Belridge Secondary ESC News

The last few weeks of this term have gone by so quickly and amazingly Semester One is drawing to a close. Your child’s Semester One Report for 2021 will be sent to you shortly and like all of the staff here I am sure that you will be impressed with the progress that your child has made. This semester has provided each and every student here at Belridge Secondary ESC an amazing amount of social, emotional and academic supports and opportunities and there are so many more to look forward to. I would like to recognise and thank all of the staff who work tirelessly to provide high quality educational programs based on the social and emotional needs of the students here at Belridge Secondary ESC.

On Thursday a number of students performed here at Belridge Secondary College/SESC in the NEW performing arts centre in front of a number of their peers from other education support centres and schools. Some students performed an item they had been practising as a class, in a small group and/or individually. Liv Dyrting performed a solo dance routine to, ‘Try Everything’ by Shakira while Megan Daff performed a solo, singing, ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go’ by WHAM. We also had a group made up of Liam Keating, Jennifer Mason, Ghenwa Dannaoui and Harrison Glass who performed an acoustic rendition of ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ by One Direction. Lastly we had our year seven’s (7.2) perform an AUSLAN signing song to, ‘We Are The Champions’ by Queen. It was a really enjoyable day, as all students were able to perform, and watch others perform.

The winter months have well and truly arrived and this can impact on student attendance with a number of bugs and virus’s presenting themselves at different times as well as the impact of COVID. If your child is unwell we appreciate your support in keeping them home to prevent the spread of any virus’. Thank you to our parents who diligently keep us informed. Should your child also utilise School Bus Services, please inform your contracted bus driver in the event that your child will be absent from school. There are a number of students whose attendance may be identified as a cause for concern so please take note of the number of half day absences that are recorded on your child’s report.

We are farewelling our School Psychologist Nora Gillespie at the end of this term which while bringing a little sadness, also brings new opportunities and journeys for her. Nora will be joining a private practice as well as spending some quality time with her young family. We have really appreciated and valued Nora’s contributions and support over the years. We are currently in the process of allocating a new School Psychologist to commence at the beginning of Term 3. We will keep the school community informed when this process is complete.

I look forward to seeing everyone return for Term 3 on Monday 19th July with many more activities and events to look forward to in the months ahead. Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday break!

Kind regards,

Shayne Hutchings

Acting Principal

Friday 2nd July - Last day of Term 2

Monday 19th July - First day of Term 3

Friday 13th August - Staff Development Day - PUPIL FREE DAY

I would like to congratulate our students for all the hard work and enthusiasm that they have demonstrated throughout Term 2. I am so proud of you, each and every one of you! You have all achieved success in a number of ways and you have all demonstrated outstanding results which shows in your school reports and on your faces when I see those great big smiles. Our school values, 'Safe, Respectful and Responsible' have been a big part of everything we do here at Belridge SESC and it is great to see all of our students demonstrating these values each and every day.

Our quality teaching programs have supported students to strive to do their best which has resulted in students achieving their goals and having fun along the way. There have been many highlights across middle school this term including the 8-2 class accessing Mullaloo Coastal Garden Project, the swimming program at Joondalup Arena which our Year 7's and MAG classes accessed this term and the students thoroughly enjoyed the collaborative 'Artist in Residence' whole school mural project. Classes have also created posters related to Aboriginal heroes in preparation for NAIDOC week which are displayed in the school library. Students have also taken part in an incursion based on Aboriginal symbols and dance and dreamtime stories which was presented by Derek Nannup. We really have had a busy term!!!!!!!

I would like to wish students, staff, parents and carers all the very best over the holiday break and I look forward to seeing you all in Term 3.

Shayne Hutchings

Middle School

Deputy Principal

Oh What A Night ......................

Our Beyond School evening was a huge success. There are so many folk to thank - the many hands that made light work of the set up. Rob Robartson who managed to get the technology to cooperate and the eager beavers who set up, served food and then tidied the kitchen. Thanks go to Chris Franklin, Vanessa Lund and Mandy Brown. There were many compliments about the food - especially the sausage rolls!

The night was not just about the food that the Belridge Secondary College canteen staff supplied, but also the valuable information that was provided for parents.

