Belridge Secondary ESC News

This is Week 5 of Term 4 and the end of the school year is rapidly approaching and what a year it has been. The final term is always jam packed full of activities and excursions and this year is no exception! As teachers finalise their assessments and end of year reports, it is a time to reflect on the many achievements that our students have made through the educational environment that the teachers and staff have created to enable individual student success. The team at Belridge SESC provide a plethora of opportunities across all year levels within each classroom, at Workplace Learning, in the Independent Living Centre and the garden “Patch”, out in the community, at the swimming pool and everywhere in between. To all of the staff-thank you for creating these opportunities for our students. There are a vast number of excursions planned that our students will be participating in to celebrate their individual achievements as well as putting into practice the skills and knowledge they have learnt this year. Please keep an eye out for notes and consent forms in your child’s diary.

Year 12 Graduation

Our Year 12 students recently had their Graduation Ceremony at Kingsway Christian College together with their Secondary College peers. Once again our students did us proud as they were honoured for their years of schooling and this year was another celebration that continues to remain a highlight on our yearly calendar. On behalf of all the staff here at Belridge we wish to extend our congratulations and express how proud we are of all of your achievements. We wish you all the very best for your future aspirations and thank you all for your contributions to our school.

Congratulations to our graduating Year 12 students:

Kynan Burns

Sarah Eiffler

Chloe Ford

Rachel Ford

Marshall Frankis

Emily Fraser

Zoe Hough

Amber Howell

Phoebe Howell

Hayley Mara

Dylan McKay

William McMartin

Haya Menz

Anakin Munzer

Leah Sutherland

Jack Terry

Well done to each and every one of you! As our senior students do not participate in the WACE examinations, our Year 11 and Year 12 program continues as normal for the remainder of the school year.

2022 Planning

Planning for the 2022 school year is well underway and due to an increase in student enrolments we will be getting more transportable classrooms with one being ready for the start of term one and the other two being installed by the end of the term. These classrooms will provide some much needed space and we look forward to being able to fully utilise these areas. Once classroom allocations and structures have been finalised, we will let you know what this looks like for the year ahead.

Important Dates to Remember

As I mentioned earlier, it is a busy few weeks leading into the end of the term with many activities planned for all students. Our Annual Market Day is being held on Thursday 18th November and our Year 12 students and parents Graduation Assembly and Morning Tea on Wednesday 1st December 9am. The final day of school for all students is Thursday 16th December 2021.

We look forward to seeing you all at Market Day!

Jenine Wall

Principal

Thursday 18th November - MARKET DAY - 10am to 12.30pm

Wednesday 1st December - Year 12 Graduation Assembly & Parent Morning Tea

Wednesday 1st December - Year 12 Graduation lunch

Thursday 16th December - Last Day of Term 4 for students

It is hard to believe we are almost halfway through Term 4 and racing towards the finish line of 2021. There have been some great events over the past few weeks, making our school a very busy place. Our middle school students have made our year 6 students attending transition very comfortable in what is to be their new secondary school in 2022. Our fortnightly assemblies have been eventful with more than 50% of our students receiving merit awards which is a credit to the students. Class 7-2 commenced swimming this term at HBF Arena, Joondalup and students have been enjoying the program and made excellent progress already. The success of student progress is due to our students having a go and trying their very best. Student success is also due to the large amount of time our staff put in to plan and implement engaging programs and activities that focus on students’ interests, strengths, and abilities.

The Department of Education worked with ECU, AISWA and CEWA to produce a video for all education social media channels that was shared on World Teachers’ Day, Friday 29 October which showcased our middle school cohort. One of our year 8 classroom teachers, Pauline Egan and some of the year 8 and 9 students showcased in the video, which was an honour as our school was chosen due to its outstanding reputation across WA schools.

We have a few things happening in the coming weeks which our middle school students will be involved in. These events include; Market Day, Year 6 Transition, Recoverable Incursion, Mullaloo Coastal Project and Middle School Adventure Days.

