Balgazette – Term 4, 2020

2020 has been a year like never before and it has been a pleasure to be the Principal at Balga Senior High School where staff, students and families worked together to ensure educational programs continued throughout the year. Our Year 12 students were particularly affected through interruption from COVID 19 with respect to some of the normal experiences that would come with being Year 12s but they worked admirably through the challenges they faced and this culminated in a wonderful graduation ceremony earlier this term. I, together with all my staff and the School Board wish all our Year 12 students the best for the future and I am sure the challenges they faced and overcame in 2020 will hold them in good stead for what lies ahead in life after school.

Our school program continues to reflect the needs of our community and it is pleasing to see so many students making sound progress across all year levels.

Farewell Mr Harris

We had a wonderful end of year assembly take place where we were able to celebrate the successes of our students but also recognise and acknowledge the career of our long serving staff member, Mr Trenton Harris, who has decided to retire after 43 years of service with the Education Department. Students joined in the celebration of an outstanding career. Balga SHS will miss him greatly but we wish him a happy and busy time in retirement.

School improvement program

During this year we have been very fortunate to have received funding to have our school building improved and this has resulted in a fantastic facelift and dramatic improvement in our learning environment and I believe a very positive message that Balga SHS is an integral part of our community. In addition to this work, we will have further upgrades taking place next year with our Science block being completely refitted. This is a most welcome program as it will transform this important part of our school into a state of the art facility.

Thank you staff

During this very challenging year, I wish to acknowledge the outstanding effort made by all of my staff. We moved all of our learning programs online during the initial stages of the COVID 19 pandemic and this meant that all staff spent many hours replanning lessons and resources for that format. In addition to this, we decided it was necessary to ensure all students also had access to the paper versions of the work that was needed so all staff collaborated to ensure this was delivered. It was a mammoth effort but one that made me so proud to be the principal of such a wonderful team in an amazing school. Furthermore I wish to acknowledge the outstanding effort made by my Executive team. They spent many hours long after the school day had finished to assist in the management of the school in what was a constantly changing space this year.

Importance of education

There are some aspects that are currently of concern. Firstly, an excessive number of students are consistently arriving late to school in the morning. This is impacting their education. If a student is 10 minutes late each day, over the course of a year that equates to more than thirty three hours of missed time from classes. I ask parents, carers and students to focus on ensuring all students arrive on time each day.

The second issue relates to actual attendance. We have many students who attend school every day and indeed a large portion of our students have attained an attendance rate in excess of 90% for the year. This is fantastic and it should be what is being achieved by every student. We have attendance and engagement officers and they will be following up on absenteeism with increased vigour next year because we know that non-attendance means that student learning is significantly interrupted. Please ensure your children attend every day it is their future at stake. If a student is absent please provide a written advice explaining the reason for the absence.

School Board

I wish to thank our school board members for their time and energy over the course of this year, it has been fantastic to have such a strong board supporting our school as we head out of our most challenging year and into our school review in Term 1, 2021. Particular thank to our Chair, Mr Ross McLean for the energy and time he has dedicated to our school.

I wish everyone a safe and happy summer break. I encourage our students to think of others during the festive season and make sure they acknowledge the wonderful support they receive from family, carers and friends. Take the time to say thank you – they will appreciate you taking the time to do this. I wish my staff a relaxing period where they can recharge after a very challenging and demanding year and finally I look forward with excitement to a 2021 that is a little more predictable and stable for us all. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

Mr Mark Carton – Principal

I wish all our students and families to have a fabulous break over the holidays!

Ms Lisa James – HoLA English

Term four has been an exciting term with lots of activities taking place across all areas of the school.

Year 12

In Science we had the Year 12s finishing off their Human Biology course and 24 students graduating.  Eight of them scored top A grades and this was a culmination of a rewarding year for our year 12 class.

Year 11

Integrated Science students in Year 11 learned about Rockets and mastered the physics behind the construction and flying of space rockets. Our future engineers successfully launched their rockets on the school oval. Speed, velocity and mass was scrutinised to improve the model’s ability in flying.

Year 7-10

Planets

Year 7-10 students covered Earth and Space units this term. Year 7 and 8s modelled with the solar system and enjoyed studying life on a planet. Year 7 along with IEC classes got first-hand experience with Robotics and how they could be used both on Earth and in Space.

Year 9s were captivated in Tectonic plates and couldn’t believe how forces of nature could turn the world upside down in seconds. Stile lessons helped with their imaginations and most completed their quizzes with ease. Year 10s on the other hand expanded their knowledge about the Global systems and the Universe. They covered the Carbon, Nitrogen and the Water cycles and inter-related their roles in the Earth systems. They also learned about the amazing life cycle of stars.

