Over the last few terms, I have had the opportunity and privilege to work with our Year 11 students participating in our newly formed ‘Propel’ Leadership Program. I have discussed things such as being a leader at a round table (like King Arthur) where everyone has equal status and no-one is better than the next person, using space and design to set the tone of a meeting (Boardroom v lounges and a coffee table), of the need to be aware of the ‘pulse’ of their year group, why it is important to trust their experts and how to hold people accountable through having difficult conversations rather than finger-pointing.

During these conversations, the students’ thirst to learn ‘how’ to lead was amazing and the questions they asked were many, varied and really thoughtful. What they also prompted me to discuss was the need for leaders to have a vision so that the direction of the year group, school, institution or organisation is clear, defined and can be owned by everyone.

The vision then gets down to values. What do we truly value and what do we feel can be let go or compromised? What is important for us to succeed, to make a difference, to leave a legacy, to define who we are? Important questions with answers that are of even greater importance.

And, when answered, it becomes the responsibility of the leader to ensure that that thing is not abandoned when times are difficult, when obstacles are put in the way, when perhaps the magnitude of the task seems insurmountable or when people constantly criticise and seek for the negative – if it is truly valued, it is a responsibility to see it done, retained, accomplished, enculturated.

Beyond that, it is the responsibility of the community, who own the vision, to also work for the collective and the realisation of those values.

In 2021, parents, just as our Year 12 leaders grapple with these ideas, I invite you to similarly consider the conversation of role-modelling, understanding a vision, knowing the values that create the vision and the responsibility to affect that vision. We have an outstanding School, supported by an outstanding community, and it is together that we will continue to prosper and ensure that the future is bright for every student that walks through our door.

Wishing everyone a blessed Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year.

Brett Roberts

Head of Campus

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

Tickets for our cross campus production, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe are on sale NOW.

Due to current COVID restrictions we are limited to the number of tickets we can sell, so it is worth getting in quick! Please note, if/when COVID restrictions are lifted we will release more tickets, but government guidelines restrict us from selling the full capacity of the theatre at this stage.

C.S Lewis’ original work is reimagined in this contemporary interpretation of a much loved classic. Year 7-12 students from both campuses take us on a magical tour through the wardrobe and into the Land of Narnia. A feast for the senses, including incredible puppetry and stage combat, this production is sure to delight young and old alike.

Yr 8 War on Waste

Year 8 students got fired up over plastic pollution after watching an episode of War on Waste in Science. Mr Hayward and Mrs Smoker’s classes then did an audit of the plastic they collected from different areas around the school. In the space of 25 minutes, armed with buckets and gloves, students collected a total of 607 separate pieces of plastic and other rubbish. Nearly half the plastic was made up of food wrappers, plastic bags and other packaging.

As a follow up to this activity, students will discuss better ways of reducing their plastic waste and how some of these plastics are recycled.

 

Sports Awards Evening

Carramar students celebrated sporting achievements of 2020 at the annual Sports Awards Night recently.  Each sports team’s Most Valuable Player and Best Team Player were awarded on the night, as well as Emblems, Colours and Wreaths. Students who broke school records were also acknowledged at the event.

Adam Dwyer

St Stephen’s School Scholarships

 

Yr 9 Christmas Card Collaboration

Co-curricular collaboration took on a festive feel in Science this week, when the Year 9 students mentored Year 5’s with creating a Christmas card, complete with copper tape conductors, an LED bulb and a beautiful Christmas design.

Year 9’s rose to the occasion most wonderfully and a great time was had by all. A fiddly exercise but well worth the care and attention it required, as Year 5’s came away with a beautiful Christmas card that they had made themselves.

Year 9 Science students had recently learned about electricity and electrical circuits and their teachers, Mrs Corrigan and Mrs Smoker, had put a great deal of time and effort into planning and implementing this lovely activity. Well done to all.

Elizabeth Kirby

HoLA Science

School Fee Payment Options

Dear Parents/ Guardians,

In 2021, the School will be simplifying the annual school fee notification and payment selection process for parents. Parents / Guardians will no longer be required to re-select a preferred payment method and frequency at the start of the school year.

The payment method (direct debit, or credit card, or BPAY) and frequency of payment (weekly, fortnightly, monthly, three instalments or annual upfront) that you had in place in 2020 will continue automatically in 2021.

