Welcome to this month’s edition of the W-Files. Please enjoy reading and viewing a number of articles and photos on events that have occurred at both campuses this term. It has been a very productive half year for our students and the positive energy at both campuses has been clearly evident.

The recent Year 9 Immersion project showcase was inspiring and engaging. I was impressed by the work put in by all groups and enjoyed listening to how working on these projects had a profound impact on them. Our Year 7s participated in an Aboriginal culture incursion and I had a wonderful and informative time hearing from some of them about how they engaged in symbolic art storytelling. Humanities Week at Bayview also saw a number of activities take place that were enjoyed by both students and staff.

Our Year 12 formal was also a highlight, as were concerts, Immersion presentations, Morrisby career assessments and end of term campus celebration assemblies. I personally appreciated the opportunity to address the students at both campus assemblies with a small speech on the origins and meaning of our school motto: “Hold Fast”.

It has not only been a pleasure but also a saviour (due to a home kitchen renovation) to attend Breakfast Club each week and enjoy a nutritious and tasty start to the day. The enthusiasm of our student Breakfast Club leaders has ensured an amazing vibe is created during this time.

This term we also celebrated and acknowledged the work of our Education Support (ES) staff. The principal team hosted a lunch for our 45-strong ES team during the recent report writing day. Each individual ES staff member was also given a small chocolate gift and a personal note of thanks from either a student or staff member. One of my favourite notes was for one of our science lab technicians and is as follows:

“Thank you for looking after all the dangerous chemicals and making sure our school is not blown up”.

The lunch, small gifts and personalised notes were extremely well received and appreciated by all in attendance.

I would also like to publicly thank our amazing Parents and Friends Association for their ongoing fundraising and contributions to our school facilities and offerings. In particular, well done on the recent Bunnings sausage sizzle event that raised $1800 for WHS.

We will have a handful of staff moving on midyear and I am pleased to announce despite ongoing staffing shortages across the system, we will be commencing Term 3 fully staffed with quality teachers in our classrooms. Campus leaders will update on changes as required.

I would also like to encourage all families to discuss and reflect on the student reports acknowledging achievements as well as discussing and supporting goal setting for improvements.

Examining student exam experiences

Students from Years 9 to 12 recently participated in exams and were well prepared for and invested in these major assessments. These will provide great experience and feedback to our students, reinforcing both what is working well and what new strategies or behaviours need to be explored.

A new initiative was introduced by our Year 9 leaders where our Year 9 students were congratulated on completing their first exam session. Students were provided with a lunch and personalised note from their homegroup teacher, which led to both appreciative students and touching moments that were well received by staff when students followed up with their own notes of thanks. A number of families also sent positive messages about this initiative; please see a small extract below of one example:

Hi Tyson,

Just a note of thanks for making my Year 9's exam experience a positive one. His feedback from the revision session and exams so far have been great and really motivating for him. I also feel you are setting them up well for success in future years’ exams and normalising the formality - thank you.

And the special lunch is such a great touch!! Thanks so much.

Attitudes to School Survey

As previously mentioned, our students recently completed the Attitudes to School Survey. We have now received a summary report of the responses and the leadership team will now look at what our students have told us in terms of their perceptions and how they are feeling about their wellbeing and learning. The leadership team not only looks at identifying focus areas for improvement but also reflecting on highlights to ensure these practices are embedded and continued.

Public Reporting and improvement feedback

We held our Public Reporting meeting on Tuesday, May 21. It was a wonderful opportunity to both reflect on the school’s achievements, review the data, as well as share our vision for the future as we continually strive to improve our school programs and environment. We also made use of this forum to seek ideas from those in attendance on what facilities could be enhanced, as well as seeking feedback on our parent evenings discussing both their importance and how we can maximise family engagement (eg Years 7 and 10 BBQ welcome events and Years 8, 9, 11 and 12 parent information evenings).

One great suggestion received that we will look to include was to incorporate expectations and a sign up for Year 10 Gold Coast camp into the Year 10 BBQ evening. If any family member has further suggestions to enhance these evenings, please email me at the address below. These evenings send a strong message to our young people about the importance of families, staff and students working together to enhance the secondary school experience.

Giorgio.Catalano@education.vic.gov.au

Demand for places

Enrolment demand for our school continues to be strong - well in excess of the places we have available. In line with statewide policy, all students in our school zone are offered places as are all siblings. The remaining places are offered to students purely on a closest distance to the Bayview Campus criteria. Once offers are made, students who have obtained a place are then able to apply for select entry classes or accelerated sports programs.

This continued demand is very pleasing and reflects well on the standing the school has in the community, but also presents a number of challenges in managing the enrolment process and the number of requests from prospective families.

Looking ahead to Term 3

For our staff professional learning, we are currently well underway for planning of our curriculum day, which will be primarily focused on the theme of student wellbeing. We will share some of these learnings through our newsletter next term.

As a result of our ongoing success of both our VCE and VCE-VM programs, we have been asked to showcase our exemplary work in this area to schools in the South Western Region. This is fantastic recognition for our school and our programs. These showcases will occur on July 30 and we look forward to sharing our outstanding work in this space.

I wish all staff, students and their families a relaxing and enjoyable midyear break and look forward to a productive and successful second half of the year.

Hold fast.

Dear parents and carers

This semester has been full, with a breadth of learning opportunities for our students at Bayview. We continue to support our students to adopt an open mindset. Congratulations to all students that have taken up opportunities and have challenged themselves to be open to new and valuable learning.

As the semester draws to a close, I take this opportunity to thank you for your support during the first half of this year. All students have been undertaking learning activities and completing assessment tasks to conclude the semester. Year 9 students also undertake examinations for the first time today and, in preparation, have been revising in class, outside of class and also during the after school sessions facilitated by Ezra Bangun, Academic Enhancement Leader at Bayview, and supported by teachers. We have received feedback from parents/carers outlining that the examinations have been successful for their child. We welcome all feedback - please provide this whilst still fresh on your mind so we can address this in our planning.

Please speak with your child about their SMART Personal Learning Goals, recorded in the homegroup Student Resource and on their end of semester report. This is an opportunity to reflect upon achievements and plan for Semester 2. We encourage all students and parents/carers to speak to their homegroup teacher about further support that may be required to achieve goals in the second half of the year.

Our learning environment

We are continuing to work on maintaining and improving learning environments for our students. The dry creek bed alongside the bus stop has been reinvigorated with a Landcare grant. Students were involved in the mulching and planting of this area, laid out by Bunya Gardens. Tape surrounds this area currently to enable the plants to become established.

The final part of the deck with ramp access to C wing (portables) will hopefully be completed by the time you read this. Previously, these 10 rooms were only accessible via stairs. Two ramps and decking past all rooms will improve accessibility.

Two new fences are due to be erected over the break; one replacing the fence at the northern end of our courts and the other between the courts and Bayview Street. We hope this will improve the area for student use and also prevent balls (and perhaps litter) from leaving the campus.

Our physical environment

Improving our physical environment for students continues to be a focus. All year levels have been involved in maintaining the grounds, largely during the 12 minute daily homegroup. To help us address all parts of the school, our Year 7s work on Bayview Reserve and the around C wing, the Year 8s work on the wetland and A wing, and the Year 9s on B wing and the courts.

Our working bee last Friday morning saw a small team work on C wing and further develop plans for the Container Deposit Scheme (10c container recycling). Each year level has a bin in their area to begin depositing the containers. Homegroup leaders, Student Leaders and Year Level Coordinators will work on what the money will go towards. More information about this will follow.

Dobsons are now operating from the new pod at the end of B wing. We are planning now to develop the space at the end of the library for our engagement and wellbeing team.

Please speak with your child about bringing ‘nude’ food to school and, if litter is created, then making an appropriate choice. We will continue to address this issue as a school and as part of the local community.

Staff farewells and welcomes

We are due to farewell Liz Lorenc and Helen Bacon, who are taking leave in Term 3. We have farewelled Ben Kirker and are to farewell Tom Frawley and Jesse Sheahan on the last day of term.

Warren Patterson, Mathew Grose and Mathew Grossman are due to return from leave.

We welcome Sarah Quick, English and Humanities teacher; Paul Rovis, Health and Physical Education and Mathematics teacher; and Radesh Prasad, Technical Support to School Program, who will now be our IT technician at Bayview. Callan Martin (current Inclusive Education staff member) will now also be teaching Humanities.

We are due to confirm changed teacher allocations shortly and our Semester 2 timetable will be available on Compass prior to the end of term so that students can be prepared for the first day back.

We are currently in the Waring season of the annual Eastern Kulin seasonal calendar, as described by Woiwurrung traditions – Wombat Season. This time of the year is evident at Bayview Street with misty mornings, high rainfall and lowest temperatures. Our winter solstice is upon us as I write!

