Welcome to the 2025 school year. It has been extremely pleasing to see the staff and students at both Bayview and Pasco begin the school year in a positive and settled manner. The sense of pride and connectedness among families, students and staff at several events I have attended, such as family welcome and information evenings, Year 12 camp, Swimming Sports Carnival, lion dance lunchtime cultural activity, student leadership excursions, etc., has been extremely pleasing.

We have revamped and continued to enhance our family BBQ and information nights held at the start of each school year. This included introducing an Indigenous smoking ceremony to welcome all our new Year 7 families to Willi High. We place great value in and have a strong belief that when new families connect to the school, as their children move from primary to secondary, it has a significant positive impact on the journeys of these students over their next six years of schooling.

The events held so far this year have been enthusiastically attended and the positive feedback from families about our school culture and academic and extracurricular programs is truly appreciated by both school leaders and staff. On this note, I would strongly encourage all families whenever possible to engage with these evenings as it sends a strong message to each student that we are truly committed to working together in a three-way partnership to best support their secondary schooling journey.

At our Day 1 student assemblies, I announced to the students that this year we will have a significant focus on improving and updating the school grounds and facilities. This will not only include resurfacing work but also adding outdoor futsal courts at both campuses (the Pasco ones are almost complete, as seen in the picture below), an outdoor covered cafeteria for Bayview, sensory/study pods, student leadership offices and enhanced outdoor seating options for our students.

We have also received significant grants for upgraded ramps and automatic doors to ensure all rooms are accessible. Moreover, I am pleased to announce we recently received over $2.5 million to address the cracking and shifting foundations of our beautiful Q Block building at Pasco.

Every four years, government schools undertake a review and develop a new strategic plan. Even though Williamstown High School is highly regarded and performing well, we have a constant focus on looking for the next area of improvement to ensure we maintain this status and continue to provide for the ever-changing needs of today’s students.

This year is our review year and part of the process will involve holding focus groups for parents, staff and students to gauge opinions and seek out ideas that will be fed into our review process. Staff will also be part of a number of staff meetings, reflecting on data from the previous four years and generating suggestions for goals in our next strategic plan. School Council will also be involved in supporting this work.

WHS continues to attract teachers of the highest quality and I am pleased to say that we start the year fully staffed with a group of exceptional teachers and support staff. A list of new and returning staff has been included below. We are looking to introduce a new nurse position to our wellbeing and student support team but we are as yet to finalise this.

Please enjoy reading about the range of student experiences that have already taken place this year in our first edition of the W-Files for 2025.

2024 VCE Results

Our students received some outstanding VCE results, with 110 study scores over 40, placing them in the statewide high achievement category. An ATAR of more than 90 was achieved by a record number 38 students, with 20 attaining an ATAR of more than 95, and three over 99. We had a perfect study score of 50 in Geography and two in General Mathematics. Charlie Muliett was named last year’s dux with an ATAR of 99.5. These results continue to place us amongst elite schools in terms of VCE outcomes.

We also celebrated our second year of the VCE VM program, with students sharing they are now working full time in their chosen career pathways as a direct result of completing this program. Fletcher Raspor received the VCE VM outstanding student award.

A majority of our students continue to receive first round tertiary offers. It is pleasing to hear many of these individuals with their diverse pursuits attribute their success and the doors that have been opened to them to their time at WHS. We wish the Class of 2024 the best of luck with their future endeavours, and we look forward to hearing of their achievements in years to come.

School Council Elections

Please find in this edition of the W-Files information about the upcoming School Council elections. Our School Council is dynamic and plays a key role in policy development and setting the direction of the school. I would encourage any interested parents or guardians to consider nominating for School Council. Please note, all School councillors are required to have current Working with Children Checks or acquire one once elected (this is free for volunteer categories). Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions in relation to the election process.

Key Roles

Please see below the names of staff attached to key roles within the school:

Campus Principal Teams

Leading Teacher Positions for 2025

Learning Specialist Positions for 2025

2025 Year Level Coordinator Teams

2025 Student Wellbeing Coordinators

Mental Health Practitioners

Youth Worker

New Staff

I am looking forward to working with the following new and returning staff as they join our team in 2025:

Appendix A

Fact Sheet 1. School Council elections - Information for parents

What is a School Council and what does it do?

All government schools in Victoria have a School Council. They are legally constituted bodies that are given powers to set the broad direction of a school in accordance with their constituting Order and the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. In doing this, a School Council is able to directly influence the quality of education that the school provides for its students.

Who is on the School Council?

For most primary School Councils, there are several possible categories of membership:

• A mandated elected Parent member category – more than one-third of the total members must be from this category. DET employees can be Parent members at their child’s school as long as they are not engaged in work at the school.

• A mandated elected DET employee member category – members of this category may make up no more than one-third of the total membership of School Council. The principal of the school is automatically one of these members.

• An optional Community member category – members are co-opted by a decision of the council because of their special skills, interests or experiences. DET employees are not eligible to be Community members.

• A small number of School Councils have Nominee members.

For all schools with a Year 7 and above cohort, there is an additional category of membership:

• A mandated elected Student member category, two positions.

Generally, the term of office for all members is two years. The term of office of half the members expires each year, creating vacancies for the annual School Council elections.

Why is parent membership so important?

Parents on School Councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills that can help inform and shape the direction of the school. Those parents who become active on a School Council find their involvement satisfying and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.

Why is student membership so important?

Students have a unique perspective on learning, teaching and schools. Having student members on School Council allows students to have a say in the future direction of their school and ensures student input into decision making.

Student representation on secondary School Councils will assist in the development of students’ skills, including leadership and communication skills.

Do I need special experience to be on School Council?

Each member brings their own valuable life skills and knowledge to the role. However, councillors may need to develop skills and acquire knowledge in areas that are unfamiliar to them. It is important to have an interest in your child’s school and the desire to work in partnership with others to help shape the school’s future.

Code of conduct for school councillors

School Councils in Victoria are public entities as defined by the Public Administration Act 2004. School councillors must abide by the Code of Conduct for Directors of Victorian Public Entities issued by the Victorian Public Sector Commission. The Code of Conduct is based on the Victorian public sector values and requires councillors to:

• act with honesty and integrity (be truthful, open and clear about their motives and declare any real, potential or perceived conflict of interest and duty)

• act in good faith in the best interests of the school (work cooperatively with other councillors and the school community, be reasonable, and make all decisions with the best interests of students foremost in their minds)

• act fairly and impartially (consider all relevant facts of an issue before making a decision, seek to have a balanced view, never give special treatment to a person or group and never act from self interest)

• use information appropriately (respect confidentiality and use information for the purpose for which it was made available)

• exercise due care, diligence and skill (accept responsibility for decisions and do what is best for the school)

• use the position appropriately (not use the position as a councillor to gain an advantage)

• act in a financially responsible manner (observe all the above principles when making financial decisions)

• comply with relevant legislation and policies (know what legislation and policies are relevant for which decisions and obey the law)

• demonstrate leadership and stewardship (set a good example, encourage a culture of accountability, manage risks effectively, exercise care and responsibility to keep the school strong and sustainable).

