9 March 2023

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Address

Principal’s Message

Kaya

Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to our second edition of Schoolzine. It is hard to believe that we are already halfway through the first term for 2023. It is pleasing to see students and teachers are really settling in and progressing with the business of learning. I hope that all our families have had a great start to the year and are looking forward to the remainder of the term and that you to continue to inspire your child to commit to their education. Parents can do this by logging in to Connect to view course outlines, see results of assessments and contact teachers. Taking an interest in what your child is learning at school can make all the difference.

We had our first whole school assembly and I want to thank the Student Exec, Ms Edwards, and Mr Dyson for coordinating this event. These assemblies provide an opportunity for us to showcase what is happening across the school. The theme of this assembly was Harmony Day and we talked to students about our planned celebrations for Harmony Day on March 21 and the meaning of Harmony Day and reiterated that the day is about Respect, Belonging and Inclusivity.

On February 21st we had our first parent night, which was an open night. We enjoyed meeting our families and we were particularly happy to see so many new Year 7 families. We hope the open night provided the opportunity for our families to connect with teachers, view some of the materials and PowerPoints available, and allowed carers and parents to ask questions about student’s courses in each of the subject areas.

Thank you to those parents, students, and staff who participated in the bi-annual National Online School Satisfaction Survey. This survey allows parents the opportunity to provide feedback about various aspects of the school. The results of the survey are used for our future planning, so it is important that you take the time to carefully consider your feedback. We have extended the opening time of the survey until March 11th 2023 so we can get us much parent feedback as possible.

We trust you will continue to contact the school should you have any questions or queries about your child’s education.

Boorda/ Goodbye

Susan Kerr M.Ed, B.Ed,Dip teach
Principal

From the Finance Team

Allowances are available for financial assistance
for school subject costs and uniforms.
Please read below on how to apply.

Secondary Assistance Scheme Allowance

Would you like up to $350 towards your child’s 2023 school contributions & charges?

1. Do you hold one of these Centrelink concession cards?
   • Family Health Care Card
   • Pensioner Concession Card
   • Veterans’ Affairs Pensioner Concession Card

2. Is your student(s) listed on the card?

3. Is the card valid during Term 1 2023?

4. You do not receive the Abstudy Supplement Allowance or intend applying for it from Centrelink? (Note: If you do receive this, apply for Abstudy Supplement Allowance, see below)

If you answered YES to all 4 questions above, you can apply for the Secondary Assistance Scheme allowance.

You may receive the following allowance, reducing your account at the school:

$235.00 - paid directly to the school towards school contributions & charges

PLUS

$115.00 clothing allowance - either paid to your bank account or to the school

CLOSING DATE: Last day of Term 1 – Thursday 6th April 2023.

Apply at the Account’s office between 8am and 3.30pm daily.

Remember to bring your valid concession card and the bank account details where the clothing allowance will be paid to.

If you are unable to get to the office during school hours or have any further queries, please contact Michele on 9722 2419, or email michelle.scanlan@education.wa.edu.au

Abstudy Supplement Allowance

If you receive Abstudy from Centrelink or intend applying for Abstudy,

you may be eligible for $79 towards your 2023 school contributions & charges!

Do you receive the school fee allowance of $78 or $156 from Centrelink as part of the Abstudy School fee Allowance?

Or

Do you intend applying for the Abstudy Allowance?

1. Do you hold one of these Centrelink concession cards?
   • Family Health Care Card
   • Pensioner Concession Card
   • Veterans’ Affairs Pensioner Concession Card

2. Is your student(s) listed on the card?

3. Is the card valid during Term 1 2023?

If you answered YES to all 3 questions above, apply for the Abstudy Supplement Assistance allowance and $79 may be paid directly to the school towards school contributions & charges.

CLOSING DATE: Last day of Term 1 – Thursday 6th April 2023.

Apply at the Account’s Office between 8am and 3.30pm daily.

Remember to bring your valid concession card.

If you are unable to get to the office during school hours or have any further queries, please contact Michele on 9722 2419, or email michelle.scanlan@education.wa.edu.au

Lower School Deputy Principals’ Update

Mrs King has been busy handing out application forms for lower school student leaders so please see her if you are interested in taking on an exciting role in leadership. The school spends time and money on developing young leaders and values their contribution to the school community.

Recently, the Upper School Leaders assisted with the Parent Evening and welcomed families when they arrived, showed families around, and their favourite part - helping out with the Year 7 Disco. The Year 7s enjoyed a disco in the Performing Arts Centre while parents talked to staff at the school.

