Term 4 Newsletter 2019

Cecil Andrews College

Principal's Address

It has been another industrious term at our College with many exciting things happening!

Cecil Andrews College entered into the Governor STEM Awards and were selected as a finalist!  This is a very prestigious award and we were selected alongside Perth Ladies College, Hale School and Melville Senior High School.  To be selected among a group of impressive schools such as these, is an achievement in itself! The judges visited on 23 October and were extremely impressed by our College and the education our students are receiving.  On the day, we had an extraordinary team with staff, students, parents and community members and I would like to thank everyone who contributed during the preparation and on the day.  I was very proud of the staff and students here and the culture you have worked so hard to build!  I would like to thank everyone for all of the hard work you put in, particularly the Dream STEAM Team. To anyone who helped in any way – our students, our staff, our parents and our community members - well done and I thank you.

We said farewell to our Year 12 students earlier this term with a memorable Presentation Night on 15 October.  I would like to thank Mrs Jones, Mr Morton, and Mrs Hill for creating a special night for our graduating class of 2019.  I would also like to thank Mrs Read for the amazing catering on the night.

23 October was a busy day at the College.  As well as hosting the Governor STEM Awards Judges at our school, we hosted a visit from Casuarina Senior College, another P-TECH school from Darwin who were here to learn more about our College and our P-TECH program. 

Some of our Student Councilors attended a meeting with Mr Peter Tinley, Minister for Youth, to discuss topics including youth programs, overseas exchange programs and support programs for young people such as the Kids Helpline and Headspace. 

We had a visit from Ms Suzy Urbaniak of CoRE Learning Foundation on 31 October.  Suzy won the 2016 Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools.  She spent most of her day with us teaching some of our Year 7 and Year 10 students and inspiring them with different ways of learning.

 I would like to thank Mr Setzinger and his team for organising another successful STEAM Festival for the school on Friday 8 November.   Thanks also to community members and families for your participation.

On Wednesday 13 November, our school hosted a visit from Mr Anthony Albanese, Leader of the Australian Labor Party.  As he toured our school and students showed him their work, I noticed the students were so confident in their conversations with him and very impressive!  They represented our College to such a high standard and I couldn’t be prouder!  Here is a link to an interview with Mr Albanese with Year 11 student Luke Sharp, who did a fantastic job:

https://www.facebook.com/CecilAndrewsCollege/videos/986340188390183/

This term I was invited by the Department of Education to attend a workshop “Developing the Department of Education’s vision for information communications technology (ICT)”, I took with one of our Year 9 student’s, Alex Smith, and his mother Laura Satur for their valuable input.  They did a great job and were impressed the panel with their contributions to the discussion. 

Our final dance performance of the year, “Lights, Camera, Action” was on 14 November.  Mr Ghouse created yet another impressive performance from the students and it also included some staff as well!  It was a great performance by all involved, as always, a pleasure to watch.  Thank you Mr Ghouse for all the hard work you put in to create our performances.

This term we also hosted a Professional Learning Day for 15 Principals from both Primary and Secondary Schools around Perth, facilitated by Mr Adam Voigt on our restorative approach to keep improving our culture.

Recently, our Clontarf Academy and our Girls Academy have hosted their award nights.  The Girls Academy also hosted a BBQ for primary school students.

 In Week 8 and Week 9, we hosted two wonderful transition days for Year 6 students who will attend our school next year.  Both days were a success and the students enjoyed their time with us and felt safe knowing Cecil Andrews College is where they will attend next year.  I would like to thank Ms Paice for all her hard work making our transition days so enjoyable for the students.

We will finish the year with Christmas Carols on the oval on Monday 16 December and a whole school assembly on 17 December. 

 What a year it’s been for our school community!  I am so proud of all of the staff, students, parents and community members who continue to make Cecil Andrews College a great place to come to school.  These are just a few of many highlights from 2019:

-        Mr John Townley won a prestigious Commonwealth Bank and Schools Plus National Award for his outstanding leadership and teaching out of 3500 applicants!

-        We held a successful Careers Expo in Term 1.

-        Cecil Andrews College was one of only three Perth schools selected by Rio Tinto to benefit from a $2 million contribution to offer Certificate II courses in automation to secondary students. 

-        Our School Ball was held in Term 2 and I was very proud of the students, who showed maturity and impeccable behaviour.

-        Our Performing Arts Dance Students showcased their talents as part of the Dance Alliance's performance - Nexus.  This was an opportunity to showcase the high quality performances and success of our Performing Arts flagship program. 

-        Our Upper School Football Team finished the competition undefeated, winning the East / South Fremantle District competition.  This took them through to the state quarter finals where they fell just short losing by just 6 points.  It was a great effort!

