Welcome to the latest edition of our W-Files.

Term 2 has seen a number of regular events and activities occur. Drama productions, excursions, incursions, respectful relationships workshops, camps, careers activities at both campuses, art and technology showcases and activities, NAPLAN and our Open Night for prospective Year 7 families have been just some of the fantastic experiences that have taken place in the first four weeks of this term.

Our breakfast club, and homework and alumni tutor programs have also seen significant student involvement. I would encourage all students to consider taking advantage of both the healthy food provided before school and the after-school study environment with free tutors in attendance to support students.

The Open Night received glowing feedback from the excited families who attended. We had a packed gym of prospective families listening to speakers as well as visiting breakout sessions for further information on some of our unique programs and offerings. I found myself glowing with pride as I heard our Bayview Campus captains talk fondly about their experiences and their fondness for Williamstown High School. It was pleasing to then hear families comment on how wonderful all the speakers were and how highly our school is regarded by students, parents and staff.

Both campuses marked or will mark IDAHOBIT Day with celebrations of individuals, prominent educational material being put up around the school, as well as some engaging activities taking place and free awareness-raising donuts distributed. IDAHOBIT is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia. It aims to raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ rights and stimulate interest in the work being done in this area worldwide.

Attendance continues to be a real focus area for our staff. We understand fully the importance of students remaining engaged and connected, and how important this is to not only their social and academic growth but also their individual wellbeing. I would ask families to please support this focus by maximising your child’s attendance at school and providing relevant communication when absences are due to illness or other important matters. Please also reach out to school wellbeing leaders if you have any concerns for your child in this area.

Public Reporting Meeting

Each year we are required to publish an Annual Report on the outcomes of the previous year. The school receives summary data on the areas of learning, wellbeing and engagement. The school’s leadership then spends time reflecting on this and creating some commentary on the data as well as preliminary planning for the following year. A draft is then tabled at School Council.

The Annual Report is now finalised and available for all to view on our school website (under the “About Us” tab). We will also be tabling the Annual Report at our June 20 School Council meeting from 6-7pm at the Pasco Campus Study Centre, which will be a public reporting meeting. Here highlights from the report will be presented and questions invited and responded to. If you would like to attend the meeting, it would help our coordination efforts if you could please RSVP our publications and daily organiser, Jenny Pedler, at the following email address: Jennifer.Pedler@education.vic.gov.au

The 2023 Attitudes to School Survey

The Attitudes to School Survey is an annual student survey conducted by the Department of Education and Training. It involves all students from Years 7 to 12. The survey assists us in gaining an understanding of students’ perceptions and experiences of school. We use the survey results to assist in planning programs and activities to improve the schooling experience for our students.

We will have access to the results of the survey during Term 3 and use them to reflect on student engagement and performance. This year the Attitudes to School Survey will be held from Weeks 4 to 8 of Term 2. The survey takes 20 to 30 minutes to complete and occurs during class time. The privacy and the confidentiality of every student’s responses is protected at all times and there is no personal data collected in the survey.

In response to last year's survey results - together with feedback obtained from an internal Respectful Relationships survey - we have started to engage students, families and staff to help develop educational posters about appropriate behaviour and what to do when bullying occurs. In last year's survey, 86% of our students stated they had personally never experienced bullying. However, 53% stated they did not know what to do if bullying occurred nor did they know what the school’s response would be to incidents involving bullying.

The posters are aimed at ensuring all students know exactly what action to take if they observe or experience bullying, as well as make clear the school’s response. Principals and senior staff have visited all homegroups and explained what we are doing and why. We also explained that due to privacy rights, specific details about incidences of bullying may not be shared; however, this guiding document will make clear to the school community what the acceptable behaviour standards are and what response will be triggered in instances where inappropriate behaviour occurs.

All students have been sent a Google Forms link to provide feedback and input into the draft poster. A focus group for family input will also be held, and then the finalised posters will be professionally produced and put on display in every classroom - similar to the statement of inclusivity posters developed last year.

New School Jumper

There is a saying "If you build it, they will come" that I think applies similarly to our uniform: “Let them design their jumper and they will wear it”.

We engaged our students when designing a new school jumper with a new colour, eco-friendly material and a modern fit/look, with the result being high demand for the product at the uniform shop. We are also looking at further feedback regarding our uniform, in particular from our school captains, who have highlighted several areas they feel students would like School Council to review.

Firstly, introducing a short-sleeved white blouse. Currently only a long-sleeved option is available, unlike the white shirt, which has both long and short sleeved options. They would also like to review the material - particularly increasing the thickness - of our white polo tops to improve student comfort and safety. And, finally, introducing an optional school beanie - predominantly for warmth. This final item would be a significant change and will attract varying views, hence it is one for which we will consult with our key stakeholders, students, families and staff before either introducing it or looking at alternatives.

Dear parents and carers

Cooler weather has greeted us on our return to Bayview for Term 2. This has coincided with the availability of our much awaited new, black school jumper. It is excellent to see our students wearing our uniform with pride! Wearing a uniform, I believe, promotes inclusivity and safety. Please encourage your child to dress in Academic Uniform daily with Physical Education Uniform on HPE and Sport class days.

We hope that our Parent Teacher Student Conferences, on the last Tuesday of term, were valuable for you and your child. We see PTSC as a key avenue to continue to develop the six-year long partnership with you as parents/carers of secondary school age children and see engagement at events of this nature as explicitly linked to improving student learning outcomes. If you did not attend on Webex or in person, please plan to do so in Semester 2 and, as always, please contact your child’s homegroup and classroom teachers, as required.

