Clarkson the Bulletin Community High School • March 2015, Edition 1 • Principal’S Report John Young – Principal
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Clarkson THE Bulletin COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL • March 2015, Edition 1 • Principal’s Report John Young – Principal We have had a very smooth start to the 2015 school year thanks to the professionalism of our staff. School enrolments are slightly lower than expected and are as follows: Year Total number students Year 7 83 Year 8 81 Year 9 100 Year 10 85 Year 11 197 Year 12 147 A number of changes to the teaching staff in 2014 is as inclusive of: • Tom Adams, D&T • Steven Bishop, D&T • Ronnie Naidoo, D&T • Nathan Benn, HPE • Shane Stielow, HPE • Shahriar Iqbal, Science • Karin Mongan, Front Office • Nadine Elgin, Front Office • Brian Homan, Hospitality • Tina Ballardin, Student Services Dates to remember End of Term 1 2 April 2015 Term 2 Commences 20 April 2015 Student Free Day 27 March 2015 Student Free Day 20 July 2015 Student Free Day 12 October 2015 Breakfast Club operates on a Friday once again in 2015 and all students are welcome to attend. We really appreciate the generous support that we receive from Mal and Marg McFarlane, and Bill and Roslyn Morrow, our volunteers. Student Counsellors. The 2015 school production is The Wiz. Both casting and rehearsals have commenced under the direction of Ms Ruth MacDonald, The Arts Coordinator. This will be a spectacular event and all members of our school community are asked to support it. Year 7 and Year 8 students transitioning to high school this year have made a very successful start. Every student has been issued with a MacBook computer and this has proven to be a very popular strategy. Breakfast Club. 2 Clarkson Community High School, The Bulletin MacBooks en masse. All CCHS students have looked very smart wearing their Resilience is what allows children to bounce back from school uniforms this year. With the seasons changing, disappointments, setbacks and other knocks they get in life. parents and guardians are asked to consider winter uniforms. Play is recognised as an important arena in which they Information about uniforms is available at the school website: develop resilience, which is one reason why we decided it www.clarksonchs.wa.edu.au was vital to have a great playspace for the younger students at the school. Clarkson aims to de-stress new year sevens Clarkson Community High School has taken a proactive The new playspace is not the only preparation Clarkson CHS approach to the major change faced by many WA high made for the new year group starting in 2015. schools in 2015 with the introduction of year seven students. We have designated funding for a nature-based playspace, acknowledging that high school can be intimidating for young students and that play is still an important part of development for year seven and eight students and beyond. It is fundamentally important that students are invited by our school to flourish. We are aiming to provide a physical environment that encourages students to view school as an enjoyable and challenging environment. To foster this goal we have engaged Nature Play Solutions to consult, design and construct an outdoor nature playscape for our younger students to provide greater opportunity for physical play and interaction. Nature Play. CCHS invited Nature Play Solutions to consult with a focus group of existing students, students starting year seven in 2015 and the school’s Student Engagement Officer in order Changing schools can be a stressful time for students. to establish specific needs and preferences before designing the playspace. To support students in the transition we have employed additional support staff and implemented new programs The playspace goes beyond the notion of a traditional high and facilities to ensure that students are welcomed into a school playground, and features a basket swing, along with supportive and caring learning community. plenty of social spaces, planting, trees; and casual seating. We have two school Chaplains, Scott Currie and Lyn A central goal of encouraging play will be to build student Bayakly, appointed in 2015 to work with transition students resilience. Play has always been an important part of and provide mentoring and emotional support when required childhood experience and personal development, assisting and to organise activities for students outside class time. children with social, emotional and cognitive development and motor skills. It also helps students manage stress and Communication is taken very seriously at CCHS and more resilient. the following important documents are available online: www.clarksonchs.wa.edu.au/2015 school plan www.clarksonchs.wa.edu.au/2014 school report March 2015, Edition 1 3 Deputy’s Dialogue Justine McNaught-Conroy – Georgina