-        I was invited to attend Planet P-TECH” in New York.  This was a global education summit for P-TECH schools, colleges and industry leaders. I now have a global network to advance our P-TECH model and some key learnings for career development and workplace pathways. The last day of term for students is Thursday 19 December.  Students will return to school for 2020 on Monday 3 February.

 Finally, I would like to thank our Board and P&C for all they do for our school community.  They donate their time generously and contribute to the school in a valuable way and I really appreciate everything they do for Cecil Andrews College.  It does not go unnoticed!

I wish you all an enjoyable Christmas Break.  Take care of yourselves and your families and loved ones.  I am looking forward to seeing you all back at school next year, refreshed and ready for a new year of learning!

IMPORTANT DATES FOR TERM 1 2020

3rd February 2020                               FIRST DAY OF TERM

2 March 2020                                        LABOUR DAY - Public holiday

3-27 March 2020                                  OLNA - Numeracy, Reading & Writing

20 March 2020                                     Year 7-9 Junior Football Carnival

9th April 2020                                      LAST DAY OF TERM


2019 School Survey

Below is the link to the National School Survey.  The data will be used in our school review next year.  All teachers are asked to complete this short survey.  Your feedback is both helpful and appreciated.

 

https://www.schoolsurvey.edu.au/s/CfGyJUcX

Student Services

Keeping Our School Community Safe

It is a priority at Cecil Andrews College that every member of our community feels safe and empowered to engage in a positive, stable learning environment. To ensure that we keep our school community safe we have aligned the school’s policies and expectations with the Department of Education policies and expectations. As such, abuse, harassment and intimidation of staff and students will not be tolerated. The Department of Education has developed a plan to support staff and students to create a safe learning environment that explained in the Minister’s Statement on School Violence – ‘Let’s Take a Stand Together’. This document can be found on the Department of Education website. The actions in the plan include students to be suspended who attack other students or start fights, Principals to automatically move to exclude students who physically attack school staff and ‘good standing’ requirements to be added to school behaviour policies.

Currently Cecil Andrews College is reviewing the behaviour policies of the school to align it with the Department of Education’s plan. Furthermore, a good standing policy is being created and will be available for review when the draft is finalised. Our current Bullying Policy and Positive Behaviour Support policies can be found on the Skoolbag App, Facebook and School website. Can you please take the time to discuss these policies and the new Department of Education plan with your child to ensure all members of our community have an understanding of behaviour expectations at Cecil Andrews College. Together we can ensure that our school community members feel safe and empowered to engage in a positive, safe learning environment.

Uniforms

The uniform of a Cecil Andrews College student is a symbol of membership of the School community.  It promotes a sense of pride and identification with the School. It assists students to develop a sense of unity and belonging.  Wearing a uniform encourages a sense of pride in appearance. This Uniform and Dress Code applies at all times when students are required to wear their school uniform before, during and after school - no exceptions. NO Denim NO Hoodies NO Leggings 

All students, parents and teachers have a role to play in uniform management.

·         STUDENTS—must be fully aware of the Uniform Code, Uniform Difficulties Procedure and sanctions which apply for a uniform digression.

·         PARENTS—must be fully aware of the Uniform Code, check students at home and respond to School communications.

·         STAFF—all School staff share co-responsibility to manage the Uniform and Dress Code.

 Thank you to all members of the school community who are assisting the school in upholding the dress code. 

Absentees

Attendance Procedures

Students Absent from school, Arriving Late and Leaving Early

Students who are absent from school for an entire day must bring a note of explanation as soon as they return. This note should clearly state the student’s first name, surname, the date(s) and reason for the absence. Parents are requested to ring on 9234 3401 or send a SMS message 0408 099 112 to the school by 9.00am on the day of their child’s absence.

All students late to school must report to the Student Services Centre with a note from parent/guardian, have their name recorded, receive a late note and go to class.

Students needing to leave early

·         A note from a parent/guardian/caregiver is essential when a child is leaving school early to attend an appointment etc:

·         Report to Student Services prior to school or during recess/lunch time, have their name recorded and receive a Leave Pass

·         If a student is unwell they must report to Student Services where the attendance officer will contact home and arrange for the student to be collected.

·         Students should not contact parents directly on their mobile

SMS Absentee Messaging

 Parents will be notified of daily absentees via SMS. Once a student has been registered absent from school an automated SMS message will be sent to the parent’s mobile, by 10.30am

 Holidays during term time

Parents/Guardians who wish to take students out of school for the purpose of a family holiday are required to apply to Mrs Stella Jinman Principal in writing at least one month prior to the intended absence. The school strongly discourages parents from taking planned holidays during term time.