Our school day commences at 8:50am and our grounds are supervised from 8:30am. Please encourage your child to arrive with sufficient time to access their locker and do what is required in readiness for the first two lessons. Our library opens at 8:20am daily and closes at 4:30pm. Please contact our engagement and wellbeing team - Alex Robinson, Christina Frei and Ann Hyland if you are finding this to be a difficult time.

Our learning environment

We are looking to address student punctuality, as our focus remains on student engagement with learning. The “S” and “I” phases of classes, using our Instructional Model SIMPLE, are when the Statement of Intention and the Immerse parts of the lesson occur. These are critical engaging students with what they then learn in the Model part of the lesson. Please speak with your child about the importance of punctuality (which you can see on marked rolls in Compass) if you note they are arriving after the beginning of the lesson.

Our physical environment

Work to improve spaces for students is continuing. The resurfacing of our asphalt courts is almost complete, as are the establishment of two Instrumental Music ‘pods’ alongside Room 10. The gymnasium floor was also sanded and refinished over the break and a storage shed alongside the gymnasium was completed, following the removal of two shipping containers nearby. We anticipate that these works will continue to optimise learning opportunities for students.

Please continue to provide ‘nude’ food for your child wherever possible so we can reduce our waste, en masse, and optimise enjoyment of outdoor spaces. We are continuing to seek student interest in establishing the Bayview Environment and Sustainability Team (BEST), so we can work on this further.

Please also speak with your child about their use of student toilets and bathrooms. It is evident that students are choosing to consume food in the bathrooms, which can be unsanitary. The Atrium is an indoor space that students can use at all breaks and, at this point, students may consume food in the Atrium.

Staff farewells and welcomes

We have welcomed two new staff members to the Bayview Campus. Denise Horner, Health and Physical Education teacher, is replacing Warren Patterson, who is on leave. And Paul McArthur, Humanities and English teacher, is replacing Hannah Erasmus. Sarah Barry, Humanities and English teacher, is also our acting Humanities Curriculum Area Team leader this term in Hannah’s absence.

We are currently in the Waring season of the Eastern Kulin Seasonal Calendar, as described by Woiwurrung traditions: Wombat Season. This time of the year is evident at Bayview Street with cool, rainy days following misty mornings.

Kind regards

Karen Anderson

As a school community we have made a great start to Term 2, I am especially impressed with the commitment to learning shown by so many students. Our self-directed learning spaces in the Library and Study Centre are filled with students studying, planning and collaborating at both lunchtime and after school. These spaces are a great place for students to connect with each other and I certainly enjoy seeing them used so productively.

IDAHOBIT Day

We are proud to acknowledge and support IDAHOBIT Day at the Pasco Campus. Our student leaders organised a range of activities including Breakfast Club, fundraising activities, an out-of-uniform day, messages of inclusion and support, and a LGBTQIA+ Icons display in the Library that celebrates diversity and inclusivity in our community.

Year 12 VCE-VM

Congratulations to all our VCE-Vocational Major students who are working hard completing their learning outcomes. They have recently visited the Young Workers Centre to complete a workshop on entering the workforce and understanding their rights and responsibilities. Additionally, earlier in the term all 42 students completed the Responsible Serving of Alcohol Course - the students requested the school to run the course, a request we were able to accommodate. We are proud of our VCE-VM students and the commitment they are showing to their growth and development.

Student Engagement and Wellbeing Leaders’ Conference

Year level coordinators and other members of the Student Engagement and Wellbeing Team were involved in a two-day conference recently where they completed professional learning about ensuring the safety and wellbeing of students at school, how to work with students to prevent bullying, and how to encourage students to be supportive advocates for each other. This is important work and Willi High values the ongoing professional learning for all staff.

As we approach the midyear examination period, I encourage all students to seek out the support of their teachers and prepare thoroughly for the exams. The exams provide valuable insight into learning growth for both students and teachers, ensuring the appropriate level of support and challenge is in place to ensure development for every student.

Daniel Pearce

Pasco Campus Principal

Willi High visits the Grand Prix!

At the end of Term 2, 50 Willi High students from Years 7-10 and a range of staff from both campuses visited the 2023 Melbourne Formula 1 Grand Prix - and what a time we had! Eli Culha of 9J reports:

On the 31st of March 2023 we went on the F1 Excursion to learn more about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics). Students involved with the STEAM program were invited to join the excursion. On the excursion we learnt about different types of engineering and how it has evolved over the years. On the day there were multiple activities for us to do in our downtime. When we got to the Grand Prix we checked in and watched F1 practice for a while, then we got into groups for our activities.

We then visited some stalls, including the Air Force’s stall in which a flight simulator was found. Some of the other stalls included army vehicles, race cars from over the years and an F1 simulator. After we did the activities we had some downtime to explore the other stalls and get lunch. There was a wide variety of different food options including potato on a stick, bubble tea, fish and chips and smoothies. Then we left to catch the bus and went back to school.

This was a good learning experience full of STEAM-related activities. We would like to thank Mr Marshall, Mr Genis, Mrs O’Malley and many more teachers that went on the trip. We would also like to thank everyone for the effort that went into organising the trip. This is something we would like to continue in future years to help promote STEAM. Overall this was an amazing experience and will be one to remember for years to come.