Indemnity for School Council members

School councillors are indemnified against any liability in respect of any loss or damage suffered by the council or any other person in respect of anything necessarily or reasonably done, or omitted to be done by the councillor in good faith in:

1. the exercise of a power or the performance of a function of a councillor, or

2. the reasonable belief that the act or omission was in the exercise of a power or the performance of a function of a council.

In other words, school councillors are not legally liable for any loss or damage suffered by council or others as a result of reasonable actions taken in good faith.

How can you become involved?

The most obvious way is to participate in and vote in the School Council elections, which are held in Term 1 each year. However, ballots are only held if more people nominate as candidates than there are positions vacant.

In view of this, you might consider:

• standing for election as a member of the School Council

• encouraging another person to stand for election.

School Council induction video

The School Council induction video provides a summary of the purpose and responsibilities of School Councils as well as the roles and responsibilities of school councillors. The video can be viewed on the Department’s website at School Councils <;

What do you need to do to stand for election?

The principal will issue a Notice of Election and Call for Nominations following the commencement of Term 1 each year. All School Council elections must be completed by the end of March unless the usual timeline has been varied by the Minister.

If you decide to stand for election, you can arrange for someone to nominate you as a candidate or you can nominate yourself in the Parent member category.

DET employees, whose child is enrolled in a school in which they are not engaged in work, are eligible to nominate for Parent membership of the School Council at that school.

Once the nomination form is completed, return it to the principal within the time stated on the Notice of Election. You will receive a Nomination Form Receipt via post, email or by hand following the receipt of your completed nomination.

If there are more nominations received than there are vacancies on council, a ballot will be conducted during the two weeks after the call for nominations has closed.

Remember:

• Consider standing for election to School Council.

• Ask at the school for help if you would like to stand for election and are not sure what to do.

• Be sure to vote if the election goes to ballot.

Contact the principal for further information.

Williamstown High School Council Election Process and Timetable 2025

The following School Council members’ tenures conclude at this election:

Parent members: Kane Harnden, Jake Mansfield, Natalie Burt

DET employees: Daniel Pearce, Andre Bernardi, David Child, Alice Arablou

Student members: Lachlan Patterson, Nayimah Flazon

Seconded community member: -

G. Catalano

Gino Catalano - College Principal

Form 2: Notice of election and call for nominations

An election is to be conducted for members of the School Council of Williamstown High School.

Nomination forms may be obtained from the school and must be lodged by 4pm on Thursday, 27 February 2025.

The ballot will close at 4pm on Thursday, 13 March 2025.

Following the closing of nominations, a list of the nominations received will be posted at the school.

The terms of office, membership categories and number of positions in each membership category open for election are as follows:

Dear parents and carers

By the time this edition is in print, the fourth week of the academic year will be well underway. We hope the beginning of the year has been fabulous for your child with sound learning habits and behaviours beginning to form.

Our three year level Parent/Carer Information Evenings have had differing focuses in addition to meeting homegroup teachers, year level coordinators and principals:

Year 7 Welcome to Country, Smoking Ceremony and yidaki (didgeridoo) performance

Year 8 Victoria Police online safety presentation

Year 9 Immersion Program, Careers Program, assessment and examinations

Key documents were also shared. A sincere thank you to all families that attended - we trust it was valuable; it is important to us to meet you in person to continue our work together this year.

Our daily learning

Our school day commences at 8:50am and our grounds are supervised for 20 minutes prior to that. In the afternoon, the grounds are supervised until 3:20pm. Staff on duty at Bayview wear a purple high visibility vest that has our logo on the front and the staff members name on the back. Please speak with your child about seeking support from the staff member on duty, if required.

Please work with your child to arrive with sufficient time to access their locker to be ready for class. This term may be challenging for your child; getting back into the routine of daily attendance, being on time and focusing in class on learning. Please contact our engagement and wellbeing team to seek support, if required. Our team consists of Mental Health Practitioner Christina Frei, Student Wellbeing Coordinator Ann Hyland, Health and Wellbeing Coordinator and Youth Worker Alanah Meilak.

Please note our library is open for students before school from 8:20am, during recess and second half of lunch, and closes at 4:30pm.

Our Student Homegroup Resource (spiral bound diary on booklist) looks brilliant this year - with a reduced size (can more easily fit into a pencil case) and cover design by Gauri Gautam (8A this year). Left hand side pages include due dates and on the right is space for the six daily periods to be listed (colour can be added if this helps) and learning/assessments. There is also a comments area at the bottom for you to use to correspond with teachers/staff. Using a hard copy diary has many benefits and is also a record of learning and the year!

Our learning environment

I am seeking your support to continue to provide a safe and clean school and learning environment for our students. To continue positive behaviour support at school, our focus is ‘we are respectful, we are learners, we are safe’. Teachers have confirmed shared expectations with all classes and are engaging students in learning through the use of our instructional model, SIMPLE: S=Statement of intention, I=Immerse, M=Model, P=Produce, L=Link and E=Evaluate.

Teachers are currently updating curriculum requirements to align with the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 (revised from 1.0). Content outlines for our eight learning areas: English, Mathematics, Humanities, Science, Health and Physical Education, Technology, the Arts and Languages, will be available shortly. Further information is available at https://f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au/

Our physical environment

Over 800 people at Bayview each school day create quite an amount of waste! We are looking at many measures to reduce waste and litter... Please provide food for your child without packaging, where possible. All 31 homegroups are working with Student Leaders and staff to keep areas litter free. Please note that chewing gum is also not permitted at school.

Over the break, doors to the reception and library were automated to allow greater accessibility. This was achieved through an application to the DET Accessible Building Fund. Two more fixed benches were added in the Atrium for student use and indoor lighting throughout the campus was improved with energy saving globes. Rectification of the ramp to our engagement and wellbeing area is yet to be completed but we anticipate this will have occurred within the next fortnight or so.

Mobile phone policy

Thank you to parents/carers that are working with us to implement the State government’s mobile phone policy at school. We provide secure storage in the form of student lockers (together with a combination lock) and this is where mobile phones need to be locked for the duration of the school day. Please note that cash and cards are only to be used at the canteen for purchases.

Communicating

Hopefully you've seen me outside the school entrance before and after school - please say hello if you can. Reception is open daily from 8am until 4:30pm. Communication about important matters is more productive on the telephone or in person, in my view, as two-way conversations can flow. Thank you to all of the parents/carers that have visited to speak with us in person so far this year.

We are currently in the Biderap season of the annual Eastern Kulin Seasonal Calendar, as described by Woiwurrung traditions - Dry Season. This time of the year is evident at Bayview with hot, dry weather and sightings of the female common brown butterfly. At the end of Term 4, some non-indigenous plants, shrubs and trees were removed from the wetland by the staff from Themeda Ecology. This has altered the landscape and hopefully is allowing room for indigenous species to thrive.