 

 

 

Nurses corner

As we ease into the long summer holidays on what is going to be one of our hottest summers, I thought put down some fun facts about looking after ourselves in the sun

·         Sun screen expires-  remember to check the expiry dates on your stash that has been put away since last summer

·         UV radiation is what causes wrinkles, skin and eye damage, causing changes which can lead to cancer. The UV index is a measurement of the strength of UV radiation, anything higher than 3 put you at risk for skin damage.

·         You can check the daily UV index through the newspaper, some radio and TV stations weather reports and this free app Cancer Council Sun Smart App (which will also help you plan your sun protection for the day).

·         Before you decide to hose yourself or the kids with the garden hose be sure to run the water through it first.  The water can get very hot in the pipe and has been known to cause severe burns.  Also avoid getting the hose water up your nose as it can carry germs which can cause Meningococcal Meningitis disease.

·         If the ground is too hot to walk barefoot on it’s definitely too hot for your dog or other animal to go for a walk on. Our fur-babies can easily get burnt feet on these walks.

·         Putting a cloth over a pram, stroller of baby capsule may make a nice dark sleep space for our babies but it can get hot very quickly in there and they can over heat.

·         It is never OK to leave animals or children locked in cars,  even with the windows down. Here is some information if you see an animal left in a car Dogs die in hot Cars Brochure and you can sign the RSPCA pledge to never leave your animal in a car here  justsixminutes.com.au

·         Drink water to stay hydrated, remember energy drinks, coffee, tea contain chemicals which can cause you to lose more water And some energy drinks have additives which can cause stress on your heart, lower blood pressure, cause mood swings and headaches. Cheap frozen drinks from fast food and petrol stations contain crazy amounts of sugar- Frozen Drinks Sugar, I didn’t realise how much until I wondered why I put a lot of weight on over summer! Some of them can have up to 20 teaspoons of sugar!

 

For our Year 12 leavers reachout has some great advice for staying safe if you go out to party (plus other interesting information)

Please feel free to contact me if you have any health related concerns, students are welcome to drop in at recess or lunch, or make an appointment to see me.  Vicky Gotte  Community Nurse (avail. Mon, Wed, Thurs)

 

Chaplain

Breakfast Club

The students continue to enjoy hot food, warm drink or fruit juice with fresh fruit for breakfast before beginning their class lessons every Monday to Friday 7.30-8.40am. They have the choice of ham and cheese toasties, baked bean or spaghetti jaffles, pancakes, sultana bread toasted, French toast or cereal if they prefer. The students not only come to eat and drink but socialise with their friends and chat to the Chaplain also. The number of students varies from 50 to over 80 each day. It is a privilege to serve and encourage the beautiful young people who come to Cecil Andrews College and I really enjoy this part of my role as Chaplain in the school. 

It is wonderful to see staff come into the Breakfast Club spending some of their precious time with the students. I believe this is very important as your presence helps students to see their teachers in a different light. The students love having you come to play table tennis with them. They really try to beat you, but some of you are very good players, and there is a great sense of competition. It seems a great time is had by all.

 

I thank the many staff and students for your efforts in running the Breakfast Club whilst I was away due to family illness. You did a wonderful job and I want you to know that I appreciate you and value each of you.  

If anyone would be interested in donating food items, the following would be really appreciated:

Long life milk, eggs, sliced cheese, ham, fruit juice, self-raising flour, fresh fruit or sliced bread.                                                              

Gael Varian

Chaplain 

FINAL YEAR 12 UPDATE FOR 2019

The year is almost over and planning is already underway for 2020 – where did it go?

With the new changes to the Reporting Guidelines, the Year 12 students finished their year at the end of Term 3 with a very moving Anniversary Assembly on Thursday 26th September followed by their Year 12 Farewell Breakfast, cooked by their teachers, on Friday 27th September. They were, indeed, very significant occasions and a good way to conclude their formal schooling.

The Year 12 Presentation Night was a truly memorable occasion with many students being recognised for their hard work. The students were so proud in their gowns. The incredible keynote Speaker was 2012 graduate Brooke Blurton – we were both amused and inspired to hear her message. The evening ended with a scrumptious supper supplied by Ms Kendall Read and her student helpers. 

Our ATAR students started their exams with Geography on Wednesday 30th October and all exams were completed by Tuesday 19th November. Now, we wait for the results! We are sure all students tried their hardest and they will be able to start deciding on pathways once the results come in just before Christmas. I have suggested that ATAR students consider selling on their books to the upcoming students – please see the Front Office with your books, your name and chosen price.

Current Year 11 ATAR students have returned to school for three weeks after their Semester II exams. This gives the students valuable time to start their Year 12 courses and give them an insight into what is to come. The book lists are available from the Front Office so books can be purchased before the final year commences.