- Eli Culha, Bayview STEAM Captain, 9J

There is a real buzz of energy in the Year 7 area at the start of term 2. No longer the newbies at the school, students have now found their stride and have built connections with their peers.

This is a short nine week term and students are working through their courses and completing their assessments. In Year 7 students complete three assessments in Mathematics and English and two assessments in all other subjects. At WHS we complete continuous assessment so parents and carers should monitor Compass. Please look through the following Compass Guide for parents and carers https://www.compass.education/guide as it helps with navigating the site.

In Term 2 the focus on the Homegroup Curriculum is Respectful Relationships, Goal Reflections and Careers. In the Student Resource Diary there is a section on the Resilience Project that we are starting this term. Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness. Have a look at this website if you want more information as there is a parents/carers and teens section. https://theresilienceproject.com.au/ If your child has misplaced their Student Resource Diary they can purchase one at the front office.

Bullying is NEVER ok is the message behind an awareness campaign we are currently developing. We are developing student resources to explain the process the school takes when investigating bullying as well as steps students can take to support a friend or themselves. Our College Principal Gino Catalano and Isabella O’Malley spoke to all homegroups to ask for their support in providing feedback into these resources to ensure the key messages are understood and it is student friendly. Mr Darren Nicholas our Bayview Campus Assistant Principal is leading this campaign and will also be looking for feedback form our parents and carers.

You may not be aware of the wonderful work that Hobsons Bay Youth Services do. They are based upstairs in the Newport library near Newport train station. Not only can you access a counselling service they also have a series of interesting webinars and support programs to support local parents/carers. If interested either check out their website here or pop in and say hello. Many of our students go to their afterschool fun youth programs, https://www.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/Community/Community-services/Young-people/Support-for-young-people/Support-for-parents

Each of our Year 7 classes nominated a student to be their Student Representative Council (SRC). This role is very important in a High School setting in representing the view of students to student leadership and to School Leaders. They are:

At the end of last term several of our Year 7 students that are interested in STEAM had the opportunity to attend the F1 in schools Program. A couple of photos are attached. Ezra Bangun is the teacher in charge of the Academic Enhancement Program and the After School Homework Club run by our Alumni Mentors. Ezra is also supporting a range of clubs. Ezra.Bangun@education.vic.gov.au Thanks to your donations of games earlier in the year and now a games club and chess competition is occurring.

We would like to congratulate our Semester 1 students on receiving their Citizenship and Academic Achievement awards. Students are nominated by various teachers and the students achieving the most nominations in that class get the award. The Citizenship award goes to students who demonstrate how to be an effective learner, a supportive peer and someone that supports community spirit and is a positive role model. The Academic Award goes to students that consistently show growth in their learning. For Semester 1 the students receiving their award were:

Our wonderful Year 9 House Captains Archer Russel, Mischa Johnston, Ella Bloxham, Emily Gray, Liam Jackson, indiana Tedesco, Dominique Littooij and Angus Caldwell are running a house competition with our Year 7 students. It was a very tight contest last week when Nicholas Viljoen 7J (from Red house) taking the win followed by Kaashif Al-Mamun 7E (from Yellow House) taking second place and Xander Jones 7D (from Red House) taking third. We look forward to our next round. Well done to all ten contestants.

Nicholas Madden and Isabella O’Malley

Year 7 Coordinators

This week our year 8 cohort overcame many challenges in the Grampians at Roses Gap camp. They experienced a range of activities such as abseiling, rock climbing, giant swing and bush walks. It was impressive to see everyone’s resilience and ‘give it a go’ attitude.

By Term 2 our students are well into their stride, familiar with the learning expectations and rigours of their subjects. An impressive statistic that Carmen Wiseman and I celebrated from Term 1 was the positive attendance rates of our Year 9s, with 32 students having 100% attendance for Term 1. An outstanding achievement for these students, this earnt one lucky winner a $20 gift card at the end-of-term celebration assembly.

An integral part of the Year 9 experience is our pastoral care program and homegroup curriculum, where several key units allow a diverse approach to learning. In Term 2, students explore two key themes that home in on their social and emotional awareness and development:

• Careers – Over a four-week period, students complete a range of lessons on careers 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, which will come in handy in Term 3 when they select their subjects for 2024.

• Be the Hero – delivered as part of the RRRRs (Rights, Resilience and Respectful Relationships) curriculum implemented across the state, this program explores the issue of domestic violence: its prevalence, contributing factors, impacts and ways that we can make a difference to improving our relationships with others.

This term the cohort also enjoyed participating in the Spy School incursion – teams used GPS information and clues from the Spy School App to investigate key locations around the Jawbone Reserve, with the aim of completing challenges to solve the ‘who-done-it?’ inspired crime. This fitted one of the semester’s social goals for the cohort, in “making new connections”.

We look forward to the rest of term where students continue to explore their passions and interests, as well as prepare themselves for their first set of semester exams.

Tyson Hartwig & Carmen Wiseman | Year 9 Coordinators

We would like to acknowledge what a wonderful start our Year 10 cohort has had returning to school in Term 2. It has been fantastic to see so many of our students working hard in preparation for the final weeks of their studies before exams and wrapping up the Semester 1 elective subjects.