The dates to note for payments (based on frequency) next year are:

1 upfront payment due on 29 January 2021 (2% discount); or

43 weekly payments starting 4 February 2021; or

22 fortnightly payments starting 4 February 2021; or

10 monthly payments starting on 2 February 2021; or

10 monthly payments starting on 17 February 2021; or

3 instalments (BPAY only) on 18 February 2021, 20 May 2021 and 19 August 2021

You will not be required to take any action, unless you would like to change the method of payment or frequency of payments. In which case, please contact the Accounts Receivable team on 9243 2103 or email accountsreceivable@ststephens.wa.edu.au as soon as possible.

If you wish to change your credit card, or bank account details, you are able to do this at any time throughout the year via the Parent Portal. Click on the ‘School Payments’ tab and select Manage stored cards and direct debits to bank accounts (https://edinfo.ststephens.wa.edu.au/ManageStoredCards.aspx).

On 11 January 2021 your annual fee invoice will be available for you to view on the Parent Portal in the ‘School Payments’ tab – select Statements and receipt history (https://edinfo.ststephens.wa.edu.au/fin.aspx).

All the best for the holidays and wishing you a Happy Christmas.

From the Accounts Receivable Team

Walk to Water Day

St Stephen’s Carramar ran Walk to Water Day on Friday 27^th November. The day is about remembering the great privileges we have in Australia to access clean water and sanitation and to think about our role in helping those who do not have this opportunity. Students participated in three activities over the day.

The Compassion Australia education session was designed to stimulate the experience of living in poverty. Students participated in ‘the village game’ and had to make difficult choices in order to survive. Throughout the session we reflected on the importance of empathy, compassion and generosity; as students learnt the value of how these values transform the lives of those facing hardships.

The Walk to Water session involved students carrying plastic bottles, buckets, cans, plastic bags and even eskies filled with water from Da Vinci Park back to school. The Year 8 students walking in the cool of the day, carried an incredible 349.5 litres of water. The Yr 7’s achieved a respectable 269 litres and finally the Yr 10’s managed to drag back another 195 litres, with Cody Ryall bringing back 38 litres by himself. This meant that we moved an incredible  813.5 litres over our 3.5 km track.

Students also had the opportunity to learn about some of the positive solutions people are bringing to water issues globally watching “Brave Blue World” and to recognise our excellent facilities here at school through conducting a water audit.

Students legs and arms may have been sore but our hearts were moved, as we reflected on how lucky we are to live in Australia, where our drinking water and sanitation is so clean and accessible.

Mr Gilchrist, Miss Erasmus, Mr Batten & Mr Bosma

Yr 7 Team Building

On Wednesday 1 December, all Year 7s travelled to Camp Keram and Outback Splash for a team building experience. The students spent the day rock climbing, high ropes and water sliding. A great day of fun was enjoyed by all.

Russell Gilchrist

Yr 11 Retreat

During week 7, the Year 11s had the opportunity to spend time together and connect as a cohort as part of their retreat program.

Over the 3 days at Fairbridge Village in Pinjarra, the Year 11’s learnt about and reflected on the theme of choices. Two questions were asked as part of the retreat program, ‘How do I make good choices for myself?’ and ‘How do I make good choices about the way I treat others?’

Several guest speakers developed this theme in relation to their own personal stories. The Year 11’s also enjoyed a number of activities, the highlights being the yoga and drumming sessions, the filming of their Year 11 video and of course time spent with friends in the campsite’s pool.

The very high standard of behaviour together with the Year 11’s readiness to join in all activities made the time away a very enjoyable experience for all the students and staff involved.

Madame Harris and Mr Grove

 

Hair-raising Fundraiser

Year 7 students Lucy Rivers and her friend Saanvi Shah decided in year 6 that they wanted to grow their hair and donate it to Sustainable Salons in NSW, to be made into wigs for people suffering from hair loss due to illness or cancer. This year, having grown their hair past the required minimum length of 20 cm’s, they approached their Dean Mr Gilchrist for permission to promote their cause and have raised $160.

Lucy had 28cm cut and Saanvi 30 cm. A local hairdresser, Monika’s Hair Studio, gave them a discounted hair cut of $20 each as she was so impressed by their selfless act at such a young age.