All the best to students and families for the break.

Kind regards

Karen Anderson

As we approach the end of Term 2 it is a great time to reflect on the many wonderful activities and achievements of students at the school. I’ve shared some reports below from our debating and VM leader. We celebrated Education Support Staff Day this term, with our student leaders writing a personal note of thanks onto a bookmark that was given to them at their annual celebratory thank you lunch. Our school couldn’t run as it does without the incredible work and contribution of the ES team.

The grounds continue to be updated with the addition of the new fence along the basketball court, planter boxes, trees, and covered seating in front of the new buildings. Over the break work will commence on the Parents Pavilion - this will become our student welfare area with several counselling spaces available for students in a more private and quiet area of the school.

Staffing

There are a number of staffing changes at the Pasco Campus for Term 3. We say farewell to Ms Geary, who is taking leave. Ms Walker will replace her as the Year 10 Year Level Coordinator. I would also like to welcome new staff to the campus and look forward to the contribution they will make for our senior students: Mr Griffin (Wood), Ms Curran (HHD) and Mr Chapman (Art) will be joining us from the start of Term 3.

VM Amazing Race - Mr Lubicz

Our Year 12 VCE VM students participated in “The Amazing Race in the City,” where they competed in a fast-paced urban adventure navigating through various challenges and checkpoints spread across the CBD. The race was not just about speed; it was about strategy, problem solving and teamwork. Teams had to decipher clues, solve puzzles and complete physical tasks to progress through each checkpoint. These challenges reflected the city’s culture, history and landmarks, adding a real-world educational element to the excitement.

Well done to all who participated. Our winners were:

1st - Lily Barnes and Amber Petkovski (reached all checkpoints and roadblocks the quickest, maximum points on brain teaser and language translator roadblock.

2nd - Fletcher Raspor and Roman Tesmer (winner of the Hosier Lane art/graffiti challenge)

3rd - Zoe Wallis and Leia Stead (very close third place by showing first-rate teamwork and initiative)

Wynspeak Public Speaking Competition - Mr Lilley

I had the pleasure of attending the annual Wynspeak Public Speaking Competition. Our school was represented by Lachlan Patterson (Year 12) and Lincoln Muliett (Year 11), along with Saffron Rabbidge and Gypsy Roberts (both of Year 9).

Lachlan and Lincoln both delivered exceptional performances. Lachlan spoke convincingly about the need to rethink how we go about dividing bikes, pedestrians and cars into different lanes and paths - he actually spent hours at several busy intersections across Melbourne recording data for use in his speech, showing outstanding commitment.

Lincoln spoke passionately about the need for greater regulation of social media. However, Lincoln’s greatest moment came in the impromptu round, in which he delivered a speech (prepared in a mere four minutes!) about the benefits of volunteering, giving examples of the good deeds done by his brother, Charlie, who is in Year 12 at our school. I found this incredibly touching, and the adjudicators obviously agreed - Lincoln was awarded best senior-level impromptu speaker of the night!

Lachlan and Lincoln both deserve to be commended for their efforts to prepare their speeches (I put them through a lot of lunchtime meetings) and for their courage in getting up on stage before a large audience and delivering such stellar performances. Please do congratulate these gentlemen if you see them around this week - I know it will mean a lot to them.

Have a safe and enjoyable break and I’ll look forward to seeing everyone back on campus for the start of Term 3.

Hold fast.

Daniel Pearce

Pasco Campus Principal

It’s a wrap for Willi High’s first semester of VR integration

Bayview’s STEAM Education Centre (Room 13) in Semester 1 provided a unique space for Year 8 English students to pursue virtual reality activities and experiences to enhance their understanding of English concepts. To name just some of these, students used the headsets to explore the background and context of the film The Sapphires, as well as gain a deeper understanding of mise-en-scène. For their creative writing, students also engaged in several VR experiences to assist in descriptive writing and characterisation. As the semester draws to a close, the Teaching and Learning team is looking ahead to Year 7 Humanities classes moving into the space and designing lessons and lesson segments to enhance learning in the area.

Willi High students visiting Wyndham Tech School

On May 30, Willi High sent a group of girls from Years 10 to 12 (accompanied by Ms Karen Moutray-Read) to Wyndham Tech School (WTS) to engage with accomplished women working in the tech industry (Amazon in particular) and explore tech career pathways. Please see photos of the event below and check out Olivia Turner’s report in the Year 11 Year Level Coordinators section of this newsletter to read more. Mr Angus Rodda also took a group of Year 8-12 students to the STEAM ‘Deadly Tech Day’ at WTS - more about that in the next issue.

More exciting events from WTS

This year we are able to take advantage of several valuable opportunities for STEAM learning at the wonderful WTS. Below is a snapshot of what’s on offer this year. Please watch out for announcements on Compass and, for students, also at assemblies and in the bulletin.

Pornography is now the most prominent and easily accessed sexuality education resource for many young people. Most young people discover porn well before they encounter sex - perhaps even before they have kissed or held a partner. One of the world’s leading educators on this topic, Maree Crabbe, came to Williamstown High School last week to share her expertise and offer suggestions to parents about how to have important conversations with their children about pornography.

The Centenary Theatre saw about 75 parents from the Williamstown High School, Williamstown Primary and Williamstown North Primary School communities in attendance on the evening of June 3. Maree presented a comprehensive report of porn’s influence on young people today, highlighting numerous concerning statistics such as: 60 percent of young males and 41 percent of young females have used pornography as a source of information about relationships over the past 12 months; and 35 percent of all pornography contains non-consensual behaviour. Maree’s talk included illuminating video interviews with young people sharing their thoughts on how they have been impacted by pornography, as well as insightful interviews with those who produce and market pornography.

Given the troubling escalation of gender-based violence in Australia in recent months, this topic affects our entire student community and their families. Maree strongly encouraged the audience to have conversations with our young people about respect, mutuality and pleasure, no matter how awkward or uncomfortable. We recognise the importance of and are committed to offering Williamstown parents informational and strategic resources such as Maree’s talk, so watch this space for more events like this in the future.

For more information about Maree Crabbe and her work, go to itstimewetalked.com

Consent Can’t Wait Campaign

The Australian Government has developed a national campaign around understanding consent. It has been developed to help people get on the same page about consent. This campaign discusses the importance of adults talking about consent to each other to provide consent education to young people with confidence. Talking with other adults first and sharing experiences to build confidence about the topic makes it easier to raise these ideas with the young people in our lives.

www.consent.gov.au

Child safety and wellbeing at Williamstown High School information for families and the school community

Williamstown High School is committed to providing an environment where students are safe and feel safe.

Our child safety framework https://www.willihigh.vic.edu.au/about/school-policies explains how we support and maintain child safety and wellbeing at Williamstown High School.

It includes our:

• Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
• Child Safety Reporting and Responding Obligations Procedures, and
• Child Safety Code of Conduct, which outlines acceptable and unacceptable behaviours for all staff and volunteers at our school.

Our students and families are important partners in providing a child safe environment. These regular newsletter reminders are one of the ways we ensure our school community is aware of:

• our commitment to child safety, and
• how to provide feedback or raise child safety concerns.

If you have any concerns about child safety at any time, please contact the Campus Assistant Principals via phone or email. Any child safety complaints or concerns are treated seriously. For more information about our school’s complaints process, see our Complaints Policy.

We also welcome your ideas on ways we can improve our approach to child safety and wellbeing. If you have any suggestions or comments please contact the Campus Assistant Principals on 9399 9228.

Welcome to the June edition of our School Council report. Here we are at the end of Term 2 and halfway through the year, although I’m in no rush to be done with 2024 - I never did get used to writing “2022”, let alone 2023.

However, as we get to this time of the year, important milestones are met. Our Year 9 students have sat their first real exam, revealing to them what is to come and aid them as they transition to the senior campus. Our Year 12 students have hit the halfway mark and have the big push to final exams in front of them. Our past Year 12s have set a high standard to follow, but I’m sure this year’s cohort will be more than up to the task.

After such a long saga and false starts, it is truly quite wonderful that the Year 12 study centre finally opened. It is a great facility and School Council has the pleasure of holding our meetings there now - it is a massive improvement over the old study centre. I’d like to thank both the Pasco Campus Principal Mr Pearce and College Principal Mr Catalano in adhering to the WHS motto of “Hold Fast” and persevering and ensuring this facility was completed.

I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone about the 2024 War Child Benefit Concert this July, proudly presented by our very talented VET Music students. This musical event will showcase performances by our talented bands, artists and guest ex-students, along with the all-star staff band (their words not mine!).

