Yesterday (Wednesday 8 March) was International Women’s Day and the theme for this year was #EmbraceEquity. The aim for this campaign is to raise awareness of the differences between equity and equality. While these words are sometimes used interchangeably, in regard to supporting differences between people, they are quite different. 

Where once equal opportunity was the goal, given what we know now about the differences between people, equality based on all people and groups being provided with the same resources or opportunities is no longer enough. We can embrace equity when we recognise that each person has different circumstances, and therefore the resources and opportunities they are provided may also need to be different in order to reach an equal outcome. 

A simple way of stating this is that equality is giving everyone a pair of shoes before a race.  Equity is ensuring everyone has the right size shoes for them to perform their best. 

This topic is relevant to Helena College, as it should be in all schools, because it is important that we are able to provide appropriate resources and opportunities for all of the unique learners in our College to be successful. There are two main ways in which we do this. Firstly, teachers differentiate in their classrooms by adjusting their delivery of curriculum and the ways that they assess learning depending on the student. While this often happens in the moment as the teacher interacts with a student in class, it is also an important element of our teacher appraisal system - we want to see that teachers are able to display where they have considered the different learning needs of their students in planning for the lessons.

Secondly, for those students with diagnosed learning needs, our Learning Support specialists collaborate with teachers, students and parents to develop individual education plans which outline specific strategies and resources to assist teachers in developing their plans and delivering their lessons. We know that not all students learn in the same way, so it is important that teachers have the necessary information to tailor their lessons accordingly. 

Carnivals

I would like to take a moment to congratulate all our participants in the Junior School and the Senior School Interhouse Swimming Carnivals.  In particular, it was terrific to see the excitement generated when Cardan were declared victorious the first time in many years. It was wonderful to witness the great camaraderie among all the students, and the Year 12 race was particularly fun and energetic. Well done to all the participants and the organising staff for facilitating two wonderful events. 

The ACC Interschool Swimming Carnival is coming up soon, and I am looking forward to seeing our students represent Helena College with pride and sportsmanship.

Our Community

As we navigate through these uncertain times, I would like to remind all parents and guardians that COVID and other viruses are still present within our community. Please keep your children at home if they are feeling unwell, as this will help us to keep our school community safe and healthy - there are some tips from our School Nurse, Vanessa Kennedy, in this edition of the newsletter.

Finally, I would like to extend my gratitude to all who attended the Friends of Helena Sundowner, our first catch up of the term. It was wonderful to see everyone come together and catch up with old friends and new. A special thank you to all who have volunteered to assist with future Friends of Helena activities. Your dedication and commitment to our community is greatly appreciated.

Mr Peter Coombs, Principal

There is little question that bullying has a devastating impact on any student who encounters it, and as a College we are in a powerful position to tackle the issue head-on. Next week, the Year 12 Student Council will run an assembly on bullying prevention focusing on how students, teachers and parents can work together to combat bullying.

It is important for students, parents and teachers to understand there is a difference between 'being mean' to another person and bullying. Bullying is when someone repeatedly hurts, threatens, or makes fun of another person. It can be physical like hitting or pushing, or emotional like teasing or spreading rumours. It can be in person or online or a combination of both. It is the ongoing nature of bullying and deliberate misuse of power in peer relationships that can have lasting impacts on students. 

It is important that young people have a tool kit if they are experiencing bullying type behaviors.  Helena College's bullying prevention policy is based on the 'Bullying. No Way!' program. It lists the following as strategies for students to use to deal with bullying:

• Talk to someone you trust about it. Try to stay positive. Focus on things you do well.
• Act unimpressed or pretend you don’t care what they say or do to you.
• Use strong, assertive statements if you are talking to them face to face, starting with the word ‘I’; tell the other person ‘I want you to stop that’ in a confident voice.
• Don’t respond to online bullying, it usually just makes it worse.
• Protect yourself online by unfriending them or using privacy settings to block them.
• Report the bullying to a trusted adult, keep reporting if the bullying does not stop.

Bullying prevention requires conversations at school and in the home and involves everyone talking together openly and respectfully. Bullying is not tolerated at Helena College. No student, staff member, parent, caregiver or community member should experience bullying within the learning or working environments of the College. The primary aim of the School's response to bullying is to restore a positive learning environment for all students.

Mr Justin Pitt, Head of Senior Campus

Our College utilises several platforms (newsletters, school publications, social media etc.) to highlight and celebrate the things we achieve together throughout an academic year - and we appreciate that you are taking time to view the contents of the latest edition of the newsletter.