We look forward to seeing the Belridge community at the upcoming Market Day so that we can celebrate and commend all the students on all the arts and crafts they have made in preparation for the big day.

Shayne Hutchings

Deputy Principal

Middle School

We hear so much about the busyness of Term 4 but it is important to remember this is the term when everything comes together. It was a privilege to be a part of the 30th Anniversary celebrations on the 5th of November. The display coordinated by Chris Franklin took many hours of research and showcased just how Belridge Secondary ESC has been moulded into the wonderful place it is today. Although we have not been in existence for quite 30 years, (established 1993) we were pleased to celebrate with our mainstream colleagues.

The ASDAN moderation process for Year 11s took place last week and I am pleased to let you know that all portfolios were rated as achieved. That makes 116 modules of work that have been accredited this year! In addition to the VET achievements it has been a very robust year for Senior School students.

A really important component of the senior school program is the DFES Cadets. The Team Leaders this year, Chris Vandenbroeke, Jade Mountjoy and Nicola Bond have not only delivered an ASDAN Personal Safety Module, but have arranged a wide range of really interesting events. Last week they organised for the DFES Rescue dogs to visit and demonstrated how they set them up for a search and rescue. My personal thanks to this dedicated team for their tireless efforts to bring to life the elements of the DFES program.

Year 12 parents are invited to a Graduation Assembly and Parent Morning tea on Wednesday 1st December in the Auditorium. If you have not sent in your acceptance as yet, please do, so that catering numbers can be finalised.

During the final few weeks of term talk turns to changes for the next year and anxiety rises. Remind your children that they have coped with change before. Things might not be the same but they will have other experiences and programs to do.

I look forward to seeing the Year 12 parents at the Parent Morning tea as we celebrate the final achievements of a wonderful cohort of students.

Wendy Hughes

Deputy Principal

Senior School

Term Four seems to have snuck up on us. Where did this year go?

The students have had a fantastic start to this term, they have all settled really well.

The students’ have been preparing for Market Day which takes place on the Thursday 18th November, making lots of beautiful craft to sell. It will be a very exciting day, with lots of food and craft, all created by the BSESC students.

We are continuing with our weekly cooking, apart from eating the delicious food that we have created, the students have enjoyed walking over to Coles to buy the ingredients. They have been learning about road safety and the different sections within the shop.

With the weather warming up, we have been able to spend more time outside, exploring all different aspects of our school. A firm favourite is the garden, where the students enjoy watering all the wonderful vegetables and flowers that are growing there.

We are nearly at the end the year, and look forward to getting ready for the festive season.

Tracy, Laura, Annette and Claire

Tracy Buckley

MAG1 Teacher

What a great start to Term 4! This term our students have begun to visit Lakeside Joondalup on Mondays for Community Access. Kynan, Jeremy, Massimo and Michael are all enjoying catching the bus and further developing their communication skills while out in the community. Our students are also enjoying investigating, choosing and looking at the menus from different food outlets to purchase an item to eat in the food hall.

Our Market Day craft is in full swing with our students working on creating colourful tile coasters and recycled crayon art – look out for these items at the upcoming Market Day! Our students have enjoyed working with the different mediums and different textures to create beautiful home décor items.

Our Work Skills program at Landsdale Farm continues to be a favoured activity on the weekly timetable. Our students are enjoying working in the sunshine and seeing the animals being rotated through the different paddocks. Our students have recently had their first experience working in one of the goat paddocks!

A huge congratulations to our graduating student, Kynan! Kynan had an excellent night at the graduation ceremony. He proudly received his graduation folio and eagerly applauded all his fellow Year 12 students as they received their folios. The following day at school, Kynan was very excited to talk to his peers and staff about graduation night!

Well done to all of our students on an amazing start to Term 4!

Katherine Vales

MAG2 Teacher

The class loved going to the stalls and learning about mental health topics at the recent Health and Wellbeing Expo at school.

The students have been learning and researching about ancient societies in HASS. We have learnt about a new ancient society each week and focused on Greece, China, Egypt and Rome. The students were very engaged when learning about these topics and choosing photos to match their research.

