2 June 2015

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT: May 2015

One of the bonuses of my position as Principal is as the recipient of accolades for our school when both students and teachers are acknowledged for achievements or actions.

Over recent weeks, there have been a number of these acknowledgements. In one case the honesty of our students in returning a lost handbag was received, in others we were acknowledged for the caring and professionalism of staff. Rest assured all these kind words are shared and we are grateful to receive them.

Associate Principal, Colin Marshall took my position whilst I was on long service leave. It was a challenging period with new buildings coming on line and Jega, our Business Manager, also on leave and the whole school extends thanks to him.

The School Ball and Dress up Day was an outstanding success. Many thanks to Year 12 Coordinator, Paul Hogg, the Year 12 Councillors and all the staff who supported this activity. It was excellent that Chair of the School Board Lindsay Holland, showed his support of student activities by attending. A gallery of photographs features further in the newsletter.

Our new Science and Technology block is stunning. The facilities and buildings are first rate and certainly fit for the purpose to support the attainment of knowledge for our students. We have the usual teething problems which will soon be overcome and the block will be in full use by second semester. We will be losing many of the demountable buildings, hopefully during the school vacation.

Examinations for Year 10, 11 and 12 students commence very soon. We hope that every student achieves the results they deserve.

I am attending a Leadership conference in Sydney at the end of May along with other Principals from leading public schools. We expect that the extra skills and knowledge we acquire will be used to ensure a positive future for public education in Western Australia.

Chris Booth

BOARD CHAIR REPORT

Hasn’t the year flown? I would like to highlight a few things which you may or may not know.

The school is now the proud owner of a grand piano which will allow musical students to be able to play on a quality instrument and feel the difference it makes. It will also be a great addition to assemblies and presentations enabling Willetton Senior High School to showcase the talent we have. You may have noticed this talent at the recent parent teacher night with the students performing on a variety of instruments in the foyer. It was great to see.

I would like to congratulate Natalie Bright for being selected in the Under 17 Australian Netball Squad. She will join the squad for a training camp under the guidance of the Australian Diamonds coach, Lisa Alexander. Well done Natalie.

I will in future highlight any further such achievements of our students.

The recent parent teacher night went very well with the parents having the opportunity to ask their child’s teachers any questions they may have on their progress at school. Our night far surpasses any equivalent parent teacher forums at other schools. It is a very long day for the teachers and I thank them for willingly giving their time after hours. It was pleasing to see so many parents taking an active interest in their child’s education.

You may have received or you soon will a letter from the Board encouraging parents to forward their voluntary fees. You will see on this letter just some of the things we have supported for the students and this is by no means the full list. I ask if you could consider sending in these contributions that will benefit the students of the school.

Lindsay Holland

HEAD BOY AND GIRL REPORT

Time has just flown since our last report! On Wednesday, April 22, we were privileged to be a part of the ANZAC service run by the Year 10s. It was an honour to acknowledge those who sacrificed their lives for us in war, in this the 100th anniversary of the landing of the ANZACs.

The dress-up on the morning of the ball was a spectacle of bubble wrap and mother nature, Jamaican bobsledders, the Titanic, Mario cart characters and extremely agile guys dancing in skin-tight blue suits. Congratulations to the prize winners and thank you for all your donations. The canned food was donated to charities working with the homeless, and the fantastic collection of $1220 was put towards Relay for Life.

The Year 12 Ball was held at the Hyatt Regency on April 24. With over 40 tables, it was a bit of a maze, but the Red Carpet theme, candy buffet and photo booths were great successes. Everyone looked incredible, and the special Logie awards for best dancers, best dressed, best tie and highest heels had the crowds cheering. A big thank you to all the Hyatt staff, the councillors for their hard work organising the night, to the teachers who attended and of course to Mr Hogg for his tireless efforts that kept us on track.

On the weekend of May 9 and 10, we had a great group of Year 11 and 12 representatives run in the Relay for Life, supporting much needed cancer research. Thank you to those who were a part of the event.

Recently, the Year 12s have been encouraged by motivating speeches on resilience, purpose and future pathways in Comp Ed. We believe each of you have marvellous potential and a responsibility to make the best use of the circumstances here at Willetton Senior High School. We hope everyone will take away valuable lessons from these talks.

As a committee, the Year 12s are currently working with recycling company, World of E’Co, to support developing nations through the opportunity to start up microbusinesses. The company ships clothes, shoes and linen to South East Asia and Africa to be used by the locals to provide them with work. This work is in sorting, repairing, and selling the goods, enabling individuals to learn skills and recycle your goods. We will be collecting from week 8 at school. Please bring any shoes, bags, hats, belts, clothes, towels or sheets to the bins onsite. They can be brought in plastic bags or pillowcases (which will be recycled).

We have a goal of 5kg per household! Per kilogram, World of E’Co pays us a sum of money that will support overseas work with charitable organisations such as Compassion. Now is the time to collect, so please get sorting out!

We would like to wish all those involved in exams at this time the peace and wisdom to do their very best – we know you will do Willetton proud!

We hope to see you around soon,

Georgina and Jesse - Head Girl and Boy

Community

WILLETTON LINKS TO THE AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL IN NANJING

Syd Parke representing The Western Australian Education Group, presenting Principal Chris Booth with a substantial cheque to acknowledge the support given by Willetton SHS.

For the past two years Willetton SHS has been offering advice and support to the WA Education Group in establishing the Australian International School in Nanjing. Dave Bonner, past Deputy Principal of Willetton, and Syd Parke – past Principal of Warnbro SHS are key members of the WA group. From the outset they were very keen to establish a long-lasting relationship with Willetton SHS due to its reputation for achieving outstanding student results and for providing exceptional pastoral care for the students. Willetton’s reputation is recognised internationally. The WA group have also offered to sponsor staff to visit the Nanjing school and gain first-hand knowledge of teaching and living in China. In the near future they hope to offer student exchange to Nanjing for Willetton students.

OPPORTUNITY TO HOST VISITING NANJING STUDENTS

The Australian International School has been established to provide an opportunity to motivated and capable students to participate in a learning experience that brings together the best of Chinese and Western educational systems. Using the latest educational technologies in order to achieve high quality educational outcomes, gaining entry into Australian and other international universities and being prepared for success in these universities and in later life, are the goals of this venture. To enhance future opportunities for the Nanjing students we have arranged for them to visit Perth and spend time at Willetton, attending classes, visiting university campuses and sampling life in Perth.

The Year 11 students will be visiting Perth for nine days towards the end of July. The WA Group are inviting parents to host these students. From past experience hosting overseas students has been very rewarding both for the host and the visitor. There is also a financial remuneration for host families.

If you are interested in finding out more details please contact:

Dave Bonner 0407 380 210 bonner10@optusnet.com.au

Dave Bonner

Dave Bonner, Chris Booth and Syd Parke

Self Esteem Workshop for Teen Girls

Self-esteem Workshop for Teen Girls

Feeling good about yourself – Build Confidence & Positive Self-Esteem Workshop

Fun and relaxed environment

This workshop is designed to help young girl’s ages 13 to 15 yrs. old to believe in themselves, to feel good about the unique person they are and to help them discover their own special gifts. The social world for teenage girls can be a stressful and challenging environment. The rise in peer pressure, competitive conflicts, and unhealthy social media messages are all likely contributors to an increase in anxiety, mood disorder and low self-esteem in girls. Our workshop will focus on:

• Building Positive self-esteem and body Image
• Forming healthy peer relationships.
• Learning techniques to increase self-confidence

Workshop is for Girls between the ages of 13-15yrs old
Cost: $20 / teen and bring your friend along for free (Places are Limited)
Venue: Leisure Fit Melville, 431 Canning Hwy (cnr Stock Rd) Melville
Date: 6th of June, 10 am to 11.30 am.

To Register please contact Roz on 0409530067 or e-mail abir@counselling101.com.au

FREE TUTORING

There is a free tutoring service for families provided by the City of Canning. It’s called “Your Tutor” and it is available to any student that is a member of the Canning Libraries (which is free). It is an Australian wide company that provides point of need tutoring via the web. Students log in with a problem and the tutor will contact them in 5-10 minutes to help them. It is available for English, Math, Science, Economics, Business, Engineering, essay writing, study skills and general research for all year levels. It usually costs a bit but in this case is paid for by Canning. It. Some students and parents might find useful to help them get unstuck with a study or homework issue. It is not designed to be a regular tutoring arrangement, or take the place of the teacher but to help a student who is experiencing trouble and needs advise to allow them to understand a concept or suggestions on how to progress on what they are working on. They state “our tutors don't teach content but they do give students methods and processes to ensure they understand what has been taught in school.”

Here is a link to an explanatory video -

PARENTING

Adolescent support services - Where to go for help?

Kids Helpline is a free, private and confidential telephone and online counselling service specifically for young people aged between 5 and 25 years. You can phone the helpline anytime on 1800 55 1800, or visit the website at

Somazone is a safe space for young people to ask questions, share stories and get help for mental health issues, sexual health, relationships, abuse, body image, and drug use.

If you need help or information relating specifically to mental health difficulties, you could also try www.reachout.com.au, www.youthbeyondblue.com.au, or www.headspace.org.au.

You can also talk through any problems you may be having with your local Community Health Nurse, (insert name here) on (insert number here). Remember, no matter how big or small your problem is, there is help available and it is important to seek help as soon as possible.

Parenting support

As parents, you are the most important person in your child’s life.

Many parents find life with a child a joyful but challenging experience. Children’s needs change as they grow and each stage brings new challenges.

Parenting WA offers an information, support and referral service to parents, carers, grandparents and families with children up to 18 years of age. Parenting WA services are free and no referral is needed.

Parenting WA’s trained staff are available to work with parents;

• On specific parenting needs. They will help develop strategies for home life;
• To manage the different parenting challenges from infancy and childhood through to teenage years;
• To understand the different stages of child development, and;
• To find information about local community support services.

Parenting coordinators, located throughout WA, can provide individual parenting discussions, group sessions and workshops.

Parenting WA also provides the Parenting WA Line, a 24/7 telephone information service, a library rich with useful resources, parenting guide sheets and an on-line guide to parenting courses in WA. For more information contact Parenting WA (08) 6279 1200 or 1800 654 432 or at:

Parenting WA Library

Did you know that Parenting WA offers a FREE parenting library to parents, carers and families throughout Western Australia? The Parenting Library has a range of helpful books, and DVDs on subjects of interest to parents and carers with children from pre-birth to 18 years of age. When you join the library you can borrow up to two items for a period of three weeks. You will be sent these items free of charge with a reply paid envelope for their return. You can browse the catalogue online at

When you have made your selections, email or telephone to speak to one of the parenting consultants. Phone (08) 6279 1200 or 1800 686 155 or email: parentinglibrary@communities.wa.gov.au

Parenting WA Line: The Parenting WA Line is a telephone information and support service on parenting that is available 24/7. Ph: (08) 6279 1200 or 1800 654 432

More parenting support information can be found at:

Raising Children Network

Child and Youth Health

Positive Parenting Program (Triple P)

There are many ways to be a good parent. Managing children’s behaviour can be challenging at times, however it is an essential part of good parenting. The Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) may help you raise happy and confident children, through small changes and simple routines.

