Secondary School

It is assessment season in the Secondary School and we have been delighted to see how our students have been rising to the challenge of upcoming examinations. However, there have also been really exciting events happening this term, including camps, excursions and incursions.

Year 12 Assessments

Year 12 students have had a very busy few weeks. The General pathway students completed their Externally Set Tasks last week. This week is Year 12 Study and Examination week. ATAR pathway students are currently completing their examinations. This week, Year 12 will begin their final units in their secondary educational journeys. We are so proud of their achievements to date.

Year 11 Study and Examination Week

The Year 11 Study and Examination week will commence on Thursday 1st June and finish on Friday 9th June. Those completing ATAR examinations will sign into the office prior to their examinations. Upon completion, they are welcome to study at school or they can sign out and continue to study at home. For those completing the General pathway, students will be required to attend school at their teachers’ request. Students who have not been asked by their teacher to attend may use the week to study at home. Importantly, this is the final block of time before the conclusion of Unit One. All outstanding assessment tasks must be completed and submitted so that the course can be marked as complete.

Using time effectively is an important life skill. Study weeks are a feature of most university and TAFE courses, and students should ensure that they use this opportunity to ensure that they have

learned the content well, fulfilled all of the course requirements and submitted all assessment tasks ready for the commencement of Unit Two.

Year 7 - 10 Exams

This week, our Year 7 -10 students will complete their Semester One examinations. This is an important opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning. In addition, completing examinations teaches students important skills in exam preparation and exam technique. Examinations will be one period in duration and may cover content from Terms One and Two.

Year 8 Adventure Camp

Year 8 students really enjoyed their Adventure Camp in Katanning. We stayed at the beautiful old Kobeelya House, a mansion built in the early 1900s that features a spiral staircase and even a ballroom. Our campers partnered with Cru West, who ran some fun activities including archery tag, a town crate challenge and lawn bowls. Cru West also ran Christian Discovery sessions, where students explored the crucifixion and resurrection by watching the Jerusalem News. Thanks to the staff who worked hard to make this camp such a success.

Year 8 Lunch

Next week, Year 8 will celebrate the end of examinations with a lunch break at Eyre Park. The Year 8s were the highest earners in the Colour Run earlier this year and they have decided that they would like to head off-campus to enjoy their prize.

Year 10 UWA Excursion

This week, Year 10 students visited the University of Western Australia (UWA) Albany centre as part of their Essentials for Life class. Students talked with the director of UWA Albany and toured the campus, visiting the tutorial rooms, computer labs and the student common room, or ‘dungeon’ as it is affectionately known. Students also toured the newer science labs and learned about options for regional studies. A particular highlight was bumping into our very own graduate from 2022 and current UWA student, Callum Greenwald.

Wise Women

In June, a select group of Year 10 girls will be attending the Wise Women event at Murdoch University. Our school has been fortunate enough to secure funding for a group of girls to attend a series of sessions and activities run by Murdoch University to encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technologies, Engineering, Mathematics). Students will attend lectures by women who are leading in a variety of STEM fields, complete some activities in the science labs and tour the campus. In addition, our students will be touring the research labs at the Telethon Kids Institute, where they will chat with researchers and take part in a workshop activity. We believe that this will be a great opportunity for our students to gain some understanding of university study and to inspire them to aim high.

Year 10 Subject Selections

It is almost time for our Year 10 students to make their subject selections for 2024. Students have been learning about the WACE, career pathways and the options that are available to them. Parents will be invited to attend a Year 11 Subject Selection Information Evening on Monday 19th June.

Food Bank

Year 10 students are currently running a collection drive for Food Bank as part of their Essentials for Life course. They ask that families donate non-perishables, such as packaged or tinned food, and sanitary or hygiene products. These items will be donated to Food Bank, and Year 10s will volunteer their time later this term to pack shelves and provide general assistance at the Food Bank centre.

Police Cyber Safety Visits

Each year, we invite Senior Constable Rogers to speak with our Year 9 students about topics such as cyber safety and the legal issues surrounding sexting. This year, we asked Senior Constable Rogers to also talk with our Year 7s about cyber safety and with both the Year 7s and 9s about vaping. If you would like any further information about cyber safety, there are some great resources available, including these from the eSafety Commissioner.

Year 9 Career Taster

The Year 9 students took part in a virtual reality career taster session last week. They really enjoyed using the VR headsets to learn about the range of careers that are available.

Cross Country

We were delighted with the efforts of our Secondary Students who competed in the Interschool Cross Country event. We had some fantastic results, plus we were incredibly proud of the positive attitudes that our team demonstrated. Well done, cross country runners! Special congratulations to Jesse Thorn, Georgia Power, Emily Smith, and Zoe Downing for finishing in the top 6 of their respective categories!

Pedal Prix

Our 2023 Pedal Prix competed in the Perth Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) Super Series. This was the first time that the team had competed in the Perth event. The team worked hard to firstly ensure that our new vehicles were ready to compete and secondly to race hard. We achieved some fantastic results, coming in fourth and seventh places. Well done to Mr Pitman, Mr Hunt, Mrs Phipson and the team! Thank you also to the parents and community who support our Pedal Prix team!

Uniform

Most of our students have been wearing their uniforms well this term. However, there are a few students who have been making some poor uniform choices. Please remind your child to wear their uniform correctly. Some common uniform mistakes include:

• Wearing the sport jacket with the formal uniform

• Wearing sneakers with the formal uniform

• Boys forgetting to wear their ties with the formal uniform

• Incorrect socks

• Jewellery, makeup or excessive hair items

You can check the uniform guide and make any orders by accessing the ACC Parent Portal.

Students wearing the incorrect uniform may be required to complete detention. In some cases, parents may need to deliver the correct uniform before students can participate in lessons.