In Home Economics, the students have made gingerbread biscuits, carbonara, chocolate cake in a cup, spinach and feta gozleme, scones, chow mein and waffles.

We are excited for upcoming events including Market Day, a 'Recoverables' incursion and the Year 7 Adventure Day. The students have enjoyed doing craft activities to sell at Market Day.

Daisy Llanwarne

7-1 Teacher

We have had a fantastic start to the term.

Swimming lessons commenced this term for 7-2 .The students have really enjoyed meeting the swim team and attending swimming lessons on Friday mornings.

Term 4 also brings us Market Day and the past few weeks we have been busy making products to sell at our stall.

Chloe Jordan

7-2 Teacher

We are already half-way through Term 4, so let's hear what the talented individuals of class 7-3 have been up to.

In HASS we have been studying the importance of conserving the past. We looked at some of the amazing accomplishments of the Aboriginal people as well as other cultures and how we can use this knowledge to make the world a better place.

We were fortunate to have an incursion with the Recoverables Program who visited the school. The students learnt how to make smarter decisions while shopping and how to reduce packaging for everyday items.

In conjunction with our lessons on making better health choices, we have created our own carefully chosen list of stretches for exercise, as well as designing a menu that is both healthy and delicious. In Art, we have been deconstructing magazine covers and looking at stereotypes in the media.

With the Belridge commerce juggernaut Market Day occurring on November 18th, the industrious students of 7-3 have been hard at work creating amazing products from repurposed and recycled goods. So, start saving now, and come down and be amazed.

Very impressive term 7-3, keep up the good work!

Simon Malloy and Team 7-3

Term 4 is bustling in our classroom. As always our class focus is our school core values of safe, respectful and responsible. All our students are using these values as a basis for their class work and when we are in the community. We are continuing to work on our goals and are preparing for an exciting Market Day coming very soon.

We had the most exciting day when we went to Caversham Wildlife Park recently. First we watched the farm show where we saw a sheep being shorn and a whip cracking demonstration. During the show, Kopelynn got to feed the lambs a bottle and afterwards several students got to milk a cow. Then we watched the wombat show. We met the koalas, fed the kangaroos and watched the penguins being fed.

It was a very exciting and exhausting day!

We are looking forward to the rest of the term.

Helen Carlyon

8-1 Teacher

Year 8-2 are reading the novel "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate. We are enjoying this and are having many discussions about animals and how humans treat them.

We are also preparing for Market Day by making a range of fidget toys, Christmas Decorations and making posters to advertise our products.

We have recently visited Caversham Wildlife Park with Ms Thompson as a part of our Science program. We had a wonderful day and learned a lot about animals.

Please see the photos we took on the day.

Pauline Egan

8-2 Teacher

9-1 have kicked off the term by learning all about recycling and sustainability. Every Tuesday, we are lucky enough to visit Mullaloo Beach to participate in a coastal care project where students look after the local environment. This includes feeding and watering the greenery, weeding and picking up any litter/waste.

Students have also tied this in with reading an enjoyable story “The Messy Magpie” and the importance of putting our rubbish into the bin.

We are learning all about the different materials you can recycle and what happens to the waste we cannot. In the middle of this term, we will also be looking forward to a Recoverables Recycling Incursion presented by SUEZ. Exciting!

9-1 have kept busy this term working hard on all of their individual education goals and enjoying activities such as the ECU sports clinic, the Health and Wellbeing expo, Belridge’s 30th birthday celebrations and even Halloween fun!

As a class, we are looking forward to the upcoming activities this term such as Market Day, Christmas activities and the Year 9 adventure day playing mini golf.

Keep up the hard work Year 9’s.

I can’t believe you are almost Year 10 students!!!

Keira Savin

9-1 Teacher

It has been a hectic start for 9-2. I am lucky to be in this class this term and be able to see the wonderful development of these students.

Full steam ahead in preparation for Market Day. There seems to be lots of rice and snowmen being made in class. The use of the sewing machine to make items for Market Day is very popular among the students.