We find ourselves just over the halfway mark of Term 1 - bringing us to autumn and the commencement of some lovely season-changing weather. Our school continues to buzz with enthusiasm, energy and colour. Already, our students have pleased us with what they can do and the delightful people they are.

Term 1

I hope all students and families enjoyed a well-deserved rest over the recent long weekend - refreshed and determined to make the most of their time and the opportunities available at the Junior School. The first term is a time for students to settle into their new routines and understand the expectations that are required when entering into a new year level / learning area - and I would like to congratulate them on this terrific achievement. Term 1 also includes welcoming new staff, new families and students into our College - and over the past few weeks, we have definitely enjoyed getting to know everyone better.

Interhouse Swimming Carnival

In Week 4, our Years 3, 4 and 5 students performed at their best for our annual Interhouse Swimming Carnival at the Bilgoman Pool - and what a superb day this was! Due to previous Covid-19 guidelines, this was in fact the first swimming carnival for each year level. It was a terrific occasion and it was clear to see the enjoyment each student gained from this experience. They all tried their personal best in the pool and it was wonderful to see a large number of family members joining us to support the swimmers. 

We really appreciated the assistance of our Year 12 House Captains, who demonstrated great leadership to their younger students, along with the support of parent Jen Casotti . Jen's help was invaluable in coordinating the electronic timing and scoring system (supplied by the Guildford and Kalamunda Districts Swimming Club). An excellent performance by all students culminated in a close finish with Kiara House placing first. Again, thank you to all the parents who were able to take time out of their day to support this Junior School sporting endeavour - and we already look forward to next year’s Carnival!

NAPLAN 2023

Parents in Years 3 and 5 have already received information detailing our school’s participation in NAPLAN. This year, NAPLAN has moved to Term 1 (rather than taking place in Term 2) and will commence on Wednesday 15 March 2023.

Apart from Year 3 Writing, the tests are carried out online. One of the main benefits of this is tailored (or adaptive) testing - where the test presents questions which may be more or less difficult, depending on a student’s responses.

Parents, along with their child(ren), are able to view the types of questions and tools available in the online assessments at the NAPLAN public demonstration site.

Life Education Sessions

This week, our Kindergarten to Year 5 students are attending a session run by the Life Education Team. The annual sessions are age-appropriate primary school modules aligned to the Australian and state-based curriculum across the Health and Physical Education Learning Area and General Capabilities.

Each module is designed to inspire and empower students, providing knowledge, skills and strategies around topics of physical health, safety and social and emotional wellbeing - all through interactive learning experiences.

Easter Hats and Egg Hunt

While still some time away, on Thursday 6 April, students are encouraged to wear Easter-themed hats to school that have been created at home. Whilst it would be great to see most students join in the Easter celebrations, these activities are entirely optional and there is no expectation that your child must take part in wearing a hat and/or the egg hunt. If this is the case, could you please email the relevant class teacher. If your child has food allergies, please discuss with the class teacher and, where necessary, provide an alternative option.

Further information and details will be sent out closer to the date.

Note for your diary - Parent-teacher conference day (Term 2)

The annual parent-teacher conference day is scheduled to take place on Friday 5 May 2023. Please note, this will be a student-free day to enable teachers to carry out the conferences.

Parent-teacher conferences are a great opportunity for you to come in and discuss how your child is progressing in their current year level, which can include:

• learning more about your child’s academic, emotional and social development
• getting to know your child’s teacher further, therefore enabling open communication
• helping your child’s teacher understand more about your child to allow for more individualised instruction
• making plans with the teacher about how you may be able to support your child strengthening the relationship with your child’s school

Later this term, further details will be provided including an online booking system for parents to select a time that best suits them. Whilst the conferences are not compulsory, you are highly encouraged to make an appointment and attend. Even if you do not have any matters you wish to discuss or find out about, the parent-teacher conference is one way to show your child that you are interested in their learning and what is happening for them at school. In essence, conferences are a beneficial opportunity for two-way communication - a way of finding out more about the school and working together to maximise your child’s educational opportunities.

Mr Greg Miller, Head of Junior School

There is so much to consider in the final years of school, and it can be hard knowing where to start! I have compiled a summary of some key events and activities that students in Years 10 to 12 may wish to take note of in the 'Community Notices' section of this article. First up, however, are some significant in-house events for Helena College families. 

