Newsletter - December 2020

Principal's message

We have had a fabulous – albeit very busy – Term 4.

On the first day back after the holidays – senior students attended the Warwick SHS Ball -  a date that was arranged for earier in the year and then rescheduled because of COVID.  Students attended a lovely pre-ball party then travelled in a limousine to the ball.  A big thank you to staff who came to the pre-ball and/ or attended the Ball to support the students.  A special thanks to Mrs Lester, who organizes everything for our senior students and to Mr Yanev, who gave his own time to take pre-ball and foreshore photographs of our lovely students.  Thanks also to Mandy Ault, who arranged the limousine, and Jen Cahill who hosted the pre-Ball event. 

Our annual student reunion was held at the end of October and it was well attended – with 29 former students turning up.  They chatted and caught up with all the news and it was a really lovely occasion – as always.  It is an important event for many of our students as it allows them to maintain contact with friends they may not otherwise see.  They have even suggested that we have more of them each year! 

The WADSA Carnival was held at our school this term and we welcomed staff and students from Cyril Jackson Senior Campus ESC.  Mr Koppl organized it all with WADSA and we provided a sausage sizzle for all staff, students and families who attended.   Another carnival was the Warwick SHS Athletics Carnival and this was a lovely day that gave us an opportunity to integrate with the mainstream students.  

Year 10 students took part in the week-long WOW course placement – run by ACTIV - and then received their certificates of completion at a morning tea hosted by ACTIV at our school.  This means that the students are ready for official work placements in 2021. They grow up so quickly! 

We had our transition visits from our new 2021 students.  Ten, Year 6 students came in to meet staff, take photographs and get to know the school site.  They attended on 4 sessions and are now, hopefully, quite confident about coming to us in 2021.  Parents of these students attended a Morning Tea on 26^th November and it was lovely to meet them. 

Our annual Christmas Market was held in our Conference Room on Wednesday 25^th November and a wide range of beautiful items, produced by the students in Art & Enterprise, under the guidance of Mrs Yanev and Mrs Kelly, was on sale.  There were also calendars, which showcase the photography students’ work – for sale – and we made almost $4,000! This money is used as the seed fund for next year’s program and also to purchase any new equipment.  Well done to all staff and students who were involved!

Our photography program was, once again, a huge success, thanks to our fabulous photography staff.  All of our photography students enter their work in the Chevron Focus Environment Competition – the largest school photography competition in the state. This year we won a total of 8 prizes and, for the second time, one of our students took out the Harry Butler award – the top prize in the competition.  Although the winner of this prize is not actually enrolled in West Coast but in Dianella Secondary College Education Support Centre – he has been enrolled in our ASDAN program this year and has attended our Centre each week and so, for the purpose of this competition, he is one of ours!  We are really delighted with all of the photos that students submitted and congratulate the prize winners. 

Our 2020 school leavers had their traditional, “farewell breakfast” with their teachers on Monday 30^th November at Café 28 at the Joondalup Resort.  It marked the start of their final week at school which culminated with the highlight of this term which is - as always - the whole Centre, End of Year Assembly, on Wednesday 2^nd December - where we celebrated all of our students but especially our Leavers.  This year we had 16 Leavers – 14 of whom attended the assembly – and it was a lovely, but emotional, evening. 

During the last two weeks of term, some of our students have been attending swimming lessons at Balga Leisure Park.  This is a valuable time for students to practise their swimming skills and enjoy the blissful freedom of being in the water – especially on the really hot days!

School reports will be issued at the end of the term.  These will address progress towards the students’ IEP goals.  Teachers are always happy to have a chat if there are any queries about these reports and I am always happy to meet parents to discuss this or any other issue. 

Finally, we have to congratulate Mrs Kriziotis, who has won the Principal’s position at Burbridge School.  We are delighted for her!  Mrs Morgan, our School Psychologist, is also leaving as she has been relocated.  We thank them both for their hard work and dedication and wish them every success!

It has been a busy and productive term and staff and students have worked hard and achieved great things!  We look forward to another successful year in 2021.

Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday break.  We look forward to greeting our students upon their return to school on Monday 1st February 2021.

Carol Clarke
Principal

Confessions of an Education Support Chaplain

This is my last Hurrah!

I started working at West Coast in October 2018. This was  my first placement as a Chaplain. During my first few weeks everyone I spoke to thought I was a student on prac and when I mentioned that I was the new school Chaplain, they were surprised and
responded with 'you're so young' or  'my kids are older than you!'.  I have since aged a little and have loved interacting and connecting with the wonderful staff and students that I have had the pleasure of working with.