Science experiments are always fun and the class has just done an experiment on the reaction of different colour chalk dust when mixed with vinegar. We will also be making crystals in class and seeing how they evolve.

For Design and Technology, the students have been making candle holders for Market Day. This all ties into our class discussion about Finance, produce/consumer. We have also been researching and discussing what makes big companies profitable and how they operate, such as Ikea, Costco and Lego.

John Pantelis

9-2 Teacher

Here we are, only 5 weeks of school left. The year has gone very quickly and the students and staff are working hard to complete educational projects and activities as we approach the last weeks of term 4.

The students have embraced Workplace Learning going to; the Post Office, Vinnies Joondalup, Coles Beldon, Supercheap Butler and Belridge Secondary Library and the ESC Administration. The program supports building their independence and skills for work through: wearing appropriate clothing, reporting to work on time, travel training using the Transperth Plan My Journey website, following procedures and directions, safety and respectful, responsible behaviour in the wider community. It has been wonderful to see their self-belief and confidence grow. They will be ready for their next step into years 11 and 12 then life beyond school.

We have also enjoyed our recent visit to Landsdale Farm with the fantastic DFES team, learning about the importance of sustainability, a green environment and farm animals’ care.

We look forward to our remaining Community Access and DFES excursions. Remember to check student diaries for notes and information.

We are also preparing for their Market Day craft and creations. So remember to mark the date in your calendar, November 18th, to come and do a bit of Christmas shopping and enjoy the hard work of all the Belridge SESC students.

Well done to the staff and students of 10-1, for a fantastic start to term 4.

Susan Osborne

10-1 Teacher

It has been a busy start to the Term 4 for the 10-2 class. We have been preparing for the Annual Market Day on the 18th of November and created some great items to sell. The students are looking forward to offering their amazing bags, doggie biscuits, Christmas wreaths, reindeer biscuits, toolboxes and a raffle on the day. It is going to be a great day and we hope family can come to visit us on the day and make some purchases!!!

In Community Access we have enjoyed a couple of excursions to Kings Park and the Museum of WA. In Kings Park we enjoyed a self-guided memorial walk of the war memorials and the Lotterywest Federation Walkway. It was a great day out!

We have also enjoyed another incursion from the Recoverables. This time we explored different types of packaging when we go shopping for everyday items and how we can reduce packaging waste. The students looked at all the different types of packaging, what can and can’t be recycled, the pros and cons of buying in bulk and where different types of waste are likely to end up.

In DFES we enjoyed an amazing incursion from the SES Canine Unit. We Met Racheal and Mark with their dogs Cliff and Penny. Racheal and Mark explained to us the type of training involved for the dogs and their owners. These amazing people voluntarily commit their time daily to developing their own and their dog’s skills to assist in emergency situations. It was wonderful to meet both the owners and dogs and learn what is involved in the training and the types of jobs they have assisted in. It was a fantastic incursion!

We also enjoyed making bees wax food wraps in class that we can use to wrap our lunches. Such a great activity to do and a very useful, waste reducing item. The bees wax was first grated from the bees wax block, the wax was then spread over the material, covered with baking paper and ironed over (melting the wax into the material). Thankyou DFES team for organising both the incursion and the bees wax wrap making.

We are looking forward to more great experiences in the second half of term!

Aileen Finn

10-2 Teacher

Term Four has got off to a great start, with the students working hard across all learning areas!

In English, the students are studying ‘The Outsiders’. They are enjoying this classic novel, answering comprehension questions, and predicting storyline developments. Students have also been studying poetry. They have written a variety of poems, including Limericks, Haiku and Clerihew.

The students thoroughly enjoy their Science lessons with Miss Thompson. This term the class has been studying the Big Bang Theory, and looking at the International Space Station.

In Physical Education with Mr Cann, the students have joined with another class to play a variety of team sports, including soccer, T-ball and dodge ball. They are working hard to improve their skills, then putting them into practise during games.

