Heard on the Hill Term 1, Week 2

From the Principal

Kaya, Wanju,

Welcome back, I hope that your holiday was filled with rest and relaxation. I really enjoyed watching your engagement in the School Development Day agenda and can’t thank the presenters enough for their time and energy in preparing such a relevant and useful presentations.

On top of the successful SDDs, the school assembly, School Captains speech, Year 7 Activity Day and Year meetings have confirmed my feelings of progress in conquering our challenges and mastering our expectations for 2023.  I cannot recommend highly enough that you keep a hold of the Our Focus 2023 and A3 School Business Plan summary foremost in your thoughts and actions. I know that they are in mine.

I would like to give special acknowledgement to the Instructional Leadership team, particularly, Travis Lee, Asharie Bradshaw, Nikki Sharpe, Cathy Watson, and Xan Ashbury who presented on the SDD; and also to Nick Andrews and the student services team for their preparation of the Year 7 Activity Day; and also the Executive team and front office staff that were in before the holidays to prepare the way for such a smooth start, particularly to Adam McGill and Kylie Ward who are both finding their feet in new roles at a really busy time of the year for their roles.

Currently, we are working on finalising numbers and our count for 2023 is on its way to 970 students. As usual, our lower school is full, and our senior school dwindles as the students take advantage of the great pathways we have to move from school to other places. I have instigated a review of the Year 10 movement to Manea. Our focus on Belonging and Senior School Culture, have been identified by the leadership team as two strategies to limit this.

A lot of information was given during the two SDDs so there is little left to say but to wish you well for the beginning of the year and to remind you to look after your health and wellbeing. 

En Avant

Mike Sinagra

Getting Started

Term 1 creates the foundation for the year and I would highly recommend that you go slowly, set your classroom routines, student expectations and focus on calm calculated classroom management strategies. Tina Nottle has an excellent handout on the Behaviour Management flow at Bunbury SHS. Please make sure that you have a copy. Providing consistency across the school supports your colleagues.

Another useful document to keep in front of you is the Positive Behaviour Matrix. This document gives you a framework to have conversations with students from a positive perspective. A reminder to please clear a space either to one side of your whiteboard or above it for the Classroom – Positive Behaviours poster.

Bits and Bobs

I know that Kelly has reminded you all and given detail regarding your online training requirements by the department – but I would like to draw your attention to completing that particular online course as a priority. The Department of Education has deemed that Work Health and Safety management will have a larger compliance requirement in 2023.  New WHS officer roles in school are needed and training for those roles is critical. Please keep a close eye here if you are interested in being on our WHS Committee.

The Workload Advisory Committee functions to discuss and participate in the resolution of workload issues for staff. The committee must have an equal number of School Administrators and SEA staff and be of gender balance. So that WAC membership itself does not become a workload issue, meetings are held as needed. If you would like to be on the WAC please send an EOI to me (Mike) via email notifying me of your interest. If I receive numerous emails, I will call for an expanded EOI to run a selection process.

James Duncan - Health and PE Teacher

• I have been teaching for the past 13 years in and around Bunbury.
• I graduated BSHS in 2004 and stoked to be back! I actually met my wife at school here back in 203 and we have a little girl Mia.
• I have been lucky enough to teach in many learning areas during my time.
• I love the ocean! Fishing, diving, swimming, paddling and surfing.
• One eyed eagle supporter.
• Very excited about the year and meeting you all!

Darcie Nichols - Education Assistant

I worked relief at a few local primary schools last year but Bunbury High is my first official EA gig so I am very excited to get stuck in and learn through my role here!

My favourite thing to do in my spare time is hiking, camping or baking sweet treats.

The best part about my job is that I get to experience a range of different subjects and students. I love seeing the students' successes each day and supporting them to achieve their potential.

Anna Paxton - English Teacher

I’ve been teaching for seven years. I started teaching at Ellenbrook Secondary College in 2016 and moved to Newton Moore SHS in 2019. I’m happy to be starting at Bunbury SHS in 2023.

My favourite thing about teaching is getting to know so many interesting people.

When I’m not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my horses, alpacas, and puppy.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

We have a range of programs that will run this year to support Staff Development. There will also be plenty of PL opportunities and collegiate groups that you can join specific to your needs or aspirations. Remember to use the new PL application form which is in the School Templates folder on your computer desktop. This has clear steps to follow.

Required Professional Online Learning

The DOE has a range of PL required to be completed by staff throughout the year, and repeated at certain times.  Please check your required PL by clicking on the Professional Learning tab on your Ikon main page and scrolling down to where this is listed.  Please make sure you are completed the required PL - your PC may provide some time for this during LA meetings.

We will be continuing a Graduate Support Group, which will be run by Cathy Watson this year, as part of her role as the Instructional Leadership Coordinator. These sessions will provide important "introduction to teaching" content, as well as support to complete the Graduate Portfolio, which is required for proficiency status.

