Week 8, Term 4 2022

The Captain’s Challenge Camp

Our newly elected House Captains for 2023 recently spent three days and two nights in Dwellingup immersed in the Captains Challenge. As the name suggests, this camp incorporates a series of activities designed for participants to be pushed beyond their comfort levels both mentally and physically. All students carried their own food, cooking equipment and sleeping bags, as well as clothing, in their backpacks for the duration of the Captains Challenge. Effective teamwork and communication skills were paramount for the success of the camp. Even prior to attending, it was necessary for the students to consult with each on decisions such as meals and the distribution of the cooking equipment.

Hiking and canoeing were the main activities of the camp and each presented challenges that our students were required to problem solve individually and as a team. Day 1 saw our students throw their shoes to the opposite side of the river and form a chain in the water enabling each backpack to be passed safely across. Day 2 required our students to waterproof their backpacks and all the items in them for the canoeing journey. The rapids ensured a thrilling and fun day with a less than expected number of backpacks falling overboard. The true test was how well these floated owing to effective waterproofing. Day 3 set a cracking pace of hiking through the Bibbulmun Track though the rains from the day and previous night set the scene for a slippery and muddy encounter. In addition, both nights were spent on different campsites making it necessary to unpack and pack each day; this was particularly the case for the hoochies.

In true Captain spirit, our students embraced every minute of the camp with positivity and a ‘can do’ attitude that was inspiring. They showed an incredible capacity to adapt as the weather turned from fine and sunny to cold and wet, all the while, investing themselves fully in the camping experience. On our return to school, the House Captains, their families, Mrs Stockton-Rice, the Deans and Mr Kirby, were afforded the opportunity to reflect on the past few days over afternoon tea. Students had clearly gained personal insights and enthusiastically shared their thoughts on leadership and teamwork. We would like to acknowledge the outstanding attitude, contribution, and performance of each of the House Captains on their camping challenge.

Suzy Mettam – Dean of Parresia

SPORTS PRESENTATION EVENING

The annual Sports Awards Night was once again a roaring success on Tuesday 15 November. We have had another very successful year on the sporting field. It was great to see so many students and parents there to congratulate all the school team award winners, state representatives, ACC champions, All stars, school record breakers, Athlete Development Program winner (courtesy of the Athletic Institute) Colours, Emblems and Wreath recipients.

-Adam Dwyer

 

FRENCH CULTURAL IMMERSION

On 15 November the Year 9 and 10 French students enjoyed a gourmet escape at Maison St Honoré in the Swan Valley. During this excursion to a French Café and Macaron Factory, students put their knowledge of French language to good use by ordering their lunch and tasting the delicious homemade macarons.

Laurence Kuntz

YEAR 9 COMPASS PROGRAM

Year 9 completed their compass program on Monday 28 November with a breakfast together with parents and families. They had a fantastic time with Adam and Matt from Armed for Life, who helped students prepare for life as adults with a particular focus of resilience, relationships and decision making.

It also included a lot of fun!

David Bosma

YEAR 9 COMPASS KAADADJAN CAMP

Last week the Year 9 students ventured down to the Kaadadjan Centre for their Compass camp.  The themes of “Adventure, Connection and Challenge” set the tone for the three days with opportunities to experience mountain biking, archery tag, high ropes course and hiking.  Students were encouraged to reflect on their growth over the year and set goals for the type of adult they wished to become.  Cooking their meals and sharing tents allowed them to build stronger connections with their peers, whilst the activities gave them a chance to be supportive friends.  Unfortunately, the students could not break the hoodoo of the yearly “spotlight” challenge, with the teachers easily defending their flag and maintaining the title for another year.

At the end of the three days, students hiked out of the Kaadajan Centre with all their equipment back to Dwellingup and “civilisation”.  It was a great location and occasion to celebrate this milestone of the Compass Program for the students.

Craig Thomas

MUSIC & COMMUNITY EXCELLENCE SCHOLARSHIPS

St Stephen’s School is offering a range of new Scholarship opportunities in 2024. From instrumental music to community excellence, academic and regional Scholarships, there is a variety of programs on offer which aim to encourage and recognise students in their pursuit of excellence.