Senior School Ball: We had a highly successful Senior School Ball this year on the second last Friday of Term 2, 28th June, at the Esplanade, Fremantle. Planning for next year’s Ball will commence early in Term 1, and the date, the second last Friday of Term 2, Friday 26th June, has been entered onto the College calendar. Venues still need to be examined and chosen but this date has been ‘penciled’ in with the Esplanade. The Ball is one of the major highlights of the year for the students who attend, but please – a word of caution; it is a formal occasion and formal wear is expected, but do not go overboard with costs. A great night can be had without spending a fortune.

Fundraising: In order to maintain the same ticket costs as the last few years and afford us a few special ‘extras’, a Sausage Sizzle was held at Bunnings Armadale on Sunday 16th June. Money raised meant we could hire a photo booth for the night of our Ball. Everyone had an enormous amount of fun! I wish to thank my Ball Committee students who tirelessly supported this fundraiser.

Parking: This is a further reminder that ALL students wishing to drive themselves to school must apply for a Parking Permit. Students and parents will first be asked to read and understand the Car Parking Policy. Students will show their driver’s license and sit a short test; once permission has been given, they must display their permit at all times whilst on the school premises. Permission to carry passengers can only be granted once the permission form has been signed by the driver, the driver’s parent/guardian, the passenger’s parent/guardian, the Dean of Senior School and a Deputy Principal. All applications are made to the Dean directly. There is to be no movement before 2.55pm. During school hours, students can only exit school grounds if they have formally signed out AND they have been given specific permission by the Principal, Associate Principal, a Deputy Principal or the Dean of Senior School. No student is exempt from the official school Parking Policy. Parking on the school premises without a permit may lead to penalties being put in place. This includes being banned from parking at school for a month for the first offence. I have heard that some students are parking outside the gates in order to have access to their cars during the school day. There will be consequences! The Policy has been adopted for the safety of all as we have an increasing number of student drivers this year.

OLNA: As you are aware, students must have Literacy and Numeracy in order to achieve WACE in Year 12 or even gain entry to TAFE. This is undertaken by either achieving Band 8 in NAPLAN in Year 9 or Category 3 in OLNA in years 10, 11 or 12. The first round of testing will start 3rd to 27th March 2020, with the second round occurring 31st August to 25th September 2020. Please ensure your child is available for these dates if they still need to achieve their Literacy and Numeracy. We may again be offering all Year 12 students still to achieve OLNA the opportunity to practice online with a program by OLNAWA. This has proved to be a valuable learning tool if students are prepared to put in the practice at home and during Study Skills. This should be available to Year 12 students from early in Term 1. 

Study Skills: Over the past few years, we had one period a week allocated to Study Skills. This was an opportunity for students to learn about how best to manage their time, study, manage stress or for me to have guest speakers. These guest speakers were from TAFE, universities and other organisations with the express intent of supporting our students. Study Skills will again continue in 2020. This is not an excuse for playing computer games, ‘chilling’ or leaving school. I appreciate your support in encouraging your child in engaging well with this time, using the teacher support allocated to help them if they are encountering difficulties with their work. 

I hope this gives you some idea of what has happened recently and what is ahead for 2020. Please do not hesitate to contact the College if there are any questions or concerns you have regarding your child in Senior School. You will always be pointed in the right direction! 

Wishing you all well for the holiday period and the New Year ahead. Many thanks for your support.

Mrs Margaret Jones

Year 12 Dean

Margaret.Jones3@det.wa.edu.au

Science

We had a very successful Transition Day on Tuesday and our lovely Year 6 visitors enthusiastically took part in our Science activity. They measured carefully and produced a very colourful 'rainbow' in their graduated cylinder. We then sent them out 'with a bang' by igniting a Hydrogen balloon. We look forward to seeing them all next year. 

Karen Langford-Davis

TIC - Science Department

STEM

Scitech NXplorers Program

The Year 8 Academic Extension students have been a part of the Scitech NXplorers Program which is supported by Scitech and Shell. The NXplorers program is a STEM based program aimed at students identifying a real life problem and creating solutions to solve the problem. The aim of the NXplorers program is to develop smart thinkers to solve tomorrow’s global challenges and to be able to equip our next generation of individuals with 21st century skills that they need to access the jobs of the future.

This year, students looked at their school community and identified some problems or aspects of the school that could be improved to make it a more positive environment for students and teachers as well as addressing some of the sustainability issues. Students contributed to the exisiting Community Garden which the year 10 students were working on and complimented it with other plants that supported the native insects and some students also created a greenhouse to support and increase the plants around our school. We had other students look at the water use and wastage as well as improving the bathrooms around school. 

