Tag: 2016

Winners of the ADF Long Tan Leadership Award

December 15, 2016

St Stephens School had the pleasure of SGT Damian Woods, who has served in the Australian Regular Army for 15 years and works at 16 RWAR in Karrakatta, to present the Australian Defence Force Long Tan Leadership and Teamwork Award to Aaron Skinner from Year 12 and Aidan McAuley from Year 10 on the 6th of December, 2016.

St Stephens School was one of the 2200 Australian schools that have agreed to participate in these awards which will be presented to some 3600 students across the continent.

The Australian Defence Force Long Tan Youth Leadership and Teamwork Awards recognises and celebrates qualities such as leadership, teamwork, reliability, mateship, integrity, fidelity to name but a few. Each service that makes up the Australian Defence Force (Navy, Army and Air Force) places great importance on these qualities. The Australian Defence Force provides the Long Tan Awards so that young people can appreciate the wider role that the Australian Defence Force plays and the importance they attach to the culture of service and duty.

The Australian Defence Force wishes to recognise and reward students who contribute to their fellow students and the broader community by displaying the qualities of leadership, teamwork, reliability, integrity as well as a willingness to serve within both their own schools and the broader local community.

Well done Aaron Skinner and Aidan McAuley.

From the Deputy Head of Secondary

December 6, 2016

As the first term of a new academic year draws to a close, I would like to thank our staff and families for their contribution to the life and spirit of our community. It is your involvement in the school that gives St Stephen’s its liveliness. 

This term our students received their Interim Academic reports and their Homeroom Personal Review report. These provide the opportunity for reflection, review and goal setting for the remainder of the academic year. I hope that our students would be able to see the importance of considering not just their academic goals, but also personal goals in areas such as social, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing.  Please use the ongoing feedback that you receive from teachers through SEQTA and in classes to plan the year ahead.

The upcoming break will give you chance to draw together as a family and to spend time with each other. I hope that all families in our community will have at least a small window of time and space to rest and rejuvenate.

 Best wishes for a happy and holy Christmas.

Dr Liz Criddle

Deputy Head of Secondary.

News from the Deputy Head of Secondary (Care)

November 30, 2016

We are on the final stretch of what has been, for many us, a very hard term. I have been extremely heartened over the last month to see the school community come together as it has done at a very trying time. I would like to thank every student, every parent and every member of staff for their care and support of one another through the past 3 weeks. The practical help, kind words and prayers have not gone unnoticed and have touched everyone in the community.

 As we head towards the holidays we look forward to a number of Christmas events. Awards night on Tuesday is always a hugely enjoyable celebration of everything that our students have achieved over the preceding 12 months and a chance to officially farewell our class of 2016. Likewise, I always enjoy the House Christmas assemblies. In the hurley burley of modern family life during Christmas, they always present a chance to sit back and reflect on why we celebrate Christmas in the first place and the fortunate position we find ourselves in, given all we are privileged to have and enjoy here in Perth.

 Thursday also sees the reemergence after a couple of decades of the staff v students hockey match. This will be at the HBF arena at 4pm on Thursday 1st December and all spectators are welcome. The student team will see some fine talent pitting their wits against staff, some of whom may be a little rusty and are currently dusting off their equipment….

 I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a restful break and I hope you are able to enjoy some time with your families and loved ones during the Christmas season. I also hope that you will have time to reflect on the last twelve months and an opportunity to plan for whatever the new year brings. 

 Lastly, I would like to finish by urging you to reflect most importantly on why we celebrate Christmas and God’s gift to us during the holiday season.

 God bless and have a peaceful, restful and hugely enjoyable holiday.

Richard Davies

Cambodia Service Tour – 2017 Funds

November 29, 2016

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.

Year 7 Tour Morning

November 28, 2016

unknown-1

‘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.

screen-shot-2016-11-28-at-1-44-10-pm

Food hampers for Uniting Care

November 25, 2016


uniting-care

‘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.

Kangaroo Paw lasting through time

November 24, 2016

kangaroo paw

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.

Congratulations to Amy Reid (Year 12 2016)

November 21, 2016

Amy’s artwork ‘Girl in a Manhole’ has been selected for the annual Year 12 Perspectives exhibition of the best artwork in the state.

synthesis-photos-ds-t3-2016-exhibition-night-general-photos-t3-2016-111

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.

Australasian Problem Solving Mathematics Olympiad

November 21, 2016

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. 20161114_112632

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

From Head of Secondary School

November 10, 2016

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