Polytechnic West Applications

31 July 2014

Applications are now open for Year 10 and 11 students who wish to apply to complete a course at a State Training Provider while at school. Applications close at the end of August. Courses are available in multiple areas and can be completed up to the Certificate IV Level. Students who complete a course at the Certificate IV level or above are able to apply directly to Edith Cowan University for most courses at the end of Year 12. Please see Mr Wilson for more information or visit the Polytechnic West website Polytechnic West.

Paul Murphy
Assistant Deputy Principal

College Middle/Senior Athletics Carnival

31 July 2014

The Middle/Senior College athletics carnival was held last Friday. The student's demonstrated fantastic House spirit, but in the end McCormack House was victorious!

House Results:
McCormack 2883
Frayne 2821
Ozanam 2499
Salvado 2236

Year Level Results
Year 7 Girls Champion - Michaela Maynard (F)
Year 7 Girls Runner Up - Jacky Francis (F)
Year 7 Boys Champion - Phillip Gatluak (F)
Year 7 Boys Runner Up - Nathan Eden (O)

Year 8 Girls Champion - Hannah Schnell (M)
Year 8 Girls Runner Up - Chelsea Wallis (S)
Year 8 Boys Champion - Cian Guest (M)
Year 8 Boys Runner Up - Fred Ruremesha (M)

Year 9 Girls Champion - Caitlin McKenzie (F)
Year 9 Girls Runner Up - Claire Belanger (O)
Year 9 Boys Champion - Scott Varady (O)
Year 9 Boys Runner Up - Caleb France (O)

Year 10 Girls Champion - Zara Hardwick (M)
Year 10 Girls Runner Up - Kayla Collins (S)
Year 10 Boys Champion - Blair Parker (F)
Year 10 Boys Runner Up - Sionyn McNally (F)

Year 11 Girls Champion - Jaimi-Lee Perry (O)
Year 11 Girls Runner Up - Abbey Clayton (F)
Year 11 Boys Champion - James Evans (O)
Year 11 Boys Runner Up - Connor Francois (O)

Year 12 Girls Champion - Teaghan Barone (F)
Year 12 Girls Runner Up - Georgia Heggs (F)
Year 12 Boys Champion - Sam Stent (S)
Year 12 Boys Runner Up - Ajang Ajang (S)

Paul Murphy
Assistant Deputy Principal

Year 12 Parent Information Evening

A reminder to parents and students that there will be a parents information evening on Wednesday August 13 to prepare our students and parents for the onward journey. The evening will cover TISC registration and also university preferences and how this works.

A letter has been sent home which explains the content of the evening. 

We look forward to seeing our Year 12 parents and students at this night.

Ms Walmsley 

Assistant Deputy Learning

31 July 

What's Water Worth?

Last week, in Big Ideas, the year seven students started to think about the value of water. We have started off the term with ten immersion workshops. The students will each visit all ten workshops, and each workshop links to the question - what's water worth by looking at the physical, economic, health, spiritual and scientific value of water.

Over the term, students will be thinking about what's water worth by undertaking an inquiry. They will be able to investigate a topic relating to water which most interests them, and which will allow them to fully answer the question - what's water worth.

The Junior School ask themselves the BIG question, "What's My Story?"

Big Ideas is an interdisciplinary programme through which students have the opportunity to come to a greater understanding of themselves, their community and the world in which they live. The real world is not divided into separate areas of study and to engage with the world requires knowledge of how all areas of study are linked. 

In Big Ideas students will be given opportunities to:

Focus on deep learning in meaningful, connected contexts.

Solve problems

Think critically, creatively and laterally

Develop a range of literacies

Develop independent learning skills

Reflect on learning

Grow in social and emotional competence

Become spiritually aware

Thursday afternoons in the Junior School will see students explore, connect and reflect on a big question throughout the term. The question being asked is, "What's my story?" Students will work in small groups across year levels to answer the question. The Kindergarten and Pre Primary students will combine, as will the Year One and Two students. 

