We have now passed the halfway point of Term One, welcoming the arrival of autumn and the beauty of the changing seasons. I hope all students and families enjoyed a well-earned break over the recent long weekend and are feeling refreshed, ready to continue embracing the opportunities ahead at the Junior School.

Term One 2025

The first term is a time for students to settle into new routines and adapt to the expectations of their year level and learning environment. I would like to congratulate them on this terrific achievement. Term One is also about welcoming new families and students to our College, and over the past few weeks, it has been a pleasure getting to know everyone better.

Interhouse Swimming Carnival

In Week 4, our Years 3, 4 and 5 students took part in the annual Interhouse Swimming Carnival at Bilgoman Pool - and what a fantastic day it was! The enthusiasm and determination of every swimmer was evident, with students giving their personal best in the pool.

A huge thank you to our wonderful Year 12 student helpers, who provided outstanding support and leadership to our younger students, and to Jen Casotti, whose expertise was invaluable in coordinating the electronic timing and scoring system, generously supplied by the Guildford and Kalamunda Districts Swimming Club.

While Waughul claimed first place, the true success of the day was the spirit and participation of all involved. A special thank you to Mrs Lisa Good, our dedicated Physical Education specialist teacher, for her efforts in making the event such a success. We also sincerely appreciate the parents who took time out of their day to cheer on and support our Junior School swimmers.

Further congratulations go to the Year 3-6 Interschool swimmers who recently represented Helena superbly at Wesley College.

Year 5 Leadership Program - Congratulations!

Term One has been particularly busy and exciting for our Year 5 students, especially as they engaged in the Junior School leadership program - an important part of their learning journey. A highlight was their excursion to Parliament House and the Electoral Commission, which provided valuable insight into elections, campaigning and the Australian democratic process.

Students interested in leadership positions undertook a range of tasks, including:

• Writing and delivering a persuasive speech outlining why they were the best candidate, the values they uphold, and how their leadership would positively impact the school community.
• Designing a campaign poster to promote their candidacy.
• Presenting a speech to their House members, followed by an open Q&A session.

These activities culminated in an exciting Election Day for House Captain positions, complete with a polling station, polling officials, ballot papers, ballot boxes, and, of course, a democracy sausage sizzle! This was followed the next day with peer speeches and voting for Minister and Sports Captain positions.

A huge congratulations to all Year 5 students, and Miss Adriana Martino and Ms Gerri Berry, for their outstanding efforts throughout this process! Further congratulations go to our newly appointed House Captains, Ministers and Sports Captains for 2025.

Please click here to view our 2025 Year 5 leaders - we wish them all the best in their leadership roles!

NAPLAN 2025

Parents in Years 3 and 5 have already received information detailing our school’s participation in NAPLAN (which is taking place this week and next).

Apart from Year 3 Writing, the tests are carried out online. One of the main benefits of this is tailored (or adaptive) testing - where the test presents questions which may be more or less difficult, depending on a student’s responses.

Consistent Routines

As we have now settled back into the rhythm of the school year, it is a great time to remind parents of the many benefits that consistent routines bring to children. Establishing daily habits such as eating a nutritious breakfast, having a set bedtime, and dedicating time and space for homework (where applicable), helps create positive boundaries and clear expectations.

Research consistently shows that structured routines provide children with a sense of security, reduces household stress, and supports the development of self-discipline. Of course, life is unpredictable, and even the best-laid plans can be disrupted. When this happens, the key is to re-establish routines as soon as possible to ensure ongoing benefits for both children and parents alike.

Easter Hat and Egg Hunt

While still some time away, on Friday 11 April 2025, students are encouraged to wear Easter-themed hats to school that have been created at home. Whilst it would be great to see most students join in the Easter celebrations, these activities are entirely optional and there is no expectation that your child must take part in wearing a hat and/or the egg hunt. If this is the case, could you please email the relevant class teacher. If your child has food allergies, please also discuss with the class teacher and, where necessary, provide an alternative option.

Further information and details will be sent out closer to the date.

Parent-Teacher Conference Day (Term Two) | Save the Date

The annual parent-teacher conference day is scheduled to take place on Friday 2 May 2025. Please note, this will be a student-free day to enable teachers to carry out the conferences.

Parent-teacher conferences are a great opportunity for you to come in and discuss how your child is progressing in their current year level, which can include:

• learning more about your child’s academic, emotional and social development
• getting to know your child’s teacher further, therefore enabling open communication
• helping your child’s teacher understand more about your child to allow for more individualised instruction
• making plans with the teacher about how you may be able to support your child strengthening the relationship with your child’s school.

