Secondary

Mr Chris Graham

Assistant Principal (Secondary)

Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you. - St Augustine of Hippo

The pedagogy behind the exam

Sometimes people like to sound a little too smart by using big words; pedagogy is one such word. Pedagogy means the method of how teachers teach, in theory and in practice.

As our Year 10’s and 11’s will soon be having their Semester One exams and our Dunhelen students will be sitting their first exams at the end of this year. It’s important that as parents you know some of the study techniques we are teaching the students. We’ve been looking at ‘A Learners Toolkit’ (https://alearnerstoolkit.com.au/). 

There are 6 basic strategies:

I often hear parents speak of the importance of ‘study’, but often people don’t actually know what that is or how to do it. This framework shows students how to. In our recent assemblies, I was sharing a ‘visualise it’ and ‘connect it’ strategy that I used a long time ago when I was in university. I did a subject called ‘Cadaver Anatomy’. In this subject we had specimens (people who had donated their body to science) that we dissected and we had to learn all the muscles, nerves, bones, muscles origin point, muscles insertion point, ligaments, tendons, blood supply to the muscle and blood supply from the muscle. This was literally thousands of words.

The strategy I personally used was to connect and visualise something from my long-term memory (I chose my house) and link it to the new information that I was trying to learn. Upon entering my house, I visualised x4 muscles, including their bone attachments, innovation/nerve and blood supply. I visualised myself turning left and walking into my lounge room. In the lounge room, there were a number of other muscles in different places, some on seats, some by a lamp and some by the open fire. All with their specific bone attachments, nerve/innovation and blood supply. I then turned right into our family room and this process continued throughout my house until I had a visual connection for all the muscles. While my marks were not amazing, I did pass the subject and exam. 

As each student is approaching their own periods of study, we’re encouraging all to be aware of the number of different strategies (in the link above) and to explore using them. By doing this we’re wanting to take some of the fear and unknown out of exams. Good luck to all as this time approaches. 

Ms Merjam Mujkanovic

Deputy Head of Secondary (Middle School Culture)

Dunhelen Athletics, Year 7 Ancient's Day and the Year 9 World War 1 Incursion

It has been a busy six weeks of Term Two, filled with exciting events, activities and learning opportunities for our Dunhelen students. Our Year 7 and 9 students attended ‘Ancient’s Day’ and a ‘World War I’ incursion to consolidate their historical knowledge, while our entire sub school participated in the annual Athletics Carnival, showcasing their sporting abilities. We extend our commendations to all students who participated in events at the Athletics Carnival, demonstrating exceptional House Spirit and sportsmanship. Special recognition goes to those who earned first, second, and third place ribbons in both track and field events. We applaud our overall athletics champions, Charlie C and Mia P (track), and Laksh C and Caprice M (field), for their outstanding achievements and commendable efforts.

Year 9 Camp

This week, our Year 9 students attended the long-awaited 7-day camp, immersing themselves in the diverse cultures and landscapes of Australia. Throughout the camp, they ventured to remarkable destinations including Coober Pedy, Kings Canyon, Kata Tjuta, and Uluru, creating lasting memories and forming strong bonds with their peers and teachers. Exploring First Nations cultures, the outback lifestyle, and the rugged terrain, students were offered an opportunity to engage in various activities aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of Indigenous heritage within the broader context of our country.  

Thank you to Ms Lisa Mililli, our Camps and Service Learning Coordinator, alongside Mrs Jacinta Perilli (Dunhelen Administration Assistant) and Mr Peter Francey (Head of Year 9), for their dedication and meticulous organisation of this transformative experience. Our appreciation also extends to staff who accompanied our students on their journey to Central Australia, providing care, supervision, and encouragement. 

As the rest of Term Two approaches us, and with various assessments on the horizon, we eagerly await the return of our Year 9 students to school. We emphasise the importance of regular attendance for all students, particularly those who are quickly progressing towards their Brookhill years. Consistent attendance ensures that students can fully engage in their learning journey and make the most of the educational opportunities available to them.

Students showcasing their leadership potential

In the absence of our Year 9 students, particularly our Dunhelen sub school captains – Lachlan and Shiloh, who regularly lead the Dunhelen assemblies, our Year 7 and 8 students stepped up to practice their public speaking skills. Their leadership qualities became evident as they volunteered to confidently address the entire Year 7 and 8 cohort on stage! Amazing work to Thomas, Daksh, Evie, Polly, Emily, Ava, Michael, Layla, Sara, and James for their courage in embracing new opportunities and for leading the assembly. 