Gaelen Williams (APM) outlined how the NDIS works and what employment options are available. If any parents would like a copy of his PowerPoint please email me: wendy.hughes1@education.wa.edu.au

Thanks also go to the service providers who volunteered their time and expertise. The following agencies were represented:

1. APM - Advanced Personnel Management
2. ACTIV
3. Ability Centre
4. DDWA - Developmental Disability WA
5. NDS - National Disability Services
6. Bizlink
7. Maxima Joblink
8. SECCA - Sexuality Education Counselling and Consultancy Agency
9. Down Syndrome WA
10. More Opportunities
11. Indigo Solutions
12. People First
13. Carers WA
14. NM TAFE Disability Programs
15. Edge Employment
16. Community Vision
17. Rocky Bay
18. Therapy Focus
19. New Shoots Therapeutic Gardening
20. Joblife Employment

Please contact me if you would like further information from these providers. I do have brochures from most of them in my office.

In other news, Work Experience for Year 10's will commence next term with 10-2 starting on Thursdays Weeks 1-5.

I will be away on LSL for Week 1 and 2 next term. Lauren Thompson will be the Acting Deputy. Lauren will have my school phone. If you need to contact Lauren the number is

0417 171 806.

Have a happy and safe holiday everyone

Wendy Hughes

Senior School

Deputy Principal

The teaching staff at Belridge Secondary ESC have been busy engaging in ongoing professional learning that focuses on school priority areas. At a recent teacher meeting Tom Cann ran a group session which invited teachers to explore ideas for new sports equipment that students can use at break times or at times when they need a break and/or at times when they need to self-regulate throughout the school day. We are still in the process of identifying exactly what this looks like so watch this space. We will keep you informed on any new developments.

Our Digital Technology Coordinator, Helen Carlyon supported teachers to navigate through the new Digital Technologies Hub website. The Digital Technologies Hub supports teachers to engage with the Digital Technologies curriculum to plan, implement and assess effective lessons and it supports families to find out about Digital Technologies to support your child to learn skills, create digital solutions. www.digitaltechnologieshub.edu.au

Nichola Manship, one of our Communication/AAC Coordinators shared some different communication devices, systems, strategies and tools that she is introducing around the school and at break times to support our student’s communication. Some of the communication supports Nichola discussed with staff included the PODD, Core vocabulary Desk Placemat, Aided Language Displays (ALD), Something’s Wrong communication poster to name a few. These supports are implemented across our classrooms and individualised to meet student's needs.

Pauline Egan, our Literacy Coordinator has recently purchased a number of new books for the school, to support teachers to deliver their lessons in an interesting and engaging manner for their students. The big books focus on topics and concepts related directly to mini beasts, my mindset and choice making, nature, seasons, and emotions. The illustrations and photographs are unbelievably detailed and draw students in. Students will be able to utilise these new books to support them on their learning journey.

Shayne Hutchings

Acting Principal

Indigenous Artist Deborah Bonar has been working with our school over the last two weeks to create a mural which ties in the local area and our Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) values as a school. By engaging our students in creating the mural, we hope to provide them with knowledge and insight into aboriginal culture through workshops delivered by the Artist during her residency at our school. The mural also visibly celebrates Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander culture in our school. It is a fantastic way to build connections both within and outside our school, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, families and communities.

Working alongside Deborah to create this mural in our school has provided an opportunity for students to be exposed on a daily basis to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander art styles; it has also been a great platform on which to introduce students to both past and contemporary Indigenous art.

In a broader sense, the mural reinforces Belridge Secondary ESC's learning environment where we champion cultural pride. This is important not only for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff at school, but for the non-Indigenous students also. The Positive Behaviour Support mural encapsulates our values of being Safe, Respectful and Responsible while helping to deepen awareness and appreciation of the Indigenous culture. Deborah was very keen to ensure the students were included in the creation of the mural. Working with her on this project was a wonderful way to foster belonging and team work amongst our staff and students. The artwork is an abstract Aboriginal dot painting depicting a birds-eye-view of the landscape on which Belridge Secondary Education Support Centre is located highlighting the surrounding landscape such as the ocean/coastline and Lake Joondalup.

Michael Monrose

Student Services Coordinator

The whole school is currently celebrating Aboriginal Culture and upcoming NAIDOC week. Each year, a theme is chosen to reflect the important issues and events. This year’s theme is: Heal Country.

As part of Belridge Secondary ESC's ongoing recognition and acknowledgement of Aboriginal culture, the school participated in an incursion with Nyoongar man Derek Nannup. Students were told three Dreamtime stories of how the earth and animals were created. Derek also involved the students in story and dance actions as well as showing and playing the didgeridoo.

