Welcome to this month’s edition of the W-Files. What a busy and eventful term it has been so far. Our students have been actively participating in events such as the Film and Print Festival, Art, Design and Technology Exhibition, Halloween celebrations, Year 12 Celebration Day, exam preparation sessions and, at present, our Year 12 students are undertaking their final examinations. Many students have also submitted applications for the 2024 student leadership positions.

In the coming weeks the Year 9, 10 and 11 students will commence their exams and conclude the year, having successfully completed the 2024 Headstart program, which supports and prepares students for their next year of study.

We have also finalised our staffing for 2024 and pleasingly, despite the shortages in the education system at present, we continue to attract quality applicants with appropriate qualifications for all our positions. In the next few weeks we will be finalising budgets for 2024, ensuring all curriculum programs are fully funded as well as allocating money to school improvement projects. One of the areas we have been discussing at recent School Council meetings is to prioritise the grounds master plan works for both campuses. This will see improved outdoor surfaces, seating, shaded areas and sporting facilities. I hope to announce some of these initiatives to the students at the end of year town hall assembly.

In this edition of our W-Files, we also continue to promote the increasing support options WHS provides for our students in the areas of Mental Health and Wellbeing. This includes a rolling “Wellbeing Spotlight” on members of the Wellbeing Team to increase visibility of these key supports and staff. We also have a tab on our website and this will be updated early next year with the photos and details of our expanding Wellbeing Team, including our new Youth Worker appointment.

Our Year 12 students recently enjoyed celebrating their final two days of formal attendance with jumper signings and dress-ups, as well as a year level excursion to Fun Fields. Jumper signing day was as enjoyable as ever for me, as I thoroughly enjoyed the Year 12s lining up for a “Hold Fast Cat 23” jumper signing. I truly believe our school motto remains with students throughout their lives and I have been inspired by one individual, unbeknownst to them at this stage, to introduce three new awards this year to further emphasise its meaning. Once these are announced at the assembly and Graduation night, I will share details with the whole school community.

Best of luck to our Year 12 students for the remainder of their exams and we look forward to one final celebration with our Year 12 students and their families at the Graduation evening.

2023 Tax, Super + You Competition

I would like to congratulate three of our students for a significant achievement in a nationwide competition. Darcy Schneider, Declan Rumble, and Vince Mandado have won second place in the Senior category of the 2023 Tax, Super and You Competition. As major prize winners, they will share MasterCard gift cards worth $700, as well as $700 worth of MasterCard gift cards awarded to our school.

The winners were officially announced and published on the Tax, Super + You website on Monday 23rd October.

A video to announce the winners and to congratulate everyone who entered is available on this link: https://taxsuperandyou.gov.au/competition as well as access to view the major award winner videos (The WHS video is no. 9 and titled The Land of Tax Down Under). Be sure to check out the creativity and work of our students.

This is a significant achievement, and I am sure the WHS community are all proud of Darcy, Declan and Vince’s success as well as the support provided by the amazing Tim Lilley, English and History teacher extraordinaire, and very inspiring and supportive Debating leader.

Hold fast

Gino Catalano

Dear parents and carers

As we reach the conclusion of this term, we continue to challenge and support our students to achieve as much learning growth as possible and be ready 2024. Reiterating our high expectations and further developing relationships to support teaching and learning has formed a large part of our planning for Orientation Days.

Our learning environment

We are continuing to work on maintaining and improving learning environments for our students. We are in the process of applying through the Accessible Buildings Fund of the Victorian School Building Authority for support to enable all access to our portables that currently have stair access only. Physical access to all learning environments for all students is a fundamental need and we will continue to pursue this.

Please consider ‘nude’ food to be brought to school as much as possible. It is also helpful to 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 litter, if it is brought to school. We will continue to address this issue as a school and as part of the local community.

Karen Anderson

Bayview Campus Principal

Hobsons Bay Rotary Teacher Awards

Williamstown High School had two successful nominations for the 2023 Hobson’s Bay Rotary Teacher Awards this year. Tim Lilley (English and Humanities) was successful in the Encouragement Award category, for teachers in the first few years of their career. Tim is a great teacher and much loved by his students. Additionally, he coordinates the Debating program and has created amazing opportunities and success for all students interested in debating.

Dean Commons (Drama) was successful in the Achievement Award category, for his work in leading the school production of Fame this year. As I’m sure all who bought a ticket will attest, Dean’s leadership ensured the highest quality performance enjoyed by all, with WHS students part of a highly professional experience that allowed them to showcase their talents.

Congratulations to both Dean and Tim who are worthy winners of their respective awards.

Year 12 Celebration Events

Our Year 12s are to be commended on the way they conducted themselves throughout the end of school celebrations; you were all truly amazing. Some great activities included uniform signing, the Funfields excursion, a silent disco and the mechanical bull, which were lots of fun and of course, the effort that goes into the dress-ups and costumes for the event made the experience a lot of fun for students and teachers. We’ll look forward to the Graduation evening as the final event for the year.

