School Newsletter 31 May 2021

Welcome to the latest edition of the School Newsletter! Parents will be aware through recent media coverage of the increasing conversation around the issue of consent and the value of an informative and well-targeted Protective Behaviours Curriculum. At Peter Moyes Anglican Community School, we already have in place an extensive Protective Behaviours Curriculum from Pre-Kindy to Year 12, with regular training provided to all staff.

Our age-appropriate Protective Behaviours Curriculum teaches children and young people to recognise abuse, understand what appropriate and inappropriate touching is, and understand ways to keep themselves safe.
 
There are four focus areas for our curriculum:

1.    The right to be safe
2.    Positive relationships
3.    Recognising and reporting abuse
4.    Protective strategies

These aspects are covered through Our Protective Behaviours Program which is based on the Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum developed in South Australia.

Further elaborations are provided through our Health Curriculum and through guest speakers, such as Paul Litherland who presented to all Middle School Students on Tuesday 18 May, and through our Connect, Learn, Engage seminar series for parents. Please contact our Deans of Students, Mrs Nicole Brown (Primary) and Mrs Alison Grey (Secondary) should you require further information regarding our Protective Behaviours Curriculum.

Staff News
On Tuesday 18 May I had the privilege of attending an awards ceremony held by the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL). The event provides an opportunity to recognise outstanding educational leadership in Western Australia, with awards presented by the Minister for Education, the Honourable Sue Ellery MLC. I am delighted to let you know that Mrs Nicole Brown was awarded the ACEL WA Fellowship Award. This prestigious award is recognition for Nicole’s hard work and excellent leadership in our school and her contributions to the broader education sector through organisations such as ACEL and the Teacher’s Registration Board (TRB). Only three Fellowships are awarded each year, with Nicole joining a very elite group of educators who have previously received the award. I am sure that you will join me in congratulating Nicole on this fantastic achievement.

Nut Allergies
Families may not be aware that we have several staff and students who are highly allergic to nuts and a range of other allergens. PMACS strives to be a ‘nut free’ school and while we cannot guarantee an absence of nuts, obvious food items containing nuts should not be brought to school. This includes nut bars, peanut butter sandwiches, nut chocolate (Picnic, Snickers etc.) and any item with nut-based sauces. For the most severe cases, simply touching a surface that has been touched by someone else who has eaten nut-based products can lead to an anaphylactic reaction. I encourage all staff and students to be nut conscious to ensure the health and safety of all members in our community.

NAPLAN
Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 have recently completed their scheduled National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests. NAPLAN is an annual assessment of skills in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy. Students complete four assessments: reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar, and punctuation) and numeracy. I have been delighted with the way students have engaged with the tests, particularly as this year was our first using the online platform. NAPLAN Online is a tailored test that adapts to student responses, presenting students with questions that may be more or less difficult, resulting in better assessment and more precise results. From a technological point of view there were only a few minor glitches that were quickly resolved by our Information Technology staff. We have been advised that results should be available by early August, which is earlier than previous years, and it is hoped that as more schools complete online assessments that there will be an even quicker turnaround of results.

In concluding, I trust you will enjoy reading the latest edition of the School Newsletter and I wish all staff, students, and parents a safe, relaxing and enjoyable break for the upcoming WA Day weekend.
 
Every Blessing.
 
Benjamin Lomas
PRINCIPAL

Welcome to Term 2!

It was lovely to welcome everyone back. We were fortunate to be able to hold and commemorate the Primary School ANZAC Service before COVID mandates kicked in. This was a wonderful opportunity for our students to gain a greater understanding of ANZAC and the ANZAC spirit. The Year 6 Primary School Leaders capably led the assembly, with the Year 1 and 2 Choir performing so beautifully, the song, ‘We will remember’.

Drama Lessons
We have been so excited to have been able to introduce Drama as a formal part of the curriculum in the Primary School with Mrs Emma Leadon who has been an absolute asset to our team. And boy did Drama get off and running, full speed ahead, in Term 1 with all students from Year 2 to 6 exploring the ‘6Cs’ of Drama. They are communication, concentration, control, cooperation, creativity and confidence, and are all integral to a successful Drama class. All our students have participated in a range of games and workshops that have assisted in the development of these important, life-long skills. In Term 2, the students are all actively participating in specific units for their Year group, ranging from “Choose Your Own Adventure”, “The Magic Hat Stand” to “Character Creation Lab”. Mrs Leadon has also been collaborating with classroom teachers and specialists to build cross-curricular programmes that allow the students to fully immerse themselves in the curriculum. We cannot wait to see what is in store for Semester 2!

What is Maths Pathway (Year 5 & 6) in our Primary School?
There has been a lot of misconceptions about what this programme is in our School. And so, I thought I would try to briefly explain what it is for those that are not familiar with this approach, especially in the Primary School. Maths Pathway has been created as a sustainable, evidence-based programme that delivers differentiated Maths learning for our students. It has empowered our teachers to use assessments and pedagogical strategies effectively and efficiently. Within the Maths Pathway programme there are three core components:

Assessment and Data – this is continuous and provides information that facilitates effective differentiation and accurate measurements of attainment and growth for each individual student. This informs the student as they move along a Maths learning journey with targeted instruction and teacher feedback. Starting with the formation of a full map of a student’s initial entry point, it allows the teacher to create individual and differentiated groups as well as whole class activities. The guided self-reflection opportunities allow teachers to distinguish small errors from genuine misconceptions after each assessment period.
Modes of Instruction – where multiple forms of assessment allow for the development of a personalised learning plan for every student. This instruction plan then allows for learning mastery of content and skills and provides opportunities for revision and enrichment. 
Student Support- aims to support students’ self-regulation when learning maths and to support a student to think more explicitly about their learning using the following:

• Rich Learning
• Targeted Explicit Teaching
• Individual Learning Online and Offline

Students can showcase different ways of thinking mathematically by displaying and talking about their process of learning. The whole class can receive open investigative tasks which require students to then apply the maths concepts they have been learning in real-world contexts. They will also make use of problem-solving and communication skills to share their mathematical ideas. Mini-lessons are targeted and focus on key concepts that are usually hands on, using manipulatives and allowing for peer discussion.