Kind regards

Karen Anderson

Campus Principal

Welcome

I would like to welcome back all students and staff for the 2025 academic year and encourage our school community to welcome our new staff and students to the campus. Please take that extra minute or two to make a new friend, point someone in the right direction or say hello. Those acts of kindness can make a big difference for someone new to the school and go a long way to ensuring we have a safe, supportive and welcoming environment at Willi High.

We have made a wonderful start to the year and there is certainly a buzz around the campus with students focused on learning and building their skills, often in subjects they are doing for the first time.

The Alumni Mentor Club started in Week 3, and it has been great to see so many students taking the opportunity to access extra support with their learning. The club runs in the Library on Mondays and Wednesdays after school with tutors available to support all students across a wide range of subjects.

Parent Information Evening and Family Orientation BBQ

It has been pleasing to see so many of our families attend the parent information sessions for each year level. These nights are a great way to start the year and for families to meet key staff who oversee learning, wellbeing and pathways for their children. We strongly believe these sessions set the foundation for success and consolidate the three-way partnership between home, the student and school. As part of these events, we held a door prize raffle that was generously supported by donations from businesses within the local community. I would like to acknowledge the support of the following businesses:

• Hobsons Bay Hotel

• Sebastian

• Morning Star Hotel

• Stags Head Hotel

• Cupcake Queens

Year 12 Camp

As always, the Year 12 Camp is a special event for our senior students and helps bring the cohort together. Students took part in a range of academic and team building activities that allowed them to plan for a successful Year 12, bond and have a wonderful time together. The talent show was a particular highlight and was well supported by all. It was lovely to see the genuine support that was shown by our students for each other. I have every confidence the Class of 2025 is ready to tackle the challenges of Year 12 and we will celebrate their achievements throughout the year.

Parent feedback – I just wanted to thank you for such a great start to 2025. The information evening for Year 11 and Year 12 was excellent. The format was such a great idea of different sessions, and the ice cream stand was certainly a hit. Then the Year 12 camp according to my child was lots of fun and great speakers.

The communication of expectations for Year 12 has all been very clear and my child feels well supported. It is great they can be part of the school production, and we look forward to seeing the show.

And finally, I noticed yesterday at lunchtime you had ice cream on offer for the students. All these little things make school more enjoyable. Thank you again for all your efforts and enthusiasm.

Facilities

Several upgrades continue to be completed. The synthetic futsal courts should be ready in the coming weeks, which is generating much excitement amongst our students who are keen to get out there and play. We are increasing accessibility to various buildings around the campus with 13 new ramps currently being installed - again, due to be completed in the coming weeks. Over the break we saw new carpet installed, painting completed, some additional AV equipment installed, and the A Block windows were replaced. Further works are planned throughout the year, with updates to be provided in future editions of the W-Files.

Hold fast.

Daniel Pearce

Pasco Campus Principal

Welcome back to another exciting year at Williamstown High School. After a remarkable 2024, we are eager to build on our successes and continue expanding our STEAM initiatives in 2025. Room 13, our STEAM Education Centre, is set to evolve further as a space for innovation, creativity and hands-on learning experiences. We are currently investigating a range of new furniture to support VR integration further in the space, and this should arrive soon.

VR Expands into More Classrooms

Following the success of VR integration in Year 8 English and Year 7 Humanities, we are thrilled to trial even more immersive learning experiences this year. New applications and simulations will allow students to explore historical events, scientific concepts and complex problem-solving scenarios in ways never before possible. Our VR Captains club will also begin soon so that the captains can continue to sample the latest apps before deployment in the classroom, further supporting their peers and ensuring that all students feel confident in using this powerful technology.

STEAM Club Returns

Plans for the Years 7-10 STEAM Club are in motion. This year promises even more hands-on projects and student-led innovations, including VR 360 video creation. Please stay tuned for more announcements soon.

Exciting Partnerships & Real-World Learning

Our partnership with Wyndham Tech School will continue to provide students with access to cutting-edge STEM programs, including industry workshops, excursions and competitions. Following the success of programs like Women in Tech and Deadly Tech Day, we’re excited to see what new opportunities emerge in 2025.

Additionally, we will once again offer students access to real-world work experience in STEM through programs like the GHD STEM Pathways initiative. This year, we hope to see even more students take advantage of these invaluable experiences that bridge the gap between school and industry.

We look forward to the exciting developments 2025 will bring.

Gavin Clifford
Strategic Assistant Principal

Williamstown High School aims to provide a safe, respectful and optimal learning environment for all students. To support the wellbeing of students we have a student wellbeing coordinator and mental health practitioner based on each campus, as well as a youth worker with responsibilities across both. Please see below for our wellbeing staff’s availability. If you have any concerns about your child’s health and wellbeing, please reach out to the relevant year level coordinator.

Child Safe

Williamstown High School is committed to creating and maintaining a child-safe and child-friendly organisation, where children and young people feel safe and are safe. Our child safe policies can be found on our school website.

E-Safety

Williamstown High School is committed to helping students develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be safe and respectful users of technology. We are working toward this by educating our students on the safe use of technology in class and through incursions.

We are also aware that students’ online experiences often move seamlessly between school and

home, and are therefore aiming to develop, with your support, a whole-of-community approach

to keeping our students safe online.

We will be sharing a range of information, tips and resources for parents and carers from the

eSafety Commissioner (eSafety.gov.au) that you can use with your family to help create positive

experiences for your children online. We encourage all parents and carers to keep an eye on our

school newsletter, website and social media channels for information you can use to build your

knowledge, skills and understanding of online safety.

Sincerely,

Tyson Hartwig & Corrine Hall

Bayview and Pasco campus Assistant Principals

School Saving Bonus (SSB)

The Department of Education SSB Team has commenced re-sending SSB codes to families who have not yet used the bonus. The code will be sent to the email address listed in our system for ‘parent A’.

If you have not yet processed your allocation to activities, textbooks, uniform or a combination, please do so via the SSB portal so that you can begin using the $400 per student.

For families who have allocated a portion or all of their SSB funds to activities, please proceed to the following link to advise the school which activities you’d like to allocate your funds to - https://forms.gle/23tS1GmsvXDf31h89

For more information on the SSB including ‘how to’ guides please head to the SSB webpage.

Annual privacy reminder for our school community

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or, where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice.

Please take time to remind yourself of the school’s collection statement, found on our website.

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn.

We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Google Workspace for Education safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Google Workspace for Education, please contact the school. For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy - information for parents.

WHS User Agreements - Due Wednesday, 19 February

Williamstown High School has three agreements that must be completed on an annual basis via Compass. The three agreements are as follows:

• Use of Image Consent - permission for student images to be used internally and/or externally

• Acceptable Use Agreement - ensures the acceptable use of our network and ICT systems by all students

• Local Excursion Consent - permission for students to go on excursions in the local area as part of their classes

Please ensure these agreements are signed and relevant questions answered by Wednesday, 19 February. The agreements can be found in Compass ‘payment centre’.

