It was wonderful to have so many parents join us for the Swimming Carnivals last week.These carnivals showcased outstanding swimming talent along with fun, sportsmanship and our College value of participation. Well done to all those students who took part and congratulations to Waughul for winning first place in the Junior School and Cardan for taking first place in the Senior School.

With NAPLAN testing commencing next week for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9, I’d like to emphasise that NAPLAN serves three key purposes. Firstly, as the information is shared directly with parents, it provides parents with a snapshot of their child’s literacy and numeracy level when compared with their peers. It is a prompt for parents to have conversations with their child, and with their teachers, about what they are doing well, and about where they might improve. Secondly, NAPLAN provides teachers with some key information which they can match with their own observations to ensure that they are providing a program which meets the needs of each student. Finally, NAPLAN provides the College with information about the effectiveness of our programs at each level. The overall results provide a guide about what we are doing well and where we can improve. While these are three benefits of NAPLAN, parents and students should not be concerned about the testing. The results indicate the students' performance on a particular assessment on one day. As I mentioned, it is a snapshot rather than a full assessment on the student as a learner and this is how we approach the information here at the College.

Details about the upcoming Year 11 and 12 parent/teacher/student conferences will be shared with parents next week. I’d like to emphasise the valuable opportunity for parents, teachers and students to have constructive conversations about academic progress, goals and areas for improvement. Strong communication and collaboration between home and school are essential for student success, and these conferences are a cornerstone in building a supportive learning environment.

Finally, it was wonderful to see so many smiling faces as students returned home from the recent Year 6 and Year 8 camps. Camps are very much part of the Helena experience and I would like to thank those teachers who took time away from their own families to lead these wonderful opportunities for our students.

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

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, 21 March.

Interviews will be FIVE minutes in duration.

While not compulsory, all families are encouraged to attend with their child and discuss their child's progress. Booking information will be sent to families with Interim Reports at the end of Week 7.

Changing Years 11 and 12 Courses

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 One courses must be finalised by Monday 25 March, 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. 

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

Year 11 Dinner Cruise

Date: Tuesday, 26 March 2024.
Please note, School will finish at 3.15 pm on this day.
Time: 6.30 pm - 6.45 pm Drop off at Barrack Street Jetty. 10.00 pm Pick up
Dress: Semi-formal. Evening Mocktail
Cost: $90. Permission and payment information have been sent through Paperly.

The ticket price includes the 3-hour cruise, a sit-down meal service, a DJ, a photo booth, and bottomless soft drink.

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 promptly 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 enjoyable, 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 parents' or guardians' expense.

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

Students must be collected promptly from the Barrack Street Jetty at 10.00 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 party.

Save the Date - Year 12 Helena College Senior Ball

Date: Thursday, 27 June 2023

This year's Year 12 Ball is being held at Fraser's Kings Park. Fraser's Kings Park is located in the tranquil surrounds 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 the lead-up to the Ball, in line with the uniform policy.

The College 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.

Watch this space for more information about the Ball.

Years 11 and 12 Semester One Examinations/Work placements

Year 12 Examinations and Semester One Work placements - Weeks Six and Seven Term Two.
Year 11 Examinations and Semester One Work placements - Weeks Seven and Eight 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 their "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. The session will involve a select group of Year 12 students, who will share their exam tips and advice directly with our Year 11s.

In the meantime, please click here for a document to help your child prepare for their upcoming exam period.

College Skirt, Dress Short 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, parents, and guardians 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 required. Don't get caught short.

Community News

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 located between Bilgoman Road and the GFC College Oval. Recently, we have had students report being late for work/appointments because parents have blocked them in using this carpark during school pick-up time.

We remind families that with the high volume of traffic in and around the College, the GFC Bilgoman Road pick-up drop-off lane is the safest place for collecting or dropping off Year 6 -12 students.

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

Elevate Parent Webinar

Elevate Education will host their next parent webinar on technology and focus on Wednesday, 13 March.

Elevate works with our students, delivering high-impact workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. By tuning into their webinar series, you'll learn how you can help support your child at home by reinforcing the skills they are learning at School.