With the help of Google Earth the students were eager to find out more about what things make up their community. Mrs Tucker helped the students to find the Early Learning Centre building then zoomed out to identify other buildings at Holy Cross College, the streets and the main shops of Ellenbrook, then Perth, WA, Australia as well as other countries of the world. Mrs Ryan's amazing video provoked students to think about the questions, "Who am I?", "Where do I belong?", and "What's my story?".

       

The Year One and Two students began their learning journey by brainstorming what the children's thoughts were around the topic. In the initial discussions the students suggested that it means: family, themselves, our environment, how we are different and why we live where we do. These responses will be questions which will be focused on in more depth during the term. For the first activity they designed a silhouette with all things that are important to them. Families will be the focus for next week.

The Kindergarten and Pre Primary students investigated "all about me" by completing hand print paintings, portraits of a friend, eye colour graphing, measuring height, name writing, and traced body shapes with chalk on the pavement.

Week Six will see all of the students to continue to explore their big question during Curriculum Enrichment Week. During Week Nine and Ten the students will have the opportunity to showcase their learning. 

Miss Melissa Croswell

Head of Junior School

·      

Winter Term has started with a blast in the ELC!

WEEK ONE, WINTER TERM

Kindergarten

Welcome back to the start of a new and exciting term! This first week whizzed by with preparations for our first ever athletics carnival. We are so proud of all the children for trying their best at all the events. It was such a delight to see their smiling faces at the end of their running races and team events. We have also been busy preparing for our first assembly, which will take place on Monday 28 July at 2:15pm. We are very excited to share some of our learning with our families and friends. This week we also set goals and reflected on something that we wanted to achieve or learn about this term. These insightful responses have been displayed outside the Kindergarten room for everyone to read. We look forward to seeing the children working hard this term to achieve their goals.

Mrs Jacinta Tucker
Class Teacher

Year One

We are literally off and racing! Not only have we been flying in our running races this week during our athletics carnival but we’ve been busy learning too. We have been researching the Blue Whale as part of our learning into report writing. We learned that they are giants of the sea, they feed on krill, can live for up to 80 years and the females are bigger than the males!

Within Religious Education we have been identifying ways we are special and ways others are special too. As well as, wondering about the creator of specialness.

Finally, within the learning area of Mathematics, we have looked at ‘time’, particularly o’clock and half past. There is just so much happening this term it is so exciting!

Miss Phoebe Behiels
Class Teacher

Event Updates

The playground is underway with the latest pieces taking form. The children have been intrigued by the construction of the platform with roof, which even has a wooden shaped flag, and the uneven log steps they will be able to climb. The surrounding items will be completed in the next couple of weeks.

As of 28 July School Banking will be available in the ELC at 8:15am every Monday. Please note the change of banking day. 

Students will continue to be able to borrow library books on Thursday mornings. Please remind your child to bring their library bag with book to exchange each week.

Parents, family and friends are welcome to join us in the ELC from 2:15pm Monday 28 July for the Junior Assembly hosted by the Kindergarten class.

Lastly, the College photo will be taken this Monday. Students are reminded to wear their College Winter Uniform.

Miss Melissa Croswell
Head of Junior School

The end of our Autumn Seusstastic Term in Pre Primary

During Autumn Term the Pre Primary class entered into the world of Dr Seuss. We were throughly engrossed in the stories such as The Lorax who spoke for the trees, Sam I Am who wanted the Cat in the Hat to try green eggs and ham, Horton (the elephant) who heard the Who’s and many more stories. Our discoveries were student initiated by questioning all of the “things you can think”. We wondered about the different sounds we could hear and identifying different aromas with Mr Brook, creating then feeling Oobleck (slime), predicting if we would like Green Eggs and Ham, exploring the reasoning why we recycle and studying the lifecycle of a chicken. We reflected on our learning by creating a Seussville banner with our favourite Dr Seuss characters. The students have grown in their creative thought and appreciation of their unique gifts. The Dr Seuss literature provided a way of gaining

the students interest in our integrated learning.

