Dear Williamstown High School families,

Welcome to this month’s edition of the W-Files. Students have been busily participating in a range of intra- and interschool events, some of which include debating; Year 9 Morrisby interviews; 2024 subject selection and counselling, sporting competitions; Maths, LOTE and NAIDOC weeks; and a number of musical events including the VET organised War Child charity concert.

One event I would like to mention was our major whole school production that we hold every second year in our amazing Centenary Theatre. This year the production was FAME. After some 12 months of planning, auditions and rehearsals, show time arrived. And no one was left disappointed. The audiences were entertained and gasped at the quality of the performances and slickness of the stage crew.

The student performers were amazing and it was clear they were having a great time and enjoyed the rewards of their hard work. Dean Commons and his team of staff were glowing with pride. On behalf of the WHS community I would like to formally acknowledge and congratulate the students on their effort and outstanding performances, and also thank Dean and his team for their hard work, commitment as well as their high expectations of this wonderful event.

Curriculum Day

At our most recent Curriculum Day the focus was on student engagement and wellbeing. Our external presenter in the morning session explored various forms of bullying, in particular online harassment, and how schools and families can heighten awareness and support. One comment made, which I thought was extremely powerful and had me, as a parent, reflecting, was “the best advice I can give families is to make bedrooms and bathrooms a no device area”. This does appear challenging, especially when we consider many students conducted online learning from their bedrooms, but when considered against the dangers and potential predatory interactions encountered, it provides much to consider.

The second session of the professional development focused on staff working on our new school posters about bullying, and expectations to ensure consistent and effective responses from all staff. Session 3 provided staff with a range of related workshops to further enhance capabilities in this space. Staff were extremely engaged throughout the day and appreciated not only what they learnt but also the sense of responsibility both staff and parents/carers have in protecting and guiding our adolescents. As always, our behaviour expectations of “Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be a Learner” underpin our beliefs in this area.

Building Updates

Following my last update about our stage 2 performing arts and study centre build, I am pleased to confirm works continue to progress well and we are well on the way (if not advanced) for the buildings to be handed over to the school in the first quarter of 2024. I will continue to provide brief updates through the W-Files as to progress and completion dates.

Our Q Block building foundation works rectification is also progressing nicely. In very good news we are currently in discussions to totally replace and upgrade the Q block external courtyard. This is part of our Pasco grounds master plan, but we are now in a position to fast track this section. We are hoping this courtyard work will be completed by the start of Term 4 for our Year 10 students to enjoy as the weather improves.

Polo tops

I recently mentioned our Bayview student leaders have been very active in lobbying for a review of our polo tops, primarily increasing the thickness of our white tops to improve student comfort and safety. In good news, we have met with our uniform supplier Dobsons and informed them of our support to ensure we have a comfortable, safe and inclusive uniform. Samples of materials were provided and I have shown these to the student leaders and received a very favourable response. School Council has endorsed the changes and we have now instructed the uniform supplier to go ahead and produce the new polo tops with the improved weave and thickness. Another great example of the passion and care of our student leaders, as well as the importance and value we place in empowering student voice.

Business Manager

Our long serving business manager, Tracey Fogarty, informed me during Term 2 that after a long and successful career she was retiring. Tracey has been a highly valued member of my leadership team throughout my nine years as principal. She has been extremely knowledgeable and had a genuine desire to at all times pursue what was best for WHS. However, the time came where greater family time and travel experiences beckoned, hence Tracey made what was a difficult decision for her to venture into retirement. We wish Tracey all the best for what lies ahead and thank her for 20 years of wonderful service to the Williamstown community in a range of roles.

Following this, I can announce that following a state-wide recruitment process, I am extremely pleased to announce that we have appointed a new business manager, Tess Duerden. Tess spent a brief period working at Williamstown High School as our HR manager. Following this Tess secured a business manager role and now comes back to us with over five years experience in this very important position. We are very fortunate to have appointed Tess and I look forward to working alongside her to continue to ensure that both our curriculum programs are fully resourced and our ongoing vision to improve and expand our facilities continues.

Hold fast.

Dear parents and carers

This second semester now feels well under way and we, at Bayview, are in a privileged geographic position to be able to see the seasons changing over the Jawbone Conservation Reserve including the recent supermoon!

Congratulations to all students who successfully completed Semester 1 and whose end of semester reports showed growth and achievement. Our data linked to these results shows punctuality, attendance, work ethic and resilience or ‘grit’ to be the key parts of this success. You may also have recently received NAPLAN (National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy) results for your child. Please contact us if you’d like to discuss your child’s results. We look forward to continuing to support you with this work in second semester.

I’d like to take this opportunity to reiterate the importance of the responsibility you have as parents/carers and we have as educators, to ensure your children have safer, more positive online experiences. It is largely during our homegroup program that we teach students about online activity and safety. Please continue to speak with your children about their use of social media, in particular.

eSafety, Australia’s independent regulator for online safety, is the body that can support us in addressing unsafe activities. We are also becoming increasingly aware of potentially unsafe interactions including using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Parental controls, outlined by eSafety, can be engaged on:

• your home Wi-Fi network

• computers, mobile devices, gaming consoles and smart televisions

• third-party software

• apps and programs including streaming devices, web browsers and search engines

Parental controls are software tools that allow you to monitor and limit what your child sees and does online. Settings can enable:

• blocking your child from accessing specific websites, apps or functions (like using a device’s camera, or the ability to make purchases)

• filtering of content such as ‘adult’ or sexual content, content that may promote self-harm, eating disorders, violence, drugs, gambling, racism and terrorism

• monitoring your child’s use of connected devices, with reports on the sites they visit and the apps they use, how often and for how long

• the setting of time limits, blocking access after a set time

If a device or program is shared by multiple members of your family, you should be able to change the tool settings to reflect each user’s age and skills. Further information can be found at https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

Please contact our reception if you’d like support to access controls of this nature.

