Term 2 Newsletter 2020

Cecil Andrews College

Principal's Address

I want to thank all our students, families and staff for your support throughout what has been a very different school year so far.  The COVID-19 pandemic, has presented us all with many challenges, we have overcome many hurdles and are navigating this uncertain time together as a community.  I am pleased that, we have been able to make the best of this situation and ensure your child’s safety and continuity of learning.

I would like to mention our cleaning staff who have done an amazing job keeping our College clean and safe during this time.  I thank you for all the extra effort you have put in to keep our students and staff safe.

We need to reflect on the Covid-19 pandemic and impact it has had on our school. We need to recognise the incredible effort and the staff approach when faced with these challenges. While many were forced to stay at home, most staff demonstrated their great resilience by showing up and stepping up to support our school community through unprecedented times. 

Staff were professional, dedicated, united and caring in an environment unlike any seen professionally or as a community. Our staff responded with courage and innovation to shape resources and procedures for the education and wellbeing not only of our students but each other. This was not only evident in the massive effort to convert face-to-face learning to online and a subsequent mix of both but to learn new systems and procedures while enacting them, source high demand hygiene products, increase communications, seek and follow Government advice and so much more, all delivered in a rapidly changing environment. Some of the positives from the experience included the adaptability and resilience of our students and staff.

 

I would like to acknowledge all our Follow The Dream students.  Despite the challenges faced during COVID-19 and through the support of their families, Sue Gilbert and other staff at the College, they have achieved great improvements in their educational outcomes and this should be commended.

Congratulations go to two of our Art students:

-       Kiera Jayne Logen in Year 8, who entered an art piece in the Noongar Country Art Exhibition at Bunbury Art Gallery.

-       Year 11 student, Brooke Connolly-Rodgers, has been accepted into the North Metropolitan TAFE Meta Exhibition. She submitted an entry of one of her paintings and she was accepted out of 167 entries and 54 schools. 

These are great achievements and our students should feel proud of what they have accomplished.

A reminder, that due to the higher than normal absence rates due to COVID-19, the breadth and depth of the curriculum covered throughout Semester 1 may have been reduced.  Schools are not required to include A to E grades on this year’s Semester 1 student reports, but we have.  In addition, your child’s attendance may not be reported, and any written comments may provide less information on their progress than usual. 

I would like to congratulate students on the way they have taken the new rules of handwashing on arrival to school in their stride.  I know that our staff have also enjoyed greeting the students in the morning, at the front gates.  This change has continued to build on our sense of community within the College, which is pleasing to see.

We have been running an in-school tutoring program for Year 12 students who need extra help with literacy and numeracy in advance of taking their OLNA later in the year.  

We are currently reviewing our uniforms pieces and will update you in due course.  We invite anyone interested in being part of our Uniform Advisory Committee to contact Celeste Underhill (celeste.underhill@education.wa.edu.au) to join. 

Cecil Andrews College is part of a pilot for the Australian FameLab Academy program.  The focus of FameLab Australia is to promote excellence in science communicommunication for early career STEM researchers in universities and industry. Our Year 9 students have been challenged with communicating a STEM topic of their choosing, to their peers in three minutes.  They will be competing against students from Ashdale Senior High School and Sacred Heat College.  Jargon and Powerpoint are not allowed to be used but props and costumes are encouraged.  Students are also encouraged to choose a topic that interests them.  We are excited to announce that we will be hosting the final of this competition during Science Week on Wednesday 19 August 2020 and it will be lived streamed to WA schools through a partnership with the WA Museum Education Team.

Please make sure your child’s contact details are up to date and we have your current email address.  We have been sending out regular email updates.

There is a Staff Development Day on Monday 20 July and the first day back for students is Tuesday 21 July 2020. 

I hope you all enjoy the school holiday break.  Take care of yourselves and your families and stay safe.  We look forward to welcoming students back, refreshed and reading for learning in Term 3!

Stella Jinman

Complaints Process

If you need to lodge a complaint at the College, please contact us on 9234 3400.

If the complaint is regarding a subject, your first point of call is your child’s teacher. 