Firetech Incursion

In week 9, an Incursion by the Firetech team mesmerized our students with Robotics and Drones. Students used these gadgets and experienced exposure to new technology in Science classes and the team competitions were exhaling. Wishing all the students a relaxing and safe Christmas break and a great start to the new year.

Ms Guddy Litt – LAC Science

Much excitement was generated in the undercover area in the Senior School quadrangle on Friday the 4 of December. The F1 in Schools Business Enterprise students enjoyed some friendly races with miniature formula one race cars, competing with students representing the three F1 teams from Joseph Banks Secondary College.

The 25 metre race track was set up by the of F1 students, Mr Samuels and Luke so races could occur during lunch for Balga students to observe. The 2020 F1 State Finals were run as virtual races due to Covid-19 restrictions so the friendly competition between the two schools was held to allow the F1 students experience, the thrill and excitement of a normal State Final.

The Balga F1 teams (i.e. Horsepower Racing, Maxsprint and Shooting Pegasus) worked hard in order to compete in the virtual State Final in October. However, as the entry deadline loomed it was decided the teams would not compete since the CNC router used to cut the cars had issues. The students have learnt a great deal including how to design: 2D (e.g. team logo) and 3D objects (e.g. F1 car), business cards, posters and advertising/marketing using social media, planning and running fundraising events, learning the science behind what makes a race car fast and working as a team to develop portfolios for the competition. The students have learned STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) skills such as design thinking, problem solving, critical thinking, project management, collaboration, time management and teamwork, all useful for future employment.

The students also enjoyed visits this term from Mr Garry Brown-Neaves and Ms Janine Freeman MLA who sponsored Team Trimentum, to participate in the F1 National Finals in Melbourne in March just before the Covid-19 lockdown. David, Ahmadvali and William members of Team Trimentum who have been mentoring the current F1 students presented Ms Freeman with a certificate of appreciation and Mr. Garry Brown-Neaves of Flamewood our most significant sponsor with a certificate and a “Thank You” plaque of our State Championship winning car. Both sponsors met with our current teams and were impressed with their work. Mr Brown-Neaves indicated he would like to continue supporting the Balga F1 Program.

On Friday 4 December, students enjoyed having a turn each at launching a race car selected from a collection of old F1 cars from past Balga teams. They talked of the excitement and nervousness they experienced competing against the students from Joseph Banks whom they found as friendly competitors. They got positive feedback on their portfolios from the Joseph Banks teams and were able to see how the shape of the car they selected for the race, affected its speed giving them ideas for future car designs.

Ms Ros London & Ms Trisha Dean

On Friday 4 December, students enjoyed having a turn each at launching a race car selected from a collection of old F1 cars from past Balga teams. They talked of the excitement and nervousness they experienced competing against the students from Joseph Banks whom they found as friendly competitors. They got positive feedback on their portfolios from the Joseph Banks teams and were able to see how the shape of the car they selected for the race, affected its speed giving them ideas for future car designs.

Ms Ros London & Ms Trisha Dean

The events that have occurred globally this year, both in health and politics have been unprecedented and have tweaked student interest, as historians will be writing about 2020 for many years to come, highlighting the importance of how a healthy planet, population and democracies lead to healthy economies.

To complete their studies of History the 7AC and 7GEN classes went to the Maritime Museum in Fremantle. The students were fortunate to be able to view the Ancient Roman exhibition as well as the regular exhibits that were on display.

The Year 8s focussed on the Black Death in History, and were able to draw parallels with the situation facing the world today. In Civics and Citizenship, they researched the importance of democratic freedoms and were able to compare our system of government in Australia with the system and evolving situation in the United States of America.

All the Year 9 students have researched the Industrial Revolution and the causes of WWI. In Civics and Citizenship, they looked in particular, at the growing role of social media and how it can influence peoples understanding of major issues.

To augment their studies in Civics and citizenship, the Year 10 students have had the benefit of once again working with a team of young lawyers from K.W. Mallesons to look at the law and its impact on young people. The culmination of their studies saw the students participating in a Moot Court where they were able to role play in actual court proceedings. This year’s event was a little different, in that, due to Covid 19 restrictions, the students were able to embrace the advantages of technology as they linked with practitioners from across Australia.

Ms Mandy Hampson
HaSS Careers Coordinator

The Year 10s hit the town on Friday  23 of October when they attended the annual SkillsWest Careers Expo at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in the city. This is an important event for students interested in choosing their future career paths as all the major training providers, universities and employers have course offerings and employment opportunities on display. It provided the perfect opportunity for students to try their hand at tasks involved in different occupations from bricklaying, hairdressing, sound recording, nursing and baking, to name just a few. Many students have used the information gained to choose to enrol in TAFE to complete certificate courses whilst still at school, over the next two years. These exciting choices will ensure that they develop skillsets for bright and busy futures.