I will also be calling for nominations for the new cohort for the Future Leaders Program. I will be running some after school sessions to support this, which will also be open to anyone who has leadership aspirations. The Program Coordinators will be actively considering who the potential leaders in their teams are, so talk to your PC if you would like to be considered.

The new Aspirants' Program will run every odd week on a Thursday afternoon, starting in Week 3. It will go from 3.30 to 4.30pm. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP your intention to attend to me by this Friday 10 February. My email is kelly.anderson@education.wa.edu.au.

Performance Management is an important process that provides structure to your goal setting and improvement plans for the year. Some of you may be continuing your goals from mid 2022 (as we started late), and others may need to start the process fresh. The documents that you need for this year are located in the School Templates folder in Performance Management templates 2023. Reflection that involves looking at some data is the perfect starting point. I recommend you spend some time reflecting before booking your first PM session with your line manager. If you have any queries about the PM process, please speak to your PC or you can pop in and see me, or email me on kelly.anderson@education.wa.edu.au

The Professional Learning Plan for 2023 maps out our planning regarding PL for the year. It is a working document, and suggestions for PL that aligns with our business plan priorities will be welcomed. You can find this 4 page A3 document in the Policy Documents folder on your computer desktop, in the School Policies folder.

STAFF HANDBOOK

The Staff Handbook has had some major revisions and updates. Please take the time when you can to browse through it if you are unsure of a process or procedure, or who to see for what.

The new version (which is probably already out of date!) is located in the Policy Documents folder on your desktop and in the School Policies sub-folder.

If you notice any errors, please email me - there are bound to be some. Thanks!

GENERATIONAL TRAUMA - The impact of the Stolen Generation on future generations

I wanted to acknowledge that Roy Tester wasn't easily heard during the beginning of his presentation. I apologise for that. He provided some really important information about the experiences for those people who were stolen from their families, right up until the mid-1970s. This fracturing of families, the years of abuse, and the removal from country has had a major impact on the future families of these people, including the students that attend our school.

Having an understanding of our students' backgrounds and their parents and grandparents' experiences is an important part of enabling us to develop empathy for those students.

How can we help them?

By listening more and speaking less. By being open to learning and understanding their lived experiences. By acknowledging our own biases and actively trying to be more inclusive and more aware of what could trigger a negative emotional reaction from aboriginal students or their family members.

If you are interested in learning more about this, you can visit some of the following sites:

Australians Together - The Stolen Generations
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
Healing Foundation

Roy Tester is also open to receive feedback about his presentation, or to answer questions you may have. He has invited staff to contact him via his email rtester@bigpond.net.au.

Links to websites:

https://australianstogether.org.au/discover-and-learn/our-history/stolen-generations
https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/stolen-generations
https://healingfoundation.org.au/who-are-the-stolen-generations/

GRIT AND A GROWTH MINDSET

What is that mysterious thing that results in some students achieving success and others do not, even when they have the same capacity for learning?

This link will take you to a video of Angela Lee Duckworth delivering a TED talk Grit: The power of passion and perseverance about her theory that “grit” is a predictor of success.

Angela Lee Duckworth says that through her research she has found that grit is about students having a positive self-belief and a growth mindset.

If grit is an important factor contributing to student achievement, how can we, as teachers, help our students to build their ability to persevere and pursue their learning with passion? How can we help them to develop a growth mindset?

Students in Year 7 and 8 who have social and emotional learning built into their curriculum are benefiting from activities that help them to reframe negative thoughts and beliefs into positive ones.

The concept of a growth versus fixed mindset was proposed by Dr Carol Dweck and she talks about the “power of yet”. Here is a great video of her speaking about this concept.

Carol Dweck Growth Mindset youtube video

This concept is also mentioned in the BSHS Best Teachers poster, in fact, it is the first thing on the poster. As teachers, we also need to have a growth mindset to persevere through the challenges presented to us each and every day, every lesson.

Assessment Outlines

With everyone hitting the ground running the first three days have been about getting to know the students and establishing the ground rules for an orderly classroom. In terms of expectations of staff behind this is ensuring assessment outlines are completed and accessible to students. From a senior school perspective, assessment outlines need to be completed in RTP as well as a copy, alongside the course outline, placed onto Connect. We are aiming at having our outlines in RTP to be uniform for ease of understanding them by the student and parent.

ChatGPT

The current ChatGPT issue has come and gone. Irrespective of what the department has stated, it is a 3^rd Party App and would not have been accepted simply due to the registration requirements. That said, we have to respond to the directives of enlightened ones so I will be discussing the school’s response in terms of our senior school assessment policy, soon to be released. From a PC perspective, they are not to use it for their analysis of last year.

FINANCE COMMITTEE NOMINATION

Bunbury SHS Finance Committee is calling for nominations for membership. We have 3 staff member vacancies to fill.