Programs offered include:

• Seminar Series Triple P
• Group Triple P

All programs are at no cost to parents or carers. To find out more, or to register in a program near you phone1300 550 879 or email positiveparenting@health.wa.gov.au

Raising Children Network

Children are as individual and as different as their parents and making decisions about what’s best for raising children is very personal.

The Raising Children website offers up-to-date, research-based material on more than 800 topics spanning child development, behaviour, health, nutrition and fitness, play and learning, connecting and communicating, school and education, entertainment and technology, sleep and safety.

It covers grown-ups, newborns (0-3 months), babies (3-12 months), toddlers (1-3 years), preschoolers (3-5 years), school-age children (5-9 years), pre-teens (9-11 years), and early teens (12-15 years).

There are tips, videos and other useful resources.

The Raising Children Network provides information that can help parents with the day-to-day decisions of raising children. It also provides information to help parents and carers look after their own needs. The information is based on the best science in parenting, child health and development, presented in language we can all understand.

This is a website for Australian mothers, fathers, grandparents and anyone else who has responsibility for the care of children.

General Reports

AUTISM

One in 88 people are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, (ASD). We can all help to make a difference by raising awareness.

This summary of recommendations and resources has been provided by world expert Sue Larkey.

• Recommend and share what you found interesting about reading a biography of a person with ASD or watching the Temple Grand movie.
• Set up a display of books relating to ASD in your library or staff room.
• Read a story in ASD to children and involve them in community projects regarding disability, including fundraising
• Download the free 10 Essential Tips from Sue’s website and follow the Autism Discussion Page on Facebook. Share this with friends and colleagues.
• Watch and share the recommended YouTube clips – “BBC’s Autism and Me”, and inspirational speaker, Dean Beadle.
• Make and hang posters that celebrate diversity – celebrate a different disability each month.
• Sign up to Sue’s free E-zine to receive a free PowerPoint of motivational slides to share at a staff meeting.

To download the full Tips Sheet please visit Sue’s website:

Schools and Organisations can have all of Sues resources sent on approval by visiting:

SCHOOL BALL

The 2015 Willetton Senior High School Year 12 Ball was held on Friday April 24, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Perth. It was a great event and all the students (and staff) looked so amazing dressed up in their finest clothes.

The night started with the arrival of guests in limos and pre dinner drinks in the Grand Ballroom foyer while being entertained by a string ensemble. As the night progressed students had a delightful three course meal, countless photos and danced to the D.J.’s music. It was a night to remember. I think the photos speak for themselves.

Once again the students were excellent. The way that they handled themselves shows how much they have matured over their time at Willetton. A big thank you must go to the Year 12 Councillors that put in countless hours into the organising of the ball. The support of the teachers that attended on the night was very appreciated by all the students.

CHARITY SOCCER MATCH

During the April school holidays a small group of Year 12 students took only 12 days to organise an event that would have taken many others months. On April 16 a full-blown charity soccer match with qualified umpires, sausage sizzle, commentators and a DJ, provided entertainment for a huge crowd sprawled across Apsley Oval. Led by Tom Atkinson, King Tomo’s XI opted to play for the McGrath Foundation, donning the pink socks, names and numbers. The Willetts’ Young Boys were captained by Aaron Willetts and represented Diabetes Australia, pulling on the green jerseys. The selected charities hit close to home for individuals on both teams and provided a fantastic incentive to play and draw big support, such as a $200 donation from the Treasurer of Western Australia Dr. Mike Nahan, among many other’s generous support.

After being featured on the front page of the Canning Times two days prior, the boys stepped out onto the pitch for official team photos before embarking on a 90 minute battle filled with goals, cramps and banter. Opening the scoring very early for King Tomo’s XI was Sherman Roch, but almost immediately as he scored, the Young Boys countered through Basit Al-Sheikh. A wonder goal from Mitchell Willis outside the box gave King Tomo’s XI a 2-1 lead before they conceded from a corner tapped in by Erle De Souza and it was all square at 2-2. A nervous left foot strike from the King Tomo XI’s captain trickled past the line and gave his self-titled team a 3-2 lead going into the half time break.

Controversially, Frederic Rayapen went down in the box early in the second half rewarding Aaron Willetts with his captain’s goal from the penalty spot to gift his side the equalising 3-3 goal. Then soon after, Oliver Smith booted (literally) the go ahead goal which would remain the final score as the Willetts’ Young Boys took home the trophy after coming from behind for a fantastic win.

Not only should the obvious be recognised but the promotional effort, training session attendance and everything in between, from the uniforms to the team managers who arrived in suits, is to be applauded and shows the dedication of all the young men involved. In what was an extremely successful day the boys raised $4 000 for charity and are hoping to make it an annual event.

Tom Atkinson Year 12

CLOTHING COLLECTION – YEAR 12 FUNDRAISER

World of E’co is a local business working to establish microbusinesses in poverty stricken nations around the globe. Your cloths shoes hats belts, bags and linen will be most helpful in supporting this cause! Please sort out your wardrobe and bring any of these goods to the school bins starting week eight. They can be brought in plastic bags or pillow cases. We have a goal of 5kg per household. Please help us to give generously to those in need.

The Year Twelve Councillors

DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award participants are certainly keeping us on our toes in Student Services. Over 100 participants in Years 9 – 12 are pursuing a Bronze, Silver or Gold Award. Any student aged 14 or over can sign up to be part of the program. Self-management is a large part of the Award and students are expected to be proactive in seeking support as required to manage all aspects. This includes choosing activities, setting up and managing their online account and making sure they are signed off by assessors when they finish sections. Help for the Award and Award applications are available in Student Services or students can speak to their Year Coordinator.

There are exciting opportunities on the horizon for students needing to complete an Adventurous Journey.

Bronze Camp, October 16 – 18, 2015.
Destination: Margaret River
Activities: Bush camping, cooking, short hikes, caving.
Maximum 18 participants.

Silver Camp, September 26 – October 4, 2015.
Destination: Walpole
Activities: Extended hike with backpack, camp cooking, orienteering.
Maximum 18 participants.

Gold Expedition, November/December 2016 (3 weeks)
Destination: Vietnam
Activities: Adventurous Journey – Trek, Residential Project – Community project, Cultural exploration.

Congratulations to the following students who have recently received Awards so far this year -

Bronze: Kurmala Praneetha, Lilli Watt, Wing-Yi Chan, Hayley Rolfe, (Year 10)
Amy Walsh, Aliya Peer (Y12)

Judy Gauci
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Coordinator
Judy.Gauci@education.wa.edu.au

EUROPEAN HISTORY EXPERIENCE - 2015

Mr. Nardi, Mrs Cochrane and the excited but tired students from Leeming and Willetton SHSs were delighted to be greeted in Paris by our specially requested guide Justin and driver Kryzs who whisked us into the coach, gave us all a rapid review of what we were going to do in the next couple of days and pointed out several interesting sights as we drove to the city centre. Justin then warned the students not to eat rubbish food from McDonalds! After unpacking and freshening up we drove to the Quartier Latin then threaded our way through narrow crowded streets to the bistro where the students enjoyed a French meal. It was most satisfying to see that several students had chosen and enjoyed eating the escargots.

The next day was tremendously busy - preparing the students for the action and information packed days ahead! How thankful we were that all our tickets and times had been reserved for the entire trip. Easter in Paris is the beginning of the Tourist Season. The whole city was buzzing with life and all queues were hours long. The wind was a bit nippy but we had no rain. Lucky, lucky!

We began below the Louvre at the foundation walls where our two reserved guides explained the beginnings of Paris during the Roman Empire then led us up to the art museum where we saw the Mona Lisa – naturally - and many famous statues and paintings. Driving to the Tour Eiffel we saw more of the city’s famous icons such as the golden statue of Jeanne d’Arc, the Place de la Concorde and the motifs on the Arc de Triomphe. Everything was explained. Justin also gave a succinct exposition on the genius of Napoléon. The ascent of the Tour Eiffel enabled students to have superb views over Paris and the Seine. We then drove to La Dôme to see Napoléon’s Tomb and saw some wonderful amour and weaponry in Les Invalides. Our luscious dinner was a gourmet picnic in the Champs du Mars. There were many French delicacies– but I noticed that a lot of frogs’ legs were left over! After this we had a great Seine cruise on a bateau mouche. What a dizzying day!

After a pleasure-filled day in Disneyland we left Paris behind us the next morning to visit the sumptuous Palace of Versailles then drove through pleasant countryside to the sea-wracked shores of Normandy. After seeing the historic Bayeaux Tapestry, Tony, our Military Guide, accompanied us to the Arromanches Musuem. There we were able to see the Mullberry Harbours still out at sea, tanks on the shore, watch films and hear about the amazing accomplishment of the D-Day Landings.

Passing Compiegne we had the pleasure of exploring the stunning Château Pierrefonds rated in the Top Ten Châteaux and seen in so many historical films.

During the next few days the sun shone but our hearts were sombre while we walked in battlefields, saw numerous memorials, war graves and visited museums with close links to Australia. Tony gave us in-depth talks before and at each site, and Mrs. Cochrane read particular Wilfred Owen poems, each selected as appropriate to the particular events. The nadir of these days in the Somme was the ceremony at the Menin Gate at Ypres where our students presented a wreath.

We had a pleasant stopover in Volendam watching two masted yawls racing at sea while eating fantastic fish and chips. We then visited a farm where we saw clog and cheese making demonstrations before driving to our Amsterdam Botel.

In Amsterdam we were very busy with a morning bicycle tour, a guided visit to the Rijks Museum to see Rembrandt’s paintings, going through the Anne Frank House, more shopping, and having a canal cruise while eating our Indonesian dinner.

As we drove to Berlin Justin gave us a chilling account of what it was like to live on the Communist side of Berlin during the Cold War, the raising of The Wall, the dramatic airlifts necessary for the survival of West Berlin and The Wall’s ultimate demolition. A deeper understanding of the Communist grip was gained by a walk with a Third Reich guide, Check Point Charlie Museum, the Holocaust Memorial, the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and Communist office buildings.

Poland was our last visit and Kryzs gave us invaluable knowledge of Poland’s history and its struggle to gain freedom from the enveloping arms of the Russian bear. The visit to Auschwitz was indeed stressful. For me the most horrifying feature was that the perimeter fence of this death camp was forty kilometres long.

The city centre of Krakow was delightful with its imposing castle on a hilltop boasting an eight legged fire breathing dragon, lovely Old City walls, a trumpeter who played in a high church tower at the side of the delightful market square with its many stalls, carriages and caparisoned horses. I took a photo of one and to my surprise I saw that the occupants were a number of our students madly waving to me! Then we went down a 13th Century salt mine – all the 800 steps of it! It is also famous for its rock carvings, and a church interior which includes a life size carving of The Last Supper, Nativity scenes and huge chandeliers made out of rock crystals.

Warsaw central was almost levelled in WWII. It has been mainly rebuilt. In the Old City Square one can see a short line of original building blocks, with perhaps two or three blocks on the second course at the corner. We also enjoyed Lazienki Park with Chopin’s statue, lakes and streams. Everyone enjoyed seeing the now rare European red squirrel taking food from a little boy’ hand and listening to peacocks squawking angrily at impudent small birds who dared approach them.

I asked students on several occasions if they thought the trip was as good as they had imagined it would be. It was gratifying that the invariable response was - It’s much better! We four adults considered that the students had all matured and grown in mental and social stature during the tour. They listened well, learnt, and were most appreciative. We trust their parents are as pleased as we are.