Dunhelen students are now looking ahead to the second half of Term Two, ready to intensify their focus on studying, applying effective study techniques, and thoroughly revising the content they have already learned this term. 

Year 7 Ancients’ Day

This term, for History, our Year 7 Students are studying Ancient Greece as part of their Ancient Civilisations unit. To deepen their understanding of some of the key concepts that underpin their studies, such as social structure, warfare and everyday life, they participated in the Ancients’ Day Incursion. 

The Year 7s rotated through sessions on Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, Gladiators, and watched the film Hercules. Many of them got to dress up in some of the traditional costumes of the Egyptians, see the armor of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and participate in a gladiator battle. 

It was wonderful to see the students so highly engaged in the incursion. Many of them asked relevant and intelligent questions, and some ventured out of their comfort zones by volunteering to try on a costume in front of the class. They behaved impeccably and represented the College with pride on the day. 

Year 9 WWI Incursion

This year, our Year 9 Students are learning about World War One, including its causes and what life was like at the time. To enhance their understanding of the topic, they participated in a two-period incursion. 

They listened to the presenter’s first-hand experience of being in battle, as well as seeing some authentic and imitation artefacts. 

The presenter covered numerous topics, such as the type of food that soldiers ate, and brought in an example for the students to look at. Luckily, no one tried it, as it did not look very appetising! It, nonetheless, helped students form a detailed picture of the struggle of being at war. 

Students were also shown different uniforms based on the rank of a soldier. They were keen to try some things on, enabling them to build their empathy. Additionally, they learnt about the different weaponry used. Some of them were allowed to hold an imitation rifle, under the supervision of their teacher and the presenter.

Overall, the Year 9s behaved beautifully, showing a genuine interest in the topic. They asked insightful questions and made a clear attempt to deepen their knowledge on World War One. 

Mrs Gabriella Raponi

Head of Faculty - Humanities

Lomba Indo 2024: A Celebration of Language and Achievement! 

Dunhelen has been buzzing with excitement since the start of May, as our dedicated Year 7 to 9 Indonesian linguists embarked on a digital language-learning quest in the inaugural Lomba Indo competition. This innovative Indonesian contest transformed homework into a thrilling quest for knowledge, house pride, and personal glory.

The competition ended at 9am on Monday 13 May. During the preceding fortnight, Dunhelen students collectively answered a whopping 119,922 questions on the Education Perfect app. Let’s roll out the red carpet for our Indonesian vocabulary virtuosos:

🏆 House Point Heroes 🏆

• In 4th place, Cameron dazzled with 4,858 points.
• Clarke clinched 3rd place with a commendable 5,752 points.
• Millar soared to 2nd place with an impressive 9,471 points.
• And taking the crown, Brodie triumphed with a staggering 16,356 points.

Individual High Scorers: A round of applause for these high-flying students who each scored over 500 points: Revaan (8J), Viraj (8J), Kundanika (9S), Nissi (8S), Sebastian (7L), Jasmeen (7H), Rochelle (7L), Toby (8S), and Jotham (7D).

Top Individual Achievers 

• Parth from 7K captured 3rd place with 1,910 points.
• Chenelle (7L) shone in 2nd place with 2,973 points.
• And the champion of champions, Lauri in 8S, clinched victory with a jaw-dropping 3,275 points!

Congratulations to all our participants! Your enthusiasm and dedication to mastering the Indonesian language have truly paid off. Keep aiming high and exploring new linguistic horizons!

Mr Steve Rogers

Head of Faculty - Languages

Mrs Jenny Lilley

Head of Faculty - Vocational Major

Social awareness and interpersonal skills play a crucial role in the Year 12 Food Studies as they enable students to understand the complex interplay between food, culture, society, and the environment. By recognising the significance of social dynamics and interpersonal interactions in the context of food, students develop a deeper understanding of how food connects individuals and communities, leading to several important outcomes. 

By creating a unique cake, the class examined the characteristics of cultural appreciation; gained further understanding of empathy and social awareness; considered what is effective collaboration; community building and a range of interpersonal skills to facilitate respectful interactions with others.

After researching cultural aspects of the cake which the students wished to create, they planned out the details and requirements for the assessment task and then produced the finished product. The cake was judged on the presentation, theme, and inclusion of culture. Congratulations to Tymanie for winning the top prize.