• Reflection and goal-setting
• Check-ins and coaching
• Targeted Intervention

This has been an exciting journey for both our teachers and our students and is very different to what we have done in the past. There is no alternate programme that can differentiate so well as to where a student is at as well as Maths Pathway. Teachers do not just sit back and let the students do their own thing independently! They are very busy, and it is hard work teaching, so as to be combining multiple models of instruction that enable for rich, targeted learning and supporting students to become self-regulated learners.

Did you know that children own around 3 digital devices on average, and few can spend a day without them? I recently read an article in The Conversation by Pasi Sahlberg, Professor of Education Policy at UNSW. He discovered some interesting findings that I would like to share with you about the effect of digital media on children and families. He has said that ‘nine out of ten parents think digital media and technologies are a negative distraction in their lives and that 83% think their children are also negatively distracted by digital devices’.  This was taken from the findings from his ‘Growing Up Digital Australia’ study in 2020. The study revealed ‘that more than 80% of children in the age group of 5 -17 own a screen-device and that children today, on average, have three digital devices’. The study also claims, ‘that children start owning devices from as early as four years old’. The positives too, were ‘that most parents believe the impact of digital media and technologies on their children’s maths, reading abilities, social skills and friendships is more positive than negative’.

Sahlberg suggests solutions to address some negative effects of digital media and technologies, whilst acknowledging that this is no easy challenge. The following are considered small steps for families to try, and the suggestion is that we all must take these steps together.

1)Take an honest look at current digital habits and screen time in your family. Agree on some concrete actions that would limit the time each family member spends on their device.
2)Have at least two hours without digital screens before going to bed. Keep smartphones and other mobile devices away from bedrooms.
3)Focus on overall digital wellness by finding a healthy balance between time on digital gadgets and social time with family. Have digital free weekends and holidays whenever possible.
https://theconversation.com/children-own-around-3-digital-devices-on-average-and-few-can-spend-a-day-without-them-159546

The study concludes that we need to work collaboratively and together as a School Community to help promote a healthy relationship with technology. But I would go one step further and suggest we must all keep abreast of what our children are actually doing on their devices and what devices/websites/social media they are focusing their attention on…you might not like what you see!

On a final note, a reminder that Playgroup in the Primary School has been launched for 2021 and is available for all children from birth to age four. This is for anyone in the local community. It has an outdoor focus, is relaxed and low key and is primarily play based and designed for children who can enjoy the wonderful grounds in our Early Years Nature playground. This is a free service that runs during term time only and bookings can be made through Claire at Primary Reception.

Mr Roderick Wood
Associate Principal – Primary School

House Activities

This term the students have been displaying their House Spirit by wearing their House shirts every Friday. Our student leaders have been organising lunchtime competitions and so far we have competed in tunnel ball and baton relays.

Thank you to everyone who has participated in the games, there are house points to win.

House Points for the Baton Relays are: Florey 600, Cuthbert, Durack, Hollows and Lingiari 300 each

Recycling

The Primary School students are doing an amazing job to support the Year 10 Global Citizenship students by collecting Bread Tags and Ring Pulls from drink cans. Additionally, we are collecting bottle tops, containers for change plastic bottles and milk bottles to recycle.

The students’ efforts have been so good that we have decided to create a ‘Green Team’ that can work with our student leaders to sort through the items on a more regular basis. We can’t keep up with your amazing efforts!

The Year 6 students have nominated for the Green Team and an announcement will be made shortly. A huge thank you to Mrs Long for putting up with all of our recycling in her office and also to Mrs Jackie Brown and Mrs Cathy Pogson for your help in sorting through the items.

Please remember only clean and dry items can be recycled. Also the paper inside of the bottle tops must be removed.

The House leading the way with recycling so far this term is Durack!

Nature Playground

Finally, our new nature playground is ready for us to use. We have been eagerly awaiting the day when we can test out all parts and Monday, 24th May was the day. Year 2-6 students took part in an induction with their teachers and then were able to play on the equipment. Our Year 1 students have also had an induction with their teachers but will be visiting the playground during class time this week to familiarise themselves with all aspects of the equipment before they join their peers at recess and lunch times next week.

To ensure that everyone is aware of the rules and are playing appropriately we have some additional staff on duty and our new playground leaders will provide assistance to those in need. Nominations are also in and an announcement will be made shortly.

We are looking forward to seeing the kindness, responsibility, compassion and respect our Year 6 leaders will demonstrate in their new roles whilst assisting the students in the playground.
Parents are reminded that all playgrounds are out of bounds before and after school as there is NO supervision of students available.

Nicole Brown

DEAN OF STUDENTS ‑ PRIMARY SCHOOL

SSWA Girls Soccer – Northern Regional Finals 2021

On Friday 7 May, Peter Moyes ACS hosted the Northern Regional School Sports WA Girls Soccer Championships. This was the Schools first time entering the tournament and for many of the girls involved, it was their first time playing competitive soccer fixtures. Six teams came to participate in the tournament, with Lake Joondalup Baptist College crowned as the Northern Regional Champions. The Peter Moyes squad performed extremely well and all thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The team also achieved the ‘Fair Play Award’ for demonstrating fair play and respect throughout the day. 