The whole school also joined together to shine a light on aboriginal heroes and their legacy by creating a class poster for a large display in the library. The design and creation of the board was completed by the students and staff of 10-1 - great effort everyone!

Susan Osborne

As part of our Year 7 to 10 Science Program for Term 2, Belridge Secondary Education Support Centre was visited by Scitech. Many classes had been learning about different plants and animals and the adaptations that they have. The show Scitech brought to us showed students how different living things survive in their different environments.

Students were engaged in a range of activities that had them both learning and laughing their heads off. Students were given examples of an animal or plants adaptations and they had to guess what it was. Once they guessed the correct plant or animal, volunteers were called to the front to act it out.

The monkey and the hag fish appeared to be a favourite among many students. Watching their friends try and reach a 'banana' across a large space in the floor or seeing a friend have their hands covered in slime while trying to pick up a pretend hag fish had the students in stitches.

It was a great day for students to see Science in action and have fun while doing it.

Crystal Thompson

DOTT Teacher

We have had a fantastic term, full of new and engaging opportunities.

The students have continued working hard on routines within the classroom and on their reading, writing and phonics.

We created a poster of an Aboriginal hero for a school display. We researched a Paralympic Swimmer named Ben Austin. The students also created a vibrant snake using dot painting and assembled sentences. As a part of our week-long celebration of Aboriginal studies, we were invited to meet Derek Nannup, an aboriginal elder, who shared dreamtime stories and showed us some of the tools used in the bush. The students enjoyed his stories, especially when he made silly sound effects.

We have continued our cooking program this term. Students create their shopping list and walk to Coles where they buy the ingredients needed for their Home Economics classes in the ILC on Friday morning. Nachos were a big hit! Swimming has continued to be a favourite in MAG1. All the students are having success with their individual teachers. Our weekly music classes gave us the chance to explore musical instruments, the different sounds they make and how to interact with them to produce various tones. Drumming was a huge hit for all in both electric and acoustic forms!

James has enjoyed daily writing opportunities, strengthening his amazing numeracy skills and our end of day AUSLAN and music time, dancing, signing along and following the actions to ‘See it, Say it, Sign it‘. His enthusiasm is so contagious the song is now a firm favourite with the whole of MAG1.

Deegan and Jordan have relished teaching staff all about their favourite hero’s Lightning McQueen and Pororo during daily shared reading. We have learned so much from you both!

Jarrah and Deegan are the masters of TEACCH boxes. They have enjoyed Readiness: Matching and sorting skills, Math: Number sense and patterns, Reasoning: Concepts as relate to the students environment: exploring materials, generating attributes and using common objects. TEACCH helps students build upon that success for greater skill and independence.

We are looking forward to watching the students continued success in Semester 2.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Tracy Buckley, Nichola Manship, Annette Hogben, Nicola Corley and Laura O’Connor.

MAG1

In class we have been focusing on our IEP goals, experiments in Science, creating our assembly item video clip, Dreamtime stories in HASS, zones strategies and self-regulation in Health, dot painting in Art and how to be assertive.

Our reflection of our favourite parts of the term:

• Matthew: building arts and crafts, making new friends and getting to know the teachers, seeing the garbage truck from the classroom and lunchtime.
• Jamie: watching videos on the Aboriginal people and participating in the incursion with Derek Nannup, riding the scooters and doing the assembly film clip.
• Phoebe: having Bonnie visit our class, playing Minecraft as a reward in Maths, jumping on the trampoline and going to Lego Club with Lily, Home Economics, Art and Library.
• Evie: playing in the sensory garden, watering the garden, dancing with my friends, playing soccer, riding the scooter and listening to music on the computer as a reward.
• Hayley: dancing with the class, listening to music as a reward, gardening and riding the bikes.
• Lily: watering in the garden, riding the bikes, dancing with friends, cooking and buddy class.
• Wil: playing with Sienna my best friend, doing my work next to Sienna, playing Monkey Flip in Maths and having Minecraft as a reward.
• Sienna: having computer time to listen to music as a reward, playing with the hula hoop at recess and lunch, colouring with Wil and doing gardening on Wednesdays.

Daisy Llanwarne

7-1 Teacher

7-2 have had an exciting couple of weeks in our class. Everyone has worked hard practising daily for the ESNN Performing Arts Concert. On the day of the concert 7-2 performed our 'We are the champions' song with AUSLAN signs.