For further information and how to apply click here: https://www.ststephens.wa.edu.au/enrolments/enrolment-information/scholarships/

2023 SCHOOL FEE PAYMENT OPTIONS

In 2023, similar to 2022, Parents / Guardians will not 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 or four instalments or annual upfront) that you had in place in 2022 will continue automatically in 2023.

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

1 upfront payment due on 31 January 2023 (2% discount); or

43 weekly payments starting on 2 February 2023; or

22 fortnightly payments starting on 2 February 2023; or

22 fortnightly payments starting on 9 February 2023; or

10 monthly payments starting on 2 February 2023; or

10 monthly payments starting on 17 February 2023; or

3 instalments on 18 February 2023, 18 May 2023 and 18 August 2023; or

4 instalments on 2 February 2023, 2 April 2023, 2 July 2023 and 2 October 2023.

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. Please note that there will be a surcharge of 0.9% on all credit card payments.

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 login under Manage stored cards and direct debits to bank accounts or use the following link https://edinfo.ststephens.wa.edu.au/ManageStoredCards.aspx

In January 2023 your annual fee invoice will be available for you to view on the Parent Portal in the ‘School Payments’ tab by logging into Statements and receipt history or use the following link 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

PRESENTATION EVENINGS 2022

Booking link Carramar Secondary: https://events.humanitix.com/cspe2022

 

A NIGHT ON THE GREEN

CARRAMAR RESOUCE LISTS 2023 (YEARS 7-12)

Students are supplied with a list of essential items and texts which have to be purchased for school. This is handled by Campion Education WA.

Resource lists will be available online through the Campion website.

From Friday 11 November –  Friday 2 December 2022

(If ordered after this date, the goods may not arrive on time for the new school year and a charge of $8.00 per order will be incurred.)

Order online at   www.campion.com.au

  • Click on “Online ordering for parents and students”
  • Create your account
  • Select St Stephen’s School – Carramar and enter the Resource List code, BCY7
  • Select the year level and then choose the items you wish to purchase

‘Personal items for student use’ and ‘Parents to Supply’ is a personal choice as to avail from Campion or from your preferred stationery stockist.  Please note that items ticked as “Compulsory Subscriptions” need to be purchased directly from Campion.

Understanding that “back to school” can be an expensive cost to families, our staff have made a conscious effort to keep the cost to a minimum.

Date of delivery is the week ending Friday 20 January 2023  (only for orders placed prior to the cut-off date).

SECONDARY ASSISTANCE SCHEME (Years 7 to 12)

The State Government through the Western Australian Department of Education provides an allowance to assist eligible families with secondary schooling costs.

The allowance consists of two components:
▪ $115 Clothing Allowance paid directly to the parent/guardian.
▪ $235 Educational Program Allowance paid directly to the school.

To be eligible Parents or Guardians must hold one of the following cards:
▪ Centrelink Health Care Card
▪ Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card
▪ Veterans’ Affairs Pensioner Concession Card

Applications are to be completed at school during Term 1 only (2023)

Applications close Thursday 6 April 2023

Please ask school Reception for further information.

STEM WORKSHOP 2023

 

Week 6, Term 4 2022

Soft Skills- are they really ‘soft’?

I recently attended a conference on innovation in education. Some of the topics covered included entrepreneurship, technology and jobs of the future. Alongside the techspeak and global focus, there was the common thread of ‘soft skills’. This has caused me to reflect on the term ‘soft skills’. Soft skills include the following- integrity, dependability, effective communication, team-work, problem solving, critical thinking, organisation, adaptability, willingness to learn and empathy. Now I don’t know about you, but I read that list and I don’t consider it ‘soft’. I consider these essential.

At the recent Year 10 Spring Soiree, I witnessed our young people displaying many of these soft skills. Dependability- they showed up, on time and followed the given dress code. Team-work and the willingness to learn were all displayed at the event and in the lead up as the students learned some formal dancing. They adapted when their dance partner had two left feet and communicated effectively when dancing with staff whose skill set lies elsewhere.