Later this term, further details will be provided including an online booking system for parents to select a time that best suits them. Whilst the conferences are not compulsory, you are highly encouraged to make an appointment and attend (except in cases where you have recently met with the relevant teacher). Even if you do not have any matters you wish to discuss or find out about, the parent-teacher conference is one way to show your child that you are interested in their learning and what is happening for them at school. In essence, conferences are a beneficial opportunity for two-way communication - a way of finding out more about the school and working together to maximise your child’s educational opportunities.

Bushfire Response

Helena College Darlington Campus has an existing and a well-developed Policy (and relevant procedures) for responding to a bushfire or bushfire threat. Parents need to be aware of certain aspects of the Bushfire Policy. As such, you are asked to view page 20 in the 2025 Darlington Campus Parent Handbook.

An important message to highlight is - please do not attempt to come to the school to collect your child unless you have been asked to do so by the school. Your children will be safer in the assembly point than on the roads, and the less traffic there is to get in the way of emergency services, the safer your children will be.

2025

Finally, I continue to be so excited about how 2025 has commenced, placing us in a great position for our time together to be a truly memorable year!

Kind regards

Greg Miller | Head of Junior School

Save the Date! Year 11 and 12 Parent, Student Teacher Conferences

Thursday, 3 April - Please note that this date has changed from the previously published date.

Parent-teacher-student interviews for Years 11 and 12 will be held in the College gymnasium from 3.45 pm to 7.30 pm on Thursday, 3 April.

Interviews will be FIVE minutes in duration.

While not compulsory, all families are encouraged to book a time to discuss their child’s progress. Booking information will be sent to families at the end of Week Seven.

Changing Courses | Years 11 and 12

It is still possible to change course selections after discussion with the classroom teacher and with the permission of the Director of Upper School. Changes to Years 11 and 12 Semester 1 courses must be finalised by Monday, 7 April, as the College must upload course selections to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority. After this date, students will be unlikely to be able to complete the structured education program or complete sufficient assessment tasks to allow a grade to be assigned in the units to which they are transferring. 

NB: When a student changes to a new course, all missed assessments in the new course must be completed.

Year 11 Dinner Cruise

Date: Thursday, 10 April 2025. School will finish at 3.15 pm on Thursday.
Time: 6.45 pm drop off at Barrack Street Jetty. 10.00 pm pick up.
Dress: Semi-formal. Evening Mocktail.
Cost: $110 Permission and payment will be sent through Paperly.

The ticket price includes the three-hour cruise, a sit-down meal service, DJ, photo booth and bottomless soft drinks.

Please note that students having their nails done for the occasion can wear them to school during the week leading up to the event and until the school holidays. Hair must remain a natural colour in line with the uniform policy.

The Crystal Swan will depart from Barrack Street Jetty at 7.00 pm and cruise on Perth Water before returning in three hours. To whet your appetite, you can find a photo gallery of the Crystal Swan at https://crystalswan.com.au

To ensure this Dinner Cruise is an enjoyable event, we would like to inform students that all school rules and expectations apply throughout the evening. Concerns about students’ behaviour or non-compliance with school rules, especially those pertaining to smoking, intoxicants, or illicit drug use, will see those involved placed in a taxi and returned home at the family’s expense.

The river cruise is a semi-formal function, which requires students to wear evening mocktail attire.

Students must be collected from the Barrack Street Jetty promptly at 10 pm. Students will not be allowed to make their own way from the jetty after the Cruise.

We would also like to point out that the school does not sanction any form of pre-cruise or post-cruise parties.

Save the Date - Year 12 Helena College Senior Ball

Date: Thursday, 3 July 2025

This year’s Year 12 Ball is being held at Fraser’s Kings Park. Fraser’s Kings Park is located in the tranquil surroundings of Kings Park and sits high above the city with views of Perth and the beautiful Swan River.

Just a reminder, all Year 12 students will be expected to stay at school on the day of the Ball until 12.15 pm, so please make sure all appointments are in the afternoon. Be organised in advance with everything you need to do for the Ball.

Please note that nail appointments can be made during the week of the event. We will relax the usual nail restrictions for the week leading up to the Ball. Hair must remain a natural colour in line with the uniform policy.

The school does not sanction any pre or post-ball parties. However, suppose anyone arrives at the ball under the influence of alcohol or any illegal substances or attempts to consume them at the ball. In that case, they will be IMMEDIATELY sent home in a taxi - at the family’s expense.

More information about the Ball will be published soon.