Sign up for the session below to learn how you can turn technology from a distraction into an incentive to study.

How You Can Make Technology an Ally (& Not the Enemy!)

Wednesday, 13 March, 3:30 pm -4:30 pm (AWST)

Click here to register for free

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

✅ Reducing your child's dependence on technology
✅ Using apps to prevent your child procrastinating
✅ Using technology to enhance your child's learning

If you cannot make the live webinar, please register anyway to receive access to the recording via an email link the next day.

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 two days) and will provide students with thorough subject revision and exam question practice to give them extra preparation for exams.

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

Click HERE
for more information and to enrol.

Year 10 News

WA Tertiary Entrance Aggregate calculation to change from 2026

The Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) is updating the way it calculates the Tertiary

Entrance Aggregate (TEA) to increase consistency and fairness for all students in Western Australia.

The 10% bonus currently provided to students with scaled scores in the following Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) courses will no longer apply from 2026 onwards: Mathematics Methods, Mathematics Specialist, and a student's highest Language other than English (LOTE).

Find details HERE.

Year 11 News

Register now for Curtin Girls + Engineering Tomorrow Runs Terms 2 & 3

Register now for Girls Engineering Tomorrow

It is an outreach initiative that aims to support and inspire girls and those whose gender is under-represented in STEM. The initiative offers a range of programs and events to support students at different stages of their educational journey, showcasing opportunities in engineering.

The program will offer an opportunity to:

• Receive study support.
• Meet inspiring women in engineering.
• Connect with our university GET Student Mentors
• Participate in a range of engineering-themed activities and workshops.

Learn about engineering courses and careers.

Register HERE

Year 12 News

5 March University Clinical Aptitude Test 2024 Registrations Open

There are now three pathways into medicine in WA that require you to do the UCAT test.

1.  medicine at Curtin or
2.  into the UWA Assured Pathway to Medicine and Dentistry
3.  Notre Dame Assured Pathway

To be offered a place in any of these three pathways, you need:

• amazing ATAR scores,
• a great UCAT score and
• have an interview or do the CASPER test.

The UCAT testing begins on 1 July and runs through to 9 August.

You can register here, AND see key dates HERE.

Practice Tests

There are many hints and practice tests on the UCAT page.

Paying for UCAT preparation courses

I get bombarded with ads from companies that want me to promote their UCAT preparation courses. I have been to information sessions at UWA and Churchlands Senior High School, where I was advised that the tests on the UCAT site are more than adequate and not to bother with the paid preparation courses.

University News

Early Offer Commencement Date

Following the release of the Australian Universities Accord Final Report by the Federal Government, Western Australian universities have decided to delay the commencement of Early Offers until Monday, 2 September 2024. This was part of recommendation 20 in the report.

University Open Days start in March

Universities now hold open days early in the year and run more events throughout the year to help prospective students make informed decisions.

A Guide to Open Days for Year 12 Students

• Go with a buddy.
• Spend 3 – 4 hours there.

Do campus tours, go to talks, and go to practical classes if they are available.

This is for students who KNOW what they want to do next year.

At the Open Day:

1. Explore subjects & pathways available for your preferred degree.
2. Explore teaching methodology – make sure you have face-to-face classes so that you get to know future colleagues and employers.
3. Do they have industry placements later in the course?
4. What scholarships and financial support are available?
5. Find what study support is available – student mentors, free "learn to study" classes, referencing and writing classes, and pastoral care.
6. What is the biggest barrier to success experienced by current students?
7. Arrange to see a professional career advisor to discuss your thoughts.

Check out this information.

This is for students who are 'fairly sure' about what they want to do.

1. Go online BEFORE the Open Day and check out the handbooks relating to the courses that interest you.
2. Narrow down to a maximum of 4 courses to check out.
3. Follow the same steps as those above. You may need more than one meeting with a professional career advisor. They are usually free and can save you a year of your life and $10,000 worth of mistakes.

This is for students who might want to go to university.

