Secondary News
Last week on the Secondary Campus we shared a beautiful ANZAC Day liturgy thanks to our Year 9 Students, their HASS teachers and the amazing Mr Reidy. The students maintained reverence throughout the liturgy and were moved by the ANZAC story.
Thank you to the student leaders and the teachers who helped provide a wonderful Leonard Day yesterday. There was a lovely vibe throughout the day with some great stalls provided.
The Mindflight Incursion for the Year 9s started on Friday afternoon, where the first half of the cohort engaged in a Virtual Reality Careers incursion. The second half will have the opportunity to do this next Friday. If you are interested in having a look at what the Mindflight incursion teaches, please go to https://www.mindflight7.com.au/. It is a fascinating concept where students are able to immerse themselves in experiences of real-life careers.
Thank you to the students, parents and guardians who attended the Parent Teacher Interviews on Thursday evening. It is so important to be able to be able to work together for student success. If you were unable to attend or missed out on an appointment, please email the teacher you wished to see and arrange a phone interview that suits you both. The first Monday of Term 3, 15 July, will be a pupil free day with whole school parent teacher interviews running all day.
Coming up in Week 4
Our Year 8s have been baking and getting ready to spoil their mothers for our Mother’s Day morning tea next Wednesday 8 May. If you are a parent or carer of a Year 8 you should have received your email invitation to this event. Please remember to ring or email us your RSVP by the end of the day Monday 6 May to reserve your seat at the table.
St Joseph’s will be hosting the Combined University presentation night next Thursday night, 9 May, from 6:00pm – 7:00pm on the Secondary Campus. We invite you to an information session with representatives from the WA universities for anyone interested in applying for tertiary education. If you have questions about choosing courses, application processes, entry pathways, support services or what to expect at university – come along! They will start with a general presentation with information relevant to all institutions, followed by an opportunity for Q&A and individual questions. No RSVP required.
Year 12 General students begin their Externally Set Tasks on Monday. These are done in their usual class time and are only 50mins in length. It is important that they undertake these assessments so please try to ensure that attendance at school next week is regular.
Please see below the Year 12 EST timetable for Week 4 and 5.
| Week 4 | ||||
|
Mon |
Tue 7 May |
Wed 8 May |
Thurs 9 May |
Fri 10 May |
| Outdoor Ed | Food Studies | Psychology | Health Studies | Maths Essentials |
| Week 5 | ||||
|
Mon |
Tue 14 May |
Wed 15 May |
Thurs 16 May |
Fri 17 May |
| English | Child, Family & Community | Design Photography | Religion | |
God bless,
Sharon Cusack
Head of Secondary
Year 8 Science
The Year 8 Science students are studying Earth and Space Science.
In this experiment, they are looking at different rock types and identifying characteristics that differentiate them into either igneous rock, sedimentary rock, or metamorphic rock.
Year 12 Chemistry
The Year 12 Chemistry students are studying how redox reactions occur.
In this experiment, they are trying to identify how metals displace metallic ions in solution. This method is used in the purification of metals in industry.
Jada Yengkopiong
Science Teacher
Year 9 Digital Technologies
In Year 9, students explore electronics and programming by working with Arduinos, versatile microcontroller platforms. Through structured projects and challenges, they acquire foundational knowledge of circuitry and coding, developing problem-solving and critical thinking skills in the process. Students design and construct circuits, write and debug code and create projects that respond to input and environmental cues.
Working with Arduinos encourages creativity and innovation as students investigate the potential of integrating hardware and software. This practical experience equips them for further studies in STEM disciplines and cultivates an interest in technology and engineering.
Year 10 Digital Technologies
In Year 10, students study 3D printing and 3D model making, focusing on additive manufacturing and design processes. Through structured projects, they gain practical experience with 3D modelling software, design principles and the operation of 3D printers.
Students learn to create and modify digital models, prepare files for printing and address common printing issues. This curriculum emphasises precision, attention to detail and problem-solving skills, as students work to produce tangible objects from their digital designs. Engaging with 3D printing technology prepares students for further studies in design and engineering and introduces them to the practical applications of digital fabrication.
Mike Hillyer
Digital Technologies Teacher
FlexiTrack High
On Tuesday 23 April, seven Year 12 Students attended the ‘FlexiTrack High Uni Taster Day’ held at Murdoch University. The FlexiTrack High Program is designed to help students develop the skills needed to succeed at university. Murdoch University works with participating secondary schools to provide a structured and supportive learning experience for students seeking an alternative option to the ATAR pathways into university over 35 weeks of Year 12.
On the day, students were able to take part in classes of subjects that they were interested in studying at university and also had the opportunity to see all the facilities that the University has to offer them in the future.