Technological developments can provide many opportunities for people to live healthier and happier lives, however, data and research becoming available is reflecting the very unhealthy and negative outcomes of misuse. We need to be active and take every opportunity to inform young people of the potential consequences and life-long impact that online activity can have.

We sincerely appreciate your support in this regard.

Our learning environment
We are continuing to work on maintaining and improving learning environments for our students. This includes improvements to student toilets over the break. Please speak with your child about respecting our environment and encouraging them to be a responsible member of our school community by making an appropriate choice for their litter. We will continue to address this issue as a school and as part of the local community.

Acknowledgement

Thank you to all parents/carers that took the time to provide feedback on our Camps Program. Your feedback is informing our decision making and we are due to share our program beginning in 2024, later this year.

Staff farewells and welcomes

We are farewelling Nicholas Madden, Year 7 year level coordinator, Humanities and Horticulture teacher. We wish Nicholas all the best in his new role. Please refer to my Compass post in regards to classroom changes related to this.

We are currently in the Guling season of the annual Eastern Kulin Seasonal Calendar, as described by Woiwurrung traditions - Orchid Season. This time of the year is evident at Bayview Street with cold weather coming to an end (very mild cold weather this year!) and the ae-noke (caterpillars) of Common Brown butterfly feed on grasses at night.

Karen Anderson

It’s all happening!

It has been an amazing start to the term for our school community. Our performing arts students and teachers produced an incredible spectacle when they delivered Fame over the first week of term. The Centenary Theatre was full for every show and, if you were lucky enough to get a ticket, I’m sure you loved it.

Another successful Warchild concert was also held at the Substation in Newport, where the talents of the music students and staff were on display. There’s nothing like a great rock show to get everyone going, and it's a super fun way to raise money for a great cause.

A number of Outdoor Education ski camps and the Music camp have been held this term. I know these experiences are memorable for the students who attend them, and the camps provide great learning opportunities for students to take back to their classes.

Various sports teams have been competing in the winter rounds of competitions. Congratulations to all participants. It has been lovely to hear that we play with great spirit and skill. We love our students to participate and the success of the teams is indicative of the talented athletes that attend Willi High.

The VCE-VM Year 12 students visited Wyndham Tech School and took part in the Future of Work program that included virtual reality, robotics and drone flying experiences.

International Arts Trip to New York

Over the July holidays I had the pleasure of accompanying 18 senior Arts students on the Arts New York trip. It was an amazing experience with visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney, Museum of Moving Image and Guggenheim. Students took part in a script writing workshop, made a short film, produced graffiti art, saw a show on Broadway and took in the sunset from the top of the Rockefeller Center.

It was lovely to see our students really grow in confidence as they navigated the streets of New York and found themselves on national TV whilst dancing, singing and cheering loudly for New York’s best street performers. A truly life changing trip for many students and I’m sure one that has only wet the appetite for more travel experiences.

2024 Course Selection

It’s always an exciting time when our Year 9, 10 and 11 students select courses and subjects for next year. We are fortunate to have a highly skilled and dedicated careers team to support students with their choices. In the coming weeks we will begin to build the 2024 timetable based on student choices. Please ensure all 2024 subject choices are submitted on time to assist with this process.

There are so many incredible opportunities for students at WHS, so put your hand up, get involved and enjoy them.

Hold fast.

Daniel Pearce

Pasco Campus Principal

NAIDOC Week

In Week 1 of Term 3, NAIDOC (National Aborigines' and Islanders' Day Observance Committee) Week was marked at Willi High. As well as a range of activities and events occurring outside of the classroom, we also had activities for the 12-minute homegroup session, and lesson plans for Year 7-10 homegroups to participate in. From badge and mosaic-making to cookie creation and art competitions, there was great participation from the students and staff! Thank you to all for the way you acknowledged this important event in the school calendar.

School direction

Annual Implementation Plan Mid-Year Review

Early this term, the Williamstown High School Leadership Team undertook its annual mid-year review to see how we are tracking toward meeting our goal of creating the very best learning environment for our students. We received very positive feedback from our SEIL (School Education Improvement Leader) and have identified constructive ways forward to help us reach our targets by the end of the year. Thank you to all WHS Leadership Team members for their critical and reflective skills, and their plans to continue working toward our goals.

STEAM update

GHD STEM Pathways Program

The next phase in the Year 10 Girls GHD STEM Pathways program is underway, where specially selected students undertake a week of work experience and industry exposure during September. GHD is a global network of multi-disciplinary professionals committed to addressing the world’s biggest challenges in the areas of water, energy and communities. The objective of their STEM program is to provide students with exposure to career pathways. A big congratulations to Lucy Smith and Charlotte James for their successful applications to the program!

English and Humanities Exploring STEAM

As mentioned in the last issue of the W-Files, Williamstown High School is excited about incorporating STEAM principles in the classroom so that students are better equipped for the jobs and workplaces of the future. The English and Humanities teams at the Middle Years Bayview Campus recently concluded that there was a place for STEAM in their curricula and, as such, an investigation is underway as to how this might work.