Parents of the girls, Mrs Shah and Ms Rivers were present and are immensely proud of the girls sacrifice for others.

Well done girls, we are very proud of you both.

Mr Gilchrist

Digital Media Literacy

Recently, Year 8 and Year 10 took part in a new program in line with the Federal initiative to improve youth digital media literacy. Mr Crewe and Mrs Roberts presented sessions looking primarily at the dynamics of social media and how to understand news in a ‘fake-news world’.

Whilst we often hear the negatives associated with social media it is crucial for students to understand that their future job hunting will be largely influenced by their online profiles. The significance of their personal branding going forward, needs to be understood if they are going to have a positive presence online.

The students responses included comments such as, “ I didn’t realise how much of me was already online, I am going to think about what I post much more carefully in future”. Others left the session checking their security settings.

Mr Crewe & Mrs Roberts

Youth Forum on Climate Change

As the year is coming to and end and we have had a lot of events on, we would like to celebrate these in our final newsletter of the year next Tuesday 8 December.

Lego League

The Regional LEGO League heat has just finished and I am pleased to announce that the Secondary Team (Totally Brik) where awarded 2^nd Place overall, which is our best effort yet (based on Robot Design, Robot Run, Innovation Project and Core Values).

To top off a great day, Carramar Primary (Active Ants) were awarded 1^st Place overall making it a Carramar 1^st and 2^nd with Duncraig Primary receiving an individual award as well.

If you see the following students during the week please congratulate them and wish them luck for the Nationals in 2 weeks at Curtin Uni.

Charlee Blair, Harry Blair, Aden Randell, Jack Koong, Torin Doak, Charlie Schoeman, Harrison Hawker, Luke Shirdon, Kyra Bartels, Hayley Wenn, David Bejan, Elijah Bosma, Noah Carter

TIM DRAKE

Carramar Library

As 2020 is slowly coming to a close we would like to ask all parents and students to search their homes to see if there are any library books/resources that need to be returned or renewed before the end of the year.

We would also like to remind all years 3-12 students that they are most welcome to come and borrow for the holidays.  Students in PK-2 are welcome to come with a parent to borrow for the holidays.  These books will be due back at the start of our 2021 year.

Best wishes for a safe and joyful festive season.

CARRAMAR LIBRARY STAFF

Holiday Hijinx

The hardest part of the school holidays can be finding something for the kids to do. Ward off the constant ‘I’m bored!’ declarations and make screen time more productive at Fire Tech’s STEM workshops this January.

Kids can brush up on their tech talents at a range of workshops including Junior Adventures in Augmented Reality, Creating for YouTube, Making Games with ROBLOX, Video Game Design, Lego Stop-Motion Animation and Digital Music.

There are courses to suit children aged between 9-17 and the cost rivals that of vacation care, all while the kids walk away with a new skill.

Sign up for the SUMMER SPECIAL with workshops starting from $99 a day and running from 10am-4pm between January 11 and 15 at the School’s Duncraig Campus.

Find out more at firetechcamp.com.au

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

Tickets for our cross campus production, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe are on sale NOW.

Due to current COVID restrictions we are limited to the number of tickets we can sell, so it is worth getting in quick! Please note, if/when COVID restrictions are lifted we will release more tickets, but government guidelines restrict us from selling the full capacity of the theatre at this stage.

C.S Lewis’ original work is reimagined in this contemporary interpretation of a much loved classic. Year 7-12 students from both campuses take us on a magical tour through the wardrobe and into the Land of Narnia. A feast for the senses, including incredible puppetry and stage combat, this production is sure to delight young and old alike.

ECU School of Engineering CREATE STEM School Holiday Program – January 2021 

Following two successful programs held in the school holidays in July and September/October this year, we are pleased to announce the ECU School of Engineering STEM School Holiday Program – CREATE will be offered in January 2021 and the dates are 13 January, 14 January and 15 January. This program is offered at no cost to participating students.

CREATE is designed to support the teaching and learning of STEM subjects for students interested in STEM studies, and is suitable for students currently enrolled in Years 8 to 10.

Limited places are available and registration closes on 16 December 2020.

More information about this program can be obtained from the Administration Team, School of Engineering by email at se-create@ecu.edu.au or by telephone on 6304 2924 / 2926.