The Billing Parent Guide includes instructions on how to accept these agreements. Please note that we are required to disconnect students from our Wi-Fi network and ICT systems if the relevant agreement is not signed by Wednesday, 19 February.

Flexischools - Canteen Online Ordering System

Williamstown High School’s canteen is now using Flexischools for families to place lunch orders from 2025. Flexischools operates in more than 1700 schools across Australia, enabling parents and students to order and pay for school lunches online or via the Flexischools app. QuickCliq will no longer be used.

Flexischools App

In preparation for next week, parents/carers can simply download the Flexischools app from the Apple or Google store and follow the prompts to create an account. You can download the app and find registration and online ordering instructions here.

Daily spend limits can be set to keep an eye on what your students are buying via your Flexischools app. Additionally, you can also add access for your child to use the app, enabling them to place online orders themselves - great for growing independence.

If you already have a Flexischools account for another family member then just select the profile icon in the app and +Add New Student.

Once you’re set up, please follow the steps attached to place an order.

Please see our 2025 canteen menu for Bayview and Pasco Campus via our website. For lunch order collection, the process will remain the same at Bayview Campus with students entering the canteen via the ‘exit’ door for quick collection. This process will also be adopted at Pasco Campus along with the introduction of the online ordering system.

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF)

CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.

If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. A special consideration category also exists for asylum seeker and refugee families. The allowance is paid to the school to use toward expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

The annual CSEF amount per student is:

• $125 for primary school students

• $225 for secondary school students

How to Apply:

Click on the following link to obtain a CSEF application form

If you applied for CSEF at your child’s school last year, you do not need to complete an application form this year unless there has been a change in your family’s circumstances.

You only need to complete an application form if any of the following changes have occurred:

• new student enrolments - your child has started or changed schools this year.

• changed family circumstances - such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing this year.

For more information about CSEF visit:

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/Pages/csef.aspx

Student Accident Insurance Arrangements

Main points:

• The DET does not provide personal accident insurance OR ambulance cover for students.

• Parents/carers of students who do not have student accident insurance/ambulance cover are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injuries at school, including the cost of ambulance attendance or transport as well as any other transport costs.

• Parents/carers can purchase insurance policies from commercial insurers.

• Parents/carers are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including any transport costs.

• These costs may be recoverable where an injury is caused by the negligence (carelessness) of the DET, a school council or their employees or volunteers.

• Student accident insurance policies are available from some commercial insurers. These cover a range of medical expenses not covered by Medicare or private health insurance.

• Private property brought to school by students, staff or visitors is not insured and the Department does not accept any responsibility for any loss or damage.

Action Required:

Parents/carers of students are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of ambulance attendance or transport as well as any other transport costs.

Parents/carers can purchase insurance policies from commercial insurers.

The DET does not hold insurance for personal property brought to schools and it has no capacity to pay for any loss or damage to such property.

Firstly, a warm welcome to the Year 7 students as you begin your journey at Williamstown High School. The students have been busy settling into their new school community and finding their place within it.

We had a wonderful start to the year with the inaugural Smoking Ceremony, with Mark Brown, a Bunurong Elder and Senior Cultural Heritage Officer. A big thank you to all the families who joined us for our Welcome to Country smoking ceremony. Also, thank you to our talented musicians from the Pasco Campus, who helped create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for families during the event. It was wonderful to meet such a great community of Year 7 parents and guardians. Also, our ES staff prepared fantastic food, and our homegroup teachers, student leaders and principals all pitched in to participate.

Our Swimming Sports Carnival was a success with participation, cheering and fond memories made. Toward the end of the month we will have our Athletics Day, which we anticipate will also be a brilliant day.

Kangaroobie camp is currently occuring, and we look forward to hearing of the engaging outdoor activities for our students.

Finally, our wellbeing focus for the start of the year is on making sure that every student understands and demonstrates our three schoolwide positive behavior expectations: We are respectful; We are learners; We are safe.

Warm regards

Rachel Roberts & Lee Williams

Year 7 Coordinators

The Year 8 cohort has had a fantastic start to the year, beginning with our Parent Information Evening on Monday. This event provided a great opportunity for families to connect with teachers, ask questions and gain valuable insights into what’s ahead for Year 8 in 2025. It was wonderful to see so many parents and guardians engaged in their child’s learning journey.

Looking ahead, there’s plenty to be excited about with camp coming up in early Term 2. This will be a fantastic opportunity for students to build resilience, form stronger friendships, and challenge themselves in new and exciting ways.

Throughout the year, students will have opportunities to participate in various competitions, allowing them to showcase their skills while earning valuable homegroup points. We were also incredibly impressed with the level of enthusiasm and participation in the recent school Swimming Sports Carnival. Well done to all involved!

A major focus this year will be on student voice and agency, ensuring students can contribute to their learning experience and school environment. We are both looking forward to an exciting and successful year with our Year 8 cohort.

James Riccobene & Jenny Fsadni

Year 8 Coordinators

As we step into 2025, it’s the perfect time for fresh beginnings, new opportunities and exciting possibilities for our Year 9s’ journey.

We’ve had a fantastic start to the year, with an incredible 364 positive acknowledgments so far from classroom and homegroup teachers! It’s great to see so many of you hitting the ground running, staying organised, coming to class prepared and showing a strong commitment to learning.

Swimming Carnival Success

A huge congratulations to our Year 9 cohort for their enthusiastic participation in the Swimming Sports Carnival. The event ran smoothly and it was fantastic to see so many students competing, supporting their peers, and embracing the spirit of the day. Well done to all involved.

Parent Information Night & Homegroup Program

It was wonderful to see so many families attend our Year 9 Parent Information Night, where they had the opportunity to meet our homegroup teachers, who play a vital role in supporting students’ wellbeing and academic growth. Each Thursday, homegroup teachers deliver a curriculum focused on key themes, including Making Connections and Developing Positive Habits in Semester 1 and Respect for Everyone in Semester 2. Supporting our homegroup teachers, our Wellbeing Team includes Ann Hyland, Christina Frei and Alanah Meilak, who provide individualised support to ensure students’ wellbeing needs are met.

Exciting Learning Opportunities in Year 9

Year 9 is an exciting time for students, filled with opportunities to engage in a variety of enriching activities and programs. These experiences will introduce them to new ideas, enhance their learning journey, and help them develop valuable skills for the future. Some of these programs and activities include the following:

Immersion Program - For Year 9 our students will have an exciting opportunity to engage in meaningful learning while contributing to the school and wider community. Over the course of a term, Immersion Program students experience a collaborative, open-classroom environment that allows them to explore real-world issues through a social justice lens.