VCAA Examinations

Best of luck to all students undertaking the VCAA examinations. It has been pleasing to see so many Year 11 and 12 students and teachers working together to prepare for them. I am sure all the hard work and preparation will pay off when the results come through later in the year. I also want to acknowledge and thank all other students for being respectful throughout the examinations - you really do support your peers by giving them the quiet time they need to do well.

Hold fast.

Daniel Pearce

Pasco Campus Principal

GHD STEM Pathways program

The GHD STEM Pathways program took place in Term 3. 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, and the objective of their program is to provide students with exposure to STEM career pathways. Year 10 students, Lucy Smith and Charlotte James, were given great industry exposure, going through an induction session with GHD, and then five days of placement in September at their Melbourne headquarters. Reports indicated a really useful and interesting experience for the students, including seeing how the office spaces were used, how people collaborated and also about the value of ‘bugs’ in current environmental thinking! Well done Lucy and Charlotte.

English and Humanities exploring STEAM

The English and Humanities exploration into incorporating STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering the Arts and Mathematics) into classrooms is continuing. Plans for renovating Room 13 at the Bayview Campus are underway. While the room will continue to serve the ICT electives, it will be renovated to support STEAM principles with the addition of Virtual Reality equipment. This will provide students with more engaging and realistic experiences to assist in their understanding and achievement of English and Humanities outcomes. Thank you to Middle Years English Leader - Eliza Lawless, Middle Years Humanities Leader - Hannah Erasmus, and Acting Middle Years Humanities Leader - Sarah Barry, for their leadership and enthusiasm in this exciting change.

STEM Girls Outreach Opportunity For Y8 Girls

This year, the University of Melbourne set up an opportunity to support girls to pursue participation in STEM through building their confidence to practice science through a variety of hands-on laboratory and problem-solving workshops. A group of 50 girls from different schools visited The University of Melbourne to interact with women and graduate students in the Faculty of Science, and learn more about studying and working in STEM. Five of our students, Sona Lamba (8D), Imogen Rough (8D), Clove McColl (8I), Saffron Rabbidge (8K), and Liila Webster (8K) headed to Parkville with Middle Years Science Leader - Kelly Constance and Middle Years English Leader - Eliza Lawless, to participate in an interactive tour of the “Dark Matters” exhibition, and then in a hands-on “Future Foods” workshop (where bugs again featured heavily!).

It was wonderful to hear how interesting the day was for both students and teachers, and Saffron and Liila provided some more insight:

Excursion Description

We went to both campuses of the University of Melbourne and to the Science Museum. The excursion was about dark matter and food technologies, such as replacing meat with insects in the near future.

Dark Matter Exhibition

We really enjoyed the Dark Matter Exhibition because we hadn't seen anything like that before, and it was exciting. There were lots of creative exhibitions about the topic as well, making it more engaging.

The way it was presented in such an ‘arty’ styled format interested us because we really like being creative. We are interested in how Science and Art can be intertwined and they managed to combine these areas to make some amazing exhibits. The concept of dark matter was something we weren't very familiar with and this excursion really helped us understand it more in a way that was really engaging in a visual way. We thought it was an amazing experience and felt really lucky to be a part of it. If it was an option we would go again.

Impact

We think other than inspiring us, the excursion helped us understand that there were more options than just stereotypical sciences. The experience broadened our horizons in terms of considering Science as one of our career pathways. We found that before going on this excursion, Science appeared to be boring and there wasn't much that we could personally do in that field, but meeting people at the University of Melbourne that seemed to have the same interests as us really changed our views on upcoming careers, and seeing how invested they were in their work and in the topic really helped as well.

All of the people there were concentrating on our futures and helping us discover new horizons to consider when going to university. Everyone there was great at explaining exhibits and were very friendly and patient, so we could get a better understanding of what we were seeing and would consider studying. There were a lot of female scientists and volunteers who were all very patient and kind with everyone.

Saffron Rabbidge (8K) and Liila Webster (8K)

Gavin Clifford

Strategic Assistant Principal

Williamstown High School is a dynamic and inclusive community committed to the personal, social and emotional wellbeing of each student.

We recognise the intrinsic link between wellbeing and effective learning and have adopted a whole-school tiered approach to support all students.

Mental Health Support Available in 2023

Students can access short-term counselling at both our Bayview and Pasco campuses with our Wellbeing Team, which includes school-based specialists; Mental Health Practitioners, Student Wellbeing Coordinators & Student Health and Wellbeing Coordinators.

Mental Health Supports Available in 2024

In recognition of the important role schools play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, the Department has created the Schools Mental Health Fund (Fund) and evidence-based Schools Mental Health Menu (Menu).

The Fund is underpinned by the evidence-based Menu. The Menu a list of endorsed programs, staff and other supports that schools can use to improve the mental health and wellbeing of their students, in line with the individual needs of their school.