The finance committee assists the principal to exercise their governance responsibility in the management of the school's financial resources.

The Committee wishes to thank Liz Chambers, Kyle Smith and Julie Russell Krebs for their commitment over their membership tenure.
Tenure on the Finance Committee is 2 years. Meetings are held twice per term at 3.15pm Monday - week 4 & 8 with the exception of Term 1 which will be held Tuesday 7 March.

Special meetings may be called when necessary and are held in Boardroom.

Please complete the nomination form below if you wish to nominate for a position on the Finance Committee. Retiring members can renominate. In the event we have more nominations than positions available, the Committee will vote to elect members.

Nominations will close Friday 17 February 2023 at 3.00pm.

Staff Wellbeing

Hope you all had a good start to Term 1 of 2023!

As mentioned at the staff development day, whilst the term is yet to kick into full swing and we have just returned from a hopefully energising break, now is the time to establish and maintain healthy wellbeing habits for the year.

Please see the brief summary below from an article from the Mental Health First Aid network for some tips on how to prepare for a mentally healthy year ahead.

Also, a reminder for those of you who were interested in joining the Staff Wellbeing Committee at BSHS for 2023 to please get in contact with me by end of Week 3 this term (17 February 2023).

Hope the term ahead is a positive and productive one.

How to Prepare for a Mentally Healthy Year

A new year can bring with it a sense of optimism and enthusiasm about twelve fresh months and the opportunities that may bring. A time of great promise and motivation, a new year can also bring both internal and external pressure. Our desire to get things right, to set resolutions and accomplish personal goals or break a habit may become a source of comparison or shift the focus from progress that we’ve made. There is a certain appeal in setting new year’s resolutions; a clean slate and a fresh start, but what may feel comforting in theory can become prescriptive and restrictive over time.   

It’s OK to make change in an affirming and self-compassionate way.

Here are some ways you can balance a willingness to change habits and make progress in a new year.

• Choose the framework that inspires: recognise that change doesn’t happen overnight and providing yourself a positive replacement for the habit, creates a far less restrictive and potentially punishing self-narrative. It gives you the ability to ground yourself in the change and notice not only the absence or melancholy, but the hope for the future, too.
• Choose to put mental health first: Take up the sport you’ve always wanted to try, ensure your needs are met in relationships, be kinder to yourself by setting fewer and perhaps more realistic goals
• Put intrinsic goals at the centre: We often forget to look at the foundations of our core mental health and our being for guidance. Intrinsic goals inspire us to connect and pursue a life that nourishes and nurtures us through good times and bad. They naturally lend themselves to self-care and compassion. All while teaching us to grow in ourselves, our relationships, career and community.

To read the full article visit this link:

https://community.mhfa.com.au/how-to-prepare-for-a-mentally-healthy-year/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=How+to+Prepare+for+a+Mentally+Healthy+Year&utm_campaign=How+to+Prepare+for+a+Mentally+Healthy+Year+%28MHFAiders%29

Country Week

Country Week at Bunbury Senior High is a significant whole school event that students and staff look forward to each year. Through our successes in individual sports and numerous champion school results, BSHS has established a positive culture and hunger for achieving excellence. Ongoing success is something our school community is extremely proud of and works hard to achieve.

Country Week 2023 will be held Week 10 Term 2 (25 June – 30 June).

Duties as coach of a team:

• Hold numerous trials to select squad of players
• Lead training sessions and compete in warm up games in preparation for Country Week
• Attend all Country Week meetings
• Coach team throughout the week and support other coaches/teams where possible
• Actively supervise and support all students throughout the week away

Below is a list of the available sports:
BOYS AFL
BOYS AFL MANAGER
GIRLS AFL
BOYS BASKETBALL
GIRLS HOCKEY
BOYS HOCKEY
GIRLS BASKETBALL
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
NETBALL
DANCE
SPEECH & DEBATE
BOYS SOCCER
GIRLS SOCCER
TOUCH FOOTBALL
COUNTRY WEEK ASSISTANT MANAGER

To nominate, please fill out the form.

NOMINATION FORM

Social Media Content

Welcome back to all staff and I hope you have had a great start to the year.

We love seeing students in action, whether in a classroom setting, in an incursion or off-site for an excursion or camp.

If you are conducting any activities you think are suitable for our school's Facebook or Instagram pages, please submit your content through the link below.

Please contact me with prior warning if you would like me to attend a session, lesson, activity etc if you would like me to take photos/videos to accompany your story.

If you have taken photos on your phone/iPad and are unsure of how to transfer these to me, please send me an email or come and visit me and I can assist you.

Submit your Facebook post using the link below.

Schoolzine

Keep up to date with all the latest news for staff and parents via the schoolzine app. You can access Heard on the Hill, the school's website, Facebook page, calendar, Connect, and more via the homepage of the app.

This easy-to-use app also sends you notifications when newsletters have been published.

See below for how to download the SZapp.