If you need to escalate your complaint, you can then contact the Head of Learning Area, details are below:

 

Head of Learning Areas

Arts – Nathan Setzinger

English – Kerrie Mansell

Design & Technologies – Nathan Setzinger

HASS – Kerrie Mansell – Kerrie Mansell

Home Econonomics – Nathan Setzinger

Maths – Natasha Coen

Physical Education & Health – Nathan Squires

Science – Karen Langford-Davis

Vocational Education & Training – Steven Dimech

Follow The Dream – Sue Gilbert

For other general queries regarding attendance or behaviour, please contact Student Services, details are below:

 

Student Services

Year 7 Coordinator – James Henley-Martin

Year 8 Coordinator – Kim Bowey

Year 9 Coordinator – Jessica Murray

Year 10 Coordinator – Sarah Humphries

Year 11 Coordinator –  Stephen Jones

Year 12 Coordinator – Stephen Jones

Attendance Officer – Dana Whiteley

Student Services Manager Middle School (Years 7-9) – Amy Blackley

Dean of Senior School (Years 10-12) – Stephen Jones

 

If your complaint has not been resolved, please contact a member of our Executive Team, details are below:

Executive Team

Deputy Principal Middle School (Years 7-9) – Donna Paice

Deputy Principal Senior School (Years 10-12) – Nathan Morton

Principal – Stella Jinman

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

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.

 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

 

 

Nurses corner

School Based Immunisation Program:

It is expected to resume term three and four.

Year TEN

Year 10s will be offered a free Meningococcal ACWY vaccine. This will protect them against four strains of Meningococcal disease. Consent forms will be coming home at the start of Term 3 so please return them as soon as possible (either accepting or declining the vaccine). Forms need to be ‘ticked’ yes or no and signed. We are also hoping to plan a presentation from the Amanda Young Foundation for all year 10s which explains Meningococcal disease.

 

Year SEVEN

Year 7s are offered the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to protect against genital warts and some soft-tissue cancers. They will also be offered their teenage booster of the diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough vaccine.

The HPV vaccine requires two needles 6 months apart. Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic the visit scheduled for April was cancelled. Instead, the Year 7s will receive their 1st needles later this year and will be given their 2nd needle at school in 2021. 

These vaccinations can also be given at your GP, Aboriginal Medical Service or community immunisation clinic. If you do so, please advise the school nurse. The vaccines are free, but there may be consultation fees at your GP.

I am more than happy to email a printable form of the consent form to anyone who may prefer one this way as well, just let the front desk know.

 

 

Toilet Renovation

We have had a full renovation of all school toilets this term. They are looking fabulous, but we want to personalise them now, we have been running a competition for students to design some artwork or create a catchy slogan that we can use. From next term we will also look for interested students to join a committee to decide exactly how we are going to decorate our toilets.

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, 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 staff for your encouragement and support. Please 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.

 

Once again, I would like to acknowledge Bakers Delight at Haynes shopping centre for supplying bread and buns for the school. We thank you and are very grateful to you for the wonderful part you play in helping to support the students at the school for breakfast, lunch and recess.                                                          

Gael Varian

Chaplain

 

STEM

This term the year 9 and year 10 have been creating an event with the Sphero’s for  group of primary school. Manniah Davis , Amelia Eades, Ramona Eades,Skye Taylor and Azaira Winmar have created an opening dance production with music provide by Jordan in Year 10 music.  The rest of the class have created soccer game, 100m races and Chariot Race with the chariots 3D printed by Xaiver. 

On the 8th of June, students who currently attend South Metro TAFE completing the Autonomous Operations Qualification had a visit from a highly distinguished guest. Minister Kelly completed a walkthrough of Munster Campus for a STEM campaign launch. The students were working with the MBOTS during this opportunity. The current group attending will be the first to complete the qualification, as it is a pilot program which commenced last year. It will continue to be offered in the years to come, and opens up some marvellous opportunities within the resource sector.

Steven Dimech

VET Coorindator/Workplace Learning Coordinator/P-Tech Coordinator

VET

Work Experience

In term 4 of this year, year 10 students will once again be engaged in a 2-week block work placement during weeks 8 and 9. Clearly, we will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation, and will communicate any important information to students and parents.

It is important that, all year 10 students start considering where they would like to do their work experience. It is a marvellous opportunity for students to experience the work place and start developing important employability skills. We do have some marvellous industry partners at the college which do commit to taking on some work experience students. These places include

·         CIVMEC

·         AUSTAL

·         Thales

·         Deloitte

·         Datacom

These place often go to students with high attendance rates as a priority.

It is also highly recommended that students either ring around or visit the workplaces they are interested in to ask for work experience, as it provides them with an opportunity in identifying work. The VET and Workplace learning office is available to assist in making this process easier by providing scripts of a phone conversation or visiting the workplace. If a student cannot manage to find a placement, the VET office will still assist to secure a workplace.

An added benefit of this experience, is that when a student completes 55 hours at the workplace, it contributes 1 Unit Equivalent to their WACE achievement! Most students easily complete this minimum requirement.

All students are recommended to see Mr Dimech or Mrs Brimmer in the VET office, to at least start the conversations and start the process.