If you were lucky enough to get your hands on a ticket for the sold-out showings of “Binjuice” on 28 and 29 April at Soul City, you would have seen many of our Year 10 “Acting Out”students shine in acting, support and technical roles during what was an incredible performance. We want to congratulate all students involved:

Max Birch, Lily Cumming, Mac Woltsche, Samantha Dunn, Daisy Enraght-Moony, Audrey Fullarton-Keller, Rain Harty, Luci-Ella O’Dea, Vy Phan, Marcus Breet, Amelia Cammarano, Ryan Chang, Shannon Ebenwaldner, Aram Ghazagh, Charlotte Kerr, Maggie Lync, Excelsior Madden, Oliver Martin, Indy Readsmith, Fraser Saunders, Mackenzie Speakman, Scarlett Bader Smith, Gino Balestrieri, Oscar Cribb, Ruby Dunn, India Estall, Syd Window, James Greenham, Chloe Hodgman, Meera Kavar, Grace Kuret, Jack Lay, Muli Li, Blake Dosser, Suren Madadi, Anais McColl, Araya Mell, Katelyn O’Sullivan, Devon Rego, Sava Sajnovic, Nicola Steere, Tyler Sutton, Imogen Taylor and Ben Pettet.

On 27 April our Year 10 cohort took part in the Multimodal Approach to Preventing Suicide in Schools (MAPSS) project, which aims to reduce self-harm risk and increase help-seeking among young people. It is an integrated program delivered to Year 10 students in schools across the north and west of the city.

During the MAPSS session students completed a questionnaire to help support the upcoming safeTALK program that occured on Thursday, 18 May. This next phase of the program consisted of educational workshops, delivered by qualified facilitators from Lifeline Australia, that teaches students to recognise and respond to the warning signs of suicide in themselves and others. As a celebration for their training and participation, all students who completed the MAPSS program were provided lunch to recognise and celebrate their traing.

Year 10 Physical Education had a fantastic two-week program at Pursuit Boxing, where they undertook an intense session of anaerobic and HIIT style training workouts. The excursion was a fantastic way for students to push outside of their comfort zones and get to train under an ex-international level boxer. They have been able to since use their knowledge to draw back to theory in class about training methods and fitness components.

Next week, as a Year 10 cohort, we will be celebrating Careers Week in homegroup, where students will begin looking at creating their career action plans, developing questions to ask visiting career expo workplaces and identifying their strengths and passions to align with their future aspirations. The Year 10 students will also take part in the Careers Expo on Tuesday, 23 May, in the library, where they will be able to explore a range of different career pathways.

We would like to congratulate our Year 10 Cohort on a smooth transition back to school, and we look forward to all the rest of the fun that the term has in store for our students.

As you may be aware, staff at Williamstown High School have the opportunity to acknowledge and recognise the positive behaviours of students by creating a “positive post” on a student’s Compass newsfeed. At a recent Year Level Assembly, we acknowledged students who received 10 or more posts in Term 1. These students will receive a prize for starting the year in a productive and diligent manner. We would like to recognise them again here:

We would also like to acknowledge the Year 11 teachers who take the time to create positive posts and publish them on Compass. The teachers listed below posted 15 or more on students’ Compass newsfeeds in Term 1; a couple of the teachers listed generated approximately 100 posts just for Year 11:

Some Year 11 students are doing some amazing things outside of school, such as Indy Readsmith, who has been chosen to go to Anjo, Japan, this year to be a Hobsons Bay Ambassador. Anjo is Hobsons Bay’s sister city, and while there Indy will be giving a musical performance and speech in Japanese at the Anjo Town Hall, touring the local community and strengthening the connection between our two cities.

In Term 1, in the second round of the Interschool Debating Competition, the Year 11 Team of Aram Ghazagh, Mariam Hassan and Eva Bugeja beat their opponents in an almost unheard of seven-point victory arguing that ‘we should ban political donations’. Aram was also declared ‘best speaker’ of the debate.

Finally, the Senior Girls Soccer Team had a resounding victory at the Hobsons Bay Divisional Round, beating Bayside College 9-3 and Point Cook Senior Secondary College 13-1. Good luck to the team in the next round.

Students have been encouraged to share their successes with the Year 11 YLCs, but as a parent if you would like to do so yourself, please contact us via your Compass portal. We look forward to showcasing the achievements of Year 11s throughout the year.

It felt like only yesterday that we were gearing up for the end-of-term break. The sun was shining and the Year 12s were looking forward to their well-deserved two-week break from school. It certainly sounded like they made the most of it. They have come back recharged and ready to go for a big Term 2 as we fast approach the midway point of our Year 12 marathon journey.

The second round of SACs have recently commenced for our VCE students and will last a few weeks. Combining this with the significant drop in the outside temperature can often result in a pretty challenging period for the students. It is important that you continue to support your child at home and check in on them regularly to see how they are doing.

To keep the morale high at school, we have commenced the first ever WHS Homegroup Games. This is a weekly competition where students compete in their homegroups in random novelty games that require no real skill. Points are awarded for each event and at the end of the term we will be crowing our inaugural Homegroup Games Champion. The students have really been getting around the event and we hope this has provided them with an opportunity to switch off for a moment whilst at school.

Angus Rodda & David Urwin

Year 12 Coordinators

Bayview study tips

Over the coming weeks, students across the school will be undertaking their final assessment tasks for Semester 2, and Year 9 students will be completing their first end-of-semester exams. Here are some strategies to ensure students can do their best and manage what can be a busy time:

• Start the process early and make a study plan. Students should make sure they schedule time for study alongside other commitments and avoid leaving it to the last minute - this will make the task easier as they can revise information over a longer period rather than all at once at the last minute. Leaving study to the last minute will likely end in stress and it will be harder to retain the information.