1. Check First in Family to Go to Uni
2. Talk to a career advisor – at School, university or Jobs and Skills Centre. They are free and may save you a year of your life and $10,000 (which you must pay even if you drop out of university after a year).
3. Check Gap Year Opportunities.
4. Follow tips for 7/10 Students who are 'fairly sure' about what they want to do.

To read quick tips and advice on how to make the most of your day, go HERE.

There is no advantage to winning your chosen place by applying early.

Year 11 – A Step-by-Step Guide to Open Days

By knowing what university you want to go to and what course you want to take, you can focus on achieving the required ATAR and prerequisites.

Big Tip: Plan to go with a family member or friend. If they know what you are looking for, they will ask questions you may not think of and give you good feedback.

To read the Step-by-Step Guide, click HERE.

Year 10 – Ready, Steady, Go to University Open Days

Before you make your Year 11 subject selections, go to university open days to find out what courses you are interested in, what ATAR score you need, and what prerequisite and recommended courses you should take.

We are now over the halfway mark of Term One - bringing us to Autumn and the commencement of some delightful season-changing weather. I hope all students and families enjoyed a well-deserved rest over the recent long weekend; refreshed and ready to make the most of their time and the opportunities available at the Junior School.

Term One
The first term is a time for students to settle into their new routines and understand the expectations that are required when entering into a new year level / learning area - and I would like to congratulate them on this terrific achievement. Term One also includes welcoming new families and students into our College - and over the past few weeks, we have definitely enjoyed getting to know everyone better.

Interhouse Swimming Carnival
In Week Four, our Years 3, 4 and 5 students carried out their Interhouse Swimming Carnival at the Bilgoman Pool and what a terrific day this was! It was clear to see the enjoyment each student gained from this experience - with every swimmer trying their personal best in the pool. We had our fantastic Year 12 House Captains who assisted magnificently and demonstrated great leadership to their younger students, along with Jen Casotti - whose help was invaluable in coordinating the electronic timing and scoring system (supplied by the Guildford and Kalamunda Districts Swimming Club). While Waughul took out first place, we were all winners from this carinal - with a special thank you to Mrs Good (Physical Education Specialist Teacher). Again, thank you to all the parents who were able to take time out of their day to support this Junior School sporting endeavour.

Year 5 Leadership Programme - Congratulations!
For our Year 5 students, it has been a particularly busy and eventful Term One. The Junior School leadership program plays an important part of the student’s learning experiences. In having an excursion to Parliament House, it gave the students a greater understanding of elections and campaigning - as well as the Australian democracy process.

Students interested in running for a leadership position carried out tasks such as: 


• Writing and presenting a persuasive argument about why they are the best candidate for the position, including the values they uphold and how their decisions will affect the whole school community.
• Producing a campaign poster to promote their campaign and themselves.
• Delivering speech to their House members - along with an introduction of themselves and an open question and answer session.

The various undertakings culminated in an exciting election day (for House Captain positions) complete with a polling place, polling officials, ballot papers and ballot boxes and democracy sausage sizzle. Following this, there were peer speeches and voting for the Minister positions.

As such, sincere congratulations go the Year 5 students, Adriana Martino and Gerri Berry for their tremendous efforts! Further congratulations go to the following students who have accepted House Captain and Minister positions for 2024.

Please click here to view our 2024 Year 5 leaders - who are wished much success in their various roles!

Environment News - Containers for change

Don't let your 10¢ containers' potential go to waste.

Helena College is now participating in Containers for Change! When you drop your containers at your local depot, you can use our code (HELENA COLLEGE COUNCIL INC Member number: C10292875). This is a great way to responsibly throw out your old containers while helping support our School. Put this code into your phone so you have it handy next time you drop your bottles and cans off at a Containers for Change depot. You can find the depot closest to you at https://www.containersforchange.com.au/wa/where-to-return

The money collected will go towards supporting our environmental projects. We will be keeping you updated on how much we are raising. If you have an environmental project that you would like to see the funds raised go towards, please make those suggestions via the Student Council email studentcouncil@helena.wa.edu.au

Amelie Flynn | 2024 Environment Captain

Student Council Update

Our 2024 Student Councillors have had a busy start to the school year. They have hosted Assemblies to Welcome back the GFC, run House Assemblies, played a pivotal run at our recent Interhouse Swimming Carnival, and reintroduced high-achieving students from the Class of 2023 to our current students to gain insight into how the lessons learned by our newest Old Helenians can help our current students gain as much as they can from their own school experience. Their latest Assembly item was the introduction of our Student Wellbeing Program on the GFC. More will appear in future Newsletters about how that program is progressing.