Although there may be many hard skills required for the jobs of the future, my take-away is that these are of little use without the (not so) soft skills.

 

Sarah Stockton-Rice

Deputy Head of Secondary

REMEMBRANCE DAY 2022

On Friday 11 November students, staff and community members came together in the Primary Forum to commemorate Remembrance Day. As is the tradition, those who died and suffered while serving in Australia’s armed forces in war and conflict were remembered.

CARRAMAR 2023 CAPTAINS

Congratulations to the following students who have been appointed Captains for 2023. The Captains will be officially announced and given their badges at Presentation Evening.

Charis: Bridie Le Cornu, Ben Pilbeam, Serian Lockwood-Jones, Felicity Bowman
Makaria: Alex Baker, Sienna Birkett, Ashling Early, Heidi Clarke
Parresia: Shailin Mandalia, Jacinta Randell, Alistair Bright, Taylor Drummond

 

SPRING SOIREE

Last week the Year 10 students attended the annual Spring Soiree. It was a beautiful evening organised by Gillian Erasmus. Mr Batten filled the big shoes left by Mr Gilchrist and took on the role of dance instructor. The students danced the night away, showing off their new dancing and etiquette skills.

The staff at AQWA were very impressed with our students and commented several times on the manners displayed throughout the night.

Sarah Stockton-Rice

SECONDARY ASSISTANCE SCHEME (Years 7 to 12)

The State Government through the Western Australian Department of Education provides an allowance to assist eligible families with secondary schooling costs.

The allowance consists of two components:
▪ $115 Clothing Allowance paid directly to the parent/guardian.
▪ $235 Educational Program Allowance paid directly to the school.

To be eligible Parents or Guardians must hold one of the following cards:
▪ Centrelink Health Care Card
▪ Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card
▪ Veterans’ Affairs Pensioner Concession Card

Applications are to be completed at school during Term 1 only (2023)

Applications close Thursday 6 April 2023

Ask school Reception for more information

LEGO TEAM NEWS

Another fantastic effort from our FRANKENBRIK LEGO team on Saturday 12 November.

We just missed out on the top prize for the robot run but receiving the second place trophy is our best result so far.

We also received the runner up trophy  for the Core Values task.

The Carramar and Duncraig Primary teams also had a great day both getting winner trophies and making it through to the nationals.

Congratulations to the following secondary students on an awesome achievement.

  • Aden Randell
  • Luke Shirdon
  • Steven Trinh
  • David Bejan
  • Elijah Bosma
  • Jackson Proctor
  • Fateh Hundal
  • Jacob Stapleton

Tim Drake

CARRAMAR PRESENTATION EVENING

Booking link Carramar Secondary: https://events.humanitix.com/cspe2022

HOLIDAY WORKSHOP

BASEBALL

Carramar year 7 and 8 students competed in the Baseball WA championships today at the Baseball Stadium in Thornlie. Both teams played very well and there was an amazing amount of improvement throughout the day. One of the teams nearly went through the day undefeated, losing to the eventual winners Mazanod in the last round to leave them in 2nd place.

-Adam Dwyer

 

 

A NIGHT ON THE GREEN

It is with great excitement that we invite our school community to the inaugural “Night on The Green” on Saturday 3 December from 4:30pm to 7:30pm. If you would like to be involved and give a couple of hours of your time to help on the day, please contact Bronwyn (bronwyn.doak@yahoo.com) or Karen (hinder@internode.on.net ).

This parent led event is a fantastic opportunity for our community to come together, but also for everyone to get some Christmas shopping done! Many of our Christmas Markets stall holders will have Eftpos machines, but some may only accept cash (something to keep in mind).

Students will be able to get their picture taken in our special Santa’s Grotto this year! A lovely souvenir to share with family and friends. Please note that the photographer in charge will be able to take cash only ($5).