Matt Senior
PRIMARY SPORT CO-ORDINATOR

SQUAD
Chanel Martin
Rose Wheeler
Nyijur Deng
Tullah Driver
Imogen Richardson
Olivia Britten
Amy Gheorghiu
Chloe Jakovcevic
Emma Paul
Addison Wright
Emily Lysenko
Cassandra Blizard
Emma Branford
Nina Adamson

ISPHA Performance Arts Festival at Penrhos College

On Tuesday 18 May, the Primary Year 5-6 Vocal Choir had an opportunity to attend an excursion at Penrhos College in Como to be part of the 2021 ISPHA Performance Arts Festival. 

The Festival was held over two days, involving ten schools, showcasing the outstanding Performing Arts talents of students from various Independent Primary Schools.

Two hundred students from five different schools attended on the day, where they got to interact with other students in a variety of workshops including Drama, Dance and Music. After a full day of rehearsals, sound checks and workshop activities they all performed a selection of acts to a large audience, including Drama plays, musical excerpts, and choir songs. 

It was such a pleasure being part of this event and seeing all our students enjoying themselves throughout the day and we are very proud of the excellent performance of our Choir. We would like to thank Penrhos College for hosting this amazing event and looking forward to be part of the ISPHA Performance Arts Festival again in the coming years. 

Tess Loewdin

PRIMARY SCHOOL MUSIC CO-ORDINATOR

On Monday 17 May the Year 4 Academic Extension students had an exciting visit to the Perth Hills Discovery Centre to participate in their Habitat Heroes activities.

The students learned all about the native flora and fauna from the Jarrah and Marri Forest Ecosystem. Our Education Officer Mike was very impressed with the depth of knowledge demonstrated by the students about our endangered native animals such as woylies and numbats and the Western Shield program which uses 1080 poison baits to eradicate feral animals such as cats and foxes to protect them.

After a bushwalk and learning how to set traps to monitor and measure captured animals, including scanning for tags, the students were entranced by their encounter with rescued native animals which are cared for by Kandanya Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. They met some red tailed black cockatoos and got up close to a critically endangered woylie, a baby ring tailed possum and Lucy the short beaked echidna, as well as Pebbles and Tom, both orphaned kangaroo joeys. They learned that if any injured native animals are found it is crucial to contact the Wildcare Helpline to ensure that they receive proper care.

Wildcare Helpline
https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/about-us/contact-us/wildcare-helpline

Chrissie Payne
ACADEMIC EXTENSION TEACHER

What a wonderful opportunity it was to take the Year 2’s on an awe-inspiring excursion to the WA Shipwrecks Museum and WA Maritime Museum down in Fremantle during Week 4 of this term.

The 81 students eagerly boarded the buses in the morning and buzzed with excitement as we embarked on our 1-hour journey to Fremantle, they could barely contain themselves as we approached our sea-bound destination. Upon arriving at the Shipwrecks Museum, we clambered out of the buses and made our way to a grassy spot to snack on some fruit before our day truly began, waiting for our amazing parent helpers to arrive. By 11:15, we were split into our groups and rotated through three different activities, with each class having the chance to explore all the information and artefacts that can be found around and within each of the WA museums. 

Class 2.1 started by engaging in a re-enactment of the 1852 Eglinton shipwreck, exploring and examining objects from the past. We observed and investigated authentic historical objects and discussed how maritime communication, navigation, and technology have changed over time, and handled objects from the past, like those discovered in the wreckage of the Eglinton, contemplating how much things have changed from 1852, to now, in 2021.

Class 2.2 began by traversing through the WA Shipwrecks Museum on a self-guided tour, where they were able to discover many historical artefacts from different shipwrecks around the WA coast. We explored the building which houses the museum, which was built by convicts in the same year that the Eglinton shipwreck was lost, and found many objects, including everyday items, machines, navigation tools, and even a human skeleton! Volunteers from the museum helped groups of students to examine the historical artefacts and make meaningful connections between the information they had been learning at school and to use the new information they learnt within the museum through the displays.

Class 2.3 started their journey by trekking across to the WA Maritime Museum, which involved a walking trail that was filled with discovery, past old buildings, through a whaling tunnel, and beside busy streets that brimmed with a mix of old and new. We tried to spot landmarks along the way, like  Bathers Beach and the Roundhouse, and made sure to stop and read all the informational plaques along the way too. Once we arrived outside of the WA Maritime Museum, we got to see the amazing HMAS Ovens, which was a submarine used by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) between 1969 and 1995, and then we explored the inside of the museum to discover lots of different display of maritime vessels, technology, and artefacts, including a Megamouth Shark! We then made our way back to the WA Shipwrecks Museum, where we made sure to stop and enjoy the history around us.

The Year 2 classes rotated through the activities across the day and got to experience all that the WA Shipwrecks Museum and WA Maritime Museum had to offer, which enriched our inquiry into WA shipwrecks and extended the students’ thinking and understanding. We had a very calm and quiet bus ride back to school as they were all so tired from the full day of activities, but even though it was quieter, the students were still brimming with excitement to share what they had discovered when they returned to school and got home to their families.

A very big thank you goes to the lovely parent helpers that accompanied us on the excursion, as they supported the students to explore their curiosities and extract the maximum amount of learning from the day, and the students would not have had as much fun as they did without your presence. We teachers are so thankful for your time, effort, and understanding both before and on the day, as it was such a busy, fun-filled day that would not have functioned without your immense support.

