Newsletter Term 4 2022

Principals Message

Well we are at the end of another year and it has just flown past!  Term 4 has been a lovely – if busy – term where the focus has been on the new students who will join us next year and the graduating students who are leaving us to start the next chapter of their lives.  
We held three transition opportunities for our new Year 7 students, who are a delightful group! They enjoyed completing a booklet about their new school, as well as participating in some “getting to know you” activities.  The program culminated in an afternoon tea and Q & A session for the parents on the final day – with cookies baked by the new students in Home Economics.  We look forward to seeing them in 2023.    
For our 2022 Leavers, we had two special occasions.  The first was the Leavers’ Breakfast at the Purple Goat in Hillarys – which was a beautiful way to celebrate the students who were leaving.  The second was our End of Year Assembly and Graduation – where the Leavers were presented with their portfolios and farewelled.  We will miss the students, but we feel confident that they are ready to spread their wings and explore new options.  We look forward to seeing them at the annual School Reunion in 2023.  Our Reunion this term saw over 35 former students attending the afternoon tea and catch up, where they chatted and mingled and had a wonderful time.
Our annual Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Day, arranged through our Rangers program, was, as usual, a really lovely experience.  Students enjoyed the dancers and the stories and some were even selected to join in one of the dances and had great fun!
 We organised a whole school excursion to Perth Zoo to make up for the fact that we were not able to have camps this year.  Students spent half of the time completing some educational activities run by the Zoo staff and half the time enjoying free time to see their favourite animals.  It was lovely to see our office staff enjoying this time with the students too.
For the first time, we participated in the ESNN Lego League showcase.  Students practised activities in their group for several weeks prior to the excursion and then attended the showcase with students from other ES schools and centres in the North Metro area.  Hopefully this will become an annual event!
We held several other fabulous activities and events this term, including the Bush Ranger Animal Focus Day - Flora and Fauna, the Kalability Rapid Fire Cricket Carnival, a student web-chat with our Sister School in Japan, our end of year YCDI Assembly and, of course, our annual Christmas Market – showcasing the gorgeous items that the students have made in Enterprise all year.  All monies raised from the market go back into the Enterprise budget to purchase materials and keep all costs down for parents.  
In the last two weeks of term, classes packed everything up and moved to their new classrooms with their new teachers (where this was possible).  Although this makes it a time of extremely high anxiety, we have found that it means that the students are less anxious over the summer break.  
It has, once again, been a really happy and productive year – despite the COVID beginning – and I would like to thank my fabulous staff for all of their hard work and amazing positivity!
Thank also to all parents and guardians for your support over the year.  Have a restful holiday break and I look forward to seeing you all again in 2023.
Regards
Carol Clarke
Principal

Graduation Assembly

The West Coast SESC End of Year Assembly took place on Wednesday 30th November 2022.
The assembly was a wonderful opportunity for parents and guardians to celebrate the achievements of West Coast SESC students in 2022. Student merit certificates, Photography awards and a number of other special awards were presented on the night.  
We also farewelled our Leavers. We had 15 students leaving this year, with each one of them being acknowledged for their participation in all aspects of school life.  The teachers spoke about each of the Leavers with the most heartfelt words and the students were presented with a gift bag and their portfolio.  It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and wonderful to share this special night with all parents, carers and their families that came along. 
Many congratulations to all of our deserving award recipients. We wish each and every one of our leaving students all the very best for their future endeavours, safe in the knowledge that they have grown and flourished during their years at the school and we will savour fond memories for years to come.

Mrs Rebecca Wenn

Education Assistant  

Leavers' Breakfast

Each year, we take our Leavers out for breakfast as a way to say farewell to our students. The 2022 Leavers and staff enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at The Purple Goat Café at Hillarys Boat Harbour. The social skills, table manners and etiquette demonstrated by the students on the morning was delightful to see, as it is a marker of their maturity. This is testament to the educational programs at West Coast SESC and the staff who offer a holistic approach in their teaching, which covers all aspects of life, with a particular focus on independence, community participation and communication skills.  
After returning to school, the students were presented with their Vision Boards; a small project where the students created a display with photos, words and pictures of their good friends and the fun things they can look forward to in their future. 
We wish all of our Leavers and their families the very best for the future and thank them for their participation, collaboration and input over the years to leave us with the most beautiful memories, as well as the most valuable learning experiences as educators.
Farewell to our Leavers of 2022!