We ended the Seusstastic term by sharing our learning and growth with an assembly piece for the Junior School students and then the whole College. The students are to be commended on their achievement during the term and the confidence they displayed when performing. 

Miss Emma Pritchard

Class Teacher

How do we cultivate our gifts? Year 8 Big Ideas gets growing!

This term the Year 8's are going to be undertaking an exciting new challenge in Big Ideas. Week 1's launch saw the students undertaking a range of activities centred around their personal gifts, and the gifts they have been given in their lives. 

They paired up to help each other work out where their personal strengths lie.

They enjoyed analysing the gifts and talents of people they admire.

The students each contributed a leaf to our 'tree of gifts' which led to a discussion about the ways in which gifts can be cultivated.

Through this, the students learned that they will be gardeners this term! The Year 8's are going to design, build, cultivate and run the first HCC garden, and they are very excited about this new responsibility. Each student nominated a committee that they would like to belong to, keeping in mind where their gifts and talents lie.

As all parents would be aware, the Year 8's will be participating in a walk next Thursday, traversing a section of the Camino Salvado track. This is a great opportunity for the students to connect with what they will be doing in Curriculum Enrichment Week, which will have close links with both Salvado and New Norcia and will involve the students completing another section of the Camino Salvado. What with   

Curriculum Enrichment Week, the walk and the construction of our garden, this is going to be a very busy, exciting term for Year 8 Big Ideas, and we look forward to watching the students cultivate their special gifts.

Miss Emilie Reynolds

Learning Innovator, Year 8.

SALVADO ARE JUNIOR SCHOOL CHAMPS!

With prayers for fine weather answered the Kindergarten to Year Two students took to the oval to run, play and cheer for their House. Parents were seated in prime positions to see all of the action. Track and team game events were on offer and the students were eager to show off their running, throwing, passing, weaving and balancing skills. 

The lead changed a number of times throughout the morning but Salvado House were too strong in the end. Congratulations to everyone for a fantastic effort and for making our in augural carnival a success.

Final Results

1st place Salvado 213 points

2nd place Ozanam 176 points

3rd place Frayne 167 points

4th place McCormack 141 points

    

Miss Melissa Croswell
Head of Junior School

Year 9 Bishop's Literacy Assessment

24 July 2014

Year 9 students will be taking part in the Bishops Literacy Assessment next Thursday morning (31/7). Students who are absent at this time, will have the opportunity to sit the assessment on Friday.

The assessment focuses on students’ ability to recall content about the Catholic religion and to assess students’ knowledge and understanding of Religious Education it does not measure students’ faith.

The intended purpose of the assessment is to provide individual schools with a snapshot of student performance in Religious Education.


Mr Paul Murphy
Assistant Deputy Principal

Athletics Carnival

21 July 2014

Coming up this week is the College athletics carnival. The Junior School (K-2) carnival is taking place on Thursday (24/7) from 9-11am.

The Middle & Senior School carnival is taking place this friday (25/7) all day. Some events for the Middle & Senior School will be taking place over lunch times from Tuesday - Thursday.








Junior School students are currently training for
the carnival. May the best House win!













Mr Paul Murphy
Assistant Deputy Principal

Learning Conversations - Middle School

This Thursday sees our subject specific learning conversations in the Middle School. Middle school students in Year 7-9 will finish at 12 noon and then will return for their interviews as scheduled via PTO. Senior School classes will continue as per usual. 

In preparation for these interviews, all middle school students will be preparing their thoughts in LAGS tomorrow morning. We encourage all students to come to the interviews prepared to talk about their strengths and the areas they would like to a make a focus.  

We are looking forward to seeing you all there. Please make sure you bring your child's Ipad with you with access to Coneqt-p.

Thanks again

Ms Walmsley

Assistant Deputy Learning