Claire Bishop

YEAR 2 TEACHER

On the morning of Wednesday 12th May our Pre-Kindy Mums were invited to come along and enjoy a fun filled morning.

The children sang a few little songs to our special guests and then they were spoilt with; a hand pamper, sewing a bookmark  and even a hand and back massage. At the conclusion of the morning, each child presented their special mum with a handmade card and gift.

Awards WA and PMACS believe that all young people have the potential through self determination to become active and inclusive citizens.

Awards WA Ignite Award is a challenging program of discovery for young people in Years 7 and 8 and provides a framework to learn valuable skills, be physically active, assist others in the community and experience adventures. It is a great tool for Year 7 students to transition into Middle School and fosters positive self-development and leadership skills. For the Year 8 students it provides a brilliant gateway to the Duke of Edinburgh Award which can be started in Year 9.

There are 4 levels of Ignite Award. To achieve any level of Ignite Award, the Awardee will create a unique program of activities across four activity sections, Physical Activity, Hobby, Volunteering and Adventure.

Year 7 and 8 students can see Ms. Priest in the HaSS Office in Senior School or email her on spriest@pmacs.wa.edu.au.

A registration fee of $97 is payable by the Participant to Awards WA upon registering for Ignite Award. 

            

As part of the Year 8 Drama Program, students partake in ‘Rock the Sock’ where they have the opportunity to design, create and sew their very own sock puppets in preparation for performance. This has been a fun unit and the students have demonstrated excellent design skills, not to mention some great characters. The aim is to develop characters with an emphasis on the manipulation of the voice.

Emma Leadon

HEAD OF DRAMA

Making Felt

Our Year 9 students were given the opportunity to have a go at making felt during their Textiles and Fashion class. Making felt is a part of their overall investigation into woven, bonded and knitted fabrics.

The Textiles and Fashion course gives students an introduction to sewing, fabric creations and theory. The course has a focus on the development of basic sewing skills and techniques, students have the opportunity to produce a number of textile projects whilst learning how to effectively use a range of tools and equipment including a sewing machine. Students also have the opportunity to develop particular hand sewing skills. 

On 18 May we welcomed Paul Litherland back to the School to deliver three presentations on cybersafety.

Paul is regarded as one of Australia’s leading Keynote Speakers on Internet Awareness. He is a well-respected cyber safety expert, lecturing at Murdoch University and presenting at many schools across WA. A retired WA Police Officer for 20 years, he has been a mentor and Senior Coach for both genders at East Perth and South Fremantle Football Clubs. For five years prior to 2014 he worked in the Technology Crime Investigation Unit, involved in criminal investigations including hacking, online sales fraud and romance scams involving international syndicates. He has dealt personally with the victims of cyber bullying, grooming and predatory behaviour as well as the perpetrators. He is frustrated regularly by the reluctance of social media giants to look after their young users. Paul’s presentations share up to the minute data and he relates easily to students who value his insights and relatable approach. His presentations are age-appropriate and each year he speaks to Year 7, 8 & 9 students, with each presentation being built upon from the previous year and particularly targeting the online interests of each year group.

Parents are encouraged to visit Paul’s website and contact him directly for advice if they need to. His website also has a YouTube channel for parents to watch and a Facebook page.  

https://www.surfonlinesafe.com.au/
 
Year 7
 
Paul realises that telling students not to be online is not viable, even if they are on Apps that have a 13-year age limit; however, he highlights the many pitfalls of social media usage and teaches the students how to surf online safely.

Paul discussed many issues around social media and the popularity of Apps such as Snapchat (always have it on ‘ghosting’) and Discord. He warned against the interaction of ‘randoms’ – this is a trend which is increasing significantly across most platforms and environments. Statistically, 64% of students in Year 7-9 will accept follow requests from people they do not know. Only a few students said they knew every person who followed them on their social media profiles. The market for online presence is young people and children. In 2020, 56% of 9-10 year olds had a social media presence.

Paul then discussed online gaming and whilst many students are attracted to gaming, the increasing problem with online gaming are internet scammers. In 2005, the average age of internet gamers was 24 years, with 92% being male. Given that they were adults, 87% would report online gaming scammers if they lost money. Now, the demographic of online gamers has changed, with the average age only 13 years old, with girls accounting for 36%. When kids get scammed, many are too scared to tell their parents, and only 11% report. $176 million was scammed last year with 7.15% being through children. Many international syndicates of scammers ‘groom’ a child into giving out their parent’s credit card details and to purchase false in game purchases. They are patient and dedicated, often grooming a child for an online game scam for months. Students were made aware of how to identify leading questions, which enable scammers to build a profile and information in order to embezzle money.
 
Year 8
 
For Year 8 students, Paul initially focused on the posting and sharing information. This is the sharing and posting of anything online, without proper thought or assessment, and it can result in a large number of users being exposed to danger, embarrassment and bullying. Young people from 12-15 years are now the highest risk takers in the online world and often forget how far the things they post can go and who can see it!
 
Students were reminded by Paul that cyberbullying is against the law. Section 474.17 of the Criminal Code: Commonwealth Act. Consequences can include imprisonment of up to three years, a fine of $5,000 or both. He said that there have been more criminal convictions against young people in the last 12 months than in the previous 12 years – clearly the prevalence is growing. He reiterated that these are not bad kids, but they did make poor decisions, of which the consequences can be life changing. He also encouraged them to find out what they are using as only 24% of young people take time to actively explore their device, Apps and settings.
 