The Year 9AC class were privileged to have the opportunity to visit the Crawley Campus of the University of Western Australia for the annual Race Around Campus. The students participated in activities presented by the School of Business, the School of Earth Sciences, the International Centre for Radio Astronomy (ICRAR) and a session covering geophysics. These activities offered the students some insights into the range of courses available and assisted in building their understanding of course requirements and future employment prospects to assist in their subject selection and future career choices.

Ms Mandy Hampson
HaSS & Careers Coordinator

In Term 4, our Year 12 Graduation Ceremony was absolutely amazing, despite the COVID-19 restrictions.

The following students received an award in Mathematics:

• Sadaf Darab Najafabadi in Mathematics Applications
• Makayla White in Mathematics Essential
• Samra Hafeez in Mathematics Foundation

We also would like to congratulate the students who achieved a Credit in the Australian Mathematics Competition.

• Year7:   Mary Fiel
• Year8:   Jacob Manson
• Year9:   Trang Ngo
• Year10: Hieu Lai, Jimin Pham
• Year11: Tien Nam Nguyen, William Tay

Finally, the Maths team at Balga Senior High School wishes all students  a safe holiday and a Happy New Year!

Ms Mioduszewski, Ms Wilkinson, Ms Bulloch, Mr Ramponi and Mr Sappl

On Wednesday 25 November, the Learning Support Program held a fantastic Showcase Assembly.  This event was to celebrate the student’s achievements in 2020.  It was a well-attended event which included families, carers, support agencies and employers from various business.

The students presented and demonstrated their learning experiences in Science, Health and Careers.  All students showed great confidence and maturity when presenting what they learnt.  The guests were amazed and in awe of our student’s abilities and skills.  The managers of local business who attended, praised our students and committed to continuing their support to our students so they have the opportunities to have Workplace Learning in various industries.

The Learning Support staff are tremendously proud of the student’s achievement.  The Showcase was a fantastic conclusion to a challenging year, and we look forward to their future accomplishments in 2021.

Ms Salina Mathews & Ms Izam Haris
Teachers Learning Support

Students in IEC 2.3 have learned about our Solar System. They read non-fiction books, answered questions and collected information in books and the internet and finally created a poster about one of the planets.

Ms Steffi Selle – Teacher IEC

This term IEC 2.2 learnt about Australia. To consolidate their understanding on the topic, they had to deliver a short 5 minute PowerPoint presentation on their chosen state. They learnt how to make their presentations more interesting by the use of this medium to improve audience focus and to be interactive. Well done IEC 2.2 for the interesting presentations and slides and for being so eager throughout this learning journey.

Ms Lorraine Marie – Teacher IEC

This semester, the Intensive English Centre and the Science learning area have collaborated in developing a robust and meaningful program for the graduating students from Mr Wallenborn’s IEC3.2T.

The students undertook their lessons in a Science laboratory and engaged in a range of practical activities for Chemistry including using various methods to separate suspensions and solutions, and creating lava lamps. Students also built marble runs to observe the relationship between kinetic and potential energy, which help them to understand the transformation of energy.

This more hands-on approach has been very popular with the students who have found it both engaging and illuminating. The class greatly appreciates the support of Imogen Parsons, Laboratory Assistant, who helped to plan and prepare the activities.

Dan Wallenborn – Teacher IEC

Students in IEC2.1 have been learning about the attributes of 2D and 3D shapes in Mathematics. They recently enjoyed a competition with visiting primary school students. Students demonstrated how to make shapes using straws. All involved had a great time and it was a positive introduction for visiting students to Balga Senior High School.

Ms Kathy Wyatt – Teacher IEC

This semester in ‘Creative Industries’ students immersed themselves into the world of knitting. One of our lovely staff members, Annie Harrison, kindly assisted our class and taught us how to knit. Students learnt the basic stitch that allowed them to make their very own scarves. Check out the photos of our students with their own fantastic creations. They will certainly keep them warm next winter. It was great seeing our students engaged and involved in this task. Fun had by all.

Ms Jeanita Andy – Teacher

Volunteer “Thank You” High Tea

On Tuesday 1 December, the Student Services team held a “High Tea” morning tea for the volunteers that have assisted throughout the year. Volunteers serve Breakfast Club every day of the week, assist in the classroom and with homework club. Classroom volunteers listen to students read, assist them with understanding mathematical concepts, support with completing homework tasks and are a friendly regular contact with students. The Year 11 Hospitality class, prepared the food and served the guests.