Mrs Rebecca Wenn

Education Assistant

Parliament House Visit

Wednesday the 14th of September saw six of the students from West Coast SESC head off to parliament house at the invitation of Mrs Jessica Stojkovski MLA. Jessica invited the students to attend a tour of parliament house and to have lunch with her. Liv, Abbigail, Chelsea, Ethan, Matthew and Byron were accompanied by Mrs Broxton, Mrs Gill and Ms McLaren and headed into the city for this unique experience.   
As the queen had just passed away, the foyer of parliament house had, in addition to a stunning chandelier and display dedicated to the inspirational women of Australia, a portrait of the queen. Students were provided with a guided tour of the building, and as parliament was not in session, we were able to enter chambers and see where the decisions for our state are debated and made. 
Many of our students were keen to meet the premier Mr Mark McGowan, and were disappointed that parliament was not sitting. Their disappointment was short lived however, when they saw the lunch menu. Jessica helped them order from a menu suitable for a five-star restaurant. The conversation flowed and Jessica told the students about her daughter’s sport carnival that she had been watching that very morning. At that moment, the man himself, Mark McGowan, walked by. Jessica sprang to action and Mark stopped and met all our students. Hands were shaken, stories exchanged and the students returned to their three course meal with smiles from ear to ear. Jessica was a wonderful host, giving them so much time and answering their questions so willingly. Our students were impeccably behaved and conducted themselves with pride and dignity.

Kerry McLaren

Deputy Principal

Vocational Education and Training

Students at West Coast Secondary Education Support Centre have been busy expanding their knowledge, skills, and interests through a variety of experiences in Vocational Education & Training (VET) in 2022. 
Three students have been attending Dianella Secondary College one day a week throughout the year, where they have successfully completed the Certificate I in Hospitality. We also have students who have achieved a Certificate II in Community Services and a Certificate II in Integrated Technologies at North Metro TAFE. 
Our students have participated in School Based Traineeships (SBT). One student has successfully completed a SBT at Water Corp and has achieved a Certificate II in Work Skills. A group of five students are participating in an SBT at GMS Training Academy, where they are working towards completing a Certificate II in Warehouse Operations.
Activ Pathways delivered the Certificate I in Workplace Skills in school, one day per week, over the course of Semester 2. The Certificate l in Workplace Skills is an accredited course that assists participants to progress to further education, training and employment through the development of employability and leadership skills. These skills are applicable to a range of industries and career groups. 
A number of Year 9 students have taken opportunities to explore careers and industries this year. The Year 9 Career Taster Program is a new initiative that aims to inspire secondary school students to become "career curious" about further study opportunities and potential careers. The program also offers Career development training that will assist students in making informed decisions on their course selections and post-school options. In 2022 we have had students participate in career taster courses in Plumbing and Painting at MPA Skills, Bricklaying and Carpentry at Skill Hire, and Design, Art and Tourism at North Metro TAFE. We are looking forward to an exciting year of opportunities in 2023.

Suzanne Nileshwar

VET Coordinator

Photography and Multimedia

The Photography and Multimedia program continues to grow. This year has seen student participation numbers at over 50, for the greater part of the year. 
The two-year program for ASDAN students continued very successfully through 2022, allowing students a longer time frame to fully grasp the concepts of photography in relation to linking it with the school curriculum. This in turn provided a formal framework for the senior students. The younger students participate in a structured, in-house format which enabled the commencement of skills that are applicable to the ASDAN program when they reach their senior years.  
This term has seen wonderful work completed by students, both in a photographic sense and in learning the skills of editing. We have witnessed several students demonstrating a preferred tendency towards the editing aspect of learning, which is wonderful to see. Some in fact, have now developed into go-to persons for specialised editing requirements.
The increased numbers of students participating in Photograhy was a logistical challenge from a space, computer and camera availability perspective, and these obstacles were addressed with additional cameras, computers, software and staff to ensure this valuable and highly successful program maintains the previous high standard of student participation, learning and in turn, remarkable output. Part of the cost of providing the additional resources has been met by additional spending from the school and the use of the student winnings from the highly acclaimed Channel 7 and Chevron: Focus Environment student photography competition. Students have now won, in the past 6 years, approximately $15,000 divided between the school and the winning students. 
In relation to the Channel 7 and Chevron: Focus Environment photography competition, this year six students from our school have won Lyn Beazley Encouragement awards. These awards attract a $100.00 gift voucher that can be spent at any store in any Westfield shopping centre - another tremendous result for our students. The students are Logan Farris, Emily Fowler, Ryder Jezierski, Oliver Ronaldson, Ella Zscherpel and Brandon Hill. Their photos are attached. Congratulations to the winners. 

