Head of Studies

The start of Term 4 has been productive with students and staff working diligently to meet deadlines. Overall we have had a positive year, with most students making good academic progress and demonstrating increasing maturity and effective life skills. I have been pleased with our Year 12 students who have worked hard to complete assessment tasks and units of competency before leaving the College to progress to their next stage in life. We look forward to their return for the Graduation Ceremony on Friday 20th of November.

Year 12 ATAR External Written Exams

A reminder that the Year 12 ATAR External Written Exams will take place at Denmark SHS. The exam timetable is as follows:

Students will need to be at the exam venue at least 30 minutes prior to the start time.

All ATAR students staying in the College residence will have free time during the exam period that includes the option of going into town, studying for the exam, or relaxing in the College residence. We are confident that the students will make every effort to do well and aspire to achieve the results they deserve.

Year 11 ATAR Semester Two Exams

The College’s Year 11 ATAR Exam timetable is shown below. We hope the students use their time wisely over the next two weeks revising and are well prepared for the exams. 

Additional revision sessions for English will occur on Tuesday 24th November period 3, 6 and 7, and Wednesday 25th November period 6 and 7.

All exams will commence at 8.10am and finish at approximately 11.50am. In accordance with the WA College of Agriculture-Denmark Assessment Policy, all students studying ATAR courses must sit the exam on the day/time specified.  The only exception to this requirement will be if the student has a medical certificate from a doctor confirming that the student was too unwell to participate on the day. 

On completion of their exams students will have free time in the afternoon, including the option of going into Denmark to study for their next exam, or relaxing in the College residence. Day students also have the option of returning home after their exam. The only exception to the above arrangements will be if teachers have requested extra exam revision sessions or return to normal classes after the Maths Applications exam on Wednesday 18th November.

Year 10 and 11 Students

The end of the 2020 college year is fast approaching and it is vital for our Year 10 and 11 students to remain focused and determined to finish on a positive note. Year 11 students are required to remain in the College program until the end of Week 6. The Year 10 students will finish up at the College at the end of Week 9 and will spend the last week of the term (week10) completing their Work Experience requirements for the year.

Year 10 Study Tour

Study Tour 2020 will take place in week 9 (Wednesday 9th December – Friday 11th December) and will include day visits to a number of agricultural and related industries within the Lower Great Southern. We feel this tour will be of significant educational benefit and complement what the students are learning at the College. Other non-agricultural educational visits are also planned for the tour. 

The teaching staff are in the process of finalising the Study Tour information and consent forms which will be emailed home to parents and guardians. Please return the consent form as soon as possible.

Fodder Crop Report   - By Georgia Dalton & Daniel Hadlow

Background

Our fodder crop consisted of 2 oat varieties which were Express and Tucana. The crop was seeded on the 18th May 2020. Express and Tucana were chosen because they are supposedly suited to Denmark’s long growing season. Express and Tucana are said to be high yielding winter oat varieties which tolerate cold weather well. These oat varieties are also said to be very tolerant of grazing from either sheep or cattle. Express has a 14% increased winter yield, has excellent recovery from grazing, and is supposed to have a high spring and dry matter yield. Tucana has a high quality yield, and can provide increased grazing returns.

Purpose

Our fodder crop was planted primarily for the production of hay and silage for college livestock. However our crop was also used for grazing purposes during the winter months. The paddock was grazed 3 times. The first grazing occurred from the 3rd-11th of June, the second from the 13th-17th of July, and the last from the 3rd-8th of September. The paddock was grazed by both sheep and cattle. A total of 48 cows and calves, and 211 ewes and lambs grazed the paddock. The fodder crop was also used for educational purposes including soil/tissue testing, budgeting, and calibrating equipment. There were also assignments and tasks based on our fodder crop as well. 

Results

Due to above average rainfall during the months of May and August, the paddock became excessively waterlogged, which caused a significant decrease in yield, quality, and plant density. In the worst affected areas, ryegrass was the most dominant species, and the oats died in these areas. The paddock also became overrun with weeds (Eg- Capeweed, Chickweed, Dock) due to the decrease in plant density. Despite this, once the rainfall decreased coming into spring and the temperature increased, we had a surplus of growth which meant we could make a small amount of silage from the crop. Overall there were 35 bales of silage produced from the crop (average of 7 bales/ha), weighing approximately 850kg each. 

Improvements

Some improvements that can be made for 2021 could be include using a different paddock with better drainage, a paddock that isn’t as low-lying, planting Tucana as the main variety as this variety tolerates waterlogging better than Express, graze the crop with just sheep instead of cattle, and avoid overgrazing.