Madeleine Marie Cochrane: Teacher

INTERACT CLUB NEWS

Throughout the year, the Interact Club has been growing in membership with over 60 members. The international charity Interact has chosen to support for the remainder of this year is Doctors Without Borders (also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres) who are currently providing aid in Nepal after the recent earthquake. We recently held a cake stall and henna painting, and raised $367.55, contributing to our fundraising target of $2500. In Term 3, the Interact Club is planning to hold a high tea event aimed for parents, family and staff members to raise money towards this target. Watch this space for more information because we would love to see you there!

Meanwhile, Interact would like to encourage members of the school community to collect the ring pulls from soft drink cans, tinned food and other cans to support the Rings For Limbs program, which recycles these ring pulls to build prosthetic limbs for landmine victims in Thailand. Please start collecting them now, and later in the year, we will let you know when and where to drop them off.

Thank you again for your wonderful support.

Marcus Wong and Genevieve Earl
President and Vice President, Interact Club

Interact Club Fundraiser

NATIONAL SCHOOLS CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION 2015

On March 23rd, 2015, I, among 15 other delegates from different schools around Western Australia, was flown to Canberra to represent our state and our school in the National Schools Constitutional Convention. The convention was made up of 150 delegates in total (proportional to the member count for the House of Representatives) from across Australia, all gathered to debate the place of a “bill of rights” in our constitution.

I was also selected to make a speech during the welcoming ceremony in front of forty or so Members of Parliament, on behalf of all the delegates, in thanking Madame Speaker and the government of Australia for funding this convention, as well as speaking on the events to come.

An interesting thing that occurred during the convention was when we were in Parliament watching question time at Parliament. Right when Prime Minister Tony Abbott was asked about cuts to education, it was around that time that we just had to leave. So in the middle of Mr Abbott’s reply speech, we began piling out of Parliament, all 150 of us. This was picked up by the media as “Students walk out on Tony Abbott speaking about Tertiary Education”, we saw ourselves on TV and the video of the incident on youtube already has over 9,000 views.

During the days of the convention, we would do speeches on whether we should, have a constitutional bill of rights, just a legislative bill of rights, or not have one at all.

During the nights and every other day, we got to go to very exclusive places, including viewing the original Constitution of Australia signed by her Majesty the Queen at the National Archives and that wasn't the best part. We went to the High Court at night, and they had set the place up for us to have dinner. They had tables out in the foyer outsides the court rooms, and served us gourmet courses.

The National Schools Constitutional Convention was truly an experience that I can call a highlight in my life.

Raymond Deng

National Schools Constitutional Convention - Raymond Deng with Bronwyn Bishop

RELAY FOR LIFE 2015

The Relay for Life Perth was held on May 9 & 10 at the WA Athletics stadium in Mt Claremont. The Relay for Life is a fundraising event held by the Cancer Council every year.

The Cancer Council is a community-funded, community-focused cancer charity dedicated to the defeat of cancer. Relay For Life is the Cancer Council’s most successful fundraising program. All funds raised through Relay For Life allow Cancer Council to continue to support cancer Survivors, their Carers and families throughout their cancer journey.

Relay for Life involves a team of people walking or running around the athletics track in relay style for 24 hours. Willetton Senior High School had three teams representing the school this year. It was great to see many more students organising their own teams as well.

As participants, together, we set up our tents base camp. The event was filled with music, walking, activities, and walking, and food, and more walking. It was so positive to be walking on the track and talking with people from different backgrounds feeling like no one was a stranger. We were all there for a common goal. The highlight of the event was the candlelight ceremony. It was very moving to see the love, the loss and the passion by which we were surrounded. The sense of hope was very strong.

The weather was very kind to us with beautiful sunny days however the nights did get a little chilly. The students were better than excellent. It is a real credit to them that they put themselves out of their comfort zone, took responsibility for what was needed to be done, braved through the cold of the morning without a single whinge and together made a difference to a lot of people.

Mr Kearsley did a wonderful job of organising the event with Mrs Gauci’s assistance. Sustenance provided by Mrs Mellor, with her yummy gluten free chocolate brownies, and Mrs Barrett’s midnight feast were very well received. A big thankyou goes out to all of those from the school community who were involved to make this a very successful event.

Paul Hogg
Year 12 Coordinator

POLITICS AND LAW NEWS

Dane Harrison, Raymond Deng, Ms Hale and Wallace Maillot attended the WA Constitutional Centre for an intriguing legal discussion about recent High Court decisions regarding non-statutory executive power and implied human rights.

Mock Trial Competition

The school is progressing well through the competition with both teams winning round 1 and Team 1 winning round 2.

Both teams

Notre Dame Politics and Law Symposium

All year 11 and 12 students will be attending the Notre Dame Politics and Law Symposium, involving lectures from University academics. Students get a taste of university life and some insights into key topics such as human rights protections. We look forward to the event!

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Along with other Year 10 classes, Ms Barratt’s class learned about wellbeing around the world and how much it can differ from country to country. The differences come from the amount and type of resources people use to meet wants and needs like food, water, clothing and shelter.

Did you know this can mean significant differences?

People in Australia have an average life expectancy of 81 years.

If you lived in Botswana, Africa, the average life expectancy is 53:2 years.

Another aspect to a lack of wellbeing is homelessness. It can be in any country in the world, which sees people living on the streets. From a local perspective, to help with meeting this need in Perth, students from Ms Barratt’s and Mr Miller’s classes took up the challenge to make cakes and slices to raise funds to help people in Perth who are homeless.

To extend our support, following contact with Anne Moroni, Manager at UnitingCare West, students from Year 10 classes including those of Mrs Fourie and Mrs Bettermann under took to collect essentials as well as needs for winter including scarves, beanies, socks and basic toiletries. Collections of children’s books, pens and coloured pencils were identified to help families who attend various centres in the evenings.

The steady stream of contributions from Year 10 classes and from across the school community, both teachers and students, has resulted in boxes of clean and new items. On Thursday May 14, UnitingCare West’s Manager Anne Maroni visited the school. She spoke of her work with homeless single people each morning which can number up to 220 and the afternoon / evening programme catering for homeless families. Families are able to have a meal, children can play and finish homework and practise reading. Altogether our students had 21 boxes to pass to Anne to take and use immediately with the homeless people with whom she works on a daily basis. Anne expressed her sincere thanks to the Willetton SHS community and also to the students for their efforts.

On the fundraising side of things, on Wednesday April 29, with thanks to Mums and Dads, as well as the clever cooking of students the tables were groaning with wonderful choices.

After careful counting, a grand total of $266.10 was raised, supplemented with HASS funds to a total of $300 cheque donation.

The monies raised will be used to purchase street swags, which have been designed to provide some practical comfort for homeless people.

This was a wonderful demonstration of teamwork, enthusiasm and commitment to a cause by Year 10 Humanities and Social Sciences students and our school community.

Ruth Barratt and Joy Fourie: Teachers HASS

Jamie Lee and Clarisse Wong with some of our donation boxes

Health & Physical Education

OUR GIRLS WIN THIS YEAR! BADMINTON SUCCESS

Congratulations to our top ranked girls of Jessica Mac and Emily Chan for winning the Upper Schools sport Doubles Badminton Tournament held on Friday March 13, 2015 at Kingsway Stadium in Madeley.

Jessica Mac and Emily Chan with runner-up trophies

Our top boys pair of Gavin Chung and Tim Lee, where also exceptional, only going down one game to the Wesley College pair. Twenty upper school students represented the school with very competitive results achieved. Willetton was the only school with three pairs reaching the final playoffs.

Jessica Mac, Emily Chan, Gavin Chung and Tim Lee With Runner-up trophies

Team members include:

Girls- Jessica Mac, Emily Chan,Melissa Tan,Sylvia Ho, Lianne Nota, Chunyu Zhang, Sally An, Grace Wong, Denise Chionh, Joanna Husin.

Boys- Gavin Chung,Tim Lee, Elliot Lee, Kevin Lee, Vishal Salla, Nathan David, Jin Ting Chan, Jason Ting, Andre Coutinho, Ravindhu Gunaratne.

Shelley Banner: Team Manager

YEAR 10 GIRLS LIGHTNING CARNIVAL BASKETBALL TEAM.

A squad of 14 very enthusiastic girls made up the Division A team, playing at Cockburn Stadium. They were Mayuraa, Wing-Yi, Deepika, Devika, Harsha, Supini, Clarissa, Xiao Ying, Jaqueline, Chloe, Gemma and Georgie – and coach Carly Stokes. It was a very close competition, illustrated by the fact the girls beat, and then drew with, the eventual winners. Indeed, only 1 point separated first and second. All girls participated with great spirit and exhibited good sportsmanship.

Mrs Di Tuxford

Year 10 Girls Lightning Carnival Team

TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015

This was the first year that Willetton has entered teams in the Herbert Edwards Cup which is the Junior State Schools Tennis Championships. The competition was held at the state tennis centre of Western Australia and attracted some of the best young talent from the Perth metro area. Each team comprised 4 – 6 players, with four players contesting the singles and then any four playing the doubles.

In the Junior Girl’s competition, we were unlucky to draw Applecross A team in the first game. They are a specialist tennis school with a scholarship program for the best tennis players in WA. In our opening game, Natasha Camer-Pesci from Year 7 took on the best player from Applecross which was a girl from Year 9 in what turned out to be the game of the tournament. She ended up beating this girl 3 to 2 in a game filled with consistent and well placed shots.

In the boy’s competition, we entered two teams with a strong focus of playing Year 7 students up. Again, Applecross were the team to beat. They entered nine teams in the boys draw and had depth and quality thought each team. Our standout players in the boys draw were Ikram and Druv who are both from Year 9. Other players who played well and show future promise include Jesse Deuble and Manaram Mendis.

At the end of the tournament, each of our teams finished 3rd out of a possible 4 in our pool. With only one team progressing into the next round, it is difficult to compete with the likes of Applecross who have a team in every pool. Despite not advancing, all of our students played with pride and enjoyed the day immensely.

Junior Boys:

• 7 - Manaram Mendis
• 7 - Sourish Agaswal
• 7 - Jesse Deuble
• 8 - Gareth Chung
• 8 - Mahim Mendis
• 8 - Tarenjit Dhaliwal
• 8 - Dharamvir Bajwa
• 9 - Druv Jobanputra
• 9 - Ikram Muliayuddh

2015 Boys Tennis Teams

Junior Girls

• 7 - Natasha Camer-Pesci
• 7 – Ilona Pinto
• 9 – Sonali Grover
• 9 – Xing Cheer Kho

2015 Girls Tennis Teams

Mr E. Pretorius: Manager

ADIDAS WALK FOR WILLO 2015

The Adidas Walk for Willo was held this year over three days at the end of March. During these three days all students in Years 7 to 11 participated in a fun-run or walk during their usual Physical Education lesson time. As you can imagine, this is a massive undertaking with almost 2000 students participating.

As with previous years, a portion of the proceeds raised by the students was donated to Canteen to support children with cancer and the other money raised is earmarked to provide equipment to our beautiful newly built weight training area. We hope that all students will benefit from the use of this area in the future.