Students take part in city excursions and community service projects, where they research a topic of interest and present their findings to family and peers. This program encourages students to think critically, take initiative and develop valuable skills that will empower them to make a difference in their communities and beyond.

Morrisby Career Assessment - This career profiling tool helps students identify their strengths and interests, guiding them in future career pathways. Each student will receive an individualised report and meet with a Morrisby-trained Careers Consultant to discuss their results.

NAPLAN - Year 9 students will sit NAPLAN assessments this year, providing valuable insights into their literacy and numeracy progress and identifying students for additional support or extension programs.

Elective Subjects - A diverse range of electives allows students to explore the Arts, Health and PE, History and Languages. These electives empower students to engage in hands-on learning experiences, build new skills and discover their passions as they prepare for future pathways.

Leadership - Year 9 students will have the opportunity to take on leadership roles that help build confidence, responsibility and teamwork skills. Students develop their ability to advocate for their peers, organise events and contribute to the school community. Encouraging students to take on leadership roles empowers them to make a positive impact while developing valuable life skills for the future.

Whether you’re setting goals, embracing challenges or continuing your journey, we hope 2025 brings growth and success your way.

Let’s make this year one to remember, full of learning, collaboration and achievements. Looking forward to all that we will accomplish together!

Meet the Team

Sandie Johnstone

I am thrilled to be joining Williamstown High School this year as the 2025 Year 9 coordinator! With extensive experience teaching across the Arts and Humanities, I have had the pleasure of teaching subjects such as History, Business Management, Legal Studies, Visual Arts, Ceramics, Drama and Media Studies.

Beyond the classroom, I have a passion for travel, exploring new places and discovering great food. My most recent adventure took me to Europe, where I grew up and where much of my family still resides. On weekends, you’ll often find me on the cricket field, playing cricket. Not quite destined for the Australian women’s cricket team, but I love the social and team aspects of the game. I’m looking forward to an exciting year ahead, supporting and guiding our Year 9 students.

Stewart Wilson

Really excited to be following up this cohort into Year 9. I am also lucky enough to have the opportunity to teach all Year 9 students throughout this year through Immersion, and looking forward to seeing the direction students take in their research projects.

Like Sandie, I also love playing cricket over the summer. I am also a passionate Collingwood supporter and have a feeling that we will be fighting for the premiership again this season.

Welcome to the New Year!

It's hard to believe that we're already well into the first few weeks of the school year at our Pasco Campus.

"Today is the first page of a new book. Make it a good story!"

This is particularly apt as our Year 10s embark on the daily Wider Reading Program here at the Pasco.

For many of you, this is a time of change, excitement and a little bit of nervousness. But whether you're settling in smoothly or still finding your way around, this is your time to shine as we create a vibrant Year 10 community. Not only are there big changes happening for students, our families are experiencing change too.

You may have a lot of questions, so please see our updated school handbook linked here: https://smartbooks.mapsmarketing.com.au/users/williamstown/parent-student-handbook-2025/

We had a wonderful family evening with our cohort on Thursday, 13 February, despite the humidity. It was lovely to see families mingle and find their way around the campus. Parents and carers met the new homegroup teachers, and we had a briefing about the Camp in Queensland, year level processes and support, our Alumni Program, VCE processes and upcoming work experience.

We would like to thank Ms Bovdis, Mr Craig, Ms Vu for their enlightening presentations as well as the homegroup teachers below and the principals for the welcome they provided - they even cooked up a storm and served ice cream. We would also like to thank our Year 11 leaders for their assistance on the night.

We have 12 homegroups in Year 10 and the homegroup teachers supporting your child are:

Some of the other people who support your child here at the Pasco Campus are:

Year Level Coordinators

Isabella.OMalley@education.vic.gov.au or Christopher.Blattman@education.vic.gov.au.

(attendance, engagement, behaviour and every other question you are unsure of!)

Wellbeing Coordinator

Ann.Goller@education.vic.gov.au

(anxiety, stress, school refusal, uniform passes, other passes, modified timetables, financial concerns)

Inclusive Education Coordinator

Simone.Barlow@education.vic.gov.au

(learning needs student support plans, passes)

Careers Coordinator

Anna.Bovdis@education.vic.gov.au

(work experience, pathways in school or external)

Curriculum Leader

Hanh.Vu2@education.vic.gov.au

(subject choices, at-risk notifications, redemptions, plagiarism)

VCE VM Coordinator

Ashley.Lubicz@education.vic.gov.au

(if considering the Vocational Major pathway later this year)

Academic Enhancement Leader

jesse.craig@education.vic.gov.au

(additional support and extension for learners, including the Alumni Program support in the library after school)

Sports Leader

ian.hume@education.vic.gov.au

(inter-school sports competitions and sports related questions)

Student leadership opportunities

iolande.diamantis@education.vic.gov.au

Looking forward to an exciting year ahead working with our wonderful Year 10s.

Chris Blattman & Isabella O’Malley

Welcome back to what’s shaping up to be an exciting and rewarding year at WHS! The Year 11 coordinating team for 2025, Angus Rodda and Jaslyn Walker, have been impressed with the Year 11s’ behaviour, attendance and positive attitude toward their VCE/VCE VM studies.

You might have heard your Year 11 student mention the phrase “Lock In” lately and wondered what it’s all about. Well, it’s the official theme for the Year 11 cohort of 2025! Locking in is all about committing to growth - whether that’s academically, improving attendance or upholding school values.

To celebrate students who embody this mindset, we’re introducing the Locksmith Award. Every fortnight a student will be recognised for their dedication, as voted by their teachers and peers.

After months of anticipation, we announced our very first Locksmith Award winner, Ari Estall. Ari has been putting in the hard work - studying in the library every evening, actively contributing to class discussions, and making sure everyone feels included in and outside of the classroom.

To mark this significant occasion, Ari was awarded a giant golden key during our Year Level Assembly. There was a lot of confusion initially as to what this key opened. Then we introduced our giant lock (see picture below)! Covered in gold sequins, there was a collective gasp of amazement within the room.

When Ari first tried to open the lock with his key it wouldn’t work. Wondering what we had to do to open this lock, Mr Rodda found a message on the back of the lock that he read aloud: “This is a special lock which will only open if the cohort chants: turn the key!” It started slowly but shortly after the entire room was filled with chants of “turn the key”, a moment that really signified the cohort coming together and embracing the theme. The lock then opened and Ari was met with prizes: 4x Osborne Street Milk Bar churgers; a $10 canteen voucher; and exclusive access for him and his friends to the new futsal courts when they open. We look forward to awarding the next Locksmith Award in Week 4.

