Senior School

From the Head of Senior School

Our Senior School has been split in two this week!  With 99 students at Country Week, working and playing hard to represent the School well, the hallways were a little quieter back at school.  Students have taken advantage of being in smaller groups with their teachers, many of them catching up from COVID absences earlier in the year or consolidating areas requiring attention.

I have taken some time to visit some Year Ten classes this week. Following pathway selections at the end of last semester, we chose to create a class for those students interested in a TAFE or workplace at the end of their time at school. Most of these students attend TAFE and/or a workplace as part of their Year Eleven and Twelve course which means missing one or two days of school each week. With this in mind, I was keen for these students to be well prepared for the VET and General courses they will be doing at school next year in just three or four days per week. 

This semester, this class is approaching Science and Humanities slightly differently. While meeting mandated curriculum requirements, we are preparing them for next year by setting assessment tasks which may be similar to the types of tasks they can expect next year. 

This week in Science, the focus has been on atmospheric studies. The students are constructing fully irrigated greenhouses (including vegetation) in order to test the effects of humidity, reflection and light intensity on the water cycle and atmospheric temperature. 

In Humanities, the class has just completed a task about atomic bombs. Were the actions taken by the Americans in August 1945 a justifiable course of action? This is the question the class pondered as part of their latest assessment. Depending on their view, they could argue this question either way. In reaching their conclusion students needed to use critical thinking in looking at the options in front of President Truman in 1945. What were the advantages and disadvantages of a land invasion? Would enforcing a surrender have been a good idea? What was to be gained by a naval blockade of Japan? Students worked on the task during class and had their views challenged. Some changed their mind about the bombings after finding out about the destruction of human life, some had their ideas confirmed after finding out more about the end of World War Two in 1945. Class teacher, Mrs Jill Bascombe, commented, “I am proud of how the students tackled this task and built a genuine empathy for people some 80 years ago.”

I spoke to a few of the students in this class and they are finding Science and Humanities engaging and accessible. They are working well together and are happy to be focusing on each topic without having to prepare for an examination in these two courses. The success of this initiative has been largely down to the creative thinking and hard work from teachers Mrs Jill Bascombe and Ms Bea Pritchard. I very much appreciate the effort they have made, with support from their Heads of Learning Area, to adapt courses and create new tasks. Their commitment to supporting our students has been terrific.

Growth mindset has been a focus for us this week and I have seen this in abundance as I look around the school. Quite apart from the staff mentioned above, I see students opening their minds to new opportunities. In the last week or so alone, we have seen students perform with WAPPA at Radio Active, represent the school at Country Week and sign up for athletics events to support their House. Students have volunteered in the community to support Albany’s Big Sleep Out, and challenged themselves academically by competing in the Think Tank Challenge or ICAS competitions. We have students excelling at Cinefest and shining in the Red Moort Art project. Our School Captain, Ellie Slatter, encouraged students this week to open their circle of friends and speak to students they don’t usually spend time with both here at school and at Country Week. There are many other examples of students thriving because of their growth mindset, perhaps you could ask your child how they have grown this week. 

Mrs Victoria Turnor | Head of Senior School

St John Ambulance First Responder App

There have been a few instances recently where young people have not called Triple Zero in situations they probably should have.  St John Ambulance would like to encourage all students with a smartphone to download the FREE St John First Responder App to assist in locating them in an emergency.

Karri-to-Coast Navigator Adventure

Outward Bound has an exciting adventure coming up in September with a few more places available. Find out more about their 12-day Karri-to-Coast Navigator adventure here. Experience twelve inspiring days of hiking among towering Karri trees, paddling the wild coastline of the Southern Ocean and swinging through the trees at Walpole. Outward Bound offers financial assistance in the form of program scholarships. You can apply for a scholarship here. It is a really simple process and they are happy to support you through it if you have any questions. Please call Outward Bound on 02 6235 5700 or email mailbox@outwardbound.org.au if you have any questions.

TAFE Open Day - Save the Date