On Monday 20th March, the Student Executive and Mr Dyson will be attending the annual Halogen Conference - National Young Leaders, at the Perth Convention Centre. These activities are a good example of the investment Newton Moore puts into its student leaders.

Parent Information Evening

Thank you to all the parents that came for the information evening, partook in the sausage sizzle and met their child’s teachers. Please note that the next parent evening is not until the end of Term 2, so if you missed the evening in Week 4, please feel free to contact individual teachers through CONNECT or contact the school to speak to relevant staff of your child’s year group.

2023 NAPLAN for Year 7 & 9

NAPLAN 2023 commences on the 15th of March and we ask parents to encourage student attendance and completion of the tests to the best of their ability. NAPLAN in Year 9 provides students with the ability to pre-qualify for OLNA by achieving Band 8, allowing their standardised testing to be over because they have already achieved their literacy and numeracy for Year 12 completion.

Practice tests have been scheduled across Week 4 and 5 to prepare students for the four NAPLAN tests. For further practice, students and parents can access the public demonstration site to view a sample test from the link below.

NAPLAN testing for 2023 runs from March 15th – March 27th , however all tests at NMSHS are aimed to be complete by Tuesday the 21st of March. If your child is absent for genuine reasons, there will be catch up sessions held up until the end of the NAPLAN window.

Tests will be within

• Writing
• Reading
• Conventions of Language
• Numeracy

Class Changes for Semester 1

There are a number of students continuing to wish to change out of elective classes. Please be aware all students (except Year 7s) were given an opportunity to select elective classes during 2022. Further changes due to ‘not liking the subject” cannot be completed.

Any changes to MESH class timetables must include the parent and relevant Deputy Principal from this point forwards and will only be considered in extenuating circumstances, directly related to academic student outcomes.

Senior School Deputy Principals’ Update

Year 10 subject selection for 2023

Although Year 10 has just begun, it is time to start thinking about subject selections for 2023. Please encourage your child to talk to teachers about subjects that they would like to study next year and possible pathways.

If you have any immediate questions, please contact the VET Coordinator Jaqueline Read-Smith or Deputy Principal Kate Nightingale.

OLNA

Year 11 & 12

Numeracy and Reading

OLNA tests will be held throughout Week 6 for Year 11 and 12. Please ensure that your child is present at school for these important tests.

BYOD

It is expected that all Year 11 and 12 students bring a computer to school every day. It should be fully charged and have all the software required for students to complete their learning.

Attendance

As the workload increases in Year 11 and 12, it is vitally important that students arrive on time for school and attend every day. Please make sure that your child is only absent if they are unwell and that they are arriving to school on time. Poor timekeeping and low attendance rates will lead to a Loss of good standing and students will not be able to take part in important events such as the School Ball and Country Week.

Study Skills Tip

Four Reasons Not To Put Off Starting Assignments

Here are four reasons why you should start working on your assignment immediately.

Learn more this year about how to improve your results and be more efficient and effective with your schoolwork by working through the units on the link below - our school’s access details are:

Attendance

Meet the Team

Oonagh Fitzgerald

Ben Maynard

Debra Cunningham

Sandra Procopio

Student Services Update

Mobile Phone Usage

We are experiencing a rise in mobile phone usage during school hours.

It would be appreciated if you supported your child to adhere to the Western Australian Department of Education Policy, “Off and Away all Day”.

We understand and appreciate students need to be contacted and may experience illness, however we need to adhere to our policy procedures for communication.

Communication:

• During the school day, it is expected that parents or caregivers wishing to leave messages for their children should do so by telephoning the school.
• Staff will ensure that messages are passed on during break times.
• Office staff will also assist students who need to contact family or other persons in an emergency.

Cyber Bullying and Cyber Safety

Everyone has the right to feel safe and respected. Everyone has the right to live lives free from bullying and harassment.

Newton Moore Senior High School, like all schools, adhere to the Department of Education Policy for mobile phone usage; “Off and Away All Day.” This policy is available on our school website.

We recognise in our technological society, that the mobile phone is the number one means our students communicate with one another.

Most online interactions are positive, but there are instances where students are reporting negative concerns to us at school.

There are measures you can take to safeguard your child.

Firstly, you can ensure that your child’s phone has been set up safely.

Secondly, eSafety is a government organisation that provides guidelines for what to do when there has been serious online abuse or illegal and restricted content.

Here is the link for your information.