• Know what skills will be assessed. Students should speak to their teachers to know exactly what they need to revise and make a plan for this.

• Review your learning task feedback. Students are encouraged to go onto Compass and read through the feedback on their completed learning tasks. If the feedback is given in comments, it will give them specific suggestions for improvement. If the feedback is on a rubric, the rubric will show them the next skill area they should prepare for.

• Revise your notes and make flashcards. Students can make physical flashcards or use websites like Quizlet to make digital flashcards that they can use to test themselves and memorise key vocabulary, concepts or quotes for their various subjects.

• Attend After School Tutoring on Wednesdays. Every Wednesday, there will be some high performing ex-Willi High Students and a lot of teachers supporting students in the Bayview Library after school until 4:30pm. Students will be able to work through gaps in their knowledge with experts there, as well as look for strategies for support and extension.

Grace Robertson, Bayview Teaching & Learning, Learning Specialist

Principal’s Writing Competition

Writing is a major focus for academic improvement and one aspect of this is to promote a culture of student writing at the school. Students are encouraged to enter a number of writing competitions throughout the year and this year’s Principal’s Writing Competition has already generated a lot of interest. Participating in the competition is a great way to show off existing talents or take writing and creative skills to the next level. You don't have to be an Austen, Shakespeare or Orwell to enter and all students are encouraged to participate.

This year’s prompt is 'DESTINATIONS'.

Students may submit entries in any (or all) of the following categories:

GRAPHIC NOVEL & ILLUSTRATION - Use 'destinations' as a prompt to create a short comic book, graphic novel or illustrated story.

PERSUASIVE SPEECH - Write a speech in response to the question: "Is international travel unethical?"

NARRATIVE FICTIONAL STORY - Use 'destinations' as a prompt to write a short fictional story.

POETRY & LYRICS - Use 'destinations' as a prompt to write poetry or lyrics in any style.

Students may enter multiple categories. Only one submission per category is allowed. Maximum of 1,000 words per entry.

PRIZES INCLUDE IPADS and a DAY OUT AT THE MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL WRITERS FESTIVAL. ENTRIES CLOSE: July 14 (Week 1, Term 3)

Lunchtime Writing Workshops in the Library have also commenced. These are taking place on Tuesdays at Bayview Campus and Fridays at Pasco, and are aimed at anyone who is interested in entering the competition or who just wants to discuss, share or improve their writing. There will be activities as well as an opportunity to seek advice. All levels are welcome to join.

Liz Lorenc (Bayview) and Glenn Kellam (Pasco)

Humanities (Pasco) Update – May 2023

Another year and another set of local and global challenges facing the community. And as per usual, it is the students and staff in the Humanities that are tasked with breaking it down and making sense of increasingly turbulent times.

The Global Politics team has been keeping a close eye on global hotspots from the continued war in Ukraine, to growing tensions with China. The state of the economy is another talking point, but our Economics classes are hard at work building their understanding of how it all fits together.

And finally, those lucky students in Geography have been examining how humans interact with the environment through their fieldwork. The Year 10s (pictured) travelled to Williamstown Beach and investigated the impact of pollution on coastal areas. The Year 11s ventured to Anglesea to investigate the hazards of estuary closure. Whilst the Year 12s went to Altona North to look at change in land use.

HAPE Report Bayview Campus

Term 1 has flown by, and what a term it has been! The students are embracing the many opportunities to fully engage in Physical Education, Health classes, electives and the accelerated sports program. This term we have a number of activities and programs that cover a diverse range of HAPE dimensions.

YEAR 7-9 PE

To start the year off, all Bayview Campus HAPE classes have participated in fitness testing. Fitness testing is a great way to monitor fitness progress. It can also help students understand how different sports require different fitness components. Having students exposed to this curriculum sets them up for success when transitioning to senior Health, Physical Education and Health/Sport related VET subjects. Students have since started taking part in more practical based classes, focusing on developing fundamental motor skills and strategies in an array of sports including Softball, Cricket, Netball and European handball.

YEAR 9 WATER ADVENTURE

Coming up in Week 4 (Term 2), the two-day Sailing Experience excursion represents the pinnacle experience within the Water Adventure elective. Students will participate in two days of sailing held at the Victorian Sailing School in Geelong, giving them an opportunity to showcase and further build on the skills developed during the weekly sailing lessons at the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, Williamstown. These sessions are held every Tuesday afternoon and run by Ian Fox, an excellent and very experienced sailing instructor.

YEAR 8 OUTDOOR EDUCATION CAMP

Last term, both Outdoor Education classes went to the Rubicon Outdoor School camp at Nayook. Students had the opportunity to experience an authentic outdoor experience staying away from home, families and (heaven forbid) the Internet for several days, participating in a range of activities including bush walking, canoeing, mountain biking, rock climbing and other team building activities.

Jaslyn Walker | HAPE Leader, Bayview Campus

2023 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 classes are coming up to their final assessment for the semester after engaging in activities such as wheelchair basketball, which was conducted by Basketball Victoria.