Another Student Council initiative was participating in the National Schools Clean Up Day on Friday, 1 March. Our Homerooms joined schools around the country and took time out of the school day to pick up litter. Students from Years 6 - 12 headed across the campus to keep our beautiful bush campus litter-free and rubbish out of local waterways and away from native animals. Helena College GFC was one of 1,637 registered sites across WA, and our students were part of a passionate nationwide volunteer group totalling more than 750,000 Clean Up Australia Campaign participants.

To help our Student Councillors continue to develop their leadership skills and keep the momentum up across more exciting projects this year, they will attend an all-day Student Leadership Conference at the PCEC on Tuesday, 19 March, with 700 other Student Leaders from across the state.

Our Councillors have started the year strongly and look forward to developing their leadership skills and running student-focused events throughout the year.

Principle 2 in the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations describes the importance of empowering student voice and providing opportunities for students to participate in decisions affecting them. Students that feel comfortable participating in conversations around decision making and feel safe communicating their views are also more likely to speak up if they have a concern around child safety.

Recently the year 12 student council set up a forum with year level representatives to listen to the views and ideas of younger students. Supervised by staff but led by the student council, these sessions allow students to express their views, feel heard and also reflect on how decisions are made and also provide feedback if an idea can not be implemented. The combined leadership group is planning to meet regularly this year to ensure students have a forum to have a voice at the College.

When it comes to needing to talk to someone about a safety concern or if a student is worried about someone it is important that students understand they can talk to anyone no matter how big or small the issue might be. Heads of Year, Homeroom teachers, Mr Hillman, Ms Agron, myself and all teachers are all here to listen to student concerns. As outlined in our Protective behaviours program it is always important to remind young people:

“We all have the right to be safe and feel safe at all times.”

“We can talk with someone about anything, no matter what it is.”

Welcome - Rebecca Watson

This term, Rebecca Watson joined our Junior School Administration team.

We are delighted that Bec has been appointed to take on this important role - which includes Electives Coordinator. Bec is also a ‘Helena Mum’, and we wish her all the very best!

NAPLAN 2024

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

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.

Parents, along with their child(ren), are able to view the types of questions and tools available in the online assessments at the NAPLAN public demonstration site.

Consistent Routines

As we are now back into swing of schooling schedules, it is a timely reminder to parents of the benefits that consistent routine brings to children. Establishing routines at home including eating a healthy breakfast, having a set bedtime, and attending to homework (where applicable) at a set time and place, develops positive working boundaries and expectations. It is well-known with supporting research that consistent routines help children feel safe and secure, reduces stress in households and assists in helping children further develop self-discipline. Understandably, we are all human and sometimes even our best intended plans can be broken, disrupted or not fulfilled. That is simply the reality of life. However, it is best to quickly re-establish the household routines due to the many benefits that will result for your child(ren) and yourself.

Easter Hats and Egg Hunt

While still some time away, on Thursday 28 March 2024, 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)

The annual parent-teacher conference day is scheduled to take place on Friday 19 April 2024. 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. 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.

The Pre-primary children had a great time on their first excursion of the year. Our focus this term is on learning about friendship. At the park, the children played with buddies, took turns choosing games, and sketched their activities. They later enjoyed painting their sketches back at school. 

We also took a short walk to see some olden-day sculptures, including the old train line, which sparked interest in history for our next term's inquiry. Thanks to the parents who joined us; it was a lovely morning, and the children behaved beautifully.