We want to thank all of the families that came to our Parent Information Evening and hope that you got something out of it. It was great to meet so many families. As part of the evening, we held a door prize raffle that was generously supported by donations from businesses within the local community. I would like to acknowledge the support of the following businesses:

• Hobsons Bay Hotel

• Sebastian

• Morning Star Hotel

• Stags Head Hotel

• Cupcake Queens

The school year always flies by, so here are some important dates for Year 11 students and families to keep in mind:
13 February (Period 1): Study seminar with Elevate Education
18 February: School photos
27 February: Athletics Carnival
3 April: Pasco parent/teacher/student interviews

While there’s plenty to look forward to this year, we also have high expectations for our students - especially when it comes to uniforms and attendance.

If there are any concerns regarding your child’s uniform, attendance or anything else affecting their schooling, please don’t hesitate to reach out so we can provide the best support possible. For more details on our uniform and attendance policies, please refer to the school website.

Angus Rodda and Jaslyn Walker are beyond proud of this cohort and can’t wait for what’s ahead. It’s going to be a fun, rewarding and busy year, and we’re excited to see the Year 11s thrive!

The start of the academic year is always fast paced, particularly in Year 12. The hard work for students to complete their VCE and VCE VM journey has begun in earnest, and the summer holidays are a distant memory for many. The first few weeks have been extremely busy, and we now take a moment to reflect on some of the key moments.

Thank you to all parents who attended the Year 11/12 Parent Information Evening. A different approach was taken for this event this year, and it was fantastic to see so many families attending the different presentations on offer throughout the evening, gaining a broader understanding relating to year level fundamentals, career information and VCE requirements. It was also great to see families socialising in the school grounds whilst enjoying a cold drink, a sausage or an ice cream that were provided by the school on the night.

The key message given during the Year 12 presentation was that there is no shortcut to success this year. Students need to challenge themselves and find the right level of discomfort to achieve success and avoid burnout. Maximising attendance at school is critical to academic and wellbeing outcomes, and three-way communication between the school, students and parents/carers is vital in enabling us to support your child in the best possible manner. Please do not hesitate to let your child’s homegroup teacher, the relevant subject teacher, or us as the year level coordinators know if there is an issue affecting your child’s academic progress or mental health and wellbeing.

As part of the Year 11/12 Parent Information Evening, a door prize raffle was held that was generously supported by donations from businesses within the local community. We would like to acknowledge the support of the following businesses:

• Hobsons Bay Hotel

• Sebastian

• Morning Star Hotel

• Stags Head Hotel

• Cupcake Queens

Year 12 camp is always a special experience for staff and students, and this year was no exception. Thankfully the heat of the previous week abated and everyone was able to enjoy cooler weather over the course of the three days. Students challenged themselves across different activities, including high ropes, giant swing, archery, a Survivor competition based on the popular TV show, and raft-building, to varying levels of success. Congratulations to Borys Bak, Mariam El-Souki, Alex Kane, Anais McColl, Jai White, Thomas Williams and Lachlan Wilson for taking out the Survivor crown, outwitting, outlasting and outplaying all other teams. Students experienced presentations on VCE success, and alcohol and drug awareness to encourage safe experiences during 2025 and beyond. And, most importantly, all students had the chance to relax in and around the pool.

On the Wednesday evening of camp, the Year 12 student leaders entertained everyone with a varied and well-crafted trivia, with teams feverishly competing against each other to answer questions on different topics, create their own Egyptian mummy with the help of copious amounts of toilet roll, and go up against Mr Urwin in a version of the TV show The Chaser. A special mention goes to Millie Mountford for her awesome RuPaul lip sync that got everyone on their feet.

The traditional student talent show was held on Thursday evening and there was a large number of students that got up on stage and had all students on their feet. A special mention goes to Ollie Martin and Amelie Miller for their dance routine to Britney Spears, and Cara Egry and Henry Reid Uebergang for their acoustic version of Riptide by Vance Joy. A rousing rendition of YMCA brought the evening to a close.

Special thanks goes to the staff who came on camp and made sure the Year 12s had such a great experience. Without staff volunteering to be away from home for a number of nights, these camps could not go ahead. Thank you to: Jesse Craig, Ben Cork, Iolande Diamantis, Tony Fear, Grace Hopton, Mathew Hrasko, Glenn Kellam, Alanah Meilak, Clementine Roussel, Hanh Vu, Jonathon Watson and Timothy Wraight.

At the Year 11/12 Parent Information Evening, we spoke about the theme, A Year at the Movies, that will mirror the moments that shape Year 12 for staff and students in 2025. We will share a recommendation with students in assembly every Tuesday, and we encourage all parents/carers to ask what it is that evening, and maybe plan a family movie night for the weekend if you like our choice. The recommendations during Headstart and the beginning of Term 1 so far have been:

• Groundhog Day

• Back to the Future

• Dazed and Confused

• Into the Wild

• Napoleon Dynamite

• In the Mood for Love

• Rear Window

In the W-Files throughout this year we will be introducing you to a slightly different side of your child’s homegroup teacher and our student leadership team in line with our theme outlined above. Firstly though, we thought we would start the year by introducing ourselves as the Year 12 year level coordinators, and our School Captains for 2025:

Michael Patchell

This is my third year at Williamstown High School, teaching English and VCE VM Literacy. My favourite films are: Heat, Inception, The Dark Knight and The Departed. The worst film I have ever seen is Line of Duty. I thought it would be a good watch, as I had just seen Sully and it starred Aaron Eckhart, but it was absolutely terrible and 90 minutes of my life I will never get back. My favourite actor is Christian Bale. He has not been in a bad film, he can take on any role and do it brilliantly, and he should have won an Oscar as a child in Empire of the Sun. The first film I saw at the cinema was Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. My older brother took me and I remember being amazed by the size of the screen. My favourite snack at the cinema has to be a choc top, and after a summer of watching Disney and Pixar films with my four year old son, the most recent film I have seen is Saving Private Ryan with my two eldest sons. It was a reminder of the unforgiving brutality of war that hopefully we never see again.

David Urwin

I have taught at WHS for seven years, and this year I am teaching English, Literature and VCE VM Work Related Skills. My top film recommendations are: Do the Right Thing, Playtime, Dazed and Confused, Beau Travail, In the Mood for Love, Raging Bull, All that Jazz - and I could go on! I feel that all art contains beauty within it, and deserves to be treated openly, compassionately and with generosity. That being said, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, both versions, is a total waste of time and the worst films I have seen. My favourite actor is Catherine O’Hara. There are probably better actors, or more compelling ones, or actors with a wider range of roles, but I struggle to think of a presence that is as consistently funny as hers. The first film I saw at the cinema was Aladdin. I remember thinking at the time, ‘sure, the songs are fine and this is a characteristically manic performance from Williams, but I feel like the narrative is a little thin’. I love popcorn as my snack of choice when going to the cinema, and Before Sunset is the film I watched most recently, for about the 100th time!

Chloe Hodgman

My top three movie recommendations are: Pearl, Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Hunger Games, which is an underrated classic. The worst film I have ever seen is Love Actually. I just cannot get behind the acting or the plot, a 1/10 for me. My favourite actor is Florence Pugh. She has incredible diversity in her acting and has outstanding, heart wrenching performances. She is also a very genuine person and her frown is unforgettable! I cannot remember the first movie that I watched, but I had a pretty awesome Frozen themed party for my 5th birthday at the Sun Theatre! I like a choc top when I go to the cinema and the most recent film I watched was Heretic.