Paul told the students that there are less and less young people on Facebook – it is an online world inhabited by their parents! But all social media is modelled on Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook idea. Mr Zuckerberg makes a profit of $1274 a second! He bought Instagram to appeal to a younger audience, but the next most popular App with young people is Snapchat. Zuckerberg’s last attempt to purchase Snapchat was $4.6bn, with the addition of a percentage of Facebook profits. Evan Spiegel turned him down, probably because he is making almost as much per month on the Snapmap alone!
 
Paul also warned students of the dangers of location tagging and encouraged them to ‘GRAPH’ search – instead of typing names in the search bar on any App, type in locations and then click on the GPS pin. You will then see thousands of photos at that location. This makes it very easy for predators to locate young people.
 
He also gave advice to students if they do receive unwanted messages or similar cyber activity:

Call it out! The sooner a mate shows support to a victim online, the sooner it stops – 12% versus 82% Report It! On the App, game or website. Tell a parent, family member or teacher. Or report at www.esafety.gov.au where they will help get content removed. Reports can be anonymous.
 
Year 9
 
Paul started his presentation to Year 9s by reminding them about the need to have strong internet awareness and explained why it is so important for students their age. It is so easy to see their online footprint and reminded students that future employers, universities, and sporting clubs will be searching for them to see what they are posting.
 
Paul then asked if any of the Year 9 students had their phones on them. Not one student said they did, but when Paul did a search, 19 students had their phones on them! The ease of this with Paul’s technology was incredibly simple and illustrated how the networks are making a great deal of money out of young people by sharing their information.
 
Paul warned students about ‘cam to cam websites’ or ‘chat roulettes’- There has been 276% increase in Australian students 14 to 17 years old being ‘sextorted’. These websites have now started targeting teenage boys with only 4% reporting due to embarrassment.
 
Paul also spoke briefly about consent, and what he calls the ‘nudes culture’. Paul’s statistics show that 92% know someone who has gone through an issue around nude photographs. Amongst Year 9 students, 23% of girls and 18% boys will send an intimate image. Given they are under 18, this is illegal and is classified as possession of child pornography-even if the photo is of themselves. Boys are more likely to share images and the average is 5 to 25 direct peers in seven days and 87% will end up on a public website. Paul’s police background enabled him to share the legal repercussions of one case. The reminder is always not to trust anyone!
 
We thank Paul for delivering such an informative and engaging presentation with plenty of humour around a serious topic.
 

Welcome to Term 2 – our busiest term!

It is a busy term in that we have seen the Year 12 General Pathway students complete their Externally Set Task (EST) in Week 3. The ESTs are worth 15% of the student’s assessment programme. A percentage of the course cohort will see their tests being marked externally after being marked by their teacher. Once this process is complete, marks may be adjusted for the course. We will have more information about the final marks closer to the end of this Term.

The busyness of the Term continues with ATAR examinations scheduled in Weeks 5 and 6 for Year 11 and 12 students. The ATAR cohort of these year groups have seen that they are only required to be at School if they have a scheduled examination. General Pathway students will not be required to be at School unless their teachers have scheduled assessments. This is quite common for the majority of General Pathway courses, so please check emails as teachers should be making parents aware of these requirements, as well as their students. 

OLNA results have been released. Pleasingly, many students have ticked off the Literacy and Numeracy requirements for WACE graduation by now passing all three of the Numeracy, Reading and Writing tests. Other students have either passed one or two tests or moved from Category 1 to Category 2 of the tests that they wrote. Please be aware of the extra help that is provided by the School for each child to work towards successful completion of OLNA in the September Round 2. These days are in the co-curricular timeslot, after school on a Tuesday and Wednesday. Note that the OLNA status report has been uploaded on to SEQTA.

Year 10 examinations are looming in Week 9. Closer to the time the schedule and rules and responsibilities will be shared and discussed with the cohort. The examinations will be held in the DS Examination Venue DS 2.1. Students are familiar with this as it was the same venue as their end of year examinations. 

You may have come across the subject, Christianity, Religion and Life (CRL) in your child’s SEQTA timetable. It is the new name given to the one-Period per week course for all students in Years 7-12.  Starting  this year, it is refreshing to note that the time spent in the Senior School will count towards WACE Graduation for all Year 11 students. The Religion and Life WACE course, GEREL, is being taught over two years. At the conclusion, Year 12 students will have a Grade recorded, assisting their total overall minimum ‘C’ Grades.

With my best wishes

Natalie Shaw
Associate Principal Senior School

The Humanities and Social Sciences department recently recognised the sustained excellence of three students in Year 10 and three students in Year 11. Honour awards in the form of lapel badges were awarded to those students for ranking first in their respective courses in 2020. 

The recipients for each course were:

Year 10 Advanced Humanities – Ryan Gilling
Year 10 Standard Humanities – Jake Woodman
Year 10 Modified Humanities – Ashton Smith
Year 9 Advanced Humanities – Bailey Reynolds
Year 9 Standard Humanities – Bailey Holding
Year 9 Modified Humanities – Euan Allan

The admiration the Humanities and Social Sciences’ staff holds for these students is immense. To achieve such an accolade requires sustained excellence in organisation, discipline, effort, resilience, study habits and attitude towards learning. They are models for other students to aspire towards and emulate. The Humanities department is exceptionally proud of them.

It is interesting to note that the award winners are all boys, especially with their age groups considered to be a developmental phase when boys’ engagement and achievement is considered to lag well behind that of girls of the same age. My challenge is now to the girls in our 2021 Year 11 and 10 cohorts to challenge the achievements of these boys in their respective courses!

Keith Briggs
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT: HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

The Year 10 Global Citizenship and Sustainable Development elective group are continuing to work on a project to help meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. 