We really enjoyed watching the other acts and sang along to everyone else's performances.

We also enjoyed contributing to the whole school Aboriginal art work. We practised making our own dot painting in class as part of our art program.

Chloe Jordan

7-2 Teacher

As we say goodbye to Term 2 let's take a moment to reflect on some of the amazing things this wonderful class has accomplished during the term.

As always, the terrific 7-3 have been doing their part to save the planet. They not only participated in their weekly recycling collection, but also moved on to phase 2, picking up and sorting rubbish around the school using claws and buckets.

The delightful students have had a great experience with swimming this term, improving their swimming ability and challenging themselves. A big thankyou to the wonderful swimming team for making this such a great experience for the staff and students.

We have been celebrating Aboriginal culture this term. The class made a magnificent poster about Kid Laroi in preparation for NAIDOC week. We also had an incursion on Aboriginal symbols, dance and dreamtime stories, presented by Derek Nannup. Students learnt the importance of these forms of communication for the Nyoongar people and their culture.

7-3 also participated in the creation of the whole school mural project assisted by Aboriginal artist Deborah Bonar. The finished creation will be displayed in Term 3.

It has been a great term. Have a safe and fun holiday and we look forward to seeing you all in Term 3.

Simon Malloy and the 7-3 Team.

All the students in 8-1 have worked so hard to achieve their goals. The students work consistently on the school values of Safe, Respectful and Responsible.

Core subjects like English, Maths and Health are a big part of our school day. During Maths we have covered many concepts this term but our favourite so far has been learning about 2-dimensional shapes. We have matched 2D shapes to road signs and 3D ones to everyday items in the class and in the kitchen. We had a lot of fun creating 2D shapes and then we turned them into 3D shapes - it was very exciting.

We have continued to work hard in D&T, Art and Home Ec. An exciting lesson this term has been learning how to operate the Dash & Dott robots. Each robot has their own name and personality. First we worked on how to control the robots using the Ipads, forwards, backwards and all around. We even challenged each other to a race and after many heats Eliana was the winner. There was lots of support from our friends and teachers. As we became accustomed to the robots and how they work, we used them as characters in our story. After reading the story 'Rosie’s Walk' several times the students created a story in pairs then taking turns we re-enacted the story. We are working on making 3-D models of the places from the story and a costume for our DashBots.

Ms Carlyon, Mrs Retallack, Mrs Oldfield, Mrs Nord and Ms Reuben.

8-1

It has been a long and busy term. Our students have worked hard and participated enthusiastically in lessons. It is rewarding to see their effort translating into achieved individual education outcomes.

In this final week of school our class is having a Medieval Feast to consolidate and celebrate our studies in HASS about the Middle Ages. Students are also completing activities about castles and watching the medieval legend of Robin Hood.

Recently, we had a school incursion with a guest speaker Mr Derek Nannup. He talked to students about how nature was school for Aboriginal people before colonial times. He is an entertaining and informative speaker. Below are some of the recounts our students wrote about his visit.

Thank you to all the teachers, EAs, therapists and staff who have worked with Year 8-2 over Semester 1, and also to our parents and carers who are so supportive.

Enjoy the school holidays!

Pauline Egan

8-2 Teacher

9-1 have displayed nothing but maximum persistence and effort during Term 2, even with it being a long 11 week term!

All students have managed to work through their IEP goals and continue to make progress on a daily basis. We have participated in lots of hands-on learning experiences and made our learning fun and engaging inside and outside of the classroom!

In Geography, we have been learning about 'Biomes' around the globe and within Australia. Students then created their own dioramas using a shoe box and other various art materials with very minimal assistance. They all turned out beautifully!

This term, we have also been contrasting between opposites such as 'safe and unsafe', 'before and after' and even 'questions and commands'. Differentiating between the two can be very tricky at times but 9-1 have proven that hard work definitely pays off and the more they try, the more they learn!

I am looking forward to working towards new goals with the students next semester and see all they can achieve.

Keira Savin

9-1 Teacher

How could it possibly be the end of Term 2 already?

These students never cease to amaze me - a long 11 weeks and they are still as keen as ever to do incredible work.

We have continued reading James and the Giant Peach, learning about different writing styles and even a bit of role play! We will be finishing off with some debate skills regarding the evil Aunts.