Students in these classes have just completed a series of excursions to Pursuit Fitness in Yarraville to participate in boxing classes as part of the Training Programs Assessment. Year 10 Health has covered various topics relevant to Australian health and wellbeing, including the healthcare system and the dimensions of health and wellbeing. Adventure and Community, a new elective at Year 10 has involved students engaging in sailing, cycling and other outdoor adventures in the local Williamstown community area. VCE Health and Human Development, Physical Education and Outdoor Education students are coming to the end of their first semester and we wish them luck as they prepare for their Unit 1 & Unit 3 exams.

Firstly, I’d like to take this opportunity to formally welcome Holly Defina, who has joined the Bayview Arts Team this year teaching Year 7 and 8 Music. She has been a great addition to the team and is already making an impact in the classroom. Similarly, I would like to welcome Elissa Rodger and Timothy Van Roon, who have joined our impressive instrumental music team, teaching voice and guitar respectively.

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, Ceramics, Photography, Make a Movie, Sculpture, 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 – Tuesday after school

Bayview Senior Band – Wednesday after school

Bayview Stage Band – Thursday before school

Guitar Ensemble – Wednesday after school

Bayview Choir – Wednesday after school

In addition to this, in just three weeks students and staff will be off to music camp in Healesville from 5-7 June.

Furthermore, Art Club has also been running every Tuesday lunchtime and a select group of Year 9s were lucky enough to attend Top Arts in Term 1 at the NGV. This was a terrific chance for students to start thinking about their future pathways as they prepare for Year 10 subject selection later this year. Top Arts showcases extraordinary works of art and folios that achieved outstanding results in VCE Art or VCE Studio Arts from the previous academic year. Additionally, a number of Bayview students have been attending rehearsals each week at the Pasco Campus for the upcoming school production of FAME the Musical. Performances are running from 11-15 July in the Centenary Theatre and tickets are available at: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1025998

Finally, this past week has seen a number of lunchtime events held each day in celebration of Art, Design and Technology Week. Students have been seen around the campus at lunchtimes taking part in dance workshops, open microphone music performances, record club, art club, pop-up textiles events, face painting, woodwork workshops and trivia competitions. In addition to this, the Atrium has been decked out with the best examples of student work from 2023 so far. The creativity of the students is second to none and engagement and enthusiasm shown towards each of these activities has been a delight to see (see photos below).

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

Bayview Arts Team Leader

The start of Term 2 has seen our Student Leadership program grow, welcoming our 31 new Homegroup Leaders to the team. These students will be a representative for their homegroups and help to provide more opportunities for student voice and contribution at our campus.

There are also many projects and events underway this term, with great work from all of our teams including the Junior School Council, Events Committee, House Captains and Curriculum Captains.

School Captains

Our School Captains have been busy on their own projects and have had some amazing opportunities to develop their leadership skills and plans for 2023. Our four Bayview captains recently attended the Melbourne Youth Leadership Conference, which was held at the Melbourne Convention Centre. They were able to listen to and engage with a variety of speakers with the focus on empowered and positive leadership, teamwork and communication. Our captains have 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.

The School Captains also recently hosted the annual WHS Open Night. They should be commended for their professional conduct as well as sharing their insights and stories - well done to Hayden Galea, Sadie Derrig, Mirka Cumming and Felix Neal. We will be introducing two of our school captains to you today via a special feature, with further student leaders featured in future W-Files.

House Captains

The WHS Athletics Carnival was held in Term 1 with the House Captains and some additional student leaders playing a major role in running the novelty events. Students wore their house colours with pride and participated in a variety of house-based races, including the three-legged, wheelbarrow, egg and spoon and sack races. There was also a best dressed competition and prizes awarded to one winner from each house.

Congratulations again to Red House for winning the Athletics Carnival (a clean sweep of the carnivals this year!).

Junior School Council

The Junior School Council has begun its work collecting data on student thoughts and feelings on issues that concern them. The council members have devised a survey that all Bayview students are in the process of completing. The JSC will then collate and discuss some focus areas to be worked on, either as a whole team or smaller working parties. Stay tuned for an update on this in Term 3.

Now, handing over to some of our student leaders to recap some projects and events that have taken place over Term 1 and 2.

Amy Curran

Bayview Student Leadership Coordinator

Harmony Day

Harmony Day was an exciting event that took place last term on 23 March. This day is a very meaningful one, as it promotes inclusivity, diversity and acceptance. Harmony Day is a time to celebrate our differences and how “Everyone Belongs” in our community.

There were a ton of fun activities such as Just Dance, face painting, and an overall sense of camaraderie. We were all wearing a splash of orange to commemorate the occasion. Harmony Day was an exceptionally fun time and we thank everyone for participating with such enthusiasm.

- Prioshka Bari-Das, Art Captain

STEAM Captain Report

During our first semester as Bayview’s STEAM captains, we have created a plan that will create more lunchtime clubs at Bayview. Late in Term 1 we sent out a survey asking everyone about what lunchtime club they want us to run, and we had a lot of responses from all across Bayview. We had our first chess club session on Tuesday of Week 3, with more lunchtime clubs to come over the coming term.

- Max Dmytrenko, Eli Culha and Matthew Medved, Bayview STEAM Captains

STUDENT LEADER PROFILES

Introducing two of our 2023 student leaders and school captains, Sadie and Hayden:

Name: Sadie Derrig

Year Level: 9

2023 Student Leadership Position: Bayview School Captain

Why did you want to become a student leader? To improve the school and to gain leadership experience.

Your vision/goals for the Bayview Campus in 2023: More seating for students and to give students more pride and excitement for their school.

My 2023 highlight (so far): The Leadership Conference in the city was really interesting and gave me lots of ideas on how we could improve the school.

