The Helenian - 9 February 2023

As we begin the 2023 school year I am pleased to welcome all new and returning families to the Helena College community. I am excited about the year ahead as we move forward with what will be the most ‘normal’ year we have had in recent times. This means that all aspects of our learning program across the College, including camps, clubs, sports carnivals, field trips, assemblies and performances are going ahead as scheduled. Our Year 12 students have already been on their Retreat, and it was a wonderful way for them to get their year started.

Of course, COVID-19 remains an ongoing issue globally, and we will continue to be vigilant at school, particularly in keeping classrooms ventilated. A reminder that any person feeling unwell, or with cold symptoms, should not attend school until they are well.

It has been wonderful to see so many parents join us for Meet the Teacher Evenings on both campuses this week. Our aim for these evenings is for parents to be informed about the learning program for their child, and to make a connection with their child’s teachers.

For our Middle School families, this is a new initiative and I have been very pleased with the positive feedback we have received from parents who have appreciated learning about the year ahead. If you were unable to attend the information evenings, or have any questions about our programs, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher directly for more information.

2023 is the third year of action on our current Strategic Plan. This year a key area of focus will be on reviewing processes for supporting student wellbeing across the College. As always, we will investigate what we do well, where we can improve, and develop strategies for improvement. Examples of where this process has been put into practice over the last year include the addition of a school psychologist on the Darlington Campus, the hiring of a school nurse and the repurposing of the Caretaker's College at the Glen Forrest Campus into a location for our College psychologist's office, sick bay and Learning Support area. I will share details of further progress on our wellbeing programs throughout this year.

Once again, welcome to a new school year. I look forward to seeing you around the College.

Regards

Peter Coombs

Principal

What a warm and wonderful start we have had to the 2023 school year - with the Summer temperatures being ideal for our swimming program!

There is nothing better than hitting the reset button and launching into something new - and the commencement of the school year embodies this notion well. We have loved seeing the Helena community come back together and we have many exiting experiences planned for Term 1.

Parent information evenings

A huge thank you goes to all the parents who were able to attend our annual parent information evenings held this week. The purpose of the evenings included providing parents with specific class and teaching and learning information to facilitate the transition into a new year level or, into the College.

Positive partnerships are an underlying philosophy of our school, and as such, the information sessions are viewed as a very important component in assisting families as they settle into the new academic year. Should you have any questions relating to your child’s teaching and learning experience, please do not hesitate to contact the relevant staff member at any time throughout the year.

Open door

2023 marks for me over 27 years in the field of education. Needless to say, I am genuinely excited to be working together with our community to make this year an outstanding one. If you would like to discuss any questions or school matters at any time, please feel free to contact me via telephone (9299 6626) or schedule an appointment to come and see me through Holly Clatworthy (hclatworthy@helena.wa.edu.au).

Thank you

As week two draws to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our students, parents and staff for a great start to the year. I have appreciated the positive comments regarding how well your children have commenced the school year, along with the pleasing comments regarding our College, their new classroom and teachers.

Wishing everyone a super weekend ahead.

Kind regards

Greg Miller | Head of Junior School, Kindergarten to Year 5

The release of the Artificial Intelligence platform ChatGPT has resulted in quite a bit of interest in the media around its impact on education. While ChatGPT is not the first of its kind, it is the most sophisticated in its ability to generate human-like responses to questions or tasks. It is backed by the computing power of Microsoft and the speed at which it is able to generate material is impressive.

A number of concerns have been raised around the use of this technology. Since ChatGPT has the ability to produce summaries of content or provide answers to questions, students may be tempted not to do the research and synthesise information themselves. These are important skills that students should develop as part of their education.

It should also be noted that ChatGPT does not always generate answers that are correct, nor does it have the ability to help students develop a deeper understanding of content. There are also concerns that students would use it to ‘cheat’ on assessments that are done on the computer or out of class time. At Helena College, we regularly review how we are assessing students’ understandings and ensuring that those assessments are genuine student work.

Using ChatGPT also has ethical considerations. The sources of the information used by ChatGPT to generate its responses are not transparent. Our students are encouraged to acknowledge the sources they use when responding to questions. ChatGPT, while having the ability to provide references, does not always reference genuine articles or use appropriate sources of information.

ChatGPT, like many other technologies, has its place. Students are encouraged to develop the skills to manage the use of technology appropriately to enhance their learning. However, under the terms of use, ChatGPT also requires users to be over 18. Due to this, it is not appropriate for us to make this tool available for students to use at school. The decision by the College to block the access to this platform was communicated earlier this year.