Currently under consideration is how a refurbished and redesigned Room 13 space could contribute to this, and representatives from both English and Humanities will attend the EduTECH Conference in late August to learn more about the hardware and/or software that could also help enhance student writing, investigative and analytical skills.

New Year 8 STEAM Elective

A new STEAM-related elective will be offered at Year 8 level in 2024, entitled “STEAM Science Fair”. In a similar way to our Year 9 Immersion program, this subject will be inquiry-based, where students ‘choose their own adventure’ and come up with solutions to a chosen theoretical or real-world problem, and collaborate with a team while they do it. This subject will promote greater agency in and ownership of learning for students, and would particularly suits those who are interested in electronics, engineering and game concepts.

STEM Outreach Opportunity for Year 8 Girls

We have been fortunate to be able to send five students to the University of Melbourne Year 8 Girls Outreach program, which aims to support girls to pursue participation in STEM through building their confidence to practise science through a variety of hands-on laboratory and problem-solving workshops.

More news to come on this in the next issue of W-Files.

Gavin Clifford | Strategic Assistant Principal

Term 3 begins at the Bayview campus with a strong focus on student pathways.

Year 9s were the first cab off the rank, having completed a homegroup lesson on elective subject selections for 2024. They then attended the Transition Day and Subject Supermarket at the Pasco campus and had many informed discussions with peers, parents and teachers about the subjects on offer. Many students and their parents also attended the Course Selection Information Evening at Pasco and have read the 2024 WHS Later Years’ Course Selection handbook.

Year 7 and 8 students have also received, both in assemblies and in homegroup lessons, detailed information about the elective classes available to them next year and they have been encouraged to speak with relevant teachers who can provide more information to inform their choices.

Display boards in the Atrium in weeks 5 and 6 will also provide further information on 2024 Year 8 and Year 9 elective offerings.

Instructions on how and when to submit elective selections will be made available to Year 7 and 8 parents in the coming weeks.

Making decisions about future educational pathways is important and exciting for students and I look forward to seeing what electives this year’s cohorts choose.

Anita Gatti-Smith | Middle Years Curriculum Leader

Last week we had a Wellbeing Day in which the focus was respectful relationships and team building. We were fortunate enough to have Elephant Ed and Hobsons Bay Youth Services work with our Year 7 students.

Hobsons Bay youth workers explained to our cohort what they do in the community with young people from 12 to 25 years of age. If young people or their families are curious about what they offer they ask that you pop in to the centre upstairs in the Newport Library or email them on youth@hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au for information. They are also on Facebook and Instagram.

Hobsons Bay is looking at ways of supporting young people. Please take a moment to check out this link: https://youthmentalhealthinnerwest.com.au/#blue This is important for young people in Williamstown.

As per the Education Department guidelines we remind students that their phones need to be locked safely in their lockers throughout the school day. Unfortunately we are seeing an increasing number of students with their devices in their pockets. This is a distraction to their learning and creates a barrier to how they interact with others at school.

We ask that parents refrain from messaging their children on their phones during school hours. If you need to contact your child, please do so through our front office and they will pass on the message at recess or lunch. We also would ask parents/carers to remind their children that taking photos/videos of others without their consent and posting it is not allowed. As social media is a huge part of young people's lives, it is important to have regular conversations at home and monitor your child's social media presence. Thank you for your support in this matter.

Unfortunately it is time to say goodbye to Mr Madden as he takes up a new teaching post closer to home. Personally I would like to thank him for all the amazing work he did with our Year 7 students and wish him all the best. Ms Jenny Fsadni will be taking over his coordinator role. Jenny joined our school this year and has been a year level coordinator at her previous school. She is also the 7D homegroup teacher and teaches a few Year 7 classes already, so many students will be familiar with her.

We would also like to thank the students below for their contributions to this term's article.

Isabella O’Malley and Nicholas Madden, Year 7 Coordinators

Elliot Russell - 7A Homegroup Leader - The Amazing Race

During our Year 7 Wellbeing Day, the Amazing Race was held. This is a huge scavenger hunt (and race, of course) that took place along the beach and as far as the Willi tennis courts! We were all given a two-sided sheet of paper with questions and directions where to go next, eg. continue along the beachside until you reach the colourful painted posts. How many are there?

After you had answered all the questions your group had to run all the way back to the school gym (this was about a 10-minute run)! The first group back won. It was great, or should I say amazing, fun. Especially getting to roam Willi with my friends, while also learning new things about the environment our school is in.

Parihan Bari Das - 7B Homegroup Leader - Respectful Relationships

Here at Williamstown High School we treat each other with respect and kindness. With respectful relationships, students can create and learn in an environment where everyone is treated equally, no matter what race, gender, or sexuality you are. Students should treat each other with respect, equality and kindness. Our school encourages all these attitudes. Each and everyone of us should work to create a safe, kind, respecting environment for all of our students and staff.

On Wellbeing Day last Tuesday, we had a few people come in from an organisation called Elephant Ed to inform us about respectful relationships. On this day, we talked a lot about our friendships with others, and what they meant to us. In one of the activities we got to act out different scenarios, things such as: “What would you do if you got rejected?” and “What would you do if you wanted to kiss your boyfriend/girlfriend and they weren’t ready?” This day helped the Year 7 cohort at WHS learn more about respectful relationships, and I loved the experience!

