Heard on the Hill Term 3, Week 10

Congratulations to Te Kiri in stepping into this new role.  Please make her feel welcome. Te Kiri will also chair the WHS committee.  I did not receive any teacher nominations last week.  A meeting will be held early next term.

ECU runs a series of Twilight Seminars.  Please keep your eye out for these.  They are great opportunity for networking and professional learning.

You may have seen promotion of the new Medical and Engineering pathways for 2025.  These have involved the Alumni playing a big part in volunteering to be involved in mentoring and presentation roles.  It is all very exciting and will kick off with the first cohort event on Nov 1^st.

Next term Bunbury SHS will be involved in the second cohort role out of Project Kaardtijin.  This is the systemic move to Compass. As a Compass school we are well placed to take advantage of this.

The Theatre Club are on track for the Term 4 Week 4 Variety night.  I watched the run through last week and it is coming together nicely.  There will be opportunity for some students to be involved in some backstage learning.

A reminder from the Staff Wellbeing Committee that you should use your upcoming holiday break to actively pursue some self-care. We know that some of the time will be used for planning and preparing for Term 4, but before that, take a real break, do some things that fill your bucket and bring you joy.

I recently attended a webinar about Teacher Wellbeing and I have attached the notes from it for your information. There are some useful tips from the four speakers.

Happy Holidays to you all!

PIVOT

Currently we are in the Sprint Phase of our PIVOT Training. This is the phase where teachers make a conscious effort to practise the agreed strategy or technique.

Remember we aren’t necessarily doing something additional but are doing things differently. Building new habits in the classroom can feel uncomfortable, so don’t be worried if it feels like what you are doing is contrary to your usual practice. Don’t expect it to click straight away, you may need to tweak or refine your strategy as you reflect on progress.

Check in with others: Most learning areas have set up partners to check in with. Ensure you complete a check in with your partner or someone from your learning area during the Sprint phase.

• How are you going with the new strategy/technique?
• What are you observing from the students?
• Do you need any resources to support?
• What minor adjustments will you make next time you try the strategy/technique?
• Can I help with an observation?
• If your partner hasn’t started yet, ask them what day and period they plan to begin.

Whether you are experimenting with a new strategy, or re-learning an effective strategy, don’t be fearful to practise this in class with the students. The evidence suggests it should have a positive impact on all students.

Workload Advisory Committee – Meeting Minutes

Recently we held a Workload Advisory Committee meeting. See attached meeting minutes.

NEW MCS

Starting Term 4, I have been seconded to Manea for six months to take on the role of MCS.

During my absence, Lucia will be stepping into the MCS role here. For any Finance-related matters, please direct your inquiries to Lucia. Please note that this transition may lead to some realignments in admin tasks, so I appreciate your patience as these changes take place.

Additionally, there have been recent updates to our admin structure, which will continue into Term 4:

New Role: Facilities Coordinator: Congratulations to Te Kiri, who will be assisting with the implementation of this new role. Te Kiri’s portfolio, which also includes responsibilities from the Cleaner in Charge role, will handle all faults and maintenance issues. It is essential that you use the current faults reporting process.

As part of this new role, Te Kiri will also conduct classroom and building audits to align with our strategic planning for painting, carpeting, and furnishing upgrades. Please refrain from sending requests directly to Te Kiri during these audits.

I want to extend my gratitude to all the staff who have supported me in my current role. This isn’t a goodbye, just a "see you next year" and I look forward to reconnecting when I return.

VACATION WORKS

We have several major and minor projects scheduled for the upcoming vacation period:

Upstairs Staff Toilet: We secured funding earlier this year to install a new universal toilet for staff (only) on the upper floor. This will be located in the former science/maths storage room near the senior girls’ toilets. The installation work is expected to extend into at least the first week of Term 4, meaning the senior girls’ toilets will be out of service during this time. There may also be short periods where water is temporarily shut off during the initial week of construction.

Corridor Painting: To kick off the development of the indoor/outdoor student space, we will start painting the downstairs corridors during the vacation. This work will take place throughout the entire vacation period and may affect access to certain classrooms.

Retaining Wall: A small retaining wall will be constructed along the driveway adjacent to the shed. This area will be inaccessible for some portion of the vacation.

I appreciate your understanding and patience as these improvements are made. If you have any concerns or need further information, please let me know.

Wishing everyone a successful remainder of the year.

Promoting Bunbury SHS

Please continue to email and submit posts for our Facebook and Instagram pages! 

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.