In Maths, we have had a strong focus on telling the time and also continuing our Finance Fridays when the students really enjoy spending their hard-earned (fake) money on a range of classroom rewards.

We have continued our "Exploring the World" project in HASS. So far we have covered Australasia, Africa, South America and we are now looking at Europe. We take an in-depth look into some of the countries and the students enjoy using Google Earth to really see famous landmarks and monuments.

In Health, we have been looking at a range of topics including empathy, personal challenges and goals, growth mindset, puberty and human reproduction. It has been very interesting to say the least!

In Digital Technology, the students have been working their way through coding courses, programming movement and patterns and we have also been experimenting with OzBots!

There have been some exciting incursions, including the wonderful Derek Nannup and all students participated in the amazing creation of the school mural.

We are so proud of our students in 9-2. We have been setting some difficult challenges for them and their perseverance and resilience is astounding.

Wishing all students and parents a very restful (and hopefully mask free) holiday.

Janine Notarianni & the 9-2 Team

MAG2 have had an excellent end to Term 2. We have been working on our IEP goals in English, Maths and Health, however our trips to Landsdale Farm have definitely become a crowd favourite! Our wonderful students are continuing to improve their work skills from week to week and their confidence in undertaking work tasks at the farm has increased immensely over the semester.

Here are a few highlights from Term 2:

Kynan has overcome his aversion to touching eggs at Landsdale Farm and is now eager to collect the eggs from the chicken coup each week. Kynan has also become very proficient at transferring the piles of debris that have been raked to a wheelbarrow and taking this wheelbarrow to the compost pile.

Jeremy has become much more gentle in his approach to collecting the eggs from the chicken coup at the farm and is now independently drinking from his new water bottle.

Massimo has become more independent with completing his assigned work tasks and through practising reading out loud is now reading very clearly. Massimo is currently working on a 1000 piece puzzle as part of his break between work sessions.

Michael, for the first time this year, has begun riding the bike and wearing a helmet while doing so! It turns out Michael quite enjoys riding the bike and now looks forward to our bike riding session each work.

Well done on a fantastic semester Kynan, Jeremy, Massimo and Michael.

Enjoy your well deserved break and we look forward to seeing you all refreshed and ready in Term 3!

Katherine Vales

MAG2 Teacher

The students in 10-1 have had an amazing finish to the term. In addition to the daily teaching and learning within the classroom, students had the opportunity to expand their learning with hands on activities out in the community.

With the DFES Team, students and staff travelled to East Perth to visit The Heritage Centre and all 3 year 10 classes went to Kings Park.

We were so excited about our trip to the Heritage Centre. We learned about fire safety in the home and the early fire service in Perth. Students were also allowed to dress in real firefighting uniforms and climb up in the big truck with flashing lights.

At Kings Park students were taught about survival safety in the bush, basic needs of: shelter, food and water. The activities included using a tarp to build a shelter called a ‘hoochee’ and making damper cooked in the coals of the fire. Even better yet, we got to eat the damper with honey! !

Our latest Community Access excursion included riding the bus and train to the city where we explored The State Library and Yagan Square. At the library students used the story wheels to start and develop some very creative stories. Our visit to Yagan Square included researching Yagan’s story as a warrior and Noongar history. We finished the day with lunch viewing the city scape.

To all the parents and families of 10-1, thank you for your continued time and support. Have a safe and relaxing holiday break. See you on Monday July 19th. ENJOY!!!

Susan Osborne

10-1 Teacher

It has been a big term for the 10-2 class, in duration as well as the engaging educational experiences.

We have continued our Community Access program and have enjoyed visits to Neil Hawkins Park, Wanneroo Cultural Centre, Yagan Square, The WA State Library and WA Museum. As always the students displayed our school values while in the community and eagerly participated in all activities offered. Their confidence in using public transport and engaging with others in the community is developing well and they are all to be commended for their efforts.

In DFES we have been learning about Survival in the Bush and Fire Safety. On the 15th of June we attended the Kings Park Education Centre and participated in a Bush Survival Course. We made damper, which was baked on the open fire and then got to eat it with some honey. It was delicious! We also got to build bush shelters with a tarp and some ropes.

In Week 9, Aboriginal Artist, Deborah Bonar guided all members of our school to contribute to the creation of our PBS mural. The students and staff really enjoyed participating in this activity and we look forward to when it is unveiled.