Rivi Zdraveski

My top three movies are: Karate Kid, The Intouchables and Moneyball. Like Chloe, the worst movie I have ever seen is Love Actually. My favourite actor is Omar Sy. He has an amazing personality, he is funny and he has a great stage presence. Like Mr Patchell and Chloe, when I go to the cinema I cannot go past a choc top as my snack of choice.

A Fantastic Start to 2025

The 2025 school year is off to an exciting start at the Bayview Street Campus. Students have jumped into their subjects and begun exploring a diverse and engaging curriculum. From hands-on learning and collaborative group activities to using online platforms like Google Classroom, IXL for English and Mathematics, STILE for Science, and Education Perfect for Languages, they are already making great progress.

It’s fantastic to see students actively participating in their learning - whether through practical tasks, discussions or written work. We look forward to an exciting year ahead!

Exciting Update to the Victorian Curriculum

The Victorian Curriculum F–10 has been updated. On 20 June 2024, the Minister for Education, the Hon. Ben Carroll, introduced Version 2.0, making it easier for teachers to plan lessons and track student progress. The updates are based on feedback from teachers and aim to better support student learning.

At Williamstown High School, we are reviewing these updates to ensure we continue delivering high-quality teaching and learning for all students.

What’s Changing?

While the structure of the curriculum remains the same, key subjects have been refined to make learning clearer and more engaging. These include:

✔ Mathematics
✔ Science
✔ English
✔ Humanities
✔ Health and Physical Education
✔ Technologies
✔ Some Languages [more will be added later]

Other areas, such as English as an Additional Language, are still under review and will be released in the future.

What does this mean for students?

• A clearer pathway from early years to secondary school.

• Key skills and knowledge to support future learning and careers.

• A more engaging and effective learning experience.

What does this mean for parents and teachers?

• A curriculum that is easier to understand and use.

• Less repetition across subjects, making learning more focused.

• Clearer expectations for student progress.

At Williamstown High School, we are committed to supporting students and families through these changes. To learn more, visit the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 website.

Semester 1 Learning Tasks – Stay Informed on Compass

Over the next few weeks, your child’s Semester 1 Learning Tasks will be available on Compass, giving you insight into the key assessments for each subject. You can view the task names and descriptions by clicking on the Learning Tasks tab.

Each subject will have one to three Learning Tasks throughout the semester. Checking these can help you understand what your child is working on and how you can support their learning at home.

Progress Reports – Tracking Your Child’s Learning

To stay updated on your child’s progress, you can also review their Progress Reports on Compass before the Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences in Term 1 and Term 3. These reports, found under the Reports tab, provide valuable feedback on engagement, progress and areas for improvement.

If you have any questions at any time, please feel free to email your child’s teacher - we’re here to support their learning journey!

Felicity Christmass
Acting Curriculum Leader – Middle Years

Student Leadership for our whole team this year at Bayview was officially launched this last week (Week 3) with our two leadership development days. Our first day involved a trip into the CBD, where the students split into teams to complete an Urban Quest scavenger hunt. This had students running around the city, working together to find and solve clues.

When asked, Vice Captains Charlie and Sienna said: “the leaders were put up against the challenge and had to get to know each other and work together”, and that they “loved the Urban Quest mission because we got to work together and bond”. We followed that with some fun at Strike Bowling and Laser Tag, where the students continued to bond and have some more fun together.

Day 2 was at the Newport Hub and consisted of three different sessions on leadership, teamwork and team planning. A huge thank you to Assistant Principal Tyson Hartwig for running our first session on leadership. The students learned a lot and were put into action with a particularly tricky stepping stones challenge.

Another huge thank you goes to College Principal Gino Catalano for popping in to inspire and empower our middle years leaders to take the opportunity they have to bring great events and represent the student voice this year at Bayview. Across the two days, one of our House Captains, Valentine, “liked the bowling (Day 1) and team building games (Day 2) the most because they were challenging and we had to solve problems”.

In all, our leaders spent two days bonding and working together across the different teams to begin thinking and planning for the year ahead. For many of our leadership group, this is their first experience in a leadership role. For others, their participation this year as Year 9s has been the culmination of their efforts so far at Bayview, which has now landed them in a leadership role. It was fantastic to see the teams working so well together across Years 8 and 9, watching them build new relationships and solve problems. As one of our Year 8 leaders, Tomasz, said: “I really enjoyed getting to know and meet all the Year 9s. It was lots of fun”.

So far this year, student leadership has also been involved in supporting the Bayview campus’s Swimming Sports Carnival. A massive thank you goes to our sports captains, Ava O’Toole and Eden Ellis, for diving head first into their roles this year helping out with the novelty events. As well as the swim carnival, thanks must be given to the 11 student leaders who helped out with our Year 7 Family Gathering, which welcomed new families to the WHS community in Week 2.

Term 1 continues to be jam-packed with opportunities for the leadership group to get involved, including:

• 27 February - Athletics Day and World’s Greatest Shave

• Week 6 - Clean Up Australia Day initiatives

• 21 March - Harmony Day

Being new to this role this year, I have been astounded by the attitude and support of the student leaders. I am full of pride for how the group has gelled so far this year and am excited to see them work together to bring the school a great range of initiatives and activities that support the student body and WHS in the community. All in all, I am feeling inspired by this year’s group, who are looking to make their mark on Williamstown High School for 2025.

In introducing our opening term of English in 2025, I am excited to advertise the exceptional quality of our teaching team this year. Familiar faces include Sarah Barry, Sharon Croft, Holly Defina, Corey Genis, Liz Lorenc, Niamh Hall, Paul McArthur, Bradley Nicholls and Grace Robertson. We welcome Liam Kurzemnieks, Lazarus Kong, Bethany Evans, Christopher di Pasquale and me (Tom Jones). With this blend of experience and fresh perspective, we are committed to bringing the kind of energy and passion necessary to help students achieve their best.

Year 7 students have commenced a unit on poetry, examining the ways in which poets employ language and structure to evoke emotion, convey meaning and enliven the senses. We are fortunate that Bayview Campus is a school on the sea and a natural habitat for poetic writing. As part of our study of haikus, students are drawing upon their observations of the sea, wetlands and our collection of marine life, to inspire their own poetry. Students are also exploring classic works of poetry from throughout history and across cultures.

One need only glance at the news lately to feel we are living in tumultuous and consequential times. It is fitting then that the Year 8s are engaged in a film study of The Sapphires (2012), which provides rich opportunities to explore the social upheaval of 1960-70s Australia and the tectonic shifts in culture that have shaped our world today. The Sapphires is also a powerful celebration of Aboriginal Australian talent and its resilience in the face of oppression and prejudice. In this unit, students will develop their skills in film analysis, building a vocabulary of film techniques and an ability to interpret sequences of visual language. Our Year 8s have already begun to engage thoughtfully with the issues and questions raised by this text and we look forward to seeing their work as the term unfolds.