To support schools to purchase items off the Menu, schools including Williamstown High School will receive funding from the newly established Fund.

The Student Engagement and Wellbeing Team have been using the School Mental Health Planning Tool along with data; such as the Attitudes to School Survey data, parent opinion, and staff opinion data to support our decision-making processes when planning our mental health and wellbeing interventions from the Menu. As part of this fund, Williamstown High School is very excited to welcome a new member of staff to the Student Engagement and Wellbeing Team; Alanah Meilak, who will join the team as a Youth Worker across the two campuses.

Additional Wellbeing Supports on Offer in Term Four

At Bayview:

• We have had a small group of students participate in the Raise Youth Mentoring for the first time at Williamstown High School. Raise is a fantastic program that helps young people better cope with life's challenges. Students learn skills and work one-on-one with a trained mentor and discuss issues that are relevant to them. The students graduated from the program and received their certificates in a small ceremony that was attended by the College Principal.

• Breakfast Club has continued at the Bayview Campus. Recently, we acknowledged RUOK Day with the theme being ‘I’m Here to Hear’, and also Wear it Purple Day, which strives to foster supportive, safe, empowering and inclusive environments for youth members of the rainbow community. Both these days provide opportunities for the school community to come together to listen and support each other.

At Pasco, Term four has seen:

• Year 10 students completing the last of the MAPSS (Multimodal Approach to Preventing Suicide in Schools) sessions. This program, ran through Orygen, aims to reduce suicide risk and increase help-seeking amongst young people.

• Continuation of our Yoga and Mindfulness program by Camille Gaylor, from Yoga at Lucia, offering an opportunity for students to learn about and integrate the practices of Yoga and Mindfulness using a holistic approach to support their mental health and wellbeing.

• A group of students participating in the MPower Girls program. This is a weekly program running for 6 sessions that incorporates Narrative Therapy; getting female students to be more mindful of how they think, talk, and act towards each other. The program explores the themes of being a good friend, the impact of body language on others, and the effects of negative comments. Within this framework, students are given specific skills to effectively problem-solve peer issues, to be assertive in conflict situations, reduce stereotyping, and be more mindful of how their actions affect their peers.

• Ginny Chan, from Hobson’s Bay Up, joined the team as part of their outreach program, whilst our Mental Health Practitioner, Erin Immel, is on leave.

• Our therapy dogs - Lexie and Lottie, onsite supporting the Year 12 students on their final days at school and before exams.

• Parents attend an online Elevate Education workshop on study skills, motivation, wellbeing, and exam preparation. For more information on upcoming webinars please see compass

If your child is having difficulties or concerns at school, please contact your child’s homegroup teacher or appropriate Year Level Coordinator first. They may make a student referral to the SEWT where discussions with the student Wellbeing Coordinator and Mental Health Practitioners will take place.

We are in the last quarter. As parents and carers I am sure that you would agree that time has flown by and only this time last year we were planning their transition day to high school.

In line with our School Wide Positive Behaviour Support we are currently running a class challenge based on achieving positive posts to encourage students to apply our three values of “be respectful, be a learner, be safe” at all times. We encourage students to think of the classroom as a workplace with the business of learning where we have to show respect at all times to all concerned. In the yard we want to see students including others in their games and conversations and looking out for each other. We would like to take this moment to ask parents to guide their child’s online presence especially on TikTok, Snapchat or Groupchats. We fully expect our students to be representing our school in a positive manner at all times and appreciate parent/carer support on this. Students: 5. School-wide positive behaviour support framework | education.vic.gov.au

We also want to remind parents/carers that wearing the correct uniform is important and shows pride in our school. Students can wear the school tracksuit bottoms/ sports shorts with their red polo shirt only on their sports day. All other days thay are expected to be in the formal uniform: white polo, formal shoes, formal shorts or formal pants. The summer dress or the skirt with the white polo can also be worn.

We had planned some engaging teambuilding beach games last week during our incursion day. Unfortunately due to the unpredictable weather we had to cancel it. This will be rescheduled later in the year. On the day we had some wonderful presenters from Elephant Ed run workshops with individual classes on the topic of identity. https://www.vic.gov.au/respectful-relationships

As we near the end of the year, as well as our Bayview Celebration Assembly we will be holding a Whole School Celebration Assembly at the Town Hall. This is a wonderful moment when we come together as a school community to recognise and celebrate the success of students in the school.

On the 8th of December we will be having a very special day out with all Year 7 students together relaxing at Adventure Park Geelong. A reminder that this is considered to be a normal school day so the mobile phone policy applies not to bring phones on the day. We want students to be enjoying the day rather than looking at their screens. Students found with phones will have them confiscated and on this occasion parents/carers will have to collect from the front office on return to school. Students are encouraged to bring some snacks and/or some cash in a plastic ziplock bag to purchase food. On the 11th of December our Year 7 students will be stepping into Year 8 and will have an induction with their Year 8 Team.

