Deputy Principal

Semester One Reporting

Reports for Semester One are being sent out this week. I am sure parents/guardians will take the time to review the progress of their child. For Year 12’s it is an important time as they only have approximately 10-12 weeks remaining to complete all the required tasks for qualifications and gain credit towards their WACE.

As a suggestion, please encourage your child to review the comments in their report, week one of Term three. In this way, they may better remember the feedback they have obtained from teachers. The attitude, behaviours and effort section of the school report is also valuable. Feedback assists students to reflect on their learning and the strategies they can adopt to make improvement if necessary. 

Yr 10 Modified Program

There was recently plenty to enjoy for Yr 10 students who remained on site in the last week of this term. Students spent two days on Farm to obtain further experience towards their attainment of Certificate II Agriculture. They attended an excursion to Trevelly Dairy Farm, with the aim of getting a different experience with milking. 

Students were also able to obtain exposure to potential subjects they may select in senior school, they worked on an enterprising activity, further built their teamwork skills, and were involved in preparation for our annual Open Day. 

Work Experience (Yr 10, 11 and 12)

A letter has recently been sent home to parents/guardians of Year 10 students, in regards to setting up work experience for the last week of Term Three. It is strongly recommended Year 10 students actively use the time over the holidays to secure a potential work experience placement. Students who leave this too long end up missing out on some valuable opportunities.

Congratulations to our Year 11 and 12 students who attended work experience successfully. While some schools are reducing these opportunities, WACOA – Denmark see our work experience program as an essential part of preparing students for life after College. Thank you to Mrs Lockyer and Mrs Hardiman who have done a tremendous job in ensuring all communication had been set up effectively for employers, students and parents.

It is a great opportunity for students to obtain an understanding of the work environment and what employers expect of their workers, while exploring career options. Students will receive an evaluation from employers that can assist with their applications for future jobs.

Attendance

Positive results and a good attendance are considered to be vital for student progress and success at school or when students apply for an apprenticeship/employment or TAFE. We acknowledge and accept that in some cases illness and family commitments can interfere with school attendance. If there are factors contributing to the low attendance and you would like to discuss this with College personnel, please do not hesitate to call Student Services at the College.

In the event of a student not attending school, an explanation for the absence is sought from parents/guardians by note, phone, text or email. 

The following absences will be recorded as an “Unauthorised” code;

• Holidays, birthdays, shopping, attending shows. 
• Medical absences without certification exceeding five days per year.
• Private Work Experience not supported by the College.
• Other absences not negotiated in advance with the Deputy Principal or Principal. 

Please take the time to discuss this information with your child. WACOA – Denmark staff and I will continue to support all students by reinforcing the importance of achieving good standards and maintaining a committed approach and positive work ethic to school and work.  Understandably, it is an area that employers look at when hiring potential employees. It is promising to see that we have seen improvements in the attendance of students across all year levels. 

I wish all students and parents a safe holiday and look forward to returning for a productive second half of 2023.

Alf Mungioli

Deputy Principal

WACOA - Denmark