Secondary da Vinci Club
Our Secondary da Vinci Club has returned and is back in the swing of things with our first rotation for the year. Students in our program can select whether they would like to develop further knowledge and skills in Biology or Chemistry for a period of four weeks. The da Vinci Club also welcomed some fresh additions, with around ten students accepting the challenge of an invitation to develop their academic gifts and talents further
In the Biology rotation with Dr Bundock, the students are learning about DNA and extracting DNA and will be conducting further analysis of samples they have gathered.
In Chemistry, the students are doing a range of reactions, including looking at maximising gas production and using real-world situations and applying chemistry to solve them.
Prior to commencing the rotations, the students who entered the Astrophotography competition received feedback and prizes for the winners. Overall, there were some excellent submissions. With further imaging runs later this year with the UWA Spirit telescopes once again, all the students will have the opportunity to enhance their skills and understanding on how to schedule and create colour composite images using Photoshop.
The top three images for this round were led by Lisa de Beer with her image of NGC 2070, also known as the Tarantula nebula. She demonstrated very skillful layering of the individual red, blue, green and Hydrogen alpha images to create a stunning final shot.
Second place went to Aliza John, who also developed an image of the same celestial object and third place to Roslin Tony who imaged NGC 3372, or the Carina nebula. For their efforts each of the students received a range of prizes, including a book, hot beverage mug, space pins, pencil sharpener and NASA pencils. Well done, girls! And all the best to our students for the next few weeks of scientific explorations.
Mark Gargano
Secondary da Vinci Club Coordinator
Secondary Sport
Champagnat Cup
On Monday 29 April, Year 10-12 students competed in the annual Champagnat Cup in Churchlands.
The Champagnat Cup is an annual Football, Netball and Basketball Carnival between St Joseph's Northam, Newman College and Bunbury Catholic College.
Students competed in high spirits and, although we didn't come away with a win, there were many excellent team highlights.
We thank Newman College for hosting the event, and Rikk Hargrave and Anthony Oliver, the parent volunteers who coached our various teams.
Lloyd Reidy
Teacher
ACC Basketball Championship Junior Girls Round of 16
On Tuesday 23 April, the Junior ACC basketball girls travelled to Swan Christian College to compete in the next round of matches for the ACC Basketball Championship. The girls had a very successful and enjoyable afternoon defeating Swan Christian College 50 to 38.
Thank you to Micheal Dymnicki for traveling with the team and coaching as well as providing Basketball uniforms from Northam Basketball Association. An additional thank you to the parents who helped get the team to the game and supported our junior girls.
The next round will be held on Thursday 9 May at Bendat Stadium in Floreat.
Good Luck, girls!
Wheatbelt Goldfields West Coast Fever Netball Cup
On Thursday 2 May, a large group of students from Year 7 to 12 attended the Wheatbelt Goldfields West Coast Fever Netball Cup. The school took seven teams and competed in six divisions with St Joseph’s taking home the win in the Upper girls, Middle Girls Pink and Middle Girls Blue. The Lower Girls Red placed 2nd and Yellow 5th, with the Open Boys teams finishing 5th and 6th.
I am so proud of the way our students conducted themselves throughout the day. A number of students were given management roles and excelled with these responsibilities. Thank you so much to Mia Wherrett, Demi Collins, Lily Parker, Mattia McPherson, Harper McPherson, Reagan Abbey and Natalia Ryall for your exceptional effort umpiring and playing throughout the day.
The MVP awards for each team were awarded to the following students for their outstanding performance, teamwork, sportsmanship and overall representation of the spirit of St Joseph’s throughout the day.
| St Joseph’s 1 | Mattia McPherson |
| St Joseph’s 2 | Emiliana Davey |
| St Joseph’s 3 | Georgie Byrne |
| St Joseph’s 4 | Madalyn Emin |
| St Joseph’s 5 | Alan John |
| St Joseph’s 6 | Jayden Oliver |
| St Joseph’s 7 | Lily Parker |
Adrienne Suckling
Head of Health & Physical Education
News from the VET Office
Congratulations to Imogen Ferguson for completing her "Certificate IV Prep for Health and Nursing" qualification. Imogen now has the opportunity to continue further study in either Enrolled or Registered Nursing.
ASDAN
On Friday 19 April, a small group of Year 7-9 students, who are enrolled in the Community and Citizenship ASDAN Program, went on an excursion to Bikes for Humanity.
The purpose of the visit was to hear how and why this charitable organisation refurbishes bicycles for donation to Africa to assist those in need. Students learned about the process of refurbishment as well as the tools and equipment needed to undertake the project.
Students also visited the Northam Re-Store and secured other bikes for parts as well as learning about how items are saved from landfill and re-sold to the public.
For the remainder of the year, students will begin a refurbishment project on unclaimed bicycles donated by the Northam Police station and other sources, with the aim of donating them to local families in need.
Caroline Marriott
VET Coordinator
Year 7 & 10 Immunisations
At the end of last term, all students in Year 7 and Year 10 should have brought home a flyer with information about the upcoming immunisations. If your child has misplaced their copy, both are attached below.
Aimee Leeson
School Nurse