The students are looking forward to Term Three, when they will be participating in Work Experience. This will be taking place in weeks 1 to 5 and will expose the students to workplace expectations and give them an idea of the type of work they may like to do in the future. We also have four students participating in TRY-A-TRADE in week two and look forward to their feedback on the experience.

The 10-2 staff wish you all a restful and relaxing mid year break and we look forward to Term Three and the new experiences it will bring.

Aileen Finn

10-2 Teacher

We’re quickly approaching the end of the semester, with the students working hard across all areas of the curriculum!

In Mathematics, the class has been working on calculating the perimeter and area of polygons, the circumference and area of circles, and the volume of cylinders and prisms. The students have also been completing activities using bus and train timetables.

In English, the students have been reading their class Novel, ‘Wheels’. They are enjoying the fabulous storyline, and have completed many activities related to the book, including answering comprehension questions, discussing issues raised in the text, and predicting storyline developments.

As part of their DFES course, the class recently visited Kings Park. The students made a shelter and sampled damper. As part of their Community Access course, they visited Wanneroo and Joondalup libraries.

Two of our students recently participated in a Try-A-Trade course, run by North Metropolitan TAFE. Over three days, they learnt about bricklaying, tiling and carpentry. The boys thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and more students will have the opportunity to participate in the course next term.

Have a fantastic break, everyone. Thank you to all parents for your support during the semester, it is much appreciated.

Stephen McMahon

10-3 Teacher

This term has had our students doing so many tasks throughout the school as well as in The Patch. Our Year 12s have been continuing their workshop projects working together to assemble our new rocking cast iron bench for our sensory garden and aluminium benches which have been placed throughout the school. The students are really enjoying using the different tools to complete these tasks. Over the past few weeks, work on the garden bed outside our ESC department office has started. Students cleared the area, pruned vegetation and prepared soil which they will be planting with new native plants next term.

Our Year 11 Agrifood teams have been working on extending the Home Ec kitchen garden planting garlic, potatoes, rhubarb, strawberries and eggplant and have been working hard maintaining The Patch. On rainy days students have spent time in the shed carrying out stock checks and maintenance on our gardening tools.

At Mullaloo Beach the Year 8 students have been carefully tending to the Coastal garden. Their duties include watering plants, clearing paths, weeding and maintaining the area on a weekly basis. In recent weeks, they have participated in a dune revegetation program by planting spinifex plants in the dunes near Mullaloo Surf Life Saving Club.

Pauline Hull

The Patch Garden Guru

The DFES cadets have been extremely busy this term working on many things from their booklets to First Aid and excursions.

This term we have had a big emphasis on First Aid. We were lucky enough to have some lovely ladies from St John's come to the school to teach us about CPR and calling triple zero.

Our Year 10's headed to Kings Park Education Centre for "Bush Survival Skills". It was a great day preparing and cooking damper and making a shelter from the elements. Due to restrictions only class 10-1 visited the DFES Heritage Centre in the city. They learnt about fire safety in the home and also got to sit in a real Fire Truck. The other Year 10 classes will be going next term.

The Year 11's had a fantastic trip to the Perth Hills Discovery Centre in Mundaring where they completed the "Fire, Fuel and Country" program. They also got to experience hands on the workings of a local fire truck - a great experience!

The Year 12's went to Kings Park for an ANZAC Day self -guided tour and learnt about the soldiers who fought in WWI. They also had an awesome excursion to the Swan Valley for orienteering throughout the grounds of the Swan Valley Adventure Camp.

We are all looking forward to next term.

The DFES Team

Nicola Bond, Jade Mountjoy and Chris Vandenbroeke

Students in 11-1 have been showing Safe, Responsible and Respectful behaviour when out in the community the last few weeks. The students have had fun while completing their ASDAN modules.

The students went to Mundaring with 11-2 for a DFES excursion which was all about Fire, Fuel and Country. The students enjoyed their guided bushwalk, but the highlight of their day was using the fire hose from the fire truck.

11-1 students went to Joondalup Shopping Centre recently to not only buy food, but to look for important functional signs and they also took the time to appreciate the art exhibition.

Students got to choose their partners and displayed great sportsmanship when celebrating and encouraging others while bowling. The highlight was some students actually got a strike!

Kim Butler

11-1 Teacher

Well what a term it has been! For class 11-2, it has been a term full of adventure, learning, hard work and fun. Students have worked their socks off to achieve their group and individual goals, which is reflected in their Semester One reports. I would like to take this opportunity to say to all students a massive congratulations on a fantastic first semester, and you should all be very proud of yourselves for the effort and commitment you’ve made towards your learning.