Lachlan Gawne (7J) - Hobsons Bay Youth Services Team Building

On our Wellbeing Day we did many fun activities, but the one that was the most memorable was the Hobsons Bay Youth Services team building activity. It was a very good experience and taught us a lot. During this activity, we got to know each other a lot more by completing a checklist on what we like and do not like. We all really enjoyed and put a lot of thought into an activity where they would choose a handful of us, ask a question and then go to a different spot in the room that represented ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘inbetween’. The questions were all very good and took a lot of thought, like, ‘Is it ok to lie to your friend to make them happy?’ or ‘Should you tell everything to your friend?’. A lot of them stumped us all and we were mainly in between! All of us did this activity and had a great time and ended feeling good and with a handful of lollies!

Jemma Fikret - 7H Homegroup Leader - Goodbye Mr Madden

A teacher’s job is to take a bunch of live wires and see that they are well-grounded. ~ Darwin D. Martin

Teachers play an important role in our lives and saying goodbye to a teacher is a bittersweet moment - happy for the teacher’s future endeavours, but sad to see them go.

Mr Madden, homegroup teacher to the wonderful bunch in 7H, is sadly leaving Williamstown High School. I'm sure not only 7H will miss him, but the whole Year 7 cohort. Collectively, we all have some very fond memories of being taught by Mr Madden, who has brought humour and wit to the classroom.

One quality that stands out when I think of Mr Madden is his ability to care and cater for each and every student. He takes time out of his day to check that every student is okay (sometimes this borders on nosiness!), and that every student is treated with respect, fairness, equality and empathy regardless of the views or beliefs they hold.

A great teacher can inspire, challenge and support their students far beyond the curriculum. Mr Madden has exceeded the expectations of his students, and we’re all so lucky to have called him our teacher. He will no doubt make new memories at his new school, as will his future, lucky students.

Just as the Japanese proverb goes, “Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.”

2024 Elective Selection

Welcome to Term 3, this term continues to offer our Year 8 students a chance to continue to develop their career plan and future pathways as they make subject selections for next year.

Please find a time to sit down and talk with your child about their interests and the subjects available next year. It is important that each student submit preferences for their elective subject based on their interests and the skills that they would like to learn. We know that students can select preferences based on their friendship groups, which in turn may mean they are placed in a subject that does not interest them.

Students had the opportunity to explore the 2024 Year 9 course selection handbook during a recent homegroup lesson. It can be accessed through this link:

https://smartbooks.mapsmarketing.com.au/users/williamstown/year-9-course-selection-handbook-2024/

Further access information will be sent to parents on Monday, 21 August. Preferences provided will be used to place your child into the subjects. There will be no changes once preferences are submitted.

Mobile Phones

During our homegroup assemblies, we have continued to remind students that their phones need to be locked safely in their lockers throughout the school day as per the Education Department guidelines. We are seeing an increasing amount of students with their devices in their pockets. This is a distraction to their learning and creates a barrier to how they interact with others at school.

We ask that parents refrain from messaging their children on their phones while they are at school. If you need to contact your child, please do so through our front office. Thank you for your support in this matter.

Careers, careers, careers! This has been the overriding theme so far this term, as our Year 9s have participated in a range of activities and experiences to help them prepare for Year 10 and beyond. This started with a series of homegroup lessons – where students would research possible career and job options after high school. Then there was a Transition Afternoon at the Pasco campus, exploring subject options via the ‘Subject Supermarket’ and having the opportunity to ask important questions of the subject teachers. Students have also received guidance through the Morrisby careers counselling sessions and related homegroup lessons, used to research and map out possible subject and careers pathways.

Breakfast Club is as popular as ever, with more and more students turning up to the Atrium on Friday mornings to enjoy some cereal, toast, fruit, hot chocolate and other yummy foods, all in a friendly, social atmosphere.

Many of our Year 9s continue showing great agency for their learning at the after-school Homework Club on Wednesday afternoons. Running from 3:00-4:00pm in the Bayview Library, students are able to work with subject teachers and classmates to access extra learning support and collaboration opportunities.

Mobile Phones: a timely reminder

As per the Department of Education and Training (Victoria) guidelines, we routinely remind students that their phones need to be locked safely in their lockers throughout the school day. Unfortunately, we are seeing an increasing number of students with their devices in their pockets. This is a distraction to both their own and others’ learning and creates a barrier to how they interact with others at school.

We ask that parents/carers refrain from messaging, or calling, their children on their phones during school hours. If you need to contact your child, please do so through our front office and they will pass on the message at recess or lunchtime. We also ask parents to remind their children that taking photos/videos of others without their consent and/or posting/sharing it to an online platform is strictly prohibited. With social media unfortunately being a huge part of young people’s lives, it is important to have regular conversations at home and monitor your child’s social media presence. Thank you in advance for your support with this matter.

Tyson Hartwig & Carmen Wiseman | Year 9 Coordinators

The theme for Semester 2 for our Year 10 students is “crossroads” where students have been busily preparing for their Year 11 subject selections and pathways. As they make these important decisions for their future they are exploring all the different pathways and directions their choices can and will take them here at Williamstown High School and beyond. During homegroup classes the students have been using VTAC guides and handbooks to help finalise their decisions around subject choices for next year.