 

Career Videos

With Course Counselling around the corner, year 10 students will be selecting their subjects for 2021 in week 3 of term 3. This is an important time where pathways begin towards life after school. There will be a release of some videos informing students and families about the different careers out in various industries, to inform what the workplace is like, what subjects begin the pathway and more! There will also be videos on how students can be competitive in gaining apprenticeships, mining technology, IT, Construction and so on! These videos should be released during week 10, and early into term 3.

VET In Schools Program

During year 11 and 12, students have the option to access TAFE through the VET in Schools Program. This program allows students to attend TAFE once or twice a week to complete a qualification from a Certificate II Level, potentially to a Certificate IV Level. These courses also have either a one or two-year duration. There are also minimum requirements for students to be competitive in gaining entry to these programs, and students will need to see Mr Dimech in the VET office for this information.

The benefits of accessing these courses whilst attending school, is that Tuition is free! There may be equipment or resources which need to be purchased and is often minimal in cost. A book of courses available will be distributed to year 10 students during course counselling early next term. Students selecting ATAR are not recommended to complete these courses, as the workload can be too much. Year 11 students also have access to these courses, and the information will be distributed early next term also. 

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

HASS

Guest speaker Dr Tony Buti MLA, visited Cecil Andrews College on Monday, 15th June, to speak to the Year 7.3 HASS class and listen to their local government issues and concerns. Dr Buti was able to offer solutions to some of the issues students had researched for their assignment, most choosing stray animals and a need for more pet havens, mandatory micro chipping etc. Other issues/ concerns included homelessness, vandalism and crime with solutions being more skate parks, youth centres for painting and even a theme park to reduce crime, increase employment opportunities, and bring tourism back to our local area of Armadale. 

 

Regards,

Mel Fowler.

Science

The hard work of Year 9 students Yusuf Acir, Tiarra Garlett, Jamie Hartley, Jessica Goodger, Florance Isaot and May Ku have been noticed and have received awesome grades this semester as a result - well done!

Ash Pearson

Science Teacher

Visual Arts

One of the year 11 Visual Arts General student, Brooke Connolly-Rodgers has been accepted into the META Exhibition 2020. This exhibition is a showcase of year 11 and year 12 student's Media and Visual Arts work in the North Metro Tafe's gallery space. Once displayed in the gallery, Brooke is a chance to win the overall prize. 

Please see the painting below from Brooke, it is titled 'Beeg' and it is painted acrylic on MDF board. 

Jasmine Farmer

Visual Arts Teacher

Cecil Andrews Clontarf Academy Alumni Update

Add a title

GIRLS ACADEMY

Article 1

Reconciliation Wall – Photos on the Server

The girls decided to paint a Reconciliation wall, they got it ready on a Friday for it to sit for a week for the paint to settle. The girls also did the in closure to our office.

The girls all checked out in their little overall, which included head gear and mask. Once the wall was completely dried, we then had our girls to put their Handprints to the wall, before the other students and staff did.

Photos include our Principal Mrs Stella Jinman, Acting Deputy Principal Mr. Austin Ward. then we had the boys from Clontarf.

The wall has been a great success to our school.

  Article 2

Reconciliation Wall – Photos on the Server

Students and Staff enjoyed putting their handprints over our wall, the year 11 and 12 years were the last to put their hands on the wall.

Since it will be their last year for some of them, then we had the boys from Clontarf.

 

Article 3      

Cooking Session – Photos on the server

We had quite a few students coming in for their contact time and during that time the girls did some cooking, Mahalia and Jalaya started off making scones and having to follow a recipe. At first it was hard having to read a recipe, but realising that their scones came out perfectly

Second came Amelia and Mia were creating Chocolate for the Morning Tea for the staff for Friday, while Azaria and Ramona completed the scones, it was great watching the girls work together and enjoy their work.

These girls get to learn did sort of cooking from our Academy

 

Article 4

Champion Centre – Photo on the Server

Thank you to the Champion Centre for their Support, in helping families that are struggling with financial difficulties due to Corv 19 food hamper, for us to deliver to five different families. We are appreciating the support and the way we can help our families.

Article 5

The Morning Tea for the Staff was hosted by our Department and Follow the Dream as well as the AIEO’s, the staff was very happy to see the amount of food that was presented to them, including the little jars of jams. The jam was made today before, and the teachers were asking about the jams. Including Blue Berries, Three mixed Berries and Raspberry. The jam that went with the scones was Three mixed Berries.

 

Article 6

Shining Bright awards on week 5, the girls had a Pizza lunch and were given a pair of Girls Academy socks. 12 of these girls were delighted with the socks and the luncheon.

At this time of our Academy we have 64 girls within the Academy for Term 2 2020

Follow the Dream

ADVERTISEMENTS

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.