Happily the weather was perfect and maintained a lovely 26 to 30 degrees Celsius which added to the positive feel of the event. We had a large number of students running the 2km course this year with others choosing to walk, cartwheel or dance their way around the course.

Times for the runners per year group:

Over the weeks following the Adidas Walk for Willo students brought in their pledged donations and the numbers soon began adding up.

Over the course of eight weeks, students brought in both in person and from donations on-line an adjusted total (after Adidas costs) of $7 997.92. Even after the books were closed, students were still bringing in the last of the money.

Although with every event of this type, every single dollar donated is appreciated, there were some amazing efforts in terms of fund raising. One of our Year 7 students raised the most money in the school, Callum Hutchison raising $706.50.

Other students managed to raise some large amounts also and we like to recognize them for their efforts also below.

The Year 7 group proved to be the most successful fundraisers with a total of $4,328 raised , followed by our Year 8 group with $2170. Year 9, 10 and 11 combined to a total of $1497.

The students were also given the opportunity to nominate prizes based on how much money they raised and Callum chose an amazing 16GB Ipod – congratulations to Callum and all our participating students.

We look forward to getting our Weights Room up and running and for all year groups to be given the opportunity to use the new equipment.

Jacqueline Bogunovich: Teacher HPE

Adidas Walk for Willo 2015

CHAMPION SCHOOLS VOLLEYBALL COMPETITION

Thursday May 7, 2015

It was my pleasure to accompany two senior boys teams to the Champion Schools Volleyball Competition held at the new State Netball Stadium in Floreat.

Our teams consisted of a number of boys who have played in the competition since Year 9 and who are now our senior boys in Year 12, along with three boys from Year 10 who worked well within the senior teams.

Both teams played six games throughout the day and fought hard for every point. They showed great support for each other and we all enjoyed some great banter during the really tough games against the other six schools in the group.

In addition to playing tough games all day, the boys took turns to officiate as umpires, scorers and lines judges which for many of them was their first time and this added to the learning experience of the day.

Although the boys did not bring home the prize they can be proud of their conduct and sportsmanship throughout the day.

The teams included: Sherman Roche, Ravindhu Gunaratne, Vincent Lau, Ivan Ng, Andre Courtino, Hur Fong Chia, Tristan Wuu, Dennis and Justin Job, Apurv Sharma, Tim Lee, Tom McDonald, Dereck Deves, Joseph Moffat, Liam Vreeken.

Well done boys and thanks for being involved in Volleyball at WSHS.

Jacqueline Bogunovich: Teacher HPE

Volleyball Competition

LIFECARE

Lifecare continues to be a valued program within the Physical and Health Education Department. It provides all Year 11 students with an opportunity to participate in a relaxed and rewarding environment where they benefit from many recreational and community based activities. Students are able to participate in stretching, boxing and indoor based activities.

One of the most important aspects of Lifecare is our Community Links program, which was re-introduced this year. Students visit local aged care residences where they get to share experiences and stories with the residents. It can be very challenging for our students initially, especially if they do not have a lot of contact with the elderly in their own lives. However it quickly becomes a rewarding experience as they get to know the residents and realize that they have a lot to share and learn from them.

Photos show our students and residents of the Seventh Day Adventist aged care facility in Rossmoyne sharing St Patrick day celebrations.

Colleen Hayes: Teacher HPE

Life Care students

YEAR 7 AND 10 LIGHTNING CARNIVAL RESULTS

The Year 7 Carnival was held on the April 1 and the Year 10 Carnival was on May 15. The netball results were as follows:

Willetton fielded four teams for the Year 7 carnival
Willetton Team 1 in division A1 were champions
Willetton Team 2 in division A2 finished 4th
Willetton Team 3 in division B1 finished 4th
Willetton Team 4 in division C2 finished 6th

Year 7 Player Report by Ifeoma Anyoku

On Wednesday the April 1, 2015, the girls had their netball lightning carnival tournament. It was the first Year 7 lighting carnival for Willetton, and it was definitely the best experience ever!

At the start of the day, at 8am, we went to the gym. One the teachers called out the roll so that we could check that everyone was here and ready to get on the bus and leave for the carnival.

After a few minutes of waiting, we got on the bus that would take us to the venue for the netball games. I sat with one of my best friends Janelle Muir on the bus. It took quite a long time to get to Fremantle, but I was occupied by talking to all of my friends.

Once we arrived at the venue, which was Gibson Park Reserve, we were split into our teams. My team consisted of Sonia Raj, Rei-i Woo, Eloise Taylor, Kate Donovan, Janelle Muir and Tara Evitt (and I think there were some others). We did some training like running and shooting before our coaches gave us pep talks. They told us to do our best and have fun even if we lose. They gave us basic instructions on the rules of netball, like stepping and obstruction.

Some of the schools that we played were Rossmoyne, John Curtin, Applecross, Leeming and a few other schools. Although we lost all of our games, it was still really fun. We tried our hardest, worked as a team and enjoyed it. That’s all that really mattered.

In most of the games, I was goal attack, goal shooter or goal keeper. Kate was also goal attack in most of the games, and she did a very good job at it. Everyone else did really well in the games as well and played their part in the game perfectly. Even if we didn’t win, we all did our best.

When it came to the awards, our Willetton A Division got 1st! Everyone was elated at our victory. The A division team collected a ribbon to add to the school’s already long line of carnival victories. The other division places were called out as well, and we did a great job overall.

The Year 7 Girl’s Netball Lightning carnival was a great experience for my friends and I. We had lots of fun, and it was surely a great end to Term 2. I really wish I could do it again! I thank the sports teachers for organising it, because without them, the lightning carnival wouldn’t have been a great success.

Year 7 Team with Ms Banner

Year 10 Lightning Carnival Netball Results

Willetton fielded five teams for the Year 10 carnival. The Physical Education staff were very pleased with this as we took 56 girls to the carnival and had more teams than any other school. Quite often there is a low participation rate in sport for Year 10 girls but this year group has proved the exception in netball.

The results were:

Willetton Team 1 in Division A1 were champions defeating specialist netball school Melville by one point in an exciting grand final. This team has won the right to represent the South Coastal region in the All Schools Lightning Carnival Grand Final later in the year.
Willetton Team 2 in division A2 finished 5th
Willetton Team 3 in division B1 were runners up to Rossmoyne
Willetton Team 4 in division B2 were runners up to Applecross
Willetton Team 5 in division C1 finished 5th

Andrea Wheeler: SCSSA Lightning Carnival Netball Coordinator

Year 10 Netball Lightning Carnival

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUTDOOR EDUCATION?

Outdoor Education had an exciting and busy start to the year. There have already been a number of off-site activities, camps and adventures occurring in Term 1 and the start of Term 2.

The Year 11 students have snorkelled in various locations around Perth in preparation for their Rottnest Snorkelling Excursion in Week 8. Students researched and briefed their group on marine life, safety, hand signals, first aid and communication strategies before each dive. We were lucky enough to see many quokkas, a turtle, eels, crayfish, parrot fish, angel fish, lion fish, sting rays and various other marine life. The students have started bushwalking in locations such as Lesmurdie Falls, Lions Lookout and Whistle Pipe Gully, preparing themselves for their Bibbulmun Track Hiking Expedition.

Year 12 Students have been preparing for their two-day Kayak Camp. Learning and practising the necessary skills to cope with the marine environment and challenges they will face such as swell, weather and distance around the Point Peron area. The Kayak camps took place in weeks 2 and 3 lead by Outdoor Education teachers, Mr Atterton, Mr Pretorius and Ms Andrews as well as our amazing sea kayaking instructor KP. Students enjoyed surfing waves at Mangles Bay in their kayaks, creating new bonds with their paddling buddy, and experiencing the marine life that the Point Peron area has to offer.

The year began with some Team Building activities for the Year 10s ensuring each group built strong peer relationships and group work techniques essential for Outdoor Education activities. Year 10 groups have been learning about survival swimming at local pools and practising rescue techniques for water environments. We have also been navigating around our school and local area, using feature-based maps as well as working with compasses.

Rianda Clemons: Teacher HPE

SENIOR BOYS CRICKET

In the Greame Wood Shield, we were placed in the South West Division which was represented by five school teams. We were unlucky enough to be one of the two teams that had a bye which put extra pressure on us to achieve in less games. Here is a rundown of how the tournament went for us.

Game 1 vs CBC Fremantle

We were unlucky to have an injured Ben Martini out for our first game due to a cricket ball to the head from a game on the weekend. He still came along anyway to support our team and help out at square leg. CBC teams are always high achievers in the senior cricket competition, so right from the start we put pressure on the batters with some tight fielding. We were able to restrict them to 105 runs over the 20 overs.

Our openers Apurv and Hudson got off to a good start but we lost Hudson early to some nifty fielding. We then lost Rav and Andre to a spin bowler called Guidi who ended up taking 4 wickets for 16 runs off 4 overs. The damage had been done to our top and middle order and we ended up losing with a total of 82 runs.

Game 2 vs Emmanuel Catholic College

Last year we lost in the last over to Emmanuel so the team were eager to make amends this year. We won the toss and went into bat and made an impressive 139. Our top batsman was Ben who scored 37 off 23 balls not out.

Our bowlers destroyed their batting order with only two of their batters scoring any runs and every other batsman getting a duck. Our best two bowlers were Ben who got 2 wickets for 3 runs off two overs, and Hudson who took 4 wickets in one over to end with figures of 4 wickets for 8 runs off 3 overs.

Quarter Finals vs Fredrick Irwin Catholic College

Fredrick Irwin had been posting consistently huge batting totals of up to 249 in each 20 over match so there were some nerves while going down to Mandurah about what to expect. They were a quality team all round with some of the best bowling we have faced so far. One of their bowlers plays A grade men’s cricket and sent that ball down with lightning pace. Our team held their nerve and used the bowlers pace to generate power and were able to deflect the ball for a few easy runs in the gully and towards third man. Apurv was outstanding with the bat top scoring with 43 while Raj put on a display of power hitting batting at 7th with a score of 25. This allowed us to post our highest score of the competition so far with a score of 133.

Fredrick Irwin lost their best batsmen with a fine catch to Munya. In fact, all but two of their batters were caught out in a fantastic display of fielding while the other two were run out. We were able to restrict their scoring with some fine bowling and tight fielding with a score of 102 from 20 overs. This meant that we then were to face CBC in the crossover.

Semi Finals vs CBC Fremantle

Last time we faced this team we were missing one of our top 5 bowlers so expectation was high at the start of the match. They won the toss and put us in to the field which was a great strategy to play. The weather was expected to deteriorate and with a later start, the fading light would come be an issue. We started out fantastically with the opening batsmen going in the first two overs for one run. Where we started to come unstuck was our bowling. In a rare case of nerves, we conceded 25 wides over the 20 overs to give them easy free runs for a total of 134.

In the changeover the rain started to fall lightly. We quickly checked the rules and found that if the game was stopped due to a rain stoppage, the winner would be the team with the highest score at that time. Knowing this, our batsmen went out and started putting leather on bat and tried to get out in front. On the one hand we were ahead, but this type of cavalier play meant that we made more mistakes and lost more wickets. In the end we came up 30 run short when we were in with a real chance.

As it turns out, CBC went on to the top four in the state from this game, and ended up winning the whole tournament. Full credit to our boys for such a strong showing this year, and I look forward to seeing how we end up going next season.