Years 11 and 12 Semester One Examinations/Work Placements

Year 12 Examinations and Semester One Work placements - Weeks Five and Six Term Two.

Year 11 Examinations and Semester One Work placements - Weeks Six and Seven Term Two.

While our Year 12s have been through the exam cycle as Year 11s, this is a timely reminder to brush up on good exam techniques. Elevate Education will also run its “Ace Your Exams” workshop for our Year 12s early in Term Two.

Our Year 11 students will be experiencing the exam period for the first time next term. To help them prepare beforehand, we will hold a short pre-exam information session in Week Three of next term. A select group of Year 12 students will attend the session and share their exam tips with our Year 11s.

In the meantime, please find attached to help your child prepare for their upcoming exam period.

Skirt/Dress Length

While the College values high uniform standards, it is undesirable to commit an excessive amount of time and resources to enforce this policy at the expense of our core business, which is student learning. To this end, parental and student support is imperative for the College to maintain the uniform standards detailed in our Uniform Policy.

This is a timely reminder for students and families that the specified skirt, dress, and Navy College shorts length should be just above the knee. Please amend the length of these uniform items or purchase new ones if necessary. Don’t get caught short.

Acceptable use for Student Mobile Phones – reminder

[Policy excerpt] At Helena, we accept that families give their children phones to protect them from everyday risks involving personal security and safety. It is acknowledged that providing a child with a mobile phone gives families reassurance that they can contact their child if they need to speak to them urgently.

Acceptable Uses

• Mobile phones should be switched off and kept in the locker during school hours.
• Students are not to access their mobile phones during school time.
• Students should use their phones only before and after school.
• Families are reminded that in cases of emergency, the Front Office remains the vital and appropriate point of contact and can ensure a student is reached quickly and assisted in any appropriate way.
• Use in the classroom: There may be an occasion when a teacher requests students to use their mobile phones in the classroom. With permission, the mobile phones will be used for educational purposes only and will be secured in the locker when that lesson has ended.

Consequences

• Students who infringe the rules set out in this document will have their phones confiscated and left at Student Reception for the rest of the day. Students may collect their phones at the end of the day.
• A second infringement will result in the confiscation of the phone and it will be held in the Student Reception for the parent to collect.
• Repeated infringements may result in further sanctions as outlined in the School’s Student

The Acceptable Use of Mobile Phones Policy also applies to students during School excursions, camps and extra-curricular activities unless otherwise stated on event documentation.

Student Leadership - Student Council Update

Our 2025 Student Councillors attended the Grip Leadership Conference with 800 other Student Leaders on Thursday, 20 February, at the PCEC. The presenters energised our students and inspired them to make the most of their year as Student Leaders.

While thought-provoking, the content at the Conference was presented engagingly, and our students appreciated it. The Loud Noise Crew entertained the crowd with high-energy presentations to help the room stay focused. Olivia starred, entertained the audience, and represented the College admirably during one of the segments.

Our 2025 Student Council left the conference feeling energised and ready to implement their ideas to further enhance the student experience at Helena.

Careers Information

University Events

For aspiring tertiary education students, the March- May period can only mean one thing: OPEN DAYS! Whether in Year 10, 11 or 12, Open Days are a fun way to gain a taste of university life, find out the information you need and narrow down your options.

Go to as many Open Days as possible and make a day of it with your friends and family. Once you’ve found out what you need to know, enjoy the day.

Click HERE for tips on preparing for an Open Day. On the same site, you can also find answers to the questions “Can parents and guardians go to Open Days?” and “Why go to an Open Day?”

A Guide to Open Days for Year 12 Students can be found HERE.

For Year 11s:
● Talk to current students on the stands.

● Go to presentations and exhibitions.

● Pick up handbooks, pamphlets, and free merchandise.

For Year 10s:
● Try stuff. People will invite you to engage with practical experiences in their courses. It could be VR, medical research, or using their workshops.

● Pick up handbooks, pamphlets, and free merchandise.

● Find the libraries.

● Find the coffee shops.

University Open Day Calendar 2025

30 March

UWA Open Day

5 April

Murdoch University

6 April

Curtin University

24 May

Notre Dame

23 March - Joondalup
4 May - Mt Lawley

Edith Cowan

Parents’ Guide to University Study

ECU’s new Parents’ Guide to University Study helps parents understand some of the mysteries of higher education. This guide can assist parents with information including how to choose a course, how to get into university, how their child will be supported, how to apply and where they will study their course.

The new guide also discusses how to have a great university experience and highlights ECU’s commitment to ensuring every student has the best possible experience.

You can find the link to the Guide HERE.