We have decided to address inequality and sustainability on our first project and need your help in doing our bit. We are collecting ring pulls from cans and bread tags for two charities who use these materials to fund the building of wheelchairs for children in disadvantaged communities. Collection points have been set up at the sub school receptions for you to drop off the tags and pulls you collect at home.

We are all global citizens and have a part to play and we hope you will join with us as we take action against inequality and help create a more sustainable community.

Ava Temple, Year 10.

Maths Pathway lays foundation for Accelerated Success in Maths

At PMACS, 25 of the best mathematicians in Year 11 are enrolled in Mathematics Methods, a highly demanding ATAR course. What is impressive is that there are also four Year 10’s enrolled in the same course; Rory Coplin, Brady Reynolds, Ryan MacDonald and Tyler May (pictured with their Maths Teacher, Mr Acott).

During their time in Middle School, these students completed the Maths Pathway program which extends to the Year 10 Advanced content. They mastered every single one of the 479 module before the end of Year 9. By completing the Year 10 Advanced Examination in Year 9, they were able to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the entire Mathematics curriculum and so were eligible to begin their ATAR pathway early.

Whilst these four students have also been balancing their other Year 10 studies, they are achieving very competitive results in Mathematics Methods. These students can be very proud of their hard work and dedication to their studies while working on Maths Pathway, as this has given them the opportunity to accelerate their studies.

Wendy Hurst
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT: MATHEMATICS

An in depth study in the Year 11 ATAR Geography course is to focus on an ecological hazard, so this year the students have been learning about Covid-19. The West Australian experience has been fairly unique due to distance from infection epicentres, low population density and strong management from the state and federal governments. We have been fortunate in only having a few short lockdowns, no longer than two weeks, in response to outbreaks in Western Australia. The experience in other countries has been vastly different and it is important for our students to understand the stresses, strains, rules and regulations that have been encountered by other peoples around the globe. With this purpose Mr. Briggs organised for his sister and niece to be interviewed by the Year 11 ATAR Geography class via Zoom. Mr. Briggs’ family lives in the London area where their borough at one stage, before Christmas 2020, had 250,000 infected individuals. His family’s life has been seriously disrupted with his nieces and nephews missing out on several months of their schooling, his father being forced into early retirement, and sisters working from home for an entire calendar year.

The Year 11 students created some terrific questions to discuss with Mr. Briggs sister and niece enabling them to gather information on how life had changed in the United Kingdom due to Covid-19. In particular, they were keen to learn about the risks to be managed regarding mental and physical health, as well as the impact upon the economy and jobs. During the 45-minute interview the students were able to develop a realistic appraisal of how other peoples have endured the trials and tribulations of the pandemic, as well as making comparisons between our experience in Western Australia to England. At the time of the interview we had spent ten days in masks, when outside of the house and everyone was looking for that restriction to be lifted in two days’ time; however, I think it put our sufferings in perspective when Mr. Briggs’ sister and niece discussed how they have had to wear masks in public since June 2020. The students were able to have very rich learning experience as a result of the technology available to us such as Zoom, and it was great that teaching and learning tools developed during the first WA lockdown of 2020 are continued to be built on. Many thanks are extended to Mr. Briggs, his sister and niece for organising it for the students on a Thursday afternoon, especially as the family in England awoke early and organised themselves before the school-run in the UK. The seven-hour time difference meant they were responding to the students’ questions at 6.30am in the UK!

As part of the Year 11 General Geography course Maddison Taylor and Jaxon Woollett recently undertook fieldwork at Quinns-Mindarie beach foreshore. They investigated biophysical and human processes that contribute towards coastal degradation at Quinns. In between monitoring the health of the dune system and the impact of our land use in the area, Maddison and Jaxon also did their bit to aid the sustainability of our local coastline by planting spinifex seeds at exposed dune blowouts. 

Keith Briggs
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT: HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

In week 2, the Year 11 cohort were lucky enough to have a second presentation from David Castelanelli this time focusing on effective Study Skills. David is a public speaker who talks to many students across Western Australia about how they can perform their best at school. This is the second of four presentations we will be receiving from David throughout the year. This terms talk was based around three of David’s “Study Secrets”. He spoke extensively about social media distractions and ways students can limit these during study sessions. He further spoke of creating the ‘Focus Zone’ and how to stay on task as well as how to ‘set up a study space for success’. David’s presentation was very relevant to the world we live in today which is what made his talk so engaging and helpful. We were also given access to David’s Book Study Secrets which holds 10 ways to help optimise our study time and improve our grades. This was a great presentation in the lead up to our first round of exams in Year 11. We look forward to continuing our sessions with David throughout the year.

Eleanor McNamara, Year 11 Lingiari

What a way to finish the term! A water vessel and sell-out tickets for the annual Year 11 River cruise made our much-anticipated vision, an end of term reality. As the girls rushed home to glam up while the boys made every effort to smell ambrosial, the cohort descended on the banks of Swan River for an unforgettable evening of friends, music, pizza, donuts, and fun vibes!

Only short hours earlier, we were uniformed students, now scrubbed up and looking our best and it it felt incredible.
We started lining up to board the boat after taking our endless photos, admiring the vessel, and complimenting each other on how fantastic they looked. We felt very fortunate to be a part of such an experience with such wonderful people.

We had a feeling the evening was going to be a lot of fun; you could smell the excitement. The lights dimmed with the vivacious explosion of colours from LED lights bursting brightly while the music blasted, and the dance floor quickly transformed into a mosh pit. Apart from our much-needed food breaks to replenish our energy we danced and laughed the entire night.

As the night ended, we cheered the teachers to praise thanks for such a memorable night we will truly never forget.