The concert takes place at the Substation in Newport, with all proceeds supporting War Child Australia to assist families affected by war. Many of us who are of my vintage remember the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Iron Curtain with the hope of lasting peace. With the events of the last two years that seems so very far away so, if you can, please go along and support this great event and the cause that the night supports.

Doors open at 5:30 PM on Thursday, July 18, 2024. Bookings can be made via the following link WAR Child - Williamstown High School (willihigh.vic.edu.au).

On June 16 the PFA held a fundraiser with a Bunnings Sausage Sizzle, and due to the hard work of all involved $1800 was raised. I’d like to thank the PFA for organising the event and everyone who gave up time on their Sunday to help our school.

To all our families I hope you have a happy and safe winter holidays and to our Williamstown High staff, I hope you get some time to replenish and thank you for your amazing work and commitment.

Regards

Kane Harnden

School Council President

WHS Library lost and damaged books policy

Over the past six months the school, with the support and approval of School Council, has developed a policy outlining our process for following up overdue library resources on loan to students. Since January this year, we have loaned out 4,840 resources to students across both campuses. Out of the 554 resources still out on loan today, 307 of them are overdue, with 110 overdue by more than two months.

Each year large amounts of books are either lost, damaged, or simply not returned to our libraries. Previously, our library resource managers would replace these books, but only if the budget allowed due to money constraints and the focus being on the curriculum. We are starting fresh this year and have begun implementing our new policy to recover costs for all lost/damaged books for 2024.

Currently, families receive four automatic reminder messages from our library management software. Now with the implementation of the new policy, families will receive a fifth and final reminder letter from the school prior to being issued an invoice of $15 for a replacement book.

School libraries are incredibly important and offer such a wide range of resources to support our students’ development in and outside of school. If you have any questions regarding this update/policy, please contact me or our library resource managers via williamstown.hs@education.vic.gov.au

WHS Library Lost and Damaged Books Policy

Grounds and enhancements - parent contributions update

In the last W-Files issue I updated the community on some recent purchases made to enhance our environment and grounds thanks to your contributions. Our beautiful magnolia plants and covered benches have since been installed, which has completely transformed the space - all thanks to you.

Now, what ground enhancements should we start thinking about with our 2025 contributions? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Thank you again for your contributions thus far. Please continue to support WHS via our Payment Arrangements on Compass. If you have any questions regarding the Payment Arrangements, please contact me via williamstown.hs@education.vic.gov.au

We are halfway through Year 7. It has gone by really fast. As we end the term we celebrate the success of students. Please see the list of award winners for Term 2.

At the beginning of next semester students will analyse their feedback from teachers and make goals based on that. As you read through your children’s reports, please discuss their application to the tasks given. Results give us a baseline and help us to see where we are at and where we need to go.

If disappointed with the report results, adjust the conversation to focus on growth and how to achieve it. We would highly recommend you watch Carol Dweck’s TEDx talk: 'The power of believing that you can improve'. “Your abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work,” encapsulates the power of a growth mindset. It emphasises that our talents and skills are not fixed, but rather malleable and can be enhanced through perseverance and effort.

It is really important that students do not share or discuss their results with others or ask others about their results. This can cause unheightened anxiety for some students.

This term homegroups have been competing in an AFL tipping competition (currently 7J and 7D are in the lead) and a lunchtime handball competition. We have been so impressed not only with the skills shown by students but the positive inclusion and encouragement by their classmates.

We are also looking at our environment and how to keep it in a better state. Currently we have students doing environmental service once every two weeks. We would love for students to use the waste bins provided and protect our wetlands. We would ask that families send nude food where possible to school to reduce the amount of waste. We have started a 10c recycling bin to encourage students to fundraise. Students will provide ideas for items to benefit them.

We are nearing the end of the building works near the Year 7 homegroup rooms. This was a well needed development that allows all students and staff to access every room in the school. Thank you to all of the students for their patience while this work was completed. It has also provided more seating space to allow students to socialise. At the beginning of next term students will move into lockers closer to their homegroup rooms.

In the last few weeks we have focused on using the Student Resource Diary to improve student organisation. We have also begun some of the Resilience Project Activities that guide students' journeys as a young individual. We also had Seed Workshops and Man Cave Workshops last week, which are linked to the Respectful Relationships initiative that fosters a school culture of inclusivity and gender equality. See more at: www.schools.vic.gov.au/respectful-relationships

We hope you all have a restful break.

James Riccobene and Isabella O’Malley

As we find ourselves in the middle of another year, it can be a time to reflect and celebrate the achievements made so far. Your child’s midyear reports are a summary of their academic progress this year, so please spend some time reading through these with your child to acknowledge the work they have completed but also look at the next steps and to set some goals for second semester.

Throughout this semester students have also had the opportunity to create outstanding pieces or work in their elective classes. Below are some examples of work created in Visual Art classes.

I hope all students and their families have a restful, safe and warm Term 2 holiday and I look forward to seeing all students back on the first day of Term 3.

Uniform

A friendly reminder to check your child’s uniform over the break and ensure they have the correct items to be in uniform every day. We are currently following up with a number of students who are choosing to wear tracksuit pants on days that they don’t have sport or PE. Tracksuit pants are not a part of the academic uniform and can only be worn on days that students have a subject that requires the school sports uniform.

Getting to know the Year 8 team

Kerri Wangeman

I have been at Williamstown High for a very long time! I teach Food Technology and Iron Chef - this is very ironic as when I was at school this subject was called Home Economics and I hated it! Fortunately, I love teaching these subjects and enjoy watching my students experiment and develop a love of cooking. I am also part of the AEN team and am up to my sixth homegroup. I love cats, netball, art, travel and the mighty Hawthorn and Vixens sporting teams.

Paul Mcarthur

I commenced here at Willy High in 2023. This year I have a Year 8 homegroup and teach both English and Humanities. My passions are learning languages, trying different foods, reading, watching my footy team - the Bombers - and following the LA Lakers in the NBA. This year I was fortunate to accompany the France study trip for two weeks, which was an incredible experience on so many levels. There are so many wonderful opportunities here at Williamstown High and I am grateful to be a part of the culture.

Term 2 has absolutely flown by! In Year 9, there have been several opportunities for students to explore their passions and interests and look ahead to some potential career paths, as well as preparing and completing their first ever set of exams.

• Careers: Students have completed a range of careers lessons, as part of our all-important homegroup curriculum, aimed at exploring their passions and interests and the various career pathways/jobs that exist in key sectors. This assists them in understanding potential subject pathways in Year 10, VCE and beyond, and will come in handy in Term 3 when they select their subjects for 2025.

This was complemented by a guest presenter – a former Willi High student, and now doctor – who spoke during Careers Week about their experience going from high school to university and everything it involved, as well as the Morrisby Careers Counselling that each student participated in.

• Exams: Students have now completed their first ever set of exams! This has been a big step in their transition toward senior school life and all staff have been thoroughly impressed with the positive attitude and dedication we’ve seen from students in the lead-up to and during exam week. Many of our students attended specialised exam preparation sessions and completed extra study at home to give themselves the best opportunity for success. Well done to everyone for giving it their best and for learning and practising some important organisation and revision skills in preparation for their senior years.

• Post-exam celebrations: Together we celebrated the completion of exams with a communal lunch organised by the Year 9 Coordinators. This was a chance for students, homegroup teachers and staff to celebrate everything our cohort has achieved this semester and share some social time together. Homegroup teachers were also able to provide some positive, personalised messages to each child to help reflect on their journey so far. These celebrations have been continued further with some friendly, light-hearted minute-to-win-it challenges in homegroup, just to help round out the term.

• Immersion: The 9D and 9E classes enjoyed their turn for Immersion, tackling important social, community and health matters in their expo topics and delivering presentations to our Year 7s and 8s to raise awareness of these issues and the way young people can make a difference. Expo topics included animal cruelty, the harms of substance abuse, gambling and street art, just to name a few.

Immersion Camp in the city was another highlight, where students were able to enjoy social activities like go karting, a group dinner and night at the movies, tenpin bowling and arcade time. They also took part in some unique social and community learning, where all 43 of our students attended either the FareShare or Big Umbrella kitchen experiences – cooking and preparing meals for Victoria’s underprivileged and homeless communities.

We welcome 9F, 9G and 9I in Term 3 and are looking forward to providing them with meaningful learning experiences.

Well done to our students on a very busy and successful first semester. Everyone will be looking forward to a well-earned break before coming back refreshed and recharged, ready for an important Term 3.

