Welcome to the Secondary Blog!
Dear Parents,
Being Head of the entire campus is a wonderful role that has enabled me to really leverage our PK – 12 structure, the skills of our staff and the blessings of our facilities to provide our students with so many more opportunities than previously experienced. Indeed, having such oversight has also unified us all the more and ensured that a deeper understanding of Primary and Secondary teaching paradigms has been gained by staff.
On Wednesday evening last week, we had an outstanding turnout to our Year 5 & 6 Parent Information Evening where Mrs Beare, Mr Meagher, Madame Pilote and myself discussed the above in the context of students transitioning to Secondary. The Deans taking Day Start once a fortnight, the use of Science laboratories, students walking to their specialist subjects unaccompanied, older students attending Year 6 Camp and a ‘whole campus’ Cross-Country Carnival are but a few ways over the last three years where we have intruded on the traditional ‘transition’ program to diminish the divide between primary and secondary.
Enhancing this is our ‘curriculum cross-over’ project whereby secondary students undertake learning activities with primary students so that both of their learning experiences are enriched and relationships are created. Year 11 Certificate in Outdoor Education students work with Miss Uglow in primary PhysEd lessons, Year 10 – 12 Childcare students spend time assisting in our Early Years, Year 9 HASS students study WWI and Gallipoli with our Year 3 students, English and Biblical Studies students write poetry and stories to read to our little people, senior students assist Miss Uglow with the primary carnivals and…. there is so much more. New programs, new facilities, new opportunities all created by intentionally thinking ‘whole campus’.
The re-structure to create my role, therefore, has born much fruit, and will continue to do so, because of the greater ‘view’ that it offers of a school that was PK – 12 and now is PK – 12 in the fullest sense of the word.
We hope you enjoy this fortnightly communication.
God bless,
Mr Brett Roberts
Head of Campus
THE SHOW MUST GO ON…LINE!
The Show Must Go Online, written by Beat by Beat Press in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, is the first of its kind – a musical to be rehearsed remotely, performed virtually and shared with audiences online. It is a bit like life imitating art, with the plot centred around a group of students who are desperately trying to save their Drama Department by turning their cancelled show, “Brushes with Greatness: A Dental Hygiene Musical”, into a virtual production.
After months of virtual rehearsals, awesome enthusiasm and incredible creativity from 29 of our Year 6, 7 and 8 students, the premiere of The Show Must Go Online! is scheduled for this THURSDAY AUGUST 6 at 6:45pm. It’s quirky, fun, and very family friendly – and you get to watch it from the comfort of your own living room.
To reserve your free ticket, and receive the password to view the show, please click the link below:
Year 10 – 2021 Year 11 Subject Selection Interviews
Following on from the Year 10 Parent and Teacher interviews this evening, appointments are available with Mr Rob Crewe to assist students in selecting their Year 11 subject preferences. Appointments for Subject Counselling can be made via the Parent Portal/Plan the Term/ Interview Bookings/Login to Edinfo. Book your Subject Counselling interview
Keep up to date with Careers and Course Information via the Careers Web Site St Stephens Careers Information Site
Secondary Inter House Athletics Carnival
The Secondary Inter House Athletics Carnival takes place this week with pre carnival events being run during lunch times (Monday – Thursday ) and concluding with the Year 7 – 12 Carnival on Friday 7 August. The weather forecast is for a sunny day and we are looking forward to healthy and fun competition between our houses. The carnival is a compulsory event for all students.
Languages Week
Bonjour Hola Nī Hão
This week we are celebrating the importance of languages within Australia and worldwide as part of WA Languages Week.
In language lessons this week, we have been discussing what other languages families within our community have knowledge of and use within their home.
We have also launched the Teachers of French Association annual sticker competition, which a number of our students have been successful in in previous years.
A number of classes worked in groups to think about what they know about other languages and cultures. The students then presented to the class about the ideas and language they had discussed.
Below is an example of their thoughts from a group of year 8 students.
Mrs Harris and Ms Kuntz
Year 9 Outdoor Ed Camp
Last week the Year 9 Outdoor Ed class experienced their first hiking camp down to the Kaadadjan Centre in Dwellingup. Hiking along the Bibbulmun Track, the students and staff were very lucky with the weather conditions for this time of the year. Kaadadjan was the ideal location for students to put into practice their campcraft skills that they had been learning in class and included setting up tents and cooking a nutritious meal at the end of the day. It wasn’t all work with a game of ‘Capture the Flag’ being held when the night had fully taken over. It was hard to say if the staff were too good at spotting or whether the students had difficulty hiding in silence but a fun time was had by everyone. The next morning saw the group wake to mist covering the paddock and emphasised the meaning of Dwellingup as the place of “mist, fog and dew”. A return walk to Dwellingup got the students warmed up in no time and we were escorted to the end of our hike by the chattering of red-tailed black cockatoos. It was the perfect introduction to Outdoor Education expeditions and I am sure that students took a lot away from their experience. The Yr 9 program now shifts from a land based program to a water based program as they prepare for the Rottnest trip in Term 4.
Clubs and Extra Curricular Activities
Lunch CRU
Each Monday Lunch.
Study the bible, eat food, have a chat.
Contact Mr Bosma for more information
Science Support Club – Year 7 to 10 students
Confused by Chemistry? Flummoxed by Physics? Boggled by Biology? Don’t stay stumped!
Each Thursday lunchtime.
Contact Mrs Kirby for further details
English Club
Every Wednesday after school in the Library
Maths Club
Each Wednesday 3.30 pm – 4.30 pm in the Library
Contact Mr Prideaux for further information
French club
Every Tuesday Lunch time
Contact Mrs Kuntz for further information
Psychology Club – Open to all Secondary Students
Lunch time on Wednesday 5 August in S1
Students interested in psychology and why humans do some of the things they do, think and feel can join Mrs Smoker tomorrow.
Drawing Competition -entries close 21 August
Theme: Out of This World
No limit to the number of entries or materials used to create artworks
Photography competition – entries close 21 August
Theme: Inner Beauty
Electronic entries ONLY to be submitted to Mr Pattni or Mrs Zuchetti
Photo editing IS permitted. 5 entries max
Upcoming Events in Term 3
- Week 2 Inter-house Athletics Carnival
- Week 2 & 3 Year 10 Subject Counselling
- Week 4 Science Week & Yr 7 Team Building Activities
- Week 5 Year 11 River Cruise
- Week 6 Leavers Shield Week
- Week 7 ACC Interschool Athletics Carnival
- Week 9 Year 12 Graduation Dinner and Grads Day