Year 9 is a dynamic and unique year at Bayview, where students undergo Immersion and continue to discover their learning interests. In English, students have embarked on a creative writing unit geared around genre conventions and a media analysis unit. Here students are afforded the opportunity to clothe their individual storytelling voice in the styles of horror, romance, science fiction, mystery, fantasy and a whole host of literary subgenres. Students will also strengthen their ability to analyse and present persuasive language media texts.

It has been exciting to see the growing creativity and confidence of our Bayview students as they find their voice at Williamstown High.

The privilege and power of public speaking

If you are a parent/carer or even a brother or sister of a Year 12 student, you might have already been harassed by your child/sibling to listen to them present their views on the miniscule returns to musicians from streaming, war in the Middle East, or the inequities baked into the AFL draft system. The reason for this is that the Year 12s’ first SAC is a persuasive speech on a contemporary media issue. They have been thinking and planning for a 4-6 minute presentation - maybe even during your family holiday at the beach. They need to show an understanding of the complexity and ramifications of their selected issue, but also try to recommend strategies or solutions that they believe might help to ameliorate it.

This will not be the first or the last time that your teenagers have tried to convince you about a particular issue. It probably started when they were much younger and might have involved sleepovers or items on a birthday wishlist rather than more serious world events. However, each time they tried to persuade you that a gaming console in their room or schoolies on the Gold Coast was perfectly fine, they were honing their persuasive skills. They may have accused you of being Kim Jong Un, operating the strictest of regimes, assuring you that Tom, Tanya and Hannah have had a particular item or freedom for months or even years. Offers of gardening, emptying the bins, the dishes or cooking may have been proffered as leverage to sway your stern refusals. Coaxing and cajoling a “yes” from parents with a reasonable request is a vital skill!

In all workplaces, oral communication skills, especially those to propose ideas, explain plans or introduce and defend one’s own views, are essential. Those who can skilfully and persuasively communicate are more likely to be employed. The first step is to persuade an employer that you can do a job and that you would be a good colleague. It doesn’t stop there. If you are in real estate, you need to gain the confidence of the seller that you will promote and get a great price for a property and simultaneously find buyers who you entice to fall in love with a particular house. Research scientists and all others who seek funding from the government or private sector to support their research must present a systematic, persuasive case that justifies the money and provides hope for future success, discoveries or development. The builder who quotes to extend your house needs to garner your confidence that not only do they have a great plan, but they will be reliable, on budget and care about their client. We don’t always accept the cheapest price, because we have been convinced that another supplier is better or more trustworthy for some reason.

Living in Australia, we are lucky that we can speak our mind freely, without the fear of being thrown in prison. Yes, we have recently introduced anti-hate speech legislation, which rightly has legal consequences. However, if we lived in many other parts of the world, political dissent is quashed and thus rare or underground. When I lived in Turkey, there were dozens of journalists in prison who had criticised the government at that time. I think we should celebrate the fact that we can criticise our public officials. This hopefully means that they act with more integrity than they might do without the scrutiny of a free media and a sceptical, informed public. So, when your Year 12 child asks for you to listen to their persuasive views, be excited that they are using skills that are vital for their own future and for a healthy democracy. You might just be launching Australia’s next ambassador.

Glenn Harris
English CAT Leader

Last year was a spectacular year for the Maths department. Our VCE students had another outstanding year with students achieving study scores over 40 in every stream and every class of mathematics from General Maths to Methods and Specialist. This included the outstanding performance of two students scoring perfect study scores of 50 in General Maths.

This year we welcome Ms Richardson back to the Pasco Campus. Beth will be taking students for Maths A and 11 Methods. Beth is exceptionally experienced with over two decades in the profession and we are very lucky to once again have her working with our senior students.

Below are a few accounts from our Year 11 students on how the year in maths has started:

‘I’ve really enjoyed my new teachers. My Maths teacher is really interactive and it has made learning maths easy in 2025.’ - Levi

‘We’ve been looking at matrices and it has been interesting to learn how they can be used to map networks of roads and even relationships.’ - Hannah

‘I’ve liked using communication matrices to establish networks.’ - Rob

Below is a photo of a group of our Year 11 students busily working on matrices, just a couple of weeks before they complete their first SAC - including for the first time.

2025 looks chaotic at the moment with ramp construction being delayed. However, in the classrooms it has been very smooth sailing! We are looking forward to the maths adventures that the year holds.

Senior School Maths Coordinator

Brett Russell

Welcome to the 2025 school year everyone! This year I am continuing the Mathematics Learning Specialist role and we are welcoming the following teachers to the Mathematics Team:

• At Bayview, we introduce Louise Collins, and welcome a return to the campus for Tim Howie.

• At Pasco we welcome Angus Rodda and Matthew Grose back to the team, and return to the campus for Beth Richardson.

Homegroup teachers will be checking student devices for the browser over the coming weeks, and there will be support available to any students experiencing difficulties with the installation.

Our Science team is excited to be back in the lab and seeing students engaged in hands-on learning as we dive into an exciting year of scientific discovery.

This year, our Year 7 and 8 students are learning under the new Version 2.0 of the Victorian Science Curriculum. Our Year 7s have begun by exploring the particle theory and states of matter, building their foundational understanding of how substances behave. Later in the term, they will investigate different forms of energy and their role in everyday life.

In Year 8, students are delving into the particle and atomic theory of matter, helping them connect microscopic structures to the properties of materials. By the end of term, they will explore physical and chemical changes through a range of experiments.

Meanwhile, our Year 9s have begun their studies with acids and bases, before progressing to chemical reactions and the real-world issue of ocean acidification.

Term 1 meetings:

Tuesday, 18 February, 7:30pm @ Bayview Campus and online

• Guest speaker - Liz Lorenc, literacy leading teacher, Bayview Campus - overview of upcoming NAPLAN testing for Year 7 and Year 9 students.

Tuesday, 18 March, 7.30pm (AGM) @ Bayview Campus and online

• Guest speaker - TBC via Compass

Welcome to all new and existing WHS families

The PFA are friends and parents interested in connecting with the school community and contributing toward enhancing the school experience for all Willi High students. The meetings are a relaxed and informal forum where you can air concerns, chat with other parents, and enjoy listening to regular guest speakers, such as specialist teachers and principals.

New seating - Year 11 area

Thanks to successful fundraising, the PFA has committed to donating $15,000 over a three-year period to enhance the Year 11 area at Pasco. The first stage of this renovation is new seating in the internal locker area, which is proving popular with students already.

We hope to see you at a meeting soon. Keep an eye out for Compass posts about upcoming meetings, or email us at presidentwhspfa@gmail.com to receive PFA updates.