2025 Medicine - University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) Dates

If you want to apply for medicine for 2026, you will need to undertake a UCAT assessment.

These are the important dates for UCAT in 2025:

Driving and Dropping Students to School

Many see gaining a Driver’s Licence and driving to school in Year 12 as a rite of passage. In some households, it also marks the beginning of the end of the family taxi service, as the student driver can begin to shoulder some of the transport responsibilities.

At Helena, we provide a Year 12-only car park between Bilgoman Road and the GFC College Oval. In recent weeks, students have reported being late for work or appointments because others have blocked them in using this carpark during school pick-up time.

We remind families that due to the high volume of traffic in and around the school, the Bilgoman Road Pick-up and Drop-off Lane is the safest place for collecting or dropping off Years 6 -12 students.

Should family or friends assist with transporting your children to and from the College, please ask them to follow our requirements.

ATAR Revision and Skills Development Courses

April Holidays – ATAR Revision Courses for Years 11-12 with Academic Group.

Increase your confidence and prepare for Semester 1 exams with Academic Group’s April Holiday ATAR Revision Courses. Each course is 6 hours (3 hours per day, over 2 days) and will provide students with thorough subject revision and exam question practice to give them extra preparation for exams.

Enrol before March 24th to take advantage of the early bird discount: 10% off and a reduction in the course fee.

Venues: Churchlands SHS, Rossmoyne SHS, Perth Modern School, All Saints College and Online.

(Click HERE for more information and to enrol)

Helena College Peer Support Program

The Helena College Peer Support Program is an opportunity for senior students in Year 10 to lead small groups of Year 6 students. It empowers the students selected in the program to help younger students feel safe and supported. All our Year 10 Peer support leaders attended a two day training camp late last year.

Each week our Year 6s meet with their peer support leaders helping them transition into the College. It builds long-lasting connections across the school community, while also teaching students a range of social and emotional literacy skills. Students have an opportunity to practise these skills in a safe space.

Every Friday in Term One so far our Peer Support leaders have run activities and discussions based around three core modules:

• Strengthening Our Connections: Creating an anti-bullying culture
• Rethinking Challenges: Building resilience
• Best Version Of Me: Exploring values, integrity and inclusion

The program will continue once the Year 6s return from camp. The College would like to acknowledge the hard work our Peer Support leaders have put in to make this program so successful. We would also thank all the staff involved that ensure the program runs smoothly.

State Athletics Championships

We were very fortunate to have had three Helena students represented at this prestigious event.  We congratulate these inspiring athletes.

Charlotte H | Year 9

Charlotte won gold in the U15 800m with a time of 2:16.99 and earned a silver in the U15 1500m final with a time of 4:41.81 just narrowly missing out on a gold medal by 0.17 of a second. She will now compete in the upcoming Australian Athletics Championship in Perth.

Hannah M | Year 9

Hannah was a finalist in the U15 Womens 800m and U15 Womans 1500m.

Dylan Castlehow | Year 12

Congratulations to Dylan for also competing at this event, in the U18 Mens 100m dash and U18 Mens Triple Jump.

Long Distance Swimming

Ffion (Year 8) and Charlotte  (Year 12) recently completed the 3.6km Busselton Jetty Swim in the worst conditions the race has seen since 2017.  Charlotte’s younger sister Madison (Year 6) completed the 1.6km as at 11 she isn’t old enough for the longer race, but she has big plans!

After this wonderful achievement, Charlotte went on to complete the Rottnest Channel Swim as part of a team of four winning their age category in a time of 7hrs 29mins.

The Pre-primary children had a wonderful time on our first excursion to Darlington park. 

As a class we walked down to the park, the children were paired with a buddy and took turns choosing playground games. During our walk to the park, we also observed some of Darlington's old buildings, sparking curiosity about history and the olden days, a topic we’ll explore next term. Afterward, once back at school, they sketched and painted what they did on the excursion. 

A big thank you to the parents who joined us on the excursion! The children behaved beautifully.

The purpose of this excursion was to help the students develop their understanding of civics and government in an authentic context.

At Parliament House, the students learned about the structure of government, how laws are made and debated and, as part of the tour, were guided through a role-play session.

At the Western Australian Electoral Commission, students learned about the voting process (including preferential voting), how elections work and why democracy is important.

Overall, this excursion helped students understand their rights and responsibilities as future voters, and encouraged critical thinking about laws, leadership and civic duties. The students’ level of engagement and enthusiasm were outstanding and was commented on by the staff at both venues.

In the lead up to the Year 5 Leadership campaign and voting, this gave the students a real-world perspective on government and democracy in Western Australia.