Should any bullying continue at school, please have your child attend Student Services and a member of the team will be more than willing to assist them.

School Nurse

GO PURPLE THIS MARCH!

DID YOU KNOW?

1 in 10 of us will have a seizure in our lifetime.
1 in 25 of us will be diagnosed with epilepsy.

Over 27,0000 West Aussies currently live with an epilepsy diagnosis.

It is common (More than 10,000 cases per year in Australia)

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder marked by sudden recurrent episodes of sensory disturbance, loss of consciousness, or convulsions, associated with abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

Symptoms of epilepsy vary greatly between individuals and depend on the type of seizure. Symptoms can be mild to severe in form. Some of the symptoms include

• Euphoria during aura (before the episode)
• Temporary confusion
• Episodes of staring blankly
• Uncontrollable jerking movements or twitching of the arms and legs
• Loss of consciousness or awareness
• Psychological symptoms such as fear and anxiety

Medication and a specialist consultant aid with treatment.

Learning Areas

VET

Coffee Club 2023

As you are probably all aware, Year 10-12 students have been learning Barista skills and part of this course includes sales of coffees to staff.

We are offering our students current knowledge and skills by giving them an opportunity to learn Barista skills on our coffee machines. This is a great employability skill for young people and there are many establishments in Bunbury that require skills of a trained Barista.

Career Practitioner

Career Conversations - career information for families (Bunbury)

When and where

Visual Art

Year 9 students are learning about still life and have been drawing a variety of items to learn about form, shape, shading and composition. So far they've been drawing plastic skulls, animal bones and fruit which they were able to eat after!

Technologies

In cooking, Year 11 students have been investigating the physical and sensory properties of foods as well as raw and processed foods they have made sweet and sour meatballs as well as some deliciously beautiful cupcakes. The Year 10 students have been learning about garnishing foods for cafe style presentation and participated in a garnishing competition in their classes.

Aboriginal Education

Stars

Our Year 12 Stars attended the Stars Employment forum and met with with potential employers to discuss future pathways and employment and education activities. Two of NMSHS Stars received awards for their commitment and engagement throughout the event.

Our Year 7 Stars have had a great Start to the year and settled into high school life really well. They have begun working with Clare form PCYC to prepare food for the after school youth program at Koolambidi Woola in Bunbury.

Clontarf

It’s been a busy start to the year at the Clontarf Academy with our first couple of camps now completed. We started off with inducting our newest members with the year 7 Induction Camp in Eaton. The boys were joined by the Collie Clontarf Academy year 7’s at Eaton Scout Hall for an overnight trip. We began by introducing the boys to the expectations for being a Clontarf member, and then talking to them about the opportunities they will have going forward if they make the right choices and commit to their schooling. This was just a small taste of what a Clontarf camp looks like for our young men as they were put through their paces, cooking, cleaning up after themselves as well as participating in a Community Beach Clean Up. The trip was topped off with some laser tag at the Scout Hall which the boys had some great fun with.

Week 4 saw us head down to Busselton with our oldest cohort, for our Year 12 Leadership Camp. Our two boys joined over 30 other year 12 Clontarf students from the Southern Region as they set future goals, spoke about what it means to be a leader in the academy, school and wider community, and volunteered cleaning up at the Baptist Camp and the local nursery home. It was a great couple of days down south and will hopefully motivate our young men to finish off their schooling positively whilst having a great time.

News from Parent Bodies

Canteen

The new My School Connect online lunch ordering platform is working really well.

Use this link for My School Connect-

For anyone that still has money in their old Quickcliq account please request a refund as soon as possible as this will be getting closed very soon.

**Also please remind your children that cut off for any slushies or ice-creams is 1.45**

Thank you all for your support, we really appreciate it.

The Canteen Crew

School Board

The Board Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Wednesday 22nd March 2023. This will be followed by a general meeting. At this meeting, we will farewell and thank Jacque Read Smith for her outstanding leadership and contribution to the school. The school board have an important role in our school, and I know people are busy but if you could commit to 5 meetings a year, we would love to have you as a member and just email your interest to newtonmoore.shs@education.wa.edu.au.

Members of the 2023 Board are:

We also have 2 student representatives attend each meeting

If you have any questions about the work of the Board or wish to know more about what we do to support the school and your children, please contact the Newton Moore SHS email address newtonmoore.shs@education.wa.edu.au

The Newton Moore SHS Board would like to pass on its thanks to the staff for your ongoing professionalism and support with furthering student’s education. The Board recognises that the teaching profession is an important role.

Community Notices