Tyson Hartwig & Carmen Wiseman | Year 9 Coordinators

As our first semester at Pasco Campus draws to a close, it seems fitting to take the time to sit back and reflect on all the experiences that the Year 10s have had and the success throughout this time. Our homegroup focus has been “Changes” and throughout this semester the Year 10s have faced an immense amount of change and growth. We have watched them transition into young adults who are engaged in their learning, connected to their new campus and possessing a growth mindset. “Change is at the end of your comfort zone” and this has been something that our students have shown time and time again throughout Term 1 and 2.

We would like to take the time to congratulate everyone for their incredible efforts and resilience throughout the exam period. During this time we hope that the students were able to take the time to build their study skills, value prioritising their tasks, but most importantly be able to showcase all their hard work for the semester as they finalise some of their elective subjects.

We have experienced a quiet few weeks, where our Year 10s - as the pulse of Williamstown High - have been out of our schoolyard experiencing a range of different workplaces and careers pathways for their work experience week. We had more than 215 students take part in the program and it has been amazing to speak with all of the students and their mentors about their experiences and all the opportunities they had throughout the week. From working with state MPs to helping with colour charts in hairdressing studios, to even grooming people’s most beloved family members (their pets), we have enjoyed hearing about how well all our students are doing in their workplaces. In the students’ own words they have gained a lot from the experience, such as how Sadie Derrig reflects below:

“Work experience at HWL Ebsworth Lawyers was an exciting week. I had expected officework to be boring, but after the first day I found it quite interesting. Throughout the week my main tasks included tabbing and organising hundreds of documents into binders (assembling volumes was the biggest learning curve), writing notes on research for statements, going to court and, of course, stocking the printer with stacks of paper. Lawyers probably go through a forest’s worth of paper daily.

My favourite part of the week was going to court, watching orthopaedic surgery experts being cross examined and hearing someone say "objection" in real life. While figuring out the printer on my own was pretty difficult, the biggest obstacle was having the confidence to ask for more work or help. When I finally emailed for more work, everyone who replied happily gave me little tasks and I realised it wasn't a big deal at all.

Overall, I had an amazing time during my work experience. I can't wait to hear about my friends’ experiences, and I hope that next year the Year 10 students will have as great a time as I did.”

As we look toward Semester 2 there will be lots of exciting things happening with incursions and discussions with Year 10s about their futures as they make choices about their Year 11 pathways.

A note from Demi Geary:

“I would also like to take the time to let our Year 10 cohort know that I will be taking leave in Terms 3 and 4. Thank you to all the Year 10 families and students for being a part of my Williamstown High School Journey in 2024 - it has been a pleasure to work alongside such wonderful young people and I will miss them immensely. They will continue to be supported in Term 3 and 4 by Christopher Blattman and Jaslyn Walker, and I cannot wait to hear about all their successes in Semester 2.”

The Year 10 team at Williamstown High School wish all students and families a safe and enjoyable winter holiday break and we look forward to continuing to work alongside our students and families in Semester 2.

It has been an 11 week term, but it feels like it has flown by due to it being packed with events, excursions, in-school activities, assessment, trial exams and much more.

The STEAM Women in Tech Day in late May was a unique event tailored to offering an exclusive chance for female students to engage with accomplished women working in the tech industry. Year 11 students, along with those from Years 10 and 12, explored tech career pathways as they participated in hands-on activities, connecting directly with female tech experts from Amazon. A more detailed report on this event is provided in the Strategic Assistant Principal’s report. Olivia Turner, a Year 11 student, provides her view on the day below:

“The STEAM Women in Tech Day involved students travelling to Wyndham Tech School and receiving one-on-one talks with many employees of Amazon Web Services (AWS), a part of Amazon that is effectively a cloud of data for business using tech. The reason I joined, like most of us who went, was to learn more about future pathways in technology. It was really insightful to learn about individual experiences and how the mentors’ interests and skills got them to their current jobs. It was great to learn about people’s experiences rather than the technology to help us visualise our future more clearly.”

Congratulations to Vince Mandado, who won the first round of the Plain English Speaking Award Competition, which took place in late May. Vince spoke passionately about the need for Australians to give up their sedentary lifestyles and empower themselves through exercise. He emerged victorious despite fierce competition from opponents from such schools as Suzanne Cory and the Islamic College of Melbourne, both well known for their excellent debating and public speaking programs. Below is Vince’s perspective on his win:

“As the Debating Club continues to expand and develop, Williamstown High School decided to send two representatives for the Plain English Speaking Award (PESA) Competition. Despite the school’s lack of experience, the debating students showcased what it means to be a Williamstown High debater. By exploring topics on exercise and misinformation, Eva Bugeja (Year 12) and I discussed the importance of these social justice issues in society. With optimism, confidence, and a bit of luck, I progressed to the semifinals in the school’s debut in the competition! With the semifinals on the horizon, I will be looking to bring Williamstown High School more success. Till then, hold fast.”

Congratulations also to Lincoln Muliett, who received acclaim at the annual Wynspeak Public Speaking Competition in May. Lincoln delivered exceptional performances, speaking passionately about the need for greater regulation of social media. However, his greatest moment came in the impromptu round, in which he delivered a speech, prepared in a mere four minutes, about the benefits of volunteering, giving examples of the good deeds done by his brother Charlie, who is in Year 12 at our school. The adjudicators awarded Lincoln the best senior-level impromptu speaker of the night. Lincoln shares his thoughts on his experience below:

“Wynspeak is a very large public speaking competition that was established just over 20 years ago. This term, Lachlan Patterson and I, as well as 17 other competitors from a variety of schools, participated in round six of this competition. There was a mixture of senior and junior competitors, and each group was judged separately.

The competition was held at Mackillop Catholic College, in a very large and spacious auditorium. Each person presented one prepared speech and one short-notice/impromptu speech. Every speech was spoken and written incredibly with some covering serious topics and others humorous topics. It really was a great experience; I feel it has helped me further develop my public speaking abilities and confidence in presenting something with no preparation. I would recommend this program to every student wanting to get into public speaking and further develop their skills.”

We would like to congratulate Leo Church for his sailing exploits, after being invited to be a part of the Australian International Cadet Team at the World Championships in the United Kingdom in August. This is a remarkable feat, and Leo outlines below how he will prepare for the event and what it entails:

“After qualifying at the National Championships in December-January, I was invited to go to Plymouth, United Kingdom, along with the Australian International Cadet Team to compete in the World Championships for two weeks in July and August. In preparation for the event, I attended many training camps and competitions such as two training camps in Geelong over the ANZAC Day weekend, in Hobart for the King’s Birthday long weekend, and the Victorian State Championships hosted in Williamstown.

Along with these events, when arriving in Plymouth I will join the rest of the Australian team competing in the UK National Championships as a lead in to the World Championships. The nationals are from July 27-31, while the worlds are from August 1-9, meaning 11 days of sailing along with two measuring days between both events.”

In late May, Victoria Police delivered a highly informative presentation to Year 11 students on the digital world and how to interact safely within it, covering topics such as: cyberbullying, sexting, selfies, digital reputation, the role of the bystander, filming fights, hate pages, criminal offences and the legal consequences of these actions.

In the penultimate week of term, the Pat Cronin Foundation delivered their ‘Violence Is Never OK’ presentation to Year 11 students, enabling them to hear real and relatable stories about social violence, explore anger and aggression, choices and consequences and strategies to defuse conflict. Students were able to better understand how to deal with anger before it becomes aggression, how a single decision can have life-lasting consequences and develop an awareness of strategies that suit them and their friends.

A Silent Disco was held on Friday, June 21, after lunch for all Year 11 students to celebrate the end of Unit 1 and the first semester of their VCE journey. Lots of fun was had by students dancing along to the silent sounds, with Ms Moutray-Read leading many students in an enthusiastic rendition of the Nutbush - see the photos below.

The winning design for the 2025 Year 12 jumper is also shown below. Multiple designs were created by students and, through a number of committee meetings, they were narrowed down to a final two. This design received 52.2 percent of the student vote. The process to order a jumper has been shared with students and parents/carers via Compass, email and the year level Google Classroom.

Congratulations to the following students who received awards determined by teacher nominations as part of the End of Term Celebration Assembly held on Wednesday, June 26:

Excellence and Creativity: Maddison Camillo

Integrity and Honesty: Vafa Ighaniyan

Diversity: Soren Madadi

School Spirit Award: Evie Karakiozakis

Making a Difference: James Greenham

We would also like to congratulate 11B as the Homegroup Challenge winners for Semester 1. The group displayed excellent trivia knowledge across a range of different topics and their haul of points for receiving positive posts and participating in extracurricular activities gained them top spot. 11B students enjoyed a Hot Wings lunch in the final week of Term 2 to celebrate their win.