Helena Upper School Events

Year 11 Dinner Cruise

Date: Thursday, 6 April 2023.  Please note that school will finish at 3.15 pm on Thursday.

Time: 6.45 pm drop off at Barrack Street Jetty. 10.00 pm pick up

Dress: Semi-formal/ Evening Mocktail.

Cost: $90

Vessel: The Crystal Swan

The ticket price includes the three-hour cruise, meal service, DJ, photo booth and bottomless soft drink.

Tickets are to be bought via the link being sent to families at the beginning of Week 8.

The Crystal Swan will promptly depart from Barrack Street Jetty at 7.00 pm and cruise on Perth Water before returning in three hours. To whet your appetite, you can find a photo gallery of the Crystal Swan at https://crystalswan.com.au

To ensure this Dinner Cruise is enjoyable, we want to inform students that all school rules and expectations apply throughout the evening. Concerns about students’ behaviour or non-compliance with school rules, especially those pertaining to smoking, intoxicants, or illicit drug use, will see those involved placed in a taxi and returned home at parents’ or guardians’ expense.

The Dinner cruise is a semi-formal function that requires students to wear evening mocktail attire.

Students must be collected from the Barrack Street Jetty promptly at 10 pm. Students will not be allowed to make their own way from the jetty after the cruise.

We would also like to point out that the school does not sanction any form of pre-cruise or post-cruise party.

Elevate Education’s free Parent Webinar Series

Elevate is an award-winning organisation that has been working with Helena College to help your child become a more effective learner.

Join Elevate Education for their exclusive webinar series, where they will show you – as parents – how to best support your child through school.

The next two webinars are as follows.

• Using Technology and beating Distractions - 15 March, 6:30 - 7:30 pm (AEDT)
• Memory - 29 March, 6:30 - 7:30 pm (AEDT)

The Wednesday, 15 March webinar will cover the following.

• Technology addiction and how to reduce technology dependence 
• Practical strategies and apps to minimise procrastination 
• How to help your child use technology productively to enhance their learning

Click here to register for these free webinars.

Year 11 and 12 Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher-student interviews for Years 11 and 12 will be held in the College gymnasium from 3.45 pm to 7.30 pm on Thursday, 23 March.

Interviews will be FIVE minutes duration.

While not compulsory, all families are encouraged to book a time to discuss their child’s progress. Booking information will be sent to families at the end of Week 7.

Community Notices

University Open Days 2023

All universities will provide opportunities for students and their families to explore the respective campuses, check out courses, talk to lecturers, meet current students, and immerse themselves in campus life for a day.

Bev Johnson from In Focus Careers has compiled a comprehensive guide to getting the most out of an Open Day. To get specific advice for Year 10, click here. For a Year 11 Step by step guide to Open days, click here. To get helpful hints for Year 12, click here.

Universities will confirm their 2023 position on early offers in April.

All universities have brought forward their Open Days so that you can check them out before you apply.

Full details can be found here for University Open Days

Girls Engineering Tomorrow Forum for Year 11s

Join Curtin on 16 March 2023 at the Girls Engineering Tomorrow Forum to hear about the future of engineering and where a degree in engineering can take you. Hear from experts about their journey to becoming an engineer.

Curtin will also provide information on the Girls Engineering Tomorrow program, designed to support Year 11 girls interested in engineering. Find out more about this 10-week program, key dates and hear about highlights from past participants. The event will conclude with refreshments and an expo with information on careers in engineering. 5.30pm-7.30pm, Curtin University, Bentley. Register here.

St George’s Open Day

Career Conversation events 2023

The Department of Education will again deliver Career Conversations events for families and schools throughout the state in 2023.

Career Conversations: bringing families together

Armed with accurate, up-to-date information, families can explore together the full range of options and pathways open to young people. Families are encouraged to attend these events together to join the conversation about post-school options at free family events in your local area to hear about:

• exploring university and training pathways
• career pathway information for young people with disabilities
• where to find accurate, up-to-date career pathway information
• where the jobs are
• what employers and industry are looking for

Parents and students can register through the QR code on the Career Conversations flyer.

Mr Craig Hillman, Director of Upper School

Our Year 12 Captains are hard at work in their relevant portfolios, and in this edition of the newsletter, we feature some news from our Environment Captain. 

Helena College gains 3rd Place in EMRC’s School’s Battery Collection Program.