As part of their Community Access program, the group has recently visited Kings Park and WA Museum Boola Bardip, as well as local restaurants. The class was also visited by volunteer handlers from the Western Australia State Emergency Service Canine Unit, who brought two search and rescue dogs with them.

Enjoy the remainder of the year everyone!

Stephen McMahon

10-3 Teacher

11-1 students enjoyed mingling with their mainstream peers to take part in the Health and Well-being Expo at various stalls in Week One of this term.

Both Year 11 classes were involved in a DFES excursion to Mullaloo Beach in Week 3 for a beach clean-up. Students had to work as a team to clean up the beach environment using their recycling knowledge.

Students are all working hard in their Workplace Learning placements. I am super proud of my students. When I have visited their workplaces I have had a chat with their bosses and the students also have an opportunity to show me what they do when at work on a Wednesday. Next year in Year 12, students will be doing two days of Workplace Learning each week.

Students have submitted what they will be doing in 30 years’ time to be part of the Belridge Time Capsule as the school celebrates being 30 years old.

Market Day is nearly upon us as well, so the class has embraced their creative abilities to produce a variety of items to sell.

Finally, ASDAN files have been submitted and moderated, these display a year’s worth of work across four modules in addition to Agrifoods and students’ learning goals in their Individual Education Plans.

Kim Butler

11-1 Teacher

Another week completed, another week closer to the festive season, and another week of successes for Class 11-2. Something that I have become accustomed to, is the students of this class achieving goals every day and for me having the honour of celebrating them with the students, and also sharing these triumphs with you through these newsletter articles; and this entry is no exception!

Firstly, students are to be congratulated on completing all requirements as part of their ASDAN Short Course in Volunteering. This course is divided into three modules that consist of three to four challenges. Students have successfully completed all challenges that included; creating their CV, delivering a presentation about their volunteering experience, send a ‘thank you’ email to Mullaloo Beach Community Group, complete a minimum of 40 hours of active volunteering, interview a volunteer and research what volunteering is and how to engage in a program. Student results will appear on their senior school report at the end of the year.

Secondly, all students have successfully completed ASDAN – Towards Independence in Personal Safety. This course has been part of their DFES course run on Mondays this year and students have engaged in modules relating to safety in the home, in the workplace or centre, safety in the community and First Aid. Student files will go for external moderation later this month.

In Health lessons, students have been studying a number of important topics. Thus far, students have looked into Keeping Active, Eating Healthy, Sugar content in drinks (Think B4 U Drink), and hygiene. All students have enjoyed studying these topics, in particular measuring the sugar content in some of their favourite soft drinks. All students have applied their prior knowledge to these topics and have expanded their understanding of the importance of maintaining their own health through making healthy choices.

In relation to their Certificate Courses, students are on track to complete their Certificate I in Agri-Foods via TAFE, and their Certificate II Course in Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways (this course will be completed next year).

On top of all these whole-class successes, students have individually excelled in different areas, achievements I wish to share if you;

• Troy's commitment to working hard and completing all set tasks at WPL has been fantastic this semester with all reports of him being positive.
• Xander has successfully completed a full year of General Automotive with his mainstream peers.
• Libby successfully passed her driving test and is now driving herself to and from school.
• Megan has eased into her placement at IKEA with maturity and professionalism.
• Zoe has worked her socks off (alongside her teammate Troy) at WPL. Here, she has worked with her peers to create some beautiful landscaping at Craigie Primary School.
• Liam has developed his confidence and ability to manage pressure during Coffee Club (as part of his Certificate II Course)
• Jennifer demonstrated excellent skills during Agri-Foods lessons, which have not gone unnoticed by Cath Smith, the tutor from TAFE.
• Isaac's performance on Wednesdays at Good Sammy's in Butler has been brilliant. Alongside Mrs Jacqui, Isaac conducts himself at his place of work appropriately and completes all set tasks to a high standard.
• Matthew's knowledge in Health lessons has been impressive which has assisted his peers in their learning of important topics.

So as you can see, many celebrations to be had, with many more to come by the end of the year. Keep up the great work 11-2's!!