Senior Cricket Team 2015

• 12– Rav Gunaratne (captain)
• 12 – Apurv Sharma
• 12 – Jacob Baron
• 12- Andre Countinho
• 12 - Raj Kanaga
• 12 – Joshua Hegerty
• 12 – Sherman Roch
• 12 – Ranul Ranasinghe
• 11 – Hudson Bliss
• 11 – Manoj Joshi
• 11- Munsif Khan
• 10 – Munya Matena
• 10 – Ben Martin

Cricket 2015

Mr E Pretorius: Teacher HPE

Languages

FRENCH TOUR 2015

Arriving at the airport in the afternoon of March 27 was very exciting for everyone going on the trip; we were off to France - Toulouse for about two weeks and Paris for roughly one. I was quite disappointed to be the only guy going but that wasn’t going to stop me from enjoying myself. After touching down in Toulouse almost instantly we were meeting our host families and they whipped us away to their homes where we would stay for roughly two weeks.

On the trip my favourite excursion would be just Paris in general as it is an amazing place. In Toulouse the excursions we went on seemed to consist of a lot of churches and cathedrals which got a bit boring as they were all the same, but they did look nice. One of my favourite activities in Toulouse was the obstacle course in the trees, which I have completely forgotten the name of but also what I did with my host family. With my host family I went to the cinema, karting (they are a lot faster in France then they are in Australia, I was not so good at it), a rugby and soccer game and just hung around and watched English premier league games on television with Pablo and his mates. Pablo, his friends and I went to the cinema to watch the new Fast and Furious movie and I was actually surprised by how much I understood, as I was when we were just hanging about sharing banter, I found as the trip went on the better my French became, which seems pretty obvious but I was truly surprised by how much better I became. The atmosphere at the rugby and soccer game in Toulouse was way better than anything I had ever experienced watching Perth Glory here in Australia and Toulouse managed to win both games which just makes it even better and I wouldn’t definitely recommend it to any sports fan. I am really glad they won as it was the weekend of my birthday and I chose to attend those games over going to Spain, that may seem crazy to some but I don’t regret it.

Looking back at the trip I don’t think I realised how lucky I was to be doing it until now. Only thing I would suggest is another day or two in Paris, not too many though as the sort of full on leaving at 8am and getting back at 10ish at night really stopped me from getting bored and I enjoyed it. I even surprised myself with how much I ended up speaking to the girls on the trip who I didn't really know before going, although it may not seem like I talked to them too much as I am very shy which I regret a bit. Over the trip I feel my French greatly improved, especially in the cuss word category and the informal language.

French Tour

Kieran Hills Year 10

KOREAN STUDY TOUR

Australian Educational Leaders Study Tour

April 4-15, 2015

The study tour is part of the Australia-Korea foundation project which aims to improve Australian educators understanding of Korea and it’s relevance to Australia.

Korean is one of the five national priority languages and Willetton became one of the first WA schools to introduce Korean language this year.

It was important for us to develop a stronger understanding of the history, culture and educational practices of Korea. It also enabled us to explore connections with various organisations, which could benefit the school of language program.

During the study tour we visited numerous primary and secondary schools where we spoke with staff and students, visited classrooms and were treated to numerous students performances. We were impressed by the standard of teaching and learning in each school we visited.

We also took part in various cultural and historical activities to help develop our understanding of this wonderful country. We met with the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Education; visited the National Museum, the UN Memorial Cemetery and the Hyundai Motor Company. We also attended various Korean performances, both traditional and modern.

The whole experience was amazing – from the welcoming people we met, the outstanding schools we visited and the great appreciation we all developed for the Korean people and their culture.

Willetton is at the forefront of Korean Language education in WA and this study tour will be of benefit to both our school and the growth of this language in WA.

Colin Marshall: Associate Principal

Korean Study Tour

MULTICULTURAL WEEK

Anyone who visits our school notices the sign at our front office as they walk in: This is a multicultural site. We respect our diversity, rejoice in our differences and delight in our similarities.

A significant annual event on the Willetton calendar which has been running for over 20 years is Multicultural Week where the school becomes a microcosm of international festival. Students, staff, parents and guests share personal and traditional aspects of culture and story. The activities focus on the traditional cultural sharing of food, dance, song and meeting together. The aim is to promote cultural harmony and diversity within the school community through the efforts of a dedicated group of students, teachers and community members who organised activities throughout the week. Activities this year included: pipe band and musical performances, Easter Walk, henna stall, a gelato, pizza and cappucino van, multicultural food at the cafè, Korean food and performance, French food stalls and Japanese yukata wearing experience and many more.

It was a fantastic week of celebration and harmony and we would like to thank the many students and parents, and 37 teachers and staff who helped make the event a success.

Many thanks to Sean Chionh (Year 9), Annabel Kho (Year 11) and Simran Vijayakumar (Year 11) who ran the kendo session during multicultural week. They did a demonstration, which showed the students a real kendo match and then let students have a go at trying to hit with the bamboo sticks. Students from various Japanese classes thoroughly enjoyed the unique experience of this form of Japanese martial arts.

Haruko Nomoto: Japanese Teacher

Multicultural Week

ITALY TOUR 2015

The school trip was such an experience seeing how different their school is to our school and how the students interact with each other was good to see and the atmosphere was really different to our school in Australia. The teachers seem to be more relaxed and casual and the students were very loud. Maybe it’s their culture to speak loudly as their very passionate about their conversations or maybe it was because the floor was concrete and made the sounds echo through the room. In their breaks, some of them would go downstairs to get a coffee or hot chocolate which I thought was really cool.

It has been such an amazing three weeks in Italy. I have made such amazing memories with the people I never knew before. I’ve also learned a lot of things during the trip. The places we went to, the people we met, the food we ate were all so good! I can’t believe that I’ve visited all these different places in three weeks. We did heaps of sightseeing and visited all the different museums. The highlight of the trip for me was definitely seeing how different everything is and how diverse the culture is compared to Australia. It was also pretty cool when we took the water taxi in Venice to the airport. There were also many other awesome things that we did. This trip was an experience of a lifetime and I will treasure the memories and friendships forever.

Claire Young: Year 10

Three weeks after our tour in Italy, I still remember about the sights, the friends I made, the lessons I learned during this amazing experience. I improved my Italian and also find myself using everything I learned about the trip in everyday life. It helped me as well to learn more about myself and to grow up as a person.

The Italian I learned on the trip proved to be extremely useful. (such as past and future tenses)...It gave me a head start and developed my passion for the Italian language, because I was forced to learn and enhance it during my homestay in Casoli. The Italian I learned there was relevant, useful and fun to use in my day-to-day interaction with the ever-friendly locals there.

The exchange in Casoli still pops up in my daily life. I keep in contact with my correspondent, Lorenzo and the little moments in each city, hotel, banco mats, shopping or the fantastic activities in Florence and Rome were the most memorable. It was the best bonding session I had with everyone else, even when we were all tired and enthusiastic at the same time.

All this and much more, made Italy one the best experiences I’ll never forget in my life.

Andrew Tan: Year 10

Italian Tour

Science

CUTTING IT ALL UP

The Science department would like to acknowledge the Willetton Butcher at Southlands. Noel and his team supply the department with a high quality of meat products such as sheep’s heart, lungs, brain, eyes, liver, long bones which allows students to better understand the functions of organs of the body by hands-on dissection.

Janet White
Laboratory Technician

DISTRACTED DRIVING

Year 12 Integrated Science students, Ranul Ranasinghe, Raj Kanaga Mugendran, Matthew Rohringer, Morgan McLaren and Education Assistant, Tim Reinholz simulating a driving experience to investigate how distractions affect their reaction time.

Technologies

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES COMPUTATIONAL THINKING

The Western Australian Curriculum recognises that students are not just consumers of digital technology but, can safely and ethically exploit the capacity of digital technologies to create, modify and construct digital information and systems for specific purposes and/or audiences, controlled through a variety of means. This is referred to as computational thinking. There is a recognized worldwide shortage of computational thinkers, and this will have a significant effect in societies which increasingly rely on digital technologies.

This recent article below highlights this:

In the 21st century coding — a set of computer commands — is behind computers software, websites and apps, virtually everything we do in the digital environment of the 21st century.

However new Microsoft research released today shows Australian students are well behind their counterparts in the Asia Pacific region when it comes to coding training and uptake.

The Microsoft Asia Pacific study for Australia found students generally feel relatively unsupported in their interest for coding, signalling an urgent need for educators to look deeper at integrating it as a core subject in the school curriculum.

Only 32 per cent of students in Australia said they have an opportunity to learn coding in school, whether as a core subject or an extra-curricular activity, marking the lowest figure in all countries surveyed.

Nearly two-thirds of Australian students surveyed said they wanted to know more about coding, but didn’t have the opportunities to gain the computer skills they need. “We have a problem in Australia around the uptake of coding amongst our young people which needs to be addressed now otherwise students could miss out on huge career opportunities,” Microsoft Australia managing director Pip Marlow said.

The Digital Technology teachers at Willetton SHS are addressing this issue through the following elective courses, which support more intensive application of the concepts learnt in the Year 11 and 12 Computer Science course.

In Year 7, students are introduced to programming concepts via the course Programming for Pups. This course introduces students to programming via the web provided service Code.org. Students then move on to using a readily available program called Scratch and finish the course with an introduction the highly regarded programming language Python.

Students in Year 8 can continue to develop their computational thinking skills via the elective course Robotics. Lego® robotic kits are provided for students to solve simple problems that require a robot to be programmed.

In Year 9 Game Design is the next semester long elective that students can choose to help them develop their programming and computational thinking skills. The software used to facilitate this is Game Maker®.

Year 10 students are provided with a year long course, Software Engineering, designed to prepare them for the WACE course Computer Science in Years 11 and 12.

To reinforce the learning opportunities in programming and computational thinking, every Tuesday lunchtime students can participate in the Code Club to share and collaborate with students from all year groups to learn about all things code. This club is organised by Mr Alec Kanganas.

TEACHER DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL - TECHNOLOGIES

For several years Willetton SHS has been a Teacher Development School for the Technologies curriculum area. This means teachers at Willetton SHS provide professional learning opportunities for teachers from Government schools both primary and secondary.

Recently, on a Saturday morning Mr Peter Martyr, Head of Technologies, conducted a four hour professional learning opportunity for teachers in the metropolitan area on using the 3D Engineering modeling program, Autodesk Inventor®. Teachers attending the introductory course not only had opportunity to complete the construction of an engineering object, but also had modeled the pedagogy on how to deliver the program Autodesk Inventor® in a way to keep students engaged in the learning opportunities this program provides.

The students from the VET Certificate II Hospitality course gave up their Saturday to provide the food and beverages and participate in this event. The students demonstrated their skills to serve hot and cold beverages including lattes, cappuccino's, hot chocolates and iced drinks. They also prepared and served a sumptuous morning tea and lunch thoroughly enjoyed by all, under the guidance and encouragement of their Teachers, Mrs Judy Ialacci and Ms Stephanie Hill.

We look forward to further professional learning opportunities from the Technologies Department in Term 3.

THE ARTS

School Musical Production

Previous musicals at Willetton:

2001- Oliver
2003- Sweet charity
2005- The Wizard of Oz
2007- Aladdin
2009- Grease
2011- Peter Pan
2015 Musical: Joseph and His Amazing Techni-colour Dreamcoat

2015- Joseph

It has been four years since Peter Pan, but this year after a long rehearsal period due to the building redevelopment we are opening this production with our brand new renovated facilities.