During my time at West Coast, I have been called a few names, the most common ones being Rice, Rehka and the breakfast lady.  I was once told by a staff member that I am their favourite Chaplain, which I thought was amazing.. until I remembered that I am the only Chaplain!

Over the last two years I have learnt some lessons that I will carry with me and they are as follows:
- It's okay to ask for help; as a Chaplain this should have been common practice from the get go, but knowing you need help and accessing it are two different things. I would not be where I am today without the wonderful support that I have received.
- Failure is not final; in this role I have had the pleasure of organising and planning a lot of fun
stuff for our school community and have have discovered that things don't always go as planned. I learnt to think on my feet and to try again which has made the experience so much more enjoyable.

My most embarrassing moment was the time I showed up for work with no shoes. In my defence, this was not a common occurrence. I don't wear shoes while driving, so I didn't realise until I got to work.  Telling my boss that I came to work without shoes wasn't easy, but she responded with a laugh and was so gracious about the whole incident.  A quick trip to the local Kmart was quick to follow..

I have made so many wonderful moments here. I have loved connecting with staff over lunch, playing card games with staff and students and most, but definitely not least, playing group sport.  I have always enjoyed sport and been a little bit competitive.  But what I had the pleasure of being part of, is like no other.  I often describe this school as my happy place, as people that were once strangers have become like family. I am so grateful for how welcoming and kind this school community is. Over the last couple of years I have been showered with encouragements, free coffee/chai lattes and Christmas presents. I am so grateful for the generosity and support.  It hasn't all been roses and butterflies, when I have dropped the ball, Admin has been so supportive and have designed the role based of my strengths and the needs of the school, which has helped me to flourish and grow professionally and personally.  This will be a very difficult goodbye and I will miss you all dearly.

A new Chaplain by the name of Martin Heffer will be starting with West Coast in 2021.  A profile on Martin will be available early in the school year.  I am sure you will all do your absolute best to welcome him.

Thank you and all the best for the future. 

Raissa Kundwa
School Chaplain

Swimming lessons

Swimming lessons were held at the Balga Leisure park in the final two weeks of our second semester. All students from the lower and middle school were invited to participate and we filled the pool having 44 of our students involved in the interm swimming program. We left the school daily at 1:15pm for a 1:30pm lesson.  

Swimming classes were separated, not by year level or class area, but by our students swimming ability. This provided our students an opportunity to engage with students from different classes and really benefited having the lessons catered to their swimming capabilities.  

Our staff willingly got in the water to help some of our students who needed extra support in the water. Staff then helped our students get changed and ready for the bus to get back before the school bus arrived.  

The swimming lessons were a great success with students and staff working together to get to the pool and back in a timely fashion. Students made West Coast proud in the way that they conducted themselves during the two weeks of swimming lessons. Thanks to the Balga Interm swimming staff who were excellent with both our staff and students and allowed students to get the most out of their swimming lessons.  

Ryan Koppl
Physical Education Teacher

Student Reunion

West Coast held our annual Student Reunion on Wednesday 28th October and we welcomed previous students from as far back as 2010.

This is such a fantastic opportunity for past students to reconnect with both their peers and their teachers.  As always it is wonderful to see so many familiar faces and to hear about the student's learning journeys and reminisce with them.  WCSESC provided a lovely afternoon tea and a powerpoint presentation of photos of the students which provided the opportunity for past students to share fond memories of their time at school.  The room was full of love and laughter as we listened to our students' new adventures post school.  It was wonderful to hear how each and every one of the students are making a positive contributuion to their community either through leisure pursuits, volunteering activities or work.  Some of them now even driving their own vehicles which is great to see.  

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

Christine Lester
Upper School Coordinator

2020 Graduation Breakfast

Our 2020 Leavers and staff enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at Café 28 at the Joondalup Resort on Monday 30^th November.  What a beautiful way to farewell a very endearing cohort of students.  The social skills, table manners and etiquette demonstrated by the students on the morning was delightful. This is testament to the educational programs at West Coast and their staff who offer a holistic approach in their teaching which covers all aspects of life, with a particular focus being on independence, community participation and communication skills. 

We wish all of our Leavers and their families all 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 our Leavers of 2020.