One area that I would like to celebrate is the ASDAN Short Course in Volunteering. This program has been excellent, and now that we are into the practical elements of the course, the students of 11-2 are thriving. Over the past six weeks, students have been going to Mullaloo Beach to volunteer their time and effort with; sustaining the environment, reinvigorating the ecosystem among the sand dunes, planting over 120 Spinifix Hirsutus to reduce dune erosion & boost control over sand lost, and beautify the landscape by planting natives and trees. Physically, the students have removed lawn beside the changing rooms at Mullaloo Beach, bagged and tagged 6 different species of plants and flowers as part of World Environment Day, bagged Alinta Energy planting area, and planted over 300 different types of plants, trees and natives.

The learning through these tasks has been extensive, and thanks to Mark and the team at Mullaloo Beach Community Group, the students have learned the technique to plant natives correctly to ensure their survival. They have learned the importance of bagging and tagging for reference purposes, and why it is vital to remove mass remnant root structures to maintain the environments growth. Through discussions, students have learned the meaning of biodiversity, how we can assist the ecosystem to remain balanced and strong, as well as stabilise the natural environment for wildlife.

Upon returning to school each Friday, students then sit and log book their hours, list the duties performed and completed for that week, and calculate their cumulative hours. These hours will then contribute to their overall mark at the end of the year.

The above is just one of many programs that the class of 11-2 engage in and will continue to do so next term.

I want to take this chance to thank all the staff that have made this semester such a successful one for all students. To all staff on WPL days, staff in the classroom, additional staff in specific programs, and to all other staff that encourage and instil confidence in our students. Finally, thank you to all parents for supporting your child and for providing them with the opportunity to learn and grow as a young adult.

I hope you all enjoy a well-earned break, and I shall see you all in Term Three!

Tom Cann

11-2 Teacher

We are nearly at the end of a very long term where students have continued to work and progress across all subjects.

12-1 has been involved in the construction of a garden area outside the Staff Study. The class will beautify the area, plant some natives and highlight some indigenous art produced by all Year 12 students in 2021. We are very excited to see what the finished product will look like.

During Meal Preparation lessons students are becoming more confident with their chopping skills and use of kitchen equipment. They have produced yummy meals such as Chicken Carbonara, Satay sticks and Chocolate Lava cakes. It’s lovely to see the whole team work together to shop for ingredients, prepare the meal, set the table, eat together and then clean up.

ASDAN continues to be a focus for the class and students are working steadily across the 4 modules.

WPL for Semester 1 is coming to an end and all students have shown they are work ready and can fit into their work environment well, listen to instructions and on occasion work independently to complete their tasks. Well done 12-1 you are superstars!

DFES excursions to Swan Valley for Orienteering and Yanchep to learn about native flora and fauna and visit the caves were fun and informative outings that allowed students to practise team work and leadership.

As we head into the final semester of high school it’s wonderful to see an increase in student’s maturity levels and a fantastic work ethic when it comes to WPL and completing their ASDAN modules. We look forward to an exciting Semester Two.

Tonya Vander Loop

12-1 Teacher

The 12-2 team have been working on a variety of tasks and programs over the past few weeks. The coffee happy hour team have been perfecting their craft and preparing and serving specialist coffee styles such as the Long Macchiato, Short Macchiato and Piccolo Latte.

Hayley and Alisha have been enjoying a weekly baking session to produce biscuits for the weekly coffee clubs. They have utilised different recipes each week and focused on reading the recipe, locating the correct ingredients and equipment, following the process and cleaning up after.

A shout out to Sarah for her fantastic efforts during her Woodvale Library work experience. She has been tasked with organising the fortnightly book displays and incorporating her artistic talents on the chalk boards.

A big thank you to Kath Smith of New Shoots Gardens and Landscaping for imparting her knowledge and skills on Jack and Jayden during their Friday work placement. Kath has given them the opportunity to set up a vegie garden and learn garden maintenance. Great work boys!

Our school has purchased some new outdoor tables for students to use during break times and for small group class activities. 12-2 students have had the opportunity to assist in building the tables providing life skills of reading instructions, problem solving, using tools and working as a team. They will be able to take pride in seeing the tables used throughout the school.

Lauren Thompson

12-2 Teacher