Head of Secondary
Hello from Secondary,
We will have a very busy last term, with cancelled and scheduled events taking place. Last week our Year 9 /10s Specialised Sport students went to Perth to the indoor Beach Volleyball Courts to play, the Year 7 – 9 students attended the Turn up in Blue for Mental Health week at Bernard Park. And our Year 7s had a Day at the Museum.
Our Year 12s head into the ATAR Examinations from 31 October and we wish them all the very best for those. The Year 11 ATAR Examinations commence on 4 November and will run until 15 November. We then have the Year 10 Examinations 21 – 23 November and finally the Year 9 Examinations 5 – 7 December. If your child is completing an exam this term, remind them to start their study program early and include plenty of exercise.
This week we have had the team from Loving for Life at St Joseph’s Secondary. Inspired by the love of Christ, these programs encourage adolescents to analyse the existing attitudes around what makes a relationship healthy and sustainable and grow in their confidence to choose ways of living that enhance dignity, safety and wellbeing. By participating in the Loving for Life programs, young people strengthen their friendships, family relationships and communities.
Our Year 10s have taken on the Camino Walk from Stoneville to Midland and finally on Friday we say farewell to our Year 12s with Graduation Mass and Supper.
Next week, for the first time, some of our Year 9s will take on the Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA). If your child is involved, you would have received an email in regard to days and times. This is in place of completing it in Term 1 2023. Our Year 10s will be busy next week with a science excursion for the extension class and the Outdoor Education class away on a camp to put the skills they have learnt this year to the test.
I would like to extend a special thank you to those parents who have emailed me to supervise the Year 11 examinations. I am still looking for a couple of parents to cover the 9th, 11th, and 14th November. Please, if you can spare the time, we would be very grateful.
Finally, I would like to remind our school community that we do not want lollies brought to school. They are classified as junk food and we as a school are trying to promote healthy food choices. There are many websites with healthy alternatives, please see below for some quick ideas.
Thank you
Sharon Cusack
Head of Secondary
Examination Season
At the end of Week Two, I feel the appropriate comment is… Isn’t time just flying by!
In just over a week our Year 12 ATAR students will commence their WACE examinations. (Please don’t forget your personalised examination timetables from SCSA) and at the end of Week Five, from Friday 4November, our Year 11 ATAR students commence their examinations (With Chemistry).
In Week Seven, from 21November the Year 10A students sit their examinations and not to be outdone and to finish the term off in Week Nine our Year 9A students complete their end of year examinations on 5 - 7 December.
As such, students preparing for examinations, need to now find their vibe!
How do you retain information, how do you reflect on your knowledge, what’s your performance plan, what’s your form on examination day?
Some students make a lot of notes on index cards, each linked to a category or topic. Others write out their notes and use different coloured highlighters, others change all their written notes into diagrams, charts and pictures, know what works for you and use it.
Routine is important, your body will respond to what it knows. Don’t suddenly cram until 1am the night before examinations, especially if this is three hours after your regular time to go to sleep, you will pay for this the next few days, not just the day after. If you are needing to cram it all in and do ‘an all nighter’, clearly something has gone very wrong with your preparation regime, don’t fall into this trap.
Eat well and healthy, the day of the examination, a good breakfast is important, your brain is going to tick over and require many kilojoules for you to find the correct responses-don’t skip meals.
With each examination it is important that you have the confidence to back yourself. Don't listen to others and second guess your choices. Trust that what you have done is right for you. This might mean, on the day of the examination avoid spending time talking with others and comparing your preparation.
If you are a person that naturally gets anxious before an examination, this will probably just increase your nerves and convince you that you don’t know anything. If you need to, sit by yourself, or chat with other students, who are not talking about the examination, now is the time to do the right thing by you.
When the examination starts, execute your plan, do you complete all the questions you definitely know first, do you complete all the extended answer questions, once again follow your plan, not what others say is a good idea. Remember to ignore what others are doing in the room, especially the teachers or invigilators, if you are doing the right thing, you have no concerns.
Remember, the only person who can determine your success is you. Let the examination scores be a true reflection of your ability and demonstrate your potential, try your best.
Just a little something stated on our school crest, fidelity. Indeed, have fidelity, be faithful to yourself and allow your talents to be on display, good luck students.
Mark Gargano
Year 7 - 12 Teaching and Learning Coordinator
Turn up in Blue Day
Students from Years 7-9 attended the annual ‘Turn Up In Blue’ event at Bernard Park. They enjoyed playing minigolf, soccer darts and spud toss and got the opportunity to participate in painting, decorating hats, drumming, flower arranging and potting plants to name a few activities. The students interacted with many local businesses and support services invested in mental heath within our community and they came home with a bounty of freebies!
A big thank you to HolyOak and all the local businesses and agencies for the fabulous event.
Amanda McLaughlin
Secondary Teacher
Learning Area in Focus: HaSS
Year 7 students had a wonderful day at the museum. The Dinosaurs of Patagonia was an engaging and exciting display of dinosaur bones dating back over 170 million years. The students also had time to explore the other galleries and especially liked the galleries ‘Wildlife’ ‘Cosmos’ and the blue whale skeleton.
The Year 7s are to be congratulated on their engagement and behaviour on the day. Thanks to all the parent helpers who assisted.
Nicki Parker and Renee Marasco
Secondary Teachers
From the VET Office
Student Successes
Congratulations to Liam Elliott and Laithan Skelcher who completed 55 hours of Workplace Learning this term. Workplace learning occurs when a student’s program includes the individual student spending a period
of time in a workplace under the direct to supervision of an employer in order acquire generic and transferable and/or specific work skills. Thank you to PJ & DE Robinson and Western Power for hosting St Joseph’s School students.
Caroline Marriott
VET Co-ordinator
Secondary Sporting News
Upcoming Health and Physical Education Events
Year 10 Outdoor Education Camp – 26 to 28 October (Week 3)
Inter-school Sports (Floorball, Netball and Basketball) - Date Changed to 11 November (Week 5)
St Joseph's Tennis comp - Tuesday 15 November (week 6)
- Check List outside staff room
- Nominations open to all year 7 to 10 students
- Nominations close 28th October
Hills Netball Comp - Friday 18 November (week 6)
- Check List outside staff room
- Nominations open to Year 9 & 10 Girls
- Nominations close 28th October
Indoor Beach Volleyball Year 9 and 10 Sports Science
During Week One, the Year 9 and 10 Sports Science classes participated in an intra-school Indoor Beach Volleyball competition.
The students reported that they had a fun and enjoyable day with the Championship game being very close and also with a special mention that Mr Vernede is very good at volleyball. Overall it was a fantastic competiive experience where the students learnt a lot and would definatley love to do again.
Grace:
‘The indoor Beach Volleyball excursion was a great experience with the Year 9 and 10’s. Throughout the day we competed in our teams in a volleyball tournament using the skills previously learnt in our sports science classes. This created a fun and supportive team environment. It was a very enjoyable day with students learning and having fun.’
Thank you to Mr Daniel Vernede, Mr Justin Boccardo and Mrs Michelle O’Driscoll for helping make the excursion such a success.
Adrienne Suckling
Head of Learning Area - Health & Physical Education