A lot of time and effort have been invested by parents to ensure that this event is a memorable one for all. We look forward to our community get-together and hope to see you there!

RESOURCE LIST 2023 (Yr 7-12)

Students are supplied with a list of essential items and texts which have to be purchased for school. This is handled by Campion Education WA.

Resource lists will be available online through the Campion website.

From Friday 11 November –  Friday 2 December 2022

(If ordered after this date, the goods may not arrive on time for the new school year and a charge of $8.00 per order will be incurred.)

Order online at   www.campion.com.au

Click on “Online ordering for parents and students”

Create your account

Select St Stephen’s School – Carramar and enter the Resource List code, BCY7

Select the year level and then choose the items you wish to purchase

‘Personal items for student use’ and ‘Parents to Supply’ is a personal choice as to avail from Campion or from your preferred stationery stockist.  Please note that items ticked as “Compulsory Subscriptions” need to be purchased directly from Campion.

Understanding that “back to school” can be an expensive cost to families, our staff have made a conscious effort to keep the cost to a minimum.

Date of delivery is the week ending Friday 20 January 2023  (only for orders placed prior to the cut-off date).

 

 

Campion is located in Malaga (Monday – Friday) on telephone 6240 2778 

NEW BUS ROUTE

                     

WAAPA SUMMER SCHOOL 2023

Join us at WAAPA in January 2023 for fun, new friends and lots of performing! This summer WAAPA is offering a range of performing arts courses as part of our school holiday program for secondary school students. Classes for young people from Year 7 to 12 in Acting, Dance, Screen performance, Jazz and Music Theatre means there is something for everyone with a passion for the arts. Our wonderful staff cater for all abilities and experience levels. For information about the many courses on offer please visit Summer School 2023 or contact Gabrielle Metcalf at explore.waapa@ecu.edu.au or 9370 6775.

St Stephen’s School has no affiliation with this company and the post is simply an ad for their services if required.

2023 JANUARY HOLIDAY CLASSES

 

St Stephen’s School has no affiliation with this company and the post is simply an ad for their services if required.

Week 4, Term 4 2022

Year 9 students in Western Australia outperformed the other states in both numeracy and reading on NAPLAN and are the third best in writing, thanks to a requirement that they demonstrate basic skills before they enter an academic stream for their senior years.

While the most recent National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy report shows some shocking results for Year 9 students, including an all-time low for reading in 2022, West Australian students continue to outperform other states.

The reason is easily pinpointed: in 2013, the State Government under premier Colin Barnett determined that any student in Year 10 who wished to go on and sit the West Australian Certificate of Education at the end of Year 12 had to first sit a basic literacy and numeracy exam in Year 10. It was introduced in 2014.

It is known as the Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA), and students in the top two bands in NAPLAN in Year 9 are exempt.

The impact was immediate, says Steve Humphry, a statistician and expert in educational assessment, measurement and evaluation at the University of Western Australia who has done extensive analysis of NAPLAN scores in the state. He also headed the team that “crunched the numbers” between 2011 and 2016.

“We thought there was something wrong with the WA data in 2014 because of the jump,” Dr Humphry said.

“There was an obvious and very noticeable jump in literacy and numeracy scores for Year 9 students in WA.”

The OLNA effect has made a difference ever since. In 2022, WA’s Year 9 students scored an average of 585.1 with 92.2 per cent of students meeting the national minimum standard. It was followed by Victoria (584.6 and 91.6 per cent), NSW (580.5 and 90.2 per cent), South Australia (571.3 and 87.9 per cent).

WA also tops the states for numeracy in Year 9, but is slightly behind Victoria and NSW for writing.

Extract from Financial Review – 31 October 2022

YEAR 10 OUTDOOR ED SURF CAMP

Last week our Yr 10 Outdoor Education students ventured to Lancelin for the culmination of their surfing unit to test out their skills in a new environment. Heading up at lunchtime, the students had the challenge of setting up their tents in very windy conditions before a short walk along the beach to familiarise themselves with the following day’s surfing location. After dinner we headed to the nearby jetty to try our hand at fishing. Although it was difficult to get our lines out, a few lucky ones were rewarded for their patience and perseverance. The next morning the weather was kinder as we spent our time enjoying the rolling waves of Lancelin’s back beach!  It was great to see a lot of students catch a wave with a few “party waves” also to be had.