Isabella O’Malley and Jenny Fsadni, Year 7 Coordinators

Last term we again had the chance to celebrate outstanding work from the cohort during our Celebration Assembly. We also celebrated 2 students' achievements throughout Term 3 with the following students receiving these awards:

The Art, Design and Technology Exhibition has commenced in the Bayview Campus Atrium, showcasing a broad range of student work and talents across subjects such as; Woodwork, Visual Art, Textiles and Food Technology, to name a few. It is great to see the effort and planning students put into their work.

Term 4 - the home stretch. With just over a month left here at the Bayview Campus, students are working toward the completion of coursework and preparing for exams, whilst also looking forward to celebrating the end of year with a year level excursion to Funfields. Then, it’s on to the Pasco Campus for a two-week Headstart period to get a taste of Year 10 life, their subjects and teachers, before the summer break.

The Art, Design and Technology Exhibition has commenced, showcasing a broad range of student work and talents across subjects such as Woodwork, Visual Art, Textiles and Food Technology. Students have also been engaging further in their subjects with some exciting excursions, such as Sailing Camp, and many lunchtime activities as part of Humanities Week.

As part of the Homegroup Curriculum this term, Year 9s attended an incursion called ‘The Game Plan’, run by special guest speakers Mike Rolls and Ben Pettingill, from Real Life Resilience. Mike and Ben shared their personal stories of hardship – becoming legless, and blind at the ages of 19 and 15 respectively; each due to the contraction of a rare autoimmune disease – while providing students with insight into the mindset they used to overcome such incredible challenges. With the key themes of i) build your team, ii) ask for help, iii) plan something big, and iv) make time for fun, Mike and Ben delivered an engaging and honest keynote event that had students hanging on their every word.

Award winners from Term 3:

Attendance Awards:
Hannah Gawne and Vasil Naumovich were the winners of the Term 3 Attendance Awards, from a draw of 25 students who all had 100% for the term.

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 continue to see a high number of students with their devices in class and in the yard. 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 would 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. Thank you in advance for your support with this matter.

Tyson Hartwig & Carmen Wiseman | Year 9 Coordinators

On Thursday, 26 October, our VCE students for 2024 were joined by members of Elevate Education to provide them with the Study Sensei Workshop. This one-hour workshop was selected to help students learn to study in preparation for their upcoming exams and their future VCE studies. During the session, students were shown evidence-based strategies such as mind mapping and Cornell note-taking to maximise their knowledge and strengthen their understanding on chosen topics. Students have also been given the Elevate Education website to access a range of study tools and tips they can use within their own study habits.

Our VCE-VM students also met for the first time in their new classes and were guided on the next steps for preparing for the Headstart program, such as where they can find their relevant documentation and gaining access to work placements. It was fantastic to bring the classes together and discuss their future aspirations for whatever pathway they have chosen, ranging from electrical to allied health care, plumbing and the fitness industry. We look forward to harnessing their potential in Headstart.

On Monday, 6 November, the Year 10 students will begin their exam period, which will continue until Wednesday, 15 November. During this time, students will sit exams covering content from all their subjects in Semester 2 as a final assessment of their learning. Over the two week period, students will be required to attend only when their exams are scheduled, and will be asked to be in full school uniform and prepared with the correct resources.

As we hit the midway point of Term 4, we get ready to prepare the students for their final weeks as Year 10 students, and prepare them for their education in 2024 as Year 11 students. We have many students who will be exploring a range of learning pathways next year from VCE to VET, and VCE-VM, and will begin this journey on 16 November. They will get a taste for what is to come throughout the Headstart period, which lasts just under two weeks. Here, they will have the opportunity to meet their subject teachers, explore new content, and start building the foundations of solid learning by being exposed to their new classroom environment for the 2024 school year.

With all this approaching fast, and our final days with our Year 10s as a cohort, we look forward to celebrating all the success they have been able to achieve, despite the hurdles and challenges that came their way. As a final farewell and to honour the year that has been, we will be holding a celebratory BBQ on Thursday, 2 November, during their homegroup period, where students can come together with their classes and homegroup teachers to reflect on and celebrate the 2023 Year 10 school year together.

The finish line is in sight for students in Year 11 but, as always, the hardest part of the journey is maintaining the focus for the final effort. Assessment across all VCE subjects has been finalised, with the focus shifting to preparing for the upcoming Semester 2 examinations. We encourage all students to attend their scheduled exams and take advantage of the opportunity to review their understanding in each subject and practise exam techniques.

VCE-VM students will be finalising their Unit 2 school-based studies at the end of the exam period, and all VET courses have been completed, which leads to all students commencing the Year 12 Headstart Program on Thursday, 16 November. Study for all Unit 3 VCE and VCE-VM subjects will begin, and it is essential that students attend the two week program, focus on content covered during this time, and complete all holiday homework during the summer break.