Christine Lester
Upper School Coordinator

Area F update

It has been a busy time in Area F with myself, Mrs Nileshwar, joining the team early in Term 3.  The boys worked really hard to produce some great Personal Interest Projects which involved lots of researching, writing, editing and careful presentation.

In Area F we love to foster the love of reading.  Our weekly visits to the library and daily Silent Reading time provides a great opportunity for the students to engage in some enjoyable, quiet time where they can develop their ‘reading for interest’ skills and share ideas of what to read with each other.

The boys in Area F have been part of the Junkadelics program recently.  They worked as a team, first brainstorming ideas for their project and then getting hands on with the creating process.  There was lots of cutting, drilling, spray painting and all sorts of imaginative contributions to our class creation which is now on display up in the trees.

Many of the boys in Area F, and two students from Area B, recently completed the WOW (Wider Opportunities for Work).  This involved training days at school with lots of listening, learning and engaging and lots of applying and demonstrating skills and understanding, preparing them for working in the future. The course also included a week long work placement at Activ in East Vic Park.  Congratulations to all the students for their hard work and achievements.

Suzanne Nileshwar
Area F Teacher

WADSA Athletics Carnival

The North of the River WADSA Athletics carnival was held on Friday 23rd October. West Coast hosted the event, having students from Cyril Jackson Education Support Centre join us for the carnival.  

The day was a great success with all students from both centres thoroughly enjoying the array of different athletic events. Events that students participated in included long jump, club throw, precision throw, shot put, 50m hurdles and sprints. There were also activities such as nerf knockdown, skittle bowling, ladderball and a sensory station for students to enjoy during the day. Students were able to participate in as many events on the day as they wanted, and we saw majority of our students compete in every event.  

A sausage sizzle was held for students, parents, and staff to enjoy halfway through the carnival. We also enjoyed some juice boxes and water to keep our energy levels up to continue with the carnival's events.  

It was an excellent display of healthy competitiveness, comradery, sportsmanship and teamwork from both schools and a great way for students to display their social skills. The effort of all students from both centres is to be commended.  

After another successful year, West Coast hope to host this event in 2021 and we look forward to more sports days such as this as it provides a great opportunity for students to establish relationships with other students and participate in athletic events at all levels! 

Ryan Koppl
Physical Education Teacher

Area C - Community Access

Area C participated in community access over the course of Term 4.  Staff and students planned and participated in several outings to Warwick Grove Shopping Centre where they actively engaged with members of the community and demonstrated appropriate behaviours. 

Students planned what they will order at bowling and practicing in role play scenarios with various members of the class. 

Avi learnt very quickly how to pick up the bowling ball and enjoyed watching it roll down the lane and smash the pins over, woohoo!

The third picture is of Sophie navigating the self service at the one and the only.........KMART! Sophie did very well at asking a staff member where she could find stationery and purchased a bobble head pen!

Area C worked very hard at planning a Barbecue through brainstorming, voting, price checks and discussions. We went to Woolworths to buy everything we needed and on the following day we had a barbecue at school! We invited students from Area H down to dine with us outside the life skills room and boy were we popular!

The fourth picture is a group from Area C excitedly walking to Warwick Grove to kick start the first day of community access.  Sunscreen and hats were plenty!

The fifth picture is of Fabian deciding if he would like honey soy or sweet and sour chicken kebabs. He asked the lady behind the deli very clearly for 'honey soy' and are we happy he did... Delicious!

The sixth picture is of Noah independently paying and collecting his receipt for the food for our barbecue.

The seventh picture is of Tim finding coca cola bottle lollies in the store with the help of Mr Chris... Good on ya Tim!

The last picture is of Liam bowling with the assistance of a ramp.  Rock n Roll Liam!

Bridget McDonnell
Area C Teacher (Wednesday/Thursday)

End of Year Assembly

During the evening on Wednesday 2^nd December at our End of Year Assembly we enjoyed some wonderful Drama performances including an ensemble called ‘The Storm’, a puppetry performance and a rendition of "We are Australian" with signing which all were a fabulous effort from students.

We also had a beautiful farewell to our 2020 Leavers.  We had 16 students leaving with each one of them being acknowledged for their participation in all aspects of school life.  This culminated in their teachers speaking the most heartfelt words about each one of them and the presentation of portfolios.  2020 Leavers include Ayden Ault, William Brook, Tim Chau, James Dodemaide, Ben Drummond, Liam Griffiths-Szeto, Fletcher Jessett, Noah La Cava, Aidan Leahy, Fabian Mateiu, Alex McDonagh, Isaiah McIlwain, Charlotte Paterson, Daniel Pomfrett, Chevy Slavich and Mathew Washer.  We wish each and every one of our leaving students all the very best for their future lives, safe in the knowledge that they have given everything of themselves during their years at the school and we will savour fond memories of them for years to come. 