Congratulations also to the following students who are the top five for receiving positive posts in Term 2: Maddison Camillo (18), Matthew Page (15), Meera Kavar(12), Liam Waters (12) and Hunter Mace (11). As always, thank you to all staff that take the time to recognise students by issuing positive posts, in particular Ms Bui, Ms McKeegan, Mr Craig, Mr Liubinas and Mr Russell.

A high level of attendance at school is one of the key factors that underpins learning and wellbeing, and we would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Han Nguyen and Vince Mandado, who have managed to maintain their 100 percent attendance for the year so far.

Finally, for the last time this year, we would like to take the opportunity to introduce a slightly different side to the last of our Year 11 homegroup teachers:

Leigh Thomson - 11G

I have worked at Williamstown High School for one year and am currently teaching Year 12 Food Studies and HHD, as well as Make a Meal in Year 10. I have two bunnies called Daisy and Ponyo, and I follow the Melbourne Demons. My favourite travel destination is Western Australia and I enjoy Japanese, Vietnamese and Italian food. My top three Netflix recommendations are: Dead to Me, the Crown and Beef. My favourite music is from the 80s and a bit of Taylor Swift, and I also enjoy reading, travelling, spending time on the beach, and being with family and friends.

Rudy Birsa - 11J

This is my 13th year teaching at Williamstown High School. This year I am teaching Physics, Specialist Maths and Astronomy. My favourite travel destinations are Italy and Nepal, and whilst visiting Nepal I enjoy mountain climbing. My radio is tuned into ABC FM, classical and jazz, and my top three streaming recommendations are: the Gentleman, Outlander and Miss Sloane. The food I love to eat is pasta e lenticchie soup, spaghetti bolognese and dal bhat.

Mathew Hrasko - 11K

I have taught at Williamstown High School for 11 years and am currently teaching Psychology and Biology. I have two kittens, Nero and Tan. I really enjoy gaming, and my favourite music is Caroline Polachek, Jessie Ware and Metric. I love travelling to anywhere with a beach and the food I enjoy is ramen, pizza and pumpkin soup. My top three recommendations for TV and streaming are: RuPaul’s Drag Race, Star Trek and Bojack Horseman.

Julia Genis - 11L

I have worked at Williamstown High School for two years as the International Student Coordinator. My favourite travel destination is Japan and I love Italian, Japanese and Chinese food. I have a varied taste in music and enjoy listening to All Time Low, Of Monsters and Men, My Chemical Romance, Hatsune Miku, One Ok Rock, 2000s pop punk and J-pop/J-rock. I spend my free time drawing, playing video games, reading and doing anything crafty. I have a cat called Kovu and my top streaming recommendations are: Blue Eye Samurai, Ted Lasso and Sweet Tooth.

One of the Year 12s summed up Term 2 perfectly when they described it as “a week too long”. Whoever thought an 11-week term in the middle of the year was a good idea should certainly be spoken to. Nevertheless, the Year 12s made it.

It's been a long term and with the change in temperature and increase in assessments, it has certainly been one that has brought some challenges. Pleasingly, however, it has been great to see so many of the Year 12s banding together, supporting one another and celebrating each other’s success.

Throughout the term the Year 12 students have been competing in the second edition of the Homegroup Games. The competition this term has seen a paper, scissors, rock tournament, a five-legged race and a tongue-tying game. It has been a great opportunity for the cohort to take a break from the stress of everyday school and we look forward to crowning the 2024 champions next term.

Recently within our homegroup curriculum we have been looking at the power of gratitude, with a number of fun activities and games to get the good feels flowing through the year level. A big shout out to Jess Court and Catherine Forrest who bravely sat in front of the cohort at assembly, sat directly across from each other and proceeded to tell each other what they love about each other - a game I’m sure the Year 12s wouldn’t mind playing at home.

The highlight of the term has quite easily been the Year 12 Formal. It was such a great night seeing both teachers and students dressed up and having fun. As always, the dance floor seemed the place to be and it was a struggle to get Tuan Dinh and Tom Olsen off of it, which was great to see! Lots of photos were taken and memories created and we hope everyone had an amazing night. We will have lots of photos to share at graduation 😊

As we look to the break, we encourage all students to take some time away from the books and to do what they can to “open the taps” of their stress bucket so that they come back prepared and ready to go for Term 3.

Year 12 Coordinators,

Angus Rodda & David Urwin

It has been a busy Term 2 for students at the Pasco Campus with students finishing their CATs, SACs and SATs for Semester 1. Between June 3 and June 14, the students completed the end-of-semester exams and Unit 3 trial exams. While not counting toward the students’ S/N result, this is an excellent opportunity for all students to become familiar with the examination process, and for them to start developing exam-taking techniques in time for Year 12.

On Tuesday, June 18, all students completing Units 3&4 VCE and VCE VET subjects, as well as all senior VCE VM students, completed the GAT (General Achievement Test). The GAT is used as part of the VCE quality assurance process to ensure that school-based assessments and external assessments have been accurately assessed. It also includes a Numeracy and Literacy section to indicate whether students have demonstrated the literacy and numeracy skills typically expected of someone completing their secondary schooling. This was the first VCAA exam for a lot of the students and many showed great initiative in how they prepared for the GAT, from reading up on all of the rules, to ensuring that they brought all the required equipment and materials.

Bayview Student Leadership Report

Apologies we have been quiet on the W-Files front so far this year, but that doesn’t mean we’ve been quiet at school! Here is an overview of what student leadership is and what the student leaders have been up to so far this year.

School Captains

Our four Bayview school captains attended the Melbourne Youth Leadership Conference back in Term 1, which was held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. They were able to listen to and engage with a variety of speakers with a focus on empowered and positive leadership, teamwork and communication. Our school captains gained so much from this experience and have been inspired to make a difference at the Bayview Campus this year and beyond. A big thank you to Cath Palin and the PFA for supporting our students and covering the cost of the tickets to this event.

This term, three of the school captains hosted the annual WHS Bayview Campus Open Night. Congratulations on their professional conduct as well as sharing their insight and stories with prospective students and parents - well done to Astrid Bishop, Alexandra Trigger and Shelby Harnden.

We also wish Astrid Bishop well as she heads off to the School for Student Leadership for Term 3 along with five other Year 9 students.

Events Committee

We recognised International Women’s day in Term 1 by taking part in the photo challenge #inspireinclusion. Many students and staff were photographed making the heart symbol to show their support for women and girls.

For Harmony Day, student leaders invited all students to contribute to a handprint mural. Students traced their hand and then wrote inside their cultural make-up, or made a pledge about supporting cultural diversity in our community.

Ms Kathryn Harink, Bayview Student Leadership Coordinator

IDAHOBIT Day

On Friday, May 17, Williamstown High School celebrated IDAHOBIT Day, which is the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia. On this day we had many different activities running to support this special day. We had a bake sale, which the students enjoyed. We also conducted a Just Dance party and badge making, as well as a lolly jar guessing game. We also had a colorful free dress day, which students took part in for a gold coin donation.

As a school we raised over $600 for the Minus18 Foundation, a group that supports queer and transgender youth. We would like to thank all the student leaders who made this day possible as well as Ms Harink and the other staff who helped the student leaders along the way.

Isla Skinner 9G (Sports Captain) & Gabriela Blaszczyk 8D (Events Committee)

A number of activities took place at the Bayview Campus this term to promote National Careers Week. Students were encouraged to ask their subject teachers about their career journeys and eventual pathway to teaching, of which I’m sure there would have been quite a few interesting discussions! Some of our keen Year 9 students visited the Pasco Campus for an in-house Career Expo, which provided them with an opportunity to engage in conversations and collect invaluable information about courses and employment to consider in the future.

Back by popular demand, former Williamstown High Student Matthew Allsop - currently studying Aviation Management and a Bachelor of Business at Swinburne University of Technology - spoke to our Year 7 cohort about his school experiences and how important it is to do your best.

Dr Sasha was equally engaging and inspirational as she addressed our Year 9 students about her journey into medicine and career as a doctor. She highlighted to students that they don’t have to know exactly what they want to do as a career now and it’s okay to have a change of mind.

We were again fortunate to continue our partnership with the Port of Melbourne and Engineering Tomorrow to host an engineering workshop for our interested Year 9 students. Students had an opportunity to design, build and ‘test’ different bridges. NASA engineers ‘Zoomed’ in to support and collaborate with our students, who enjoyed the hands-on and interactive nature of the workshop and hopefully gained a little more insight into the world of engineering. A couple of reflections:

‘It made us work better as a team and showed how important teamwork is.’ - HC

‘It helped us learn a little more about engineering and problem solving.’ - ES

The Career Taster VR sessions proved to be a hit among our students as they experienced careers such as surgery, space exploration, hairdressing and hospitality. These immersive sessions allowed students to get a taste of different professions and consider their suitability and interest. There was lots of positive feedback:

‘I enjoyed cooking and surgery - it was really fun and I learnt a lot too.’ - KL

‘I liked trying out all the different careers - I enjoyed the cooking.’ - AT

Years 7, 8 and 9 students are also well underway to completing their Career Action Plans. These were conducted during dedicated homegroup sessions. I encourage parents and carers to ask their child to share their Career Action Plans with them and see how they view themselves in terms of strengths and interests.