Name: Hayden Galea (He/They)

Year Level: 9

2023 Student Leadership Position: Bayview School Captain

Why did you want to become a student leader? I wanted to become a student leader to become a role model for queer students, one that I wish I had. When I started out in Year 7 I was very shy and reserved, all because I was different. If I had seen a student leader like me it would have helped boost my confidence very early on. I hope I can bring this sort of experience to younger students, and to show that being queer doesn't hold you back. I also wanted to bring student-led change to the school. In the last two years I’ve collected various little issues, like we all do, but this year it finally struck me: I can make that change.

Your vision/goals for Bayview Campus in 2023: One of my goals for the Bayview Campus this year is to review the white polo shirt. This issue holds great importance to myself and many other students. The shirt sports a very transparent material, meaning all garments underneath are visible for others to see. This may not seem like a big issue, but for those who it affects it can be quite embarrassing and invasive to deal with the questions that their peers may ask.

My 2023 highlight (so far): The highlight of 2023 so far has been the public speaking at various assemblies. Public speaking isn’t my forte, it’s nerve racking and scary, but afterwards, that feeling of achievement and pride, it's all worth it.

IDAHOBIT Day at Williamstown High School

On Friday, 12 May, students at Williamstown High School celebrated International Day Against Homophobia Biphobia Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) in support of their lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex, queer and questioning (LGBTQIA+) peers and community. IDAHOBIT Day falls on the 17 May each year to signify the anniversary of when the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from the Classification of Diseases in 1990.

This year at Williamstown High School, we fundraised through a casual clothes day and encouraged our students to wear purple or a rainbow flag on their clothing to show their support of the LGBTQIA+ people in their school community. We started the day off with a special breakfast outside the library, including an assortment of toasties, pastries, fruit platters and coffee. We also handed out rainbow pins and badges, and our school community were also welcomed to sign a pride flag to show their support towards the LGBTQIA+ community, which we later displayed in the library.

Alongside Marnie, the student leadership team also organised ‘Name the Pride Flag’ and ‘Who are these LGBTQIA+ icons?’ competitions during recess and lunch. Our staff and students also had the opportunity to design badges with their pronouns and decorated the pathway in front of the library in chalk drawings, using the colours of the pride flag. At lunch, our student leaders and teachers worked together to run a fundraising sausage sizzle and gave out rainbow coloured donuts to our school community.

All proceeds from fundraising are going to Minus 18. Minus 18 is an Australian charity that supports LGBTQIA+ youth by creating programs that aim to educate and advocate on LGBTQIA+ discrimination and works with young people to empower them with the skills and opportunities they need to be at the forefront for driving change.

Why does IDAHOBIT matter?

Williamstown High School recognises that LGBTQIA+ people face higher levels of discrimination, stigma and exclusion, which leads to poorer health, economic, social and mental health outcomes compared to their peers. In 2019, La Trobe University surveyed 6,418 LGBTQIA+ people aged between 14-21 and found that:

• after disclosing their sexuality or gender identity, 88.3% felt supported by their friends and 65.2% by teachers

• 60.2% reported having felt unsafe or uncomfortable at secondary school due to their sexuality or gender identity

• 40.8% had experienced verbal harassment within the last year

• 22.8% experienced sexual harassment or assault within the last year

• 9.7% experienced physical harassment or assault within the last year

• 81% reported high or very high levels of psychological distress

• 10.1% had attempted suicide in the past year

• 25.6% had attempted suicide at some point in their lives

IDAHOBIT Day reminds us to celebrate equality as we need to continue to remove the stigma and discrimination that many LGBTQIA+ people continue to face every day. Using the school ethos, we created three easy ways our school community can create a safe and inclusive learning environment:

Be Safe: LGBTQIA+ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers because of how they are mistreated and stigmatised in society. Speaking up and encouraging conversation to increase the visibility of LGBTQIA+ people can help us create a safe and supportive learning environment.

Be Respectful: By asking for someone’s pronouns you can validate them, and you won’t misgender them. If you don’t know how to use their pronouns, ask them to use it in a sentence.

Be a Learner: By educating yourself on LGBTQIA+ issues, genders and sexualities, you can become a great ally.

By Aram Ghazagh and Melissa Bui

Williamstown High School students have excelled once again in the sporting arena. The end of Term 1 saw our swimmers once again make it through to the State Finals, which were held at MSAC on Friday, 28 April.

A big congratulations goes to the following students on their wonderful result in the pool:

Event 3 Women 12-15 200 LC Meter Freestyle

2nd place

Mia Mifsud 14 Williamstown HS 2:18.86

Event 69 Women 14 Year Olds 50 LC Meter Freestyle

5th place

Mia Mifsud 14 Williamstown HS 30.12

Event 76 Men 17 Year Olds 50 LC Meter Freestyle

3rd place

Heath Corry 17 Williamstown HS 25.02

Event 156 Men 12-13 200 LC Meter Freestyle Relay

7th place

Williamstown HS 2:21.77

Dane Tippett

Lucas Avramoski

Ashton Corry

Leo Bettiol

Event 157 Women 14 Year Olds 200 LC Meter Freestyle Relay

2nd place

Williamstown HS 2:05.98

Mia Mifsud

Mahli McCarroll

Astrid Bishop

Ava Palser

We also had Annie Readsmith compete in the School Sport Victoria Diving Region Championships, making it through to the State Championships, coming 6th overall in her event.