January 2021 Jump-Start Program

Master Mind Australia is delivering a comprehensive January Preparation Program for all students entering years 7 to 12 in 2021.

The University of Notre Dame

Twilight Tours | 3 & 8 December, 5.30pm

Considering your uni options? Notre Dame’s Twilight Tours are the perfect opportunity to chat with current students and staff, and enjoy an evening in Fremantle’s West End. Take a tour of our unique town university and find out more about studying at our 5-star rated university.

Architecture Summer School | 11-15 or 18-22 January 2021

Ever wondered what it’s like to design cities, building and landscapes? Find out what it’s like to study, work, and create amazing built environments as an architect at Notre Dame’s Architecture Summer School. Open to students who will be in Year 11 and 12 in 2021.

Register now at notredame.edu.au/events

Exam FAQ

Exam time can be a stressful time for the whole family. We wanted to provide a simple explanation about some of the Frequently Asked Questions we receive around results and the meaning behind some of the commonly used acronyms and phrases.

We would like to firstly note that League Tables, which have become widely used as a simple measurement of results in the media, rank schools based upon single measure metrics.

However, schools provide a range of opportunities that are not reflected in many of these tables including service learning, work experience, tours, camps and the like. Different practices between schools regarding scholarships, pathways and subject selections also mean that results are not comparing like for like. As St Stephen’s believes in the holistic education of a child with both academic achievement and student wellbeing being central to what “success” looks like for a Year 12 graduate, perhaps a more accurate table or statistic to look at for university-bound students is what percentage of students got into university.

• What are the league tables?

While some find merit in the single metric measurements of league tables, at St Stephen’s, we find they only provide a limited snapshot of achievements and do not reflect all students who undertake Year 12 studies in different areas. Since 2016, the three tables commonly reported on are: the percentage of students obtaining a WACE, the median ATAR and schools’ performance in VET (this is the percentage of students who achieve a Certificate II or higher compared to those who attempted it is the metric – in the last few years St Stephen’s has been achieving a 100% rating in this space).

• What is the WASSA?

All students receive a Western Australian Statement of Student Achievement (WASSA) when they complete Year 12. The WASSA was introduced to WA in recent years to bring the State’s reporting in line with the rest of the country. It formally records a student’s achievement in every course, qualification and program completed in senior secondary schooling and provides evidence of achievement.

• What is the WACE?

The West Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) is awarded to students who have successfully completed senior secondary schooling and have met the specific WACE requirements. These include either achieving an ATAR score (complete at least four Year 12 ATAR courses) or a Certificate II (or higher) in a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification, plus meeting literacy and numeracy standards, grade standards and studying a breadth of subjects. More information about the requirements can be found on the School Curriculum and Standards Authority website at senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au.

• What is ATAR and how is it calculated?

ATAR stands for Australian Tertiary Admission Rank. It is used to rank students who wish to enter public universities in Australia relative to one another. Find more at www.tisc.edu.au/static/guide/atar-about.tisc. The ATAR is calculated by averaging moderated school marks and examination marks to determine a combined course mark. These scores are then standardised and then scaled. The top 4 scaled scores of appropriate course combinations are added together to produce the School Leaver Tertiary Entrance Aggregate, this is then converted into an ATAR score. Find more here: www.tisc.edu.au/static-fixed/statistics/misc/marks-adjustment-process.pdf

• Why is calculating the ATAR so complicated?

The statistical processes used are done in the interests of fairness for all. Moderation of school marks occurs to ensure that students are neither advantaged or disadvantaged as a result of differences in the standards of assessment and marking that occurs within different schools. Standardising marks is to compensate for variations that may occur in the difficulty of particular examinations from year to year. Scaling takes account of the ability of students undertaking different courses to ensure that students taking difficult courses are not disadvantaged or advantaged if they take an easier one.

• What is VET?

VET stands for Vocational Education and Training. It provides students with qualifications recognised nationally by industry and training organisations. At senior school level, the qualifications offered are usually Certificate I, II, III, or IV courses. More at senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/vet/faqs

Gen. Alpha and Screen Content

We are entering a new era for schooling. The first students belonging to what has been termed “Generation Alpha” (born post 2010) are beginning to occupy our upper primary/early secondary classrooms. These students will be the first generation of children shaped entirely in an era of portable digital devices. For many, their pacifiers have never been a rattle or a set of keys but a smartphone or tablet device. They have never known a world without world iPhones, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram.