Craig Thomas

JAPANESE STUDENT VISITORS

Dalton School Tokyo Year 9 students have been experiencing life at St Stephen’s School, with two groups of students visiting our Carramar and Duncraig campuses this week to learn about school in Australia and connect with students as part of a study tour organised by Gold Educational Tours. Year 9 and 10 St Stephen’s School students have buddied up with our Japanese visitors in some of their regular classes and during special activities including cooking bush tucker, learning calligraphy, climbing wall sessions and an introduction to some much-loved Australian sports (cricket and football).

A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF CAMPUS – CARPARK ETIQUETTE

The safety of families in our car park areas is a significant concern and it is paramount that, as a community, we show courtesy and care in this area. Please drive slowly at all times and only park in designated areas. Furthermore the turning circle at the end of the Staff carpark near Reception is not to be used as a student drop off or pickup point.

Thank you for your cooperation

Bennet Andrews – Head of Campus Carramar

CARRAMAR RESOURCE LISTS

(Years 7 – 12 in 2023)

Students are supplied with a list of essential items and texts which have to be purchased for school. This is handled by Campion Education WA.

Resource lists will be available online through the Campion website.

From Friday 11 November –  Friday 2 December 2022

(If ordered after this date, the goods may not arrive on time for the new school year and a charge of $8.00 per order will be incurred.)

Order online at   www.campion.com.au

  • Click on “Online ordering for parents and students”
  • Create your account
  • Select St Stephen’s School – Carramar and enter the Resource List code, BCY7
  • Select the year level and then choose the items you wish to purchase

‘Personal items for student use’ and ‘Parents to Supply’ is a personal choice as to avail from Campion or from your preferred stationery stockist.  Please note that items ticked as “Compulsory Subscriptions” need to be purchased directly from Campion.

Understanding that “back to school” can be an expensive cost to families, our staff have made a conscious effort to keep the cost to a minimum.

Date of delivery is the week ending Friday 9 December  (only for orders placed prior to the cut-off date).

 

Campion is located in Malaga (Monday – Friday) on telephone 6240 2778 

A NIGHT ON THE GREEN

It is with great excitement that we invite our school community to the inaugural “Night on The Green” on Saturday 3 December from 4:30pm to 7:30pm. If you would like to be involved and give a couple of hours of your time to help on the day, please contact Bronwyn (bronwyn.doak@yahoo.com) or Karen (hinder@internode.on.net ).

This parent led event is a fantastic opportunity for our community to come together, but also for everyone to get some Christmas shopping done J! Many of our Christmas Markets stall holders will have Eftpos machines, but some may only accept cash (something to keep in mind).

Students will be able to get their picture taken in our special Santa’s Grotto this year! A lovely souvenir to share with family and friends J. Please note that the photographer in charge will be able to take cash only ($5).

A lot of time and effort have been invested by parents to ensure that this event is a memorable one for all. We look forward to our community get-together and hope to see you there!

 

FUSION

STRENGTHENING CHILDREN & TEENS AGAINST ANXIETY

PRESENTATION EVENING 2022

NEW BUS ROUTE

 

 

WAAPA SUMMER SCHOOL 2023

Join us at WAAPA in January 2023 for fun, new friends and lots of performing! This summer WAAPA is offering a range of performing arts courses as part of our school holiday program for secondary school students. Classes for young people from Year 7 to 12 in Acting, Dance, Screen performance, Jazz and Music Theatre means there is something for everyone with a passion for the arts. Our wonderful staff cater for all abilities and experience levels. For information about the many courses on offer please visit Summer School 2023 or contact Gabrielle Metcalf at explore.waapa@ecu.edu.au or 9370 6775.

St Stephen’s School has no affiliation with this company and the post is simply an ad for their services if required.