The Year 12 Jumpers for 2024 were scheduled to be delivered in early November, but they have arrived a number of weeks early. Students who have ordered a jumper will be able to collect them from L-Block on Tuesday, 14 November, and Wednesday, 15 November, so they can be worn for the start of the Year 12 Headstart Program.

The Breakfast Club has been running successfully for a number of years at Williamstown High School, offering an opportunity for students to get some extra nutrition on a Friday morning before starting the school day. Isabel Clarkson, a Year 11 student, is one of the dedicated volunteers who gives up their time each week to facilitate the running of the club. We asked Isabel to give us an idea of the work involved in the program, the benefits it provides, and the team that makes it all possible, which she has done below:

“Every Friday morning, a small group of students organise Breakfast Club, where students come into school and are greeted with a spread of goodies ranging from fruits to donuts, and a most recent favourite being the warm hash browns cooked using the press toasters.

In recent months, I have undertaken the role of unofficial Breakfast Club Coordinator while the official leader was busy with Year 12 studies. Each week I email off a list of foods I want to Megan, the school’s Food Technology Assistant, who purchases the requested items. I arrive at 7:45am each Friday morning to assist with setting up our appliances, like the toasters and urns, and presenting the spread of food, displaying it for students to collect on their way into school. I then pack it all away when the bell goes, ensuring no food goes unused.

Breakfast Club is important as it ensures students are eating the most important meal of the day to get their energy up before a busy day at school. I have loved being a part of it because I am passionate about food and I have always loved event organising and taking leadership. I feel I am a part of something important, creating this fun community environment that everyone can enjoy, and make some new friends in the process.

Breakfast Club would be nothing without the people working alongside each other, especially the amazing Alex Robinson, who arrives even earlier than me, and Indy Readsmith, being another highly dedicated member of the Breakfast Club team. Many others involved include Ellen Barker, Samantha Dunn, Daisy Enraght-Moony and Alex Weston.

If you happen to pass by the front of the Library on a Friday morning, be sure to stop by, say hello and grab yourself some free food!”

Finally, congratulations to the following students who were the Top 5 for receiving Positive Posts from teachers in Term 3: Hannah Ramsey, Zachary Everett, Elyse Rider, Isabel Clarkson and Will Felton. Also, a big thank you to the following teachers who were the Top 5 for issuing Positive Posts to Year 11 students in Term 3: Ms McKeegan, Ms Murray, Mr Clifford, Mr Liubinas and Ms Moutray-Read.

The beginning of Term 4 has been busy for the Year 12s, who are sitting their VCE exams. They have been working incredibly hard, completing countless practice exams for their teachers, and ensuring they are ready to do their best on their exams. The finish line of their Year 12 marathon is in sight and they are gaining pace for their sprint finish! That’s not to say that there hasn’t been some fun along the way.

Term 4 is a special time, where we get to celebrate the Class of 2023 as they finish their official classes. We kicked off the celebrations with shirt signing. Many meaningful messages were passed along on the sleeves of classmates as they created a meaningful souvenir to look back on in future years. This led into further celebrations as students dressed up for Monday’s school celebration. Best dressed went to Tyra Hindle and Theo Fortescue for their Oompa Loompa costumes. Students had a ball on the bucking bull, the sumo suits, silent disco and water fight we organised. It was a blast and a great way to say goodbye, whilst letting off some much-needed steam. The following day we boarded buses and headed off to Funfields theme park. Students spent the day running around, going on waterslides and rides before saying goodbye and heading off to prepare for exams.

Shortly after the celebration events, the Year 12 VCE Exams commenced. Following tradition, the three-hour English exam was the first official written exam. In the past, this has been the exam that brings about the most anxiety. However, this year this was not the case. Students seemed to strut out with confidence and big smiles across their faces. This is certainly a testament to their hard work over the recent months. As they continue to finish off their exams, we look forward to their Graduation. This is always a happy time of celebration as we get to acknowledge their achievements and send them off to their post-school lives.

Well done Class of 2023! It has been an incredible pleasure working with you this year, and we can’t wait to see all the good you are going to do in the world!

Mr Rodda & Mr Urwin

Student Leadership @ Bayview

The Bayview campus has been full of action in Terms 3 and 4. It has been wonderful to see projects, activities and events being created, planned and conducted by our students. They have been making a difference at the Bayview campus and have successfully extended this work to their local community.

The six students that attended the School for Student Leadership at the Gnurad-Gundidj campus (near Camperdown) have now returned and are settling back into life at the Bayview campus. They have come back with many stories of their experiences, personal accomplishments and skills they wish to continue working on. The team have also been working on a community learning project, choosing to utilise our awesome beach location to set up a ‘Beach Bonding’ program for our Year 7 students. Congratulations and welcome back to Bridie Mead, Emily Jessop, Alice Thompson, Liam Hogan, Felix Neal and Dominique Littooij.