Dr Maree Baddock

Director of Teaching and Learning

There is a new webinar coming up for parents: How to Help Get (& Keep!) Your Child Motivated

Elevate Education is excited to announce that on Wednesday, 15 February, they will be hosting their first free webinar of the year for parents.

Elevate Education works with our students, delivering high-impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series, you will learn how you can help better support your children at home by reinforcing the skills they learn at school:

Date: Wednesday 15 February

Time: 6.30pm (AEDT)

Topic: How to Help Get (& Keep!) Your Child Motivated

Bookings: Click here to register for free

Here's what Elevate will be covering on the night:

What impact does praise and reassurance have on your child's motivation?
What are the best types of goals to be setting with your child?
How can you help your child create meaningful and lasting motivation?

Student Drivers

Year 12 Students may drive to school as a matter of privilege, not of right. To be registered to park, students must register their vehicles by completing and returning a Student Vehicle Permission Form and a copy of their licence to the Administration Office. The form is available in the Administration Office and on SEQTA.

There is a strict 10km/h speed limit on campus. Student drivers are to park in the Year 12 carpark located between the College oval and Bilgoman Road.

If passengers are to be in the vehicle, their names must also appear on the form, along with an accompanying parent signature indicating permission. Any changes to previously registered details (e.g., new passengers, new make/model etc.) must be re-registered on a new Student Vehicle Permission Form. Only Year 12 Students may park on campus and must park in the student parking area.

Driving with Peer Passengers

Did you know that if your child drives with a car full of peer passengers, it increases their crash risk by four times compared to driving alone? Please discuss with your P-plate driver the importance of being a responsible driver. It may also be worth reminding your child that as a passenger of a P-plate driver, they should avoid engaging the driver in distracting conversations and behaviours.

Year 11 Evening Dinner Cruise - Save the Date

Dress: Semi-formal/Evening mocktail.

Cost: $90

The ticket price includes the three-hour cruise, meal service, DJ, photo booth and bottomless soft drink. The school day will finish at the normal finishing time of 3.15pm.

Year 12 Retreat

Our Class of 2023 started their final school year on a bright and breezy Saturday morning. The trip to St George's College along Mounts Bay Road included an impromptu spotting of the famed 'Hula Bula". Students settled into their digs and then sat down to lunch in the Harry Potter-esque Dining Hall. A post-lunch workshop in the palatial Junior Common Room allowed our Year 12s to explore what it takes to ensure Senior School Success before making study planners.

Mr Hayward's Homeroom Teacher quiz caused equal amounts of delight, engagement and consternation as students identified which of their teacher's first job or first car was whose. For the rest of the afternoon, students read, listened intently for the number one song in Triple J's Hottest 100, spiked volleyballs, talked, played badminton and cricket. After dinner, we tried out a few 'stress-busting' ideas under the stars in the Quad before students explored their best possible selves and dream jobs.

Sunday was all about Wadjemup. Upon arrival, we acknowledged that Whadjuk people know Rottnest Island as the resting place of the spirits. The Island is a place of transition between the physical and spiritual world, and the deceased's spirit is believed to travel to Wadjemup during its journey towards the afterlife. Whadjuk people were present at the end of the last ice age when sea levels rose and formed the islands off the Fremantle coast. Whadjuk people observed this significant geological event and recorded it in their oral histories. These stories have been passed down from one generation to the next for over 7,000 years.

However, the subsequent colonisation of Western Australia resulted in Wadjemup acquiring a different significance, one which still impacts Aboriginal people today. For nearly a century, Rottnest served first as a prison and then as a forced labour camp for Aboriginal people. In 1994, the State Government recognised Wadjemup as the largest site of Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in Australia.

To acknowledge and respect Noongar elders, we each took a handful of sand from the water's edge, which signified being at one with the land, and then released that sand into the water.

During the day, we rode/raced around the island, took quokka selfies, surfed, snorkelled, swam, and drank good coffee. After Dinner, we explored the concepts of gratitude, awe, laughter, and character strengths as techniques to nurture our wellbeing.

On Monday, we visited UWA and Curtin University. At Curtin, students sat in a Psychology lecture. The lecture's purpose was to challenge their perceptions. The bus ride home was quiet after a busy few days. The Retreat was a great way to start what will be a great 2023.

Craig Hillman

Director of Upper School