These advancements mean that screen technology for Generation Alpha “is not something separate from themselves, but rather, an extension of their own consciousness and identity”. They will become “screenagers” with many preferring the virtual world to the physical world. This opens up a new frontier of challenge when it comes to parenting this generation. Researchers highlight three main issues for parents of Generation Alpha which centre around watching out for screen addiction, cyberbullying and the management of content.

It is the third of these concerns upon which I want to briefly focus a spotlight because “Content is King!”. What are children doing with their screen time?

Parents and educators should consider if a child’s screen time is active or passive. Is screen time being used predominantly for leisure or learning? Are children communicating and creating with screens (which is ideal, as they are cognitively engaged and assume an active role) or are they passively consuming content? There should be regulation and monitoring of exactly what content children are creating or consuming online. This is a mammoth job for many parents as the technology is constantly evolving and children’s technical skills and knowledge often surpass their parents.

Dr. Kirsty Goodwin, a leading digital parenting expert, (www.drkirstygoodwin.com) presents these tips for parents around regulating appropriate content:

1. Be specific: Parents and teachers must establish very clear boundaries about what content is appropriate for children to view and or create. Parents are advised to create folders on touchscreen devices with the apps that are suitable for kids of different ages to use. Parents can also create YouTube playlists of appropriate content and can pre-record TV shows or specify channels that they’re happy for children to view.
2. Keep up to date: Parents and educators need to stay abreast of the newest apps and websites that are geared towards young children. A number of “not for profit” organisations provide a range of digital tools available to guide parents trying to navigate the digital world . They provide independent reviews, age ratings and other essential information about a range of media.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/

https://childrenandmedia.org.au/

3. Use filters: Set up parental controls and web-filtering software on all devices.

While parents have some unique challenges, it is encouraging to remember the Millennial parents of Generation Alpha have themselves been shaped in the digital world, so are well equipped to manage these complexities. Basic dynamics between parents and children remain timeless. Parents and educators should model healthy media habits. Ongoing conversations about your child’s use of technology should it occur often. Establishing guidelines around use of media and then enforcing these guidelines consistently, helps create a safe and secure environment.

Stephen Meagher

House Captains 2021

Congratulations to the following students who have been elected House Captains for 2021

Parresia – Alex Huynh, Ella Lines, Lucy Williams, Evie Wilson

Makaria – Tahlia Beckitt, Olivia Binkhorst, Cameron Kiss, Riana Shah

Charis – Ronan Fitzgerald, Sophie Suverijn, Jarrod Suverijn, Nicholas Vlahov

Spring Soiree

All the students in Year 10 at the Carramar campus attended the Spring Soiree at Bridgeleigh. Holding it at this venue has been a valuable transition at our campus, as it marks decades of students attending this special soiree. Unfortunately, they are under new ownership as of next year. Thus, this year marked the end of a great legacy, which made the night even more memorable to many staff and students alike.

The event had many objectives, the first of which was to celebrate the achievements students have made in their junior years, whilst marking the transition to upper school. We further wanted to provide students with the opportunity to participate in a mature social gathering where they had to participate in formal dancing (they learnt about 10 different dances in the rehearsals) and sit down to a formal three course meal.

We had high expectations for their dress and etiquette and students far exceeded our expectations. The boys wearing new smart attire, some even in suits. They were also vastly outnumbered by the girls. Subsequently the girls did very well at including all the boys in the dances and there were very few occasions where boys were sitting out. This is undoubtedly what made the evening a great success. The students were greatly appreciative and said that they thoroughly enjoyed the event.

Gillian Erasmus

 

Secondary Student Booklists

Booklists for Secondary Students are now available via the Parent portal : Booklists & Textbooks.  Orders placed with Campion Education by 4 December will receive FREE Home Delivery.  Please note, that there are certain subscriptions and required items that can only be purchased via Campion and are not available through other suppliers.

St Stephen’s is once again partnering with the Sustainable School Shop to offer a forum to buy and sell second-hand texts, calculators, electronics and lots more.  You will find further information via the Parent portal : Booklists & Textbooks.