Staff, students and parents were able to enjoy the “subject supermarket” which was held on Wednesday, 26 July. It was fantastic to see so many enthusiastic students and families speaking with teachers of subjects, and the buzz in the room was electric with so many students walking away with excitement for next year. Just a reminder that further support for the subject selection process will take place on Thursday, 10 August, with a course counselling day. It is imperative that students and families book in for the one-on-one counselling times to discuss their selection choices. Bookings can be made via Compass for in-person consultations or online. The subject selection forms are due by Monday, 14 August.

Students also had the opportunity to work with Elephant Ed around sexual health and relationships, a topic that was nominated by our student faculty. Students worked within their homegroup classes and completed discussions and activities, with reports the incursion was positively received by all students involved.

During Week 7, from 22-25 August, students will be flying off to the Gold Coast for their Year 10 Camp. They will be spending their days at Currumbin Wildlife Park, Movie World and Dreamworld as well as Wet‘n’Wild, building on their student relationships and braving their fears on the treetop challenge and a variety of thrill rides. Each evening students will be involved in activities to harness their team building skills.

We have held a student meeting about the camp with all the information they need to prepare. The excitement for the camp was well and truly shown throughout - until the news of a 5:45am arrival time on day one! Please note we will be holding a parent information session on Wednesday, 9 August, at 3:30pm via Zoom. The session will also be recorded and posted online for families who will be unable to attend. We can’t wait to jet off to the sunny Gold Coast and have a fun-filled week with our Year 10 students!

Just a reminder as per the new policy around uniform expectations all students are required to be in full school uniform every day. If a student is out of uniform they will be provided a spare uniform for the day or, alternatively, be asked to return home to change into school uniform. Students and families can refer to the uniform policy on the Williamstown High School website for further information regarding this.

We are only halfway through Term 3 and already there have been numerous events showcasing the talents of students and staff at Williamstown High School. We are a school full of exceptionally gifted students who have shone in recent weeks.

Fame The Musical brought together students to create a spectacular display of music, singing, and production that enthralled audiences over a number of nights. A number of Year 11 students played prominent roles in the performance and they should be proud that their dedication and commitment paid off so handsomely.

The VET Music Sound Production and Performance students also staged a spectacular offering of music during the recent WarChild Benefit Concert at the Substation in Newport. The musical ability of so many students was fantastic to see, and the raucous crowd simply could not get enough of the students and staff that played on the night.

A recent Fit to Drive presentation and workshop took place to give Year 11 students a valuable insight into road safety and what choices they can make to increase their wellbeing, and that of their friends, whilst driving on the roads. Also, the final MAPSS survey took place recently, a program that has given students an insight into their own mental and physical health and contributed to valuable research across Melbourne’s west.

Cuppa and a Chat has been running successfully during Monday lunchtimes in Term 3, offering students the opportunity to connect with their peers and teachers over a coffee, tea or hot chocolate. We encourage all students to drop in for a chance to relax with friends and socialise in a supportive and connected environment.

Congratulations to the following students who were the Top 5 for receiving Positive Posts from teachers in Term 2: Sammi Tapping, Shoshana Theilhaber, Zachary Everett, Edie Elbourne and Luke Bell-Andrews. Also, a big thank you to the following teachers who were the Top 5 for issuing Positive Posts to Year 11 students in Term 2: Ms McKeegan, Mr Patchell, Mr Russell, Mr Craig and Mr Liubinas.

Congratulations also to Chantel Simon, who was highly commended in the recent statewide Indonesian Speaking Competition, meaning she was top 10 in the state.

Some parents would have received an email recently reviewing unexplained late arrivals for their child in Semester 2 and discussing the importance of limiting time missed when a teacher is giving instruction, providing explanation, modelling important subject material, and reviewing information that will direct the course of the lesson. Please discuss the importance of punctuality with your child, especially leading into Year 12.

Finally, the pictures below show students from 11B enjoying their lunch as winners of the Semester 1 Homegroup Challenge. The competition is fierce between homegroups in Semester 2, with 11F giving 11B a run for their money.

Term 3 is an exciting time for Year 12s as they begin ticking off a number of events from their to-do lists to finish off the year. This includes final assessments, classes, WarChild, Fame, birthdays, and a range of other events. These to-do lists help the students break down the rest of the year, making it seem more achievable. Having small, yet important, milestones to tick off keeps them focused on what the next few steps look like, which at this point in our Year 12 marathon is important.

Just as exciting as Term 3 is, it can also feel like a slog. We are four weeks into a 10-week term with no real break in sight. In addition, those studying VCE are also coming up to another round of SACs, which always provides a few stressful days. It's important to continue to encourage your child and check in to see when their SACs are so that you can further support them at home during those periods.

As we begin to look beyond 2023, it is important to note that VTAC applications have recently opened. These are the applications that students will need to fill out if they wish to complete further study next year. This information has been sent home via email from Anna Bovdis, the school’s career counsellor. I would like to encourage you to check in with your child at home about what they are thinking 2024 will look like for them, and book in a session with Anna, who will be able to provide guidance as you make those important decisions.

Finally, a few things to celebrate within the year level. We had a number of students perform in the school's musical, Fame, which was absolutely spectacular. All involved, from the main cast to the make-up artists, put on an incredible show for all to enjoy. Well done! Special mentions go to Heidi Harvey, Luci-Ella O’dea and Samantha Dunn who performed as part of the lead cast.