With our swimming lessons and carnivals now completed we have hit the ground running with a whole-school brainstorm about how we approach Auslan as a subject, and how we show that we respect the language and the way we learn it. 

Our Auslan classroom looks very different to most classrooms as there are no tables and chairs to sit at. We have a more free-form space with small seating areas and floor mats to best enable us to use our bodies and “signing space” appropriately. With this in mind, each student created their own hand cut out, with a message about the correct etiquette and techniques to use during each Auslan lesson. It was a fantastic way to reflect on our first year of Auslan at Helena, and heartwarming to see how much our students have learned about deaf culture and Auslan as a language.

Over the years a number of our students have taken on the challenge of doing their Duke of Edinburgh Award, an internationally recognised youth program that rewards you for taking part in activities that you choose to do!

The Duke of Ed is a youth development program for all young people aged 14-24, regardless of background or circumstances, to explore their potential by learning a skill, being physically active, volunteering in the community and going on an adventure

Best of all, it lets you design your own Award around your interests!

There are 4 sections, and yes you do have to do all of them:

1. Service: Develop a sense of community service by helping others in need 
2. Skills: Learn something new, or develop your existing interests, skills or hobbies
3. Physical Recreation: Get active!
4. Adventurous Journey: Discover a spirit of adventure and work as a team with your friends
   
   I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the following students who have elected to complete a Duke of Edinburgh Award:
   
   Abigail Young – Bronze
   Romy Lenz – Bronze
   Stella Young – Silver
   Audrey Franzi – Bronze
   Stephanie Santos – Silver
   Anoushka Sharma – Bronze
   
   I’m looking forward to supporting the newly joined students and the existing nine students to complete their award over the coming months.
   
   If you want to have adventures, learn about new things, meet people who share your interests, help others, build confidence, resilience and employability skills, get fitter and work as part of a team…please check out the Duke of Ed website https://dukeofed.com.au/doing-the-award/ for more information and speak to Ms Murray if you are interested.
   
   Rebecca Murray | Duke of Ed Award Leader

The Year 9 students are about to embark on their Year 9 Project – an opportunity to explore a topic of their choice for an extended period. During the Meet the Teacher evening I mentioned a few things that will hopefully prove useful:

Please have some conversations with your Year 9 student about the project and a possible area of interest for them to consider
Have a conversation about the option to complete the project as an individual or in a group of two

I have uploaded the exhibition brochures from previous Personal Projects in SEQTA. Please visit SEQTA > Documents > search for ‘project’. I have suggested to the Year 9 students that they may like to read through the goal statements. They are welcome to duplicate a goal statement that they are interested in or take the idea and turn it into their own project.

Parent Information Session
There will be a Parent Information Session early next term where the Project will be discussed at length. Please keep an eye out for the invitation.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any further queries regarding the community project.

Rebecca Murray | Project Coordinator

NEAS

Our Term 1 NEAS season for Basketball and Frisbee is well underway for 2024. Students from years 7-12 have represented the college with brilliantly in some very tough conditions (It’s been hot!). It has been fantastic to see so many students involved, both new and old, and I congratulate everyone involved on their efforts so far.

The first ever Senior Summer NEAS Carnival was a big success and resulted in two of our teams making the grand final. The Senior Mixed Frisbee and the Senior Girls Basketball both secured a spot following the round robin competition at Warwick Stadium in Week 4.

The Year 10-12 Mixed Frisbee team were NEAS Premiers with a 11-5 win over Swan Valley Anglican Community School.

The Senior Girls 10-12 Basketball unfortunately had a close loss to La Salle College in the Grand Final.

James Waterhouse | Sports Co-ordinator

Year 7-12 ACC Interschool Swimming Carnival

With the 2024 Inter-house swimming carnival complete (Congratulations, Cardan!!), we are now looking forward to the ACC Interschool Swimming Carnival on Friday 15th March. Students will be notified this week of their selection in the team with a digital permission form sent out with further information. 

We are looking forward to a great day!It is extremely important that students monitor their email inbox and any individual’s not able to attend the carnival inform Mr Waterhouse immediately so that replacement competitors can be notified.