This night would not have been possible without the hard work of the River Cruise Committee, parents, and our wonderful teachers, who also supervised the night. A special thanks to our beautiful Head of Year, Mrs. Hiotis, who went above and beyond to ensure the night ran perfectly, and that everyone had an amazing night. The River Cruise was a night we would gladly repeat again and again. It was an opportunity for us to put our stresses from our first term of Year 11 aside and simply relax with those people with whom we spend more time with than some of our own families.

On behalf of all the Year 11 students. Thanks a million!
Olivia Williams, Year 11 Florey

The 2021 Year 11 River cruise was a blast and full of laughs, with endless dancing, great music and amazing river views. The slow steady cruise along the Swan River was a calm aesthetic and set the mood to finish our first challenging term of Year 11 with friends and the staff. The evening vibes were calm, happy and could be felt up and down the whole river; the atmosphere was unlike anything else and the scenery of the river and the city skyline made it more special. The dress standards were impeccable; everyone looked incredible. To add to the balmy evening, we feasted on pizzas and Krispy Kreme donuts. All together the river cruise was an amazing success and an incredibly fun night, and we wish to thank you all the staff and students who helped plan it.
Daniel Vail, Year 11 Cuthbert

Year 11 visit Kindergarten

This year we introduced Children, Family and the Community as a General course for the first time. The course focuses on factors that influence human development and the wellbeing of individuals, families and communities.

The Year 11 General CFC class has been very lucky this term – we have been visiting the Kindy students each week and have been spending time getting to know them! We visit on Thursday mornings and are involved in the start of day activities. The Year 11s are loving their visits and consider them the highlight of their week. We can’t wait to continue building relationships with our new little friends!

 A very big thank you goes out to Mrs Bartley, Ms Mellor and Mrs Hay for allowing the big kids to spend time with the little kids!

Year 11 visit Year 1

Children, Family and the Community (CFC) is a course that focuses on child development and the wellbeing of individuals, families and communities. One of the topics covered in Year 11 ATAR CFC is culture. The Year 11s have been focusing on the importance of multiculturalism, cultural diversity and acceptance of others. One of their tasks was to choose a culture and plan a lesson for Year 1 students to teach them about that culture in a fun and engaging way.

In Week 2, the Year 11s visited Mrs Smith’s Year 1 class and they were blown away by the enthusiasm and excitement! They broke off into small groups and learned about Japanese, Chinese and Italian culture. The activities ranged from creating plates of spaghetti, to making colourful cardboard koi fish, to painting beautiful fans.

The Year 1s and the Year 11s enjoyed the time they spent together, and we are hoping it can happen again soon. Thank you to Mrs Smith for making the time for us to come and visit!

Year 12 visit Year 4

The Year 12 Children, Family and the Community (CFC) have been learning about sustainability, and the task that accompanies this topic involves our younger students! The Year 12s learn all about what it means for a community to be sustainable and part of this is the concept of recycling as well as minimising waste. Their task is to create a lesson/activity on this topic aimed at Year 4 students, and what better way to test out their lesson ideas than on the PMACS Year 4s themselves?!

We made our way to Mr Patel’s class in Week 3 with a variety of activities ready to go. As the main focus of the lesson was minimising waste, some of the Year 12s wanted to show the Year 4s ways in which they could use everyday items and transform them into something new. We had old bottles being turned into piggy banks; egg cartons being converted into caterpillars and milk bottles being transformed into bird feeders! We also had a group of Year 4s who were learning about the three bin system and which items go into which bin – they even made the bins themselves!

The Year 4s were just fantastic and the Year 12s really enjoyed working with them. We hope we can visit again at some point. Thank you to Mr Patel for making the time for us to visit!

This year, the General Outdoor Education class were very fortunate to have been able to go on a 5-day sea kayaking expedition along the Jurien Bay coast. We stopped at places such as Sandy Cape, North Head, and Green Head. In this expedition we faced many challenges such as battling through strong winds, cold temperatures, and large swells. Miraculously no one capsized their kayak, but we can definitely say it was an adrenaline rush. 

We also got to experience wildlife up close such as dolphins and sea lions. During our time at Sandy Cape, we were very lucky to have been given the chance to have a go at sandboarding. At the end of a very long day, we all cooked a well-deserved meal alongside a beautiful sunset. Prior to this expedition, we had lessons with an instructor every week learning sea kayaking skills in the Mindarie Marina. Overall, our experience was awesome and we are all very thankful to have met the amazing leaders throughout the way.

By Jorja Colotti

On April 30 2021 down on the North Oval the Primary School Inter-House Cross Country Carnival took place on a perfect autumn day. The students performed extremely well, with many of the students pushing themselves to complete their courses in the fastest possible times.

In the absence of parent helpers, our Year 6 student leadership team did a fantastic job marshalling the event so a big thank you to them.

A special thank you to Mrs Goosen for all her help in the organisation and running of the day.

Well done to all involved!