On 3rd December, Tuesday, the students showcased their ideas and models at Scitech where Scitech and Shell Representatives as well as students’ families were able to look at the students’ work being exhibited. Our students presented themselves in a positive manner to the attendees and were commended on their efforts by Scitech and Shell Representatives. I would like to thank Mr Morton and Mrs Butler for supporting and representing our college at the showcase. 

I would like to also thank Scitech and Shell for having Cecil Andrews College as part of this amazing opportunity!

Ms. Lean

STEM Teacher

ABCN Future Thinkers Excursion

On 30th October, some of our Year 9 Academic Extension students were selected to participate in one of ABCN’s STEM programs called Future Thinkers at the Perth City Library. The program was aimed at encouraging our students to work with Mentors from American Express and creating a positive school environment within Cecil Andrews College. Students were given aspects of school to consider, such as assisting new students, encouraging student attendance to classes and supporting year 7 students in secondary school. During the workshops, the students were placed in groups where they worked with a group of mentors from America Express on prototyping their ideas using the design thinking model, how they would implement it and what would students benefit from their initiative.

The students presented their findings and ideas to each other through a whole group presentation and received feedback on their prototypes. The students received positive feedback from the organisers as well as mentors from American Express on their ideas and positive attitude towards their learning.

Congratulations to the Year 9 students on their efforts and achievements! I would like to thank ABCN and American Express for having our students as part of the program. 

Ms. Lean and Mr Evans

STEM Teachers

FIRST Lego League Success

Cecil Andrews College entered two teams into the FIRST Lego League robotics competition on Sunday 1st  December at Armadale SHS. 

The competition required students to build and code a robot capable of completing a complex set of tasks, to complete an innovation project, and to present themselves as a united team.

Both teams represented the school exceptionally well and were awarded trophies, they were;

Wilder Wolves: Gracious Professionalism Award (Coaches: Mitch Bray and John Townley) Bionic Belles: won the Inspiration Award (Coaches: Helen Cockerill and John Townley)

In addition, the Bionic Belles, were placed 8th out of 36 teams and will now progress to the national final to be held at Curtin University on Saturday 14th December. If they place in the top 5 teams, they will be invited to attend the Championship in Houston Texas in April 2020! To follow their progress, check out their website at www.bionicbelles.com.

Women In Technology Conference WA – If you can see her you can be her

On Thursday 24th  October I was absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to take two year 8 students, Abi and Tjana to the 2019 WiTWA [+] Conference. Our tickets were sponsored by AWS and we were warmly welcomed by Emma and the AWS team when we arrived. This surprised and amazed the girls, who were initially feeling very nervous.

We were all especially impressed to hear from young women who have overcome many hurdles to solve real problems with innovative use of technology. The girls especially identified with Lexy McDonald who wanted to help her peers that were struggling with bullying on social media.  In response to this need, Lexy wrote the HerHelp app and created a support group to help other young women support each other. Lexy manage to do this even though she had no special technical skills.

On the way home, the girls said that they had learned two main things at the conference. The first was that they can do anything they want and the second is that there are people “out there” who will want them to succeed. These are incredibly important messages and I am confident that it will help Abi and Tjana  to see themselves as the architects of their own future.

Helen Cockerill

www.cacollegestem.org

MATHS

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Athletics Carnival

On the 27th September, which was also the last day of Term 3, the school held its annual Athletics Carnival on what was a lovely sunny day. Students had the opportunity to participate in High Jump, Long Jump, Triple Jump, Discus, Shotput, Vortex Throw and Teams Games as well as a number of running events – 100m, 200m, 800m and 1500m. A number of students also had the opportunity to take on the staff in the 4x 100m relays.

Participation in all events was encouraged and I was extremely pleased to see the vast majority of students getting involved with the various events. All participants in the events earned their clan points, points towards their champion boy or girl prospects as well as an entry into the participation raffle to win several prizes.

Throughout the day there were some great individual performances and strong competition between students in each year group and as a result a massive 36 new school records were set this year.

Year 7-10 students who won their events were invited to attend the interschool athletics carnival on Friday 19th October at WA Athletics Stadium to verse students from other schools.

As always events like this cannot be run without assistance from the staff and students. Your assistance was greatly appreciated. We hope this significant whole school event was enjoyed by all and we look forward to doing it all again in 2020.

As always it was a well fought out battle between the 3 clans for the bragging rights. And the winner for 2019 is… BRADMAN!!!

 

Clan Points

1st Place – Bradman (3343)

2nd Place – Starre (3218)

3rd Place – Freeman (2910)

Congratulations also go to the following people for their fantastic results.