Gerri Berry and Adriana Martino | Year 5 Teachers

Our Year 9 and 10 Photography students have been busy developing their skills behind the lens, exploring key photographic techniques and principles.

Year 9 students have taken their first steps into DSLR photography, learning how to compose compelling images using elements such as composition, lighting, angles, and perspective. They have also explored two distinct photography styles:

• Black and White Photography – Experimenting with contrast, shadows, and texture to create striking monochrome images.
• Macro Photography – Getting up close to capture the intricate details of everyday objects in a whole new wa

Meanwhile, Year 10 students have built on their foundational knowledge by diving into manual camera settings, mastering both Aperture and Shutter Speed. These advanced techniques have been put to the test in two hands-on photoshoots:

• Product Photography – Learning to control depth of field and lighting to create professional-quality commercial images.
• Sport Action Photography – Freezing fast-paced motion with high shutter speeds and capturing dynamic movement with creative blur effects.

Check out some of the highlights from their work—our young photographers are already producing some impressive results! 

On Wednesday the 26th of February, the Senior School (Glen Forrest Campus) held is annual Interhouse Swimming Carnival was held at Bilgoman Pool. This year was our first ever daytime Carnival and from all reports it was a positive experience for everyone. It was great to see so many families and Old Helenians in the stands cheering the students on!

The novelty events were a massive hit in the diving pool throughout the day and once again, the Year 12s had a great time filling the pool with inflatables and having fun in their extra event.

Well done to all students who attended on the day. House spirit is alive and well with the House captains doing a fantastic job of driving this. Kiara were the overall Champion House on the day and they celebrated in style on the Friday by wearing their House shirts to school.

Overall results:

• 1st - Kiara on 1043 points
• 2nd - Cardan on 943 points
• 3rd - Waughul on 892 points

Due to the overwhelming interest, this year's Solar Car Challenge, was opened up to all Year 6s this year. We ended with five enthusiastic teams who gave up their lunchbreaks in order to build and race their solar cars. The winning team with fastest consistent times was Sophie P, Taj W, and Layla R.

The Year 8s also completed the Solar Car Challenge as part of their Science investigation into energy. The fastest teams from each class raced off at lunchtime and the winners were Isla S, Byron B, Chloe S and Fergus H.

Thanks to all the participants for giving up their lunch times and Mr Ford for sacrificing his lunch break to help with this competition. Participants will now go on to represent the school at the Synergy Solar Car Challenge which will be held on 2 April.

We would like to wish both teams the best of luck in the finals!

Deven Reddy | Solar Car Challenge Coordinator

Year 12 English students recently enjoyed some Indigenous fare prepared by their teacher, Kristina Ussi as part of their study of Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu.  The students enjoyed some delicious treats prepared using native foods and spices, including:

• Chicken coated in Native Citrus Spice
• Pasta with Bush Tomato Seasoning
• Yoghurt with muntries, native current snack and quandong jame
• Rosella and strawberry gum tea

Students were given the opportunity of experiencing the possibility Pascoe presents in the book, which is to introduce more Aboriginal foods into the mainstream diet. This quote explains Pascoe's purpose in presenting this argument for his readers:

We have an opportunity to reintroduce a system of food production that is gentle on the land, highly nutritious, and uniquely Australian.

Kristina Ussi | English Teacher

Last week, our Year 8 students were introduced into the world of landscapes and landforms. Through a hands-on approach, they’ve been learning about different natural features of the Earth, such as mountain, riverine, coastal, karst and desert landscapes. As part of their learning, students have researched the formation, characteristics, and significance of their chosen landforms and worked on presentations to share their knowledge with the class. They then have been tasked with creating models of their chosen landforms. From clay mountains to sandpit deserts, the creative possibilities have been endless! These models not only help bring the concepts to life, but they also encourage students to think critically about how natural forces, like erosion and weathering, create these diverse landscapes over time.

Martina Francis | Humanities Teacher

Disclaimer: Inclusion in the Helena College Noticeboard is at the College's discretion and does not imply endorsement. Information for listings is supplied by third-party participants and organisations, with sole responsibility for the accuracy and further use.

Secondary Assistance Scheme

Hungry Jack's Mundaring 

Two very special West Coast Eagles stars, Elliot Yeo and Abby Bushby will be attending a one-hour store visit on Tuesday 18 March 6:30pm-7:30pm.  For more information, please see the attached flyer.  There will be a raffle of mini footies and a jersey, plus everyone can also get a signed poster from Elliot!

Perth Irish Junior Rugby Club

International Sports Camps