Mr Steve Yanev

Photography

Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Day

On the 25th October, West Coast SESC hosted our Bush Rangers Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Day. The aim of this day is to nurture the development of a culturally responsive school, by building on relationships with relevant cultural groups in the school and wider community. We were lucky to be able to host representatives from Wadumbah Dance Group, EG Incursion and Djurandi Dreaming to run the following workshops:
Wadumbah Dance Group 
Traditional Bibbulmunn Aboriginal dance and music performed with fun, passion and power! Wadumbah brings the Dreaming stories of the very first Australians alive in a performance that’s authentic and spectacular.
Wearing traditional Aboriginal costumes, enhanced by awesome Didgeridoo playing and the hypnotic rhythm of the tapping sticks, the skilful performers and traditional presentation entertained and enthralled the audience.

ABORIGINAL ART ACTIVITY
Students created their very own Bag Tags, based on designs created by Indigenous Artist Kerri-Ann Taggart. 

EG Incursions – Virtual Reality Aboriginal Australia 
Australia’s indigenous culture is one of the oldest surviving cultures in the world. The Pamagirri Aboriginal group transported viewers, in a full 360-degree view, to the Far North Queensland rainforest. The workshop included interactive educational games about bush tucker and hunting, as well as an incredible CGI video about the Dreamtime. 

Djurandi Dreaming 
This session included a Yarning and painting session. It was an interactive art workshop, where students learned stories and symbols behind Nyungar art while helping to paint a large group canvas.

Sarah Hills

Bush Rangers Leader

Zoo Excursion

On Wednesday the 9th of November, West Coast Education Support Centre went on a whole school excursion to Perth Zoo. The weather was perfect for a day packed with enjoyable learning experiences and there were many exciting animals to see.

The students explored the zoo in self-guided tours and participated in education experiences linked to Science and Geography, scheduled at different times throughout the day. During the educational experience, students participated in an outdoor safari lesson, where they explored the animals of the African Savannah and investigated their environment and the threats these animals face in the wild.

After learning about the adaptations and strategies to improve an animal’s ability to eat and avoid being eaten, students then went behind the scenes to experience a close encounter with a lizard and tortoise. It was an exceptional day; one we will remember for many years.

Amy Mulholland

Teacher, Bush Ranger Instructor 

Animal Focus Day

Animal - Fauna Focus
On Tuesday 6th December, West Coast SESC welcomed a menagerie of interesting and intriguing animals to our school grounds. We had a dingo, snakes, a koala, a scorpion, an eagle, a sugar glider, hawks, an owl and a huge array of other animals visit the school for our Bush Rangers (Animal-Fauna Focus) Day. All students were thoroughly engaged during the presentations by West Oz Wildlife, Birds of Prey and Critters Up Close. They enjoyed the practical learning experience and learnt about the needs of each animal, their habitat and any predators within the natural environment. 
Animals are fascinating creatures. Here are some interesting facts about animals:
•    A butterfly has about 12,000 eyes.
•    Snakes can burp fire—only if the decomposing animal they eat bursts with methane and hydrogen while being digested.
•    If you tickle a rat, it will laugh.
•    A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
•    Cows can walk upstairs but not down them.
•    The little jump guinea pigs do when they’re happy is called popcorning.
•    Koalas sleep up to 22 hours a day.
•    Cows sleep while standing up!
•    Pigs roll around in mud because they don’t have sweat glands–they do it to stay cool and prevent sunburn!
•    Frogs can breathe through their skin.
•    Birds have hollow bones which is what helps them fly!
•    Cows lie down when they sense a storm is coming.
•    Bees are so smart that they communicate with each other by wiggling their bottom in a dance.
•    The chicken is the closest living relative to the T-Rex.

Mrs Sarah Hills
Bush Rangers Leader

Reunion 2022

West Coast Secondary Education Support Centre held our annual Student Reunion on Tuesday 1st November and we welcomed previous students back to visit our school. 

This is such a fantastic opportunity for past students to reconnect with both their peers and their teachers. As always, it was so wonderful to see so many familiar faces and to hear about the students’ learning journeys and reminisce with them about their experience at school. 

WCSESC provided a lovely afternoon tea and the room was full of love and laughter as we listened to our students’ new  post-school adventures and shared fond memories of their time at school.  It was wonderful to hear how each and every one of the students are making a positive contribution to their community either through leisure pursuits, volunteering activities or work.

We look forward to continuing this tradition for years to come, as it forms a very special social event in the students’ calendars.

Mrs Rebecca Wenn

Education Assistant

West Coast SESC Uniform Catalogue

West Coast SESC Uniform Price List

Ability Gym Inclusive Physical Activity

Liberty Plus - School Holiday Program for Teens

World Festival Of Magic 2022

Better Health Program