Hall – Deputy Principal Years 7, 11 & 12 Deputy Principal Years 8, 9 & 10 As the Deputy Principal in charge of Year 7, 11 and 12, I This year we welcomed the Year 7s and 8s. It is the first time would firstly like to welcome Year 7 students and their families Year 7s have attended high school. So we have already had into the Clarkson Community. I am pleased to say that the some wonderful experiences and lots of laughs. They have majority of students have made a smooth transition to our certainly brought a new dimension to high school. This year I school, despite some of them only being 11 years old. I look after Year 8, 9 and 10 so I’ve paid particular attention would like to commend students on this achievement and to how students have interacted in the Nature Play. The know that it would have not been possible without significant Nature Play was specifically designed for the 7s and 8s.The planning, hard work and support of the CCHS staff, primary swing has been the biggest hit. But students use this area to school staff and families. Many students had visited the sit and chat, eat lunch and meet friends. Students just love it. school in excess of 10 times before starting high school, attending the 2014 School Production, Maths and Science A change for us this year was the NAPLAN testing. classes, Orientation day and Clarkson Challenge events Traditionally we have only tested Year 9s now we have two resulting in this smooth transition. year levels. Year 10s complete OLNA (Online Literacy and Numeracy) and we have been selected for PISA testing for At the other end of the high school spectrum, Year 11 and 12 a random group of students later on in the year. Academic students are on the whole working to capacity. However, it is reviews continue every five weeks which assists teachers to important to remember that senior school years are extremely apply early interventions. We had a parent night in March short with Year 12 students finishing at the beginning of for all students, which was a huge success. Having a parent Term 4 and Year 11s midway through Term 4. Students are night earlier in the year assists staff to evaluate if students are expected to stay on top of their homework and assessment struggling and need support. workload to ensure success and maintain good standing. There is significant support available from teachers, and I The Year Co-ordinators for Year 7 & 8 Natalie Katris, Year encourage all students to attend Mathematics homework 9 Angela Phillips and Year 10 Jodie Wielgomasz, have classes on Monday after school and English homework been working hard following up on attendance, home visits, classes from 2.05pm every Wednesday. We have seen ever assemblies, and rewards. They are the first point of contact increasing results from our Year 12 students over the last few quite often with pastoral care for students and I often find years with an achievement of 97.3% graduation rate and them resolving conflicts. 93% attainment in 2014. I hope to see as good a result or better from our class of 2015 students both in ATAR and VET A highlight of the Perth International Arts Festival this year programs. was the visiting Marionette Giants – a girl and a diver which was 11metres high. As part of the 100th year ANZAC Thank you to parents that supported both their children and anniversary they performed wreath laying and was led by a our teachers by attending the parent night in Week 6. It contingent of light horse. The S&E Learning Area organised a is heartening to see so many families working with us to special assembly for the occasion. ensure success for their students. There will be another parent evening later in the year and we hope all families will take Our focus at school is still on Invitational Education as an advantage of this opportunity. If at any time, you wish to inclusive model. This reflects the values of CARE, Cooperation discuss your child’s progress with any staff member, please and Respect for Everyone, our ethos and a sound way to contact classroom teachers or the relevant Year Coordinator build interpersonal relationships, based on trust, mutual via the front office on 9400 1777 or alternatively email staff respect and responsibility between students, staff and the who are always willing to discuss your child’s education. community. 4 Clarkson Community High School, The Bulletin English News Carys Hurcom – Head of Learning Area 2015 has arrived and with the short term comes a very busy one. Not only are Year 7 and 8s getting used to life as a high schooler, familiarizing themselves with their teachers and undertaking subjects that they may have little experience with, but this term is also the term in which the first round of OLNA testing occurs for Year 10s and NAPLAN preparation occurs for Year 7 and 9s in order to maxmise chances of success in NAPLAN in Term 2.