Outside of the school competitions, we have had WHS students compete in State and National Championships:

• Heath Corry - National Age Championships in QLD in April.

• Madison Sonego - National Surf Life Saving, Perth.

• Isaac Sontag - Represented Victoria in the 3km event at the National Athletics Championships in Brisbane. He finished 19th in a large field.

• Izzy Colling - Regional and State Athletics competing in the 4x100 Relay and Medley Relay.

• Mahli McCarroll - National Surf Life Saving, Perth, finishing 4th in the flags race.

Term 1 was quite successful for the Bayview Campus with the following teams making it through to the WMR finals, which will be held later this year:

• Year 7 Boys Cricket and Male/Mixed Baseball

• Year 8 Girls Tennis and Runners Up in the Boys Volleyball

• Intermediate Boys Cricket and Runners Up in the Boys and Girls Teams

Term 2 is a busy term with lots of students representing the school in the following competitions so far:

The Intermediate Baseball team played in the WMR final on 3 May in Geelong, placing 2nd overall, which allowed them to progress to the State Final. This event will take place on Wednesday 24 May at the Cheltenham Baseball Field.

Our AFL Girls blitzed the competition with all three teams making it through to the next round of games. The Senior and Junior Girls teams will play in the WMR final on Wednesday, 14 June, and the Intermediate Girls will play on Tuesday, 18 July.

Our Senior and Junior Boys netball teams also made it through the Hobsons Bay District matches comfortably and will next play in the WMR finals on 3 August at the Altona Netball Centre.

Girls Netball, Boys AFL, Soccer and Badminton competitions are to come. Dates are as follows:

Intermediate Teams - All sports Friday, 19 May.

Year 8 Teams - Girls Netball and AFL Thursday, 1 June 1; and Soccer and Badminton Monday, 5 June.

Year 7 Teams - Girls Netball and AFL Wednesday 24 May; and Soccer and Badminton Monday, 29 May.

Parents are most welcome to come along and support their child at any of the events.

I am sure that I have missed a number of students. A big congratulations to all students and their sporting success. Please let us know the sporting achievements of your child so that we can acknowledge their accomplishments in the next W-Files.

If you have any queries regarding the Interschool Sport Program at WHS, please do not hesitate to email either:

• Karen Mahoney - karen.mahoney@education.vic.gov.au at the Bayview Campus OR

• Thomas Schnerring - thomas.schnerring@education.vic.gov.au at the Pasco Campus

W-Files - Music Report

Students across both Bayview and Pasco campuses have enjoyed performance opportunities this year. We would like to highlight some key performances and experiences within the Music program thus far.

Flute Guild - Karen Morris (Woodwind) led the Flute Guild in Weeks 2 and 3 of Term 2. This was an opportunity for our experienced Year 9 Flute players to tutor the newer students of the program across two sessions. The group worked toward a lunchtime performance in the Atrium, which kicked off the Art and Technology Week. Well done to all Woodwind students for your wonderful performance! Thank you Karen for your work and dedication.

Bayview Stage Band at Bayview Celebration Assembly - The Bayview Stage Band had their first performance of the year at the Term 1 Celebration Assembly. The band performed two pieces for Year 7 to 9 students and was conducted by Will Salisbury. Great work Stage Band!

Bayview Open Mics - The end of Term 1 saw students take to the outdoor stage at the Bayview Open Mic. Well done to students who had the courage to get on stage and perform in front of peers on a sunny autumn day. We hope to do more of these across the year and students are encouraged to give it a try.

Senior Concert Band at Open Night - The Pasco Senior Concert Band can be proud of their polished performance at the Bayview Open Night earlier in Term 2. The Senior Concert Band performed four pieces of music with just a term’s worth of rehearsals. Well done to all students involved! Conducted by Will Salisbury and Kit Millais.

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Open Rehearsal - Senior Concert Band and Pasco Stage Band students went behind the scenes to explore the inner workings of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and discovered what it takes to create the perfect performance. Presented as part of the "MSO For Schools" program with conductor Jessica Cottis, students enjoyed an open rehearsal at the Melbourne Town Hall.

Bayview Music Camp - We are looking forward to the Bayview Music Camp in Week 7 of Term 2. Students of the Bayview Instrumental Music Program and SEALP class will spend three days rehearsing with their ensembles and peers in the lead up to our Winter Concert. The camp will take place in Healesville and is a highlight of the school year for many music students.

Lachlan Wyatt (Bayview) and Jamila Brogan (Pasco)

Music Leaders

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Next meeting – Tuesday 13 June, 7.30pm – online and in-person at the Bayview Campus

Guest Speaker – TBC – details via Compass notification

Monster Scout and School Raffle

Raffle tickets are now available for the Scouts and Schools Monster Raffle - see the website or QR code below. This is an important fundraiser for the PFA, which offers generous prizes including a car, a holiday to Uluru, mountain bikes, a SUP and even a hoverboard! Funds raised go toward additional resources for WHS students - such as the extensive aquarium upgrade in the Marine Education room.

https://scoutsvic.raffletix.com.au/willyhigh

Please join us at our next meeting on June 13. The guest speaker is yet to be confirmed. Details will be sent via Compass, or email us at presidentwhspfa@gmail.com to receive PFA updates.

Hobsons Bay UP Youth Services are offering a webinar series for parents about wellbeing topics affecting teens today. Attendance is free, but registration is required.