Last week, we concluded the Morrisby careers counselling interviews via WebEx. More than 230 Year 9 students discussed their Morrisby profiling results with an accredited Morrisby career counsellor. It is hoped these initial conversations will help support students in making informed choices about their subject selection and possible pathways as they embark on Term 3, the exciting term of transition.

Keep the entries rolling in for the Principal’s Writing Competition! There’s still lots of time to submit entries as the closing date is July 19 (Term 3, Week 1), so students can finalise their work over the holidays.

The Bayview Writer’s Club has been well attended over the term, with students meeting weekly in the library to keenly hone their writing skills, share ideas, and indulge in a few snacks. We are really looking forward to reading everybody’s ‘It’s just a game’ themed entries.

Students can submit their work via the Google form here or on their year level cohort’s Google classroom. There are many exciting prizes to be won including an iPad, book prizes, certificates, and a writer’s workshop with a published author (last year we had Michael Pryor, popular fantasy sci-fi author work with our students). Additionally, the names of the winners will be printed on our Principal’s Writing Competition honour boards, and all winning entries will be published in an anthology that will be available to borrow in our school libraries.

Our Year 9 students have been utilising Knowledge Organisers effectively in English, Science and Humanities classes. The Knowledge Organisers have proven to be a valuable tool in the lead up to Semester 1 exams with their focus on expanding and using vocabulary, enhancing comprehension, and fostering independent learning. By reducing their cognitive load, students are better equipped to deepen their understanding and consolidate key concepts of units of work.

Well done and congratulations to our Year 9-12 students on the successful completion of their exams. We hope this examination period was one of learning and reflection as we head into Term 3.

We look forward to the release of Year 7 and Year 9 NAPLAN results early next term. These results will provide valuable insights on our students’ achievement and areas for growth. Details to follow.

In Term 2 the Humanities team was thrilled to run the always vibrant Humanities Week at Bayview. The week was packed with engaging activities, fostering both fun and thoughtful reflection on various aspects of the humanities.

A major highlight of Humanities Week was the Aboriginal Culture Day incursion for our Year 7 students, which connected to their unit of study: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures. This enriching event was a deep dive into the rich tapestry of Aboriginal heritage. Students participated in symbolic art and symbol drawings, listened to storytelling, experienced the powerful rhythms of didgeridoo playing, and were taught traditional Aboriginal dance. The day was an invaluable opportunity for our students to connect with and appreciate the profound cultural contributions of Aboriginal communities.

Lunchtimes were transformedinto immersive experiences with our Virtual Reality sessions using the school’s new VR headsets. Students had the unique opportunity to step into the shoes of a World War I pilot, explore ancient Egyptian ruins, and navigate blistering snowstorms. These virtual adventures provided a visceral understanding of different environments and historical contexts, making learning both interactive and memorable.

Another standout event was our Student vs Teacher Humanities Trivia. The competition was fierce, culminating in a thrilling tie for first place between our dedicated teachers and an impressive group of students. Our week was filled with moments of joy, learning and cultural appreciation. It was fantastic to see our students so engaged and enthusiastic about the diverse activities.

The Humanities program at Williamstown High School continues to provide its students with a vast array of opportunities to apply their critical thinking skills and gain real world experiences. Mr Raiter’s Politics classes were fortunate to have two such experiences in the first half of the year.

Firstly, they had a visit from the Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts, our local MP, for a Q&A session. Students had prepared questions - ranging from the war in Gaza and Australia’s engagement with the United Nations to the country’s energy strategy. It was a fascinating insight into the life of a working politician as well as the principles that underlie Australia’s foreign and domestic policies.

A few weeks later, they conducted a Model United Nations Security Council meeting. Students chose one of the current members to represent and, after selecting an issue (climate change), they researched their country’s policies and interests so that they could advocate for these. Representing Guyana, Year 12 students Mariam Hassan and Eva Bugeja, took the lead in drafting and negotiating in favour of a resolution. Ultimately it proved too difficult to achieve consensus across the members of the Council, demonstrating why it can be so challenging to find resolutions to deeply contested issues.

2024 Semester One HAPE Report Pasco Campus

The Pasco Campus has provided a range of subjects through the Health and Physical Education Curriculum Area this semester. The Year 10 PE Fitness and Health classes are coming up to their final assessment for the semester and have just completed their first round of exams at the Pasco Campus. Year 10 Adventure and Community has students engaging in sailing, cycling and other outdoor adventures in the local Williamstown area.

Year 11 students recently embarked on a three-day Outdoor Education camp to the Grampians, immersing themselves in nature while developing leadership, risk analysis, and environmental stewardship skills. Throughout the expedition, students led journeys, planned meticulously, and adhered to the ‘Leave No Trace’ principles.

By the end of the camp students emerged as proficient outdoor enthusiasts, empowered leaders, and conscientious environmental stewards. The camp exemplified the transformative power of experiential learning, equipping students with invaluable skills, insights, and memories that will endure far beyond the wilderness.

Adding to this, the VET Sport and Recreation class has been busy learning about different training strategies and methods, and has been lucky enough to take part in some sessions with the Richmond Institute, the education arm of the Richmond Football Club.

VCE Health and Human Development and Physical Education students are coming to the end of their first semester and we wish them luck as they prepare for their Unit 2 & Unit 4 studies.

The VET Sport and Recreation class is training hard at the Richmond Institute.

Term 2 is an extremely busy term for the WHS Sport program with the school entering multiple teams in the following sports:

• Netball

• AFL

• Football (soccer)

• Badminton

The competition started off with the Boys Netball and Girls AFL on Thursday, May 9, with the following teams making it through to the WMR Finals:

• Intermediate Boys Netball

• Senior Boys Netball

• Junior Girls AFL

• Intermediate Girls AFL (straight through to WMR as no opposition)

• Senior Girls AFL

The WMR competition for the Boys Netball finals is Thursday, August 8, at the Altona Sports Centre.

The Girls AFL teams, both junior and senior, had their final on Wednesday, June 19. The Junior Girls won two of their three games against Taylors Lakes and Bacchus Marsh, but sadly were defeated by Western Heights. Best players on the day for the junior team were Delani Pasco, Isla Karakiozakis and Ava O’Toole. Sophie Sonego, Alice Bateman, Chloe Szamberlanczyk, Elisa Dib and Charlotte Koziaris were the main goals scorers.

The senior team played its WMR final on the same day, but unfortunately could not field a full side and were beaten on the day in all matches.

The Intermediate Girls AFL team will play their WMR final on Tuesday, July 23, at Galvin Park.

The WMR competition for the Boys Netball finals is Thursday, August 8, at the Altona Sports Centre.

Senior sport

Senior Sport went out on May 14 and saw the Boys AFL and Boys and Girls Soccer teams make it through to the WMR finals, with the AFL games being played on Tuesday, June 25, at Winter Reserve, East Belmont, and the soccer played on Tuesday, July 30. The Boys competition will be at City Vista Reserve, Plumpton, and the Girls at Keilor Park Synthetic Soccer Pitch, Keilor Park. We wish all teams the best of luck.

Intermediate Sport

The intermediate teams HBD Competition was on Friday, May 24, with the Girls Netball, Boys AFL and Boys Soccer teams all successfully making it through to the WMR finals. The Intermediate Girls Soccer advanced through to the WMR final due to no competition.

The Intermediate Boys AFL team will play its WMR final games on Wednesday, July 24, at Winter Reserve in East Belmont. The Intermediate Girls Netball team will play its WMR final on Tuesday, July 30, at Altona Sports Centre. The Intermediate Girls Soccer WMR final is on Wednesday, July 31, at Keilor Park Synthetic Soccer Pitch in Keilor Park, and the Boys play at City Vista Reserve in Plumpton. We wish them all the best in the finals.

Junior Sport

The Year 7 and 8 teams have also made it through to the WMR finals in netball, AFL and the Boys and Girls soccer competitions. The two Year 8 Girls netball teams played off in the HBD final.

On Wednesday, June 26, we have the Year 8 Boys AFL WMR final at Wyndham Vale South Reserve, the Year 7 and 8 Girls Netball WMR final at the Altona Sports Centre, and the Year 7 Boys Soccer WMR final at City Vista Reserve, Plumpton.