Student Leadership @ Bayview

The Bayview Student Leadership team has continued its work into Term 3, leading with energy and the aim to make a difference in their school and local community. Student leaders encourage fellow students to contribute to a variety of projects and events across the campus, provide feedback on student and campus matters, and help raise awareness for youth, community and societal issues. Further leadership development opportunities extend to all Bayview students and include the School for Student Leadership, work with Hobsons Bay Youth Services, local primary schools and other community organisations.

Enjoy a recap from our student leaders on all that has been happening.

Amy Curran

Student Leadership Coordinator

School Captains’ Report

Last term was a busy one for the entire Student Leadership team, and we were all excited to begin working on a new bunch of activities. The STEAM Captains have increased the choice of activities available at lunchtimes by introducing Chess Club, which is a brilliant way to meet like-minded people and train your logic and problem solving skills.

The Events Committee worked exceedingly hard to curate a fun and inspiring IDAHOBIT Day festival in the Atrium and gym, with some of the events on offer including Just Dance, badge making, rainbow flag signing, chalk art, face painting and a lolly jar guess. Everyone was also given a free donut as per tradition. All the Bayview students were ecstatic to celebrate this day; everyone dressed up in rainbow clothing and some even donned flags doubling as capes. This day was full of laughter and love, and everyone came together to celebrate the queer community in a fun and colourful way. The Homegroup Leaders had an amazing time participating in the Beyond the Bin program. Several members of the Hobsons Bay City Council came to the school and taught the Homegroup Leaders how waste and recycling is collected. They also discussed how to approach sustainability within schools and the broader community.

Early last term the School Captains had the opportunity to help out with the Open Night for future Year 7s. We discussed our personal experiences at Bayview in front of parents and future students, along with several staff members. After a large assembly we guided parents around the campus and showed them all the wonderful facilities that Bayview holds.

We’ve made more developments in the revision of the white polo shirt. An alternative, thicker material has been proposed. We are also discussing adding more seating around the school. We were inspired by the amount of available seating at Pasco and would like to bring that to Bayview for all students to enjoy. However, this will be an ongoing discussion throughout this term.

Hayden Galea

Bayview School Captain

IDAHOBIT Day

On 24 May, Williamstown High celebrated IDAHOBIT Day, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, which aims to raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ rights violations and promote interest in LGBT rights work worldwide.

The day was full of fun activities, such as a rainbow-themed casual dress day, face painting, chalk drawing, badge making, a homemade bake sale, and a lolly jar guess, which was won by Gus Bell. We also hosted an art competition and lots of amazing art pieces were entered. Through the bake sale and gold coin donation for free dress, we managed to raise $850! This money was donated to a charity called Minus 18.

Everyone had a great time and IDAHOBIT Day was a success for Williamstown High School.

Astrid Bishop

Events Committee

Homegroup Leaders’ Report

On Monday, 24 July, (or Wednesday, 26 July, for Year 8s and 9s) homegroup leaders participated in the ‘Beyond the Bin’ excursion. We learnt all about where our rubbish really goes and how it can or can’t be recycled. We gained more of an understanding behind the abundance of bins that we use, and how to make our school a cleaner, more sustainable place. Some resources, such as paper, can be reused over and over again, while plastic bags are only designed for one-time use. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about helping the environment and making the world (and our school) more sustainable.

Sienna Azad

7E Homegroup Leader

School for Student Leadership

Term 3 will see a new group of students embark on an exciting leadership opportunity at the School for Student Leadership at the Gnurad Gundidj campus (near Camperdown). Six of our Year 9 students are currently attending this campus, a residential campus that takes around 50 students each term from metropolitan and regional Victorian schools.

The school’s curriculum has a focus on leadership and personal development, teamwork and community participation and involvement. It also has a strong outdoor adventure element, with students participating in many activities that utilise the surrounding environment, including hiking, camping, bike riding and surfing. The following students are very excited to be attending in 2023: Bridie, Alice, Emily, Liam, Felix and Dominique. We’re looking forward to hearing about your adventures upon your return!

Hobsons Bay Youth Change Makers Challenge

A team of Year 9 students from our Bayview campus are participating in the Youth Change Makers Challenge run by Hobsons Bay Youth Services. This program aims to develop leadership and teamwork skills, and get students working together to create a project for their school or local community. It involved two full-day workshops where students engaged in interactive activities alongside other local secondary schools. The WHS team has begun to plan a project that is focused on supporting the wellbeing of our Bayview students and will present this soon to the school community. Well done to our WHS team of Year 9 students: Sadie, Isabel, Mikayla and Niamh!

Let it Grow

At the start of this year, I was asked what vision I had for Willi High from the perspective of being the Environment Captain. My vision was to see my peers care for their environment and understand their environmental impact on our school community. With this idea, I gathered like-minded students to create Willi High’s student environmental team, and we have managed to make a lot of progress around the school.

We started out the school year by holding a Clean Up Australia Day event at the Pasco campus. We created posters and put a notice in the school’s bulletin to raise awareness for the event. We were ecstatic with the number of students that showed up at lunch and got involved with our initiative. We managed to collect five bags of rubbish from around the school, which helped make Willi High look spotless for the following weeks.