Fusion

Spectacular colour, texture, design and creativity came together at Carramar’s Fusion exhibition. Art, Design and Technology pieces were displayed by students from across the campus – including colourful, eye-catching artworks by young students, detailed woodwork and metalwork pieces, mouth-watering cake decorations, thought-provoking artworks, photography, detailed self-portraits and much more. Click the link to view a list of winning entrants https://bit.ly/3pleFH0

Lesley Nation

Remembrance Day Service

Carramar held its traditional Remembrance Day Service for Years 3-10 on Wednesday 11^th November. A number of different students from across the year groups spoke about different aspects of conflict and commemoration, as well as poems, prayers and a minute of silence at 11am. This year’s service made particular mention of the role and experience in military service by Indigenous Australians, which dovetailed well into the School’s NAIDOC week celebrations.

Josh Plummer

 

Share the Dignity – It’s in the bag

Each November Share the Dignity donate thousands of bags to those in need across the country filled with essentials and special gifts to make Christmas one to remember.

Over the past 3 years our Year 9 – 12 girls at Carramar have been collecting, packing and delivering these bags to women of need. 2020’s campaign will run from the 20th of November until the 29th of November.

We need YOU to help us break our previous bag record of 36 handbags for woman in emergency accommodation situations.

Please consider donating your preloved handbags (or thin out your partners collection) – or pop into your local Salvo’s and grab a bag there. We also want all of those unopened hotel toiletries hiding in the back of your bathrooms – that might never get another chance to see the light of day!

If you can get your donations to either Sarah Stockton-Rice’s office or my office (in Charis) that would be greatly appreciated or drop them to the Secondary Art room. Otherwise send me an email and I will come to you!

Thank you for all of your support!

Lesley Nation

WA Middle School Ethics Olympiad

On Monday 9th November, two teams from St Stephen’s competed in the 2020 WA Middle School Ethics Olympiad via Zoom, having spent 4 lessons with Mr Bosma and Ms Phillips learning about various ethical frameworks and interrogating the case studies to be addressed on the day of the competition.  During the Ethics Olympiad, the teams discussed the ethical dilemmas posed by the 8 different case studies with a number of schools including John Septimus Roe, Iona Presentation College and Penrhos College and we are delighted to announce that Team Grey placed second out of the 21 teams competing and Team Green received an honourable mention from the judges.  Congratulations to all involved on such a magnificent effort!

Sarah Phillips

 

Presentation Evenings 2020

Carramar Secondary Presentation Evening will be held on Monday 7 December at 6:45pm in the Sports & Learning Centre.  Tickets for the event are free and are available now via the link below:

https://events.humanitix.com/cspe2020

Ticket numbers will be limited due to COVID-19 restrictions so please book early to avoid disappointment.  Please be aware that all attendees (including students & performers) will require tickets this year.  Please bring your ticket with you on the night (printed or electronically) as they will be scanned on entry.

 

Free Event @ ECU for all Yr 10, 11 & 12 Students

 

Secondary Assistance Scheme 2021

The State Government, through the Department of Education, provides financial support to eligible parents through the Secondary Assistance Scheme. The aim of the scheme is to assist low income families with secondary schooling costs.  Eligible parents/guardians with students enrolled in Years 7 to 12 studying a full-time secondary course at a Western Australian non government school will be able to apply for the Secondary Assistance Scheme in 2021.

The Secondary Assistance Scheme consists of two allowances:

• $235 Education Program Allowance (payment made to the school); and
• $115 Clothing Allowance (payment made to the parent/guardian)

Parents/guardians in receipt of the ABSTUDY School Fees Allowance from Services Australia (Centrelink) are not eligible for the Secondary Assistance Scheme, but they may apply for the ABSTUDY Supplement Allowance.  The payment is : $79 Education Program Allowance (payment made to the school).

 

 

“If you’re always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be”. This quote is by the American poet, Maya Angelou. The quote captures the essence of the work I have been carrying out with the year 9 girls over the last term. We have looked at the difference between fitting in and belonging. The year 9 girls came up with some incredibly insightful and often profound differences between fitting in and belonging. They explained that fitting in is external, it’s for other people and it’s hard work. They went on to share that fitting in is fake and you don’t feel like you’re being authentic or making real friends. Belonging on the other hand is internal, genuine and a lot easier than trying to fit in all of the time. Belonging, according the girls, means that you have “found your people and your place, so that’s where you fit”. I found their awareness of these differences to be a stark contrast to what most students this age practice.