The Events Committee were extra busy with organising a Book Week dress-up day in Term 3. This event included a Just Dance party, a best dressed competition, a lunchtime bake sale, and much more. Funds raised from gold coin donations and the bake sale were donated to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. Well done to all student leaders that helped put together this wonderful event.

In Term 3, we have also had a group of five Year 9 students work with Hobsons Bay’s Youth Services on a Youth Change Makers Challenge. They researched and proposed a sensory/quiet room that would be accessible to Bayview students, and were able to present this idea to the campus principal. These students also proudly presented their final project and reflections at the Hobsons Bay Council Chambers, in front of the Hobsons Bay deputy mayor and other esteemed guests. Congratulations to Mikayla Curran, Isabel Cushion, Niamh McHardy, Sadie Derrig and Emily Jessop.

The process for selecting our 2024 Student Leaders will soon be underway and there are many leadership opportunities on offer for students from Years 7-9. Students should keep an eye out for announcements for each of these positions. Now to hand over to some of our student leaders to share how they are making a difference!

Ms Amy Curran

Bayview Student Leadership Coordinator

School Captain Reflection

I can still remember Term 4 last year. At first I wasn’t going to apply for School Captain, but after many of my teachers recommended that I apply, I decided to give it a shot. And I’m so glad I did. The School Captain role has helped to push me out of my comfort zone and develop my confidence. One of the major contributors to this was definitely the various assemblies that were held throughout the year. We were invited to speak at these assemblies, sometimes in front of the entire school. At first, speaking at assemblies was a terrifying thought for me, speaking in front of all those people. But I found myself getting more confident throughout each one.

Whilst being a School Captain, I’ve also gotten to meet and connect with heaps of new friends within the leadership team. Meeting a range of new and different people has been really enjoyable. I'm very fortunate that I had the opportunity to become a School Captain as it has helped me grow and develop as a person.

Hayden Galea - Year 9

Bayview School Captain

School Captain Reflection

The Bayview School Captains this year have participated in a multitude of activities and responsibilities, including having to speak at assemblies, run meetings, collaborate with students and staff members around the school, presenting to families and the wider community on Open Nights, running events, and reporting our progress and initiatives to School Council and our principal.

This year, one of our main focuses was changing the fabric in the white polo shirt, as the fabric is too thin and many students were left feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed when wearing it. We then approached School Principal Mr Catalano. He informed us that progress had been made to change the fabric of the new shirt to a much thicker and more comfortable fabric. We have also been informed that not only would the fabric change for the shirts at our school, but also for all of the other schools who had the same design of the polo shirt.

Over the past year, we have grown as a team while working together to complete our goals, and have become strong leaders of our school community since. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we are beyond grateful to have been given our role of School Captains, and that we’ve had the opportunity to enact positive change towards our community and peers.

Mirka Cumming - Year 9

Bayview School Captain

School for Student Leadership

This term, myself and five other Year 9 students attended the School for Student Leadership. The program was eight weeks long, and we lived and worked with 43 other students from all over Victoria. This experience has taught me a lot about myself and helped me gain leadership and communication skills that we put into action in a variety of different activities, like bridge-building, surfing, and two overnight hiking expeditions. As well as doing super fun activities, we also learnt about various concepts such as empathy, resilience, learning strategies, emotional management and collaboration. All work and activities we did at the school centred around the 12 learning concepts. This was an amazing program and has helped me grow and develop as a person, and I will never forget it.

Bridie Mead - Year 9

School for Student Leadership

Environment Club

This Term we started the Bayview Environmental Club. Though we’re still in the early stages, we have lots of ideas on how to improve our school’s sustainability. We cover lots of topics and share our passion for the environment around us and in general. We’re very excited to see what we can do for the school and we hope to have completed a project by the end of the year so you can see our achievements.

Sadie Derrig - Year 9

Environment Club Leader & Bayview School Captain

Hobsons Bay Youth Change Makers

During Term 3 and 4, Emily, Izzy, Mikayla, Niamh and I were a part of the Hobsons Bay Youth Change Makers Challenge. Our original goal was to create a sensory room - a quiet place for students to unwind without the noise of other students and the stress of school. We got far into our goal and worked very well together. Though we couldn’t continue our work towards the sensory room and instead are working towards a day for the Year 7s, we gained a lot of experience and had a lot of fun. We had meetings with Campus Principal Ms Anderson, Emma from Hobsons Bay, and even presented at the City Council. We look forward to using our experience and we recommend signing up for it next year.

Sadie Derrig - Year 9

Hobsons Bay Youth Change Makers

The Student Leadership team at the Pasco campus endeavoured to complete a range of exciting projects and fundraising events during Semester 2.