In Term 2, we partnered with ResourceSmart Schools to undertake a waste audit that reviewed our school’s recycling and waste systems. With the help of Silkim Powell, an education officer from ResourceSmart Schools, our team sorted through 15 kilograms of general waste rubbish collected from the Study Centre and outside the school library. Our audit required us to organise our trash into the materials they were made of to figure out how much of it was actual landfill and how much was recyclable. As a result, we found out that of the 15 kilograms of rubbish that was put into general waste bins, only 1 kilogram needed to go to landfill. Now that we are aware of this, we are working on a project to encourage students to put rubbish in the correct bins to decrease the amount going to landfill.

This term, we signed up to work with Hobsons Bay Council to plant trees in our school as part of their Green Schools Initiation project. We were given 25 native Australian trees by the council and organised a tree planting day for our peers. Together, we planted eucalyptus and she-oak saplings around our school’s current Study Centre. We hope that this will help create a greener and cleaner place to be!

Overall, it has been a fantastic year for our team, and I am beyond proud of what we have managed to achieve.

By Daisy Enraght-Moony

NAPLAN 2023

Parents and carers of Year 7 and Year 9 students who participated in this year’s NAPLAN assessments would have recently received their child’s results in the mail. Please note the reporting changes introduced nationally by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) regarding the new proficiency levels below:

NAPLAN will continue to measure student achievement in numeracy, reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation but the results will now be presented in four proficiency levels:

• exceeding

• strong

• developing

• needs additional support

This change will give schools, parents and carers clearer information that details student achievement against new proficiency levels and provide valuable information to teachers about how we can continue to support students.

3L: Language and Literacy for Learning

Five teachers from a range of subject areas across Bayview and Pasco campuses are currently completing the Lexis Education Language and Literacy for Learning intensive training. This will bring the number of fully-trained teachers to approximately 20 across both campuses.

This training is an integrated, whole-school approach that aims for all teachers to become more effective teachers of literacy. The goal is to support students in both comprehension and composition by focusing on language teaching across all subjects. The key concept is the idea of moving students along the register continuum from simple, spoken and informal language to academic, sophisticated and detailed expression. Through this course, teachers gain a powerful understanding of how language works by making the structure and codes visible at the word, sentence, paragraph and whole text level.

Principal’s Writing Competition 2023

Entries for this year’s Principal’s Writing Competition have closed and we are pleased to have received a large number of impressive entries in all categories. It seems that this year’s prompt of ‘DESTINATIONS’ sparked the imagination of our student writers and we are excited to read through each submission. The literacy team would like to thank students for their enthusiasm throughout the competition as well as the teachers who provided encouragement and advice along the way. Stay tuned for an announcement regarding the lucky prize winners later in Term 3.

Liz Lorenc (Bayview) and Glenn Kellam (Pasco)

Yr 11 Food Studies excursion to Mainstream Aquaculture Werribee

We took the train to Werribee and walked to the barramundi fish farm. There we were shown an introduction video explaining the company’s media and marketing vision and the production, processing and distribution of the farm’s fish. We then got to see the hatching rooms and also the 18-day-old barramundi and the very rare golden barramundi. We were taught about the breeding process and how they export their product. We also saw the space where the processing, freezing and packing happens.

• Ava Hemsley-Woolley, Year 11 Food Studies student

  

What a great start to Semester 2 for our language learners! After celebrating NAIDOC Week and our attachment to Country during the first week, we had Languages Week. It’s an occasion to remind ourselves that we are a school and a country of rich cultural backgrounds and languages in which we should acknowledge and celebrate.

Languages Week

Students at Bayview engaged in cultural games during lunchtime with the Indonesian game Congklak and the French game la Pétanque. Our students across Bayview and Pasco also challenged their cultural and language knowledge with trivia. We had daily homegroup games and we finished with a bang with a crêpe van coming to Bayview.

Thanks to our beautiful community of students and their fine taste for crepes, we raised a couple of thousand dollars for Crêpes for Change, a non-profit organisation that works toward the reduction of youth homelessness. Thanks to the event, our school was able to support paid training for the young people that Crêpes for Change works with.

International trips

We are now preparing for the arrival of our Indonesian sister school Labschool Kebayoran. We have 20 Indonesian students and three staff coming from Monday, 28 August, until Thursday, 7 September. This will be an incredible opportunity for our Indonesian learners and families to make some intercultural connections, practise their use of the Indonesian language and make some lifelong memories. The exchange students will mostly be at the Bayview campus and will engage in many activities around Melbourne. There will be plenty of opportunities for our students to partake in different activities with our Indonesian students. (If you are interested in hosting Indonesian students, please contact Sharon Croft - Sharon.Croft@education.vic.gov.au or Matthew Grose - Matthew.Grose@education.vic.gov.au).

As for the French team, we are busy organising the 2024 France Study Tour that will take place from 23 March to 6 April for our current Year 10 and Year 11 students and during the Term 3 holidays for our current Year 9 students. Our French learners will attend a language school and be hosted by French families in Montpellier and will then spend a week of sightseeing in Paris.

The Languages Team is committed to offering authentic cultural experiences to our language learners at Williamstown High School and keep them engaged learning a language as it will open up so many avenues for them in the future.

Stay updated about all our exciting language opportunities in our next W-Files article.

À très bientôt, sampai jumpa lagi!

Year 9 students have recently concluded their profiling interviews with trained Morrisby careers consultants. The Bayview Library transformed into a hub of interview stations as students unpacked their Morrisby results via Webex.

This careers advisory service was designed to help Year 9 students make informed choices about subject selection, vocational education and training, senior secondary school and further study. The Morrisby consultants provided positive feedback and spoke highly of our students:

“The students responded well - got some great students there.”