Through the East Metropolitan Regional Council (EMRC), Helena College has been collecting used household batteries and diverting them from landfill. The initiative is designed to reduce the amount of dangerous chemicals in batteries leaking into the environment when batteries are thrown in with General waste destined for landfill.

Last year the Senior School saved 50.4 kilograms of batteries going into landfill on behalf of the EMRC. That effort saw us place third overall for Large Schools in the East Metropolitan area. Our bin will be collected in Week 7 of this term, but we will continue the program throughout the year. The battery collection point is in the Front Office.

Containers for Change

Don't let your 10¢ containers' potential go to waste.

Helena College is now participating in containers for change! You can use our code (HELENA COLLEGE COUNCIL INC Member number: C10292875) when you drop your containers at your local depot. This is a great way to responsibly throw out your old containers while helping to support our school. Put this code into your phone, so you have it handy next time you drop your bottles and cans off at a Containers for Change depot. You can find the depot closest to you at https://www.containersforchange.com.au/wa/where-to-return

The money collected will go towards supporting our environmental projects. We will be keeping you updated on how much we are raising. If you have an environmental project that you would like to see the funds raised go towards, please make those suggestions via the Student Council email studentcouncil@helena.wa.edu.au

Tanami Boggs, 2023 Environment Captain

The Interhouse Lap Challenge is back in 2023. Students and staff have been walking, jogging and running laps of the oval over the last three weeks. Every lap counts as one point towards your House total.

Waughul are out to a commanding lead, and look set to defend their title from 2022! If you are interested, the Lap Challenge takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on the school oval from 7.45am - 8.30am. Everyone is welcome.

This term, our fantastic Peer Support Leaders from Year 10 have been running various activities with their Year 6 buddies. The widely respected program helps to immerse our delightful Year 6 students into their new journeys at the Senior School campus. So far, our leaders have helped students face challenges, set goals, adopt growth mindsets, and make important connections with each other and with staff. Oftentimes we hear stories of students keeping in contact with their leaders well after the program ends. We are pleased to hear about these sorts of lasting impressions each year and so far, the peers and leaders seem to be getting along wonderfully.

The Pre primary children had a wonderful first excursion to the Sculpture Park. 

We are in the "Finding out" part of our Inquiry and exploring the Sculpture Park with our friends was a great way to practise all the skills we need to be a good friend. They planned games to play with each other and worked on using good communication skills to negotiate the play. They then drew a sketch of the games that they played, we went on an adventure around the park and enjoyed a picnic together. 

It was a lovely first excursion and it was nice to have some parents join us.

Tour Days - join the Helena experience!

Throughout the year, the Darlington Campus carries out several official Tour Days. These occasions are attended by prospective parents and are a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase the outstanding endeavours that are being carried out here at the College.

From the students' perspective, it is another delightful opportunity for them to feel proud of their College as visitors briefly enter most learning spaces to observe and hear about the many undertakings that are either occurring or being planned. The Head of Junior School leads each tour which culminates in a ‘tea and coffee question and answer time’ held in the original one room schoolhouse.

One of the main messages provided to parents and visitors on these occasions is to register your child to be a part of our tremendous learning community. 

Should you wish for additional family members or friends to join the Helena journey, please encourage them to view dates for upcoming school tours which can be found here. Your ‘word of mouth’ recommendation is still one of the best forms of marketing for our College. 

We love sharing news of our students' successes both in and out of school. If you have news to share, please email newsletter@helena.wa.edu.au with your updates and photos.  In this edition of the newsletter, we celebrate our Aussies of the Month, a rising star on stage, and an international competition for a cheer squad member!

Aussies of the Month

Allowing students to have opportunities to take on roles and responsibilities plays a significant part of childhood development. As such, the Aussie of the Month program will again take place this year for students in Years 3 and 4. The Aussie of the Month program is designed to recognise personal endeavour, achievement and contribution to the community. The awards also reflect some of the values we share as Australians - a sense of fair play; generosity of spirit; commitment to community participation; and a real concern for the environment. 

Each month, three students (one from Year 3 and two from Year 4) will be selected to be ‘Aussie of the Month’. The students will receive a special certificate and badge which they can proudly wear for the month. Congratulations go to Harrison (Year 3), Ada (Year 4C) and Sophie (Year 4P), who have been chosen as Aussies of the Month for March 2023.

