Secondary School

What a peculiar week! With Year Eight and Year Ten students away on camp, we might have expected a quiet week but NAPLAN, the VET Show and the AFL Carnival have kept us all excited and busy. 

NAPLAN tests have been running smoothly and I have been impressed with students’ engagement with these tasks.  We hope to complete all tests next week and look forward to the results which will be available at the beginning of Term Three.

A Learner’s Toolkit has been a big topic of discussion in my meetings with Heads of Learning Area this week. We have been exploring where students struggle in each learning area and how we might use the strategies from a Learner’s Toolkit to help.

Connect It was a common theme.  Some learning areas have talked about the importance of making connections between the concepts being currently covered and those covered previously, to be covered in the future, and similar concepts in other topics.  Other areas talked about connecting themes and ideas covered in class to examples in the news, media, natural world and elsewhere; giving our students depth to draw on when analysing.  In practical courses, staff reported that the connect it strategy has been really helpful, getting students to understand why they need to do the different parts of projects in the way they do. The design links to the production and the production links to the evaluation and once complete they can all be connected to with one another - it helps to give a little bit of purpose to the theory side of the work.   

Last Friday four of our Year Twelve students participated in the ACCI Great Southern International Women’s Day Celebration event. 

Grace Franzinelli has shared her thoughts on the experience below:

On Friday 8 March, Maddie, Olivia, Felicity, and I part took in the International Women’s Day conference at the Hilton Hotel.

We were greeted at one of the meeting room doors with our name badges and group numbers on them. Olivia and I were in one group together while Maddie and Felicity were put into others.

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day was ‘Count Her In’ where we learned how to come together as a community to make everyone feel included no matter race or orientation. 

A highlight from the event was ‘Mindful Moments’ where we collectively look after ourselves and just breathe without the discomfort of being judged by the person behind us.

Another highlight was the groups we were put in, discussing our personal lives and giving advice to one another and really connecting with individuals. 

Later in the day, we had a speaker talk about imposter syndrome and how to overcome it. We as humans doubt our abilities of success. Though we feel the success externally we doubt it gratifying internally. 

The SBNRR method, (Stop, Breathe, Notice, Reassess, Respond) is a method of slowing down and considering your emotions and thoughts.

Stop: Give yourself permission to stop where you are. 

Breath: Take a deep breath, release your thoughts, and try not to dwell on them.

Notice: Take note of everything that comes to mind, including your body, emotions, environment, friends, and any other things that catch your attention. 

Reassess: Consider the circumstances and the reason you felt compelled to succumb to imposter syndrome.

Respond: Take deliberate action. Now that you've gained some composure, it can be more knowledgeable and composed.

I really enjoyed meeting local businesswomen and hearing their stories, their strengths and abilities and the advice they have given me for beyond school life. I am very grateful for the opportunity to participate in the event and encourage others to part-take in this wonderful event in the future.

Mrs Victoria Turnor | Head of Secondary

Uni Roadshow

The Secondary School students found great value in the recent visit by the annual University Roadshow. Representatives from all five universities in Perth (Notre Dame, Curtin, Murdoch, Edith Cowan, and the University of Western Australia), along with the Great Southern Universities Centre, participated in the event.

This enlightening presentation provided our students with valuable information, covering various aspects such as the application process and its requirements, including English competency. It also delved into entry pathways, available courses, college life, accommodation options, studying abroad opportunities, and much more.

Next week, a group of keen GSG students will head to Perth for this year’s University tour, hoping to further explore new horizons and embark on a journey of discovery that will shape their futures. I look forward to sharing some stories and insights from the tour on our return.

Mrs Renae O'Donnell | VET & Career Coordinator

Youth Parliament

Youth Parliament is a program that empowers young people to have a voice in Parliament and their community.