In Term 3, Environment Captain Daisy Enraght-Moony spearheaded Tree Planting Day after organising a tree donation from the Hobsons Bay Council as a part of their Green Schools Initiation Project. The Environment Club and volunteers from the Pasco student body spent their lunchtime planting and naming native Australian trees behind our Study Centre, to brighten up our school grounds with much needed foliage. The Environment Club also completed their rubbish audit of Williamstown High alongside ResourceSmart, with the aim to reduce the amount of recyclable waste unnecessarily going to landfill.

Leading up to 1 September, our Student Leadership team organised a fundraising event for R U OK? Day. All donations from our event went to the R U OK Foundation, which actively works with Australian schools to help provide programs that inspire, empower and meaningfully connect us with people in our communities, by asking ‘Are you okay?’ One of the events run throughout the day included a positivity exchange in the library, where students participated by writing and depositing an anonymous positive and encouraging message into a box. Later we received a compliment on our fundraising day from our pool of compliments. Our leaders helped make badges and ribbons, which were handed out to students during a special Breakfast Club on Friday morning. At lunchtime, we also gave out yellow fairy floss to further fundraise.

On 13 October, our 2023 student leaders collaborated for the last time to plan a free dress day in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes that help families cope through a difficult period of time for children with life-threatening illnesses. We also helped Marnie transform our library with Harry Potter themed decorations, made fairy floss and organised games at lunchtime as a farewell to our Year 12s. Congratulations to our 2023 Student Leadership team! I have tremendously enjoyed working with all of you this year and am in awe of your enthusiasm, creativity and commitment to your roles as student leaders at Willi High.

This term, we have also started our process of selecting our 2024 Student Leaders. We had an incredible turnout with over 40 students applying for Student Leadership positions across Years 9, 10 and 11. For the coveted roles as our 2024 School Captains, we had 10 applicants, who used their creativity to make their own election campaign videos. Among them were baking recipes for a harmonious school, news reports and a rap. Our Year 10 and 11 students watched the election videos during assembly and homegroup, and were able to vote for their top two candidates. All of our applicants were also interviewed by a panel of teachers to help select our final team. I would like to congratulate everyone who applied for a position of leadership in 2024. Applying for leadership positions takes courage, effort and commitment to put yourself forth as a leader for the Williamstown High School community. Good luck to the 2024 team!

Melissa Bui

Pasco Student Leadership Coordinator

On Saturday 9 September, many months of hard work and dedication from our students Excelsior Madden, James Priday and Shoshana Theilhaber were showcased in spectacular fashion at John Cain Arena, for the Victorian State Schools Spectacular @vicschoolspec

Students from all over Victoria put on an amazing show, which explored themes of travel and adventure, while dazzling audiences, gaining professional industry experience and making some lifelong memories in the performing arts.

Congratulations to these students, for not only being selected in these roles - Excelsior Madden (Principal Vocalist), James Priday (Backstage sound), and Shoshana Theilhaber (Trombone/Orchestra), but for representing our school so well.

'Happy Travels' - Victorian State Schools Spectacular will be broadcast on Channel 7 on Saturday December 9 on Channel 7.

To wrap up the 2023 Principal’s Writing Competition, all participants enjoyed an afternoon tea and writing workshop with popular Australian science-fiction/fantasy author Michael Pryor. Michael shared his experience as a professional writer and discussed his journey in navigating the publication of his work. Michael presented some super writing strategies from his Writer’s Toolbox, and brought a gift for every student - a signed copy of his novel Talent. He was also immensely impressed by our Williamstown High School Anthology of winning entries, titled: ‘Destinations’. We have copies of the Anthology at both the Bayview and Pasco Libraries for all to read.

Overall, it was an immensely successful and positive experience for all of our budding bestseller student writers.

We look forward to seeing even more students entering the competition in 2024.

Our Year 12 students are now well underway with their VCE examinations and we wish them every success in this final year of their studies.

HAPE Report - Bayview Campus
What an action-packed Semester 2 it has been for the students in Health and Physical Education (HAPE). The students have enthusiastically embraced numerous opportunities to fully engage in Physical Education, Health classes, electives, and the Accelerated Sports Program. This term, we've witnessed a multitude of activities and programs that cover a diverse range of HAPE dimensions.

YEAR 7 - Water Safety Program
This semester, the Year 7 cohort dived headfirst into their Water Safety unit. They participated in weekly sessions with Life Saving Victoria, both at school and at Williamstown Beach. Students stepped outside their normal classroom environment and, for some, their comfort zone to practise their aquatic skills and acquire valuable water safety knowledge. In the final week of the program, students showcased their skills by participating in a Life Saving Carnival, organised by some of our incredible Year 9 leaders and HAPE teacher Amy Curran.

YEAR 8 - Outdoor Education
During this term, both Outdoor Education classes attended the Rubicon Outdoor School camp at Nayook. Students had the opportunity to experience authentic outdoor adventures, participating in a range of activities, including bushwalking, kayaking, mountain biking, and various team-building activities. Despite feeling tired and eager to return to their own beds, students commented that the experience was exceptionally worthwhile and had challenged them physically, mentally and emotionally.