This modern take of Joseph sees this production set in Western Australia and Perth. Over 100 students are involved onstage and backstage.

Please put the dates in the diary and come and enjoy a fresh new approach on a classic story.

Thursday 6 August 7pm - Opening Night
Friday 17 August 7pm
Saturday 8 August 2pm
Thursday 13 August 7pm
Friday 14 August 7pm

Tickets will be sale for staff, cast, orchestra and crew Monday June 29 - Friday July 3. Tickets will be $15. Tickets for general public – Tuesday 21 July.

Please see below our fantastic cast and orchestra. In our next newsletter we will feature our fantastic backstage members.

CAST

Narrator:

Erin Strle

Joseph:

Thomas McDonald

Brothers:

Kamara Churchill
Cassie Bettermann
Chan Park
Isabelle Berridge
Malka Welideniya
Aashka Bhavsar
Andrew Tan
Marnie McKenna
Abi Sun
Joshua Rangan
Louis Kuppers

Jacob:

Aaron Chappell

Potiphar:

James Dow

Pharoah:

Franco Sauzier

Butler:

Harsha Suresh Kumar

Baker:

Shefali Tantry

Chorus:

Kerr Ren Ang, Talicia Appadoo, Jessica Banks, Georgia Barry, Jae Brieffies, Felicity Dureau, Georgina Earl, Hannah Gibson, Deidre Godin, Brook Iriks, Shivananddini K V Moorthy, Isaac Karafilis, Zoe Karafilis, Arushi Katti, Ella Li, Shane Lim, Nikitha Malvathu, Mabel Mathew, Zane Murcha, Sowbhagya Nagendran, Nilabarsi Perumal Mya Plumridge, Jessica Rolfe, Corinne Rudman, Supini Sirisena Arachchi, Ashlyn Soo, Adhya Thundathil, Elizabeth Sutton, Joyce Yap

ORCHESTRA

Flutes

Emma McLean
Shiya Huang
Xin Ru Lim
Jamie Teng
Claire Tho

Clarinets

Hannah Pitts
Vanessa Lim
Kelsey Grant

Saxophone

David Chandran

Drums

Sandrina Sutoro

Keyboard

Nancy Shi
Alicia Seet

Piano

Stacey Teo

Violins

Sota Inoue
Leopold Ngu
Ida Pui
Niklesh Warrier
Emily Counsel

Cello

Genevieve Earl
Grace Tan

Bass

Christopher Jong
Zheng Wei Lim

DRAMA REPORT

Upcoming Performance dates (subject to change)

TERM 2

Lower school Drama Showcase Wednesday July 1

Featuring several Year 8 & 9 performances.

Year 10 Drama production: Frumpled Fairy Tales Date to be confirmed

TERM 3

School Musical: Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat

Thursday August 6/7/13/14 - 7pm
Saturday matinee August 13 - 2pm

Youth on Health Drama Festival Date to be confirmed

The Year 8, 9 and 10 Drama club students will be performing at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre. They will perform their shows in the theatre at Willetton SHS at a selected date.

The Crucible Monday September 21, 7pm & Wednesday September 23, 7pm

TERM 4

Cinderella : A Pantomime Wednesday November 4, 7pm
Lower school drama performance Monday November 30, 7pm
Drama Club production: Thursday December 3, 7pm

Tickets are generally on sale one week before the show. Tickets will always be available from the registrar. Please come and support the students.

Vocational Education & Training

Photography – Harper’s Bazaar Model | Chloe Ewen

Chloe Ewen in front of the new Technologies Building Photography: Sunni Chan

Willetton SHS welcomed Harper’s Bazaar fashion model Chloe Ewen to the school for a live fashion shoot as part of the Cert II Photography course in Technologies. Chloe ventured with ten very keen Year 12 students into the new buildings of the Science and Technology areas who had detailed poses in mind to better hone their photography skills. Armed with the Canon 5D Mark II and off camera flash students posed Chloe in different areas of the new build and snapped away some photo for their portfolios.

A big thank you to Chloe and Chadwick Models for arranging this excellent opportunity with the Year 12 Photography class. Check out the student work below.

THE SKY CAN BE THE LIMIT WORKING FOR A GLOBAL COMPANY

Year 11 students in the General Career and Enterprise course participated in a presentation delivered by the franchisee owners of our local McDonald’s Willetton store, Janiene and David Pollock. Their message was clear that the sky is the limit allowing for drive, commitment, passion, determination and dedication from a worker.

A working life, begun with part time work at McDonald’s at the age of 15, has brought David and Janiene through a career including working for a McDonald’s franchisee, working for the McDonald’s company, owning and managing three Gloria Jean’s coffee shops, owning and managing two Fernwood Women’s Health Clubs.

Their focus has been on developing the two McDonald’s franchises they hold, creating an edge for the McDonald’s company not only locally but also globally. Their McDonald’s journey has taken them to the Hamburger Universities in Sydney and also in Chicago, Illinois (the global Head Office), to conferences in Orlando joining 17500 delegates and in 2016 their restaurant managers will attend the International Restaurant Manager’s Conference in Los Angeles.

The very nature of McDonald’s as a global company has seen products developed in the US delivered in Australia. In the same way, products developed in Western Australia have been de delivered to the world!

Our students gained a clear idea of the potential for personal career management with McDonald’s, a global company – exemplified by the rise of Charlie Bell from casual crew person at McDonald’s Hurlstone Park in Sydney to become the Global CEO of McDonald’s Worldwide. Their presentation was inspirational, enthusing their attentive listeners of the possibilities that could be achieved with commitment, a bottomless positive attitude and hard work.

Our sincere thanks go to Janiene and David for their time and their messages.

Ruth Barratt Sally Russell Deb Lievense

CONVENTION CENTRE HERE WE COME! UNIVERSITY OR TAFE HERE WE COME!!

As part of the Career and Enterprise course, students attended the Careers Expo held at the Convention Centre. This included General and ATAR studens whilst students who participate in a timetable which combines school courses, TAFE and work experience were able to participate on our day or chose to attend on the weekend. The Expo provides an opportunity to get up close more properly and explore the possibilities of entry to university, TAFE or an independent company providing training or learn about other career possibilities.

Alternative entry to universities including enabling courses or Certificate IV entry which allows students to consider a non ATAR pathway entry that can reflect a change in career direction from initial thoughts.

Students listened attentively to the lecturer discussing the possibilities of bricklaying as a career, as a female apprentice built a brick wall. Other students engaged with possible volunteer work as part of a gap year programme which both develops transferable skills but also provides a different perspective before engaging in further education and training.

Congratulations to our students on the way in which they engaged and empowered themselves in this part of their personal career management in transition from school.

Ruth Barratt and Natalie Greenham: Teachers VET/HASS

Grace Wong, Chunyu Zhang and Sally An with the ECU robot which everyone wanted to take home…. Even though he is worth $9000!!

YEAR 12 CAREER AND ENTERPRISE

LEARNING about IT ALL at Willetton McDonalds

Our Year 12 Career and Enterprise students recently visited the Southland’s McDonald’s store during class time. However, it wasn’t for a Big Mac. The students were introduced to franchise owners and store managers, Janiene and David Pollock, to listen to how the couple got into the fast food business and also their expectations of their employees.

Both Janiene and David have University qualifications, but these were in unrelated industry areas. They courageously decided to invest in the Hospitality Industry purchasing both the Southlands and Riverton stores.

As franchisees and business owners, they gave our students an insight into the rights in the workplace such as being paid the correct wage and being treated respectfully. It is their responsibility as employers to ensure all workers queries and issues are dealt with swiftly and fairly and they provide adequate training and a safe working environment. It was explained to the students the importance of turning up for a shift, being on time and efficiently completing all tasks asked of them.

The Year 12 students were lucky to be taken behind the scenes and were given a tour of the kitchen to see the day to day operation of the store. The students were surprised to see how large the working area was and how the kitchen was kept so clean and tidy.

After the visit to McDonalds, students were required to use what they had learnt to create a booklet for teenagers who may be entering the workplace for the first time, in particular focussing on the rights and responsibilities of both the employer and the employees.

We would like to thank Janiene and David for giving up their time and allowing us to come into their store to discuss workplace practices.

Natalie Greenham and Sally Russell: Career and Enterprise Teachers

David and Janeine Pollock, Franchisee owners of MacDonalds Willetton

A Working Holiday for some……

Over the April holidays 16 students spent part of their break gaining work experience for a possible future career or completing logged hours towards the completion of their Certificate I or II in Hospitality or Community Services. Evaluations contribute in real ways to a student resume and portfolio of workplace evidence.

Our thanks to the employers and businesses supporting our students and the programme:

Experiences were many and varied and enriched the lives of our students. Students working with aged residents were helpful in sewing the crocheted poppies for the centre’s Anzac Day display. Unfamiliar with hand sewing, a resident of the centre kindly worked with and taught our students the intricacies or needle and thread work. A shared and rewarding experience for both students and resident.

The challenge of keeping up with small children was sometimes an awakening even for our energetic and young students on work experience. In a few days, bonds of friendship were established with our students, the children clearly, very happy working on their educational activities or craft work under supervision. In the babies room, there was the challenge of calming crying children over tired for sleep.

Our student working with her mentor architect was set four projects to complete including the construction of a 3D model. A wonderful challenge which resulted in a fine piece of work acknowledged in the workplace.

Ruth Barratt
Work Placement Teacher

Bettina Rebelo’s 3D model

Back to the future for Certificate I and II Community Services students

Mrs Jenni Hood’s classes of Community Service students complete work experience as part of the requirements of their certificate course. With the support of staff from Burrendah Primary School and Castlereagh School, students complete one hour’s work experience in classes, assisting class teachers and students in their daily programmes. It is a unique opportunity to combine a regular timetable at Willetton Senior High School with work in a school, just down the road. Lessons learned in the classroom become very real for students, providing opportunity to apply understandings and gain new understandings from personal observation and experience.

Principal Jayne Ebsworthy of Burrendah Primary School with Mrs Hood’s Certificate I and II Community Services students

Year Group Reports

YEAR 7

What a busy time in and around school at the moment. NAPLAN is over for another two years and the students are to be congratulated on how they conducted themselves over the three days. Even though the majority have done NAPLAN in primary school, it was quite a daunting prospect to enter a room with nearly 300 students, find your table before you even have to start the test. It all ran smoothly with only a handful of students having to do make up tests on the Friday.

Over ‘Till Year 9

In the last newsletter I mentioned the wonderful time we were having enjoying Multicultural week at the end of term 1. It was colourful with all the traditional dress, loud with the wonderful musical items we had, the school smelled amazing due to the number of food stalls. It was a week where the students were made aware of the diversity of the community in which we live. The Year 7 students were treated to a story and music session, during their assembly, by Mr Matthew McGuire who played indigenous instruments, including the clapping sticks and sang traditional stories which have roots in Western Australia. Some of the students had never heard music like this before and I think all of them went away with a little more knowledge and understanding.

The students are beginning to show some of their amazing talents, and one of them is in the sporting arena. On the April 1, the school competed in a Lightening Carnival and came away with some fantastic results.