Tom Cann

11-2 Teacher

The highlight of the term so far has been Graduation Night. All students were amazing on the night and staff, parents and carers were so proud of the awesome young adults that presented themselves so well.

Special congratulations to Leah Sutherland (Citizenship Award), Haya Menz (Ampol All Rounder Award) and Marshall Frankis (North Metro Commitment to Excellence Award) who received Awards on the night for their outstanding efforts in different areas over their school years.

The class has much to look forward to this term as they head towards their final days of High School. DFES excursions to Swan Valley Adventure Centre, Mullaloo Beach Bike riding and meeting the DFES Rescue dogs. Also, the class are focused on finishing the Year 12 native garden which will be presented to the school at the final Graduation Assembly in December. The final Education Support Graduation Assembly, Parent Morning Tea and Graduation lunch at Mia Cucina Hillarys will all take place on Wednesday 1st December.

The class continue to raise money through their Class Car Wash business for the Lord Mayors Appeal Fund. We have raised over $200 to date. Students are becoming experts at producing shiny, clean cars for the staff.

During Meal Preparation lessons students have been making simple snacks/meals (e.g. Mac n Cheese, Mini Pizzas and toasted sandwiches) that they can do themselves in a few easy steps. They have taken a photo of each step and are creating their own recipe book using Book Creator on the iPad for each individual meal. These books will be put together at the end of the year for individual students to take home for future use.

We are all looking forward to an exciting and busy term as we head towards the end of Year 12.

Tonya Vander Loop

12-1 Teacher

Our Year 12 Class of 2021 celebrated another highlight of their final year of secondary schooling with the Year 12 Graduation Ceremony held at Kingsway Christian College and attended by friends and families of both the Education Support Centre and the Secondary College. All of our students looked extremely mature in their graduation outfits, gowns and sashes and represented our school community with positive, cheerful and respectful attitudes. A big congratulations to the two awards winners from 12-2 – William McMartin and Dylan McKay.

At the tail end of the year, our senior students begin to reminisce about their time here at Belridge and some of their thoughts and memories are what I would like to share with you in this newsletter edition.

Most Memorable Moments –

Dylan: Fixing things around the school with Mrs Mellows

William: The Year 12 School Ball

Hayley: The Year 11 River Cruise

Sarah: That one time I rolled backwards while backing away when playing soccer during break time.

Jack: Graduating year 12

What I think I will be remembered for –

Dylan:

• Making everything a competition that I win
• Teasing Mr V
• Making the best coffees

Hayley:

• My crazy laugh
• Impersonating Ombalarg from Monsters Inc.

Jack:

• Winning the footy tipping comp in Year 12
• Ripping the UNO cards

Sarah:

• Calling everyone Mum, sometimes Dad

William:

• Portraying the Medieval Knight for Mrs Egan's Medieval Feast
• Loving all things Scottish
• And my love for Vikings

Lauren Thompson

12-2 Teacher

Unfortunately, each year the number of people requiring assistance increases, placing a huge demand on their supplies. The School’s Student Council believe it is very important that all students learn to consider and help those less fortunate than themselves, and all families support in this appeal would be very much appreciated.

The Foodbank boxes will be out for donations from Monday, 15 November to Friday, 26 November. Students can place their donation in the food box in our staff study block.

Types of food which can be donated:

· Canned meals, canned fruit and vegetables

• Packaged such as muesli bars or biscuits
• Plastic wrapped such as noodles or pasta
• Long life such as UHT milk or custard
• Baby Food (no glass jars)
• 
  

All non-perishable items that are not passed their expiry date are acceptable. Unfortunately, Foodbank cannot accept perishable products, as well as items in glass or breakable materials. All seals must be intact and canned goods must not be damaged or dented.

The student council thank you in anticipation of your generous assistance and support to this worthy cause.

Mullaloo Surf Life Saving Club are holding a Community Inclusion Day on Saturday the 27th of November. For more information click on the following link:

https://www.mullaloosurf.com.au/blog/community-inclusion-day-27-november/