On Thursday, June 27, we have the Year 7 Boys AFL WMR final again at Wyndham Vale South, and the Year 8 Boys Soccer and Year 7 and 8 Girls Soccer WMR finals at City Vista Reserve and Keilor Park. We wish them all the best.

Cross Country

The WMR Cross Country was held at Brimbank Park on Thursday, June 20, and thankfully this year the weather was favourable with the competitors running on a dry track with some winter sun. Williamstown High School participants once again showcased their athletic talent with the following students making it through to the State Cross Country Finals on Thursday, July 18.

12/13 Girls The following girls won the team event and all have made it through to the State Final: Elodie Bishop, Mieke Pretorius, Nina McArthur and Kayli Clements.

12/13 Boys Cooper Cookson

14 Girls Zara Johnston

14 Boys Thomas Royal

15 Girls Ava Palser

15 Boys Max Dmytrenko

16 Girls Emilia Rossi

16 Boys Isaac Sontag

Malaysian Netball Team

The Accelerated Netball Program had the opportunity to train and play against the Malaysian U/19 team. This amazing opportunity was arranged by the program coach, Marg Lind. All the students involved in the program had an intensive training session, followed by the opportunity to play against the girls in their year level teams. Unfortunately a planned session with the Brunei team could not happen as it fell within the July school holiday period.

Olympic Swimming Trials

Year 9 student Mia Mifsud qualified for the Australian Olympic Trials in Queensland. Mia competed in the 200m Butterfly, competing in the same qualifying event as our Olympic swimmers. What an achievement for a 14-year-old girl. Daniel Cave, a former student of Williamstown High School, also competed at the trials, placing eighth in his 100m Breaststroke event. The head coach at Caulfield Aquatics was so impressed with Mia that he asked her to join his club and, coincidentally, Mia is now training in the same team as Daniel Cave.

School Sport Victoria

A big congratulations goes to Marcus Pilovski for being selected in the SSV Soccer Team. He will be travelling to Perth to compete in the National Championships in October. Best of luck Marcus.

And another big congratulations goes to Sahara Ranjeetkar for being selected in the State U/15 Girls Soccer team, playing in the National Championships in Melbourne, July 3-8th. We wish her the best of luck.

Interleague AFL

The following boys have been selected in the AFL Western Region Football and Netball Interleague team:

U/13

Tyler Cross (VC)

Harrison Wood

B team

Henry Pasque

U/14

Jack Court

Ben Berridge

James Catlow

U/15

Hugo Hanrahan (C)

Kade Warrener (C)

The following girls played in the Altona U/15 Girls team, winning the Netball Association Championships: Manon Muir, Maeve Connally, Layla Pretorius and Ruby Marino.

Congratulations on a wonderful achievement, girls.

Manon Muir has also been selected in the State U/15 Girls Netball Team and will be playing in the National Championships in July on the Gold Coast. Congratulations Manon and best of luck.

Drumroll, please! Meet our school’s shining stars who’ve hit all the right notes!

We’re proud to announce that Year 12 students Excelsior Madden and Indy Readsmith have been chosen as principal vocalists to dazzle the stage in the upcoming Victorian State Schools Spectacular. The theme this year is water, and they will be sure to make a splash.

Let’s cheer them on as they bring their A-game to the spotlight on Saturday, September 14, at John Cain Arena. The broadcast will air later in the year on Channel 7. Get ready to be mesmerised by their talent and passion! A big congratulations to these students, and all the best for your upcoming rehearsals.

It has been a busy term at Pasco Campus in the Technology area. Students have been gaining real life experience in problem solving and critical thinking. They have had opportunities to apply practical and hands-on skills through completing a range of learning tasks. A focus has been on ethics, sustainability and responsible sourcing of materials. This learning has occurred across our Information Technology, Product Design and Technology (Wood and Textiles), and Foods content areas.

It is a priority to our team that our students participate in real life activities that provide them with skills and confidence in areas that sit outside of traditional education areas. Throughout this semester it has ranged from designing and cooking a meal, creating outstanding games and apps to constructing a hoodie with their own logo.

This week, the Year 11 Food Studies class attended an excursion to Velisha Farms Werribee. The focus was on exploring primary and secondary food production on a working farm in Melbourne’s western suburbs.

The students took part in the Farm Gate Program, which included:

• A tour of the farm and warehouse facilities, with explanations of how each section contributes to vegetables reaching your plate.

• Tastings of vegetables grown and packed at Velisha Farms.

• Activities to understand the entire food supply chain.

• Projects appropriate to the cohort’s year level.

• Resources and materials for ongoing work back at school.

The curriculum that was addressed included:

• Analyse how foods are produced when creating managed environments and how these can become more sustainable.

• Analyse how characters and properties of food determine preparation techniques and presentation, and sensory perceptions influence the creation of food solutions for healthy eating.

The educational benefits of the Farm Gate Program are diverse. Not only was it a fun and a hugely memorable time, but there were also constant opportunities for students to expand their own individual knowledge crucial to higher level learning and problem-solving skills in the food industry. The program is aligned to the VCE Food Studies curriculum.

The aim of this project is to increase exposure and awareness of where food comes from, supply chains and promotion of the diversity of career opportunities in the horticulture sector. It was a great way for the students to be able to freely capture and spread the word about fresh produce farming to the broader community and consider a career in the diverse world of food.

Ms Geraldine Famularo - Year 11 Food Studies teacher

Finally, I would like to thank the Technology team for their support and encouragement throughout the semester. Coming into an established team that, in our principal’s words, is ‘talented and progressive’ can be at times a bit challenging - especially as a leader. This has certainly not been the case with this group of teachers. I would like to acknowledge their warmth, professionalism and positiveness. The school is certainly lucky to have such quality educators.

Lisa DeBaere

Technology Curriculum Area Team Leader (Pasco Campus)

Technology Bayview Semester 1 2024

The Technology team has had a very active start to the year.

Wood Tech has warmly welcomed Jonathan Griffin to the Technology team.

Here are a few words from Jonathan:

Hi, my name is Jonathan Griffin and I’m thrilled to have joined the Bayview Technology team for 2024. I joined Williamstown High School at the beginning of the year and instantly felt part of the community. My area of expertise is in Design and Technology with a focus on materials. I am currently teaching several Year 7 Wood Technology classes as well as Horticulture, a Year 7 homegroup and a Year 9 HAPE class.

Prior to making the move to Willi High, I spent the last 10 years of my career teaching in the outer western suburbs of Melbourne as a Year 7-9 homegroup, Wood Technology and Health and Physical Education teacher. Originally from Ireland, I made the decision to move to Australia/Melbourne in 2014 to further my educational journey. What was meant to be a short work/holiday visit has led to me now calling Australia home for me and my family.

We now have three Wood Tech teachers at Bayview: Isabella O’Malley, Garrett Drago and Jonathan Griffin. The Wood room is a very busy space with students often doing work at lunchtime.

This term our focus was on Arts & Technology Week, with several activities planned for students: robotics, Lego masters, virtual reality, trivia and quizzes and photography.

The following Technology subjects are studied in the indicated year level:

Year 7: Textiles and Wood Technology

Year 8: Horticulture and Food Technology, Hold Fast Café (elective)

Year 9: Elective Program: Food Technology, Wood Technology, Iron Chef, STEAM Synergy, ICT, Textile Design, Photography, Horticulture

All of these subjects complement the senior programs offered at the Pasco Campus.

Retirement

Doug Leckie

Thank you to Doug Leckie, who was our longtime Horticulture teacher at Bayview. He was a key force in getting Horticulture up and running at the school and worked tirelessly, afterschool and on weekends, to maintain the students' garden beds and to water the plants the students had propagated. He has been a stalwart of promoting the importance of Horticulture, the science of plants and the need to keep green spaces and veggie patches in our local areas and backyards.

Doug supported many other Technology programs at the school and was always a welcome chef in the Food Tech classes when they were filleting fish for a special recipe. Doug has a passion for the school’s wetlands and the garden beds, and was often called upon for advice regarding the correct plants to have around the school or how to look after the wetlands. On behalf of the CAT team, we all wish Doug well on his new path. Hold fast!

Thomas Frawley

Congratulations to Tom, who has a position up north next semester. Tom arrived last year to work in Horticulture, reinvigorating the space with some very challenging conditions - a lost hot house due to a storm, garden beds that needed a redesigned space, a huge clean-up of the sheds and other equipment that had been in storage for some time. Being a graduate and faced with several challenges can be daunting, but Tom worked through a plan to get the area into a more workable space.

Tom embraced Horticulture with a passion and this term spent time working with his Year 9 class to plant out the garden beds at the front of the school with an Indigenous theme. The students appreciated seeing their hard work in real time. It was a wonderful effort and meant they experienced planting that will have long term benefits.