Champion and Runner Up Boy and Girl

Year 7 Champion Boy – Bishop Johnson

Year 7 Runner Up Boy – Dale Kickett

Year 7 Champion Girl – Isobel Ennor

Year 7 Runner Up Girl – Kendrayah Papertalk

Year 8 Champion Boy – Aiden Warner

Year 8 Runner Up Boy – Zachary Warner

Year 8 Champion Girl – Laytoyah Kerehi Gray

Year 8 Runner Up Girl – Kyla McNamara

Year 9 Champion Boy – Jordan Douglas

Year 9 Runner Up Boy – Quinton Dalton

Year 9 Champion Girl – Teija Morrison

Year 9 Runner Up Girl – Patricia Hansen

Year 10 Champion Boy – Charlie Miller

Year 10 Runner Up Boy – Jaidyn Bishop

Year 10 Champion Girl – Gemma Pichini

Year 10 Runner Up Girl – Lateisha Sutherland

Year 11 Champion Boy – Tyler Kelly

Year 11 Runner Up Boy – Wendell Villarama

Year 11 Champion Girl – Georgia Butler

Year 11 Runner Up Girl – Meleane Havea

Year 12 Champion Boy – Nat Randall

Year 12 Runner Up Boy – Riley Suchodolski

Interschool Athletics

On Friday 25th October the College took a group of students to the WA Athletics Stadium for the Year 7-10 Interschool Athletics Carnival. I couldn’t be happier with the effort from our students with many achieving great success. There were many moments of individual brilliance and some of impressive resilience.

While I wish I could list all of the students’ achievements, the following students deserve a special mention:

Laytoyah Kerehi Gray finished in 3rd place for the Year 8 Champion Girl

Aiden Warner was the Runner Up for the Year 8 Champion Boy

Jordan Douglas was the Year 9 Champion Boy

 We finished in 4th place, again, behind the three much larger schools that we did last year but are slowly closing the gap. 

We look forward to doing it again next year.

VET

Deloitte Work Experience Workshop 27th November 2019

In week 7 of term 4, Deloitte came into the College to run a workshop with the year 10 students going out on Work Experience. This was a valuable experience for all students involved to hear from one of our P-Tech partners about the world of work and how to make the most out the upcoming work experience block.  Key topics introduced to students included

·         Personal presentation

·         Body language

·         Self management

·         Team-work

·         Reliability

·         Motivated/enthusiasm

·         Pro-active/initiative

·         Problem Solving

This experience provides students with the opportunity to hear from a Talent developer about what employers seek in employees and how to make the right impressions. For a lot of the students, the work experience block is the first time they have been exposed to work, and maybe nervous, anxious about what is expected. By the end of the workshop, students felt more comfortable with the expectations of work experience and that it is a great opportunity to develop skills and start developing a working network.

This workshop is going to continue annually before year 10 work experience blocks each year, and it is brilliant to receive support from Deloitte to aid the students transitioning from school to the workplace.  

Work Experience

Cecil Andrews College runs an (ADWPL) Workplace Learning program which is invaluable in helping students to develop the many skills they need for employment.  The opportunities employers make available provides a far greater awareness of the transition from school to the working world, giving student’s firsthand experience and insights into industries which they hope to develop career pathways and make informed decisions about their future.

During weeks 8 and 9 of term 4, 77 year 10 students were placed in work places for unpaid work experience. This block of experience is the culmination of all the work completed in the Work Studies program. It allowed students to identify the importance of having such skills by utilising them in the workplace and further developing them. I would like to extend a big thank you to the students who managed to find their own work placements, and Mrs Brimmer who worked with those who were struggling to find a placement and secure one.

Stronger links with our P-TECH partners have been further developed throughout the year where two of our partners hosted work experience students. Thales hosted two year 10 students at their West Leederville site. Josh Mbaluku and Jack Banks enjoyed their time in the office learning about new technologies and how to apply their IT skills.  Jake Bognuda was able to secure placement with Austal ships and work within the Electrotechnology department, working long days in the heat.

Early Childhood and Care seems to be the “in” career at the moment, and our local primary schools and child care centres were very supportive of our students, including Challis, Willandra and Gywnne Park Primary Schools. One student placed out at Willandra has had a change of heart in regards to his career, originally wanting to head down the High School teacher path, and now looking at a career in Primary School teaching.

It has been extremely enlightening to hear that the students that are out on work experience have been working extremely well, and the feedback that is being relayed to the school is overwhelmingly positive in regards to the students’ performance out on work placement.

One student mentioned that “I am gaining meaningful experience about work life, like dress code, punctuality, responsibility and getting along with colleagues”. The majority of students would feel this way, and hopefully are gaining an understanding of a career pathway they would like to undertake moving into senior school and beyond.