Success on Stage for Sully

Congratulations to Sully in Year 8, who recently performed in the Darlington Theatre Players production of the family classic, The Wind in the Willows at Marloo Theatre. The show was described by critics and audiences alike as 'heartwarming', 'comforting with nostalgic energy' and 'like a picture book come to life'.  Sully is a rising talent and was an outstanding lead in last year’s Middle School production of 'April Aardvark?'. Well done, Sully!

Lucas heads to World Championships

Year 12 student, Lucas, is an elite member of the Toxic Cheerleading Club, competing at the highest level within the the club structure. Lucas, along with his team, Weapons, have been so successful, they are heading to the Cheerleading World Championship in the USA next month! This is a significant achievement for Lucas and his team. In a letter to the College, Toxic Cheerleading's administrator, Melinda Dougherty, notes that Lucas is an integral part of the team's routine, through his stunt and tumbling abilities. She also commented that Lucas is focused and driven, and is a role model for the younger athletes in the team. Best of luck with your preparations, Lucas!

PS: Are you wondering why we aren't using students' surnames in some newsletter articles? Simply put, our newsletters are hosted online, through our website, and as such we are working towards further protecting the online identity of our students. This is particularly important when there are linked photos. There may be occasions where we receive permission from a parent to include the surname. In some instances the surname may already have been published online by a third party, such as newspaper or other body separate from the College. If you have any questions in this regard, please email mcosser@helena.wa.edu.au.

Farewell - Jan Veal

After more than 10 terrific years of tutoring piano under the Junior School Electives Program, Jan Veal tendered her resignation in her role as Electives staff member (Piano). Jan will continue in her role as piano tutor at the Glen Forrest Campus (GFC) for our Senior School students. 

For those fortunate enough to have had lessons with Jan over the years, I am sure that you would agree that it has been a privilege having her with us at the Junior School - and your children have gained valuable piano playing skills and abilities.

Jan is wished much happiness and success in all her future endeavours.

Welcome - Cindy Lawalata

We are thrilled to welcome Cindy Lawalata - who joins the Canteen team as our Darlington Canteen Supervisor.

Cindy has been a regular helper in the canteen over the past couple of years - often coming in to assist a few times a week. As such, we are delighted that Cindy has now been appointed to officially take on this important role and we wish her all the very best!

Helena College welcomes suggestions, feedback and comments from parents, students, or staff, and takes all complaints and concerns seriously. 

The Director General of the Department of Education is responsible for ensuring that all schools - including Helena College - observes the registration standards, including the standard about handling complaints. 

Helena College has a clearly defined policy for complaints handling and dispute resolution which includes procedures for parents (and guardians) and the community (including past students).  Parents may often wish to raise issues on behalf of their children.  There are other issues which students may choose to raise on their own behalf, and which are best raised by them, and to this end, we have a Child-Friendly Complaints Handling Policy.

Any student, parent or community member is entitled to contact the Director General with concerns about how the school has dealt with a complaint. Information on how to do this is available on the Department of Education website. While the Director General may consider whether the school has breached the registration standards, she does not have power to intervene in a complaint or override the school’s decision.

A big thank you to all the staff and parents who attended the Sundowner event in Week 4. It was the first opportunity for a number of years to have a catch up in Term 1. Thank you also to all of those who volunteered to assist with future Friends of Helena activities. If you were not able attend, we encourage you to register your interest in getting involved by completing this form. Volunteers can choose to help in whatever way suits them - from coordinating an event, through to just helping out on days you are available.

If you would like to know more, please email mcosser@helena.wa.edu.au. We will be holding a meeting for prospective volunteers soon. 

The independently-run Helena Basketball Club player registrations are now open for the winter season.  Register here for the 2023 Winter Season. Please note registrations close on 12 April 2023.

All games will be played on the indoor courts at the Mundaring Arena, located at 50 Mundaring Weir Road.

Important Dates:

Season start: 2 May to 30 June

Break for mid-year holidays.

Season recommences: 18 July to 18  August

Finals: 22 August to 8 September

Proposed games nights:

Tuesdays:       U14 Boys, U18 Boys, U20 Mens, Mens

Thursdays:      U10 Mixed, U12 Boys, Senior Mixed

Fridays:           U12 Girls, U14 Girls, U16 Boys, U17 Sub-Senior/Senior Girls, Womens

Please note registrations close on 12 April 2023.

Due to increasing popularity, places are strictly limited this season – please get in early to avoid disappointment. If you require any further information, please contact us at: basketballhelena@gmail.com