The Technology team wishes Tom well in his new venture.

Textiles/Fashion Design

Textiles, which is a life skill, is changing the traditional view of careers in this subject. The fine motor skills, patience and creative thinking developed are very important in teaching students how to be tactile and work collaboratively with their peers. I always say this is where potential surgeons and ICT technicians learn to be accurate, technical, precise and neat with their sewing and stitching. But more importantly, be patient and careful with the finer details.

Year 9 students have been honing their skills in garment construction, making windcheaters, tracksuit pants, pyjamas and hanging organisers. It’s great to see coed class having such a great time, machining, using the overlocker and understanding the complexities of using a pattern to produce a garment. Well done Ms Ross.

Year 7 Textiles

Jobs that require the study of Textiles

Emerging fields and evolving industries have introduced new roles that require expertise in textiles. Here are some contemporary jobs where textile design skills are increasingly valuable:

Smart Textiles Developer: Design and develop textiles integrated with technology, such as wearable electronics, sensors and responsive fabrics.

Sustainable Fashion Designer: Create environmentally friendly and sustainable textile solutions, focusing on eco-friendly materials and production processes.

Technical Textile Specialist: Develop high-performance fabrics for specialised applications like medical textiles, sports gear and protective clothing.

Textile Recycling Coordinator: Work on processes and innovations related to recycling and repurposing of textile materials.

E-textile Engineer: Combine textiles with electronic components to create innovative products like health-monitoring garments and interactive fabrics.

3D Printing Textile Designer: Use 3D printing technology to create complex and customised textile designs and structures.

Material Scientist: Research and develop new textile materials with enhanced properties, such as improved durability, flexibility or biodegradability.

Textile Data Analyst: Utilise data analytics to optimise textile production, improve quality control, and predict trends in textile usage.

Circular Fashion Consultant: Advise companies on implementing circular economy principles in their textile production and product lifecycle management.

Virtual Fashion Designer: Use digital tools to create virtual textile designs and garments for use in digital fashion platforms and virtual reality environments.

Digital Technology

It has been a busy semester in the Bayview Digital Technology classrooms.

In the ICT and Robotics classes, students learnt about the development and design process. They did this by developing software to run on Windows, and programming robots to move around and interact with their environment. Students also built on their computer skills by learning touch typing and the ethical ramifications of robots and AI in the workplace.

In STEAM Synergy students have been spending weekly lessons at Wyndham Tech School learning about project management, team building and CAD design skills. In Term 1 they worked in teams to design and run an eSports tournament. They learnt different tools used for managing, promoting and running an online eSports game. In Term 2, they designed F1 cars on a 3D CAD platform, with the aim to print them out and race them against each other.

Well Done Mr Genis and Mr Daniels.

Food Technology Year 8 & 9

It has been a very busy few weeks in the kitchen. Some of the Year 8 classes have been making dishes suitable for an afternoon tea. Students produced macarons, brownies, choux buns, churros, cakes, cookies and so much more. They did a fantastic job and should be very proud of their efforts.

Year 9 Iron Chef students designed recipes using seasonal ingredients for their second CAT. Like the Year 8s, students produced a wonderful array of dishes - some were of restaurant quality.

Well done Ms Wangeman and Ms Jepsen.

Hold Fast Café - Year 8

Cafe style recipes were produced by students with an emphasis on more complex cooking processes and presenting the food to a high standard. Fabulous results were achieved.

Helen Bacon

Technology I Design Curriculum Leader Bayview Campus

Firstly, I’d like to take this opportunity to formally welcome Calyton Warren and Sam Konig, who have joined the Bayview Arts Team this year teaching Year 7-9 Visual Arts, Communication and Design. They have been a great addition to the team and are already making an impact on learning in the classroom.

As always, the Arts department has been a hive of activity this semester. Students from Years 7, 8 and 9 have been engaging in the classroom with Visual Art, Visual Communication and Design, Sculpture, Photography, Make a Movie, Dance, Drama and Music. Meanwhile, outside the classroom students have been taking part in the many terrific extracurricular programs the Arts team offer at the Bayview Campus. Monday through Thursday, students are honing their skills before and after school as part of our fabulous music bands, ensembles and choirs.

Music Ensembles

Junior Band - Monday after school

Intermediate Band - Thursday after school

Bayview Senior Band - Wednesday after school

Bayview Stage Band - Thursday before school

Junior Guitar Ensemble - Thursday after school

Intermediate Guitar Ensemble - Wednesday after school

Bayview Choir - Wednesday after school

Furthermore, Art Club has also been running every Tuesday lunchtime, which gives students the opportunity to continue their practical skill development under the guidance of our wonderful Visual Arts teachers. The Year 9 Make A Movie class has been working hard creating their final films. Well done to all of the groups. A particular shout out to Harry Turner and Dylan Disint for creating an amazing, gory, killer clown movie!

Finally, in Week 3 of this term, Bayview celebrated Art, Design and Technology Week by running numerous lunchtime events for students to take part in. A variety of workshops were available to choose from everyday. These included dance, open microphone music performances, Lego masters, virtual reality, ceramics and clay, art club and themed trivia competitions. The creativity of the students is second to none and the engagement and enthusiasm shown toward each of these activities has been a delight to see. A big thank you to all of the teachers in the Art, Design and Technology faculties for their continued hard work to ensure our students have the best possible learning experience at Williamstown High School.

Jesse Sheahan

Arts Curriculum Area Team Leader (Bayview Campus)

Visual Arts Captains’ Report

There have been lots of exciting things happening in the Visual Arts this semester. The 5x7 Exhibition was on again at the Louis Joel Gallery with 24 of our Year 7s, from 7C, 7E, 7G and 7I, all participating, with some from each class being selected to be part of this year's exhibition. Congratulations to those students on being chosen for the exhibition.

This year’s theme was “My Song”, where students chose their favourite song to create an interpretative painting. Lots of great images have been produced and the work has been on display in the school’s Atrium over the semester.

This year the Visual Arts theme is “Mythical Creatures”, in Years 7, 8 and 9. Students are working to create ceramics, drawing, printmaking and papier-mâché, with some outstanding results.

Triennial Exhibition National Gallery of Victoria

Last term, two Year 9 Visual Art classes attended the Triennial at the National Gallery of Victoria. This was a free exhibition of Contemporary Art with three major themes running through the exhibition: Material, Magic and Matters. It was where science meets robotics and art, meets the environment and art, meets social justice and art. This was a very large exhibition, with 100 pieces scattered throughout the gallery. It took all day and we still didn’t get to see everything, but we all had a great day. As part of the exhibition, some of the students had fun photographing a group of plastic bathtub ducks all around the gallery. The educator, Lily Feiner, was very impressed with the student’s quirky photography and asked the students if they would send her a photo to place on her desk as a reminder of her wonderful experience with our students. Lily said it would form part of her gallery images in the NGV.

Year 12 Folios Think, Pair Share with Year 9

This term Ms Bacon’s Year 9 Visual Arts class visited the senior school for an immersive experience with the Year 12 Art students and their teacher Mr Heymann. The students had a great time looking at the work of the Year 12s and discussing and giving constructive feedback for the VCE students’ written piece. All of the students said they enjoyed the experience of being able to talk about art and meet Year 12s who were creatively passionate about their folios.

We hope there will be more crossover experiences in the future.

Shaya Quilty, Saffron Rabbidge, Isobel Heddles and Eva Mifsud - Visual Arts Captains (2024)

Next meeting - Tuesday, July 23, 7:30pm - in person only at the Bayview Campus

Guest speaker - Garrett Drago, Marine Science teacher, will be showing us around the new PFA-funded aquariums - and their inhabitants - in the Marine Science room at the Bayview Campus. This will be a great opportunity to hear more about WHS’s Marine Science program and see the facilities first hand.

Thanks to Karen Anderson for walking a few PFA members around the Bayview Campus on June 7, explaining the future Master Plan for the grounds. Increasing all-ability access, making better use of some spaces, and ensuring the safety of students are key focuses. More detail on this was given at our meeting on June 11, but if you missed the meeting and would like to know more, please email presidentwhspfa@gmail.com

Bunnings Sausage Sizzle

The PFA’s annual Bunnings Sausage Sizzle was held on a chilly but sunny Sunday recently, at the Millers Road store. Huge thanks to the hard work from the PFA committee members and the parents who volunteered their time on the day. The lunchtime shifts were flat out, and greatly contributed to our largest sausage sizzle profit - just over $1800. This is a fantastic result, and we look forward to fulfilling more donation requests for extra resources for WHS students throughout the year.

There is more information about the PFA on the school website under the Parents tab. Or email presidentwhspfa@gmail.com to receive PFA updates or get in touch.

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