Good Luck to our 2020 Leavers!

Christine Lester
Upper School Coordinator

A snapshot into Photography

What a year it’s been in Photography. The photography team, comprising of Ginny Brown, Maggie Niven, Gabrielle Da Silva, and Steve Yanev are very pleased with the outcomes students have achieved this year, with each student amassing an amazing portfolio of work and enhanced photography skills. We had 7 students attain their ASDAN photography Multimedia certificates this year, a wonderful achievement. ASDAN is a year long program for senior photography students.

The students have achieved yet again sensational results in the largest photography competition in the state, the Chevron Focus Environment photo competition.  Competing against mainstream schools, both state and private colleges, with more than 120 schools participating.

This year the photography team is extremely proud to say we won a total of 8 prizes, 6 Encouragement awards and one major category award for Kyle Berlingeri. Kyle is from Dianella CSESC, he enrolled in our photography program this year and has won the highest accolade for the best photograph of the competition, the Harry Butler award. Kyle’s photograph of three native birds was outstanding. One of the judges of the competition, professor Lyn Beazley stated and I quote “Capturing three different species in one photo is quite remarkable”. Professor Beazley also said “I think this is the photo that Harry would have selected”

Kyle is certainly a very worthy winner of the 2020 Harry Butler award.

The 6 students that won Encouragement awards were Christian Pelle, Claire Dzieciol, Ethen Chew, Josh Atkinson, Kaisah Glare and Seth Cook. Their photographs were outstanding.

In four years the school’s photography students have won a total of 39 awards and taken out the coveted Harry Butler award twice, the highest award given in the Chevron Focus Environment photo competition. We are arguably the leading award winning school over the last four years in the Chevron competition.

This is some achievement, one the photography team and all staff are extremely proud of.

Very well done to all concerned.

Steve Yanev
Photography 

Kyle Berlingeri’s Harry Butler award winning photo, with the Caption “Completely Native”

Enterprise Christmas Market

Our annual Christmas Market was a huge success again this year. Products made throughout the year by our students were showcased and for sale to staff, students and parents.

Our market favourites such as bunting, wreathes, wine sleeves, heat packs and cards were very popular as well as some new additions such as denim and animal print decorations, bath t-bags, lanyards and keyrings.

In addition to producing quality products we can all be proud of, it is always satisfying to see our school community come together, both West Coast and Warwick SHS, parents and friends.

Gaye Yanev and Sue Kelly
Enterprise

Area B Community Access

For 2 days, on the 17th and 24th November, the students engaged in a Community Access program to Lakeside Joondalup shopping complex.  They familiarized themselves with the travel plan by going onto the Transperth website and creating the journey planner.  They completed a range of shopping tasks like buying groceries and Christmas gifts for their families. They also enjoyed having recess and buying their own lunches at the Food Court.  This experience helped them to develop their community participation as well as communication skills.  An excellent life-skills learning experience for each of them.

Nimi Mammen
Area B Teacher

Containers for Change

This term our Bush Ranger cadets, with help from our parents and guardians, started collecting and recycling cans and bottles with the Containers for Change program.

Each fortnight our students take turns in separating the containers ready for counting and take them over to the collection site.

So far our students have exchanged 1250 containers to receive $125.00 for our Bush Rangers. 

Well done Bush Rangers!

Sarah Hills
Bush Rangers Instructor

Cultural Studies - Festival of Lights

On Monday 14th December under the Cultural Studies program, students received the opportunity to learn about the different Festivals of Lights celebrated across different continents. They viewed Hanukkah - Israel and Jewish; Yee Peng – Thailand; Night of The Witches – Mexico; Hogmanay – Scotland. Students took part in sand art on rangoli designs and decorated candles using glitter and rhinestones. It was a pleasant experience for the students in the last week of the school year.

Nimi Mammen
Cultural Studies

Tudor Uniforms

Just a reminder to parents that our uniforms are now stocked with Tudor Uniforms.  Please contact Tudor to purchase West Coast jackets and polo's. 

Tudor Uniforms 
1/75 Excellence Drive
WANGARA  WA  6065

Phone: 9408 2666

Community Vision Holiday Program