An IndependentAn Independent Public Public School School ge Colle TERM 1 ISSUE 2 2019 The Newsletter of Gilmore What is Tinikling dance? A dance that mirrors the innate grace, joy and resilience. Resilience As we go through our lives, we may experience set back, failures, sorrow and pains. Just as the bamboo poles may hit our foot, hurt and may even cause us to fall to the ground, we should learn to shake off the pain, stand up and continue to dance through the music. To be resilient is not to give up, to have Faith and to focus on the blessings of life ahead. Harmony Night 2019 Celebrating with our wonderful community 1 1 From The Principal It is difficult to believe that Term 1 has almost drawn In the same way that teachers make long term plans to a close, given that it seems only yesterday we to ensure they cover the curriculum and to make sure threw open the gates to welcome our students back that events such as excursions, the Athletics Carnival for 2019. and school performances don’t impact on student Yet this is the truth, as we reflect on a brilliant results, I would urge our students to use this pause in Term where we welcomed another large group classes to make sure that the plans and hopes they of Year 7 students, celebrated the enormous and had for 2019 are still on track. If they aren’t, we have unprecedented success of our 2018 Year 12 ATAR 115 staff ready to assist and get them back on target students, celebrated Harmony Night, held a faction when we return on Tuesday 30 April. swimming carnival, painted the College, hosted Term 1 this year has seen the publication of two two weeks of OLNA testing, held student and elder important documents, the 2018 Annual Report forums, observed ANZAC Day, welcomed a new and the Gilmore College Business Plan 2018- group of Engineering School Based Trainees and 2020. Both of these documents can be viewed and danced the night away at the annual School Ball in downloaded from our College website. Fremantle. The 2018 Annual Report gives an insight beyond After all of that our staff and students deserve the regular newsletters of our school’s performance a two week break. I call it a “break” rather than a across a range of domains. The report is an analysis “holiday”, because the end of Term 1 only marks the of how well we’ve performed against our stated half way point of first Semester. I’d like to remind all Business Plan targets, in areas such as student of our students that a two week break from classes academic achievement, student attendance, staff is a great opportunity to recharge their batteries, development, student wellbeing and how we manage relax and have some fun, while at the same time our finances. prioritising catching up on work missed, homework The Business Plan 2018-2020 marks another new and assessments upcoming and revising everything beginning for our young school, as we courageously that’s been taught in Term 1. and optimistically enter our second decade with goals As a school we have built a solid foundation for that will enable sustained academic success for our 2019, but no sooner do we return than NAPLAN, students. Put simply we have three priorities in this Externally Set Tasks (Year 12 General Studies) and Business Plan: Examinations are upon us. 2 1. Maximising student learning through the provision of high quality teaching. 2. Improving Literacy and Numeracy across the school. 3. Creating the learning environment required for everyone to succeed. What do we hope to achieve in this planning cycle? We want our results to reflect those of similar schools and already we are seeing them head in that direction. We also want to see students succeed across the school rather than in their niche areas of interest and have set targets throughout our curriculum offerings in a bid to track this. How will we know whether we’ve had success? The school has recently been informed that we will be assessed and reviewed by the Department of Education during first Term 2020. This review will be a fabulous opportunity to take stock of the progress we’ve made since 2008. I am quietly confident that this review will show that educational outcomes for Kwinana students are strengthening all the time and I would urge all of our school community to engage with these two important documents. We look forward to seeing all of our students again in second term and helping them to be their best. Rohan Smith Principal Chambers of Minerals (CME) Inspiring Girls Forum Gilmore College was invited to the Chambers of Minerals (CME) Inspiring Girls Forum, fully sponsored by ALCOA, held at the RAC Arena on Friday 29 March. Three young women attended the event: Emily Brown in our Metals and Engineering Program, Takayawa Halofaki and Sheen Bautista both in our Process Operations Program. The girls received great information about each company’s recruitment process and what it’s like for females in non- traditional roles in Industry. The whole event was incredibly inspiring and our girls left with a sense of confidence that they will achieve their goals to someday work in the Oil, Gas and Resources sector. Patrice Kilpatrick Coordinator - Industry & Enterprise A huge thank you to our sponsors, ALOCA, for this fabulous opportunity. 3 A Note from the Music Classroom The instrumental students visited the Perth Concert Hall with three parents to watch the Western Australia Symphony Orchestra. We spoke to two professional viola players about what life was like as a professional musician and then watched two hours of rehearsal. The orchestra was working on the Mozart Symphony and it was amazing to see how the conductor worked with the section leaders and musicians to make the piece perfect. Congratulations to all Concert Band students who performed our Pi song, the first of many songs we will be creating this year. Concert Band is still meeting regularly every Tuesday 2.40-3.40pm. Stay ‘tuned’ for more updates on performances throughout the year. The choir is meeting every Tuesday, Recess 1. There are some very exciting guest singers coming to work with the choir. All students are invited to participate in the choir, whether in the vocal program or not. Email [email protected] for any queries relating to the Music Program. Caitlin Dancer Teacher - Music 4 Kwinana Industries Council iWOMEN Project This Term, four lucky students were chosen to participate in iWoman, a program run by Kwinana Industries Council. Gilmore College gets to show just how Sustainable it is Myself and Miss Chipper were invited by the Water Corporation to talk at a Teach Meet on Tuesday 26 March. We were asked to come and present all the amazingly sustainable things Gilmore College has been involved in. This is a long list, but some of our highlights include: • Introducing a school wide ban on straws. L-R Makayla Koeberl, Keana Ireland, Debbie Hoey KIC Education • Becoming a Waste Wise school Development Officer, Rohan Smith, Precious Sesay and Keelin Finch and getting not one, but TWO worm farms. Keelin Finch, Keana Ireland, Makayla Koeberl and Precious Sesay got to see how women in industry are progressing, • Becoming an accredited WaterWise and what opportunities will be available to them in the School future. The purpose of the program is to expose students • Taking part in community tree to the numerous career opportunities in industry and gain planting an understanding of what industry does and expects of • Setting up a Sustainability employees. Committee, a Green Team and a These young ladies were lucky enough to visit Sims Metal Worm Wise Team. Management, Cockburn Cement and experience the This was a great opportunity to show off Construction Futures Centre at Belmont. The girls attended to the wider community all the incredible the program for seven days over three weeks. Alongside things our students and staff have been the tours of industry, the girls participated in workshops for; involved in. We came away with some resume writing, mock interviews, social media, health and great ideas of how we can be doing more. wellbeing, bullying and mental health. The feedback we got was very positive and Each of our students came away from iWomen with new other schools were impressed with all of the friends, new mentors and a sense of determination to seek different initiatives we have introduced here a career in industry. This project has opened the students’ at Gilmore College. eyes to their future and where their studies can take them Rachel Elsegood in the future. Teacher - Humanities and Social Science We are very proud of the students and they are an asset to and member of the Sustainability Committee our College community. 5 I am Jaylee upset by all the Armani I have learned rubbish in the that marine life can be ocean. saved by buying a reusable Cafes water bottle. Chantelle F Mason learned that some I havepeople should use paper or don’t get water and we metal straws. Ivan I have learned take water for granted. that it is better to drink tap water than bottled water. Water Scarcity Students in Year 7 have been learning about water scarcity through their Geography curriculum. Tyson I learned that it is a shame that we They have developed an understanding of chuck plastic in the sea. the importance of water conservation and the discovery of innovative ways to access safe drinking water, such as desalination and fog harvesting.