 10

DISTINCTION

YEAR 7

YEAR 8

YEAR 9

Manal Nasim

Hao Ta Science Teacher

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

PRACTICE MAKES ….. GETTING A JOB …. A LITTLE EASIER

General and ATAR Year 11 and 12 Career and Enterprise students were put to a test in their final assessment where they needed to locate a job they could realistically apply for in the next six to 12 months. This was step one in the getting a job practice …. which for this generation will be a life time process of many job applications. One career site suggests this generation will have up to 17 jobs and five different careers in a working life, especially with the change taking place in the work place.

Steps that followed included preparing letters, resumes and a portfolio of evidence which was then shared with an interviewer. In September, over two days, 65 Year 12 students were interviewed and had their interviews recorded for assessment purposes. In November 62 Year 11 students were interviewed over two days.

Our interviewers, John Holstein, Rheannon Hurley, Tabitha Bond and Sharyn Holswhich were all impressed with the confidence and openness of our students marketing themselves to win the job.

This rehearsal in the essential life skill of job seeking to win a job, will keep our students in good stead as they make their transition to the world of work.

Ruth Barratt Career and Enterprise Teacher

Enjoying job interviews

FLiS STUDENTS – WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

JASON LAI – CLASS OF 2016

I am forever grateful for the teachers in the VET department and give a special shout out to Ms Sorensen, Mrs Barrett and Ms Pyke who guided and mentored me to pursue the path I am on now.

During Year 11 and 12, I was focused on completing my Certificate II in Electrotechnology Pre-Apprenticeship course at TAFE whilst attending work experience with electrical contractors one day a week as part of the FLiS program offered at school.

This combination of TAFE study and practical work experience was critical in enabling me to transition straight out of high school at the end of 2016 into an electronics apprenticeship.

Since completing my apprenticeship ahead of schedule in April 2020, I have obtained a Certificate III in Electronics and Communications and a Certificate IV in Engineering (Instrumentation) which has allowed me to seamlessly transition to my current full time role as the Lead WA Service Technician for a national instrumentation company that has offices across Australia. I have also worked part time as a Security Officer for Sodexo and NPD Security Australia.

What I really like about my current role is the ability to develop so many transferable skills that I am able to use in other business ventures of my own, whilst getting a great mix between office and in-field service work.

Overall, the next 10 years of my life are looking very optimistic all thanks to the positive mindset my FLiS teachers at Willetton Senior High School instilled in me during their classes.

SCHOOL BOARD

BOARD CHAIR REPORT

As we head into the end of 2020, one of the many highlights this term was having the opportunity to participate in the staff morning tea. I was able to personally thank all the teaching and non-teaching staff for the sacrifices they have made this year. Amid the pandemic, all the staff stepped out of their comfort zone to ensure all students had the highest level of education. Every one of them did what they do best, and that’s to inspire and influence. For that, the Board and I say thank you.

Furthermore, we congratulate Mr. Darren Hamley for winning the Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary School, the highest accolade for a Secondary School teacher. Mr Hamley carries such a passion for Science and is evidenced when he discussed about the dolphins' project, or solar car, or telescope, or successfully growing Australian Christmas trees or near-extinct plants in his greenhouse nursery. We are fortunate to have many teachers like him, who are passionate about teaching.

Likewise, I was honoured to be invited to the Year 12 ATAR Arts Exhibition and thoroughly enjoyed myself with the many art pieces and interacting with the students and parents. As customary, the School Board purchased two of the pieces, from Lisa Nguyen and Sarah Zou, on behalf of the school for display around the school. Sarah Zou’s 10 Month stirred such anguish of the encroaching fire and immediacy of our climate change struggle while Lisa Nguyen’s Be a Man reflected courage in breaking the feminism mould and challenging society’s view on the roles of women. Well done to both Lisa and Sarah for connecting us to their worlds.

Finally, congratulations to the graduating class of 2020. I applaud you for all the hard work and tenacity you have put in over these years. You have grown intellectually, socially, and in maturity. So, step into your next phase of life with confidence knowing that you have it in you, to deal with whatever life throws at you.

John Yeo

SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS AND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Information and nominations for parent and staff representatives to the School Board will open from early February 2021, and the Board’s Annual Public Meeting (APM) will be held on Monday March 22, 2021 at 5.30pm in the staff room. All members of the school community are welcome.

WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY - STAFF APPRECIATION MORNING TEA

With the support of parent volunteers and the Interact Club, the School Board recognised and showed their appreciation of the work of teachers and staff by hosting a special morning tea on October 30. Thank you to the many parents who brought in the delicious savoury and sweet treats. Staff were most appreciative of your appreciation.