YEAR 9 - Water Adventure
Water Adventure students have been diligently learning about sailing terminology and instruction. After honing their new skills, students participated in their own regatta down in Geelong, demonstrating their newfound expertise out on the open water. Students spent two days with the Royal Victorian Yacht Club instructors, who praised the skill, participation and effort of all students who took part. Oliver Graham has done a fantastic job establishing this engaging and challenging curriculum, providing students with the key knowledge required for success in VCE Outdoor Education and Health/Sport-related VET subjects.

The Health and Physical Education team is incredibly proud of what all Bayview students have achieved in HAPE this year, and we’re already planning for 2024. We are excited to see you all next year for another year of learning, development and success with all students.

Jaslyn Walker | HAPE Leader, Bayview Campus

As we head toward the end of the year, the Humanities team at the Pasco campus are busy preparing students for exams. For the Year 12s this is a culmination of 13 years of inquiry and explanation as to how people, society and history intersect and shape our lives. For our Year 10s and 11s, it is an opportunity to further hone their skills before jumping up to study VCE.

It is not all revision and practice, with our Year 10 History students venturing to the historic Sun Theatre, in Yarraville, to catch a showing of Oppenheimer. This allowed them to view the historical significance of the development of the first atomic bomb in a vibrant and engaging fashion. Our Year 11 Geography students journeyed into the CBD in early October to examine the impacts that tourism has on our lived environment.

The final semester of Science at the Bayview Campus is always a flurry of activities as all classes prepare to complete a full year of study.

Year 7 students explored the use of different forces in everyday life, from friction, to gravity, to static - it was a hair-raising experience. Students took on the role of astronautical engineers in designing a parachute to safely land a rover on Mars. There were some great designs and quite a few smashed eggs! Year 7s continue to keep their heads in the clouds as they complete a unit on Earth and Space.

Year 8s discovered the micro world in a Cells and Microscope Unit. Through microscopes, students explored plants and animals on a cellular level. Students used the wetlands on campus to collect foliage specimens and prepare their own slides. Students will continue to look toward Earth as they complete a final unit on Rocks and Minerals.

Mr Agustin’s Year 9 SEALP class travelled to Charles La Trobe College this term to visit Quantum Victoria. This educational centre creates programs to extend students’ learning on a variety of subjects. Our students participated in “A Viral Enigma”. In this program, students learnt about genetic concepts, DNA coding, and virus mutations, through computer simulation and virtual reality.

As Year 9s prepare to move to the Pasco campus, half are beginning to study for their final exams. We wish those students luck on their exams and luck to all the Year 9s as they prepare to move to the Pasco Campus.

Term 4 for Science at Pasco has been an exciting one so far. As our Year 12 students prepare for their upcoming exams, and our Year 10 and 11 students finish the final CATs and SACs, teachers have been busy making science fun and engaging for our students.

Our Year 11 VCE Biology students have been learning about cloning and asexual reproduction, while creating their own take-home terrariums. The teaching team organised a range of succulents for our students, and taught them how to take cuttings from those plants, giving them something physical to take home and look after.

Our Year 11 VCE Psychology students have just finished learning about the major regions of the brain, looking at their role in memory and general functions. As a result, classes have this week been looking at a sheep's brain in a dissection to connect the diagrams to something physical; getting to see all of the brain regions up close, and how the brain organises itself to allow us to live our lives.

Our Year 11 VCE Physics classes have been undertaking their big research investigations, planning and conducting an experiment of their own choosing. This has included things like creating functional parachutes, investigating the force required to break a KitKat, investigating the conductivity of different metals, and much more.

These are some of the hands-on learning opportunities staff have been providing our classes to help students improve their understanding in science. Well done to our staff for all of their hard work this year.

Mathew Hrasko

Pasco Science Curriculum Leader

Next meeting – Tuesday 14 November, 7.30pm – online and in-person at the Bayview Campus

Guest Speakers – Angus Rodda, Year 12 Leading Teacher, and Daniel Pearce, Campus Principal Pasco Campus, will be speaking about the traditional owners of our area.

Thanks to Connie Messina (Inclusion Leader) and Darren Nicholas (Bayview Campus Assistant Principal), who gave us a presentation at the October meeting detailing the new Disability Inclusion reform that is being introduced at Williamstown High School.

New PFA logo

Congratulations to Lachlan Patterson, who has designed a new logo for the PFA. We were really impressed with his design that pays tribute to the history of the school and the ethos of the PFA. Lachlan will be presented with a voucher for Atelier Art Supplies at the Whole School Assembly.

Monster Scout and School Raffle – LAST CHANCE TO BUY TICKETS

Click on the link below to support the PFA’s fundraising, which in the past has donated these resources for Williamstown High students:

• Outdoor table tennis tables

• Giant Scrabble board

• High tables and stools in both campus libraries

• Yarning circle at Pasco campus

• Upgrade of aquariums in Marine Science room

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