NETBALL Team 1 1st
Team 2 4th
Team 3 4th
Team 4 6th
BASKETBALL Boys 1st
Girls 1st (equal with Rossmoyne)
FOOTY 1st
SOCCER Girls 2nd
Boys 4th

Other sporting achievements have come from Darcy Gartlett who after his first year in Little Athletics competed in the State Championships. He came away with a silver in the shot put, a 4th in the 100m final (breaking a Southern District record with a time of 12.65 seconds) and a 5th placing in the 200m finals. All of these results saw Darcy beat his personal bests-well done.

Darcy Garlett

On Friday May 15 a group of students took part in the State Cross Country Championships. In the girls division 136 individuals ran. Teya Saville ran an amazing time of 12.16 minutes, coming 4th but with only 2 seconds separating 1st and 4th it was a very tight race. Tiama Tilbee was not far behind with 13.59 minutes placing her in the top 25. Dylan Harris ran a tough race of nearly 200 competitors, in a predominately year 8 field, with a respectable time of 15.16 minutes. Congratulations.

Teya Saville State Cross-country Championships

On Friday May 22, Ethan Lim and Amy Mercer represented the school at the Secondary Schools Team Golf Championship held at the Royal Perth Golf Club. Over 100 students took part from schools all over WA, ranging from year 7s to year 12s. They all played 18 holes over a four and a half hour period.

Both students represented the school with both an amazing attitude and wonderful skills. Ethan scored a respectable 32 points and Amy scored 35 points. Amy finished 3rd place in the Year 7 division-well done!

Amy and Ethan

Every Thursday the Year 7 cohort come together for our assembly. During term 1, I had an assembly committee based on those students that applied, and were shortlisted from the Willetton School of the Year Scholarship. They were Will Ho, Justin Moro, Damien Raja, Leilah Warlik, Kate Donovan, Tara Tabei and Roopsha Mukherjee. These students were thrown into the unknown and did a wonderful job every week speaking in front of over 300 members of their peer group. I commend them for their commitment and maturity in this role. At the end of term 1, I called for new members and we formed a new committee of Zahra Tiling, Ella Angus,Erdyna Razif, Prashans Pathak, Aakriti Nandwani, Jack Killoh and Laila Al-Absawi. We meet every Wednesday to work out what needs to go in the agenda and organise the running of the assembly. There will be two more committees formed this term, one for fundraising and another for social events. I will let the students know in the daily notices and at assembly time that there are positions available.

Thank you to all the parents who were able to make the Parent Interviews. It was great to see so many attend and to put some faces to names and get to know my students and their families a little better.

Kimberley Atkinson Year 7 Coordinator

YEAR 8

By now all parents should have received a copy of their child’s interim report. Students who have scored a 4 or 5 in the progress category and/or have been rated as sometimes in any attribute are our main concern, particularly if this has occurred across more than one subject area. The Student Services team will be following up with these students in the upcoming weeks to assist with strategies and support in terms of homework, motivation and organisation. If you have any concerns about your child’s progress please contact me by email.

We have formed a social committee to assist with upcoming Year 8 social events. Currently we are investigating students’ opinions about social activities and collating their responses on Connect. The first social event is likely to occur at the end of this term or the beginning of term 3.

Congratulations to the following Year 8 students :

Will Sherriff who will be participating in the Little League Baseball National Championships held in Lismore NSW June 2 - 12, 2015.

Hannah Gibson who won the 12/13 years Calisthenics Association of WA Solo Graceful completion. As a result of this win she has been selected to represent WA at the upcoming Australian Calisthenics Federation National Championships in the Gold Coast on Thursday 9th July 2015.

The Year 8 High Schools Cup netball team who were undefeated at the recent South Of the River Carnival

Formatting problems (mine) prevented photos from being included in the last newsletter. The photos below are from Year 8 events that occurred in term one .

Shave For a Cure fundraiser Brodie Hood before and after.

Willetton Walk participants

Multicultural Day
Manas Sunil in traditional costume and Nindana Binu who performed at the Year 8 assembly

Manas and Cameron, two of our assembly hosts in Term 1

There is a lot of talent in the Year 8 group and we are beginning to see that as more students perform at assemblies. Kai Xin Chen has played the piano magnificently and Nandana Binu and Sowbagya Nagendran have danced for us during Multicultural week last term. I look forward to seeing the hidden talents of many more students this year.

Andrea Wheeler Year Coordinator

YEAR 9

Upcoming events relating to Year 9s

Week 8 Friday June 12: Written Applications for peer leading due
Week 9 Monday June 15: 9:30am-10:30am Drama Performance: The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer - invited Year 9 Drama students
Week 9 Wednesday June 17: Music performance : 6:00pm
Week 10 Tuesday June 23 : Octagon Dance Performance night ( Year 9s)
Week 11 Wednesday Lower school performance drama night
Week 11 July 3 – Reports issued

June 29 - 3 July 3- Year 9 co-ordinator Stefan Brand away on leave

Student achievements

Grant Box
Nathan Box

They both regularly skipper their own Pelican Dingy, train in the SOPYC youth squad on the BW8 keelboats and have been crew in the Foundation 36 Youth Cup Match Racing competition which includes sailors from 12 to 21years of age. They are both competent Pacer dingy sailors taking visitors out for a sail on Club open days and participate in the Youth Pacer Teams Racing Competitions.

Khalisha-Armani Ashik
Hamish Cummings
Imogen Ayliffe
Hannah Bythe (reserve)

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected as state representatives in Western Australia in the under 16 metro team. They will participate in the Australian Championship in July.

Isabelle Colvin

Isabelle has now officially completed and passed her black belt in So Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Karate and has received her black belt. It has been a long journey which has required commitment, discipline and hard work from Isabelle over the last six years and especially in the last six months. Congratulations to Isabelle!

Maria Paul

Maria Paul came in third in the National All Styles Kempo Ryu Karate Championships held in Sydney recently. She was the only representative from WA in her division. Congratulations to Maria!

Emma Johnson

Emma has been selected to represent WA at the Australian National Cadet Fencing Championships in Sydney in July. Emma intends to compete in five different individual events; none of the other 25 squad members are competing in more than two. She may also be selected for up to four team events, depending on her WA ranking and results from the individual events. Congratulations and best wishes to Emma.

Behaviour

I have most impressed with the Year 9s in regards to the recent social event (the successful river cruise) and the recent NAPLAN. I am also continuing to hear reports from teachers on the students’ manners and behaviour in class.

Parent Night

Thank you to both the teachers and parents who attended the recent interviews. Please communicate with the teachers if you have any concerns; please cc me at all time with your emails.

River Cruise & future social functions

Thank you to the Year 9 students who came along and supported the river cruise. It was an awesome night. Please see included in this newsletter photos from the night. Plans are under way with the Year 9 councillors in having a movie night as a social event in Term 3, money raised will go towards the Zero2Hero foundation.

Peer Leading programme.

A tradition at Willetton SHS is the peer leading program. As we are restricted to the number of Peer Leaders we are allowed to appoint, a form must be completed to apply for the position. As a Peer Leader you child will be expected to maintain the following attributes;

An outstanding behavioural record
No unexplained absences and an acceptable attendance record
A good rapport with teaching staff
Proven ability to work well in a team
Proven ability to carry out instructions responsibly
Excellent interpersonal skills
A caring and fun nature
Ability to project confidence and use initiative
Confidence to speak in front of small groups
Punctual and reliable
Confidence to manage your daily lives and deal with problems that arise
Commitment in their daily life

Commitment

As the students get older they will find themselves busier with different aspects of school, home, social life etc. Students must understand and learn that if they are committed to something then they must stick to it. Examples would be their study time-tables, part time job, committing to rehearsals for a play or musical, commitment to training and playing sport etc. There are plenty of other examples. Please ensure that before your child commits to something that they are prepared to see it through.

Duke of Edinburgh

We now have over 100 students in Years 9, 10, 11 and 12 that are involved in this program. A reminder to those students who have turned 14 you can start the program, pick up a starter pack and the journey can begin. For those Year 9 students that have already started the program, great to have you on board, however, this program very much teaches you independence. You are responsible for this journey not your parents/guardians. If you have a question please come and have a chat to us at Student services.

Stefan Brand Year 9 Coordinator

YEAR 9 Councillor Report

The Year 9 Student Councillors have been hard at work this term, organising events and creating opportunities for both the Year 9 cohort and the rest of the school. Our main focuses this term are fundraising for our chosen charity, Zero2Hero, and providing the new Year 7 cohort with student mentoring and assistance in keeping themselves organised and helping them as much as possible in their transition from primary school to high school. This service may also be extended to the Year 8 and 9 cohorts, depending on how it goes with the Year 7's.

As for the fundraising efforts of the Councillors, we have been working with Ashlee Harrison, founder of the mental health organisation Zero2Hero, to organise events to raise funds for this very deserving organisation that helps to educate adolescents about mental health issues and works with young people to provide them with the tools necessary to become mental health ambassadors in their communities. The typical free dress day, sausage sizzle and bake sale idea was abandoned in favour of a fresh new idea that the school will very much enjoy.

As well as these, we are also organising and discussing the possibility of other things at our weekly meetings, such as personally delivered birthday cards, social events and a survey for the Year 9 cohort. We encourage students to approach any or the Student Councillors (identifiable by their badges) with any ideas, questions or feedback, as we are very much open to ideas.

Our goal is to make the year a very enjoyable experience for the Year 9 cohort and the rest of the school and, with all of your suggestions; we can get a better picture of what the year group wants and plan accordingly.

Help us help you have a great year.

Sasha O'Connor Year 9 Student Councillor

YEAR 10

This is a very busy and exciting time for Year 10s. It holds many challenges and choices that have to be made both on an academically and social level.

On Friday we saw the entire year group attend the Career Expo at the Perth Convention Centre.

Year 10 Career Expo

This marks the start of their decision making process. This will hopefully over the next few months see the students make the right course selections to allow them to follow suitable pathways in senior school. It does not mean students need to know what they what to do when they leave school, but rather have some realistic expectations and goals as to which direction they want to go, whether it be tertiary, TAFE or work place bound.

Year 10 exams start in week 8. These are the first true indication of academic performance and where/what individual students should be aiming for in senior school. Results from these tests together with first semester reports will provide valuable information to our counsellors in assisting with student guidance and course selection for next year.

Exam Timetable.

Examinations are scheduled for Year 10 students from June 8 to June 10. All exams are 1 hour and 30 minutes plus reading time. The timetable is shown below:

Monday June 8 Sessions 1 & 2 English in the Gym and EAL/D in F9-10

Sessions 3 & 4 French in the Gym & Japanese in F9-10 (normal timetable for other students)

Session 5 Normal timetable

Tuesday June 9 Sessions 1 & 2 Science in the Gym

Sessions 3 & 4 Mathematics in the Gym

Session 5 Normal timetable

Wednesday June 10 Sessions 1 & 2 Humanities and Social Sciences in the Gym

Sessions 3 & 4 Italian in the Gym (normal timetable for other students)

Session 5 Normal timetable

Students with approved Special Exam Arrangements will have their exams in B12 (apart from Languages and EAL/D).

We have provided the Year 10 students with strategies to ensure they are organized and to plan for allocating extra time to prepare for these examinations. We encourage students to work closely with their class teachers to look at specific ways to perform at their best in each course.