James Waterhouse | Sports Co-ordinator

Australian Computational and Linguistics Olympiad (OzCLO) 

This a volunteer-run contest about language for secondary school students. The contest challenges students to develop their own strategies in teams of four to solve problems about fascinating real languages.

The OzCLO contest is held in two rounds.

The First Round is a two-hour competition, which is held on 6th March. Participants work in teams of four on a range of language-analysis problems. The competition is held at the school with teams submitting their answers through an online quiz.

The National Round is by invitation to the top three teams for each region. This has the same format as the First Round but is held at a local host university. The National Round is usually held in late March.

The winners of the National Round are offered the opportunity of representing Australia at the International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) in Brazil, which is usually held in late July or early August.

We have 5 teams representing the College:

Team 1: Beatrice S, Ann vR , Veronique L and Anya S
Team 2: Jemma J, Sasha R, Fife T and Ileana G
Team 3: William S, Patrick A, Dane B and Flynn T
Team 4: Rivalee McE, Phillip M, Stella and Cade Y
Team 5: Nicole C, Bianc B, Evelyn D, Charlotte W

VIBE – Very Important Book Experiences!

Once per fortnight the English classes from Year 7 to 9, and Year 6 during their reading lesson each fortnight, visit the library to participate in the VIBE program. The aim of the program is to encourage and provide opportunities for students to read for pleasure. This is a vitally important life-long skill which impacts all areas of a students’ education. Students have a VIBE sheet which they will use to log their reading throughout the year with rewards when they reach milestones. Each class has been offered a pizza party if each and every student in the class reaches the following targets:

* Years 6 and 7 – 25 points per student, and
* Years 8 and 9 – 20 points per student.

If you have any questions regarding the VIBE program or access to the library, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Keep reading!

Rebecca Murray | Teacher Librarian

In Week Four the Year 6s embarked on Camp Challenge, heading down to Fremantle, Point Peron and Cockburn. 

The first day involved considering the personal journeys people have undertaken to be in Western Australia linking closely with our English and Humanities inquiries on personal histories, with visits to the Maritime Museum and Shipwreck Museum. 

At camp the students got a chance to do abseiling, roping, snorkelling, kayaking, biking, raft building and rock climbing to name a few. These activities encouraged the students to identify their personal limits and push beyond, in a supportive environment with others they had never met. Their teamwork was admirable and there were some very proud faces. 

The nights were equally as fun with games night, spotlight, team games and a quiz night. Friday was the finale with Cockburn Ice Arena. The 6s were so confident they ended up all wearing helmets! 

Overall it was a great week of coming together as a cohort, and learning a bit more about themselves along the way.

Anne-Marie Lee | Year 6 Head of Year

Monday morning of Week Four saw the Year 8 students arrive bright and early in preparation for the journey down to Albany. After a couple of quick stops, the students were finally able to stretch their legs at the incredibly scenic Camp Quaranup. With uninterrupted views across Princess Royal Harbour, the site once again provided a perfect base for the camp. After an introduction by Quaranup staff, students enjoyed afternoon tea and were able to get settled in. After dinner, the itinerary was underway with a variety of team building games taking us into the evening.

Across the rest of week, the Year 8’s visited the Museum of the Great Southern, the National ANZAC Centre, and the Historic Whaling Station. They also explored the rugged coastline at The Gap and Natural Bridge, tried their hand at Sailing and Kite making, took a guided walk around Quaranup, read the story of the Lighthouse Girl, tested their senses on the sensation trail, and depending on the weather, took part in either Archery or Canoeing.

With all these activities completed during the day, the nights saw the students rotate between having pizza on the foreshore before mini golf or creating wearable pieces of art at camp. Thursday night then saw all students test their knowledge on all things Camp Quaranup with the Quaranup Quiz.

With such a jam-packed itinerary and an early wake up on Friday morning, it is little surprise that the bus trip back to the College was far quieter than the trip to Albany!

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Better Health Program

Sports Camps

Mundaring Junior Football Club

Masterminds

Hockey