All students who have been out on work placement should be congratulated for their dedication and commitment to learning and further developing their skills. The students are not paid during the block, but the experience in itself is extremely valuable. We have even heard students being offered employment within the first week! Talk about seizing your opportunities. 

Work Ready Program

During week 9, 5 of the colleges Clontarf boys attended Thornlie TAFE to attend a Work Ready Program for the week.

The program is a great initiative by the TAFE, where students who attend the whole 5 days and successfully complete all activities, will receive

·         Construction White Card

·         Working at heights ticket

·         Communicate in the workplace.

These 3 units contribute to a variety of qualifications including the Building and Construction industry. These types of courses do become available throughout the year, and will hopefully continue into 2020. Students interested in the Work Ready Program next year are encouraged to listen out for Daily notices and information at year group assemblies to register their interest when it becomes available. 

CLONTARF

The Clontarf Academy at Cecil Andrews College works in close partnership with the staff, executive and leadership teams to improve the educational outcomes of the boys and provide them with a range of development, training, employment, sporting and broader life opportunities. We continually work to develop and build the capacity of all boys, focussing on communicating and reinforcing our key messages and expectations in an effort to create a solid foundation for Academy members to start or continue their Clontarf journey.

 

Term 4 has provided a great opportunity to continue building upon the work done since the start of the year. Some of the highlights of our Academy program are listed below:

·         Douglas Farmer, Jayden Little & Jerram Yarran completing Year 12

·         Alumni Braiden Quartermaine (Broadspectrum) & Mark Thomas (Hitachi) gaining full time employment

·         Senior major trip to Sydney and the Blue Mountains

·         End of Year Awards Night

·         A number of boys commencing part-time employment with local Clontarf Partners Coles and Kmart

·         Boys having the opportunity to meet Matt Keogh MP – Federal Member for Burt and Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese

·         Year 9 Royal Life Saving Swim & Survive course during contact time

·         Year 6 transition clinics at local Primary Schools

·         Katanning Basketball, Waalitj Cup, Wadjemup Cup, Indoor & Big Bash Cricket Carnivals

·         Terrific numbers at our morning training sessions

·         End of term incentive activity with the Surfing WA Surf School at Trigg Beach

 

The key event of the term was our End of Year Awards. It was a cracking evening and it was great to see the Performing Arts Theatre at the school filled to the brim to with invited guests, school staff, the boys and their families to celebrate the 2019 Academy program. Some of the special guests in attendance were Barry Porter & Graham Sampson (Armadale Rotary Club) Donna Paice, Deputy Principal, Stella Jinman, Principal, Lynda Ogden, Customer Service Manager Kmart Armadale, Troy Douglas Senior Sergeant Armadale Police Station, Dr Tony Buti MLA – Member for Armadale, Matt Keogh MP – Federal Member for Burt, Xavier Menage Regional Manager WA Central & Gavin Greaves Zone Manager - Western Australia and Northern Territory.

 

The major award winners are listed below: Attendance: Noah Brooks Most Improved: Cooper Gamble

Education: Aiden Warner Training/Sport: Zac Warner Leadership: Tai Morrison Clontarf Spirit: Isaac Bucktin, Israel Bucktin, Mason Kickett, Ethan Farrell, Most Outstanding: Noah Brooks, Zac Warner, Darryl Mason, Dylan Avsar

 

On behalf of Brett, Joseph and I we would like to thank the parents/guardians of all the boys in our program and acknowledge the College staff (teaching and non-teaching) for their support throughout 2019.

 

We wish all families a safe and relaxing summer break.

 

Darren Davis

Director

Cecil Andrews Clontarf Academy

GIRLS ACADEMY

Awards Night

 

Cecil Andrews Girls Academy hosted our 3rd Annual Awards Night. Our member of Armadale Dr Tony Buti attended and was a great help in presenting an Award.

 

Award Winners for 2019

Junior Shining Bright Award: Allirah Bropho Eades

Senior Shining Bright Award: Sarah Brockman Year 11

Academy Ambassador Award: Teija Morrison Year 9 & Siria Kickett Year 7.

Junior Sportswoman Award: Amelia Eades Year 8 & Allirah Bropho Eades Year 7

Senior Sportswoman Award: Teija Morrison Year 9

Junior Academic Award: Keira Jayne Logue Year 7

Senior Academic Award: Aaliyah Dinah Year 11

Ricky Grace ‘Be the Change” Award: Aaliyah Dinah

Most Improved Award: Mahalia Masatora Year 7

Year 12 Graduate: Makaylai Edgill

 

It was a lovely afternoon with a great turn out from parents and guardians, to see the achievements of our girls.