These exam results will be considered together with the semester one grades and teacher recommendations in determining the appropriateness of student selections for Year 11.

The next phase of the Decision Time: Pathways to Success program provides information about and assistance with course selection for Year 11 in 2016 and will run over the last three weeks of term two. Students will require their laptop in class each day in week 10 to successfully complete the modules covered in their English and HaSS classes. It is anticipated that your son/daughter will also discuss the material covered with you at home.

The Year 10 to 11 Parent Information Session is planned for Tuesday July 28 at 7pm in the Theatre and this will be followed by individual interviews with the Course Counsellor between weeks two to five of term three.

Several Year 10 students will have the opportunity to attend a Try a Trade. This involves a three day work experience at Thornlie TAFE at the end of the term. We also continue to work towards as many interested students going out on work experience as possible.

On Friday the May 29 we have a presentation on Pre Apprenticeship courses and what they entail. If any parent would like further information on this please contact me.

It has been reported that at some Year 10 parties there has been incidences of unsafe, inappropriate and disrespectful behaviour due to over consumption of alcohol. This can have some very serious consequences for both students and parents, and although not strictly in the school’s jurisdiction it has a flow on affect in terms of relationships, rumours and respect amongst peers in our school community.

Can I advise all parents to please refer to the Government initiated

It has many fantastic tips and advice on the law and duty of care when hosting parties or sending your children to parties where alcohol may be present. It details your responsibilities as a parent and host and ways to keep our teenagers safe. It offers great advice on talking to teenagers about alcohol consumption and setting clear boundaries and expectations in a realistic manner. As a mother of a teenager I know it can be a confronting issue and cause of concern as to where the boundaries should be set for your own child. This site offers advice on role modelling and ways to keep lines of communication and expectations open.

I urge you to refer to the website to assist in cutting done the level of alcohol consumption in our underage children.

To further address this issue I have invited the Community Police officer from Cannington to address the students at assembly. They will cover the important ideas of minimising risk taking behaviours amongst peers and the importance of knowing what to do to protect yourself and friends in potentially harmful situations. They will of course be reminding the students of the law and ways to host a safe underage party.

This term also saw our Year 10s compete in their last Lightning Carnival and I congratulate the many Year 10s who competed. Well done to all the athletes who have represented Willetton in the Lightning Carnivals over the last three years and congratulations on the many successes we have had.

The Year 10s have been offered an exciting opportunity as part of their Duke of Edinburgh award to visit Vietnam in 2016 as members of the Antipodeans Abroad program. This is an exciting prospect and I look forward to seeing this eventuate over the coming months.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding any matter please contact me directly on 9334 7231.

Colleen Hayes Year Coordinator

YEAR 10 IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Year 10 students commenced their Year 10 Decision Time: Pathways to Success program with a visit to the Career Expo on May 15 where they collected information about a range of post school options.

Examinations are scheduled for Year 10 students from June 8 to June 10. All exams are 1 hour and 30 minutes plus reading time. The timetable is shown below:

Monday June 8 Sessions 1 & 2 English in the Gym and EAL/D in F9-10

Sessions 3 & 4 French in the Gym & Japanese in F9-10 (normal timetable for other students)

Session 5 Normal timetable

Tuesday June 9 Sessions 1 & 2 Science in the Gym

Sessions 3 & 4 Mathematics in the Gym

Session 5 Normal timetable

Wednesday June 10 Sessions 1 & 2 Humanities and Social Sciences in the Gym

Sessions 3 & 4 Italian in the Gym (normal timetable for other students) Session 5 Normal timetable

Students with approved Special Exam Arrangements will have their exams in B12 (apart from Languages and EAL/D).

We have provided the Year 10 students with strategies to ensure they are organized and to plan for allocating extra time to prepare for these examinations. We encourage students to work closely with their class teachers to look at specific ways to perform at their best in each course.

These exam results will be considered together with the semester one grades and teacher recommendations in determining the appropriateness of student selections for Year 11.

The next phase of the Decision Time: Pathways to Success program provides information about and assistance with course selection for Year 11 in 2016 and will run over the last three weeks of term two. Students will require their laptop in class each day in week 10 to successfully complete the modules covered in their English and HaSS classes. It is anticipated that your son/daughter will also discuss the material covered with you at home.

The Year 10 to 11 Parent Information Session is planned for Tuesday July 28 at 7pm in the Theatre and this will be followed by individual interviews with the Course Counsellor between weeks two to five of term three.

The five universities in WA each have an Open Day where student and parents are encouraged to visit and gain information about the range of courses offered. The details are below and can also be found on their websites:

Sunday July 19 Edith Cowan University (Joondalup campus) in school holidays
Sunday July 26 Murdoch University (South Street)
Sunday August 2 Curtin University
Sunday August 9 Edith Cowan University & WAAPA (Mt Lawley campus)
University of Western Australia
Sunday August 16 Notre Dame University

If you have any queries about the Decision Time Program please contact Maura Sorrell on 9334 7229 or me on 9334 7231.

YEAR 11

It has been all systems go with Year 11s as ATAR students prepare for their first exams. At school we have had a second MYLO (Maximise Your Learning Opportunities) session aimed at assisting with last minute preparations and exam technique. All the best to students sitting exams. I’m sure everyone who has put in the time to study and prepare will reap the benefits of good results. FLiS students are also reported to be working well across the board with pleasing results and success with work experience and courses at various state training providers. On the whole, the cohort is settling into Senior School well. The increase in difficulty for all courses has been a big adjustment along with fitting in other commitments such as part time jobs, learning to drive and socialising. It is great to see students still involved with a range of school based teams, bands and other extra-curricular activities. I encourage all students to keep a positive balance of work, rest and play.

Year 11 Mylo Session in progress

We had a successful Year 11 Social at Metropolis Nightclub late last term. Everyone looked amazing and it was great to see everyone take a break from school and unwind for a night. We have become accustomed to compliments from the venues we attend for socials and Metro’s staff was no exception saying that the conduct of students was exceptional and the best group they had experienced for some time. Councillors also attended a dinner to connect over a number of upcoming decisions. They have been a huge asset to their peers putting in hours of planning towards 2016 leavers’ jackets and the school ball.

Y11 Councillor Dinner

Star Badges are the ultimate positive reward for Year 11 students. Around 10 students have received star badges to date, mostly for state or national representation in a sport. However, students can get star badges for a variety of other reasons and I am keeping a database of positive comments and feedback I get from teachers regarding achievement, contributing to the school and so on. Recently, I was extremely happy to present a star badge to Andrew McDonald for citizenship. Andrew found a wallet belonging to another student with a sum of money enclosed and handed it in to school where it could be returned to its rightful owner. The integrity and honesty Andrew has shown is honourable and I am very proud of him.

Year 11 students are on track to receive Senior Status in coming months. The requirements are simple. They must have no outstanding absences and an impeccable behavioural record. Achieving Senior Status is a privilege and can be revoked if good standing at school is not maintained. Senior Status will allow students to go on and off campus during the day. Parent permission forms will be sent home when students are offered Senior Status.

Judy Gauci Year Coordinator

YEAR 12

Dear Year Twelves,

The year is going very fast. The work is coming at you faster than ever. Many of you are under a lot of pressure right now with the exams and the lead up to the end of the year. Some of you are under pressure because you have not been working and bamboozling yourselves into thinking that it is all going to be okay because just around the corner a miracle is going to happen and the work fairies will somehow do it for you. There are concerns that things are not working out the way you expected. You are worried about the fact that you don’t know what you want to do in the future and you are anxious that you just don’t know what the future holds.

How you handle the pressure will be a life defining lesson. It will give you an indication of how much you can take. When things are so overwhelming that you can’t see a way out, STOP, and take a breath. Yes; you are under pressure, but it is not so much pressure that you are going to burst. Now is not the time to crack under that pressure. Have a reality check and get on with it.

You need to hang in there. Put one foot in front of the other and say to yourself, “I can do this” You have almost finished the marathon of school. There is only 6 months left till your final exams are over. Six months is not a long time. It is only 0.5% of time of the rest of your life.

Now is the time to stack everything in your favour. You are adults and you need to be responsible for all aspects of your life. At the end of the day, how you finish your high school race is totally up to you. You are the one that makes the choices and you need to live with the consequences of those choices. Make the right choice and it can have a dramatic positive impact on your life just as a poor choice has a negative effect.

It is important to do your very best and to keep doing your very best. Sometimes things don’t go to plan. At times you will feel that the world is working against you. Sometimes you make a poor choice and it is a real knock to you. You must develop resilience, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get on with it. Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult times.

It is never too late to end the race the way you want. Put in the extra effort to study that little bit more and to make sure that you are up to date with all your work. It takes something special to lift yourself over the wall that you are facing. It is important to know that you do have that special spark inside you if you are willing to look for it.

So to each and every one of you have a look for that spark and make the choices that you know are right.

I wish you all the best for the rest of the year.

Take care,

Hoggie.

SCHOOL BOARD NEWS

SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

School Board meetings are held three times per term at 5.30pm in the school conference room. Dates for Board meetings for this year can be found on the school website, under the School Board information. All are welcome.

COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE – EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

In recognition of the expertise that exists in a variety of areas in our community, we are seeking the services of community members who are willing to make a contribution to the Board and school in enhancing the educational outcomes for Willetton students.

A community member is an individual who is not a current Willetton Senior High School parent or staff member, who can provide relevant advice and recommendations to the Board and its strategic planning. Past community representatives have come from all walks of life, including past students, small business owners, marketing and industry representatives.

Appointment to the Board will be for a 12 month period, commencing from June 2015.

For further information, please contact the Board Executive Officer Mrs Helen Wong on 9334 7217 or by email: helen.s.wong@education.wa.edu.au

A copy of the school’s 2014 -2016 Business Plan can be found under the Information tab of the school’s website.

If you wish to contribute to this vibrant and successful school, please request for an expression of interest form by contacting Helen Wong and submitting your form to:

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

Expressions of Interest close on Tuesday June 9 2015

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK FUNDRAISER

The 2015/2016 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

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

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

From time to time, we are in need of volunteers to assist in various parts of the school such as the bookshop, canteen, second hand uniform shop or Willo parent events. If you would like to put your name on a Volunteers’ List, or have a special skill you would like to offer to the school, please leave your details 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 9334 7217.

Willo Parent Group News

WILLO PARENT GROUP MEETINGS

The Willo Parent Group meets twice 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. Details of Willo Parent Group events can be found on the school website, or by contacting helen.s.wong@education.wa.edu.au

Here are some photos from the Multicultural Lunch held last term on March 31.

COFFEE MORNING WITH MERCYCARE – MAY 15

To celebrate the start of Family Week, two representatives from MercyCare were our guest speakers at the most recent coffee morning. Cheryl Niadoo and Jodie Teofilo shared with parents the work done by their organization in assisting young people to re-connect with their families.

CALLING ALL WOMEN – MARK JUNE 26 IN YOUR DIARY

We look forward to our next Willo Parent Group meeting, where we will have special guest speaker Dr Manju Ambekar, gynaecologist and women’s specialist from King Edward Memorial Hospital talk about women’s health and wellbeing. Dr Ambekar has a special interest in fertility and menopause. Come and learn how you can look after yourselves better. This event will take place on Friday June 26, 9.00am in the WSHS staff room. Please see flyer for details.

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.