“Really enjoyed chatting; delightful students.”

“Sorry, kept running over time today as the students have so many interests and are such delightful conversationalists!”

We hope students found the careers counselling session an interesting and rewarding experience for subject selection for Year 10 and possible career pathways in the future.

Liz Lorenc

Bayview Careers

This year's WarChild event on 26 July was another sell-out success! Well done to the VET Music Sound Production and Performance students for their exceptional planning and running of the event. The Unit 1&2 students of these classes were responsible for arranging the auditions, posters, ticket sales, band lineups, and more. Well done to the Unit 3&4 Sound Production students, who put their mixing skills into practice, mixing each band to perfection. Twenty three bands performed on the night consisting of students and staff from Williamstown High School - spanning from VCE Music, VET Music Performance and student bands.

Well done to Darcy Schneider and Vince Mandado (students) for being hosts of the evening. Thank you to Adam Venkus (student) for his photography work. Edited photos in the article are supplied by Adam Venkus.

Thank you to the Substation for once again providing an iconic venue for our community event. And a big thank you to the instrumental music staff for their work, support and inspiration to our students - Timothy Van Roon, Will Salisbury, Elissa Rodger, Kit Milais, Karen Morris, Robert Harry, Sam Bates and Kathy Hinch.

Till next year,

Lachlan Wyatt, Jamila Brogan and Richard Giles

Senior Music Camp

Many thanks to our wonderful senior musical cohort for making our camp such a memorable one! We spotted penguins, put on a show for Seaford Primary students, enjoyed the sunset, rehearsed intensively for our upcoming Spring Concert, sung, danced, and let our hair down at the Talent Show. Already looking forward to next year's camp.

Jamila Brogan

We wish to thank the audience of over 1500 people for their support of the 2023 WHS production of Fame. Our talented cast and crew across music, dance, drama, front of house, backstage, costume, make up, lighting, promotions and audio worked hard to bring an amazing season of musical theatre to the community. The show was a huge success. Many wonderful people have worked on the design of this production.

PRODUCTION LEADER - Dean Commons

MUSICAL DIRECTOR - Will Salisbury

VOCAL COACH - Kathy Hinch

CHOREOGRAPHER - Jewel Barun with Maggie Lynch (student)

LIGHTING - Josh Gardner (former student)

AUDIO - Kaelan Emond with Ben Pettet (student)

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS - Alex Fimeri, Fran Fimeri & Viv Price (former students)

DOME OP - Harrison Speakman (former student) & Blake Dosser (student)

STAGE MANAGER - Amélie Freiin Von Rechenberg (student)

Dean would like to thank the following people that assisted to make the show a success:

Design team, Jake Ploss, Amanda Commons, Tony Fear, Matt Clarkson, Milo Angel,

Adam Venckus, Gavin D. Andrew, Terry Cumming, John Cauchi

Jesse Craig, Sandra McGuire, Jenny Pedler, Kathryn Issell & Tracey Fogarty,

Nelson family, VCE/VM Year 12, Williams Real Estate, WHS staff, cast and crew.

Special thanks from Ex Madden/Jak/Dance Captain: Donna De Paoli,

Taylor Diamond-Lord and Peta Gehrmann.

Hi Willy High cast of Fame! Well done on a fabulous show! Congrats to all the staff and students involved. We were very impressed with you all but special mention to stand out performances from Ex Madden, Indy Readsmith and Maggie Lynch. You girls are SUPER talented!!! - Rachel English and family.

Congratulations again on a great show! It was clear how much your whole company enjoyed the experience, and I'm very glad I came to watch. - Belinda Weiss. Licensing and Hire Coordinator. Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd.

Just wanted to say a huge congratulations to all the staff and students involved in the production of FAME. The quality of the production was nothing short of exceptional and is the result of some amazing talent and hard work from our wonderful students and staff. Well done! - Gino Catalano

Next meeting – Tuesday, 22 August, 7:30pm – online and in-person at the Bayview Campus

Guest Speakers – Garrett Drago, Marine Science teacher, and Anita Gatti-Smith, Curriculum Leading Teacher

Thanks to Corrine Hall who gave a presentation at the July meeting on the Respectful Relationships program and how this is implemented in the homegroup curriculum.

PFA logo competition

A competition has just launched for students to design our new logo – to reflect the spirit of collaboration, inclusivity and community involvement that the PFA embodies. Competition entries close on 2 October and will be judged by a combination of school and PFA representatives. We can’t wait to see what the students design for us.

Monster Scout and School Raffle

$1.50 of every $2 raffle ticket will fund ‘extras’ for WHS students – like the new Pasco library furniture (see below), or the extensive aquarium upgrade in the Marine Education room at the Bayview campus.

Raffle tickets are now available via the link 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, stand-up paddle board and a swim with dolphins.

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

Williamstown High School welcomes our Headstart Coordinator Aida Odobasic, who will work with Anna Bovdis to assist students to obtain a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship whilst at school that becomes full time upon leaving school.

Headstart is a program that supports students to participate in a school-based apprenticeship and traineeship (SBAT) program to develop skills, capabilities, and confidence that employers need.

SBAT students receive paid on-the-job training that contributes to their VCE, VCE Vocational Major or VPC and leads to a nationally recognised qualification.

Interested students should approach Anna Bovdis to arrange an appointment with Aida.