Staff Appreciation Morning Tea

YEAR 12 VISUAL ARTS EXHIBITION

Board members were impressed by the standard of student artwork on display at the exhibition recently.

After much deliberation and a whole Board vote, the Board was very pleased to purchase artwork from two very talented young artists – Lisa Nguyen for her piece titled Be A Man, and Sarah Zou for her piece titled 10 Months. These pieces of artwork will remain at the school, for the school community to admire and enjoy.

Sarah Zoe with John Yeo, School Board Chairman and her Art: 10 Months

Lisa Nguyen with John Yeo, School Board Chairman and her Art: Be A Man

ENTERTAINMENT MEMBERSHIP FUNDRAISER

Entertainment memberships are now 100% digital, which means you can have your savings on you, all year round. New businesses are also added to your membership through the year.

Willo parents and community members are encouraged to support this fundraiser by purchasing your membership via the link below as all profits raised will go towards a Student Leadership Development Program initiated by the Board.

Now is a perfect time to purchase a membership, in time for the school holidays or as a Christmas gift. You'll receive hundreds of valuable offers to keep the family entertained and help our fundraising at the same time.

SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS (SOS) PROGRAM

We have registered with Gilbert’s Fresh Market, Southlands to be part of the Support Our Schools Program. Please sign up with them and for every purchase you make in store, 1% of your purchase spend will be donated to the school. It does not cost to sign up, and it’s an easy way for you to support the school. To date, over $650 has been raised this year just from supporters shopping at Gilbert’s.

SECOND-HAND BOOKSHOP

Year 11 and 12 students wishing to sell their textbooks may bring in their books to the second-hand bookshop during trading hours or drop them off at the front office. Please ensure you fill in the required bookshop form before dropping your books off. Forms are available from the front office, School Board office and bookshop, or may be downloaded from the school website.

Students are encouraged to bring in their books as early as possible, in order to have them catalogued and on the shelves ready to be sold when the demand is highest. Please do not bring in books that are no longer on the booklist, as we are unable to sell them or have the facility to store them.

We also stock a range of lower school resource material, calculators, class pads, math-o-matts and language dictionaries.

Current Year 10 and Year 11 students are invited to visit the second hand bookshop to purchase your Year 11 and Year 12 booklist requirements for 2021. Many of the textbooks are half to two thirds the price of new textbooks. 2021 booklists will be available early December.

The second hand bookshop and uniform shop are open for additional trade and times are listed below. Credit card and eftpos facilities are now available, with a small merchant fee charged. Cheques should be made payable to Willetton Senior High School Board, and include your contact number and driver’s licence details on the back.

SECOND HAND UNIFORM SHOP

The uniform shop will gladly accept your Willetton SHS uniforms once you no longer require them. These are accepted on a donation basis, and not on consignment. It would be greatly appreciated if uniforms are washed and of reasonable quality before donating them. Proceeds from the sale of these uniforms go towards funding projects around the school, so your kind donation continues to benefit our students.

SCHOOL BOARD THANK YOU

We acknowledge and thank the wonderful parents, grandparents and community members who have volunteered their time to help our school with various projects this year– much could not have been achieved without your support. Special thanks to the bookshop and the second hand uniform shop volunteers who work tirelessly, and the members of the Willo Parent Group. Your faithful contribution to the school is recognised and very much valued by the school community.

Our school volunteers

FAREWELL CLASS OF 2020

We wish our Year 12 students a fond farewell and wish you all the very best for your bright future ahead. We encourage you to remain connected to the school through the alumni, by registering your details on.

HOW TO CONTACT THE SCHOOL BOARD

To find out more about the School Board or how you might get involved, please contact the School Board Office on 9334 7217 during term, or email willetton.shs.schoolboard@education.wa.edu.au

As this is the last issue for the year, the School Board would like to take this opportunity to wish all members of our school community a very special Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year. We look forward to working together with you again in 2021.

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. The Willo Parent Group 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 willetton.shs.schoolboard@education.wa.edu.au or refer to the school website.

ALUMNI

The Alumni’s mission is to support and promote the interests of both Alumni and the school community by enabling the Alumni to strengthen the bonds with the school community, creating personal links with Alumni, providing Alumni services and by fostering connections among Alumni, students and the school.

All Willetton graduates are invited to become part of the Willetton SHS Alumni, by registering details via the link below.

If Alumni are in a position to give back to the school by either offering a work placement for our current students or assisting with tutoring, mentoring or speaking to students, please contact us at Willetton.SHS.Alumni@education.wa.edu.au

Special Alumni merchandise is available and may be purchased from the School Board office. Supplies are limited. Prices start from $25.