Whole School News

2026 Personal Items List ( Booklists)

The 2026 Personal Items Lists are now available on our website. Orders must be placed online through Campion by Friday, 12 December 2025.

For home delivery:

• Orders placed on or before the return date (Friday, 12 December 2025) will be delivered by 28 January 2026 for a fee of $8.00.
• Orders placed after the return date will incur additional charges. Please allow sufficient time for delivery prior to the start of the school year.

Library STOCKTAKE

A library book stocktake will commence in Week 9 where all resources must be individually scanned to make sure everything is where it should be.

This helps:

✅ To see which books are missing or lost

📖 To check if books are damaged and need fixing

🗂️ To update the library’s records so everything is accurate

It's a big job that takes a lot of time; therefore, all books must be returned by Friday, 5 December. 

During the stocktake, only the front library lounge will be open to students during breaks (Weeks 9 and 10), with the rest of the library off limits. Staff and students will still be able to return books, get assistance from I.T. and use the printer. Timetabled classes will continue, but the final week for the reading groups will be Week 8. 

During the stocktake, the library will close at 3:30 pm. 

Kerri Gur, Library Officer

Snippet from your Community Health Nurse

Helping Your Child Build Healthy Relationships

Parents play a vital role in shaping how children and young people develop self-respect. This foundation helps them learn the values and skills needed to show respect to others. While respectful behaviours can vary across cultures, the essence of respect is universal—it’s about valuing and caring for another person.

Here are some practical ways to support your child in forming healthy, respectful relationships with peers and adults:

• Understanding & Empathy: Encourage your child to imagine how someone else might feel in a situation.
• Empathic Listening: Teach them to listen actively and show they understand another person’s perspective.
• Anger Management: Help them pause before reacting in conflict, stay calm, and avoid hurtful words.
• Conflict Resolution: Disagreements are normal. Guide them to seek compromise rather than “winning” an argument that leaves others hurt or embarrassed.
• Problem-Solving & Decision-Making: Instead of giving solutions, support your child to brainstorm options and consider the impact on themselves and others.
• Honesty: Foster trust and acceptance so honesty becomes natural.
• Assertiveness: Show them how to stand up for themselves respectfully and express their needs without confrontation.
• More information on helping children develop healthy relationships can be found at https://kidshelpline.com.au and http://raisingchildren.net.au

And remember: Your child can always request to see me to talk about anything health-related—including friendship challenges. Sometimes a short conversation can make a big difference!

Amelia Hardwick, Community Health Registered Nurse

P&C

The P&C held the final General Meeting of the year a few weeks ago and has already seen the outcome of some approvals. 

• The Music Subcommittee purchased a set of Tubular Bells, and we look forward to hearing them played. 
• The Tennis Subcommittee contributed to the players' attendance at Nationals, and we wish them luck in their matches.
• The Art Subcommittee contributed prizes towards the yearly Art Exhibition, with a guest judge, Dr Kieron Broadhurst, Lecturer, School of Media, Creative Arts & Social Inquiry at Curtin University

The Second Hand Uniform Shop will be open on the two Orientation Days, coinciding with the Year 6 Parent Information Sessions on Tuesday 25 November, and Friday 5 December, from 8:00 am to 10:00 am. We would appreciate it if anyone has any uniform donations to drop them off before these sessions, please! All uniforms will be available for sale, including music shirts and tennis uniforms.

We are trying something new, instead of a Sundowner at the end of this year, a Meet and Greet is organised for Term 1 Week 3,  Monday 16 February next year for all subcommittees and parents wishing to join or participate in the P&C. Please come along and learn more about what the P&C does and learn about each of our subcommittees and the Second Hand Uniform Shop.

Following this, we will hold the Annual General Meeting on Monday 23 February, at which we will conduct elections and ratify the subcommittees.

Thank you for your continued support, and have a lovely weekend!

P & C Committee

SPECIAL REPORT: New Social Media Regulations: What you need to know

From 10 December 2025, new laws will take effect in Australia to protect young people online by restricting access to social media for those under the age of 16. This important change reflects growing community concern about the impact of early social media use on children's mental health, wellbeing and development.

Research shows that social media can expose children to unrealistic comparisons, online pressure and harmful content long before they are emotionally ready to manage it. While regulation is a positive step forward, real safety begins at home. Families continue to play the most powerful role in helping children build confidence, resilience and awareness in the digital world.