Ms Ros Playforth
Student Services Manager

SSWA Years 7-10 Interschool Athletics Carnival

It was as fantastic day at the 2020 SSWA Years 7-10 Interschool Athletics Carnival.  Forty determined athletes and student helpers headed to the WA Athletics Stadium to represent Balga SHS.  The Balga Athletics team performed remarkably well with standout performances from Al Aktham Alsafouri finishing third overall in the Year 10 Boys Competition by winning the A division 400m and placing second in the 100m Hurdles.  His team also won the 4 x 100m relay. Jerome Jarwee also won the Year 10 Boys 100m Div. A race.   A special mention to Ryan Culbong who showed plenty of Balga Spirit to compete in seven events across the day.  A big thank you to Moo Moo Ku Paw and Moo Nay Paw who took many great photographs on the day and to our student helpers (Moo Nay Paw, Sumaya Ahmed Hussein, Day Eh Paw, Paw Rey Moo, Mu K’Do Paw, Say Lah She Paw and Htae Htae Lay) who were acknowledged on the day by SSWA for how amazing they were in assisting at events and supporting our athletes.  A big thank you to Mr Bristow, Ms Donald and Mr Richards for their enthusiasm and support on the day and also to Mr Milevski for organising the event.

Ms Sarah Bagshaw –  HPE Teacher

Woola Woola Koolangkas has now finished their Spring Season at WDNA.

We have had a great year of Netball and we want to thank all people involved in doing such a great job at the courts especially with Covid restrictions throughout the Winter Season and Spring Seasons.

The girls played very well and had a great time representing our school and club.  We are looking forward to starting winter season again next year.

For netball at school we have been playing against the AFL boys for a bit of end of year fun. The boys are developing some great netball skills and challenging the girls on the court.

We wish you all a safe, happy holiday season.

Ms Brydie Donald and Ms Rusty Hazel

Just some of the amazing art created by our students this term.

Second semester has flown away whilst the students in Home Economics have been busy investigating, designing, producing and evaluating wonderful creations in both the Food production and Textile classes.

The IEC classes have continued their learning journey by learning to read and follow a recipe, measure ingredients and use equipment safely to produce tasty food from around the world in a fun and engaging way. In Textiles they have advanced their sewing skills producing articles such as pyjamas, heat packs, knitted scarves, recycled pencil cases and the cutest Teddy bear you’ve ever seen! Designer-look cushions and potholders were produced for Balga Senior High School’s fundraising stall at the Awesome Arts festival in the October school holidays.

The year 7 and 8 Cooking classes have been busy producing a range of food to develop their practical skills and use of equipment whilst gaining an understanding of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. The highlight of the semester was to invite the parents and carers to a morning or afternoon tea with each class, serving food that the students had produced themselves. It was great to see the students serving teas and coffees and showing how proud they were of the food they produced.

Year 9 and 10s embraced the COVID world that we have found ourselves in this year, as we travelled on a virtual tour around the world. The students completed a passport on arrival at each country, naming the capital, identifying its national flag and researching the staple foods and common or famous cuisine of that country, before producing various recipes. While producing a wide range of meals the focus was also on the Six Essential Nutrients and the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. There were two highlights for this semester in International Foods. First, the World Ticket assignment where each student studied a country of their choice and produced a recipe from that country to share with the class. Secondly, the production and decorating of our now famous Gingerbread House! They looked amazing!

The Learning Support Senior School class has also been busy this semester. Their focus was on the Six Essential Nutrients and cooking for everyday living. Recently the students also helped to cater for their awards event by helping to make biscuits to be packaged for the parents and carers morning tea.

The Certificate II Community Service Child Care has been phased out with the last of the students completing their units this semester. Many thanks goes to Mrs Jansen for her years of teaching this course. The SCASA course ‘Children, Family and the Community’, was offered for the first time at Balga this year and delivered by Mrs Maughan. It has been successfully implemented and has an increased enrolment for 2021 on the NNEI program.

The Certificate II Hospitality, delivered by Ms Brown, has had another successful year with the year 12s’ completing with 100% success. The many functions for service ranged from Breakfast Cafes for staff, afternoon teas for soccer games and homework club, staff lunches and the highlight being the Sports Carnival day! This “three- function!” day included breakfast for the staff setting up, morning tea with coffees and sweet treats and a subway style lunch….delicious! Well done to Miss Brown and her students.

A special thank you goes to our wonderful Home Economics Assistants, Mrs Rosie Symes and Mrs Brigette Richi, for all the amazing work they do in and out of the classrooms and behind the scenes. On behalf of all the Home Ec teachers and students, we thank you for your support again this year.

Annette Connop – Learning Area Coordinator.