 

Champion Centre Kambarang Festival

 

The Girls Academy attended the recent Kambarang Festival, the centre provided a great day of activities and food and culture for the community.

The students were able to learn how to weave baskets, watch traditional dancers, local performers and enjoy the stalls that were available.

 

Perth Wildcats

 

Perth Wildcats players Clint Steindl and Majok Majok gave up their time to come out and run a clinic with the girls. Although it was a hot day the guys made it fun and enjoyable. Teaching the girls dome skills and drills, ending with a game or Basketball. The guys had some signed posters they had presented to the girls, in exchange the girls gave a Girls Academy mug.

Follow the Dream

Follow the Dream students have worked hard this term, to maximise their semester 2 results. They clocked up a total of 282 hours working with tutors in the FTD room after school. As there are 16 FTD students this is an average of about 18 hours per student! 

We celebrated the students’ commitment and achievements with family members and tutors at an afternoon tea and awards presentation on 9 December. 

 The students who received academic awards for achieving a minimum of C grades in both semesters were: Teija, Shevon, Aiden, Allirah, Tayah, Keira-Jayne, and Noah. These students also achieved at least one A grade in their core subjects. Many congratulations to them.

Shevon took away the top award for highset academic achievement. She received all A and B grades in both semesters.

Year 8 and 9 Follow the Dream students visited UWA this term to get a feel for what it’s like to study at university. The year 8 students’ visit included practical activities to learn about studying Law, Sports Science and Biology, while the year 9 visit focused on experiencing lectures and learning about the many social clubs.

Follow the Dream students and family members also rallied around two students to help them raise funds to attend a national netball competition being held on the Gold Coast in January. They made art work which they sold to staff in a silent auction and raised an impressive $500.

I would like to thank all the teachers who supported the Follow the Dream students this year, as well as the family members who are always so willing to help. Lastly, well done to the Follow the Dream students for putting a great effort into their studies. Happy holidays to everyone! 

Come to School Every Day!

Why….…because school enables children to build on their knowledge and skills each day, each week and each year.

Why……because children can miss out on the basic skills and may experience difficulties later with their learning.

Why……because school helps children build confidence in areas such as communication, teamwork, organization and social skills.

Why……because going to school is a legal requirement and there are fines associated with this.

The law states all children from Pre Primary to Year 12 must attend school (or have an alternative educational or workplace arrangement).

Under the law, you are responsible for making sure your child goes to school on ALL school days.  You must not keep your child away from school for minor reasons.

Don’t be soft on school attendance… because we want all children to be their best.

 What the law says:

Under Western Australian law (School Education Act 1999), parents must send their children to school unless:

·         They are too unwell.

·         They have an infectious disease.

·         The principal is provided with a genuine and acceptable reason.

You must let the school know within three days why your child is not attending.

Under the law, schools must:

·         Monitor attendance of students.

·         Follow up with parents and caregivers on student absences.

What happens when your child misses school without a valid reason?

·         Your school will ask you for an explanation.

·         Your school will meet with you to discuss ongoing issues and plan a response.

·         A School Attendance Panel will be set up to review the steps taken and provide advice.

·         In some cases, you might be fined.

Support and help for families

If your child is reluctant or refuses to go to school, or is missing school without you knowing, there is support and help available.  Contact your school or South Metropolitan Education Regional Office for information/assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q:  What should I do if my child is unwell?

A:  Inform the school and provide a medical certificate if requested.

Q:  What should I do if my child refuses to go to school?

A:  Contact your school as soon as possible and the school will arrange advice/support.

Q:  What should I do if we are going on holiday during school time?

A:  Holidays during school time are detrimental to your child’s learning.  The Principal of your school will not consider this an approved absence.  Arrange your holidays during vacation periods.

Q:  Can I take my child out of school for social occasions?

A:  No.  This is not considered reasonable. You should arrange social occasions such as personal shopping trips and birthday celebrations out of school hours.

Q:  Will my child be marked absent from school if he/she is doing a VET, Registered Training Organization program?

A: No as long as this is part of the school program.  Attendance at these programs is also monitored.

Further Information & Support:

Talk with our Student Services Team about your child’s attendance or any support you may need.

Contact number: 9234 3401

Absentee SMS: 0408 099 112

Skoolbag APP

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.skoolbag.cashs&hl

http://cecil-andrews-senior-high-school-skoolbag.appstor.io

The Department of Education’s South Metropolitan Education Regional Office in Beaconsfield also has trained staff that will be able to provide relevant information and support.

Contact number: 9336 9563

A reminder that Cecil Andrews College has a zero tolerance policy to bullying, violence, and drugs.