These new regulations provide an opportunity to talk openly with your child about their online experiences and what these changes mean for them. It's also a chance to review family technology habits, reinforce healthy routines, and explore age-appropriate ways for young people to connect, learn and express themselves.

This Special Report explains what the new laws mean in practice and offers practical guidance to help families prepare for the upcoming changes.

Here is the link to your Special Report https://applecross.wa.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-new-social-media-regulations-what-you-need-know

Ebony Morrison, Program Coordinator Years 11-12

Australia Raises Social Media Age Limit

Starting 10 December 2025, Australia will implement a major shift in online safety policy: the minimum age for social media use will rise from 13 to 16. This landmark change is designed to protect young people better online and will have wide-reaching implications for families, schools, and digital platforms nationwide.

To help parents and children navigate this transition, the Cyber Safety Project—Australia’s leading online safety education provider—is hosting a live, online family workshop titled “Social Media Delay.” Scheduled for Wednesday, 19 November 2025, from 7:00 to 7:45pm AEDT, this 45-minute session is tailored for families with children under 16.

This is not just a legal update—it’s a chance for families to come together, understand the implications, and prepare for a safer digital future.

How to Join

Participation is free and open to all families with children under 16. To register, simply scan the QR code on the flyer or visit bit.ly/SMDelay.

Lachlan Silberstein, Program Coordinator Years 7-8

Uniform Ordering for 2026 – Beat the January Rush!

As we prepare for the 2026 school year, we encourage all families—both new and returning—to plan ahead and visit our Willetton Super Store during Term 4. Located at 30 Kembla Way, Willetton, our store is your one-stop shop for all your quality school uniform needs.

Our friendly and experienced staff are here to make uniform shopping easy and stress-free!

Book Your Fitting Appointment Early

To avoid long queues in January, we strongly recommend that new students book a fitting appointment during Term 4. Appointments can be made by scanning the QR code below or by calling the uniform shop directly on 08 9270 4669.

Please note: The most popular appointment times are after 3 pm on weekdays and Saturday mornings, so book early to secure your preferred slot.

Take Advantage of Our $20 Layby Service

Why wait until January? With just a $20 deposit, you can layby your Back-to-School uniform order during Term 4. Pay off the balance and collect your order before 24 January to avoid the last-minute rush, long queues, and unnecessary stress.

Prefer to Shop Online?

You can also order uniforms online by visiting our website:🌐 nellgray.com.au

Store Opening Hours

• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 9 am – 5 pm
• Thursday: 9 am – 6 pm
• Saturday: 9 am – 1 pm
• Closed Sundays, Public Holidays & partly during term breaks (please call for details).
• Festive Season Closure: We will be closed from 6 pm Thursday 18 December 2025, and will reopen at 9 am Monday 5 January 2026.

📞 Tel: 08 9270 4669

📧 Email: willetton@uc.nellgray.com.au

🌐 Website: nellgray.com.au

📣 Leaving Applecross SHS in 2026?

If your child will not be returning to Applecross Senior High School in 2026, please let us know as soon as possible by completing the form at the link below. 📝

Your early notification helps us plan effectively for the year ahead — thank you for your support.

🔗 Click here to notify us

Admin Computing

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) New Portal

Applecross SHS has launched a new Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Portal in partnership with CompNow.

By purchasing your device through this portal, you’ll benefit from:

• ✅ Special education pricing
• ⚙️ Faster setup with support from our IT Department
• 🔐 Pre-installed school essentials:
  • School firewall certificate
  • NAPLAN browser

This means devices arrive fully ready to operate within the school’s digital ecosystem.

📲 Visit the portal here: Applecross Senior High School Portal

👉 Click here to access the BYOD Requirements

Ben Percival, Manager Technology Communications

Back in Action: Second Hand Uniform Shop!

𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬! The P&C's 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩 is reopening just in time for spring!

Grab quality pre-loved uniforms at budget-friendly prices while supporting a more sustainable school community.

📍𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 

🗓️Term 4 

𝐓𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬: 7:30–8:30 𝐀𝐌 (Even Weeks Only)

𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬: 2:30–3:30 𝐏𝐌 (Even Weeks Only)

💳Cash & EFTPOS accepted

👕All items are washed & ready to wear

🎁Donations welcome at the Front Office or Student Services!

P & C Committee