In early 2017, our students head off on the Cambodia Service Learning Tour. The Duncraig students raised a fantastic total of funds to donate, all because they were so well supported at school and believed they could.
Thank you to our school community for buying chocolates, sausage sizzles, attending quiz afternoons, randomly giving students donations and all the wonderful things that you have done to support these students on their life-changing adventure.
‘Getting to Know You Day’ for our Year 7 students was held at the Duncraig campus on 11 November, 2016. Students enjoyed time together playing games and getting to know each other in their new Homerooms with their Homeroom teachers. Lots of fun was had by all.
‘Griffins’ Homeroom students in Acomp collected a hamper of food within 1 week for the Christmas appeal. Hampers will be collected by Uniting Care West on the last day of school at the Alethea Christmas assembly. These will be distributed to needy families in our community.
Mr Titlestad holding a kangaroo paw grown by one of our Year 12 students who has just graduated. The plants were given to the Class of 2016 when they started the “Rite Journey” in Year 9, 4 years ago. While this is probably the one surviving kangaroo paw from 4 years ago – it is also the most spectacular. I am delighted that this program which has gone from strength to strength continues under the leadership of Mr Dale Kelly and Mr Matt Lovell.
Amy’s artwork ‘Girl in a Manhole’ has been selected for the annual Year 12 Perspectives exhibition of the best artwork in the state.
This work shows the irony of a girl in a manhole, it’s a self-portrait depicting Amy instead of the real Romanian orphan. From 1967 to 1990 Romania experienced a spike in abandoned children, leaving orphanages overflowing and conditions becoming horrendous. Older children ran away to live in the sewers due to the underground heating, without the which they’d freeze to death on the streets. Teachers Miss Palmer, Mr Elsing and Art Technician Mrs Davenhall are very proud of Amy’s efforts. Congratulations from all at St. Stephen’s School.
In the last academic year, 16 students from Yr 7 and 8 were selected to participate in the Australasian Problem Solving Mathematics Olympiad. These students completed five challenges in five months, and spent time with Mathematics teachers practicing their problem solving skills in the buildup to each challenge. These students, pictured above, recently received their certificates. Alice Ward was awarded the trophy for the highest score in the SSS team as well as the Special Achievement award for the greatest improvement. Alice Ward, Connor Mann and Callum Stephens were also awarded patches as their scores were in the top 25% of all participants in Division S. 
In Photo: Alice Ward, Connor Mann, Callum Stephens, Benjamin Ryan, Annalise Tushingham, Carson Wolff, Caitlin Bailey, Noah Gribble, Eloise Parsons, Cooper Gates, Kyna Schrick, Nicholas Holmes
Absent: Thomas Chamoun, Benjamin Kerspien, Isaiah Zimmermann, Dominic McAuley
Dear Secondary School Families
As a supplement to the other ways in which news, updates and information are shared with our community, we will be using this platform for some material pertinent to the Secondary School at Duncraig specifically. Please continue to view DoveTales, emails and the School’s Facebook page as well as the School Calendar. We plan to use this fortnightly update as an additional stream to ensure that our families are as well informed as they can possibly be.
The end of 2016 is rapidly approaching and we are halfway through the first academic term. As the weather has warmed and the skies have brightened, it has been a pleasure to see our students looking fresh and engaged – and to see students looking relaxed as they sit outdoors on the grass and under outdoor umbrellas. The Class of 2016 is almost halfway through their WACE exams and they seem to have been working efficiently and are taking advantage of the opportunities to meet with their teachers for additional support.
On Friday 11 November we have our GTKY Day (Getting to Know You) for the Year 7s who start in 2017. The Year 6 students from St Stephen’s Primary School are already spending time in the Secondary School. On Friday they will meet the “buddies” they have been linked to as 70 students from other primary schools join them in the homerooms for 2017. Next year the Year 7s come to School earlier than the rest of the secondary school – they join us on Friday 27th January for half a day: in uniform and with their IT device (iPad / Android tablet / laptop etc.). Computer log ins, lockers and school photos etc. will all be sorted out. PLEASE NOTE – if you are away because you have a break planned because of Australia Day and have taken the Friday off work – we will support your Year 7 child from Monday 30 January when the whole School returns. Please don’t cancel your arrangements.
The House Swimming Carnival takes place on the 31st January – and the Year 7 and Year 8 camps are both in February. The Year 7s are at Ern Halliday and the Year 8s will enjoy Rottnest again. Each year we have a wonderful group of students
Last week we farewelled Justin Beckett (Deputy of Care) and Bernadette Lhota (Head of Learning, HASS). Both Justin and Bernadette are currently on Long Service Leave ahead of significant career changes. Justin has been appointed principal of Trinity Anglican School in Albury-Wodonga and leaves for the east early in December. Bernadette has shifted to teacher training. Both Justin and Bernadette have been loyal servants to the School, wonderful and committed teachers and we are sad to see them leave. We wish Justin and his wife Zoe, and Bernadette and her husband Peter, all the best on the next step of their journeys. Richard Davies has already taken up the position of Deputy Care and we are privileged to have Stuart Gale as Dean of Carana.
The Awards Night on the 6th December in the Sports’ Centre at our Carramar campus will be a wonderful celebration of the achievements of our students and our final chance to farewell the class of 2016. In 2017 we look forward to hosting our regular coffee mornings for Year 7 parents and the mornings for all secondary parents and to getting to know our new families and to spending time with our current families.
I trust that you will find the material and articles written for this platform useful and a valuable source of up-to-date information and interest.
Regards
Bruce Titlestad
Head of Secondary School
All Schools Triathlon Championship was held at Champion Lakes.
Intermediate Girls: Rachel Edwards finished 3rd
Junior Girls Crystal Edwards 2nd
Team Event: Year 9 Girls Amelia Hodder, Alex Taseff and Olivia Roberts : 1st Place Team
St Stephens School 3rd place for Champion School- Individuals
You may have noticed the incredible new table that is now part of Student Services reception. This table was designed and built by Kiara Chappell. She says that the inspiration was her love for timber and her passion for helping others. The quote is all about the important life skills that we can learn from the environment. The proceeds of the table have been donated to a baby clinic in Mozambique.
Dr Criddle and the six school captains recently attended the Mayoral Prayer Breakfast. This annual event is hosted by Joondalup Mayor Troy Pickard, and is an event where civic and christian leaders join local school students to pray for the city. The theme of the breakfast was “Mental Health Awareness, Suicide Prevention and Community Wellbeing”. Keynote speaker was suicide prevention advocate Ashlee Harrison.