Heard on the Hill Term 4, Week 2

From the Principal

Bonjour à tous, and Wanju

Thank you everyone for a smooth start to the term.  I apologize for being absent at the start of the term. Certainly, the weather last week laid a very sunny disposition across the school.

The school review cycle picks up in Term 4.  Like last year we have set aside a whole school development day for the purpose of reviewing: student results, course delivery, assessment items, forward planning (in particular, around the delivery of Year 10 in 2026). Hatti has identified good feedback as having the largest effect on student progress.  It can affect us in the same way. Please make the most of this opportunity to gather good data, have robust conversations and be courageous in your actions to provide the best learning environment for all students.

Review is a great time to not just look back at what we still need to do but also to identify our successes, scale them to do more and celebrate the progress that we have made.  While sitting at the assembly last week I could not but think of the great successes. The new prefects spoke confidently. They reflect the fantastic student leadership program. Emily Johnson and Tanika Schoeman singing in front of their peers marks a milestone for our performing arts program that add value to the reputation of our music department.  The Mathematics and Sport accolades of our students speak volumes of the high expectation and outstanding teaching practice that our teachers demonstrate.

While the state is still talking about senior school reimaging, we are doing it. Flexibility to allow the mix and match of ATAR, Cert courses, ECU Uniprep, WPL has been taken up by our students. 

I ran into Jarrod Myer in Morawa during the school holidays while driving around the mid-west looking at wildflowers.  He was ecstatic to hear that we will now be offering Aviation as a timetabled course.  He is flying crop dusting planes. The introduction of Aviation, our Medical and Engineering pathway mentors are new and exciting ways of reimaging senior school to give students greater educational currency.

So you see as you are reviewing this term in preparation for 2025 I hope that you have a great term and have a chance to look back at our accomplishments so far as a break from our continuous forward focus on improvement.

En Avant

Mike Sinagra

Nuts and Bolts

Class visits started last week, albeit in a different format.  I have quarantined time after lunch 1 each day to get around to classes. I’m hoping that this will give me greater opportunity to visit classes.

The PIVOT teaching sprints continue this term.  You will no doubt be reviewing your success with those. It is a good time to lean on the school support structures like the ILT to help improve the fidelity of these strategies and embed them in your learning area.

Slowly the walls of the newly painted lower halls will become adorned with house culture, history boards, school branding and other memorabilia. When you arrive back after the summer break it will also contain carpet, weatherproof doors, hard and soft furnishings.

Our first school drama performance in a while will be presented Week 4.  Please support this where you can. The Performing Arts are really starting to mature again.

BUSY Term 4

A short update for this week. There is a lot of operational ‘stuff’ taking place over the next few weeks. This is reminder of what is happening:

OLNA

Yr10s will be completing their OLNA in the library starting Monday 21^st October. PCs have the timetable and student list for everyone to review.

Yr11 Exams

These start the following week on Monday 28^th October. Due to WACE examinations we will be holding these in the Kingia.

Staff impacted by this will be allocated new rooms for the duration of the examination period.

PCs were issued with a copy of the examination schedule last week. Students will receive their personal timetables next week.

SIDE exams will occur the following week on an individual basis.

WACE Exams

These also start on Monday 28^th October in the library. This restricts the usage of the library and is off limits at all times to staff and students when an examination is happening.

Disability Confident for all staff introduction

DOE recently launched some new PL to increase staff understanding regarding disability. This PL isn't focused on working with students with disability. It is about improving accessibility in the workplace, and improving day to day practices for staff who have a disability or need adjustments made to their work environments or work practices. There are four modules:

1. About Disability and Accessibility

2. Disability Confidence is Good Business

3. Inclusive Communication

4. Creating Enabling Environments

I found it very useful and recommend that all staff complete this in the coming months.

Aboriginal Teaching and Learning Workshop opportunity

Staff from the Aboriginal Teaching and Learning section of DOE will be facilitating a workshop on Wednesday 13 November at NMSHS 3.30-5.30pm. The workshop is called Strengthening student success: Culturally responsive approaches to wellbeing. The link is below to register on PLIS.

https://plis.education.wa.edu.au/?EventID=62957

Kelly Anderson

Deputy Principal

I have been approached by some very keen Year 7 students, who would like to start a Media Club. They are particularly interested in creating a newspaper for the school. This would also include opportunities for creative writing and artworks to be published. The lovely group need a staff member to assist them with access to a room and photocopier etc and probably some expertise too. If you are looking for a leadership opportunity, this could be it! Please email me or pop in for a chat if you are interested.

Kelly Anderson

Deputy Principal