Carnival Results:
1st Place - HOLLOWS    
2nd Place - FLOREY
3rd Place - CUTHBERT
4th Place - LINGIARI
5th Place - DURACK

Individual Student Achievements:

Year 3 Girls’ Champion: Akuany Dengyaak
Year 3 Girls’ Runner-up: Neve Arthy
Year 3 Boys’ Champion: Zac Britten
Year 3 Boys’ Runner-up: Harry Duckett
Year 3 Sportsmanship Award: Harrison Goddard-Maloney
Year 4 Girls’ Champion: Indianna King
Year 4 Girls’ Runner-up: Geneva Vearing
Year 4 Boys’ Champion: Connor Young
Year 4 Boys’ Runner-up: Joshua Whelan
Year 4 Sportsmanship Award: Megan Harrison
Year 5 Girls’ Champion: Cassie Joyce
Year 5 Girls’ Runner-up: Payton Wade
Year 5 Boys’ Champion: Spencer Norris
Year 5 Boys’ Runner-up: Connor Fernback
Year 5 Sportsmanship Award: Amelia Evans
Year 6 Girls’ Champion: Rose Wheeler
Year 6 Girls’ Runner-up: Olivia Britten
Year 6 Boys’ Champion: Cameron Williamson
Year 6 Boys’ Runner-up: Jack Owens
Year 6 Sportsmanship Award: Sophie Burrows

Matt Senior
PRIMARY SCHOOL SPORTS COORDINATOR

The Cross Country Carnival retuned to its original structure and layout this year after COVID restrictions in 2020. The Middle and Senior School Inter-House Cross Country Carnivals took place on Tuesday 30th March. The weather for the event was excellent and allowed the event to run smoothly. Blue Chip Timing system was used again to ensure all students received an instantaneous, accurate time. Moreover, offering a professional look with the use of individual numbers for students. The event did not disappoint and it was impressive to see the efforts and participation rates of students.

As with previous years, all Middle School students participated in their Year groups. Senior School students were selected to run in the Carnival Championship event. The remaining students from Senior School ran an inner loop track of 400m, earning a House point for each lap completed.

In the Middle School Carnival, victory went to Hollows House. In the Senior School Inter-House Carnival, victory went to Lingiari House.

Our Inter-House Cross Country Carnival formed the basis for selection at the Inter-School level, where Years 7 to 12 competed in the School Sport WA State Trials. This took place on Friday 21st May, Week 5 of Term Two. The Associated and Catholic Colleges (ACC) Carnival will take place on Thursday 27th May, Week 6 of Term Two. Further details will follow regarding these Inter-School events.

Overall, I was very pleased with the Inter-House Cross Country events. I would like to say thank you to the Health and Physical Education Department for their efforts and support, all staff involved, parent helpers, and last but not least the students. I look forward to building upon this success next year.

Mr Drew Hall
HEAD OF HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

OVERALL HOUSE CHAMPIONS

SENIOR SCHOOL OVERALL RESULTS

MIDDLE SCHOOL OVERALL RESULTS

                                                                        MIDDLE SCHOOL AWARD WINNERS

                                                                             SENIOR SCHOOL AWARD WINNERS

During the last School holidays Anna Agnew in Year Ten competed in the Interschools – Equestrian WA State Championships, this was held over three days at the State Equestrian Centre. 

Anna competed in a number of events, and achieved first place in Show Jumping and also coming fourth in the Combined Training category - this was a very large and competitive field. These were outstanding result as the level of competition was exceptionally high. It was also very pleasing to see Anna rewarded for the many hours training, perseverance and dedication that she has applied to the Sport.

Well done Anna! 

Ryan Walker
HEAD OF YEAR 10

On May 13 and 14, Year 7 students Jayden Freind and Ellis Scanlon competed in the Australian National Gymnastics and Trampolining Championship which was held on the Gold Coast in Queensland. 

Jayden won Bronze in the Under 15 Individual Trampoline, while Ellis won Bronze in the Under 13 Individual Trampoline and Double Mini-Trampoline. Ellis also participated as part of the Double Mini-Trampoline Male Team, just missing out on a medal.

Congratulations to Jayden and Ellis, all of us at PMACS are very proud of your amazing achievements!

Grainne Barber
HEAD OF YEAR 7

The Student Representative Council (SRC) is into its second year and provides a safe, equitable and respectful forum for students to actively participate in decision making at School on the decisions which shape their learning and wider educational experiences. Student leaders from Years 6 – 12 represent the wider student body from PK-12, meeting twice termly, to voice their opinions and enhance student agency. The meeting is chaired by the Head Girl and Head Boy, and following the meeting, these two students meet with the Principal to discuss the implementation of student suggestions.

At our meeting earlier in the term, we discussed recycling as one of the areas for focus and with help from Ms Priest’s Year 10 class, the students quickly implemented the recycling of the 10c plastic bottles ‘Containers for Change’, bread tags and ring pulls in addition to milk cartons and batteries that we have successfully recycled in previous years. 

The students also bring the ideas from their individual year levels and discuss various improvements to the School.

If any parent would like to make a recycling donation, please ask your child to bring them to Sub-School Receptions or Year 9 Area.

We congratulate the following students for being the 2021 Student Representative Council:

Head Girl - Grace Foster, Head Boy - Will Hodgson, Deputy Head Girl - Alex McCormack, Deputy Head Boy -Soham Sinha, Chapel Prefect - Atida Gohwa, Yr 11 House Representative Cooper Moss, Year 10 House Representative Mieke Grobler, Year 9 House Captain Brandon Roe, Year 8 House Representative Sam Williamson, Year 7 House Representative Noor Sahni, Year 6 House Captains, Layne Bennett, Rose Wheeler, Brock Slade, Olivia Britten and Emma Branford.

The P&F Association put together another great Mothers' Day stall this year, giving all students the opportunity to buy Mum a special little something. It was wonderful to see so many happy children selecting gifts to give to their Mums that all do so much for them. A special thank you to our lovely parents that always step in and help out at this annual event.

Our weekly Tuesday coffee mornings are back up and running! Bring a friend along to catch up and meet other parents from our PMACS community. Members from the School's Executive Committee also take the time to drop in and say hi. It is a great opportunity to meet and chat with our Principal, Business Manager, Chaplains and others in a relaxed informal environment.

We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday mornings from 8am. Coffee mornings are held in St Gregory's Chapel.