We also looked at the differences between perfectionism and healthy striving to do your best. This exercise was more difficult until the girls realised that the differences between perfectionism and healthy striving were the same as the difference between fitting in and belonging. One is for others and appearances, the other is for you.

So why do our girls try to fit in and aim for perfection rather than belong and strive for excellence? They want to connect. We all want to connect. We are a social species and if COVID has taught us anything, it’s that we share the basic need for connection with other people. As adolescents, our need to connect to our peers outweighs our need to be true to ourselves. Being true and authentic versions of ourselves takes courage and courage takes time to develop. As our children grow up and are given the opportunity to develop courage by facing their fears, they will develop the courage to be their authentic selves. “Having courage does not mean that we are unafraid. Having courage and showing up means that we face our fears. We are able to say, I have fallen, but I will get up”, eloquently put by Maya Angelou.

Take care

Sarah Stockton-Rice

SSS Dance Company Audition Dates 2021

For further information and audition forms please see Mrs Nation.

 

Yr 8 Camp – Rottnest Island

Last week, Year 8 students attended their HASS and Science camp to Rottnest Island. They had a packed few days of activities such as bike riding around the island and snorkelling, as well as learning about the complex history of Rottnest Island and the different ecosystems present. As well as this, students had the responsibility of budgeting for and cooking their own meals – staff were even lucky enough to sample some of these meals in a MasterChef style challenge! Overall, students thoroughly enjoyed themselves and learnt a lot about Rottnest that they didn’t know before.

Eleanor Glacken

 

Year 11 ATAR Exam Schedule

Fusion Opening Night

Due to Phase 4 restrictions, the number of attendees for the Fusion 2020 Opening Night in the Technology Hub will be capped. Staff, students and parents wishing to attend this event from 6.30pm will need to secure a free ticket through Humanitix. Please click on the link to secure your ticket. https://events.humanitix.com/fusion2020

The Fusion exhibition for 2020 opens on Thursday, 5 November in the Technology Hub with viewing to begin at 6.30pm, with formal presentations beginning shortly after 7pm. Delicious refreshments will be available.  

Staff, Parents and students are, alternatively, invited to view the exhibition during school hours until 12pm on Tuesday 10 November – without a ticket.

Lesley Nation

House Captain Voting

Yesterday the Year 7-11 secondary students at Carramar had the opportunity to excise their democratic right and vote for their 2021 House Captains. Voter turnout reached an all-time high and the senior Politics & Law students running the election had to work hard to ensure secrecy and peace around the polling booths. With support from the West Australian Electoral Commission, the day was a big success. Next step – counting the ballot papers…

Josh Plummer

 

Book Week 2020

During Week 2 the Library and English Departments collaborated to celebrate Book Week. The theme this year was Curious Creatures and Wild Minds.

To engage the senior school students in Book Week this year, Kahoot Quizzes linked to the Book Week theme were held every lunch time in the library and we were fortunate enough to get the Year 6 students to come along too. A few students were lucky to walk away with some prizes to reward their knowledge of books.

We also held a dress up day connected to the theme and we had quite a few students dress up. We put on an afternoon tea for the students who went to the effort to get into costume and awarded prizes for the best dressed students.

Overall it was great week. Many thanks to the parents who helped out with their child’s costume and to the students who got involved in the book week celebrations.

Mr Morris

 

 

Containers for Change Program

St Stephen’s School has partnered with Good Sammy, who is an official collection organisation for the Containers for Change Program launched on October 1 this year. Please collect eligible containers and help provide meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Our bins are located at:

Early Learning Centre – entrance to Reception

Duncraig Primary – entrance to Reception

Carramar Primary – entrance to Reception and near the Nurse’s office

Pétanque Tournament has started!!!

Year 7 and Year 4 are competing side by side for their respective houses in a Pétanque Tournament. This first meeting was about getting used to the rules of the French game. Tournament will start in week 4.  Students will compete every second Wednesday.